Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) in Lucknow has installed 1.1 MW of solar projects which will help the institute save approximately ₹6 million (~$85,646.99) annually in energy expenditure. Out of the total capacity, 312 kW is a ground-mounted installation.

The project is part of the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI)’s 500 MW program to install solar rooftops atop government buildings. Under the program, CleanMax Solar was awarded 19.5 MW of capacity across six states, out of which 4.5 MW was in Uttar Pradesh.

The installation is expected to generate 15,29,000 kWh per annum and will reduce up to 1,440 tons of carbon dioxide every year, equivalent to planting 33,855 fully grown trees.

“With education institutes like SGPGI adopting solar and making considerable savings on their electricity bills, we hope more institutes in Lucknow will follow suit. CleanMax has installed more than 45 solar plants across India for educational institutions like IIT (BHU), Manipal Education and Medical Group, National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK), Pune University, Aligarh Muslim University, and many others”, said Andrew Hines, co-founder of CleanMax Solar.

Of late, with the help of government’s push, an increasing number of rooftop solar projects are being adopted by private as well as government-owned educational institutions across the country.

Recently, Mercom reported that Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) had added a new grid-connected solar power project on its premises, taking the total installed solar capacity in the university to 6.5 MW. This rooftop project was also installed under SECI’s program. AMU has the largest solar power project among all academic institutions in the country.

Moreover, Tripura University also installed rooftop solar systems totaling 500 kW at its premises, spread over multiple buildings at the university campus. This is the first university in northeast India to have installed a solar project of this scale.

In December 2018, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) – Indore joined the league of green campuses in the country by installing 422 kW solar rooftop system in its premises. Around the same time, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) also 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.

Nitin is a staff reporter at Mercomindia.com and writes on renewable energy and related sectors. Prior to Mercom, Nitin has worked for CNN IBN, India News, Agricultural Spectrum and Bureaucracy Today. He received his bachelor’s degree in Journalism & Communication from Manipal Institute of Communication at Manipal University and Master’s degree in International Relations from Jindal School of International Affairs. More articles from Nitin Kabeer