Manipal: In December 2011, Manipal University (MU) was ranked second in India and 78th in the world, by Universitas Indonesia (UI) GreenMetric World University Ranking, showing its environmental consciousness. The latest initiative of MU to be eco-friendly has been the harnessing of solar energy, a project associated with Manipal University Technology Business Incubator (MUTBI).
An experimental set up of these solar panels was commissioned in February. The panels that were installed were a two kilowatt (KW) grid-connected system. The models were set up on the terrace of the Innovation Center (IC) at Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT). The solar lab at the IC is powered by the energy generated from these panels.
The project was structured and set up by Mohan Roy J, a final year student of M.Tech (Engineering Management), as a part of his course. He started working on the solar-photo-voltaic modules under the guidance of Dr. Manohar Pai, CEO and Secretary of MUTBI; Dr. Divakara Shetty S, Head of Department, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering MIT, and Dr. Satish Shenoy, Associate Professor, Department of Aeronautics and Automobiles, MIT. Funded by MU, the experimental phase lasted a month.
In March, the project was considered successful and is soon expected to be installed on all the academic blocks of MIT. This eco-friendly initiative will start with the installation of a 100 KW system, the cost of which is estimated to be around Rs. 2.39 lakhs. The project will require a partnership with a company to install the panels, as well as an approval for subsidies from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). If approved, the MNRE will support the installation of these solar cells, giving a grant that will cover 30 percent of the cost of the entire project.
“Generating power within the campus helps in many ways. The installation of these solar panels will help bring down the consumption of power in the academic blocks from external sources by a great amount,” said Roy.