The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has invited proposals from organisations interested for developing their campus or small township as a ‘green campus’.
Under the Ministry’s ‘Development of Solar Cities Programme’, the government will provide financial assistance up to ₹ 5 lakh for the preparation of a master plan and detailed project report, including action plan for renewable energy installations, green campus development, awareness generation and training.
The programme aims to help develop 100 small townships or campuses of builders, special economic zones, industrial towns or institutional campuses into ‘green campuses’.
“A green campus is a community with optimum land use, environmental planning and resource management which includes improving energy efficiency, conserving resources, enhancing environmental quality, including habitat preservation…The buildings within the campus should be based on green building concepts to the extent possible,” the Guidelines for Development of Green Campus stated.
Apart from new campuses, existing campuses will also be encouraged to have suitable retrofitting of renewable energy and energy efficiency equipment to the extent possible to make the green campuses, the guidelines added.