The city is looking to become country’s first solar city.
The mission to turn Surat into a solar powered city is all set in place. According to a TOI report, the standing committee of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) passed a 73.2 billion Surat solar city master plan.
The plan will fasten the process of developing Surat as country’s first solar city. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) had given its nod in principle for the development of Surat as solar city in 2011.
The report also states that SMC is eyeing to raise around Rs 19.5 billion through subsidies for which it will be making presentations before Central and state government departments on energy conservation. The city is also looking at ways to making it mandatory to use solar water heating systems and wants some law to be amended for the same.
The city currently consumes 1,699 million units and is looking to use solar power to reduce use of electricity by 10 per cent by 2015-16. It is said that SMC at present meets 30 per cent of its total energy requirement from green sources. The production of energy through different non-conventional sources could reach 80 per cent by 2015-16 the report added.
