Tirupati to Adopt Energy-efficient Practices, Installing 2 MW Rooftop Solar

The nation’s richest temple trust, which manages the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple in Andhra Pradesh, has taken more steps to go green. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is going to green with efficient energy practices along with a water management system.

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has given acquiescence to AP State Energy Conservation Mission (APSECM) for providing technical and financial support for conducting large-scale Investment Grade Energy Audit (IGEA) in TTD and its allied temples and choultries.

TTD is planning to install a 2 MW rooftop solar system across all colleges/schools in Tirupati and TTD buildings in Tirumala.

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Interestingly, out of total energy consumption of 68 MU per annum in TTD, around 30 percent of the consumption is being met from solar and wind power generation. As TTD already has a windmill power plant with a capacity of 7.5 MW, capable of generating 1 crore units with savings of Rs 5 crore per year and 10 MW solar power plant having the capacity to generate 1.45 crore units per annum with savings of Rs 3 crore per annum.

Not only TTD but, many religiously important places have been adopting solar energy for their energy consumption. In December last year, the Uttar Pradesh energy minister Shrikant Sharma announced that places of religious importance in the state will be powered by solar energy by 2024. Among the cities cited by him were Ayodhya, Mathura, Varanasi, Prayagraj, and Gorakhpur.

Rooftop solar would be the preferred medium to achieve the target of 670 MW, powered by central subsidies of Rs 859 crores and state subsidies of Rs 473 crores. The state has a total target of 10,700 MW by 2022.

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Before that in past years, Telangana announced to have many places of worship to go solar in the state. The Chief Minister of the state had asked the officials concerned to check the feasibility of installing rooftop solar systems at religious institutions.

Other religious institutions like the Brahmakumaris have also gone with renewable energy in a big way, with over 2 MW of solar plants installed at their centre in Mount Abu, Rajasthan.

Solar power makes eminent sense for religious institutions, especially unaided institutions, as it takes one cost, power, out of the regular costs equation. Devotees should consider organising themselves to donate or support such efforts. Even the economic case for solar is strong enough to make a solarisation a pretty secular move for religions of all faiths in India. Be it Gurudwaras, Churches, or Masjids and Temples.