UPERC bid to rope in more solar power users
Finding hardly any takers for solar power connections despite the various incentives announced by the Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) last year, the UPERC on Thursday reiterated the advantages of the solar option listed in its tariff order of August 1, 2016. The UPERC pointed to a rebate of Rs 100 per month (or actual bill for that month, whichever is lower) for those consumers who will opt to install solar water heating system of 100 litres or more. The commission also offered exemption from minimum charge for non-domestic category (small commercial consumers such as shopkeepers) on installing rooftop solar plants.”The move comes following the commission’s current exercise of reviewing all its previous directives – from tariff order, temporary connection to jhuggi, jhopadis through prepaid meters to the latest on renewable energy,” Sanjay Srivastava, UPERC secretary, told TOI.
According to Srivastava, the commission under chairman Desh Deepak Verma and member S K Agarwal, undertook the said move to promote the use of solar energy and to curb green house gas (GHG) emissions. Srivastava said that the rebate would be subject to the consumer giving an affidavit to the licensee intimating that he/she has installed such a solar heating system which is in working condition and one, which would be subject to verification by the licensee from time to time. Further, the tariff order for 2016-17 also provides that if a consumer under LMV-2 (non-domestic light, fan and power – small commercial consumers such as shopkeepers) installs a rooftop solar plant which is not exceeding 100% of the sanctioned connected load/demand of the consumer, then such consumer shall be exempted from payment of monthly minimum charges.
Source:TOI
