Matrimandir solar power plant

The 36.3 kW solar power plant was commissioned in September 1997 and provides lighting for the inside of Matrimandir as well as for the surrounding gardens.

The project realisation was the result of a collaboration between Development Consultant Limited (DCL) Calcutta, IREDA - New Delhi, Tata-BP - Bangalore and CSR.

The solar power plant was installed in 29 days and is the largest stand-alone photovoltaic power plant in India. It also serves as a test-ground for decentralized power generation.

Technical details

Solar panels:

Capacity of the plant: 37 kWp
Number of panels: 484 nos each of 75 Wp of monocrystalline
Life of the solar panels: > 20 years

Battery bank:

Capacity of the batteries: 1200 Ah / 240 Volts
Number of the batteries: 2x 120 nos, 2 V each cell
Life of the solar batteries: 6 to 7 years

Solar Charge Controller

Power: 37 kW
Operating mode: MPPT (maximum power point tracking), miroprocessor
Efficiency: 94 to 98%

Inverter

Sine wave inverter: 30 kW continuous power output
Operating mode: stand alone, bi-directional, possibility for grid connection, by-pass

Promoter: Development Consultants Industrial Plant Services Ltd. (DCIPS), a member of the Development Consultant Group of Companies (DCL), Calcutta
Financing Institution: Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), New Delhi

Supplier: Tata-BP Solar India Ltd, Bangalore
Project Executor: Auroville Centre for Scientific Research (CSR).