THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In view of increased electricity demand during peak hours, experts have suggested effective utilisation of power generated from rooftop solar plants at homes to ease the load on the already-stressed distribution system. Using rooftop solar power for charging electric vehicles (EV) and powering induction cookstoves at homes and storing a considerable amount of the power generated were the main suggestions the experts made.
They were speaking at a roundtable discussion in Thiruvananthapuram on ‘Future of Renewable Energy in India: Emerging Trends and Opportunities’ in the run up to ninth edition of south India’s premier renewable energy sourcing meeting -- RenewX Fair 2025 to be held in Chennai from April 23 to 25.
R Harikumar, director of Energy Management Centre under the state power department, said air conditioners, charging of EVs and induction cookstoves would contribute towards creating an additional peak demand of over 1,800 MW by 2026-27. “E-cooking and e-vehicles have to be added to the rooftop solar set up to ease the load during peak hours,” he suggested. Noushad Sharafudeen, state nodal officer of PM Surya Ghar project in Kerala, said effective use of battery management systems was one of the solutions to address the scenario where the state has surplus solar energy during daytime but struggles to face the demand during peak hours.
“The Central Electricity Authority has given an advisory that solar installations in future should have a minimum of 10% battery backup with two hours’ discharge time. However, we have to either provide capital subsidy or come up with attractive buy-back options for the consumer to install such facilities,” he added.
G Sivaramakrishnan, president, Kerala Renewable Energy Entrepreneurs and Promoters’ Association (KREEPA), opined that water surfaces need to be utilised on a large scale for solar installations in the future.