Beas in Punjab has now got the unique distinction of becomming the place to have world’s single largest rooftop solar power plant. The plant is spread over an area of 42 acres and the plant will have power generation capacity of 11.5 mega watts.
The plant is located in the outskirts of Beas, which is a spiritual location of Dera Baba Jaimal Singh. The solar unit has covered the rooftops of the campus at a single stretch.
The project was recently inaugurated by the chief minister of the state Prakash Singh Badal and it was made at a cost of Rs 139 crore and the time required to build the same was six months. The project was executed by Dera’s own educational society along with Punjab Energy Development Corporation.
Investment in the renewable energy sector in Punjab has surged from Rs 82 crore in 2012 to nearly Rs 10,000 crore presently. What is promising is that this will generate employment to 12,500 people in the state.
India has set up an ambitious National Solar Mission initiative where the country plans to have an install base of 100 GW solar energy by 2022.
By Atanu Kumar Das
