The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with HMF Solar Power Limited for the installation of a 500 kW grid-connected rooftop solar power project at its campus in Delhi.

The project will be developed under the RESCO model, and the power generated from the project at the campus will be supplied at the cost of ₹3.13 (~$0.043)/kWh for 25 years.

The project is being developed in collaboration with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Indraprastha Power Generation Company Limited (IPGCL), and Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Management Center (EEREM).

As per the memorandum of understanding, the company will commission a 500 kW rooftop project on a turnkey basis and will operate and maintain it for the next 25 years at zero cost to the University.

The solar energy supplied from the project is cheaper than the tariffs of the distribution licensees and will save the University nearly ₹3 million (~$41,408) annually. The move will also help the University reduce its carbon emissions by nearly 650 tons per year, which is equivalent to planting 32,000 trees.

The move came to fruition after IGNOU expressed its interest in utilizing unused space on the top of its buildings and decided to harness the power of solar energy and use the energy to meet the energy demands of the University.

“The power generation from the proposed solar project will not only reduce IGNOU’s power bills but will also fulfill its clean energy mission and reduce their carbon footprint simultaneously,” the statement released by the University said.

Recently, the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IIT-KGP), issued a tender for the annual maintenance contract for two rooftop solar power projects with a cumulative capacity of 200 kW (2×100 kW) located at LLR Hall and Mathematics department of the campus.

Earlier, Delhi’s Shyama Prasad Mukherjee College also decided to install a 120-kW rooftop solar system atop its building. The college had signed an agreement with HFM Solar for the project. The project falls under the subsidy program of the Delhi government, by the IPGCL.

Previosly, Mercom had reported that Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), a university located in Karnataka, had issued a tender to set up 360 kW of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) energy installation at the university campus in Belagavi. Solar initiatives undertaken by the educational institutions are setting a good example for the country. Such initiatives will not only help the country to achieve its sustainable and economical source of power, but it will also support the overall growth of the solar industry.

Previously, Mercom reported how solar – not black coal – is beginning to power classrooms, dormitories, and canteens of multitudes of educational institutions across the country.

Image Credit: PankajKhare at English Wikipedia/CC BY-SA (3.0)