‘Identify buildings where solar panels can be installed’

State power minister Sobhandeb Chatterjee on Wednesday held a high level meeting with the senior officials of the WBREDA and the district officials instructing them to identify the office buildings where solar panels can be installed.

The state government has taken up a project under “Aloshree” by which a solar plant would be set up on the roof top of various government buildings to produce energy. The state government has already given a lot of stress on renewable energy. A great deal of work has already been done by the power department to produce energy from the solar power. It will not only reduce the dependency on other energy sources, but would also help the government buildings to develop energy that is required for their own consumption. The project aims at installing grid connected solar system in the government offices.

During the meeting, Chatterjee has asked the officials to identify the buildings which will be viable for setting up solar plants on their roof. The roof top must be measuring around 1200 square feet to get a solar plant and the officials have examined whether the buildings identified for the solar plants have the capacity to have around 10 ton power plant. A senior official of the rank of the additional District Magistrate from each district will be selected as a nodal officer for implementing the project.

The minister has stressed the necessity of developing non-conventional energy and urged the senior officials of the WBREDA and other departments not to forget the social responsibilities towards the preservation of natural resources. The project would be conducted in various phases. After going through the details and identifying the buildings the senior officials will submit a report to the minister.

It may be mentioned that solar panels were being set up at various places already. In a major development, the canal bank solar photo voltaic (PV) project of 10 MW has come up at Haptiagachh in Uttar Dinajpur.

According to senior officials of the state power department, West Bengal is a pioneer in setting up canal bank solar PV projects in the country. Three more solar PV projects, with a capacity of 10 MW each, will come up at Santaldih and Chhara in Purulia, and Mejia in Bankura. Power department has also taken up an elaborate scheme to set up 500 MW ultra mega solar parks in the districts of East Midnapore, West Midnapore and Bankura.

“The installation of solar plants on the roof of various government offices will be done through phases. The identification of the buildings would be done soon,” Chatterjee said.