Matrix Clothing, Gurgaon, India-based apparel exporter led by Gautam Nair, has moved forward on ‘Green’ route by installing a solar power plant of 258 KW in its factory. The plant generates 0.33 million units a year which is near about 10 per cent of the company’s total power consumption. Now 67 per cent of the energy need of the company is met by its own solar/wind generation.
Vipin Gupta, AVP, Personal & Admin, Matrix Clothing informs, “As part of Matrix’s commitment to the renewable energy initiative, the company owns/operates two wind turbines (each generating 600 KW of power) in Gujarat which supply two million units of electricity to the Gujarat Electricity Board.” He further adds, “We are using around 1,000 sewing machines with direct-drive motors instead of clutch motors. Further 600 clutch motors will also be replaced in the coming months. The company’s replacement of 160 ironing stations from electric-heated to stem-heated help save 1,90,000 units per year. Similarly, window exhaust fans (380W each) have been replaced by 50 roof-top non-electric extractors, resulting in saving 23,000 units per year. Also, 5,400 tube lights (T5-54 watt) have been replaced by 28 watt energy-efficient tube lights which helps save 4,20,000 units per year. Now moving forward, these T5 tube lights of 28 watt are being replaced by LED lights of 16W. Apart from these initiatives, the company also runs an ‘energy-efficiency’ awareness programme.”
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It’s not only about electricity for Matrix Clothing, the apparel exporter is equally concerned about water saving and its reuse. It has set-up an ETP (Effluent Treatment Plant) with the capacity of 120 KLD and uses treated water for other purposes like in toilets. The company also has a Sewage Treatment Plant and the treated water from here is used for horticulture purposes. To control noise pollution, the Indian apparel exporter has an acoustic chamber for an old DG set of 500 KVA, and has installed Silent DG of 500 KVA.
Moving forward on the Green path, the apparel exporter has planted 350 trees at its campus. It also has four rainwater harvesting pits of 1,53,000 litters which recharge the water table.
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The installation of solar power plant is however necessary for the factories in Haryana as per the order passed by the State Government of Haryana (India) in September, 2014. A notification, for the installation of roof-top solar power systems for commercial buildings having load connection of 50 KW to 1 MW, was sent across the state, making it mandatory for such factories to produce 5% solar power of the total requirement or 10 KW, whichever is higher.