The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) recently announced the launch of a solar rooftop facility at its Gwal Pahadi campus in Gurugram, in association with Fourth Partner Energy Pvt. Ltd,.
On the occasion, the foundation stone of the TERI-Maxop Solar Water Pump and Testing Laboratory was also laid at the campus. The event was held in the presence of Dr Ajay Mathur, Director General, TERI; Brajesh Kumar Sinha, Vice President, Business Development, Fourth Partner Energy; and Shailesh Arora, Managing Director, Maxop. TERI has signed an agreement with Maxop Research and Testing Institute to establish state-of-the-art laboratories for solar photovoltaic (PV) technology.
In line with the Government of India’s objective of 100 GW of solar capacity addition by 2022, the solar rooftop project by TERI aims to enhance the institution’s rooftop solar capacity from 60 kW to over 270 kW. It is expected to reduce diesel consumption and usage of grid electricity and result in real-time cost savings for TERI. The 211.4 kWp facility will be set up under RESCO model wherein Fourth Partner Energy will set up the solar rooftop facility and provide TERI with electricity at a tariff of Rs.5.29 per kWh fixed for 25 years. TERI and Fourth Partner Energy will also offer end-to-end services in solar installations to assist industrial and commercial organisations in evaluation, design, planning, financing, and implementation of solar rooftop projects across India.
“TERI is delighted to establish two new facilities which promote the application of solar PV in our country. Our own campus will get a lot more solar electricity than we are getting now. We are happy that this has been done in a manner that we have a partner who would own and manage the facility and supply electricity,” said Dr Mathur.
Mr Sinha added, “Upon completion, this 211.4 kWp rooftop solar project is expected to help TERI save ~30% over grid tariff and cut carbon emissions by 325 tonnes per annum, which is equivalent to planting close to 14,500 trees… We are proud to associate with TERI in executing this project and applaud it for setting an example for other institutes and organisations in adopting solar as means for supporting environmental sustainability”
On the occasion, Shailesh Arora, Managing Director, Maxop, and Dr Mathur also laid the foundation stone of the TERI-Maxop Solar Water Pump and Testing Laboratory.
“In an effort to promote better quality PV water pumps in the country, the testing and R&D facility will help provide information on the pump’s performance even in comparison with other pumps. This will together change the PV environment in country,” said Dr Mathur. He also emphasised the need to undertake developmental testing of pumps to help build a large network of industries to support programmes of the Government of India.
The market for solar water pumping systems is set to expand greatly with aggressive policies of the Government of India and schemes such as Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthaan Mahaabhiyan (KUSUM), expected to be launched soon.
In this background, the TERI-Maxop Solar Water Pump and Testing Laboratory will cater to the growing needs of Indian and international solar pump users, including manufacturers, integrators, suppliers and other user organisations of solar PV water pumping systems to meet quality and reliability requirements. The test facility will be one of the few facilities in India capable of both indoor and outdoor testing of solar pumps.
The facility is to be set up in compliance with Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and international standards. It will be able to test all kinds of pumps, including surface, submersible and float pumps, both DC and AC type up to 10Hp capacity. It will have a capacity to conduct testing of 10 pumping systems simultaneously and complete testing of more than 300 pumps over a year. Apart from solar water pumping systems, it will also be equipped to test conventional electrical pump sets for energy efficiency under Star labelling programme of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).
On the occasion, Mr Arora said, “The TERI-Maxop Solar Testing and Research Facility is an initiative to establish a strong business pillar towards a clean vision for the future.”