Karwar Social Forestry Division Office Goes Solar, Sells Surplus Power To Grid

Karwar: A rooftop solar power plant has helped the Social Forestry Division office in Karwar cut its electricity bill by more than 80 per cent while earning additional income by supplying surplus power to the grid.

The 5 kW rooftop solar system with a net-metering facility was installed at a cost of Rs 4.20 lakh and has been operational since April.

Before the solar plant was commissioned, the office paid between Rs 5,000 and Rs 6,000 a month towards electricity. The monthly bill has now come down to the minimum fixed charge of Rs 1,000, reducing the department's power expenditure by more than 80 per cent.

Deputy Conservator of Forests (Social Forestry) Manjunath Navi said the office now meets its entire electricity requirement through solar power.

The system generates around 600 units of electricity every month. During the summer, it recorded a peak generation of 29.5 units in a single day. Even during the ongoing monsoon, despite cloudy weather, it continues to generate about six units a day on average, officials said.

Electricity generated beyond the office's requirement, including on Sundays and public holidays when the office remains closed, is fed into the local grid under the net-metering system. The Forest Department receives Rs 3.08 a unit from the Hubballi Electricity Supply Company (HESCOM) for the surplus power. It has already sold 292 units of electricity.

The DCF added that the department plans to install 2 kW rooftop solar systems at seven Social Forestry range offices in Uttara Kannada during the current financial year, with the capacity based on the size of each building.

The project was taken up following a suggestion by the district's Member of Parliament during a DISHA meeting to install rooftop solar systems on government buildings. It was implemented under the guidance of the Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Panchayat.