Centre allows people to install rooftop solar panels of their choice
The Union Ministry of Renewable Energy has allowed households to get rooftop solar panels installed by themselves or by any vendor of their choice. Now, a photograph of the installed system would be sufficient to avail the benefits or subsidy under the government scheme.
Till now, the households were to choose the vendor from the list of vendors to avail the benefits. This would help many households which are interested in installing solar panels on their terrace.
The decision to simplify the rooftop solar scheme was taken in a review meeting chaired by Union Minister for Power and Renewable Energy R.K. Singh recently. In the meeting, the minister gave directions for simplifying the rooftop scheme, so that people would able to access equipment and materials needed to set up rooftop solar power.
“Henceforth it is not required for any household to get the rooftop installed by any of the listed vendors. The households may install a rooftop by themselves or get the rooftop installed by any vendor of their choice, but inform the distribution company about the installation with a photograph of the system,” the minister said.
The minister asked the individuals who have set up or want to set up a rooftop solar power scheme to inform the power distribution company.
It is mandatory that the individual must give intimation to the power distribution company about the installation of the rooftop scheme. It can be given either in the material form through a letter or on the designated website, which has been setup by every Discom and by the Centre for the rooftop scheme.
The distribution company will ensure that the net metering will be provided within 15 days of the information being received. The subsidy to be given by the government, which is 40 per cent for the rooftop scheme up to 3KW capacity and 20 per cent beyond 10KW capacity, will be credited to the account of the householder by the Discom within 30 days of the installation.
To ensure that the quality of the solar power panel and inverter is according to the prescribed standard, the Centre will publish the lists of solar power manufacturers and inverter manufacturers, whose products meet the expected quality standards and the price lists, from time to time. The householder can select the solar power panels and inverter of his or her choice.
Also read: TN adds 565.91 MW solar power in 2020 as cos didn’t bid for tenders
As of December, Tamil Nadu has a total installed solar rooftop capacity of 537 MW, of which 75 per cent is in the industrial sector, 19 per cent is commercial and six per cent is in the public sector, according to data from Bridge to India.
While the state built an early lead in adding capacity, recent data shows that frequent policy changes discouraging new rooftop solar installations have significantly slowed down the pace of growth. These policy flip-flops fly in the face of the state’s own target to set up 3600 MW of rooftop solar by 2023.
