Nagpur Zilla Parishad schools ordered to obtain work order to enable district to fully self-reliance in electricity in a few years . 270 schools have already been installed with rooftop solar panels .
Nagpur : Nagpur Zilla Parishad (ZP) schools were ordered to obtain a work order last week to enable the district to fully self-reliance in electricity in a few years.In the first phase of the project, which had begun before the pandemic, 270 ZP schools have already been installed with rooftop solar panels.According to researchers, the all-time problem of school power outages will be nonexistent after the district achieves 100% solarization. Assistant program officer, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA), Pramod Wankhede, said, The second phase, in which 564 schools will have a rooftop solar system, is set to begin in six months.
As Maharashtra is wracked by a power crisis, with demand peaking every day, the transition of schools to solar energy is a welcome step.This all began sometime back when (Chandrashekhar) Bawankule was the energy minister, according to Wankhede.287 schools were chosen for the first phase of solar construction at that time.But nine schools were then removed from the list because they fall under the rubble of a mine in which MSEDCL does not have power meters.
Eight other schools have also been postponed.These schools had some outstanding fees that needed to be settled.However, the latter will happen shortly, and they will be connected to the grid, according to Wankhede.Both of the phases received funding from government coffers, though initially it was believed that some NGOs were interested in contributing funds.
All schools now have 2KVA power, which is powered by net-metering.There were plans to divert the whole system from the grid a long time ago.But district collector Ravindra Thakare identified battery failure or life cycle issues and changed his decision, said Wankhede.Thakares’ decision seems to be paying dividends.
The most common items that require power in our schools are just a few rooms and fans, as well as computers.And, during our summer breaks, we will only be providing clean electricity to the grid.
Source: PTI
