1000 kWp Rooftop Grid Connected Solar Power Plant at Tezpur University

Solar Power Plant reduces Rs 143 lakhs in the University Electricity Bill

Tezpur University is a premier Higher Educational Institute in the North Eastern Region established by an Act of Parliament in 1994, is the first Academic Institution to initiate the installation of MW-Scale Rooftop Grid connected Solar PV power plant in the entire North Eastern Region of the country.

National Solar Mission is one of the policy initiatives under National Action Plan for Climate change of the Government of India to promote solar power. National Solar Mission is a major initiative to promote ecologically sustainable growth while addressing India's energy security challenge. It also India's commitment to the global effort to meet the climate change challenges. Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) facilitates the implementation of the target set in National Solar Energy Mission. Solar roof top projects are focused to solar systems installations on rooftops of residential, commercial, institutional and industrial buildings. The generated electricity could be fed into the utility grid at regulated feed-in-tariff or used for self-consumption with net-metering approach. The business model for the implementation of solar power plants needs customer acceptances to understand the economics of solar power generation. Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO) and Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) are the most adopted business model in solar industry. RESCO model based projects are financed, owned, and developed by third party or developer. The developer installed the project at the consumer's roof top. The developer operates the plant and sells the energy to the consumer as per Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). However, in case of CAPEX model, projects are financed and owned by the consumer.  

Tezpur University installed a 1000 kWp rooftop grid-connected Solar PV Power Plant under the Solar Energy Corporation of India scheme for Government buildings under the Renewable Energy Service Company or RESCO model. The University made a consent agreement with the developer Arunachal Pradesh Power Corporation Private Limited in the month of October 2017 for installation of the plant. The University made the power purchase agreement with the developer for a period of 25 years at a flat tariff of Rs 2.42/kWh in the month of February 2018. The installation of the plant was started in the month of March and made operational from the month of October 2018. The first installation was at the roof space of the Department of Energy and Community Hall. Vikram solar module of 325 watt-peak and SMA inverter of 50 KVA capacity are used in this plant. A total of 3077 modules and 20 inverters are used in the plant.   

 The monthly average electricity generation from the plant is approximately 90,000 kWh and a total of 34,40,156 kWh energy generated from the plant till November 2021. Solar power generation on average has replaced 25 % of electricity requirement from the utility grid during this period. The generated power from the plant also feeds to the utility grid, when demand at the campus is lower than generation. The excess power feed to the utility grid (wheeling to the grid) is 2,44,936 units till November 2021. The University is purchasing electricity from Assam Power Distribution Company Limited at the rate of Rs 6.45/kWh, whereas the cost of electricity generated by the solar power plant is Rs 2.42/kWh only. Hence, the University is able to reduce Rs 143.8 lakhs in electricity bills due to the difference in electricity price till November 2021.

Solar Power Plant is installed in 15 numbers of buildings roof space. Out of these buildings, 11 buildings solar power generation matches with the average electricity consumption of these buildings. In other words, the net electricity consumption in these buildings is nil or buildings is named as Electricity Neutral Buildings or Net Zero Electricity Buildings. These buildings are Patkai Men's Hostel, Kachenjunga Men's Hostel, Subansiri Women's Hostel, Pragjyotika Women's Hostel, KBR Auditorium, Students Activity Center, Department of Chemical Sciences, Department of Energy, Library, Academic Building II and Department of Environmental Science.

Tezpur University is the first Academic Institution to initiate the installation of Mega-Watt Scale rooftop grid-connected Solar Power plant in the entire North Eastern Region of the country. The electricity generated by the solar power plant also helps in mitigating a substantial amount of carbon dioxide emissions to the environment. The University in its coming time shall continue to augment more solar power plants on the campus subject to favorable Government policy.  The successful installation and electricity generation of this power plant created interest to other academic institution and public of the region to install rooftop grid connected power plants. DoorDarshan telecast the Story of Solar Power Plant of Tezpur University and is available in the link. https://tinyurl.com/yy86w3kz

University made a video under its Sustainable Campus Initiatives and available in the following link Sustainable Campus Initiatives

Solar Power Plant Installation at different buildings Roof space