Diu becomes the first union territory to run 100% on solar power. Wow! what an achievement, given that the district used to import almost all of its power from the neighboring state of Gujarat, three years ago. In just three years time Diu has installed 13 MW of solar power capacity which is almost double its peak power demand. Around 3 MW is generated by rooftop solar plants and 10 MW by other solar power plants. Diu generates about 10.5 MW of electricity from solar energy daily, compared to its peak power demand of just 7 MW. Diu is also planning to install 6.8 MW wind power capacity by 2019.
Diu has been installing solar power as a pre-requisite for qualifying for India’s smart cities mission. In this regard, it has been mandated that at least 10% of the smart cities’ energy requirement will come from solar energy and at least 80% buildings should be energy efficient and green buildings.
Read more about Role of Solar Energy in developing Smart Cities in India
The very basis of smart cities is the advanced use of technology and Internet of Things (IoT) to manage and optimize its infrastructure. A sustainable source of energy is required to run this plan successfully. Hence, the uptick in interest in solar energy over the recent years in Diu.
Diu is a perfect destination for developing solar power. With less population and enough land available, the district could easily go solar. It also receives an ample amount of sunlight. About 50 acres of barren government land was utilized. Since the advent of solar power in this area, monthly power bills have reduced by more than 12% for local residents. It is more difficult to transport power, especially in island nations. Moreover, we all are aware of India’s transmission infrastructure woes. Another island nation of Andaman & Nicobar has plans to run on solar power and tender for solar power plants with storage was also announced in this regard. However, the project did not materialize on grounds of financial viability.
Also, read about the best Solar Inverters for Residential Rooftops in India
It is high time that necessary steps be taken in this regard to promote storage options, especially in island nations in order to make them more sustainable.
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INDEA IS GREAT IN SOLAR ENERGY. ONCE ALL CITIES WILL BE SOLAR POWERED IN INDEA