All TSRTC depots in State to install solar panels

​Hyderabad: The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) and Telangana State Renewable Energy Development Corporation (TSREDCO) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for taking up the installation of Solar PV plant in TSRTC bus stations.

RTC MD G V Ramana Rao, Chairman S Satyanarayana and others exchanged the MoU with TSREDCO MD A Sudhakar Rao. For TSRTC, average consumption per year costs about Rs 7.92 crore per annum. The corporation proposed to harness the solar energy keeping in view of the available infrastructure facilities.

The total roof area of the building is approximately seven lakh sq ft. The corporation, along with TSREDCO, decided to install Solar PV Roof Top systems under RESCO (Renewable Energy Service Company) mode.

It is estimated that the total capacity of 5MW of solar power can be harnessed, through the available roof top area.

The 5 MW solar plant would generate around 65,60,000 kwh to 74,25,000 kwh per annum. In order to have an encouraging response from solar power supplying agencies, the entire State has been divided into five packages with a mix of both urban and rural areas.

TSREDCO called EOI and finalised the agencies to supply, install, commission and maintain the Solar PV plants for a period of 25 years under the RESCO mode.

Earlier, the corporation replaced lights with LED bulbs in all the 29 depots in the city, which saved Rs 30 lakh per annum.

According to officials, the advantages of going for solar include zero investment and per annum payable amount towards electricity consumption from solar power to RESCO agency is Rs 3.96 crore, which is half the rates of conventional sources.