Solar-powered LED streetlights for Bangalore

Solar-powered LED streetlights for Bangalore

Special Correspondent
Union Minister Farooq Abdullah agrees to support the energy conservation project
BANGALORE: In a bid to conserve energy by switching over to solar power, the State Government has decided to go in for solar-powered LED (light emitting diode) streetlights, which are highly energy efficient, in Bangalore city. The project has got green signal from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, which has agreed to provide assistance.

This was announced by Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah at a press conference after dedicating the country's biggest solar power plant with a capacity of 3 MW set up by the Karnataka Power Corporation Limited at Yelesandra village in Kolar district on Thursday.

Dr. Abdullah said the proposal from the State Government had been discussed during the meeting between him and Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa.

He said his Ministry would provide solar panels at subsidised cost, while the State had to take up the proposal with the Union Ministry of Power for similar benefits for the LED lighting component. “The Central assistance will be in terms of package of benefits,” he noted.

Commending Bangalore city for being home to highest number of solar water heaters in the country in the residential segment, Dr. Abdullah said he had asked Mr. Yeddyurappa to take steps for promoting the use of water heaters among big institutions like medical and engineering colleges, housing complexes and residential quarters of government staff.

Dr. Abdullah further asked the State Government to ensure that most of the government buildings to be built by it would be green structures with adequate use of natural light and wind besides the facilities to tap renewable energy.

Hailing Karnataka for its rapid strides in renewable energy sector, especially the fete of setting up the country's biggest solar power plant, he described the State as “country's solar leader” and urged it to become the global leader.

The Minister indicated that Karnataka would get a “good share” of benefits from the Centre's Solar Mission Project that aims at tapping 1,200 MW of solar power in the first phase.

Later, addressing a public function, Dr. Abdullah called for steps to ensure that mobile phone towers switched over to solar-generators to save energy.