After setting up a 50 kilowatt solar power plant on the institute campus, IIT-Kanpur is now in the process of commissioning a 1,750 kilowatt roof-top solar power plant. This work would be done in two phases. In the initial phase, a solar plant of 350 kw capacity will be set up. This will take nearly six months. The second phase will be taken up later.
The power generated by the solar power plant will be supplied to the IIT-K grid and the same will be supplied back to the institute for meeting the power needs of the institute. This would also reduce the dependence on the power supplying agency in the city — Kesco.
At present, the 50 KW solar power plant which had been inaugurated July 3, 2013, is generating 250 units of power which is supplied to the grid. The same power is supplied to a student hostel in the institute to illuminate it.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on his visit to the institute on July 3, 2010 had viewed the model of the 50 KW solar power plant which came up on the institute in three years time.
Importantly, IIT-Kanpur has major plans for the expansion of the solar power projects. The success of the 50 KW power plant paved the way for setting up of more such plants and 1750 KW power plant forms the part of the same plan.
While, the 50 KW power plant was meant for research work and had been set up on experimentation basis, the 1,750 KW power plant will be fully used for meeting the power needs of the premier IIT-Kanpur. Prof RS Anand, Principal Research Engineer, Department of Electrical Engineering of IIT-K, informed that roof-top solar power plant of capacity 1750 KW (1.75 megawatt) will be installed here in the institute.
“Initially, we are in the process of setting up 350 KW solar power plant. This will take six months from now after which the 1,400 KW capacity plant will be installed. The 50 KW plant is already functional. It is giving 250 units of power each day which is supplied to the grid but this much of power is too less for an institute like IIT-K, therefore, larger capacity power plant will serve the purpose to a broader extent,” said Prof Anand of IIT-Kanpur.
