Domestic rooftop solar installations in T.N. remain low due to policy challenges, say consumers

Domestic rooftop solar installations will benefit residents who consume more than 500 units of electricity in two months.

With 425.61 MW of domestic rooftop solar installations in Tamil Nadu that have benefited from the PM Surya Ghar scheme, the Tamil Nadu Green Energy Corporation is taking efforts to bring more households under rooftop solar.

However, industry and consumer representatives say the State government should address a couple of basic policy issues so that more households go in for rooftop solar.

“While the government advertisements claim that consumers will get to pay nothing as bi-monthly energy charges if they instal rooftop solar, in reality, they have to pay network charges,” says K. Kathirmathiyon, secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause.

A.D. Thirumurthi, advisor of the National Solar Energy Federation of India, says the consumers should be exempted from network charges for rooftop solar. Further, in the case of additional solar energy generated in a financial year that goes unused, the consumers should be paid at least the average power purchase cost for the excess solar energy they feed to the grid.

Mr. Kathirmathiyon explained that if a consumer instals a five KW rooftop solar and his bi-monthly consumption is 500-550 units, he will supply the excess to the grid. He does not get any payment for the additional power. Instead, he will have to pay nearly ₹5,800 annually as network charges. Why should a consumer pay for solar energy that he has generated and not consumed, he asks.

“Tamil Nadu should adopt an approach similar to Kerala instead of allowing surplus electricity credits to lapse without compensation. Network charges applicable to domestic rooftop solar investors under the TNERC tariff framework with effect from October 22, 2021 constitute another major disincentive,” he says.

The Government and the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission should ensure domestic rooftop solar power producer/consumer is paid for the surplus electricity remaining unadjusted at the end of the settlement period (31st March). It should also withdraw network/wheeling charges levied on domestic rooftop solar power producers.

Mr. Thirumurthi says residents who consume more than 500 units of electricity in two months stand to benefit more if they go in for solar. The government should take steps to encourage them, he said.

renewable energy / solar / electricity production and distribution / Tamil Nadu