Vijay Garden co-operative housing society has been at the forefront of such green measures. Last year they came up with a botanical garden using the mud that was collected during heavy rains.
After cultivating vegetables on its terrace, a Thane housing society took its green initiative further. The society has installed a solar net metering grid which would help them meet their own electricity needs. As per Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL), such installations have become common across Thane.
Vijay Garden co-operative housing society has been at the forefront of such green measures. Last year they came up with a botanical garden using the mud that was collected during heavy rains. They now grow a variety of vegetables and flowers in this garden.
In September they took one more eco-friendly step by harnessing solar energy which would make them self-sufficient energy wise. They installed a solar panel early this month which would help them save 25 per cent of the electricity bill. "Our society's annual electricity bill is around Rs4.8 to Rs5 lakh," says Reny Varghese, chairman of the core committee of Vijay Garden CHS which implemented this project.
"With these installations, we will save Rs 1.3 lakh per year spent on maintenance of the society," he adds.
For now, the society has rented the solar panels from a third party. "They are owned by a third party who has given us a discount on solar net metering for seven years. After that we will own the infrastructure," he says. The residents opted for solar panels for two reasons. "Saving money is one reason, but the most important reason is to cater to mother earth by using renewable energy," he adds.
Like Vijay Garden, Thane has seen an exponential increase in solar net metering in the past one year. In the financial year 2016-17 there were just 18 solar panel installations in the city. By 2017-18, the connection increased by four times. As per MSEDCL, there were a total 67 solar connections in Thane circle, which includes Bhandup and Mulund division, by March 2018. "Our awareness drive got a good response from the citizens, as a result, the region has seen such a substantial increase in solar connections," says Vishwajeet Bhosale, public relations officer, MSEDCL, Bhandup zone.
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