Lokmat Group has installed two solar plants at Nagpur and Aurangabad units each of capacity 324 kWp and 258 kWp respectively. These are Grid Interactive Solar PV Systems synchronized with the utility power. The loads connected draw power from the Solar PV System and only excess power is taken from the grid. The area used for installation of the 324 kWp Solar PV Power Plant is 40,000 sq.ft. and for 258 kWp solar plant it is 32,000 sq. ft. approximately. Total cost of the Nagpur project was approximately Rs 30 million while cost of the Aurangabad project was approximately Rs 25 million.
According to Devendra Darda, the move to install the solar power system is to minimize impact on the environment, reduce energy costs from conventional sources, promote renewable energy usage and motivate other publishers to adopt renewable energy. “Till date we have been able to prevent 493,865 Kg of CO2 in Nagpur and 298,612 Kg of CO2 emission in Aurangabad.”
Both solar plants generate sufficient power for day printing and are also able to feed some power to the grid. On an average the solar plants generate 1,500 units in Nagpur and 1,200 units in Aurangabad per day. Lokmat has always adopted new technology in all aspects. As per the changing trends it has changed infrastructure as and when needed. Majority of printing units produce all color editions. “The vision of my grandfather Late Jawaharlal Darda was to deliver Lokmat to all classes. Keeping this in mind we have always strived to give our best for the people of Maharashtra and Goa.”
Talking about the group’s focus on sustainability Neeraj Mahajan says, “Today, a majority of the production requirements are met through solar energy. To reduce electricity expenses, we shifted from traditional to LED bulbs. In prepress, Lokmat has started using VioGreen plates which eliminate the use of water and developers, eliminate prewash and save time and money. By implementing a net metering policy we can move towards sustainability.”
