Chandigarh inches closer to carbon-free tag as solar power push helps reduce emissions

Inching closer to becoming the country’s first carbon-free city by 2030, the UT Administration has been able to reduce 1,86,479 metric tonne (MT) of carbon dioxide (CO2) with the generation of 270.26 million units (MUs) of solar energy till March 31.

Achieving significant milestones in renewable energy generation, the UT has achieved a cumulative rooftop solar capacity of 89.689 MWp, installed across 10,988 as of March 31, 2025, which has contributed 270.26 million units (MU) of clean energy to the grid.

According to officials of the Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science and Technology Promotion Society (CREST), the city has also led the way in floating solar power adoption. On July 1, 2024, the city commissioned North India’s largest floating solar Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) plant with a capacity of 2,500 kWp at the Sector 39 Water Works.

Building on it, an additional 3,000 kWp floating plant has been completed and is expected to be commissioned soon.

In the financial year 2024-25 alone, 28 MWp of new solar capacity generated 25 MU of clean energy, further propelling the city’s green transition.

Under the Solar City Mission, the city has reached another key milestone by achieving 100% solar saturation of all government residential buildings and offices as of December 31, 2024.

The generation of 18.1 MWp with installation of solar panels atop 6,627 government sites, is expected to produce around 23.5 MUs of solar power annually. This clean energy not only reduces electricity costs, but resulted in estimated savings of Rs 12.69 crore each year.

The Administration has also successfully implemented rooftop solar power systems in government schools across the city.

Of the total 114 government schools, 108 were identified as feasible for rooftop solar installations and solar power plants have been successfully commissioned on these premises. The total solar energy consumption by these schools during the previous year was 6.1 MU and the total solar energy generation recorded during the same period was 7.32 MU, resulting in a surplus of solar energy.

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.

The UT Administration has also planned to generate 224 MW of solar energy by the target year.

Since the early 2010s, the UT Administration has undertaken various steps to harness solar energy through grid-tied rooftop solar panels.

Chandigarh