To ensure that city residents do not face inconvenience and official hurdles for installing solar rooftop projects on private houses and industries, the UT Administration has decided to set up ‘facilitation centre’, wherein the UT officials will guide the residents for applying for solar projects on their rooftops.
The UT Adviser, Vijay Kumar Dev, said under the ‘Smart City Mission’ the use of renewable energy was an important part. Recently, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has also revised the UT solar power generation target from 30 to 100 MW by the end of year 2022. Keeping in mind the ‘Smart City’ and the ‘Solar City’, the Administration will set up a facilitation centre, wherein officials will guide the residents as to how they should apply for the solar projects, he said.
With such centres, the Administration will be able to encourage private parties, including residents and industrialists, to come forward for installing solar projects on their rooftops. The final decision regarding as to who will supervise the centre (Electricity Department or Chandigarh Renewable Energy Science and Technology Promotion Society (CREST) will be taken in a meeting tomorrow, he said.
The UT Administration has already received more than 40 applications of private parties for installing solar projects atop their roofs.
Recently, the Central Government had issued a notification on the solar power tariff fixed by the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) for the city. With this notification, any person producing solar energy can sell solar power to the Administration. The UT has so far installed rooftop SPV plants having an overall capacity of 5.3 MW on 50 government buildings.
Two policies in city.
- In Chandigarh, there are two policies for the installation of a solar power meter — the net metering system and the gross metering system. The net metering has the export-import feature in which a consumer first uses the power generated from the plant and then exports to the grid, while the gross metering means the consumer sells directly to the government whatever solar power is produced.
Solar power tariff
- For 2015-16, the JERC has fixed Rs 8.51 per unit (for plants which were installed without availing the subsidy) for 1 kW to 500 kWp. With the subsidy (15 to 30 per cent), the tariff ranges from Rs 6.14 to Rs 7.31
- For above 500 kWp plants, the JERC has fixed Rs 8.31 (for the plants which were installed without availing the subsidy) as the solar tariff. With the subsidy (15 to 30 per cent), the tariff ranges from Rs 5.94 to Rs 7.05
Dynamics of a solar power project
- What you need Roof or open space of 120 sq ft to place the panels on metal frames for a 1 kW plant.
- Power produced I kW plant produces 1,500 units in a year. It is sufficient to run three fans, four lights, a refrigerator, a television and a computer.
- System components Solar photovoltaic panels on the roof, an inverter and suitable battery for solar charging. Cleaning is required after every 15 days. A solar power plant without a battery is more feasible for a place like Chandigarh where there are few power cuts.
- How long will the system work Life of a solar power plant is of at least 25 years, with the power production ability degrading slightly, beginning 10th year onwards.
- Subsidy The Centre used to provide 30 per cent subsidy till March 31, which is now proposed to be 15 per cent since the price of panels has come down.