Installed solar panels on the rooftops of Panchkula schools have reduced electricity bills and promoted learning about clean energy
Panchkula has set up rooftop solar panels to generate electricity in about 15 schools. Rajinder, the project officer-in-charge of Panchkula, informed that the Haryana education department had cited the deadline for the installation of solar panels in all the schools as of March 31, 2017, following which, a few of the private schools had successfully installed solar power panels in their rooftops.
Panchkula school solar capacity
A school named The Gurukul produces about 250 units a day. It had set up a 50 KW Solar Power Plant on its rooftop, of which the additional units produced was sold to the government. Harsimran Kaur, Principal, The Gurukul, informed about an application set up to look at the energy generated and used regularly. She mentioned the Net Metering connection in the school, through which it sold extra produced power to the HVPN electricity grid and it drew energy produced as credits on the grids whenever there was a power shortage.
Another school in Sector 11, namely the Manav Mangal school, had installed a 30 KW Solar Power Plant on its rooftop which started the process of learning about the concept of clean energy and the technology involved. The school principal informed that the installation had led to cost savings.
The state education department had also announced a 30 per cent subsidy to the schools that built solar panels on its rooftops, which is still awaited. The government directive, however, for installation is yet to be followed by several private schools and all the government schools.
