Billboards may go solar-powered soon

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Pune, Dec 23: It may no longer be possible to burn millions of watts to light up glitzy billboards in the country. Advertising hoardings that use conventional lights will soon have to go the solar energy way. Solar photo voltaic power will be replacing the traditional lighting.

Renewabale energy, particularly solar energy, is being looked at as a potential to replace conventional electrucity used for advertising hoardings, street lights and water heating requirements in view of the power shortages in the country, Vilas Muttemwar, Union minister for non-conventional energy sources, said.

MNES is planning to set up advisory committees to push renewable energy across 600 districts in the country, Mr Muttemwar said. MNES will also expand the network of ‘Aditya Solar Shops’ to cover all the districts of the country so that solar manufacturers can use this network to sell their products, the minister said.

The ministry has circulated a model amendment to building bye-laws which when adopted by municipalties will make installation of solar water heaters mandatory in several categories of new buildings.

The governments of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have already moved in this direction issuing orders to civic bodies and urban development authorities to install solar energy systems at municipal buildings, urban development authority buildings or any urban local body building. Clearance of plans for hospitals, hotels and multi-storeyed buildings are to be given only if there is provision for installing solar water heating system with open space on the roof top. Solar photo voltaic power is to replace conventional lights for hoardings in these states.

Maharashtra’s Rs 100 crore green fund
The Green Energy Fund created by Maharashtra raised Rs 100 crore last year. This fund is being transferred to the Maharashtra Energy Development Authority to be used for developing renewable energy in the state. This fund was created by charging 0.04 per unit green cess on the energy bills of commercial and industrial establishments. There are plans to collect on an average Rs 80 to Rs 90 crore per year for 10 years to fund renewable energy in the state. MEDA is coordinating with MERC to fix the mandatory percentage of renewable power in the state.