Asia’s Largest Prison Complex Gets Solar Power System
The famous Tihar Jail in India’s capital New Delhi has become the latest government building to get a rooftop solar power system. The jail has set an example for the entire city by switching to renewable energy sources of power generation.
Tihar, which is Asia’s largest jail complex, commissioned a 430 kW solar PV power system to meet a significant portion of its electricity needs. The grid-connected solar PV system is expected to generate around half a million kWh and reduce the jail complex’s electricity bill by almost $70,000 a year.
Present at the occasion of the power system commissioning was a senior Delhi government minister, who has pledged to significantly enhance the use of solar power systems across their jurisdictional region. The minister urged the jail authorities to implement other measures to reduce electricity consumption, including the use of LED lamps.
One of the top-most officials of the jail complex stated that they have plans to increase the installed capacity in the near future to further reduce the dependency on the grid.
The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission announced last year a program to encourage domestic consumers to set up rooftop solar PV systems. Under the program, any surplus electricity generated by the rooftop solar power system shall be adjusted on a monthly basis with the generator being paid at the end of the financial year.
Several institutions and government bodies have implemented rooftop solar power systems in Delhi over the last few months. The New Delhi Municipal Corporation, for example, has devised a plan install rooftop solar power systems at 40 buildings under its control. The need for such systems also arises from the fact that Delhi has very limited area to set up large and utility-scale solar PV projects, which could help the utilities meet their Renewable Purchase Obligation.
Image Credit: wili hybrid | CC-BY-2.0
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