Pics: Ramesh Pandith
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (CLP)

Mangaluru, Sep 10: In a laudable initiative, especially in a state that is reeling under power shortage, the city's St Aloysius College (Autonomous) on Thursday September 10 set an example with the installation of a solar power grid of 25 kw capacity in its campus.

Speaking to the media, Fr Swebert D'Silva, principal of the College said, "St Aloysius College has been imparting knowledge to society for 136 years. The College has even won the district-level Best Campus Environment Award 2015. This is a green campus and we want to maintain that.

"Environment is a great concern for all of us and we need to protect it for future generations. Thus, St Aloysius College has installed a solar power grid of 25 kw and we are already producing electricity. This is going to be of great help for the people around us and also to students as an educational venture to learn production of electricity through other sources. St Aloysius College is the first institution in Mangaluru to initiate this venture and we believe it will be a role model to others also.

"This is a big venture, and the management has spent Rs 30 lac on this project and we are hoping for subsidy from Mescom. The total requirement for the institution is 200 kw and slowly, within a year or two, we want to achieve this capacity and make this an entirely solar-powered campus. It will be a model campus for many," he added.

Mohammed Adil, director of Raija Inc Solar Power Solutions said, "St Aloysius College has installed the grid as per the Mescom guildlines. On weekends, excess power is generated as college is closed. Mescom will buy the excess power at Rs 9.56 per unit. The electricity bill of the institution will be reduced by using solar power. Every institution should try to reduce the carbon percentage in the environment. I am sure many other institutions will follow the example set by the St Aloysius College."