Generating your own power from the sun would soon become a reality for Punjabis with the State set to adopt solar rooftop net metering system. Promoting its efforts to the next level, Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) has launched two fully-featured websites — www.solarpunjab.com, and www.netmeteringpunjab.com — designed in a user-friendly manner to enable the masses to know the importance of solar roof top net metering and need for its adoption in their life at their own comfort zone.
The state New and Renewable Energy Minister Bikram Singh Majithia, dedicating the websites to the public, described it as ‘a one-stop shop’ for people to install solar roof top units through net-metering effortlessly with the unique feature of online processing. “The main reason of launching the websites is to provide quick and reliable information on roof top solar and make the application process easy and accessible from home,” he said.
Emphasising the need to promote clean and green energy in a big way, Majithia said that it was the duty of present generation to protect the environment by reducing the use of fossil fuels and leave a legacy of maximum usage of renewable energy for coming generations. “Rooftop net metering will take use of solar energy to the next level by covering one lakh buildings in next three years adding around 200 megawatt of power…Government is facilitating people with the benefit of 30 per cent subsidy, if they adopt net metering by March 31, 2015,” he said.
Majithia urged the owners of schools, industry, commercial establishments, institutions, hotels, malls, real estate developers etc and above all the individual house owners to grab this opportunity. “It would cut down power bill and save money as well as electricity. The bill will be issued after the adjustment of power generated and power used. The unique facility of banking surplus power with Punjab State Power Corporation limited (PSPCl), and then using it when needed can result in reduction of one’s electricity bill by up to 85 percent,” he added.
The project is the part of PEDA’s ongoing efforts to enhance the use of new and renewable sources of energy the subsidy will be available on first come first serve basis. Projects ranging from one kilowatt to 1000 KW capacity can be installed under this programme.