Goa to Set up 40 kWp Solar Rooftop Plant at Legislative Assembly

The Goa legislative assembly complex in Porvorim is gearing up to have a solar rooftop power plant set up in it.

The Goa energy development agency (GEDA) has invited tenders for design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of the power plant, including operation and maintenance for five years. The 40 kWp grid-connected solar rooftop power plant will be set up on the third floor of the secretariat building at a cost of Rs 30 lakh.

The grid-connected rooftop solar power plant will be connected on net metering basis, where the surplus power generated by the building will be supplied back to the power grid.

GEDA has stated that the contractor will not be allowed to puncture the RCC roof but must design and erect the plant without damaging it.

The agency stated that the installation of the solar plant must be done on a metal sheet, which will cover an elevated truss framed structure which will be erected on the flat roof on the third floor of the building.

“Till March this year, Goa had over 250 solar prosumers-consumers and producers of solar energy. More than 60% of these are domestic consumers and the rest commercial and industrial consumers,” media reports quoted an official saying.

Several state and central government departments, agencies and educational institutions have also set up solar power plants including GEDA, Goa University, PWD offices, NIT, MPT, and Raj Bhavan, among others.

Goa failed to achieve its solar renewable purchase obligation (RPO) target for 2020-21, the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC)’s analysis of RPO targets based on the data received from the regions under its jurisdiction revealed in July this year.

While the state achieved its non-solar RPO target for FY20, it was 66.94 MU short of attaining its solar RPO targets. It explained that it had established a long-term contract with Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) to supply 25 MW solar power and a medium-term agreement with NTPC Vidhyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN) to supply 6 MW solar power.

The commission directed the state to achieve full compliance for solar and non-solar RPO in FY 2021-22. However, due to the Covid-19 crisis and nationwide lockdown, the commissioning of these projects was delayed.