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Centre makes rooftop solar push, Punjab says only 12% schools remain uncovered
Punjab authorities have been asked to appoint a nodal officer, identify schools, assess their rooftop area, solar capacity and prepare an action plan with fixed timelines to ensure saturation of government secondary schools with rooftop solar installations
The Union ministry of education (MoE) has asked the Punjab government to install solar rooftop plants at all 3,798 secondary and higher secondary schools in the state under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana to meet their electricity requirement through clean energy.
The state authorities have been asked to appoint a nodal officer, identify schools, assess their rooftop area, solar capacity and prepare an action plan with fixed timelines to ensure saturation of government secondary schools with rooftop solar installations.
“The initiative seeks to extend the solar power programme to government schools under the administrative control of states/UTs with the objective of maximising the utilisation of available rooftop space for clean energy generation and reducing their electricity expenditure,” according to a letter received by the Punjab school education department on August 5 following a meeting held by the education ministry on the move.
The letter stated that priority would be accorded to schools equipped with internet connectivity, smart classrooms, Atal Tinkering Labs and science laboratories. Punjab has 1,709 secondary and 2,089 higher secondary government schools.
A senior Punjab school education department official said the state has been working on solarising government schools for some time. “We have already made several schools solar-powered under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme, Aspirational Districts programme and through CSR funding from the private sector. Only 12% of schools are left uncovered. These are also likely to be covered in the current financial year,” the official said, requesting anonymity.
The department has collaborated with the Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) — the nodal agency for promoting and developing renewable energy projects and energy conservation — which was in talks with Nabard for funding rooftop solar installations.
The Centre’s solar power push, aimed at promoting the use of renewable energy in government schools while reducing their dependence on comparatively unreliable conventional electricity supply, followed the decision to extend the PM Surya Ghar Scheme to government schools. Under the first phase, the programme plans to cover 1.25 lakh schools across the country and the MoE is coordinating with the Union ministry of new and renewable energy, Rural Electrification Corporation Limited, Solar Energy Corporation of India and other central agencies to ensure timely implementation.
Earlier, Punjab had made a slow start in installing rooftop power plants in senior secondary schools during the previous government. The central government had sanctioned funds in 2019 for installing 5-kilowatt solar power plants in 880 schools, but the state failed to initiate the work. The ministry of education later refused the state government’s request for additional funds. Later, tenders were invited to install solar power plants.
