NIT Goa to be India’s 1st fully solar-powered tech institute
Panaji: The National Institute of Technology (NIT), Goa, has received funding of Rs 497 crore from the Union human resource development (HRD) ministry for construction of the first phase of its permanent campus at Cuncolim. Once ready, the institute will be the first technical institute in India to be fully solar-powered, NIT Goa director Gopal Mugeraya said.
The construction work is slated to begin in October with the putting up of a 7km long compound wall and will be completed within two years. To expedite work, pre-fabricated RCC blocks will be used to construct the building, Mugeraya said. The campus will be constructed through the Goa PWD at a cost of Rs 10 crore.
“Twelve acres of the total land allotted for construction of the NIT Goa campus at Cuncolim will be utilised to set up solar energy plant. This is expected to generate nearly six megawatts of power, which will be enough to meet the entire power requirement of the campus. When excess power is generated, we will give it to the local grid and in exchange, when required, we can take power from the local grid,” he elaborated.
Mugeraya said that till now, other technical institutes of national repute are only partially solar powered.
Further, to make the campus a green one, 100 indigenous trees will be planted at the start of the construction work so that they are fully grown by the time the campus shifts to Cuncolim.
“The use of prefabricated RCC blocks will ensure that no no pillars are required to support the structure, or plaster to be used for walls. The blocks can be spray painted immediately after installation. This sheer wall technique of construction also requires less maintenance. The decision was taken keeping in mind Goa’s weather and the lack of provisions for long-term maintenance,” he said.
NIT Goa currently operates from a temporary campus at Farmagudi.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes
