Mulshi solar plant ensures energy needs don't compromise environment

The Mulshi solar plant, run by Tata Power, is a perfect example of how mankind's energy needs do not have to be met at the cost of the environment — suitable plants will be grown immediately below the solar panels so that all the available land there can be utilised to its fullest. This step was also taken to maintain the fertility of the land.

As part of this experiment, the managers there have already planted grass below the panels, which are spread across 13 acres of land adjacent to the Mulshi lake. Mahesh Paranjape, chief, hydro and renewable energy, Tata Power, told dna, "We will experiment with various plants, such as aloe vera and bonsai among others. This will allow the fertility of the land to remain intact."

The Mulshi power plant, a 3-MW solar farm designed and constructed by Tata Power in March 2011, can harness the power of the sun and provide energy to over two million homes, creating jobs and a sense of purpose for the local community. The project has been designed in such a way that the sensitive natural topography of the region is preserved.

The design involved erecting pedestals that were tailor-made to ensure shadow-free spacing between the modules while ensuring that the natural water channel was not disrupted during the ground-mounting process; thereby maintaining the ecological balance of the site.