NITK Surathkal to have one MW rooftop solar plant by September

The National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK), Surathkal, will soon have a one MW rooftop solar plant on its campus, said to be the largest in a government academic institute.

The one MW grid plant will be set up on 12 academic, administrative and hostel buildings that will cater to the 15% power requirement of the campus. CleanMax Solar, a rooftop solar developer, will develop the plant in association with the institute. It is proposed to be completed by September. With the focus on maximising power generation, the project has been designed keeping in mind the high wind load due to the institute’s proximity to the beach. The project will also generate useful data for future implementation of such projects in the region, said a release from the company.

The proposed plant is an initiative of the Ministry of Human Resource Development and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to implement green technologies on NIT and IIT campuses. It is implemented through Solar Energy Corporation Of India.

Prof K N Lokesh, Director, NITK-Surathkal, said the proposed plant is a part of larger initiative and commitment from NITK to be the leader in implementing sustainable and green technology in an academic institution. As per the agreement, the company will instal, operate and maintain the plant for 25 years and sell the power to NITK at a low tariff. “This is a unique ‘install and operate’ model to be implemented in any academic institute campus in India,” he added.

Dr D N Gaonkar, assistant professor and nodal officer for solar plant project, said the proposed plant will help reduce the power intake from the Mangalore Electric Supply Company (MESCOM) and reduce the monthly power bill. “Presently, our electricity requirement is around five lakh units per months and NITK is paying around Rs 40 lakh a month for the same,” he said.