Managluru, Jul 3: In its continuing drive to usher in a more eco-friendly campus, Yenepoya, a deemed to be university, has taken the pioneering initiative to install a 498kW rooftop Solar Farm at its flagship campus situated at Derlakatte in Mangalore. The solar farm, which is spread over 5 different buildings on the campus, has been installed by Yenepoya Medical College in partnership with OV Energy. The new facility was inaugurated by Vice Chancellor, Dr. M. Vijaykumar, Finance Director Mr. Farhaad Yenepoya and Registrar Dr. G. Shreekumar Menon along with the CEO of OV Energy, Dev Arora on 27th June.
Addressing the informal gathering, Vice Chancellor of the deemed university, Dr. M. Vijaykumar said: “At Yenepoya, we not only train young doctors to save lives but also to promote a sustainable lifestyle and save our environment as well.” The solar panels installed on the tile roof buildings provide an impressive view with the backdrop of the lush green campus.
Green initiatives become sustainable only when they are economically tied into a project. This makes them practical and beneficial instead of just being idealistic. Hence the decision to go solar was motivated not just to switch across to a cleaner, emission-free source of power, but also driven by a desire to enjoy significant savings on electricity expenditure. Rooftop solar being cheaper than grid power, the 498 kW plant will generate in excess of 6 lakh units of energy annually, translating to a yearly saving of approximately Rs. 25 lakhs to the university! This capital can now be deployed for the further development of facilities and resources for students of the medical college.
This project falls under the Solar Energy Corporation of India’s (SECI) subsidy scheme which extends financial support to educational institutions, home-owners and non-profits looking to make the switch to solar and thereby promoting widespread use of solar. The system also falls under the state net-metering policy whereby all the excess units of energy generated during the day are fed back to the grid and accorded due credit with the DISCOM, increasing the overall savings generated.
The beautiful architecture of the various buildings was perfectly suited for solar, utilizing the existing angle of the tiled roof to optimize the incidence of solar irradiation on the panels and ensure maximum energy output. The installation is also specially designed to avoid leakages in the roofing and also help in reducing the temperature of the interiors in peak summer, thereby calling for less energy for internal cooling.
The initiative to go solar is just the first of many that the University plans to take in its pledge to truly be a green campus and ingratiate in its students and faculty alike, a commitment to a sustainable lifestyle. Given India’s ambitious targets and commitments on the global stage, this wonderful initiative to contribute to India’s emission reduction is certainly the need of the hour and a stellar example for other institutions to follow.
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