kTo replace fossil fuel for energy requirements, the government is encouraging its departments, private organisations and individuals to harness the eco-friendly and unlimited solar power.
In addition to equipping its office building with solar panels that take care of 90% of electricity needs, the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has now embarked on another 10-MW project for its head water works unit.
The project has been allotted to the Andhra Pradesh Resco Roof Top Solar Pvt Ltd., a private firm that will supply the power through open access route in the next nine months. This is probably the first time in the country that a civic body is procuring solar power through the open access mode, according to the officials of the New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP), the facilitator of the project.
The VMC incurs a monthly power bill of ₹98 lakh on the head water works. The project will help it save up to ₹2.7 crore per anum.
Open access mode
Open access solar projects thrive where power tariffs are high, the grid is robust and regulations favourable. It allows a buyer with a connected load of more than 1 MW to procure power directly from the market through the grid.
“It is a win-win situation for us. We do not have to invest anything as the power supplier will bear the cost of transmission and distribution losses besides wheeling and banking charges,” said Municipal Commissioner J. Nivas. Assured savings in monthly electricity bills for the next 25 years would be a big relief.
The VMC buys electricity from the APDCL at ₹7.38 per unit. Under the open access mode, it will be paying the bills in two blocks — in the first 15 years ₹4.56 per unit while in the next 10 only ₹1.96 saving around ₹1 lakh per day.
“We have been successfully experimenting with different models of solar power. We also plan to procure another 2 MW units of solar power to be installed at our commercial complexes scattered in 10-15 places in the city,” said Mr. Nivas.
