On the occasion of World Environment Day on Monday, Greenpeace India flagged off a ‘solar bus’ to raise awareness about solar energy and how it can easily power an entire household.
Called the Solar Comet, the bus has solar panels installed on the roof that power energy-efficient LED bulbs, mobile charging points, a mixer-grinder, a refrigerator, an air cooler and an air-conditioner that have been fitted inside the bus, a statement by the environmental NGO read.
The ‘house on wheels’ will tour the city for the next 20 days and activists will interact with RWAs on the the benefits of rooftop solar panels.
“The Delhi government came up with a solar policy last year. But despite the benefits it offers, Delhiites haven’t really woken up to the idea,” said Pujarini Sen, a climate and energy campaigner with Greenpeace India.
A lot of potential
Delhi has a solar energy potential of 2,500 MW, of which 1,250 MW was from residential areas. By 2020, the target for Delhi is to reach 1,000 MW, but as of December 2016, only 35.9 MW of solar capacity had been installed, read the Greenpeace India statement.
“We hope that the solar bus is able to play its part in encouraging more residents to go solar. In our initial talks with RWAs, we discovered that there are several myths about rooftop solar panels that need to be busted,” said Ms. Sen. People, for instance, believe that rooftop solar panels entail a high capital investment, not realising that the State and Centre governments offer substantial financial incentives for clean energy.
