4 Delhi gurudwaras to go green, harness solar energy for power

Four famous Sikh shrines in Delhi including Rakab Ganj and Bangla Sahib Gurudwaras will go green by employing solar energy to meet their daily power needs from April.
These four gurudwaras -- Bangla Sahib, Gurudwara Rakab Ganj, Nanak Piao and Majnu Tk Tila -- will be provided with rooftop solar panels having a total capacity of 1 Mega Watt (MW), said Manjit Singh GK, the president of Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC).
"The commissioning of solar plants will be completed by March-end," he said, adding a ceremony will be held next week to start work on the project.
A company enlisted with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has been selected through competitive bidding, for executing the project, Singh said, adding a power purchase agreement has also been signed and the DSGMC is likely to save around Rs 60 lakh per year as power bill.

The solar project is a tribute to the 7th Sikh Guru Har Rai whose love for the nature and teaching for its preservation inspire the community to take care of the environment, he added.
The DSGMC president said the project will generate around 4,000 units power per day, touching approximately 1.3 million units per year.

"It will allow the gurudwaras to use peak-hour load during the day. The solar project will work on Photo Voltaic Effects and around 3,125 solar panels will be placed on rooftops of these gurudwaras for tapping cheap and clean power," he said.
Stating that one mega watt solar power reduces 1,300 tons of carbon dioxide emission per year, he expressed hope that over 25 years, the project will reduce around 30,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emission.

Harjit Singh, who is the head of the renewable energy wing of DSGMC, said the capacity of the project will be increased from 1 MW to 2 MW to meet growing future demands of these shrines. "Efforts will be made to bring other Gurudwaras under the net of clean energy."
"Other green measures like biogas project, langar waste and water management, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) energy saving projects are also being implemented by the renewable energy wing," he added.