REC Foundation issued a tender calling project management agencies (PMA) to set up a 1 MW grid-connected rooftop solar system for Punjab State Institute of Sports (PIS) in Mohali. The project will be developed on a turnkey basis.

REC Foundation is the corporate and social responsibility (CSR) arm of REC Limited.

The last date for the submission of bids is September 9, 2020.

The scope of work involves designing, supply, installation, commissioning, of the 1 MW rooftop solar system. The scope of work would also include five years of comprehensive maintenance of the solar PV system. The submission and opening of responses/ bids will be through the e-tendering process without any financial bidding.

CSR funds can be an effective tool for solar expansion. The concept of CSR, which was introduced through the Companies Act 2013, puts the onus on companies to formulate policies which will help in uplifting the community.

For instance, recently, Bharat Electronics Limited announced that it had provided solar-powered smart class facilities to 122 government high schools at Yadgir, Karnataka, as a part of its CSR initiative.

Previously, Mercom published an article that analyzed how solar – not black coal – is beginning to power classrooms, stadiums, dormitories, and canteens of multitudes of educational institutions across the country.

In 2019, the Kerala Police Sports and Youth Welfare Society of Thiruvananthapuram floated a tender for the construction of an 807 kW bifacial solar system over the gallery of Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium.  The stadium is located in Thiruvananthapuram’s Palayam locality. Bifacial solar modules are double-sided, which allows the use of incident sunlight from the front side as well as from the rear.

In 2018, Tata Power Solar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Power, commissioned 820.8 kWp solar rooftop at the Cricket Club of India (CCI), located in Mumbai. This is the world’s largest rooftop installation atop a cricket stadium.

Image credit: Solect