Solar power systems installed in Shimla helped save ₹1.85 cr: HP min

Himachal Pradesh urban development minister Suresh Bhardwaj said on Thursday that solar power systems installed in  66 government buildings in Shimla had saved electricity worth Rs 1.85 crore. He said the Smart City mission had given the state a successful model of solar energy.

In a press statement issued in Shimla, the minister mentioned, “First, the buildings were shortlisted for installing the solar power systems, for which HIMURJA was the nodal agency. The first system was installed at Himachal Pradesh University(HPU) in January 2019. The total capacity of all 66 installed systems is 2,500 kilo watt hours (Kwh). So far, 39.16 lakh KwH power has been generated, saving the city a power bill for Rs 1.84 crore.”

“The government printing press, Himachal road Transport workshop Taradevi, horticulture directorate, HPU hostels, HRTC’s old bus stand, DDU zonal hospital, and district courts at Chakkar have saved more than Rs 3 lakh each on power bills and generated more than 1 lakh units of electricity each,” the minister has claimed.

Himachal Pradesh will make efforts to ensure that 100 per cent of its energy requirement is met through renewable and green energy – this was the key takeaway from the Budget speech delivered by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur last month.

The Himachal Pradesh government says that the target of becoming the first Green State is achievable and it can come out of the PPA obligations from thermal power plants. It says that the thermal obligations need to be underwritten or bought out. The way to do this may be through a grand bargain with the G-7 countries as this will be the just and fair cost. This will also be a part of climate finance.