The growing need of energy and increasing environmental concern is a challenge to the mankind, hence, other alternatives of conventional resources of energy have to be explored, said Chief Minister Mr Virbhadra Singh after inaugurating workshop on Promotion of Solar Technologies in Himachal Pradesh under Solar City programme organized by HIMURJA and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India (GoI), at Hotel Holiday Home today.
It is essential to tackle the energy crisis through judicious utilization of abundant renewable energy resources, such as Biomass, Solar, Wind and Geothermal Energy, he said.
The Chief Minister said that our country is facing an acute energy scarcity which is hampering its industrial growth and economic progress. Setting up of new power plants is inevitably dependent on import of highly volatile fossil fuels. He said that amid the growing demand for sustainable energy, the solar power technologies are on the verge of large scale global deployment for being clean renewable resource with zero emission and having tremendous potential of energy. He said that with recent developments in the field, solar energy systems are easily available for industrial and domestic use with the added advantage of minimum maintenance.
It was the then Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, who admitted that solar energy will transform rural India and had launched a National Solar Mission in 2010, he said.
Mr Virbhadra Singh said that Himachal Pradesh endorses the National Policy for promoting clean and environment friendly technologies for exploiting the available power potential. Time has come to adopt renewable sources of energy instead of polluting fossil fuels as such resources are in abundance in the country, he said, adding that State Government has been working for development of renewable energy resources. “We have planned to reduce environmental de-gradation and de-forestation by promoting renewable energy technologies in the State”, he said.
He said that final master plans for development of Shimla and Hamirpur cities, as solar cities, have been approved by MNRE, GoI. The Ministry has conveyed the sanction of 15 kWp Solar Power Plant at Panchayat Bhawan, Shimla, 20 kWp Solar Plants each at Ridge Shimla and at Old Bus Stand.
Chief Minister said that as Himachal Pradesh was having increased solar radiation level, it had the potential of becoming a model State in terms of promotion and development of Solar Energy. Our Government is making efforts to promote the solar energy programme and has notified the revised Solar Power Policy in January, 2016, which is valid upto March 2022, he said adding further that the government had simplified the procedures with time lines for setting up of solar power plants in the State.
As small hydro-power sector also plays a vital role in producing power at cheaper rates, five projects at Juthed, Kothi, Lingti, Sural and Purthi of 900 Kilo Watt capacity had been commissioned by HIMURJA in small hydro power sector, besides four projects of 1470 KW capacity had been commissioned under State sector funding at Sarahan, Gharola, Saach, Billing and Bara Bangal, the Chief Minister said.
It is the endeavor of our Government to pursue the people to install grid connected roof top solar power plants for which regulation under the policy of Net Metering have been notified by the State Government, said the Chief Minister. To provide reliable power supply in the remote and tribal areas, solar power plants upto 1 kWp have been installed in Spiti Valley. “It has been conveyed to me that Shimla is being developed as a ‘Pilot Solar City’ and the projects under this programme are nearing completion”, he said. He further added that he would like to see Shimla as a Model Solar City and the department should work on other projects so as to develop Solar Cities in other parts of Himachal Pradesh”, he said.
Mr Tarun Kapoor, Joint Secretary, MNRE, GoI while detailing about the use of conventional Energy resources said that at present the Solar projects of 5547 Mega watt had been currently installed up-to February 2016 and the country targets to achieve 1,00,000 MW of solar power by 2022. He said at present India had been ranked eighth in Solar Production. In reference to Himachal Pradesh, Mr Kapoor said that there was abundant solar radiation in Spiti and Ladakh regions but it needs to redress the transmission part.
There was a time when the charges for Solar power was Rs 17 to Rs.18 per unit which has considerably reduced to Rs 4/- to Rs 5/- on ground mounted solar panels and it was somewhere between Rs 6/- on Roof top mounted plants. The Shift from large scale hydro energy to Solar and wind energy has been notable, he said adding that today India was at fifth position in producing wind energy after, USA, China, Germany and Japan.
Mayor Mr Sanjay Chauhan, also spoke on the occasion whereas Deputy Mayor, Mr Tikendar Panwar proposed vote of thanks.
Earlier, Chief Executive Officer, HIMURJA, Kanwar Bhanu Pratap Singh welcomed the Chief Minister and briefed about various schemes of the department and measures being initiated for achieving success by installing Solar Energy plants in Lahaul and Spiti district.
MPP and Power Minister Mr Sujan Singh Pathania was also present on the occasion amongst senior officers of MNRE, GoI and others.
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