Irumbai village in Villupuram District of Tamil Nadu has been selected to get hundred per cent solar power for all its needs.

The village has been selected to have full solar power on a pilot basis. As a first phase, the State government would install 170 KW capacity grid connected to a solar power plant at a total cost of more than Rs 2 crore.

Disclosing this in the Assembly today, Electricity Minister P. Thangamani said that rural feeders could be made bidirectional feeders, that would supply solar power to the grid during the day time and take power from the grid during the night. “The total power generated will equal the electricity taken from the grid,” he said.

“Such availability of uninterrupted electricity in Irumbai village will reduce migration to urban areas, help students in improving their studies and health and will result in a diversified rural economy. To demonstrate that 100 per cent of electricity requirement in any village could be met through solar power, Irumbai village has been selected for this purpose”, he said.