Roof Top Solar Energy

India missed its 2022 target for rooftop solar energy. Will a slew of new policies help meet the revised deadline of 2026?

Here are the brief details on it:

1 The challenges

-????????? Lack of awareness Among customers

-????????? Initial high cost of system, Lack of adequate financing options

-????????? Varying policies across states, discoms reluctant to see high –paying customers switch

-????????? Delay on getting net metres installed

2 The Incentives

-????????? Govt. ups subsidy for resident sector by up-to 24%

-????????? PSU Power companies roped into offset installation costs

-????????? New national portal streamlines the process

-????????? Fewer documents to be submitted to discoms.

3 Cost of Installing a rooftop solar systems

-????????? Size-? 2-3 KW solar panel

-????????? Cost-? Rs. 1-1.5 Lakh excluding subsidy

-????????? Central subsidy-Rs 18K per KW up-to 3 KW

-????????? Time taken to recover investments- 4 to 6 years

?4 The Potential

-????????? 637 GW- Technical potentials of resident rooftop solar energy ,if all suitable rooftops covered

-????????? 118GW- if the system size is based on household power demand

-????????? 11GW- Market potential of rooftop solar energy , when the payback period is five years and consumers are reluctant to pay

5 The Moving target

-????????? 2015- Govt. set target to generate 1 Lakh MW solar power by 2022 , including 40GW from rooftop solar

-????????? 2019- Govt. launches rooftop solar programme phase 2, with 4000MW rooftop solar in residential solar in residential sector

-????????? 2022- With only 7.3 GW via rooftop solar by Nov. 2022, deadline extended to march 2016.

2023- By July 31, 2.2 GW is installed in residential sector. By Dec 2023-Total grid connected rooftop solar generation is 11.98 GW

Source- ET