BHUBANESWAR: Slowly but steadily, Bhubaneswar is witnessing a positive change, a transition towards clean energy in multi-storey residential projects under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, with large apartment complexes taking the lead in adopting rooftop solar systems for common facilities.
The numbers may have been low but promise an encouraging start for scaling up solar adoption across group housing societies (GHSs) and apartment complexes in the state capital. At present, only two to three large residential projects in the city have installed solar panels under the scheme. However, these initial installations signify rooftop solar systems in high-rise buildings are feasible and set a precedent.
The likes of Royal Lagoon Apartments on Nandankanan Road are emerging as harbingers of change. The residential complex recently installed a 371 kW rooftop solar system for its common areas and has applied for subsidy under the PM Surya Ghar scheme, showing large housing societies that can benefit from reduced energy costs while contributing to sustainable urban development.
“The PM Surya Ghar scheme is proving to be very beneficial in installing solar panels in large residential projects. Solar power can meet at least 60 per cent of energy demand of our common area and help in reducing electricity bill in the long run. Besides, we will also be getting a refund of about 60 per cent on our total investment of around Rs 2 crore through subsidy under the scheme,” said Royal Lagoon resident welfare association secretary Sunil Mishra.
Government push
The Rs 75,000 crore PM Surya Ghar scheme, rolled out in February 2024, aims to promote renewable energy through rooftop grid-connected solar systems in individual homes. Recognising the importance of collective housing, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) expanded the scheme to GHSs and RWAs in June 2024, extending subsidy support for solar installations in common areas such as lighting, water pumps and EV charging infrastructure.
Under the scheme, individual households are eligible for subsidies ranging from Rs 30,000 to Rs 78,000 depending on system capacity, while GHSs and RWAs can avail Rs 18,000 per kW for installations up to 500 kW. To facilitate implementation, around 432 vendors have been empanelled in Bhubaneswar, ensuring that technical expertise and service support are readily available for prospective adopters.
Data from TP Central Odisha Distribution Limited (TPCODL) highlights strong uptake among individual households, with 6,118 homes in the state capital already installing rooftop solar systems, accounting for a total sanctioned capacity of 20.78 MW. In comparison, installations among RWAs remain in single digits, with a combined capacity of about 0.37 MW. Officials, however, see this as a segment with immense growth potential once procedural challenges are addressed.
Cost benefits
Real estate experts point out that the rooftop solar systems in apartment complexes can significantly reduce energy expenditure for common services, including lighting, lifts and water supply systems. They also align with the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (Planning and Building Standards) Regulations, 2018, which mandate solar installations for housing projects with a plot area of 300 square metre or more, covering at least five per cent of their connected load.
With nearly 1,000 real estate projects in the state capital and its periphery, including over 100 with occupancy certificates, the scope for expanding solar infrastructure remains substantial. The growing adoption of electric vehicles among residents has given a boost to adoption of integrating solar-powered solutions in apartment complexes, particularly for EV charging.
At the same time, challenges in the real estate sector such as delays in obtaining occupancy certificates, transfer of electricity connections to Associations of Allottees and compliance issues have emerged as bottlenecks, prompting resident associations and developers to resolve these issues by engaging with the authorities. In some cases, developers have also shown willingness to incorporate renewable energy solutions.
Systemic bottlenecks
However, pace of clearances has posed a big problem. Recently, the builder of Vipul Greens committed to installing a solar-based water heating system following a Supreme Court hearing. “We have been trying to install a solar system to power common facilities but have failed as the electricity connection is yet to be transferred in our name. The developer has informed that this is not possible until the occupancy certificate is granted,” said Vipul Greens Association of Allottees’ president Prafulla Kumar Sarangi.
Residents of Trident Galaxy report similar issues, as they show interest in adopting solar energy solutions.
“Our association has written to both state and central authorities highlighting these issues. However, no concrete measures have been taken so far,” said Narayan Pati, former president of the Trident Galaxy Resident Welfare Association.
Vice-chairman of BDA and BMC commissioner Chanchal Rana said the scheme is largely demand-driven and requires housing societies to come forward for its installation. He pointed out that solar project uptake in multi-storey housing projects was slow as rules related to net metering for common areas, the utility billing mechanism that allows housing societies, apartment complexes or commercial buildings to install a shared solar power system, needed to be streamlined, which has been done now.
Rana, however, said the planning authorities are taking measures for promotion of solar use in the buildings in line with the government regulations. “As more residents are buying EVs and more apartments are coming up with charging stations, we are hopeful that the demand for installation of solar panels will increase in the city in the coming days,” he said.
Way forward
Experts believe that once such procedural bottlenecks are addressed, solar adoption among group housing projects can accelerate in the capital. Bimalendu Pradhan, an expert in real estate regulatory issues, said while provisions for solar installation have existed under the Odisha Development Authority Act and BDA regulations since 2018, stronger enforcement and better coordination is the need of the hour.
“The provisions for solar panel installation must be strictly enforced by planning authorities, electricity distribution companies, the State Pollution Control Board and the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA),” he said.
An officer of the Odisha Real Estate Regulatory Authority (ORERA) said planning authorities such as BDA and BMC play a key role in ensuring compliance and promoting the scheme in Bhubaneswar.
DS Tripathy, chairman of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI), Odisha chapter, feels awareness among both developers and homebuyers is essential. He feels that authorities and energy distribution companies must find solutions to enable older projects to adopt solar systems and benefit from the scheme.