In Short : The delay in the rooftop solar project is hindering the progress of Odisha’s ‘Green City Mission.’ This setback is affecting the capital’s sustainability goals, slowing the transition to renewable energy and impacting efforts to reduce carbon emissions and enhance green infrastructure.
In Detail : OREDA had planned to execute solar project on these buildings, having a combined capacity of 4 MW, in the first phase by August 2024.
BHUBANESWAR : At a time when the state government is rooting for transforming the capital city into a ‘Green Energy and Solar City’, delay in implementation of rooftop solar projects on major public buildings has cast doubt on timely realisation of this goal.
Sources said under the ‘Green City Mission’, Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA) has been entrusted with the task of taking up 10 MW rooftop solar project on government buildings through the Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO), a zero-investment model. In this, while the consumer pays only for the electricity generated, the solar plant is owned by the RESCO developer.
Accordingly, 43 government buildings having capacity of installing solar projects of 250 kW or more were identified by the agency with the help of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and tender to solarise them was floated in July last year.
OREDA had planned to execute solar project on these buildings, having a combined capacity of 4 MW, in the first phase by August 2024. In the meantime, though a year has passed, the project is yet to be completed in any of the identified buildings. The Energy department had in March this year expressed displeasure over the slow progress in implementation of the project.
“This has cast doubt on timely implementation of the project in which OREDA is required to take up rooftop solar projects of another 6 MW capacity on other government buildings within March 2025, the deadline for completion of Bhubaneswar Green City Mission,” BMC sources said.
Considering the delay, the government has initiated a fresh measure to set up a dedicated ‘sustainable initiative cell’ in the civic body to ensure coordination among line departments for timely identification and completion of the rooftop solar project in government buildings within BMC jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, OREDA authorities said tender for implementation of the solar project of 4 MW capacity in 43 government buildings in the first phase has been finalised and government nod is awaited. “Once approval is received the work will be completed,” OREDA chief executive Saidutta Biplab Keshari Pradhan said.
He further informed that OREDA has also started the exercise for implementation of the rooftop solar project of 6 MW capacity in buildings. “Buildings having a minimum capacity of installing 100 kW solar unit are being identified for this phase,” he said.
