The BMC has charted plans to install rooftop solar power systems across Mumbai's fire brigades. In the first phase, 18 fire brigades will be installed solar systems. (File photo)In a step towards achieving the net-zero energy target for municipal buildings, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has charted plans to install rooftop solar power systems across Mumbai’s fire brigades.Pegged at Rs 13.50 crore, the first phase of the project seeks to deploy solar systems across 18 fire brigades to transition the existing buildings to clean energy.Data procured from the civic body shows that the 18 Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) stations earmarked for the first phase of the project include the fire stations in Colaba, Fort, Memon Wada, Gowalia Tank, Worli, Dadar, Mulund, Bandra, Nariman Point, Gawa Pada, Borivali, Bandra-Kurla complex, Kurla-Kamani, Goregaon, Dindoshi, Dahisar, Mankhurd, and Kandarpada.While the city is home to 35 fire stations, officers said that the 18 stations earmarked for the first phase were determined on the basis of space availability. Records show that of the total stations, the biggest space has been identified at Mankhurd station, followed by the Bandra fire station.“The idea behind the project is to transition the building into net-zero energy by reducing dependency on coal to generate electricity. While the first phase entails installation of solar panels, we will eventually look at upgrading equipment like replacement of lights to LED lights,” said a BMC officer. After fire brigades, the civic body eventually seeks to implement the rooftop solar system model across the SWM garages in the second phase, followed by municipal schools.According to officials, the installation of solar panels will be preceded by shadow analysis to determine maximum efficiency as well as structural stability studies. “We will look at the sunset and sunrise as well as shadow patterns to evaluate the efficiency of trapping sunlight. Meanwhile, structural stability will be carried out to ensure that the building is able to cater to additional weight load,” a senior officer told The Indian Express.The civic body is slated to roll out a tender for the project, which seeks to install standard solar machinery that typically spans an area of 5.5 feet x 3 feet, and bears the capacity to generate 300-400 watts of electricity. However, officials said, the capacity to generate electricity will depend on the analysis as well as the energy requirements of a building.Story continues below this adA solar panel comprises cells, which trap sunlight and convert it to electricity.So far, the civic body has set up a solar power generation plant at the Bhandup Complex to generate 1037 metric tonnes tCO2e/year alongside solar panel systems across various peripheral hospitals.The civic plans come along the heels of the Maharashtra Government unveiling the ‘Net Zero Action Plan’ for municipal buildings of Mumbai and Panvel that lays out a roadmap to transition all existing civic buildings to net-zero energy and all new municipal buildings to ‘net-zero carbon’ by 2050. Prepared by C40, the action plan found that municipal buildings under BMC jurisdiction account for 19 per cent of the total municipal electricity consumption. Of this, municipal hospitals account for 9.8 per cent of the total consumption, followed by 3.8 per cent consumption by municipal offices, 1.2 per cent by schools, and 1 per cent by auditoriums.To transition all existing municipal buildings to net zero energy structures, the action plan outlines several low-cost interventions ranging from the replacement of lighting with LEDs, conventional fans to BLDC fans which use 30-40 per cent less energy, changing outdated air conditioners, installation of rooftop solar panels, and utilisation of green cess revenues.Story continues below this adAt present, according to the C40 report, while 32.18 per cent of BMC’s total capital budget is routed towards climate-relevant activities, only 0.1 per cent of it (or 32.5 crore) is earmarked for rooftop solar installations or LED retrofits.