Aurobindo ashram printing press goes solar

With this, 75% energy needs of the printing press will be met

Sri Aurobindo Ashram Printing Press, located along the Beach Road, went solar on Friday. Puducherry Chief Secretary Manoj Parida inaugurated the unit.

With a 50 kwh capacity solar panel installed on the rooftop of the building, the printing press will meet at least 75% of its energy needs, said Manoj Dasgupta, managing trustee, Ashram Printing Press.

‘Worthy of emulation’

Mr. Parida underlined that this model should is worth emulating in all the buildings. “Now, the Ashram Printing Press will require only 10 to 20 per cent of power from the grid. They will pass on the surplus energy generated through solar panel to the grid,” he said.

Swadhin Chatterjee, manager, Ashram Printing Press, said the building consumed 300 units of energy per day. “Through solar energy, they will now be able to meet 250 units on an average per day,” he said.

The civil works before the installation of solar panels took two to three weeks. The installation was completed in 10 days.

Sri Aurobindo Ashram Printing Press, built in 1945, functions from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Mr. Dasgupta added that nearly six buildings of Sri Aurobindo Ashram have installed solar panels including the Ashram school and dining hall. “This project will continue,” he said.

S. Sundaravadivelu, Secretary to Government (Personnel, GAD, Power, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, and D. Ravi, Superintending Engineer-cum-Head of the Department were present.