Goa to Install Solar Panels for Power Generation in Government-Aided College

Work to fit solar panels atop all 33 government and aided colleges in the state will begin with Government College, Borda. The Goa Energy Development Agency (GEDA) has already carried out a feasibility report and has found the college buildings suitable for the fitment of solar panels.

First government colleges will be taken up for the work and then aided colleges, officials of the directorate of higher education (DHE) said. Similarly, solar panels will also be installed at Goa University.

The idea is for institutes of higher education to set an example and create awareness among students and faculty about the process by switching over to a renewable source of energy.

As the government provides subsidy to solar power generators and users, it will reduce electricity costs for the institutes. The initiative will also help the state as it will reduce dependency on state power supply network.

The move is especially important as institutes of higher education are moving towards smart classrooms where gadgets are used in the teaching process, increasing electricity usage.

“Any excess solar power will be sold to the local state grid,” said a DHE official. The scheme, known as ‘sourya sangath’ or friendship with the sun, will be implemented from the current academic year 2019-20 and will be carried out in a phased manner, officials said.

GEDA will bear the cost of the scheme’s implementation, accessing funds from central schemes. Currently, the ministry of new and renewable energy has central financial assistance of 15% in place for solar rooftop projects built under institutional category.