Solar energy being promoted in Manipur

Imphal, July 15 (ANI): In an endeavor to promote the usage of solar energy, the Manipur Renewable Energy Development Agency (MANIREDA) has set a target for providing 10,000 solar water heaters under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Energy Mission.

The agency recently organized a one-day workshop on solar thermal system that laid stress on the need to use solar and wind energy to meet the power shortage in the region.

MANIREDA aims to set up solar water heaters, lights, cells, biogas plants and windmills in the region in pursuit of this goal. The heaters that have a capacity of 100 litre per day, cost around 25,000 each, 75 per cent of which will be provided by central and state subsidy.

This will help save 75-megawatts of power and prevent carbon emission of 1.5 tonnes in a five-year period.

It also aims to spread awareness among people about the benefits of renewable energy.

"The main objective of the workshop is to make aware of what is solar heater system and advantage and disadvantage of it and how they can use it and get benefit from it," said Waikhol Chandra, Officer, MANIREDA

MANIREDA is the nodal agency for formulating policies and programmes, for popularising the applications of various non-conventional and renewable source of energy in Manipur.

The agency has set up biogas plants, distributed solar cells, lighting systems, wind-solar hybrid energy system in villages of the hill districts of Manipur where electricity has not reached.

Under Manireda, a 200 KW solar power plant was set up recently at Moreh, 165-gram panchayats were electrified and 5736 solar street lighting sets with a capacity of 444 Kilowatts were distributed.

MANIREDA not only helps in setting up the solar plants but also trains villagers in preventive maintenance of these installations.

"Solar panel is much better now and it can be used for home lighting system. Using solar systems is a much better system because it is not polluting the environment. Also as India is advancing it will be using the renewable energy in a big way," said Dilip, a beneficiary. (ANI)