Haryana CM inaugurates two solar projects

Adding more milestones to solar energy projects in India, Haryana government started two new projects at Maharshi Dayanand University in Rohtak on Wednesday. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar inaugurated the projects.

He also inaugurated two other projects, 1 MW rooftop solar power plant and air-conditioning plant for Dr Mangal Sen Multipurpose Gymnasium Hall. Speaking on the occasion, Khattar said, "Use of solar energy should be promoted as it is an economical source of energy and can help in maintaining ecological and environmental balance."

The 1-MW rooftop solar power plant is a green energy project which has been set up with the support of Solar Energy Corporation of India.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will lay the foundation stone for a solar power plant at Guptapara village on his three-day visit to Andaman Nicobar Island from Tuesday.

These projects came after the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the enhancement of the Scheme for Development of Solar Parks and Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects on February 22.

The EA committee also approved the capacity of solar parks from 20,000 MW to 40,000 MW. The capacity enhancement would also ensure setting up of at least 50 solar parks each with a capacity of 500 MW in various parts of the country.

According to the Cabinet Committee's decision, all the states and UTs are eligible for benefits under the scheme.

From April 2016 to January 2017, solar power plants in India generated more than 10,565 million kWhr of electricity—roughly twice (5,726 million kWhr) as much as it did in the corresponding period of last year, albeit on a higher installed capacity base. But of the overall power generation in the country, which was at 1,038 billion kWhr in April 2016, the solar power's contribution was just a little above one per cent in January 2017.