NEW DELHI: In a significant stride towards sustainable energy, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is poised to install rooftop solar power plants on 989 of its buildings. This ambitious initiative aims to substantially reduce the civic body’s reliance on conventional power sources and significantly lower electricity costs, officials announced on Wednesday.
The project is expected to be executed in collaboration with NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited (NVVN), a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTPC. Under a Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO) model, NVVN will bear the costs of installation, operation, and maintenance. The MCD will then reimburse NVVN through a fixed tariff per unit of solar energy generated, as agreed upon in a Power Purchase Agreement.
This move is a strong push towards renewable energy adoption and is estimated to generate a potential of 10 to 15 megawatts of solar capacity across the proposed buildings. This, however, is contingent on the outcome of a detailed investment-grade energy audit. The MCD currently has 574 solar photovoltaic plants installed on its buildings, with a cumulative capacity of 13.25 MWp.
Officials highlight that the indicative tariff for these new installations, ranging from ₹4.25 to ₹4.92 per unit, is considered financially more viable than proposals from other agencies. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy had designated NTPC as the Renewable Energy Implementing Agency for Delhi in January 2024 to accelerate rooftop solar deployment on government buildings.
The proposal for this extensive solar expansion has been listed on the agenda for the upcoming MCD House meeting scheduled for Thursday. Once implemented, this project will cover nearly a thousand buildings under the civic body’s jurisdiction, including schools, offices, and community facilities. This not only promises significant cost savings for the MCD but also strongly supports India’s broader clean energy goals and commitment to reducing carbon emissions.
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