Bhubaneswar: College and university campuses across the world are committing to 100 percent clean energy and IIT Bhubaneswar seems to be leading the change here.
The premier institute has successfully commissioned a solar power generating station of 490 KWp capacity at its permanent campus in Argul.
Roof tops of all the existing buildings have been utilized for installing solar panels and power generating equipment. The project was inaugurated by the Director, Prof. R V Raja Kumar earlier this week.
“The institute has decided to make the campus “green.” Installation of solar power generation is one step in this endeavor. We have planted over 30,000 trees during the last three rainy seasons,” Prof R V Raja Kumar, Director, IIT Bhubaneswar said.
“The solar PV panels were successfully commissioned on May 14 and power generation has continued uninterrupted till date,” informed another senior official of the institute.
“The project not only ensures energy saving in the campus but also provides enough data and information to undertake research work on solar PV renewable energy systems,” he said.
The initiative provides benchmark for future installation of solar PV generation systems in the campus besides inspiring other higher education institutes in and around Bhubaneswar to opt for clean and green energy.
“Colleges and universities should ideally lead the change in clean energy initiatives. It is a wonderful initiative by the institute and we students are proud to be part of it,” said Jyotiranjan a student.
The IIT Bhubaneswar campus that is already dotted with exotic, indigenous, deciduous and coniferous trees plans to create native landscaping with more ornamental and medicinal plants to maintain clean and healthy environment for students and residents of the campus.
The choice of plants and trees will be such as to ensure a healthy eco-system for attracting exotic and migratory birds, informed an official. The premier institute also plans to set up rooftop rainwater harvesting structures, surface rainwater harvesting structures, waste management system and wastewater recycling plant.