I had recently visited Chennai. It was more of a work cum vacation this time as I had some meetings to catch up with. Thanks to great infrastructure and well maintained roads, commuting was easier. What’s more! For a not so familiar traveller like me, the Chennai Metro Rail turned out to be the best thing ever.
Comfortable and cost-effective are the two words describing it best. While I was enjoying my metro ride I happened to strike a conversation with one of the fellow passengers. Needless to say, people in Chennai are very well informed about things around them in general. He told me that the metro rail is powered by Su-Kam Solar Panels.
Su-Kam Power Systems Limited has recently bagged a 1MW solar project with the Chennai Metro Rail Corporation. So Su-Kam Solar Panel will drive Chennai Rail Metro this year.
This project of installing 1MW solar on-grid system to Su-Kam Power Systems Limited is expected to generate approximately 1,50,000 units of electricity every month.
It is very interesting and inspiring at the same time to see government taking initiatives on such massive scale. This is a great move towards a green future.
On digging deeper, I came across further details of this grand project.
Here are the Project Details and Specifications:
The Chennai Rail Metro Limited has planned to install 8MW solar on-grid plant in various locations to run the Chennai Metro fully on solar every single day. The very first installation was of 1MW rating that required an installation of Su-Kam’s grid-tie inverters that would run the metro load on solar during the day and feed the excess solar power back to the Tangedco grid, thus making full use of the installed solar plant.
The system has been specially designed to run the full load with the grid tie inverters working on maximum allowable tariff rating of 5.32 per unit.
Mr. Devender (Su-Kam’s solar project business head) and Venkat Kanna (Assistant manager, solar projects) have been working very hard to make sure that the project sees the light of day. The following were the specifications of the solar system –
And some Technical Specifications I got hold of:
- Solar panels – 315W (1600 in number), 310W (1600 in number)
- Grid-tie inverters – 50KW (20 in number)
Units Generated and Savings
What’s more! It will greatly help in reducing carbon emissions down to 1500 tons per year. Whoa!!!
This huge installation is going to make a major difference in reducing carbon emissions in India per year. Proud to see the government undertake such massive solar projects and thus inspiring millions to understand the importance and future of solar power.
Read more about the wonderful initiatives: Su-Kam’s official blog
This is an update in accordance with the last Chennai Metro Blog.
For more information, you can contact –
Mr. Kartik Sachdeva (Sr. Manager, Solar) +919599035315
truly madly crazy 