Bhubaneswar: As many as 3,163 government buildings across Odisha have been equipped with rooftop solar systems with a cumulative installed capacity of 38.12 MW, Union Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy and Power Shripad Yesso Naik informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
In a written reply to a question by Rajya Sabha MP Dilip Kumar Ray, Naik said the Centre had asked all states and Union Territories, including Odisha, to issue necessary directions to government departments and institutions to utilise vacant rooftops of government buildings for installing solar panels.
The rooftop solarisation of government buildings is one of the components of the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSG: MBY). According to the minister, detailed guidelines have been issued under the scheme, providing various implementation models for rooftop solar projects.
The guidelines also provide for the involvement of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) with experience in renewable energy deployment to assist Central ministries, states and Union Territories in installing rooftop solar systems on government buildings.
However, the Centre has clarified that no Central Financial Assistance (CFA) is available for rooftop solar installations on government buildings, as such projects are considered financially viable even without subsidy support.
According to data provided by the Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA), the state’s implementing agency, rooftop solar systems have already been installed on 3,163 government buildings across Odisha.
The state is now preparing for the next phase of rooftop solarisation, with more government buildings identified for implementation under the Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO) model.
In the first phase, more than 1,960 government buildings have been identified for rooftop solar projects under the RESCO model. Surveys conducted subsequently found 925 buildings feasible for rooftop solar installation.
The estimated cumulative solarisation requirement of the 925 feasible buildings stands at 79.56 MW, indicating significant scope for expanding the use of renewable energy across government infrastructure in Odisha.
The move is expected to contribute to greater adoption of clean energy in public buildings while helping reduce conventional electricity consumption and promoting the use of renewable energy in the state.
