Enthused by the success of totally powering an office with solar energy, at the Ibrahimpatnam mandal parishad office, the Krishna District administration is contemplating installing ‘solar power pack’ at five more government offices.
The New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP) will install the ‘solar power pack’ at Nandigama, Machilipatnam, Ibrahimpatnam village panchayat office, Krishnaraopalem and Rangapuram Social Welfare Residential School shortly.
The NREDCAP had installed the solar power packs at Thotlavalluru, Penamaluru, Chandarlapadu and Kankipadu mandal offices. The solar energy is being used successfully for the last two years at Ibrahimpatnam mandal parishad office. It is the first government office in the state to have the solar power equipment.
The energy consumption has come down to 432 from 500 units per month after installation of the solar power pack. The office used to utilise 676 units every month in 2010. The other mandal offices followed the suit.
The NREDCAP District Manager K. Srinivas, at a meeting here on Thursday, said that the 1 KWp power plant was installed with a cost of Rs.3 lakh. Of this, the Central Government subsidy was Rs.90,000, while the Parishad shouldered Rs.2.10 lakh. Efforts were on to install the solar energy systems at five more offices shortly, he said.
Additional Joint Collector N. Ramesh Kumar stressed the need for tapping renewable energy sources in the light of power shortage. Plans were afoot to cover all mandal offices in the district with solar energy, he said. The solar energy was most viable and cost-effective alternative to conventional energy, he added.
The people were requested to make use of the subsidy extended by the Government on solar equipment. The habit of saving the energy also needs to be inculcated as the energy saved was energy produced, he explained.
The DWMA Project Director V. Hanuma Naik, MEPMA Project Director Siva Shankar, MDO A. Naga Maheswara Rao and others spoke.
