NDPL, Tata BP Solar to set up solar plants for green Delhi

NEW DELHI, INDIA: In a landmark move, North Delhi Power Ltd (NDPL) and Tata BP Solar have recently joined hands to set up solar power plants in Delhi including rooftop solar plants which will be connected to the electricity grid.

This will consist of array of PV (photovoltaic) modules which will absorb sun light and convert it into electricity. The electricity, generated on rooftops, can be either consumed directly by the owner of the rooftop or exported into the grid and also sold to NDPL.

Once operational, these plants will not only augment power supply for NDPL consumers but will also be a source of income for them.

NDPL has already set up two such solar plants of 4 KW and 15 KW at its corporate office in Hudson Lines and at its training centre in Rohini. Now, NDPL proposes to set up a 25KW solar plant at the premises of DERC.

At a presentation by the alliance of NDPL and Tata BP Solar, the DERC was enthused with the idea of roof top installation of this green power, which will turn the electricity consumers as producers of electricity.

Sunil Wadhwa, CEO & Executive Director, NDPL, said: "In NDPL’s climate change and sustainability strategy, Sun occupies centre stage being the original source of all energy. Solar power is one of the most suitable and feasible source of power from the perspective of cost, scalability, environment and security of source.

"The challenge is to make this source of power economically viable and I am sure that with Government’s support and encouragement in the initial years and, with volumes picking up, solar technology will become more competitive with grid power."

If only 20,000 consumers were to come forward producing 5 KW each, NDPL would manage to generate 100 MW of Solar Power by the end of this financial year. This success of this initiative would however depend on some initial capital support from the government to make solar power generation affordable for the consumers, Wadhwa added.

Apart from the consumers’ roof top initiative, NDPL is also going ahead with the setting up of a 1 Mega Watt Solar Plant using the roof top of its central stores at Keshav Puram in North Delhi.

The proposal to set up solar power plants in Delhi is also in line with the Delhi Government’s Climate Change Agenda 2009-2012 for Delhi.

"We are excited with the prospects of working with NDPL and the opportunity it opens up for partnering in Delhi’s drive towards sustainable energy," said K. Subramanya, CEO, Tata BP Solar.

The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) had also recently launched schemes to promote and encourage rooftop grid-connect policy for solar power. The National Solar Mission set up as part of the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) last year, is also reported to be targeting 20000 Megawatts from solar power by 2020.