Imagine your mobile phone doubling as your energy guide, helping you all the way in installing solar panels on rooftop for domestic consumption, selling the surplus power out and earn some money in return! Don’t imagine-- Aha Solar is a reality now against all your power woes.
Jharkhand Renewable Energy Development Authority (JREDA) in association with the Energy Department, discom Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam limited (JBVNl) and UNDP has taken firm strides in making this happen in the State. The mobile phone based application named as ‘Aha Solar’ is ready to facilitate domestic power consumers in harnessing the green energy without much of their headache.
The idea is to hire array of vendors working in the field of solar energy across the country as well as in Jharkhand, place them face to face with the consumers, bring all the stakeholders like the discom at a single platform and finally make the household burn the renewable power domestically and even earn by selling additional power out.
“In the first phase, we have identified 22 vendors and empanelled them. Another list of vendors numbering around 65 is in the offing. There are some common names as well but the number of empanelled players is not going to be less than 50. We are also in the process of getting a final version of ‘Aha Solar’ mobile App and once it is done, it would be made readily available for the households of Jharkhand to download,” said Arvind Kumar, Project Manager with JREDA.
The android based application would be one-stop solution for all those who want to install solar power plates on their rooftops. The App can be used to generate online application for availing the facility, select an appropriate firm for assessment and installation and get a common interface, including the discom to install net-meter connected with power grid to measure the balance of input and output.
“GERMY of Gujarat which is developing the App has come up with a procedure for the final version. We are studying that and have given some suggestions looking at our future needs. It is being ensured that App is fully accommodative to the needs of Jharkhand and the changes suggested are in accordance with that,” added the Project Manager.
The list of vendors, at least 10 are Jharkhand-based, after being picked up by a consumer would automatically conduct a survey at a particular household, present an estimate of solar panel and total cost incurring and finalising the deal would install photovoltaic plates with proper geo-tagging and photographs.
“Most significant feature is the provision of selling out surplus power back to JBVNl through its grid. The agency would help the consumer in getting the agreement done for installing net-meter which would calculate intake of power from the discom and the off-take. When sufficient solar power is not generated, the consumer would be supplied via grid while in case of surplus power being generated it may be sent back through the same grid. After making an adjustment of intake and off-take on annual basis, a consumer can earn at the rate of 50 paisa for every surplus unit from the JBVNl,” said JREDA Director Niranjan Kumar.