The first Solar Dome of India comes up at Kolkata’s Eco Park
The first solar dome in India is now open for public viewing in Bengal’s Silicon Valley, Eco Park, New Town, Kolkata. This project has been jointly executed by HIDCO (West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd) and WBSEDCL (West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company). Only the ground floor is available for public viewing in the first phase. The dome is 28.950 metre high and has a 45-metre diameter. Eco Park visitors will be allowed to enter the solar dome without any extra fee. The dome is located beside “Gram Bangla” (Bengal Village) and Dhamsha restaurant. The dome has been built on 2.89 acres of land. The nearest way to reach the solar dome is through gate number 4 of Eco Park.
But why is the solar dome a scientific feat? The solar dome has 2000 active solar panels which continuously generate solar power. There are two types of solar panels installed in it- 150Wp and 260Wp. Further construction is still on and after the project is complete, it will provide 180 kilowatts of energy which will light the internal facility as well as the street lights in the area. The upper levels of the dome will be connected with a spiral ramp, they will have a viewing gallery on top which will have a 3D point of view for the visitors. After the dome is complete, it will house a planetarium, marine aquarium, gallery and a view point from which the visitors will have a panoramic view of Rajarhat, New Town. The project cost is estimated to be around Rs 30 crore.
The lower part of the dome, which is now open for the public, is fully air conditioned. Inside the dome, there are many stands that contain information on renewable energies, such as tidal energy, geothermal energy, wind energy and solar energy. There are also stands with information regarding the rising sea level, global warming, climate change and how they affect the earth. This shows the effort to create awareness among people on such issues which affect the nature as well as us, the humans, who depend on it.
India had a target of producing 20GW of energy by the end of 2020 under India’s National Solar Mission which was launched in 2010. The biggest solar power plants are located in Rajasthan, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. India holds third position in Asia and fourth in the world in terms of solar power production. The initial target of 20GW has been crossed long before the due date. The Government of India has set a new goal to utilise 100GW of solar energy by 2022.
Bengal’s solar dome is an addition to the list of solar energy spots of India. The solar dome has made many visitors curious about its purpose, as a result many are trying to grasp the concepts of renewable and sustainable energy and how they will help us in the future. This is a great initiative towards educating the common people on the importance of reduce, reuse and recycle. There are also stands with information on how we can save the planet by doing certain minimum tasks such as refusing to use plastic and other such activities in our day-to-day lives.
