Delhi-Meerut RRTS Prioritises 25,000 Solar Panels To Generate Clean Energy

In a major push to sustainability, the Delhi-Meerut Rapid Rail Transit System (RRTS) will tap solar energy by installing 25,000 solar panels at 25 stations and two major depots in Duhai and Modipuram.

"We anticipate that approximately 25,000 solar panels will be installed at the stations and depots along the entire 82km RRTS stretch. The entire solar installation will be able to produce at least 11MW of power using solar energy, which is cheaper than electricity,” said an official of the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) which is implementing the project.

While 16 of the project’s 25 large stations can get approximately 1,100 solar panels on their rooftops, the remaining nine smaller stations can get approximately 400 solar panels. The solar panels will also be installed on foot-over bridges.

The RRTS is a new, rail-based, dedicated, high capacity, commuter service. The country's first RRTS which is coming up in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) has been named as RAPIDX. The train will cover a distance of 82 km between Delhi and Meerut in 55 minutes instead of three hours.

The 17-km priority corridor of the Delhi-Meerut RRTS between Sahibabad and Duhai Depot with five stations — Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, Duhai and Duhai Depot. It has already received the mandatory clearance from the Commissioner for Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) and is waiting for formal inauguration.

Solar Plant Inaugurated

Earlier last week, a state-of-the-art solar power plant was opened at the RRTS Depot in Duhai.

The solar power plant has an installed capacity of 585 kWp (Kilowatt peak power output), with solar panels installed at various depot buildings including workshops.

"This solar plant is expected to generate approximately 666,000 units of solar energy per year over its estimated lifespan of 25 years. The plant is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 615 tonnes per year, contributing to a remarkable reduction of 15,375 tonnes over its lifetime,” NCRTC said.

The solar power generated by this plant will not only meet the energy requirements of the depot in its entirety but will have surplus to use in other RRTS operations.

The energy produced through this solar plant will be monitored and optimised by a cutting-edge cloud-based application which will track the output on a regular basis. This advanced technology ensures transparency, efficiency, and seamless management of the solar energy infrastructure.

As part of its commitment to the National Solar Mission and the promotion of clean and sustainable energy sources, NCRTC adopted a solar policy in March 2021.

As per this policy, it will increase the share of renewable energy by generating about 11 MW peak in-house solar power on the rooftop of stations, depots and other buildings for non-traction purposes, in the next five years.

Apart from this, it will optimise the energy mix to increase the share of renewable energy for traction purposes as well. It will also strive to put in place an appropriate investment climate, that would leverage the clean development mechanism and renewable energy certificate.