As in many remote regions, the power supply in Itnal was very limited in the past: Only 120 households on site had access to electricity, power blackouts were commonplace, and the residents were only able to operate the irrigation pumps for their fields and gardens at most three to four hours a day.
With the erection of the new photovoltaic array, over 80% of the residents in and around Itnal now have access to reliable and affordable energy – not just in their households but above all on their farms. The solar energy from the power plant provides water pumps that can run longer and thus generate higher returns. It not only makes further agricultural growth possible in the future but also industrial growth in the region: Phone and Internet connections are now being integrated into the town and a new road will soon make the region more accessible for the movement of freight.
Conergy erected the megawatt-class photovoltaic array upon the order of the local utility KPCL. On 17.3 acres, 13,000 solar modules supply over 4,000 MWh of clean energy into the local grid per annum. In the same time period, Coenergy calculates that the array avoids 2,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year. In total, with the help of the power plant 400 water pumps can operate daily and thus 1,200 acres of farmland can be irrigated and used.
“With the KPCL photovoltaic plant we are continuing our growth story in Asia. For the ambitious, Indian solar energy market the plant is a genuine milestone that shows the degree to which the market has matured,” stated Conergy Asia Head, Marc Lohoff. “Where before only island solutions were possible, now the first large projects are making their arrival and are bringing light into the houses and water to the fields. KPCL is dedicated to creatively respond to the demands of the market and promote new renewable energy technologies.”
Benefitting from the Indian National Solar Mission
In tropical regions like India, where the sun shines longer and stronger, solar energy has incredible potential. The government has also recognised this and in 2009 initiated its “National Solar Mission” project, which promotes ecologically sustainable growth through renewable energies. India intends to generate more than 20 GW of energy from the sun by 2020 with specific programs to promote island solutions but also with grid-connected solar energy.
Conergy reveals that it will continue to benefit from this growth in the future and also from the rest of the Asia-Pacific region. Above all, markets such as Australia, India, Thailand and China will contribute more and more to the dissemination of solar energy in the region. China and India will become larger and larger sales markets for solar technology in the future, changing from almost pure producers. According to a Solarbuzz study, over 112 applications for the construction of power plants with over one MW each have already been submitted in both countries. With this, the Asia-Pacific region today would report a project pipeline of over 7 GW.
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