Residential complex powered exclusively by solar energy inaugurated

Kolkata, Jul 9 (UNI) With global warming looming large and the world inching towards the indefinte era of energy crisis, people throughout the globe as well as India have been advocating for a massive switchover to green alternatives.

In line with this objective, the country's first-of-its-kind green building complex, which derives power exclusively from solar radiation and is capable of consuming 60 per cent less energy than the conventional ones, was inaugurated at New Town here yesterday.

The solar housing complex, christened ''Rabi Rashmi Abasan'', was flagged off by West Bengal Power Minister Mrinal Banerjee.

It has been jointly developed by the West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency (WBREDA), Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Bengal-DCL and West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (HIDCO).

The project comprises 25 dwelling units, sprawling over an area of two acres, and powered by solar electricity with hot water supplied in the buildings through solar thermal system.

WBREDA Director-in-Charge S Bhattacharya said the houses would draw power from the grid, which would be completely renewable since it would again be exported back to the same grid.

''At the end of the month, the house owner will be charged with the difference of export and import. This system is known as net metering,'' Mr Bhattacharya added.

West Bengal Green Energy Development Coporation Ltd (WBGEDC) Managing Director S P Gon Chaudhuri felt that the initiative would popularise the concept of zero carbon emission in the households, which could be instrumental towards building a carbon neutral society.

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