CASE STUDY
FLOATING SOLAR POWER PLANT IN WEST BENGAL, INDIA
OWNER
Arka Renewable Energy College
LOCATION
New Town, West Bengal
CONNECTION TYPE
Grid connected
PROJECT
10kW
MODULE TYPE
Polycrystalline- 250Wp
INSTALLER
Vikram Solar Limited
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
RATED SYSTEM POWER
10kW
INVERTER
Solar Grid Connected Inverter: 1 nos.
NUMBER OF AVG. HOMES POWERED
Lightening the Park along with the street lights of the adjoining areas
COORDINATES
Latitude: 22˚56'N Longitude: 88˚46'E
CO2 SAVINGS PER ANNUM (APPROX.)
2,942.167 kgs/yr
ANNUAL ENERGY YIELD
1,765.3 kWh(approx.)
NUMBER OF MODULES
40
PROJECT USP
The 10kW floating solar power installation in Rajarhat, Kolkata is the first of its kind in India. The Project was part of an R&D venture jointly undertaken with Arka Renewable Energy College in Kolkata and New Town Kolkata Development Authority and was funded by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. The solar power facility was designed using 1kW fibreglass PV modules to produce a minimum of 14MWh of solar power annually.
OBJECTIVE
The main objective was to explore unutilized water bodies and not consume the ever-decreasing land. The requirement was of a solar power generating system that would be suitable for any water body, with the flexibility of being expanded in any other given environment.
PROJECT BRIEF DETAILS
CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS
The biggest challenge in this Project was installing the solar power plant in water. The system had to be suitably designed to stay afloat and be able to withstand the force.
PLANNING & EXECUTION
Following extensive research and planning, the floating solar power facility was designed to be completely flexible and efficient. The system consists of ten 1kW fibreglass modules which make up the floating platform or pontoon. The floating mechanism functions successfully with the system anchored firmly to the bottom of the lake and connected to the grid using submersible cables.
The installation consists of 40 highest efficiency 250Wp Tier 1 Eldora Prime Series polycrystalline modules and a Kaco-made inverter. The inverter’s inbuilt data logger is used for remote monitoring via GSM modem and a bi-directional meter is installed to monitor the NET export.
RESULTS
Vikram Solar is proud to have successfully completed the installations of India’s first ever floating solar power plant. The overall system is designed to last for more than 25 years and generate a minimum of 14MWh solar power annually.
