FEBRUARY 20249TOP STORIESPOLARIS SECURES CONTRACT TO INSTALL 5 MILLION SMART METERS IN UPPolaris Smart Metering on Jan 29 said it has secured two smart meter projects totaling Rs 5,200 crore in Uttar Pradesh. "Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (MVVNL) has awarded the contracts for installing over 5.1 million smart meters in the important clusters of Lucknow and Ayodhya/Devipatan, which the company plans to install over the next 27 months," Polaris Smart Metering said in a statement.As per the agreement, Polaris Smart Metering will supply, commission, install and maintain smart meters for consumers and system metering across the consumer base in these clusters for the next 10 years, it said.These smart meters will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology, enabling prepaid billing, real-time energy monitoring, accurate metering, and improved grid management capabilities. This contract comes under a Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Own-Transfer (DBFOOT) agreement.Meanwhile, Polaris has also received Letter of Awards (LOAs) from West Bengal and Manipur worth over Rs 2,400 crore to install more than 2.3 million smart meters across these two states.The primary objective of this project is to reduce losses for discoms (power distribution companies) and to empower consumers by introducing smart prepaid meters, enabling them to have better control over their energy consumption, the company said.Yashraj Khaitan, CEO of Polaris Smart Metering, said: "Our smart metering solutions will empower consumers with actionable insights into their energy consumption while simultaneously delivering substantial benefits to the state governments in terms of improved grid efficiency, reduced pilferage, and improved environmental sustainability". TPREL TO SETUP 1,000 KWH SOLAR FACILITY IN WEST BENGALTata Power Renewable Energy Ltd (TPREL) on Jan 29 said it has commissioned a 1,000-kilowatt bifacial solar system project in West Bengal. A bifacial solar system comprises a solar panel that captures sunlight from both surfaces and produces power from two sides.TPREL has successfully commissioned a pioneering 1040 kW Bifacial Solar System project with Chengmari Tea Estate. This marks the first-ever installation of on-ground bifacial modules in eastern India," the Tata Power company said in a statement.The project is expected to generate around 1.5 million units (MUs) of energy annually and reduce the carbon footprint of 29,420 lakh tonnes, which is equivalent to planting 47,000 teak trees. The project is located in West Bengal.Deepesh Nanda, MD & CEO of Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited, said, "The innovative bifacial technology, capturing sunlight from both sides of the solar panels, represents a significant leap forward in enhanced clean energy generation. We are proud to be at the forefront of this revolution, pushing the boundaries of technological excellence and environmental stewardship."With this addition, the total renewable capacity of TPREL reached 9,012 MW.
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