The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The Druk Green Power Corporation Limited (DGPC) signed a contract agreement with a joint venture comprising Telecommunications Consultants India Limited, Smart Roof Solar Solution Pvt. Ltd., and Enerture Technologies Pvt. Ltd. in April this year.
Under the agreement, the joint venture will undertake the design, supply, installation, testing, and commissioning of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems totaling 7.83 MegaWatts peak (MWp).
The systems will be installed on 267 public buildings in Thimphu, as well as on DGPC infrastructures at the Basochhu and Chhukha Hydropower Plants. The project, valued at approximately Nu 367 million (mn), is expected to be completed within ten months.
This rooftop solar initiative is the first of four subprojects under the Distributed Solar for Public Infrastructure Project, which aims to deploy 35 MW of distributed solar PV systems across Bhutan by 2030.
The broader program includes installations on rooftops, carports, small-scale ground-mounted platforms, and a pilot agrivoltaic system—a combination of agriculture and solar power generation on the same land.
The project is being financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) through a $30 mn loan agreement with the government.
Additionally, ADB is providing a $1 mn technical assistance grant to support the development of guidelines for rooftop solar expansion, the promotion of new solar technologies, workforce training, and strengthening DGPC’s capacity in solar energy development.
The loan agreement was signed by the Director of Department of Macro-fiscal and Development Finance, Tshering Dorji, and ADB Country Director for Bhutan, Shamit Chakravarti, on 24th September last year.
“Distributed solar in public buildings will provide a reliable power supply to essential public services and will serve as a demonstration before expanding to industrial, commercial, and residential buildings,” said ADB Energy Specialist Jongmi Son. “The agrivoltaics pilot project can be a promising solution for addressing food and energy security issues simultaneously in a land-constrained country like Bhutan.”
