AAP scheme powers use of solar panels in residential sector in Delhi

NEW DELHI:  Looking at the slow pace of solar power development in the residential sector, the Delhi Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Mukhyamantri Solar Power Scheme aimed at domestic consumers.

Under the scheme, a domestic consumer or a housing society that wishes to get a rooftop solar power generation unit will not have to spend any money for installation of solar panels as that will be done by selected service providers.

However, the housing society will be sold power generated from the rooftop panel at Rs 1 per unit. This price will be inclusive of a subsidy of Rs 2 per unit offered by the Delhi government.

The estimated cost of solar power initially is likely to be Rs 3 per unit, the Delhi government stated.

Approximately 100 Mega Watt (MW) of solar power units have been installed in government buildings like Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (20 MW), Delhi Jal Board and Technical Institutions like DTU, NSIT, IP University, IGDTUW, Government Engineering colleges, Polytechnics and, IIT, apart from Mandoli Jail, Azadpur Mandi, Dwarka Court, Schools, Delhi Haat and DTC bus depots.

In domestic sectors, power generation is around five MW as around 8-10 group housing societies and some individual consumers have also installed solar power units. The reason for less utilization is due to poor response for solar adoption by Domestic/Residential Sector consumers.

According to government figures the disbursement of Generation Based Incentive (GBI) during the last financial year 2016-17 and 2017-18 was Rs. 2.84 lakh and less than Rs. 50 lakh respectively. In order to push the scheme and fulfill the concept of Solarise Delhi government has marked a budget of Rs 60 crore for the scheme this financial year.