KOCHI: Soon, one-fifth of the traditional energy vending spots in the state will start generating unconventional energy as the 220 outlets of the Indian Oil Corporation(IOC) are all set to install solar panels by this year-end. The outlets will be installing panels under three grades with the capacity to produce 10 KW, 15 KW and 20 KW electricity which will enable each centre to meet more than 60 per cent of their energy needs through the solar source. Though the company started the process in 2013- 14, which had the participation of 150 outlets in the state, the extent of solar power generation was meagre. To give a fillip to the programme, the IOC under the new system is giving a subsidy of up to 60 per cent to the outlets for installing the panels.
" Though we want all the 915 outlets under the IOC in the state to generate solar energy, it will take a while. So we intended to equip 220 outlets with solar panels by this year-end. We started the process some three-four years ago. However, the power generation was meagre and the installation costs were high. We have this facility at 150 outlets too. Now we are providing a subsidy, subject to certain conditions, of upto 60 per cent too," said V M Harikumar, IOC Deputy General Manager (retail sales).
Already four of them - three in Ernakulam and one in Kottayam - have started generating solar energy thus.
According to the users, after installing solar panels with a capacity of upto 20 KW, the power bills had gone down by more than half. " Our monthly power usage charges, which came to about `38,000, dropped to `17,000 after installing panels of 20 KW, a couple of months ago. We had to spend nearly `14 lakh on installing this facility and it will take us at least five years to break even," said Binod, partner of a pump at Edappally which has gone solar.
" Earlier, the solar panels were prohibitively expensive while its quality was inferior. Now there is a drop of about 25 per cent in the costs and there is a big improvement in the quality. Now, we have an app to check the status of the power production at every centre," said Jackson Mathew of GSL Energy solutions which is providing infrastructure facilities for the solar panel installation.
According to the team behind the solar panel installation, about 100 teams, each made up of three-five members, will start the installation process in pumps across the state soon. They are hopeful these points will continue to serve as power charging centers in the future too even in a scenario where the world is transitioning fast to electric cars.