24 Percent of Electricity Requirements of Tezpur University Met by Solar Energy

In a bid to generate clean energy for power requirements within the campus, Tezpur University has installed a solar grid which replaced 24 percent of the monthly electricity consumption of the central university from October 2018 to July 2020.

Tezpur University is the first academic institution to begin an installation of megawatt-scale rooftop grid-connected Solar PV power plant in northeastern India.

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The university entered into a power purchase agreement with ARunachal Pradesh Power Corporation Pvt Ltd for 25 years at a flat tariff of 2.42 INR per kWh during 2018. At the moment, the solar power plant has been installed in 15 buildings. Of these, consumption in 11 buildings is zero. These buildings are electricity neutral buildings.

With the globe fighting climate change and exploring alternative energy methods, TU is prioritizing the use of renewable energy for generating electricity for its buildings and classrooms as part of its sustainable campus initiatives.

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The university considers five thematic areas- energy, water, waste, natural ecosystems and sustainable building- for its mission towards a sustainable campus. Solar energy is also cheaper- considering that the electricity purchased from Assam Power Distribution Company Limited costs as much as 6.60 INR per kWh.

The total electricity fed into the university grid from October 2018 to July 2020 was over 1,968,345 kWh, while the monthly average electricity generation from the plant is 89,470 kWh. The maximum generation in one day is 5,938 kWh and the average daily generation during this period is 2,949 kWh per day.