After Nadimuru Success, Kuppam Set For Full-scale Solar Rollout
Solar panels were installed on 100 homes in Nadimuru with support from the Andhra Pradesh southern power distribution company and the Kuppam rural electric cooperative society.
TIRUPATI: Nadimuru village in the Kuppam constituency has emerged as the launchpad for Andhra Pradesh’s push toward decentralised solar energy.
Following the successful completion of a pilot project under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana scheme, officials have begun expanding solar services across the entire constituency. This is part of chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s efforts to promote renewable energy in his home turf.
Solar panels were installed on 100 homes in Nadimuru with support from the Andhra Pradesh southern power distribution company and the Kuppam rural electric cooperative society. The village now runs largely on solar energy, the expectation being to generate 15,000 surplus units per month. These would be sent back to the grid through bi-directional meters installed in every household.
“Each 1 kW rooftop solar unit can generate up to 120 units per month, reducing monthly power bills from Rs 1,000 to around Rs 338. In the first year alone, consumers can save nearly Rs 8,000. Any excess energy sent back to the grid earns billing credits, further reducing the expenses,” an official explained.
“The success in Nadimuru has provided a working model that we are now extending across the constituency,” he said.
Some 7,489 SC and ST service connections have been identified in Kuppam to receive free solar power systems. Additionally, 34,000 agricultural connections across 126 rural feeders in the four mandals are also being brought under the solar network.
In parallel, around 43,000 BC, OBC and OC households have been identified for solar conversion.
To widen the outreach, the government has started collecting consent forms from households across the four mandals, targeting 600 homes in each. This effort is being coordinated through 5,661 women’s self-help groups under the Velugu programme, which has more than 56,000 active members in the region.
Community coordinators and village organisation leaders are driving awareness and encouraging large-scale participation.
Although the initial cost of rooftop panels had discouraged many households from going forward, it appears the subsidies and improved loan access would encourage them to be a part of the solar project. Subsidies ranging from Rs 30,000 to Rs 78,000 are being offered based on the size of the system. The remaining cost can be financed through a combination of bank loans and assistance from the Velugu self-help groups.
“The objective is to reduce dependence on traditional energy sources and provide long-term financial relief to residents”, the official said, noting that efforts are being stepped up to bring the entire Kuppam constituency under the solar power network.
