Rooftop solar power plant, Science Park inaugurated at GGMSSS-18

A 50 kWp rooftop grid tied Solar Photovoltaic Power Plant and Science Park were inaugurated at Government Girls Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 18-C, Chandigarh, by Ajay Narayan Jha, Secretary to Government of India, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, New Delhi. Also present on the occasion were Parimal Rai, Adviser to the Administrator, UT, Chandigarh,

and Anurag Agarwal, Home Secretary-cum-Secretary, Environment, Forests, S&T and Renewable Energy. Jha appreciated the efforts taken by the UT Administration in developing Chandigarh as a model solar city. The chief guest took a round of the Science Park which has been established by school with financial assistance from the Department of Science and Technology and Renewable Energy at a cost of about Rs 2 lakh. It has equipment displaying various scientific principles for easy understanding by students. Earlier, the chief guest visited Dhanas Lake where 10 kWp floating solar plant has been installed by CREST at a total cost of Rs 10.5 lakh. This solar plant is powering two fountains which oxidise the water of the lake and has been able to save the life of a lot of fish, especially in rainy season when oxygen level in the lake water goes down. The chief guest also visited Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Processing Plant at Dadumajra and was informed about its functioning leading to production of RDF. Santosh Kumar, Chief Conservator of Forests, and Director, Science and Technology and RE, UT, Chandigarh, informed that 50 kWp rooftop SPV power plant has been installed by CREST (Chandigarh Renewal Energy, Science and Technology Promotion Society) with 30 per cent CFA from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India. The total cost of the project is Rs 45.48 lakh which includes operation and maintenance charge for 10 years. The plant will be able to generate 60,000 kWh (units) per year. The function was also attended by Rubinderjit Singh Brar, Director, School Education; Raj Bala, principal, GGMSSS-18; SD Sharma, Conservator of Forests (Central), Northern Regional Office of Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India; Birendra Choudhary, DCF; Arpana, DCF (BG&NR); Ravinder Singh, project director, CREST, and other senior officials of the Chandigarh Administration.