Delhi"s first solar power plant

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit inaugurated Delhi's first solar power plan of one megawatt capacity on December 21. Dikshit said. "In terms of the amount of power produced, it may not be much but it's a huge step in terms of generating clean power," she said. 

Energy Secretary Deepak Gupta said energy sources such as solar would be the next big thing in the country because the government was committed to multiply the generation figures manifold. "The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission has set a target of generating 20000 MW of solar power by 2022," he said.

The solar panels are installed on the roof of a central store of discom North Delhi Power Limited in Keshavpuram in Northwest Delhi. The Tatas plan to set up solar panels on the rooftops of around 56 of its grid substations in north and northwest Delhi with a cumulative capacity 2.5-3 MW.

SELF (Solar Electric Light Fund) : Access to Energy a Human Right?

New Hampshire, USA – Just imagine taking your sick son or daughter to the hospital after dark and having the doctor examine the child by candlelight. Or walking 10 miles to the hospital for treatment after being bitten by a rabid dog and discovering that the vaccination you need is located an additional 100 miles away in a facility that can stock it because it has refrigerators.

That was the situation at the Village Health Works clinic in Burundi, where the sick often lay suffering in the dark and frustrated doctors had to consider the cost of running the diesel generator before turning it on in order to supply oxygen to a dying patient. “All of those discussions that you never want to have as a doctor,” said to Dr. Sri Shamsuner, a visiting physician from the University of California.

Then SELF stepped in.

The organization, with the help of partners, volunteers and supporters, installed a 10 kW solar array and battery bank to provide power to Village Health Works.  The clinic is now able to use electricity 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, running its generators only when absolutely necessary.  Doctors and staff now utilize modern medical tools like EKG machines and ultrasound equipment.  They can also access the internet to help with diagnostics and learn about innovative treatments for disease.

Consider whether you believe that energy is a human right.  Then consider the billions of people in developing nations for whom energy is a luxury that they must live without.  Finally, consider that it’s not really about the energy at all, but about the services that it provides.  “We’re essentially using solar power as an enabling technology to kickstart improvements in health, education and economic well-being for whole villages,” said Bob Freling, Executive Director of SELF.

 You can go to SELF’s website and  find it out for yourself..