The Government College of Technology (GCT) commissioned a 20KV rooftop grid connected solar energy plant here on Friday.
The solar plant was installed as part of the Centre of Excellence in Alternate Energy Research which received Rs. 5 crore funding from the World Bank through the Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme.
It was initiated by N. Devarajan, professor of Electrical Engineering Department in the college.
V. Lakshmi Prabha, principal, said this was the first and the only college in the State to get the Centre of Excellence funding. The centre carries out research on wind and solar energy.
The new plant is installed at a cost of Rs. 19 lakh at the rooftop of J.J. Rudra Block, occupying 2,100 sq.ft. It will produce 29,200 units of power per year and save up to Rs.1,85,000 annually. The campus already has a 5KV off grid solar plant.
Immanuel John Samuel, Ph.D scholar in GCT, is working on a 5 KV dual axis solar panel tracking system that will adjust its inclination automatically as per the position of the sun by receiving data from the weather monitoring station on the campus. This research aims at maximising power generation.
The college is planning to adopt a village around Coimbatore under the research team.
Around 50 students will be engaged in helping the village get solar-based street lights and table lamps. Also, the research centre is open for industries that require solutions for problems faced in tapping wind and solar energy.
