NEW DELHI: Power distribution companies in the national capital stand to benefit if they can scale up installation of rooftop solar panels at the homes of their consumers, especially those falling in lower tariff slabs, a study conducted by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) says.
The study says that residential consumers will stand to benefit more than industrial or commercial ones.
The study is aimed at giving a push to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s ‘Mukhyamantri Solar Power Scheme’. As part of policy, the government would provide incentives to households where rooftop solar panels are installed.
Many of the newly-built government schools in the Capital have solar panels installed on their rooftops. Recently, the government, headed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, approved disbursal of Generation-based Incentive (GBI) half-yearly, instead of annually by discoms. The government pays compensation to the power utilities for the GBI disbursed.
The BSES, in a statement, said discoms stand to record a net gain of up to Rs 0.22 for every unit of electricity generated through solar panels. It works out to around or over Rs 5,500 (net-present value) for every kilowatt of capacity installed over a system’s lifetime. The amount is addition to the money saved by consumers having solar rooftop installations.
According to the government, domestic consumers will not have to spend a penny for installation of solar panels. It will be done by select service providers. The cost of electricity generated through solar power for group housing societies will be Rs 1 per unit. The AAP government will provide a subsidy of Rs 2 per unit to societies.
Currently, rooftop panels generating approximately 105 megawatts of solar power have been installed across the city, mostly in government buildings, courts, schools and other buildings.
The government is actively trying to persuade residents in many co-operative group housing societies across the national capital to have rooftop solar panels installed.