JERC turns down MC’s solar power sale-grid request
CHANDIGARH: In a setback to Chandigarh Renewal Energy, Science and Technology Promotion Society (Crest) and Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC), Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) has turned down the request for allowing solar power generated by the corporation to be fed to grid in gross metering arrangement but to get the billing done on net metering.
The commission has turned down the request, terming it non-feasible before taking any decision.
Net metering is an agreement that allows a consumer to sell excess solar energy to the utility, while in gross metering total solar power generated is exported to grid. According to the solar tariff, the administration has fixed a buying rate at Rs 8.57 per unit for gross metering connection.
According to JERC regulation 2015, 15MW solar plant cannot be allowed to be installed against the total sanctioned connection load of 3,913 KW under net-metering. Crest has installed solar power plant with sanctioned load of 3,913 KW at Sector 39 water works.
Crest had submitted a petition before the petition stating that it can install 15 MW solar power plant at water works in Sector 39 as per gross metering arrangements but the power department has objected in purchasing the solar power at a higher tariff on grounds that it will increase the average power purchase cost.
Crest had urged the commission to allow the power plant to be installed under gross metering arrangement and output of 15MW be allowed to fed the nearby 66 KV sub-station of the power department and bill be done as per net metering mode whereby total power generated is fed to the grid and same adjusted against the total electricity consumption of different departments of the Chandigarh municipal corporation.
Chandigarh has been selected by the central government to be developed as a “model solar city” and has set an ambitious target of generating 50MW of solar energy — both residential and government — by 2022. Crest is struggling due to shortage of space in the city, which is spread in an area of just 114 sq km. The society has done well by installing solar plants in 159 government buildings. The response from private sectors has not been impressive so far despite various initiatives taken by the administration.
On a request by Crest, JERC cumulative capacity to 50% of the distribution capacity of a transformer, which was earlier restricted to 30%. Last year, Crest had also framed building bylaws making installation of solar power plant on new private buildings mandatory.
In the past three years, Crest has generated 20.36 million units (MU), equivalent to reduction of 1,410 metric tonne of CO2 and planting a total of 15.3 lakh trees. Of 20.36 MU, bulk of power has been produced by plants on government buildings.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes
