KOLLAM: Marking a significant change in Kerala’s power consumption, more households are gravitating towards solar energy in the state to handle their daily electricity needs.
Going by the KSEB data, Kerala saw the installation of 1,08,056 solar panels under various schemes, having a total capacity to generate 615.39MW. As of now, the households are contributing about 90MW monthly to the KSEB grid. As per the KSEB officials, solar power generation is around 10% of the total electricity generated in the state.
At present, 71,050 consumers in Kerala rely on solar panels, having a collective capacity of 415.35MW. Notably, 90.32% of these consumers are domestic. Commercial users constitute 9.14%, while agricultural and industrial sectors make up 0.13% and 0.41%, respectively.
“Solar electricity generation in Kerala has touched 10% of the total power generation. More people are shifting towards solar energy,” said KSEB deputy chief engineer (commercial department) Rajan P.
Authorities said many people are now designing houses to accommodate solar panels on the roof. They attributed the surge in solar adoption to its affordability and eco-friendly nature. Consumers increasingly opt for ‘On solar grids,’ allowing excess electricity to be fed into the KSEB grid, letting them generate income from the surplus energy. The ‘Off solar grid’ option facilitates electricity storage in inverter batteries, while ‘hybrid solar grids’ seamlessly switch between ‘on’ and ‘off’.
As per KSEB, 97,000 ‘On solar grids’ are currently in use in the state. “Rising cost of traditional electricity has motivated consumers to adopt solar power,” said a senior KSEB official.
Over 43k solar panels installed in state this year
The KSEB official said the government also offers the opportunity to install a rooftop solar panel at a subsidised rate, with 60% of the cost borne by the consumer and 40% provided under the board’s Soura project. “To get solar panels, consumers can register on the e-Kiran portal, where KSEB developers will guide them through formalities like rooftop inspection, panel installation, and fee payment. Since they can reduce costs by up to 80% compared to traditional sources, solar panels are becoming an attractive option for middle-class households,” said an official.
As many as 43,250 solar panels were successfully installed in the state since January under the Soura project, a collaboration between KSEB and Anert (Agency for New and Renewable Energy Research and Technology), achieving total generation capacity of 154.68MW. Of them, 2,018 panels were installed under phase 1 and 41,232 panels under phase 2 Vinod C, Anert district engineer, said numerous establishments, from homes to hospitals, banks, and educational institutions, are increasingly opting for solar energy. “Enquiries about solar panels signify a significant shift, not only in new but also existing homes. Consumers are designing homes in a way that allows fitting solar panels,” he said.
71k relying on solar