New Delhi, Aug 3 (PTI) Rooftop solar panel installation is likely to get more economical, with the Delhi government considering proposals to reduce the upfront cost through subsidies and advance payment of generation based incentive (GBI) to consumers, officials said on Monday.
The Power Department is preparing a note to revise the existing solar policy with these proposals and table it before the cabinet for approval, they said.
Delhi Power minister Ashish Sood said the government is committed to revolutionise solarisation of the city by incorporating these changes in the new solar policy.
“A major problem in adoption of rooftop solar plants is high upfront cost of the panels. We are considering to bring it down through subsidy and advance payment of generation based incentive, and cover the residential and official buildings with the help of the Central government,” Sood said.
Generation based incentive is a way to reward power producers for generating clean energy.
Under the existing policy, there is a combined subsidy of Rs 1.08 lakh (Rs 78,000 from central government and Rs 30,000 by Delhi government) on installing a 3 KW capacity rooftop plant. According to officials, the cost of installation of a 3 KW plant comes to around Rs 2.25 lakh.
Currently, the monthly GBI for residential category is Rs 3 per unit for rooftop plants of 3 KW capacity, and Rs 2 per unit for plants of above 3 KW capacity.
Advance payment of GBI for the 5-year period, coupled with subsidy, will almost cover the entire cost of installation of the rooftop solar plant, officials said.
This will ensure that consumers opting for rootop solar plant have to pay “minimum” installation charges. Instead of receiving the GBI in installations spread over the five-year period under the solar policy, advance payment of incentive will help bring down the installation cost, they said.
Presently, the amount under GBI is adjusted against the monthly electricity bill of the consumer and any excess amount is deposited into their bank account by the power discom every month.
The existing Delhi Solar Policy targets total installed capacity of the city toto 4,500 MW by March 2027, three times the existing capacity.
The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) simplified the installation process, doing away with technical feasibility approval, and stipulating time bound approvals for rooftop plants up to 10 KW.
Sood said that presently, Delhi has over 10,000 rooftop solar plants and the government is targeting to raise the number to 2.30 lakh through a push to the PM Suryaghar Muft Bijli Yojna. PTI VIT VIT SKY SKY
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