Technical education institutes in Kollam district should set up designing studios on the campus to facilitate innovative ideas, Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal said here on Thursday.
He was speaking at the constituency-level inauguration of Kerala State Electricity Board’s Soura project at Ezhukone Government Polytechnic College.
“Teachers and authorities should be ready to provide the technological support to develop ideas for low-cost projects that will benefit commoners. The government will offer financial support for basic infrastructure,” said the Minister, who inaugurated the 4-kW solar power plant at the college.
While the plant at Ezhukone has a production capacity of 56 units a day, the customer can use 10% of the units for free for 25 years as rooftop rent. The KSEB is responsible for the maintenance of the system installed by Tata Power Solar Systems Limited.
The project is being implemented by the KSEB as part of the Urja Kerala Mission with an aim to generate an extra 1,000 MW from renewable power sources. There will be no subsidy in the first phase, but the customer will get 40% subsidy up to 3 kW and 20% subsidy up to 10 kW in the second phase. The plants will be installed by companies approved by the board after considering the applications submitted to the KSEB. Around 100 sq ft is required to install a 1 kW unit.
Domestic consumers can use the electricity generated for household purposes and sell the extra power to the KSEB at a fixed rate per unit. For the first five years, the board will handle the maintenance of panels that come with a 25-year warranty. The installation of a 3-kW unit will cost around ₹1.3 lakh with subsidy.
Grama panchayat president Ratheesh Kilithattil presided over the function. District panchayat vice president Sumalal, block panchayat member Mini Lal and KSEB executive engineer M. Vinushankar were present on the occasion.
