Priti Narayan Photovoltaic power plants on rooftops of major government buildings being considered Generating 1 MW of solar power requires around Rs.18 crore PUDUCHERRY: The Renewable Energy Agency of Puducherry (REAP) has plans in place for solar power generation and heating systems in the Union Territory, in light of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission. According to an official of REAP, plans have been made for the next one year. In 2010-11, the agency is looking to set up a 3 MW solar power plant, at either the Pondicherry Engineering College campus, the Pondicherry University campus or the Pondicherry Industrial Promotion Development and Investment Corporation Industrial Estate at Karaikal. The Women and Child Hospital that is due to come up and the Central Prison will both house a solar water heating system and a small solar plant each. The government-run central kitchen will also have a solar steam cooking system in place. REAP is looking to install photovoltaic power plants on the rooftops of major government buildings. A 25 kilowatt solar power plant already functions in the Secretariat building. We are also appealing to the Joint Electricity Regulatory Committee (JERC) to fix a preferential tariff, to make solar power generation financially viable, the officer said. Generating 1 MW of solar power usually requires around Rs.18 crore as capital investment and five to seven acres of land. The exact estimate of these projects that will be funded by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the Government of Puducherry is being drawn up now, the officer revealed. In 2009-10, the Union Territory required around 2,715 million units of electricity for a year, and the available power was around 1,770 million units. We are hoping that the deficit could be generated by solar power, the officer added. An experimental project that will generate power through the solar thermal route is also likely to be a part of the Solar Mission in the Union Territory. These efforts are being taken so that the Union Territory may contribute to the national target of an installed capacity of 20,000 MW of solar power by 2022, as set by the Mission.