Jindal Steel & Power Ltd announced the commissioning of the western world’s largest Building Integrated Solar In Roof project with an installed capacity of 3.25 MWp spread across an area of 2,00,000sq.ft.
The project built by the team at SG Ornate Solar Solutions (The joint venture of APL Apollo Tubes & Ornate Solar) – will generate over 100 million units of electricity over the expected life of the project, contributing to offsetting 4,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
Installed above the SSD-5 steel cold forming unit of Jindal Steel & Power at Angul, Odisha the In Roof Solar plant eliminates the need for underlying metal sheets, using the patented interlocking mechanism developed by the Engineering team of Ornate Solar. The design guarantees waterproofing through its inherent structure, using surface-component structures for drainage.
The double layered protection system comprises of upper rail support components which are secured by side pressure blocks and middle pressure blocks, with aluminum alloy cover plates placed between component connections and EPDM membrane strips installed along the perpendicular length of the Solar panels to prevent water ingress.
Horizontal gutters are used on the lower level to direct excess water into the main gutter, which then guides the surplus rainwater to the drainage gutter. This ingenious multi-structural approach effectively addresses leakage concerns and achieves comprehensive waterproofing.
The In Roof structural system can be deployed for system installations as small as 10 kW all the way up to 10,000 kW using modular assembly techniques with specially developed tools that allow 25,000 sq ft. on average to be installed in just 7-10 days.
Commenting on the Jindal group’s commitment to adopting renewable power on an unprecedented scale, the Chairman of Jindal Steel & Power Ltd, Naveen Jindal said “I feel immensely proud to share the latest addition to JSP’s significant strides towards sustainability! India’s largest single-roof conventional & single-roof integrated solar plants are now operational at our Angul facility. These innovative facilities mark a significant leap towards our commitment to cleaner energy solutions. I extend my heartfelt appreciation to all the remarkable people at JSP who have tirelessly driven this initiative forward. As we look ahead, we must continue to invest in renewable energy infrastructure at a global scale. Together, we must continue working towards achieving the ambitious targets outlined in COP28 and setting the standard for a greener, more sustainable future.”
Ornate Solar’s Chief Operating Officer, Arvind Jain stated, “This is a landmark project for us having been commissioned in less than 120 days from the date of award. It highlights the growing acceptance of Building Integrated Solar solutions by large corporations who are not only looking to reduce their carbon footprint but who also want to showcase their commitment to sustainability & innovation.”
With over 5,00,000 sq. ft of operational InRoof Solar projects and 10,00,000 sq ft. under construction, Aditya Goel reflecting on the journey to get to this stage wrote, “Getting the chance to put up a 3.25 MWp ‘Pilot Project’ by replacing 2,00,000 sq ft. of metal roofs with Solar Panels – was beyond even our wildest expectations. The journey of building not just India’s but what is today the single largest Integrated Solar Roof in the Western World has been an amazing experience. One made possible by the conviction and belief of a set of leaders who inspire us to follow in their footsteps as we strive to make India Aatmanirbhar.”
