Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has initiated steps for supplementing power supply to health service institutions through rooftop solar projects. This is being done in a bid to ensure that hospitals do not face electricity problems across the state. The decision to build rooftop solar equipment was decided at a high-level meeting held under chairmanship of Odisha Chief Secretary SC Mahapatra here Monday.
Mahapatra emphasised on green energy and reduction of carbon footprint. He accorded in principle approval to the proposal of setting up solar power panels in hospitals. The chief secretary also directed to make the system foolproof for ensuring quality power supply to the health service institutions.
Additional Chief Secretary Health and Family Welfare RK Sharma expected that generation of solar power through rooftop solar would reduce the energy bill of the hospitals and medical colleges. Principal Secretary Energy NB Dhal said Odisha get around 300 sunny days a year. So the average solar radiation was quite conducive for rooftop solar projects.
Discussions in the meeting revealed that it would be an on-grid solar system. The solar rooftop equipment would be managed through remote monitoring system with real time energy data analytics. It would also help in tracking the energy load and consumption pattern in health institutions.
It was decided to start the project in all government medical colleges and district headquarters hospitals in the first phase.
Mahapatra said that Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA) would be the nodal agency for implementation and oversight of the project.
“1KW of solar power requires around 100 sq feet of rooftop, and yields around 4 units per day. As such, a rooftop of around 1000 sq feet would yield 40 units per day at a lesser cost than that of the current fossil-power tariff supplied through grid,” said Additional Director OREDA Ashok Choudhury.