In its efforts to implement renewable energy practices through the installation of solar panels on the houses, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) continuously has generated positive results. Last year, 34 of its buildings were constructed by the civic body, including its headquarters, animal health centres, and zonal offices with solar roof panels.

Installation of Solar Rooftop Panels on GHMC Buildings

The municipal corporation, as per the officials, installed 941 kWp (kilowatts peak) in the 34 buildings that had been identified, on the vacant rooftops. In order to develop the project to be carried out, it had stepped and taken advantage of its experts in the Telangana State Renewable Energy Development Corporation (TSREDCO).

The project costs of the 941kWp PV solar grid-connected rooftop system were estimated at Rs 3.5 crore for design, supply, installations and commissioning. The process began six months ago, as officials have been confident that about 15 lakh units of energy would be generated per year, which means more than Rs 1. 30 crore savings on the municipal corporation power bill.

Presently, some buildings are meeting the demand for electricity by solar panels and maintaining their status as zero bills. The GHMC official stated that a thorough audit will be performed in a couple of months to determine the exact status of the project. This is primarily due to changes in the supply of electricity and consumption over various seasons. The official clarified that in the rainy and winter seasons power generation and consumption was comparatively less than the summer.

The project costs of almost Rs 3.5 crore are recuperated in a few years by the project performance to date. The equipment is to be maintained for five years by TSREDCO. In addition to technical and economic evaluations, GHMC had also chosen as a consultant at the Energy and Resource Institute (TERI) to undertake a feasibility analysis project management. Also, to identify the possible areas in which rooftop panels can be installed.

The municipal corporation is aiming to reduce its power charges by taking advantage of solar power, which is widely accessible over several seasons. Alone in the GHMC offices, there are approximately 130 AC units and, on average, when it is used for 5 hours a day 90 AC units, the consumption is estimated at 1,350 units.

By: Shailaja K