What started as a project to ‘go solar’ at schools, seems to have created a huge demand for alternate power supply in schools all over the State.
A project of the Lions Clubs District 324 A1 to install solar power plants in schools has come to a close with the district spending over Rs. 2 crore on the installations.
Over the last year, the district has helped install solar power plants in 70 educational institutions and five primary health centres.
According to Lion G. Ahmed Sharif, project chairman, though 75 solar installations have been completed, the clubs were getting more applications from schools.
“The criterion for setting up solar panels is that the building should be at least a G+2 structure with not many trees in the surrounding area,” he said.
The district governor, Lion K. Balachandra Reddy, who contributed Rs. 50,000 for every plant from the district’s funds, motivated the members to install more plants. The solar plants would be maintained by the clubs for five years, he added.
According to N. Narayanan, correspondent, Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Arimalam (a village near Karaikudi), a solar panel was installed in the school, recently.
“It has helped us tide over power-cuts and brightened our classrooms. It helped us especially during the final examination. Our power bill has also come down,” he said.
