Mumbai’s iconic Minara Masjid goes ‘greener’, installs solar panels

One of the city’s oldest and most iconic mosques, Minara Masjid in Pydhonie, is doing its bit for the environment by switching to clean solar energy, and saving on some on some hefty electricity bills in the process.

The 150-year-old Masjid has installed solar panels on the roof, which will be used to power a majority of electrical fixtures in the premises. The Masjid can accommodate around 5000 people.

According to Abdul Wahab, a trustee of the Minara Masjid trust, the switch to solar energy was made with the intention of helping the environment and saving money in the long run.

“The panels have a 15 KW capacity during peak hour. After three months, we will know how much we can gain from it,” said Wahab.

Currently, the mosque consumes 35 KW electricity annually. With the 15 KW solar panels, the electricity consumption will drop substantially.

While speaking about the implementation, Wahab said, “It’s the most recent and efficient German Technology and hence, we have no doubt that the mosque is in good hands.”

“It is different from the usual solar panels. It has a metering system, instead of a battery. Under the metering system, the power generated during the peak hours of the day, if not consumed will be stored in the grid and monitored by a meter,” he added.

The Masjid authorities estimate that around 70 percent of their power needs will be met with by the solar panels, resulting in a total saving of around Rs 3 to 3.5 lakh per year.

The trust expects to recover the Rs 15 lakh spent on installing the panels in the next 4-5 years.

Within a day of implementing, Green Power Pvt Ltd, the Bandra-based company that installed the panels, has reportedly started getting calls from other religious shrines in the city enquiring about the panels.

A few years back, the Dawoodi Bohra community’s mosque at Tambawala compound had also implemented rain water harvesting.