Solar power in India is a fast developing industry. In a bid to limit the consumption of electricity, the Goa government aims to adopt solar energy panels to self-generate power and run on the same. This is supposed to be in place by sometime next year.
Running on solar power
Government buildings in Goa plan to adopt solar energy as a means to generate power by way of setting up rooftop solar plants by the end of this financial year.
According to field assistant, Goa Energy Development Agency (GEDA), Saji Mangaonkar, Government buildings in Goa constantly utilize a lot of electricity. “Government buildings in Goa are the ones that constantly run on power. Adopting this technology will help ease consumption levels and set an example for the rest of Goa. This will also reduce the power bill by 50%,” he says.
A survey is being carried out to determine the power capacity of each government building in the state.
“The process will be complete by the next financial year. All government buildings, including departments, institutions, municipalities, and panchayats will be surveyed,” says GEDA official, Gaurish Khautankar.
He added that GEDA has already proposed the same for all social sector buildings in the state.
Goa’s first grid-connected 30kW rooftop solar power plant was inaugurated at Raj Bhavan in June this year. After that, the meter for the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) was also installed with the same technology. GEDA officials are currently surveying the Vasco-based National Centre for Antarctica and Ocean Research (NCAOR).
