ABB India, the leading power and automation technology company to play a key role in West Bengal government’s initiative for state-wide solar electrification of schools. The power and automation major supplies string inverters of various capacities that support the installation of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems with Kolkata based Sunshine Power Products Pvt. Ltd across government schools in the state.
String inverters have already been supplied and installed at 40 schools as part of this project in Midnapore, Bankura, Kolkata and a few other districts. ABB India has also been awarded a contract to supply inverters for an additional 150 schools recently.
Sanjeev Sharma,CEO and Managing Director,ABB India Limited notified that about 50% of India’s solar energy generated passes through ABB equipment.ABB welcomes the government initiative to use clean energy to light up educational institutions.
String inverters bring in design flexibility and high efficiency. They come in three-phase variant which supports the existing set-up in the schools without major modification to the existing infrastructure. These inverters convert direct current (DC) generated by the solar panels to useable alternating current (AC), and form an integral component to the safety, efficiency and reliability of any solar power system.
West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency (WBREDA), the state nodal agency operating under the aegis of the Department of Power and Nonconventional Energy Sources, Government of West Bengal, is implementing a solar PV program as part of the 12th Plan. Electrification of schools through renewable energy systems is among the key projects.
WBREDA, West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation and West Bengal Pollution Control Board have collaborated for the installation of rooftop, grid-tied solar PV power systems at government and government-aided schools state-wide with 100 percent funding from the state budget.
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, has placed emphasis on 24×7, affordable, environment-friendly power for all by 2019. The Ministry’s goal is to increase overall renewable capacity by more than five times, from 32GW in 2014 to 175GW by 2022. Of this, solar is to make the highest contribution of 100GW.
By EB Bureau
