Govt offers rebate for off-campus solar panels
For hotels and industries that have been violating the solar norms claiming installation of rooftop solar power systems is next to impossible in already-built buildings, the state government has come up with an alternative. These industries can now take on lease inexpensive land anywhere in the state and install ground-mounted solar power systems. And the power generated will be supplied to the power grid of the discom.
Officials of the renewable energy department said on Tuesday the option is available only to commercial customers for now. “A hotel chain in Gurgaon has already set up a ground-mounted solar power system in a rural area. The power generated will be supplied to the grid directly,” Ankur Gupta, additional chief secretary of the department, told TOI.
The discom will calculate the price for the power supplied to the grid vis-a-vis the consumption by the hotel, if it opts for net metering. Gupta said the department is also in talks with Faridabad Industrial Association for a similar project, where a group of industries will set up solar plants in rural areas where land is inexpensive.
The new solar power policy 2016 mandates every new residential building more than 500 sq yards to have a photovoltaic solar power panel. The same policy also mandates all private hospitals and nursing homes, industrial establishments, commercial establishments, malls, hotels, banquets and tourism complexes with connected load of more than 50 KW to install solar power panels. Additionally, all private educational institutes, schools, colleges, hostels and universities with a connected load of 30 KW and above will also have to install the photovoltaic solar power panels, along with all government buildings, offices, colleges and universities under the policy.
But TOI had earlier reported ambiguity over the policy has affected its implementation and nullified the impact. The lack of implementation is due to the delay in drafting of compliance provisions by departments concerned (Huda, HSIIDC, urban local bodies and DTCP) specifying procedure, penal action and amount of penalty for non-compliance.
Source:TOI
