Mumbai-based Chemtrols Solar has unveiled India's first MW Scale PV-Diesel Hybrid Solar Power plant in Tamil Nadu. A spinning mill in Tirupur district has the distinction of having this MegaWatt (MW) scale, roof mounted, grid-connected solar power plant with unique DG synchronisation capabilities, the first of its kind in India, and second in the world. The 1 MW solar plant installed on the sloping roof of Alpine Knits (India) Private Limited at Palladam in Tirupur at an investment of Rs 7.5 crore is designed, engineered and constructed on a turnkey basis by Chemtrols Solar.

The rooftop solar plant synchronises with the incoming 11 kV utility grid and provides energy to the spinning mill for captive consumption during daytime. Importantly, even when the utility grid is not available during frequent power cuts, this solar plant has the capability to synchronise with the in-house 1.25 MVA diesel generator to provide up to 65 per cent of the energy required by the Alpine Knits factory. This is achieved by the recent 'Fuel Saver' technology developed by SMA Solar Technology AG of Germany, the global market leader in the field of Solar Inverters and related technologies.

During grid failure when the DG set is put into operation, the 'Fuel Saver' device constantly monitors the DG set electrical parameters, the available load at the factory and optimises the Solar Power Plant output to provide substantial fuel (diesel) saving at any point in time. The Fuel Saver also provides protection to the DG Set and to the Solar Power Plant against reverse power as both are power generating devices.

Alpine Knits not only saves diesel but also earns RECs (Renewable Energy Certificates) that can be traded at the designated Power Exchanges in Delhi or Mumbai within a price band of Rs 9300 to Rs 13400 per REC, the price band mandated by CERC until March 2017. Alpine shall get one REC for every 1000 units (kWH) of electricity produced by the solar power plant, the sale of which is estimated to result in an additional revenue of about Rs two crore per year.

Shortage of power has been the major grievance of the textile industry in Tamil Nadu. Power accounts for about 30 per cent of the total cost of production in a spinning mill. For factories that suffer power outages and are dependent on diesel generators for their power supply, a hybrid system should be the solution of choice as it increases the utilisation of the solar power plant significantly and thus reduces payback time.

These solar power plants also help in meeting the SPO (Solar Power Obligation) of HT consumers as per the TN solar policy. This 1 MW plant at Palladam, built in about 60 days with very high quality components procured from SMA Solar Technology, Germany for high efficiency string inverters, poly-crystalline silicon PV panels of 240 Wp each from Canadian Solar International and ABB (power evacuation system). A lightweight aluminium rails with self-tapping screws for fixing the PV panels on the steel sloping roof from the Indian subsidiary of a German company.

This project has helped the company to get more orders in South India and recently bagged a 20 MW solar project coming up in Tiruchy district of Tamil Nadu. This project will be carried out in a group of five textile companies that have operations in Tirupur.