India’s Surat city unveils solar master plan

The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has announced a master plan to turn the sprawling city in Gujarat state into a 'solar city'.

Officials have pledged the plan will be prepared by 2012 and that it will include a database of electricity consumption throughout the city and the estimated carbon emission levels.

It would also set a goal of a minimum of 10 percent reduction in the projected total demand of conventional energy at the end of five years, to be achieved through energy saving by following energy efficiency measures and generation from renewable energy installations.

According to the Times of India, the master plan would be implemented by categorizing the buildings into residential apartments, commercial complexes, industries, individual houses, corporate establishments and buildings of the government and SMC.

The government of India plans to develop 60 solar cities during the 11th Five Year Plan, to both meet the increasing electricity demand and to promote the growing use of renewable energies. Surat is among the three cities from Gujarat state after Rajkot and Gandhinagar to be selected under the solar cities initiative