As a part of the Smart city projects, Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) is launching solar energy projects to generate 10 MW, Municipal Commissioner M. Hari Narayanan has said.
A project on Raiwada water supply canal to generate 5 MW and a floating solar power project on Mudasarlova reservoir to generate 2 MW form part of the 10 MW planned.
Solar panels would be set up on 22 GVMC structures to generate 1.5 MW and 144 municipal schools 215 KW.
First phase
"In all, in the first phase, we want to generate 10 MW of solar energy and we have already floated tenders for it," he added.
He was addressing a one-day workshop “Solar Roofs India 2017,” organised here on Wednesday by ‘Solar Quarter’, magazine, in association with the Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries Federation and several companies in the solar energy sector.
He said the GVMC would also endeavour to promote solar roof-top energy with the help of 120 resident welfare associations.
Chairman and Managing Director of the AP Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited (APEPDCL) M.M Nayak said the cost of solar panels had come down but it was still too high for the low-end consumers of solar energy. Since the initial investment was high many were not coming forward to install roof-top solar panels. "Keeping it in view, the companies have to come up with different models to cut down on costs and take solar power to the common man," he said.
Chief Financial Officer of Vyoma Energy Sravani Polina said the company had taken up a 2 MW solar project at Kakinada as a part of the smart city project and it was also installing several solar agricultural pump-sets in the two Godavari districts. President-elect of the Chambers G. Sambasiva Rao and representatives of several solar energy companies participated in the debate.
