The Punjab government has begun phase-I of the project to transform Amritsar into a solar city in an effort to reduce the state's dependency on expensive conventional power and promote solar energy. According to M P Singh, director of the Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA), 190 government buildings will have solar roofing installed with a total capacity of 2.33 megawatts (MW).
These structures were chosen after a thorough study was carried out with the aid of drones. Rooftop solar systems will be installed in 74 buildings during phase-I of the project, for which
the bidding procedure has already begun. Along with the Amritsar Smart City Portal and the Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPO) portal, the Punjab Department of New and Renewable Energy Sources unveiled the decision support tool (DST). To assure the promotion of energy efficiency in industries like building, industry, municipalities, agriculture, and transportation, a state energy action plan was also launched. The goal of the energy action plan is to help the state departments implement the most long-term, inter-sectoral, and sustainable renewable energy strategy possible.
A Venu Prasad, additional chief secretary for the department of renewable energy sources, the state energy action plan will aid in achieving the objectives of net zero emissions in many sectors. He urged all departments to step up and install solar panels on their office buildings in order to decarbonize the power sector and lower their power consumption costs by 25% to 30%. He stressed the importance of accelerating the implementation of the action plan and conducting quarterly progress reviews.
For the implementation of the IGEN Access to Energy initiative, which is sponsored by the German minister of economic cooperation and development, PEDA has also inked an agreement with GIZ, a global company controlled by the German government.
