Buoyed with the successful Gujarat model, the Delhi Government has prepared a blueprint to promote Delhi as a solar power city, where every household will be encouraged to generate solar power and the same will be supplied to the consumers by the private distribution companies. The model for solar power generation, its tariff and distribution was discussed at a high-level meeting where the top officials asked the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) to solve issues related to solar power tariff, net metering and grid connectivity on priority to ensure the supply of power.
The DERC representatives stated that there was substantial progress in this direction and public comments had been invited to decide the tariff. It may be noted that the Delhi Government’s Power Department has written to DERC and three discoms to start net metering system in the national Capital last year, but nothing has happened.
As per the meeting, the rooftop model on the Government buildings and subsequently on private buildings is being seen as the possible mode of solar power generation. The crucial meeting to frame the outline for making the Capital a solar power city was chaired by the Secretary (Environment) Sanjiv Kumar. Principal Secretary (Power) Arun Goyal as well as senior officials of Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, Power Grid Corporation of India and three discoms were also present.
The top officials of Delhi Government decided that pilot project for net metering may be started in NDMC area even before the DERC finalises the issue of tariff and net metering because NDMC is itself a discom. For this purpose, the officials have decided to start net metering pilot project either on one hospital building or on one school building. The pilot project will help the Delhi Government to understand issues related to implementation of this project at the ground level. During the meeting, NDMC officials informed that NDMC has now drawn up a detailed plan for rooftop solar energy generation.
The officials arrived at a conclusion that solar power projects may be started on Government buildings wherein any developer will enter into power purchase agreement with the building owner on the lines of rural electric supply cooperative (RESCO). This process can be started even without net metering. later, when solar tariff is declared by the DERC, PPP model will also be developed to increase investment in solar power generation across the Capital. In order to ensure the availability of more buildings for solar power generation, Delhi Government officials have decided to rope in the PWD, Education and Health Departments having dozens of big buildings across the city where the rooftop power project can be started. So the Delhi Government has taken one step forward in the direction to make Delhi a solar power city.