Acharya Nagarjuna University is betting big on solar power. Conventional lighting has now made for solar lights powering the sprawling campus spread over 350 acres. The ANU has now an installed off grid solar power capacity of 50 Kilowatt powering most of the buildings, including administrative buildings, library and Centre for Distance Education. Each of these buildings is now powered by a 17 MW solar roof top photo voltaic system.
The ANU is now planning to set up a 1 MW solar power generation plant tapping subsidies provided by Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission. The total cost of the project is estimated at Rs.10 crore.
The mission envisages 30 per cent subsidy on the cost of the project sanctioned by New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP).
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Vice-Chancellor of ANU K.V. Rao said that the university has allotted funds to the tune of Rs.2 crore for the solar generation during the financial year 2013-2014. The ANU has further given its consent for 1 MW power generation plant.
Besides solar roof top photo voltaic systems powering buildings, the ANU has installed 40 Watt LED Lights at sports stadium, solar street lights and LED lights powering the roads leading to hostels of engineering colleges.
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Solar power is now being used to fuel water pumping systems, water heating systems in hostel and to light up the grounds on the ANU campus.
“The ANU is now able to cut down on its huge power bills by switching over to solar energy. The total power generation at ANU is 24,895 units. The ANU is able to save nearly Rs.1 lakh every month by switching over to solar powered induction lighting,” says District Manager, NREDCAP, G. Harnath Babu.
ANU was given the Andhra Pradesh Energy Conservation Award recently.