Indian Parliament to Install Solar & Biomass Plant-

Through an arrangement with the Indian Parliament, the Punjab Energy Development Agency has invited bids for installing an 80 kW solar PV system. The solar array would provide battery backup for the Parliament building in the off-chance of a blackout, however over 50 percent of the generated power would be fed back into the grid. The project would help promote the use of solar PV systems which remain unpopular due to the high costs and lower efficiency when compared to other forms of clean energy. The installation is anticipated to initiate solar PV policy initiatives in homes and commercial buildings throughout the nation. Not to mention, the system would also serve as a demonstration of the feed-in tariff mechanism which is mostly untested in India. Some major companies have submitted bids, including Punj Lloyd, Wipro Ecoenergy and the Solar Energy Group of Reliance Industries. If this initiative is a success, the overall installed capacity could skyrocket to 20,000 MW over the next 12 years. Meanwhile, a new solar thermal system with a 2,000-liter capacity and a 0.5 tonne capacity biomass plant are also expected to be installed at the Parliament House.