Wind and sunshine keep this park green & aglow

Wind and sunshine keep this park green & aglow

A windmill, a solar panel generate enough power to illuminate it

Sunitha Rao R. Bangalore



Bavikatte park on 36th Main Road, Jayanagar, has no power supply, but it still burns bright in night, thanks to the efforts of an NGO, Kadamba, and the philanthropy of Sadananda Maiya, proprietor of Maiya Hotel.
With Maiya's Rs4 lakh funding, Kadamba introduced a hybrid project on renewable energy using a 1.2kw, 70-kg windmill and a 500-watt solar panel to produce electricity to illuminate the park at night.
"During the energy audit at the park, we found that 30kw of power was consumed every day. This was costing the BBMP Rs75,000 a year. With the Palike's support, we kickstarted the project on May 23. LEDs and CFLs replaced the metal halide lamps, after which the park's power consumption has come down to 1.6 units per day against the nearly 30 units earlier," said Prasad Doreswamy who planned the project. He added that the lighting facility was automated with timers. Lights go on between 4 am and 6 am, and 6pm and 8 pm everyday.
"By replacing the metal halide lamps and avoiding conventional energy completely, we have been able to prevent a daily carbon-dioxide emission of 40 pounds," said Doreswamy.
"If the windmill turbine rotates for one hour, it is enough to produce the required power for the park. Usually, wind turbines generate power only when the wind blows at six metres per second. But I've devised a different technique here where power can be generated even when wind speed is three metres per second," said Shanthraj MU, project head.
Speaking to DNA, Jayanagar MLA BN Vijay Kumar said that the experiment at the park was the first step towards a green energy initiative in the constituency. "At present, renewable energy is used only for lights. It can be extended to the sprinkler and fountain too. There are about 34 parks in Jayangar, and we plan to implement this initiative in at least 10 parks in one year. Gradually, it can be replicated in all the parks in the city, and help save a lot of money for the BBMP," Vijay Kumar said. A similar initiative has been introduced in Pu Ti Narasimhachar Park in Jayanagar 5th Block.