SDMC Shifts Focus to Solar Energy and EV Charging Points

To encourage the public transition to use electric vehicles, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has set a target to develop at least 50 public charging stations by the end of this financial year.

Speaking at the fourth Asia Pacific Forum on Urban Resilience and Adaptation — Resilient Cities Asia Pacific 2019, SDMC commissioner Puneet Goel highlighted the clean energy projects the commission had already undertaken, “We have already introduced reforms in our department and replaced 75 diesel and petrol vehicles with e-vehicles to reduce carbon emission by 75,000 tonnes per annum. The public e-charging stations will encourage the general public to reduce pollution.”

He also informed that the departure is in the final steps of finalising the sites for the development of the electric vehicle charging stations.

As a part of its green initiatives, the corporation also hopes to install rooftop solar panels at all schools and municipal buildings by 2019-end. “We have installed rooftop solar panels of 9-megawatt capacity at 208 school buildings. It helps us generate 10 million solar units every year. Panels will be installed at other municipal buildings soon,” Goel added.

SDMC has already replaced conventional streetlights with 3 lakh energy-efficient LED lights, which saves 80 million units annually. It has also removed all conventional lights and fans from 581 municipal schools for energy-efficient ones., bringing down power bills by nearly 25 percent. The corporation claimed to be taking similar steps to make energy out of municipal waste in its waste-to-energy (WTE) plant.

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the three-day event and in his address called upon town planners to make sustainable solutions such as harvesting solar energy and enhancing green cover an essential part of town planning.

“It is extremely crucial to link every aspect of urbanisation with sustainability. Cities account for two-thirds of global energy demand and 70% of carbon emissions. With urbanisation expected to reach 67% globally by 2050, cities will be the centres of economic growth and likely to contribute 80% of global GDP. As such, cities need to take the lead for the transition to a low-carbon economy, particularly in emerging economies in Asia,” he said.