Tenhipalam panchayat has set a model for other civic bodies by successfully tapping solar energy.
The panchayat office has reduced the power bill by 90 per cent by installing solar panels, said the panchayat authorities.
They claimed that earlier the power bill was in excess of Rs. 10,000 for two months. After the installation of solar panels, the power bill was brought down to less than Rs.1,000.
Panchayat secretary K. Abu Faizal said: “We had consumed 1,047 units of power in February and March, which cost us Rs.8, 518. After installation of the solar panel, our consumption in April and May came down to 95 units, with a power bill of Rs. 762 only,” he said.It was in the first week of April that
Tenhipalam panchayat installed solar panels with a World Bank aid of Rs. 8.8 lakh in the first week of April. The panels were large enough to provide power to the entire panchayat office complex.
The 6-kV solar panel can provide power to the offices of the assistant engineer, village extension, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, and Kudumbasree.
Panchayat officials said they planned to extend the solar scheme to anganwadis and schools in the next phase.
