The Acharya Nagarjuna University (ANU) is working out the modalities for setting up of 1 MW solar energy unit in the campus.
The university has invited bidders for taking up the project and it has also launched a course in rooftop solar photovoltaic installer this academic year, in association with the Gujarat Energy Research & Management Institute (GERMI). The decision to install a solar unit comes in the light of the rising power bills. According to officials, the university pays around Rs. 25 lakh a year towards the power bill and wanted to control this expenditure.
The project will be taken up on Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) basis and the university does not have to invest a rupee. All it has to do is provide close to five acres for setting up the plant, said ANU Vice-Chancellor K. Viyyanna Rao.
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“It will be a win-win situation for the university. It will not be investing and the maintenance will be done by the bidder,” he said, adding that seven bidders had submitted their expression of interest (EoI) and officials during the executive council meeting would finalise the bidder to sell power to the university at the minimum rate. The university needs around 800 KW power for its administration and other purposes and the contract would be valid for nearly 15 years.
After the termination of the contract, the bidder will have to handover the unit to the university, he says.
Last year, the university had established solar rooftop panels on the Administrative Building, Library Building and Centre for Distance Education building with an investment of more than Rs.1 crore. It is yielding good results .
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The project will be taken up on BOOT basis, with contract period of 15 years
The varsity will not invest for the project, apart from sanctioning 5 acres of land