It is all about sustainable development and solar energy is the right step in this direction.But lack of awareness and information about how to harness the sun’s energy is a roadblock. SHALINI SAKSENA busts a few myths associated with solar power
Did you know that the Indian renewable energy sector is the fourth most attractive renewable energy market in the world and that we rank fifth in solar power as of 2019? Then there is talk of sustainable development and harnessing solar energy. This is because the Government is aiming to achieve 227 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022, much ahead of its target 175 GW as per the Paris Agreement.
Despite this, individuals continue to shun this abundance of and free energy. There are several reasons for this. The first and most important is lack of awareness and knowledge when it comes to how solar power works in homes. Mayur Misra, CEO-co-founder of Corrit Energy tells you that even though the sector has become attractive from investors perspective and commercially there is much interest in solar power panels, individuals still continue to shy away.
“The solar power plant is a popular notion in the West. In India, it has gained traction since 2015. There used to be large commercial solar plants but individuals were hesitant to make an investment. The reason why we are lagging behind is due to lack of awareness. Second, only a handful of people know how the entire system operates, the investment, how to install and whether it’s beneficial. Three, initially, the pricing was high. Back then (2015) it used to cost Rs 70,000 per KW; now the cost has drastically come down to Rs 35,000-Rs 40,000 per KW,” Misra tells you.
Four, people don’t know that there are two ways by which they install the solar power plant; one is battery-operated. Here the power gets stored in the battery and individuals can use this. The other is an on-grid system. Here the line gets directly connected to the main LT panel of the grid connection.
He tells you that the on-grid is the most sought-after. This is because here one doesn’t have to invest in the battery. Since the battery has a shelf life of three-five years, it has to be changed. There is an additional recurring cost.
“If one were to use an on-grid system, for say 5 kw, the price would be between Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh. In a battery system, the cost would be Rs 3.5 lakh to Rs 4 lakh,” Misra says who has since 2018 installed 45-50 individual solar plants till date. The number of commercial installations is much higher, he says. Each solar panel has a warranty of 25 years, one is told.
Interestingly, solar power doesn’t affect the working of any of the gadgets that one uses. Misra tells you that the power plant is not linked to the gadget but to the grid. “The solar power plant doesn’t get connected to individual appliances. This is where lack of awareness comes in. While people are told to install the plant, they are not told how they can do the same. Once the plant is set-up, people can continue to use their appliances the way they were before the installation of the solar panels. Normal routine will not be disturbed. Whatever electricity is getting generated goes to the LT panel that is accepting power from the local discom as well. The wire doesn’t get connected directly to any of the gadgets,” Misra says.
A net metering — a bi-directional metre is installed. This device has the ability to receive electricity from the local discom and if there is a surplus, it also exports it back to the grid.
“Let’s take an example. A person has installed a 5 kw plant, it typically generates approximately 600 units a month. Suppose monthly units consumed are 750 units. At the end of the month, the local discom will bill the person only for 150 units. Now, in the winter, if less units are consumed, say 400. There is a surplus of 200 units. This goes back to the local discom and adjusted in the subsequent months’ bills,” Misra tells you. This means that solar power plant installation companies work in tandem with the local discoms.
However, it is not easy for individuals to set up the plant even though the solar energy is free. “Cost is still a major issue. Not everybody has that kind of money. People fear that an installation will ruin their access to the terrace. This is not the case. One can raise the structure to eight to 10 feet. The covered portion can be made into an attractive seating area. This however, will increase the cost by five-Also, people living on the ground and first floor don’t have the rights to the terrace. It becomes a hindrance for them when they want to install the solar plant,” Misra says.
Education, creating awareness and loan facility is the right step. “Banks should encourage their customers to set up such panels. PSU banks support setting up the power plants by giving loan, but they have limited funds. Once the limit gets utilised, the loan also dries up. This makes it difficult to set up solar plants,” Misra says.
