Despite the immense potential for rooftop solar installations in Telangana, factors like lack of awareness, high initial costs, and subsidized power supply pose significant barriers to widespread adoption.
Barriers to Rooftop Solar Adoption
Rooftop solar adoption remains sluggish, particularly in the residential sector, primarily due to the perceived high upfront costs associated with solar installation. Despite various subsidies provided by the central government, public awareness about the benefits of solar energy remains limited.
Additionally, subsidized electricity provided by state-run distribution companies disincentivizes consumers from transitioning to solar power. According to N Janaiah, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of Telangana State Renewable Energy Development Corporation Limited (TSREDCO), lack of awareness is a major deterrent to widespread solar adoption.
Addressing Challenges: The PSGMBY Initiative
To tackle these challenges, the Telangana government has launched the ‘PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijlee Yojana (PSGMBY)’ initiative. This scheme aims to incentivize rooftop solar capacity addition by subsidizing a portion of the installation costs.
Under PSGMBY, the government subsidizes 40% of the extra system cost for systems between 2 KW and 3 KW capacity, while covering 60% of the cost for systems up to 2 KW capacity. Additionally, subsidies ranging from Rs 30,000 to Rs 78,000 are provided based on the capacity of the solar unit.
Empowering Consumers for Solar Adoption
The increase in subsidies to 60% and provision of loans to households at a minimum interest rate of 7% are expected to enhance the affordability of rooftop solar units. Despite challenges with the registration process on the National Portal for PSGMBY, efforts are underway to streamline the application process.
According to officials, rooftop solar installations not only offer economic benefits to consumers but also alleviate the burden on power distribution companies. Benefits include reduced cross-subsidy burden, improved transmission and distribution losses, and lower average cost to serve consumers.
Future Outlook and Government Initiatives
Looking ahead, the government remains committed to resolving issues related to rooftop solar programs and promoting solar installations nationwide. Efforts are underway to streamline processes and enhance public awareness to unleash the full potential of rooftop solar in Telangana and beyond.
Source：telanganatoday.com
