The Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee (IITR) is set to become a smart campus after the deployment of ABB microgrid with battery energy storage gets completed in 2022.

Currently, solar PV systems are installed at 27 locations across the campus that generate 1.8 MW of solar power.

This is a part of an MoU signed between IITR and ABB, which also includes the creation of a smart grid resource center, joint R&D facilities and support for PhD students.

The project would also support technology solutions like smart metering, SCADA, ring main unit (RMUs), and wireless broadband communication platform.

These measures would help the institute to increase the use of renewable energy, identify potential of demand side control, and integrate other power sources.

“Sustainability through adoption of new technologies has been at the core of all developmental activities at IIT Roorkee. We believe this collaboration with ABB using the IIT Roorkee campus as the hub for R&D on futuristic technologies for smarter, sustainable cities will create many milestones”, said Ajit Chaturvedi, Director of IIT Roorkee.

The institute wants to become a self-sustaining and zero emission green campus. In recent times, many IITs have also turned to renewable sources for their energy needs.

In December 2018, the Indian Institute of Technology, Indore installed 422 kW solar rooftop power system in its premises.

In May 2018, IIT Kharagpur has invited expressions of interest (EoIs) from project developers and contractors to set up a 5.5 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project.

Other educational centers across the country are also turning to solar as it is a cheaper source of electricity and also helps curb toxic carbon emissions.

In December 2018, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) installed a 500 kW rooftop solar system to light up its classrooms.

Mumbai’s St Xavier’s High School has also installed a 35 kW rooftop solar system to save approximately ₹700,000 (~$9,726) every year on its electricity bill.

In July 2018, Amity University installed rooftop solar PV projects totaling 1.8 MW across three campuses.

In May 2018, Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in Uttarakhand’s Pantnagar town tendered a 5 MW grid-connected rooftop solar PV project.

Image credit: By Fowler&fowler – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikipedia