Gujarat targets 2 lakh solar rooftop consumers by April

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The state of Gujarat has launched a program aimed at driving 2 lakh rooftop solar systems this financial year and 8 lakh by 2022.

The latest circular issued by the state’s Energy & Petrochemicals Department said a 40% subsidy would be available for residential rooftop systems with a generation capacity of up to 3 kW and 20% would be available for 3-10 kW arrays. The incentives have been introduced under the state’s Surya Urja Rooftop Yojana-Gujarat program.

Existing residential rooftop systems can also claim the incentives for any generation capacity expansions.

In all cases, however, the subsidy will only be eligible for systems composed entirely of Indian-made solar cells and modules.

“The electricity generated from the rooftop system shall be net metered on the billing cycle period and the surplus power fed to the grid upon self-consumption shall be purchased by the discom [electricity distribution company] at the rate of Rs2.25 per unit”, the circular stated.

Rooftop ambition

The scheme will be administered by state electricity utility Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited and subsidies will be disbursed by distribution companies.

Gujarat had already issued a subsidy scheme in 2016 to incentivize rooftop solar. “As a result of this subsidy scheme, over 50,000 households have taken benefits of the scheme, under which an aggregate capacity of 180 MW [of] solar rooftops in [the] residential sector have been commissioned,” the new Energy & Petrochemicals Department circular stated.

The state wants 8,024 MW of solar capacity by 2022, of which 3.2 GW is set to come from the rooftop segment.

Under its National Solar Mission, India has set a target of achieving 100 GW of solar capacity by 2022, with 40 GW accounted for by rooftop PV.

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