BENGALURU: Come November, and the Jnana Bharathi campus of Bangalore University located off Mysuru Road will completely work on solar energy. The university has signed an MoU with a company finalised by the Union government to install solar power panels and for maintenance of the same.
University officials said it will be completely free of cost for the varsity as the cost for installation, operation and maintenance will be borne by the Ministry for New and Renewable Energy.
“This is an initiative by the Union Ministry for New and Renewable Energy and there are also directives from Union Ministry for Human Resource Development to make use of solar energy at higher educational institutions. Considering that, we have signed an MoU with the company finalised by the Union government,” a senior BU official said.
The company has also identified major buildings to fix the solar panels on Jnana Bharathi campus mainly covering hostels and science laboratories where power supply is needed the most. “According to the agreement, the installation will be completed by the end of October and the same will be used from November 2018,” the official added.
Even University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE) located on Central College campus will be covered under this project. “As there are students’ hostels and engineering departments which need power supply constantly, we are extending the same to UVCE,” the official said. Opting for solar energy at the campus will help BU save at least 20 lakh per month.
HIGH POINTS
BU is installing solar panels of 600 kV capacity
Free installation and maintenance by Union Ministry for Renewable Energy
Solar power costs D3.84 per unit.
Conventional power supply costs D7.2 per unit
The company roped in for the project has already installed solar panels at Kendriya Sadhan and Kempegowda International Airport