KOCHI: Rajan V K of Mulanthuruthy in Kochi pays just Rs 50 to 60 for the electricity bill. Difficult to believe? Well, it is true. Rajan is happy to bring down his electricity bill by opting for the Kerala State Electricity Board’s (KSEB) Soura project and installing solar panels on the rooftop to produce electricity.
Before installing solar panels, the electricity bills used to be more than Rs 1,000 for two months. Whereas now I pay less than Rs 60. We have installed a 3.68-kilowatt capacity on a 300-sq ft area. I got a 40 % subsidy from the government’s end to install the plant, “ said Rajan, a retired government employee.
Similarly, Suresh Babu, advisor to CMD Cochin Shipyard, said, “I have installed a 4-kW plant and my electricity bill these days is around Rs 180-190, including the meter rent and fixed-rate. This is one of the best decisions I have made and I am happy to be part of green energy. The average production from the panel is 18.5 units. The total consumption is around 10 units, and the remaining goes into my credit account. After the subsidy, the installation cost was around Rs 1.07 lakh. Only 120 sq ft of the area was required to install the solar plant, “said Babu, who retired as director of CSL.
To monitor energy consumption and production, there is a mobile application, ‘Shine Phone’, that gives all the necessary details to the consumer. Kerala State Electricity Board’s (KSEB) Soura project targets the installation of solar panels on the rooftops of 1 lakh homes. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has given a deadline of June 2022 to implement 200 megawatts.
“Consumers can install solar panels for domestic purposes under its subsidy scheme. KSEB will share the investment with the customer provided the solar power generated is also shared between both parties,” said Darshana, the project in-charge of Soura and AE, KSEB Thiruvananthapuram.
“After installing the solar panels, the consumer will pay zero rupees on electricity and charges for meter rent and fixed charges only will be a charge,” she added.