280 KW Hybrid Solar — SVPUAT University, Meerut
Clean, Uninterrupted Power for a University Campus
For a university, power reliability is not a convenience — it is the backbone of daily academic life. Libraries, laboratories and classrooms all depend on a steady supply, and an outage in the middle of the day disrupts hundreds of students at once. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture & Technology (SVPUAT) in Meerut wanted two things at the same time: to cut its electricity costs, and to keep essential systems running even when the grid failed.
A standard rooftop solar system can do the first but not the second. So Vishal Technopower delivered a 280 KW hybrid solar power plant — a more advanced design that combines a large on-grid array for everyday savings with an off-grid, battery-backed section for power continuity. The result is a single system that saves money through the day and keeps the lights on when the grid goes down.
The Challenge
The brief carried a requirement that a simple grid-tied system could not meet on its own:
- High daytime demand — A busy campus library runs a large, steady electrical load throughout the day — lighting, fans, air-conditioning, computers and more. Bringing that cost down was a priority.
- A real need for backup — Grid outages interrupt study and campus operations. The university needed essential areas to keep running through a power cut, not just a lower bill.
- Balancing savings and continuity — A pure grid-tied system saves money but shuts off during an outage. A fully off-grid system large enough for everything would be expensive to build. The sensible answer was a hybrid — on-grid scale for savings, with a battery-backed section for continuity.
Our Solution
Vishal Technopower designed and delivered a dual system on the library rooftop — engineered so the two halves work together, one optimised for everyday generation and the other for backup.
- On-grid section — 250 KW across three inverters (110 KW + 110 KW + 30 KW), feeding the campus load and the grid during the day for maximum savings. This is the workhorse that drives down the electricity bill.
- Off-grid hybrid section — 30 KW across three 10 KW inverters, paired with battery storage. When the grid fails, this section keeps essential loads running, giving the campus continuity that a normal rooftop system cannot offer.
- Protection & safety — A complete balance-of-system was installed to safety standard — DCDB, ACDB, proper earthing and lightning arrestors — protecting both the equipment and the building.
- Testing & commissioning — The full combined system was tested and commissioned, verified for correct operation across both the on-grid and off-grid modes, and handed over live.
Results & Impact
The campus now generates a large share of its own electricity and keeps essential systems running even during grid failures. The figures below are estimated from the 280 KW system size; replace them with your actual meter data before publishing where you have it.
| Metric | Outcome (estimated) |
|---|---|
| Annual generation | ~4,39,000 units (kWh) per year |
| Annual cost saving | ~₹35 lakh per year |
| CO₂ emissions avoided | ~360 tonnes per year |
| Coal saved | ~175–180 tonnes per year |
| Backup | Battery-backed essential loads during outages |
| System life | 25 years |
The hybrid design gives SVPUAT the best of both worlds. Through the day, the 250 KW on-grid array cuts the electricity bill substantially — an estimated saving in the region of ₹35 lakh a year. When the grid drops, the battery-backed 30 KW section takes over for essential areas, so critical operations do not stop. Over a 25-year life, that combination of large savings and reliable backup makes the system a strong long-term investment.
It is also a model that transfers well. Any institution where downtime is costly — campuses, hospitals, research facilities, data-heavy offices — can benefit from the same on-grid-plus-backup approach.
Why Vishal Technopower
A hybrid plant is more complex than a standard rooftop system: the on-grid and off-grid sections, the battery bank and the protection equipment all have to be engineered to work as one. Backed by over three decades of engineering experience, Vishal Technopower designed and delivered that complexity as a single, coordinated system — handling supply, installation, testing and commissioning in-house. For the client, that meant one accountable partner, a cleanly integrated plant, and a system built to perform reliably for its full 25-year life.
About Vishal Technopower
With over three decades of engineering experience, Vishal Technopower is a trusted EPC partner for solar and electrical projects across India. We take projects from design through supply, installation, testing and commissioning — all under one roof — delivering systems built to perform reliably for their full life. That engineering legacy is what lets us take on demanding sites, from live airports to university campuses, with confidence.