Ghaziabad: All govt and semi-govt buildings will gradually shift to solar power, a district administration official said on Thursday, adding that the drive to install solar panels will be divided into phases. The first phase will cover Vikas Bhavan, govt hospitals and police stations. Rooftop surveys of the identified buildings have already been completed and installation work is expected to begin in September.The initiative aims to reduce electricity expenditure of govt institutions while also encouraging residents to adopt solar energy by demonstrating its use across public buildings. The administration is preparing a list of buildings that can be covered under the programme, after which funds will be allocated for installation.“No budget has been set aside now. Funds will be allotted on the basis of the list of buildings,” he said.Chief development officer Kumar Saurabh said the administration wanted govt institutions to lead by example in the transition towards clean energy.“Vikas Bhavan is expected to be among the key beneficiaries of the programme. More than 30 government offices operate from the building, with a large number of officials, employees and visitors present there every day. We expect the building to save lakhs of rupees annually on its power bills,” he said.The proposed rooftop solar plants will have capacities of 25 to 30 kilowatts (kW). Officials said a 25 kW plant can generate more than 30,000 units of electricity annually, which could translate into substantial savings on the electricity bills of govt buildings.According to an official, the programme will subsequently cover other govt and semi-govt buildings, subject to the availability of funds and the final list. Govt hospitals, police stations, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas and other public institutions are being considered for this.The administration is also examining how many new govt buildings have come up in the district so that they can be included in the list.“Some govt buildings are already using solar power. These include the collectorate and some zonal offices of the nagar nigam. The administration is simultaneously working on developing model villages equipped with solar power plants under CSR initiatives,” the official said.
