In an aim to make public universities greener, environment-friendly and reduce their energy expenses, the state government of Odisha has decided to install solar power systems across all campuses under the jurisdiction of the Department of Higher Education.
The Green Energy Development Corporation of Odisha (GEDCOL) has been selected to carry out the project.
The development of rooftop or ground-mounted solar plants in their structures, according to department officials, is immediately needed to make the universities self-sufficient in power generation, reduce the cost of energy consumption and create green campuses. GEDCOL will be the only implementing agency responsible for the installation of solar rooftop power systems in all public universities, stated a report by The New Indian Express.
Each of the 18 public universities in the state, which are managed by the Higher Education department, pay a minimum of Rs 8 lakh per month towards electricity bills. "Tapping into solar energy for power requirements would mean a huge cut on electricity bills for these institutions which now have high energy needs for running smart classrooms, libraries, hostels, hi-tech computer and science labs that house a number of power consuming gadgets," said Birendra Korkora, additional secretary of the department, as reported by The New Indian Express.
The department on Wednesday, March 1, instructed the corporation to assess the power requirements of all institutions in the state and begin work on the project. Solar panel systems will be connected to a centralised electrical substation within the campuses for collective solar coverage. Sambalpur and Berhampur universities had previously decided to install rooftop solar plants and the Ganjam administration is installing solar panels in all 535 converted high schools in the region, stated The New Indian Express report.
