Pune-based Bipin Engineers, manufacturers of non-conventional energy equipments, has won an entry into the Limca Book of Records for installing the biggest residential solar system in the country.

Under the caption “Largest solar hot water installation”, the 2008 edition of Limca Book of Records, India At Her Best, says it is the largest energy saving project by a single entity. "We are thrilled with the recognition and we would be approaching the Guinness Book of World Records also for an entry," Hemant Revankar, managing director of Bipin Engineers told Financial Chronicle.

He said a solar water heater with a 125 litre capacity could save as much as 6 units per day, 1800 kWh of electricity annually, replacing a typical electrical geyser. The company manufactures solar water heating systems, solar lanterns, and solar home lighting systems.

The Limca Book said as part of the energy conservation measures, the Magarpatta Township Development and Construction Company, which built a housing township of more than 10,000 flats and bungalows till date has installed Flat Plate Collector (EPC) based solar water heater for all the residential dwellings.

"It provides hot water to the tune of 4, 28,750 liters per day (lpd), saving nearly 7 million electrical units (kWh)." It said the flat solar panels are connected to the water storage tanks above each building, ensuring hot water to every home.

Revankar said the currently 4,700 solar collectors installed provide 6 lakh lpd of hot water, which saved 8,890 tones of carbon emission per year. While the total project cost was Rs 8.62 crore, the electrical units saved per year was 95,62,987 KWs, saving Rs 4.3 crore for Magarpatta City. Reyankar said at present only three-fourth of Magarpatta City was completed. "When all the projected residential flats and bungalows are completed within two years, the company would install 7,160 solar collectors in the Magarpatta City to provide 9 lakh liters per day of hot water to all the homes."

This he said would save 1,45,48,000 electrical units per year, saving Rs 5.81 crore per annum for electricity power. It would also save 13.483 tones of carbon emission of per year. With 18,000 customer base, including high rise buildings and industrial houses in Maharashtra, New Delhi, Uttaranchal, Goa and Madhya Pradesh, the company's total solar heater cumulative installed capacity till date is 18 lakh liter per day. Revankar said the ISO 9001-9002 company, set up in 1979, was expanding its operation in South Africa and Qatar as it had received firm enquiries from many housing complexes and companies from these countries.