VNIT turns fully green, solar power to save Rs76L per yr, cut emission
Nagpur: City’s premier institute Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT) will now be generating 1MW power using rooftop solar panels installed on 14 buildings on its Bajaj Nagar-based over 200 acre lush green campus. After Amravati University, VNIT is the second educational campus from Vidarbha and first from Nagpur to implement the renewable energy project to meet most of its power needs.
The clean and green energy project would help the VNIT save Rs76lakh annually on power bills and cut its carbon footprints by 808 tonne per annum. The excess power generated by these solar panels would be released into the power utility grid which will further bring VNIT benefits in power bills.
The institute under its chairman Vishram Jamdar and director PM Padole achieved the feat on Sunday when the new set of solar panels having 460kW capacity was commissioned.
Union minister of state for human resource development (HRD) and Akola MP Sanjay Dhotre inaugurated the new plant set up on eight buildings from VNIT’s newly-built academic block. The institute had already gone solar and was generating 524kW electricity and putting it in the grid. These solar panels were installed on six buildings and the project was executed by Delhi-headquartered NBCC, which is a state-owned Navratna company.
The 460kW project has been executed by CleanMax Solar Pvt Ltd of Mumbai.
The institute would now be meeting almost 80% or more of its consumption through solar energy.
Emphasizing on the need for such initiatives, Dhotre said it has become very important for each one of us to take global warming seriously. “Some people used to make fun of global warming. Some are still in denial mode. I don’t want to take name, otherwise it will create controversy. What was estimated to happen in 100 years has happened in just 10 years. We have polluted water, air, earth and we called it vikas (development) in last 50 years,” he said.
The Akola MP, in his first public address after taking oath of office, said the elite class thinks that pollution and contamination would not affect them. “Pollution and water problems are now common. The masses must be made aware of such (solar) projects like VNIT has implemented. Environmental issues need to be included in syllabus at school level because it becomes difficult to sensitize people late in life,” he said.
VNIT chairman Jamdar said it was a dream to make the campus real green though it was already one in terms of trees. “Our dream has come true. We are truly a green campus now. We are also working on sewage treatment plant (STP). After installation, it will process 5MLD of sewage. As an educational institute, this is our contribution to the nation,” he said.
Director Padole attributed the success of several initiatives to the grant of autonomy and subsequent award of institute of national importance status to VNIT by MHRD.
Associate professor Yogesh Deshpande conducted the event.
PM urged to inaugurate VNIT’s diamond jubilee celebration
VNIT chairman Vishram Jamdar on Sunday said the institute was heading towards 60 years of completion and it has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate the event in January next year.
Jamdar said ministry of human resource development has forwarded the request to the prime minister’s office (PMO) and if all goes well the diamond jubilee celebration would kick off at the hands of the PM.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes
