Solar energy to power Garden of Five Senses

The model needs to tackle the high costs of solar energy,which though hailed as the most environmentally friendly method of power generation,is still very expensive.

“We’re working on a suitable model for Delhi wherein solar power generation can be part of the lives of people and households,and also part of the grid. This will be in collaboration with discoms,” said an official from the Department of Environment. The 20 KW project is likely to be only for the park and is being done by the Tourism Department. “The MNRE gives incentives for large projects,but in Delhi we want localised,smaller projects. We need to bring down the cost of solar power,which is now around Rs 17 per kilowatt per hour to less than Rs 5 per kilowatt per hour,” he said. The Department so far has been offering 30 per cent subsidy for solar water heaters.

Delhi Metro,meanwhile,has taken the plunge in solar energy,for both lighting at stations and more intensively at its headquarters.

Despite the costs,the gains too are coming in. At an estimated cost of Rs 20 lakh,the DMRC has set up a 5 kilowatt per hour solar power unit on its terrace at Metro Bhawan. It has also set up solar lighting at Chandni Chowk,Tagore Garden and Patel Chowk station parking lots. “This leads to saving 1225 Kilowatt per hour units per year,” said an official.