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Acharya Nagarjuna varsity on the brink of making history
Within five months from now, the Acharya Nagarjuna University will make history by becoming the first and only university to be run purely by solar energy. It has already started running some of facilities like streetlights with solar power.
To become the only university to be completely powered by solar energy
Within five months from now, the Acharya Nagarjuna University will make history by becoming the first and only university to be run purely by solar energy. It has already started running some of facilities like streetlights with solar power. It is currently producing 50 KV of power and within the next five months, will produce an additional 1 megawatt of solar power.
At a time when the State is going through a rough patch on the energy front, with a wide gap between the demand and supply, the Nagarjuna University is out to prove that every solution to a problem need not be answered by the government.
“Solutions to problems always lie at our doorstep. But we tend to look up to someone to solve it. If only every household can spend about Rs 30,000 and setup a rooftop solar plant which can produce 2 kilowatts of power enough to illuminate two bulbs, a fan and television for five hours, it can dispel darkness from our homes,” said K Viyanna Rao, vice chancellor of the university.
“Parks, streetlights in the city, small scale industries, government offices and business establishments can all go the solar way. The sun has enough energy to lighten the world. It is cost-free,” he added.
The university has a creative electrical engineer in N Venkateswara Rao who has taken it upon himself to launch a 50 KV solar power plant by installing three plants with 17 KV capacity on roof tops of the administrative, library and Centre for Distance Education buildings. Each plant generates 50 -55 units of power which is used to illuminate 206 streetlights with 22 watts capacity all through the night. The university has also installed hot water systems which supplies 7,000 litres to the girls hostel, 6000 litres to the boys hostel and 1,000 litres to guest houses.
The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy through the State’s corporation has rewarded the university with a 'Solar Award' for its innovation on the energy front. The university invested Rs 1.06 crore on the project but got back Rs 30 lakh as an incentive from the Union government in the form of subsidy.
Now the university is waiting for approval from the university’s governing body for its next phase of producing 1 megawatt of solar power with an investment of Rs 7 crore to transform the institution completely into a solar powered university. Presently the university is getting a supply of 1.5 megawatt of thermal power but in reality it is consuming only 1 megawatt.
New and Renewable Energy Corporation (NREC) project director G Haranath Babu is also the key man responsible for speedy implementation of the university’s solar project. He made efforts for quick release of the subsidy amount of Rs 30 lakh for the university and recommended the university for an NREC Award for its unique feat.
