Government departments ignore solar rooftop panels despite it being mandatory in Karnataka

In the case of individual houses, the state government’s Gruha Jyothi scheme is another big deterrent for the solar schemes of the state and central government.
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BENGALURU: Though the installation of solar rooftop panels is mandatory at all government institutions and private commercial establishments, there have not been many takers.

According to data available with the energy department, within the limits of Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Ltd (Bescom), 14,944 buildings have installed solar rooftop panels, of which 215 are government structures. The total power generated from all the panels is 352.35 MW, of which only 15 MW is being generated from government buildings.

Gaurav Gupta, additional chief secretary, Energy Department, told the TNIE that the number of installations are less despite it being mandatory. “We are conducting a survey to find out how many government and private units have solar panels,” he added.

Another senior department official said that finances are the major reason for people not installing the panels. “The response from government agencies is poor. They give the reason as lack of financial resources for the installation and maintenance. They ask who will pay for the security deposit – them or the energy department. The central government orders issued on July 3, 2024, mandating all government agencies to install panels is now pushing them. The road transport and health departments have called for tenders,” the official said.

A few industries are installing the panels as they are already have power purchase agreements with other stakeholders, the official added

Another senior Bescom official said that feedback showed that instead of investing around Rs 3 lakh for installing panels and then paying additional 30% for cables, inverter and other installation charges, consumers prefer to pay electricity bills which is around Rs 1,500-1,800 in Bengaluru, unlike in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh where bills are much higher because of the use of ACs, heaters and other appliances. “They compare investing Rs 3 lakh or paying Rs 2,000 on a monthly basis as bills. That was what we found in the survey,” the official said.

In the case of individual houses, the state government’s Gruha Jyothi scheme is another big deterrent for the solar schemes of the state and central government. “Citizens find the free 200MW a better deal. Of the total 2.08 crore consumers, 1.74 crore have availed of the Gruha Jyothi scheme,” the official added.

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