Sun lights up Maharashtra's electricity grid

Maharashtra put on the grid its first 1 MW solar energy to power lights and other electronic gadgets early last month. Besides this, another 4 MW solar power panel is in the process of being set up in Chandrapur and will be synchronised with the grid. The state has individually-owned solar panels but this is the first step towards replacing conventional energy with the much needed green energy to make it available across the state. The crucial tests for synchronisation of this solar power plant were conducted in April by the Maharashtra Power Generation Company Ltd (Mahagenco), which owns the system. Moser Baer India Ltd, which built this solar panel within just four months (three months before schedule) at a cost of Rs 12.5 crore, will operate and maintain the Chandrapur plant for the next three years. Every year, the unit will contribute 1.58 million units of power and thus supply power to the state through 33 KV power transmission line. Moser Baer had started the construction in January and was supposed to commission the plant by August. Power expert Ashok Pendse has appealed to the state administration to devise a model on the basis of an experiment in Germany where solar power is also put on the grid, thus making it available for the entire state. According to Pendse, Germany has achieved up to 12% solar power, highest in the world. Mahagenco has set a target of commissioning solar power projects with an installed capacity of 100 MW by 2013. The central government has set a target of 10% non-conventional power generation for all states by 2012.