Chennai: Ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) has unveiled an ambitious plan to achieve 40,000 megawatt rooftop solar installation by 2022 and has released “tentative” year-by-year breakdown of capacity addition for all the states including 3,500 MW target for Tamil Nadu.
In a letter to all secretaries of state and group heads of state renewable energy agencies, MNRE joint secretary Tarun Kapoor outlined the plan for the ‘Grid Connected Rooftop and Small Solar Power Plants Programme’ which aims to promote installation of grid connected solar rooftop systems in residential, industrial, commercial and institutional sectors in the country.
Urban local bodies have been urged to frame bylaws for installation of rooftop solar panels compulsory in buildings.
The state-wise rooftop solar target has been arrived by considering each state’s power consumption and consequent solar power requirement to meet corresponding Renewable Purchase Obligations. Tamil Nadu with a target of 3,500 MW stands third following Maharashtra (4,700 MW) and Uttar Pradesh (4,300 MW).
For promoting grid connected solar rooftops with net metering in government buildings, Kapoor said the power ministry is implementing an Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDP). MNRE is also seeking funds from international financing agencies including World Bank, KfW, ADB for the program.
The rooftop solar target fixed by MNRE is a tentative one. MNRE’s July 7 meeting of energy secretaries in New Delhi on solar rooftop PV projects will throw upmore details, a TN government official said.
Tamil Nadu is one of the leading states in promoting solar rooftop. “Under the TN Solar Energy Police, the government envisages adding 350 MW through solar rooftop including 50 MW of domestic rooftop,” the official said.
