Now, portal to help houses

install rooftop solar units

SHREYA JAI
New Delhi, 3 February

Consumers who want to set up rooftop solar sys-

tems will now be able to find suppliers in their
area, get assistance in setting them up and sub-
sidy from their respective power utility — all on
a national portal that is being developed by the
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
The portal will be a one-stop destination for
residential consumers to register, install or hire
a vendor to install a rooftop solar (RTS) power
system. In a notice on Wednesday, the MNRE Several states also offer subsidies on installing
listed the procedure and informed that the portal RTS but for now, the portal will only have details
will become operational in six to eight months. and mechanism for the Centre’s subsidy.
According to the MNRE’s memorandum, the The move comes at a time when India has
portal will be open for registration committed to set up 500 Gw of solar
of RTS and all necessary approvals. The portal will be power generation capacity by the end
A portal of similar format will be a one-stop of this decade. It stands at 40 Gw cur-
designed for power distribution destination for rently. The Centre has also set an aim
companies (discoms) in states. The residential to achieve 40-Gw rooftop solar cap-
portal will also have a monitoring consumers to acity by the end of this calendar year.
and grievance redress mechanism. register, install or The growth in rooftop solar seg-
“The household beneficiary, hire a vendor to ment has been slower than grid-con-
who wishes to install an RTS, will install a rooftop nected large-scale solar power gen-
apply at the national portal along solar power system eration projects. India’s rooftop solar
with bank account details wherein capacity stands at close to 5 Gw. So
the subsidy for installing RTS would be credited,” far in 2021-22, rooftop solar capacity addition has
said the memo. The application would be for- been around 1.2 Gw. According to industry data,
warded to the respective discom, which will issue close to 75 per cent of rooftop installations come
a technical feasibility approval. from the commercial and industrial segment.
Currently, the Centre provides 40 per cent Segments such as residential and public places
subsidy on the cost of RTS for a system of up to haven’t seen much growth due lack of access
3 Kw capacity and 20 per cent for those between and awareness.
3 Kw and 10 Kw. The notice said that a discom MNRE, in its notice, said that the portal will
will transfer the subsidy directly to the bank have a government-approved list of RTS service
account of an RTS applicant. and system providers.