Wednesday, June 29 2005 20:32 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: The Country's first solar powered housing complex will come at Rajarhat, a new township near Kolkata. The West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Authority (WBREDA) in association with real estate company, Bengal DCL Ltd, would develop 24 green energy houses there.

"This will be first green housing complex in the country. A pilot project would build 24 houses of 1800 sq ft costing between Rs 38 and 40 lakh each," Power Minister Mrinal Banerjee told newsmen today (Jun 28, 2005).

The solar powered system installed on each house would generate 250 units per month. House owners would be eligible to get 250 units free and a subsidy of 40 paisa would be levied for each unit of power consumed thereafter till the next 200 units.

A dedicated eco-friendly battery power bus would connect the complex to the metropolis.

The project cost is estimated at Rs 5 crore with WBREDA providing the land.

Work would commence from July and the project was expected to be completed by December 2006.

The additional cost a customer would pay for the solar power system would be between Rs 10 and 12 lakh. Without it the cost would have come to Rs 28 lakh each.

The housing complex would receive power from the West Bengal State Electricity Board and generation from the solar system would be transmitted to the grid.