New Delhi, Sep 1 (PTI) Delhi government has set a target to distribute free 3-kilowatt (kW) rooftop solar panels to approximately 2.30 lakh households with monthly electricity consumption of up to 400 units by March 2027, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Tuesday.
The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting, which approved the revised Delhi Solar Policy.
“Our target is not only to reduce people’s electricity bills but also to support the installation cost of solar panels. The government will provide free rooftop solar panels to all households with monthly electricity consumption of up to 400 units. The facility will benefit people who could not install rooftop solar panels earlier due to high upfront cost,” Gupta said, addressing a press conference.
Under the new Delhi Solar Policy, eligible domestic consumers will be provided rooftop solar systems of up to 3 kW at zero upfront cost, subject to technical feasibility, Gupta said.
In a major step towards transforming Delhi’s energy landscape, the government plans to install solar systems on 2.30 lakh rooftops and add 500 MW of additional rooftop solar capacity by March 2027, the chief minister said.
The Delhi government will also provide a capital subsidy of Rs 78,000, along with the Rs 78,000 subsidy provided by the Central government. In addition, the Delhi government will follow through with an additional top-up to cover the difference between the subsidy and the tendered cost of the solar plant, the chief minister said.
The increased financial assistance to households for solar rooftop installation will be a one-time payment of generation-based incentive, which was earlier paid in instalments.
Gupta said the Delhi government’s existing electricity subsidy will continue.
Eligible consumers will benefit from the electricity subsidy as well as the savings generated by the solar system installed on their rooftops. A 3 kW solar system can generate around 300 units of electricity.
If a family consumes 200 units of electricity, it can also benefit by exporting the surplus electricity to the grid. This way, consumers will not only use free electricity but also become participants in its generation and earn in the process, she said.
Payment for electricity exported to the grid will also be made at the average power purchase cost of the Discom. Eligible consumers with consumption of up to 200 units will continue to receive the existing 100 per cent electricity subsidy, according to a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office.
The consumers will not have to pay any amount for the installation. Importantly, consumers using up to 200 units of electricity will not only continue to receive the subsidy after installing the solar system, but also earn an incentive against the electricity they save, it said.
Earlier, consumers had to make an upfront payment to install a solar system, while incentives were received in subsequent years. The new policy changes this arrangement by prioritising financial assistance at the initial stage so that consumers do not face an economic burden at the outset, the statement said.
The system installed by the government will also be mandatorily operated and maintained free of cost by the vendors concerned, for five years. Thereafter, consumers will be able to opt for maintenance and insurance facilities through electricity distribution companies as per their choice.
Gupta said that under the new policy, the net metering process for residential solar systems has been expedited.
The net metering process is the mechanism through which consumers receive credit for surplus electricity sent to the grid or a reduction in their monthly bills. While it earlier took around 75 days, it has now been reduced to 25 days.
In addition, application and registration fees for residential solar systems of up to 10 kW have been completely waived, the statement said.
The entire system will be implemented under a utility-led aggregation model. Indraprastha Power Generation Company Limited (IPGCL) will select vendors through competitive bidding to ensure better prices and quality.
IPGCL will play an important role in the installation, vendor coordination, grievance redressal and providing necessary assistance to consumers, the statement added. PTI VIT SSM VIT RUK RUK
