Solar energy now powers all 6,624 govt buildings in UT

All 6,624 government buildings in the UT have now been made net-zero in energy consumption with the installation of rooftop solar panels. These buildings have a combined potential capacity of generating 52.85 MWp of solar power.

With the Union Ministry of Power including Chandigarh in the list of 34 cities to be developed as Solar Cities by 2030, the UT Administration has decided to achieve 100% rooftop solar panel saturation on all private buildings by December this year, amending building bylaws to mandate rooftop solar photovoltaic (SPV) systems on houses measuring more than 250 square yards.

The UT Administration has planned to generate 224 MW of solar energy by the target year. According to officials of the Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science & Technology Promotion Society (CREST), under the National Solar Mission, the city has implemented a wide range of renewable energy projects aimed at reducing carbon emissions, cutting electricity costs, and expanding the use of clean energy.

Since early 2010s, the Administration has undertaken various steps to harness solar energy through grid-tied rooftop solar systems. As of December 31 last year, a total of 89.69 MWp of rooftop solar power capacity had been installed across 10,988 sites.

Officials said the combined power generation from these installations reached 270.26 million units. “This has helped the city reduce approximately 18,64,794 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, significantly contributing to climate change mitigation,” said the officials.

Out of 114 government schools, 108 were found technically feasible for solar installations and rooftop solar power plants have been commissioned in all of them. In the previous year, these schools consumed 6.1 million units of electricity and now, they generated 7.32 million units, exceeding their total energy demand. This surplus makes Chandigarh’s government schools effectively net-zero energy consumers, reducing operating costs and enhancing sustainability education among students.

To encourage clean energy adoption at the household level, the Administration implemented the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, a scheme offering financial subsidies for rooftop solar systems. Under the scheme, households can receive up to Rs 78,000 in subsidy for solar installations up to 3 kWp capacity. Under the scheme, 637 rooftop solar panels have been installed in the UT.

Under the scheme, the Administration has achieved a major milestone by installing rooftop solar systems on 6,247 government residential houses, making significant progress toward net-zero government housing. With a total installed capacity of 18.1 MWp, these systems are expected to generate around 23.5 million units of solar power annually. This clean energy supply not only reduces electricity costs for residents and the Chandigarh Administration resulting in estimated savings of Rs 12.69 crore each year—but also cuts carbon emissions and enhances energy security.

Recognising the need to reduce vehicular emissions and dependence on fossil fuels, the Administration launched an EV Policy, which has significantly accelerated the adoption of electric vehicles. As of January 31 this year, 14,315 electric vehicles have been registered in the UT.

Chandigarh