Encouraged by earlier success, SMC approves 12 new Solar power plants


Surat, DeshGujarat

Surat Municipal Corporation(SMC) has approved 12 new solar projects of 540 kw capacity. The new solar projects will come up at an investment of Rs. 4.58 crore. Solar project under these projects will be installed over various buildings of SMC. A meeting of Standing Committee approved these projects.

According to Nirav Shah, Chairman of Standing Committee, the SMC has taken a decision to develop clean energy sources. The SMC already owns wind power plants. Now it is going ahead with solar power plants.

In 2013, SMC had installed 100 kw solar power plant overs Science center building. Later power panels were erected at 17 places including over the top of the building of SMC headquarters.

Encouraged with success of these earlier projects, SMC has taken a decision to erect further 540 kw solar power plants, following which tenders were invited. The least price of Rs. 4.58 crore was offered by Mumbai based Waree Energies Private Limited. SMC has approved this offer which involves installation, operation and maintenance of solar power panels for ten years. With this SMC shall have installed capacity of solar power plants worth 1390 kw.

It should be noted here that 750 kw solar panels installed last year involved Rs. 6.50 crore cost but delivered benefit worth Rs. 86.12 lakh, while a 100 kw power panels installed over Science center delivered Rs. 25.25 lakh benefit against expenditure of Rs. 80 lakh in one year. Solar power generated is sold to Torrent Power for Rs. 11.36/unit.

The mathematics of SMC is simple. Once it installs solar panels, it gets all its money spent back in next five years through generation and selling of power. As average life of solar panels is twenty-year, SMC may earn profit in next fifteen years period.

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