(EnergyAsia, November 2 2012, Friday) — Conergy, a market leader in providing off-grid installations and solar energy solutions, said it has completed a 900 kilowatt peak stand-alone project for the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department (MPFD) in India.

The German firm said it had been engaged by the MPFD to supply their ranger offices with clean and environmentally friendly energy. The project consists of 755 one- kilowatt and 29 five-kilowatt stand-alone photovoltaic systems which to power up communications and Internet connectivity in the field offices to its Bhopal headquarters.

As the main contractor, Conergy supplied the off-grid crystalline modules for the project, and was also engaged in the design, procurement, installation and commissioning of these stand-alone photovoltaic systems.

Conergy said the solution and service provider will continue to be involved in its maintenance. These power stations will generate as much as 1,360 megawatt hours of clean energy every year and will save 777 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

The MPFD is the forest service agency under the Madhya Pradesh state government responsible for the protection and conservation of the forest’s natural resources. It oversees 95,000 square kilometres of forest land and supervises nine national parks and 25 wildlife sanctuaries including the nature preserves of India’s prized Bengal tigers.

As Madhya Pradesh state harbours 19% of India’s tiger population and 10% of the world’s tiger population, the MPFD has a mandate to protect and ensure the maintenance of viable populations of the Bengal tigers.

Anil Oberoi, the state’s principal chief conservator of forest (IT), said:

“Most of our field offices are located in remote forest areas and some of them have no access to a distributed power grid. For these offices, off-grid systems have become the lifelines that power the computers and radios used by our rangers. With these SPV systems, the MPFD is able to continue its legacy of protecting our forests not only from poachers but also from the harmful effects caused by greenhouse gas emissions.”

Sartaj Singh, the state’s Minister for Forest, said:

“Our forests and national parks are our most precious resources and it is our utmost duty to preserve them as the home of the Bengal tigers.

“Clean and emission-free solar power is therefore just what we needed to prevent our ranger offices from facing severe power outages and to meet the demand for electricity with ecologically sound measures.”

“Energy is a precious resource in India,” said Steffen Hesche, President of Conergy India.

“In late July, the country faced the largest power grid collapse in the last 11 years with more than 600 million people affected – half of the subcontinent’s population. To avert power disruptions, many enterprises have turned to diesel generators which are expensive and come with huge environmental and health costs.

“But advances in technology have since made emission-free off-grid photovoltaic systems a viable alternative. With these stand-alone systems, the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department has protected itself against power outages while contributing to the preservation of Bengal tigers’ natural habitat.”