Delhi will soon become country's solar capital: CM Arvind Kejriwal

NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said that green energy is the future and the national capital would soon become the ‘solar capital’ of the country as the state government has taken several initiatives to encourage solar power usage. He further added that solar energy needs to be converted into a mass movement.

"The government has formulated major policies for solar energy usage in the city such as Mukhya Mantri Solar Power Yojana that includes incentivising the installation of solar power plants for residential and commercial properties. Mukya Mantri Kisan Aay Badhotri Solar Yojana increases the income of farmers by three to four times. Green Energy is the future of resources of energy; Delhi will soon become the solar capital of India through such initiatives," said Kejriwal.

He was speaking at the inauguration of 218-kilowatt peak (kWp) solar power plant at Lady Irwin College.

The CM said that the solar power journey of Delhi has just begun but the city does not have many achievements in this space. "When institutes like Lady Irwin College take initiatives, they turn into an example and an inspiration for other institutes and organisations. I want to congratulate the Lady Irwin College for taking an initiative," he said while thanking Okridge energy, a leading rooftop developer in India.

The solar power plant will take care of up to 80 per cent of the electricity requirement of the college saving up to Rs 3.81 crores in electricity bills over the life of the project.

The project is a turnkey basis under a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for sale of power at Rs 3.13 per unit which is the lowest tariff paid by an institutional customer for a solar rooftop plant in the country. The solar power plant will generate 3.05 lakh units of power each year resulting in a reduction in CO2 emission of 274 tonnes per year which is equivalent to the planting of 13,500 trees.