KOCHI: As part of innovative projects under Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) of Union ministry of human resources development (MHRD), solar panels are going to power the entire main campus of the Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit.
The university is set to install a solar system on its main campus in Kalady at a cost of Rs 1.20 crore and save Rs 80,000 on power bills a month. The university currently depends on KSEB for its entire energy needs.
The plan is to install 100 kilowatt rooftop on-grid solar PV system without battery bank for captive consumption.
“Minimum 15,000 units of energy per month can be produced from this plant. As per the present tariff, the university can save around Rs 80,000 a month and around 50% of fuel consumed by the diesel generator,” said Dr M. C. Dileep Kumar, vice-chancellor of the university.
He said the university would get a subsidy of Rs 21 lakh from the ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) while the rest will be RUSA funding for innovative projects. The university can sometimes supply surplus energy to the KSEB power grid.
“The proposal shows the commitment of the university to tap renewable energy resources so as to reduce the exploitation of nature and save the earth from depletion of natural resources. In similar efforts, the university has launched programmes like establishing a bird sanctuary and santhisthal and is focusing on conservation of water resources,” Dr Kumar added.
