No occupancy certificate without solar power panel
GURUGRAM: Two years after making it mandatory for all buildings on plots of 500 square metres or more to install rooftop solar power systems, the state government has issued a notification directing all authorities to appoint nodal officers for strict implementation of the scheme in buildings, including residential ones.
According to the new notification, Huda will issue occupancy certificate (OC) for a building on plot size 500 sq m and above only after seeing its certificate of installation of a solar power plant. The renewable energy department will issue the no-objection certificate to the building after an inspection.
“The nodal officer will be accountable for implementation of the policy,” said a senior government official, adding they are planning to give old and existing buildings a fixed time to install solar systems, failing which their power connection could be disconnected. The order will be applicable to private bungalows, group housing, builder apartments, malls, offices, commercial complexes, schools, hospitals — any building, new or old, that meets the plot size criteria.
The new notification has after the state government decided to replace the Haryana Solar Power Policy, 2014, with the Haryana Solar Power Policy, 2016, and set an ambitious target of generating 1,600MW using rooftop solar plants by 2021-22. But, according to an RTI, till February 2017, only four government buildings — Government Model School, Sushant Lok, Sector 43; additional deputy commissioner’s (ADC) office; Vikas Sadan; ITI Sohna on Delhi-Alwar road bypass; and Rajiv Gandhi Renewable Energy (RGRE) Park in Sector 29 — have installed solar power system on their rooftops.
The state government also hopes strict implementation will help replace polluting diesel gensets, which in turn will reduce pollution and emission of greenhouse gases. In Gurgaon, solar systems can generate enough power ’round the year to meet power requirements of households. Large parts of Gurgaon’s residential and commercial buildings, though, still dependable on diesel gensets to meet their requirements and causing pollution.
The minimum solar power capacity to be installed is 1kW or 5% of a building’s connected load, whichever is higher. A 1kW plant can generate up to 4.5 units of electricity a day, enough to power three fans, seven tubelights and a cooler for 4-5 hours.
A typical 1kW plant costs Rs 55,000-Rs 60,000, after availing subsidy. While the payback period is 4-5 years, the system lasts for over 25 years. The government is also providing 30% subsidy, subject to a maximum of Rs 20,000 per kilowatt peak (kWp), on installation of solar power plants for certain categories of buildings.
Source: TIO
