Panels, installed 3 yrs ago, not yet connected to grid
Solar panels installed on Cuncolim municipality fish, meat and vegetable market.
Cuncolim
For the last four months, Cuncolim-based activist Khabir Moraes has been trying to get the solar panels installed on the two Cuncolim municipality buildings connected to the grid, but without success.
He has contacted the Cuncolim municipality, councillors, and officials at the Cuncolim substation and the Margao office of the Electricity Department. However, no one is willing to take responsibility for the solar panels.
Junior Engineer Thakur, Nodal Officer-in-charge Junior Engineer Om Pingle of Division 16, and Assistant Engineer Sonia have been passing the responsibility around for months, but nothing has been done. The situation remains unchanged. The solar panels on the Cuncolim fish, fruit, and vegetable market and at Cuncolim Municipal Hall have been gathering dust for three years as they have never been connected to the grid.
These two places in Cuncolim market were supposed to be part of a larger 100 MW decentralised solar power project by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) across the state. A 1 MW solar power plant was also installed by EESL at the Cuncolim substation on January 23, 2021.
In total, 47 solar panel systems were installed in different locations across the state, including the two on the Cuncolim municipality building and the solar plant at the Cuncolim substation.
It is not known if the solar panels installed at other places in Goa are functional. It is also unclear if the Goa Energy Development Agency (GEDA) had any role in the non-functional solar panels at Cuncolim. Attempts to get answers from GEDA did not receive any response.
The solar plant in Cuncolim, along with others in different parts of Goa, was intended to be a significant step towards the state generating its own power through clean and renewable solar energy. The total power generation of these plants was supposed to be 2435 kW, but it is not known how many are working or how much power is being generated.
So far, EESL has only installed and commissioned one 1 MW solar plant at the Cuncolim substation. It is also unknown if this plant is operational or facing the same issues as the two non-functional projects in Cuncolim market.
Meanwhile, the Goa Government started a new project in March this year to harness clean and sustainable energy from rooftop solar plants mounted on 300 government buildings. This initiative aims to generate over 4.5 crore units of clean electricity, boosting Goa’s commitment to renewable energy. The installations are expected to be completed within the next six months, marking a swift progression towards a greener future for the State.
The project is monitored by GEDA, and when contacted, Sanjeev Joglekar, Undersecretary at GEDA, said, “The rooftop solar PV plants on government buildings are yet to be completed by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL).”
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has directed all state governments to install rooftop solar PV plants on government buildings.
