KOCHI: The ‘green’ concept in power generation, which is expected to facilitate installation of solar panels at government offices, is moving at a slow pace as the State Government faces severe financial crisis.
Work orders for projects that could generate 500 KW of power have already been issued, which is yet to be executed. Though the State Government had set aside `15 crore in the Budget for the 2014-15 financial year the total project amount has not been released yet.
Public Works Department superintending engineer (electrical wing) T P Sadananda Pai said that solar power generation had started at the Alappuzha Medical College and the Kerala High Court. Also, administrative sanction has been received for a 90-KW project at the Kerala High Court, which is yet to begin.
“Though the works are currently progressing at a slow pace they are expected to pick up in the coming days as the government’s financial situation improves. Unlike the other electrical works of the PWD, for solar power projects, contractors and the other agencies demand money in advance, which is not possible in the present circumstances,” he said. Though the government has taken initiatives to ensure that all the government offices switch over to solar energy no decision has been taken on the quality of the panels to be used.
There is no proper mechanism to measure how much power is generated by solar panels on a regular basis as there is a possibility of sub-standard panels getting damaged.Pai said that the electrical wing of the PWD conducts inspection before and after the solar panels are installed. Tenders will be floated for the installation of solar panels, which have to be procured from the channel partners of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
The government has decided to implement the green concept at government offices, and in buildings constructed by the PWD. The green concept is incorporated in all the related works, including repair works.
Pai said that as per the plan, the judicial facilitation centres being set up in all the districts would have the facility to generate solar energy. Work on the projects are nearing completion at Vanchiyoor in Thiruvananthapuram and in Ernakulam.
The PWD has also started using copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) solar cells and crystalline solar cells in some of the buildings. There are also plans to use flexible film with triple junction, the latest technology that offers high-quality output.
The government’s proposal is to generate a total of 25 MW using solar power panels from 25,000 offices in the State.