Hyderabad: The Telangana government is working to install solar power on rooftops for all poor families. In the first phase, the target is to install solar panels on 2 million homes by the end of December at a cost of ₹24,000 crore. The plan is to expand this to all poor households within two years.
If successful, this will be the first time in the country that a state government will bear the entire cost and implement a rooftop solar scheme without charging a single penny from the poor. Meanwhile, the state government has requested the central government to provide ₹12,000 crore as subsidy out of the total ₹24,000 crore cost under the PM Solar Panel Scheme. It has requested assistance to overcome technical difficulties to this extent. The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) recently responded positively to this proposal.
Under the PM Solar Panel Scheme, the MNRE is providing subsidies for installing solar panels on 10 million homes across the country. For individuals installing solar power at their homes, a subsidy of ₹30,000 for 1 kilowatt, ₹60,000 for 2 kilowatts, and ₹78,000 for a maximum of 3 kilowatts will be deposited into the homeowner’s bank account.
The state’s Energy Department has informed the MNRE that this rule has become an obstacle. The state government has stated that it will install solar power from private solar companies on 2 million homes for the poor in the state. The state government has requested that the subsidy be transferred to those companies’ bank accounts.
Already, 40,000 homes are being installed as part of an experiment in collaboration with companies in some villages. Since the government has agreed to transfer the subsidy to those companies’ accounts, the state’s Energy Department has recently requested that it be extended to 2 million homes.
If MNRE approves, installing 2 kW solar panels on 2 million homes will cost an average of ₹1.20 lakh per household. Of this, ₹60,000 will be provided as a subsidy to solar companies, amounting to ₹12,000 crore.
The remaining ₹12,000 crore is proposed to be raised as a loan and spent on this scheme. A total of 16 million units of electricity will be generated from these 2 million homes, at a rate of 8 units per day, and supplied to the electricity grid.
Currently, DISCOMs are purchasing this power at an average of ₹5 per unit. Based on this, ₹8 crore worth of electricity will be supplied to the grid free of charge from these homes every day, saving DISCOMs the burden of purchasing electricity worth ₹240 crore per month.
Currently, the government is providing 200 units of free electricity per month to 2 million households under the Griha Jyoti Scheme and is paying ₹100 crore to discoms under these bills. It is estimated that installing solar panels will not only reduce this ₹100 crore financial burden, but also save the government an additional ₹140 crore.
How to apply for the PM Surya Ghar Free Electricity Scheme:
First, apply on the official portal – https://www.pmsuryaghar.in
Register by entering your email address, electricity connection number, and cellphone number. Log in with your mobile number and apply. Enter details related to your previous electricity consumption. Only after entering these details will your application be registered.
