UN official meets Naidu, pitches for solar power promotion

Noting that India has great solar power generation potential, a United Nations body today asked the Centre to promote it as it can help mitigate climate change and its consequences.
Kandeh Yumkella, Under Secretary-General of United Nations and CEO of its Sustainable Energy for All initiative, met Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu to promote the cause and the Union minister agreed with his concerns, an official statement said.
Experts accompanying Yumkella said efforts were on to promote use of solar panels and related equipment by reducing their weight to 20 percent of the present load per square meter.
"The UN official stressed on the need for promotion of renewable energy sources to mitigate climate change and its consequences which are emerging as a major threat by the day. He emphasised on the need for enhancing solar power generation through collaborative effort of all stake-holders," it said.

Yumkella also complimented Gujarat government for its initiative in this regard.
The statement said Naidu informed him that his ministry had recently come out with a policy of achieving 100 MW of solar power generation through roof-top solar panels to be installed over the buildings owned and managed by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD).
"He also referred to the initiatives of replacing halogen lamps with LED bulbs which has substantial potential of saving power," the statement said.