JOIN USDelhi Public School, Sanskriti School and Amity International School and three dozen other public schools could soon be using their buildings’ terraces for solar power generation under a Delhi government plan to encourage educational institutes to tap the power of the sun.
Officials of the environment department of the Delhi government have initiated talks with public schools, which have potential to install units that can generate 10 to 20 kw power.
An official said the schools were being made aware about two possibilities: generating solar power on their own, and giving out terrace space to a third agency for installing solar power units.
“In both the scenarios, the schools can end up reducing their expenditure on power bills and even earn a handsome revenue if they start selling the power to the grid,” an official said.
He said the government has already decided to use the terraces of government school buildings to generate solar power, but roping in public schools will almost double the outcome from the initiative.
A government source said due to some public schools’ reluctance to hand over their terraces to a third agency, officials were conducting workshops for school managements to encourage them to set up these plants on their own.
“The Central Electricity Authority and the Delhi government’s renewable energy management centre will help the schools with the technical know-how on installation and operation of the solar power plants,” an official said.
The Delhi government also plans to involve The Energy and Resources Institute for technical expertise in the school solar power projects.
Experts from TERI have also been helping government officials in holding briefings for school authorities in the capital.
As of now, the central government offers a subsidy of up to 30 per cent on solar power units. One kw solar power system involves an investment of Rs 1 lakh.
The Delhi government is also considering suggestions of helping schools, interested in installing solar power units, get bank loans easily and arranging interest concessions for them.
Experts say the savings in power bills after installing a solar power plant help a user recover the cost of the plant within two decades.