Indore: DAVV plans to go green with 1 megawatt solar power plant
Nearly four years after it lost a grant of Rs 2 crore meant for installing photovoltaic systems on its UTD campus, Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya (DAVV) is now gearing up for a major energy overhaul with setting up of a solar power plant which will meet its all its energy requirements.
This time, the plan is even bigger to what was initially conceptualised some years ago.“We are thinking of making all our campuses green, be it an academic, administrative or residential campus,” said vice chancellor Dr Narendra Dhakad.
He said that the University Grants Commission (UGC) provides grants for setting up photovoltaic systems at education institutions and that they are going to apply for this scheme.
The onus of preparing a proposal for the same has been entrusted upon School of Energy and Environment Studies (SEES) that has experience of making several government campuses eco-friendly, including Raj Bhawan premises.
“For making all our campuses green, we will have to set up at least 1 Megawatt solar power plant,” SEES head SP Singh said.
He said that the total cost after subsidy may be about Rs 4 crore, a major part of which would be sought from the UGC and the remaining amount would be borne by the university from its resources.
The UTD campus has got a huge infrastructure, lab equipment, computers, etc that gulp massive power.
In these trying times, the university’s exchequer is feeling the financial pinch for making sure an uninterrupted power supply to its campus, including UTD campus. Keeping this in mind, the DAVV has moved fast and decided to get this energy system overhauled as fast as possible.
Green project to be executed in two phases
As per the planning of DAVV, the green project would be executed in two-phases.
In the initial phase, a detailed energy audit will be carried out in which inefficient gadgets will be identified.
A power consumption audit will include electrical, ie lighting in-house, street and decorative, and other thermal power generating and consuming sources (domestic and official appliances) like diesel gen-sets, air- conditioning, etc.
Subsequently, in the second phase, on the basis of audit recommendations, the maximum load of energy consumption will be shifted onto the new and renewable energy source.
First target UTD campus
Singh said that they would start the green project from UTD campus. Firstly, we will shift energy load at UTD campus from non-renewable source of energy to renewable source of energy. Initially, our target would be to make all our teaching departments’ eco-friendly. After that we will target administrative and residential campuses, including hostels.
As part of green project, the university would also install solar water heating system at its hostels.
“Solar water heating systems have already sent to the hostels which will be installed shortly,” Dhakad said.
No dilly-dallying this time: Dhakad
In 2011 and 2012, the UGC had approved a grant of Rs 2 crore in two different installments for installing photovoltaic systems on its UTD campus but following the babudom, the grants could not be utilised and lapsed in 2013.
Dhakad said that the mistake would not be repeated.
“There will be no dilly-dallying on our part on installing of solar panels once we received grants from the UGC,” he said adding the UGC is willing to give heavy funds for installation of photovoltaic systems at universities and colleges.
