It seems all establishments in India that have surplus land resource are looking to set up solar power projects.
Media reports quoting sources linked to the Archeological Society of India (ASI) state that a number of protected historical monuments may soon be powered by solar energy. The ASI has received initial clearance from the Ministry of Culture for setting up utility-scale solar power projects at historical sites where vacant unused land is available.
Around 3,600 protected monuments are located across India. These monuments may soon house solar power projects of capacity 5 MW to 25 MW, depending on the land availability. Some of the famous monuments that may have substantial potential for solar power generation include Red Fort, Humayun’s Tomb, Tughlaqabad Fort and Purana Qila.
While not explicitly mentioned by the sources, the solar power installations may adopt a feed-in tariff scheme to recover the cost of electricity. Any surplus electricity could be adjusted against their own power consumption while the surplus electricity can generate much needed revenue for the upkeep of these monuments.
Meanwhile, some temples in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh are also looking to set up solar power project. The state government is planning to set up 8 MW solar power capacity to power seven temples. A 7 MW project shall be implemented over a 50 acre area at an estimated cost of Rs 50 crore.
According to the state government officials, these temples spend around Rs 16 crore (US$4 million) every year on electricity bills. By implementation of these solar power projects and energy efficient equipment the temples stand to save around Rs 415 crore (US$62 million).