Goa government has announced that 200 solar water pumps will be installed across the state, to help farmers cut back their electricity cost and carry out their work. The government will also help in solarizing grid-connected agricultural pumps owned by farmers.
The union government has already approved the initiative and, around 170 farmers have applied for the same. The state will distribute the pumps under the PM KUSUM scheme at a cost of ₹4 crores.
“The farmer will be able to use the generated solar power to meet irrigation needs, and the excess solar power will be sold at a pre-fixed tariff,” said a senior official.
Goa has invited bidders to design, supply, transport, test, install and commission the solar PV water pumping systems at project sites, with a five-year guarantee for off-grid systems and 10 years for solar panels. The bidder will also be responsible for conducting a feasibility study of the land spaces using technical methods.
Further, the Solar Water Pumping (SWP) systems will have remote monitoring technology that will allow the contractor to monitor their performance .
Goa Energy Development Agency (GEDA) will also install 300 LED-based solar street light systems (SSLS). The organization has already invited bids for designing, installing, testing, supplying, installing, and commissioning 228 single-arm models SSLS and 64 two-arm models SSLS, along with pole and fixture and a five-year warranty.
As per the concerned officials, streetlights will get installed at the following locations:
• Freshwater fish seed hatchery at Keri Sattari
• Sawantwada in Amona-Bicholim
2. South Goa
• Fisheries sub-office at Cutbona
For both projects, the state government is taking measures to ensure that the installation is completed on time. In the Solar Water Pumping (SPW) systems initiative, GEDA will provide a list of farmer locations to the contractors and ensure that the commissioning is completed within 90 days.
For the Solar street light initiative, GEDA has introduced the clause that the bidder will have to pay a penalty of half a percent of the total cost per week if the installation and commissioning are not completed within the stipulated time.
Apart from these, the Goa Government is planning a multitude of initiatives to reach its renewable energy goal. By 2025, the state government aims to turn Panaji into a solar city. Recently, the government announced plans to set up solar trees and mount solar panels over all private and government buildings to boost clean energy generation in Panaji.
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Resource: The Times of India
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