Install solar plants in Chandigarh or face action : CREST

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CHANDIGARH: The Chandigarh Renewal Energy, Science and Technology Promotion Society (CREST) has directed owners of houses measuring 500 square feet and above to get rooftop solar power plants installed.
CREST in 2016 had set May 18, 2018 as deadline for installing solar power plant on residential buildings. With the deadline nearing, CREST has launched an aggressive campaign, making the residents aware about the benefits of solar power plant.

The Chandigarh administration is planning to initiate action against those owners who would fail to comply with the directions.

The administration vide a notification issued had made installation of rooftop solar power plants mandatory in residential houses measuring 500 square yard and above and group housing societies.
As per the official records, there are around 10,000 such houses in different sectors. In addition, there are 112 group housing societies — in Sectors 48, 49, 50, and 51 — in the city, with over 1,000 flats. CREST has so far received lukewarm response from residents. So far, only 110 have installed solar plants.

Giving reasons for poor response, general secretary of Federation of Sector’s Welfare Associations Chandigarh (FOSWAC) J S Gogia said the residents are facing problem in installing solar power plants due to stringent building by laws. He said the administration should not force people to get the solar system. “Installing solar power plants should be voluntary,” said Gogia.
The Union government had selected Chandigarh to be developed as a ‘model solar city’ and set an ambitious target of installation of 50mw solar plants, both at residential and government buildings, by 2022. So far, Chandigarh has reached 13.5MW-mark. Being a land locked city, residential buildings hold key to achieving the target.
For residential buildings measuring 500 square yard to 999 square yard, installing SPV of 1 kWp capacity has been made mandatory, while owners of houses measuring 1,000 square yard to 2,999 square yard have to install a solar power plant of 2 kWp. For 3,000 square yard and above houses, 3 kWp solar plant is a must.
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Read Times of India article to know more

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