Electricity from solar power is being generated using solar panels installed on rooftops of government offices, factories and even houses in Prayagraj today. There are many institutions in the district that are generating and providing electricity to the power department.
While till a few years ago the district was fully dependent on non-renewable sources of energy, now the use of solar power has gradually increased.
On National Energy Conservation Day— celebrated every year on December 14 since 1991, to drive mass awareness about the importance of energy efficiency and conservation—official records show that electricity worth more than ₹20 crore is being generated from solar energy every month in Prayagraj district. Just four private companies in the district are producing 8 lakh to 10 lakh units of electricity per day, which is worth ₹18 crore per month, claim district officials.
Allahabad high court, government offices including the divisional commissioner’s office and the Vikas Bhawan, factories like IFFCO-Phulpur, hospitals like Leprosy Mission Hospital-Naini and Heartline in Civil Lines to schools like Khelgaon Public School and Government Inter College as well as a large number of citizens are using this energy.
“Generating electricity using natural resources is the best option as the process is eco-friendly and economical in the long run. For this, exemptions and rebates are also being given continuously by the government. Interest among people has increased in the last few years with sturdy and flexible solar panels coming to the market and the technology becoming cheaper. In such a situation, it’s popularity and acceptability among people is on the rise,” said Shahid Siddiqui, project officer, UPNEDA-Prayagraj.
{{/usCountry}}“Generating electricity using natural resources is the best option as the process is eco-friendly and economical in the long run. For this, exemptions and rebates are also being given continuously by the government. Interest among people has increased in the last few years with sturdy and flexible solar panels coming to the market and the technology becoming cheaper. In such a situation, it’s popularity and acceptability among people is on the rise,” said Shahid Siddiqui, project officer, UPNEDA-Prayagraj.
{{/usCountry}}According to officials of the Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA), more than 50,000 people in the district are using electricity generated from solar power using solar panels. In addition to ₹18 crore worth solar power generation by the four firms, electricity worth ₹1.5 crore is being produced every month by government institutions. Along with this, a large number of people have installed panels in their houses. Due to which electricity worth ₹1 crore is produced every month.
UPNEDA officials maintain that more than 400 people have set up plants on the roofs of their houses through UPNEDA even as a large number of people are applying for them directly from different agencies and firms.
Following subsidies and encouragement by Central and state government, so far, 420 domestic consumers in the district have signed agreements with the power department under which they have taken the connection of net metering. These consumers are not only using the electricity generated from the solar panels installed in their houses themselves but are also selling it to the department if they generate excess electricity from the panels.
According to executive engineer of the power department, Ram Awadh Yadav, domestic consumers have installed solar panels in their houses on the basis of rebate received from the government. They generate four to five units of electricity per day on a 1 kilowatt panel which is sufficient for the use of general category or normal use people. He said that such consumers are saving electricity expenses of about ₹30 per day.
Four big solar energy plants are installed in the district at present including a 50 MW energy generated at Shankargarh, 40 MW from Tata Solar in Bara, 50 MW from Koraon and 50 MW from the solar plant installed in Kosra Kala. Around 8 to 10 lakh units of solar energy generated from these four plants is given to 132 KV sub-stations of the electricity department from where the department supplies electricity to domestic and commercial consumers, the officials said.
Meanwhile, ₹960 crore is being spent on the redevelopment of Prayagraj Junction. Under this initiative, special attention is being given to solar energy production. Prayagraj Junction will be illuminated only through the solar power generated by it. A target of production of 30 lakh units has been set which will save revenue of approximately ₹1.5 crore.