BHUBANESWAR: The State government has initiated steps for supplementing power supply to health service institutions through rooftop solar projects. Chairing a high-level meeting here on Monday Chief Secretary Suresh Mahapatra gave in principle approval to the proposal of the energy department.
Emphasising on green energy and reduction of carbon foot print, Mahapatra directed the department to make the system foolproof for ensuring quality power supply to the health service institutions. Additional Chief Secretary Health and Family Welfare Raj Kumar Sharma said generation of rooftop solar power will reduce the energy bill of the hospitals and medical colleges.
Principal Secretary Energy Nikunja Bihari Dhal said Odisha gets around 300 sunny days a year and the average solar radiation was quite conducive for roof-top solar projects. He said it would be an on-grid solar system and would be managed through remote monitoring system with real time energy data analytics. It will also help in tracking the energy load and consumption pattern of health institutions.
It was decided to start the project in all Government medical colleges and district headquarter hospitals in the first phase. The Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA) will be the nodal agency for implementation and oversight of the project in health institutions.
Additional Director OREDA Ashok Choudhury said for generation of 1 KW of solar power it requires around 100 sq feet of rooftop and yields around 4 units per day. As such, a rooftop of around 1000 sq feet would yield 40 units per day at a lesser cost than that of the current fossil-power tariff supplied through grid.