KERC allows installation of solar power projects in spaces other than rooftops
In a big push to decentralised solar projects, the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC), in an order issued on Wednesday, extended the net metering/gross metering arrangements provided to Solar Rooftop Photovoltaic (SRTPV) systems to ground mounted solar projects with elevated structures, facade-integrated solar panels on the walls within the premises.
The commission has also renamed SRTPV plants as Distributed Solar PV (DSPV) plants, which can be installed in places like car ports and cycle parking spaces on the premises. The solar panels themselves can also be used as roof/top of a structure without any base below it.
'Not every consumer will have space on the rooftop to set up solar panels. Now we have given them a provision to set it up anywhere according to the building bylaws. It will be treated the same way as rooftop solar projects, and what (power) they generate will be set off against what they are consuming,' P. Ravikumar, chairman, KERC, told The Hindu.
Considering the growing demand for sustainable and clean energy, which has led to a significant focus on solar projects, the commission issued a discussion paper in March 2025 to seek the stakeholders' insights and recommendations for enhancing solar energy adoption. A public hearing on the matter was held on June 6. Taking into account the suggestions and recommendations, along with the fact that the State has an installed capacity of just 754.89 megawatts (MW) under SRTPV and 5666.22 MW under ground-mounted plants, the commission has brought in some changes to the existing regulations.
Virtual and Group Net Metering
The commission has also allowed Virtual Net Metering (VNM) and Group Net Metering (GNM) for the DSPV projects heeding to the demand of the stakeholders.
'Under VNM, a group of two or more consumers from the same consumer category can set up solar plants to offset the electricity consumption of more than one electricity service connection(s) of participating consumers located within the area of supply of an electricity supply company (escom). Domestic consumers, group housing societies, institutions run or managed by charitable Institutions/organisations, government buildings including schools, buildings belonging to local authorities shall only be eligible to install Solar plants under virtual net metering arrangements,' Mr. Ravikumar explained.
He further explained that under GNM, a consumer can set up a DSPV project in any one of their installations, and the energy that is exported to the grid can be used to set off the electricity consumption of more than one connection under the same name. This is open to all categories of consumers. The minimum size of the plant under both VNM and GNM should be 5 kilowatts (KW).
KERC has also eliminated the execution of the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for Domestic (LT) consumers up to 150 kW. 'In cases of shifting solar panels due to a change in the location of the consumer within the jurisdiction of the escom, the consumer is allowed to continue the same PPA for its remaining term.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
20 hours ago
- The Hindu
PSU dividends to Centre almost double since 2020; over 40% comes from five fuel PSUs
Over the last five years, the Union government has nearly doubled the dividends it has received from public sector companies to ₹74,000 crore, with an analysis by The Hindu showing it relies heavily on a few oil, gas, and coal companies for a large chunk of these dividends. The analysis of company-wise dividend data from the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) for the last five years shows that five fuel-related PSUs accounted for 42% of the total dividends the government has collected since the financial year 2020-21. The analysis excluded dividends from the Reserve Bank of India and the nationalised banks. These companies — Coal India Ltd, Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL), and Gail (India) — contributed ₹1.27 lakh crore, or 42.3% of the total ₹3 lakh crore dividends the Centre received from non-banking PSUs between 2020-21 and 2024-25. Minimal cut in petrol prices The data also shows that the two directly-owned public sector oil marketing companies (OMCs) — IOC and BPCL — together saw a 255% increase in their dividend payouts to the government since 2022-23 and a 65% decrease in oil prices. However, they only passed on a 2% decrease in petrol prices to the public. The third public sector OMC, Hindustan Petroleum, is owned by ONGC, and not directly by the government. The total dividends from non-banking PSUs have also grown consistently since the COVID-19 pandemic. The government collected ₹39,558 crore as dividends from these companies in 2020-21, which almost doubled to ₹74,017 crore by 2024-25. High dividends offset slow disinvestment According to sources in the government, this is due to a 'calibrated' approach to balance revenues from disinvestments and dividends. 'The government's disinvestment policy announced during the pandemic is still very much in place, but it is not progressing as fast as it was initially hoped,' the official told The Hindu. 'At the same time, many PSUs are turning profitable and so the government is maximising the dividends it can earn from them.' The disinvestment policy, officially called the Public Sector Enterprises Policy, stated that the government would maintain a minimum presence in strategic sectors and would exit from all non-strategic ones. It was first announced as a part of the government's COVID-19 Atma Nirbhar Bharat package in May 2020. However, since then, enhancing dividends has also become a part of official policy. Mandatory minimum dividends An office memorandum sent out by DIPAM in November 2024 to all departments of the government and the managing directors of all PSUs laid out new rules for how much dividends these companies must pay their shareholders, the largest of which is the government of India. According to the new rules, every Central PSU must pay a minimum annual dividend of 30% of its Profit After Tax (PAT) or 4% of its net worth, whichever is higher. In fact, the government has pushed these PSUs to pay dividends much higher than this mandatory amount. 'The minimum dividend as indicated in para 5.1 above is only a minimum benchmark,' the office memorandum said. 'The CPSEs are advised to strive paying higher dividend taking into account relevant factors such as profitability, capex requirements with due leveraging, cash reserves and net worth.' High payouts IOC and BPCL saw their combined dividend payouts to the government increase 255% between 2022-23 and 2024-25, from ₹2,435 crore to ₹8,653 crore. Dividends of OMCs are paid from their profits, which themselves rise if the selling price of their fuel is higher than the cost of their inputs. While the price of crude oil has fallen 65% — from $116 a barrel in June 2022 to $70 a barrel in July 2025 — the retail price of petrol has only been reduced by ₹1.95 per litre, or 2%, over this period.
Hans India
a day ago
- Hans India
MBA Farewell at JP Engineering College Celebrates Success, Talent, and New Beginnings
Mahabubnagar: Jayaprakash Narayan Engineering College witnessed an emotional and inspiring farewell ceremony organized by junior MBA students for their seniors. The event was marked by cultural performances, motivational speeches, and a celebration of student achievements. College Chairman K.S. Ravikumar attended the event as the chief guest. He offered floral tributes to Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan and lit the ceremonial lamp. In his address, Mr. Ravikumar emphasized that MBA is a universal course open to graduates from Arts, Science, Commerce, and Engineering. He noted that MBA graduates play vital roles in the corporate sector and entrepreneurial ventures. Highlighting success stories, he mentioned Jupally Rameshwar Rao of My Home Group and Manne Satyanarayana Reddy of MSN Labs as examples of what dedication and vision can achieve. He also recalled the encouragement given by late S. Jaipal Reddy in establishing the college, describing him as a leader capable of becoming the President of India. The chairman proudly announced that three students from the college had received gold medals from JNTUH, including MBA student B. Swathi, who was awarded a cash prize of Rs. 1.5 lakh. He also shared that MBA student Kotal Sai Teja's book, That Boy Thatha, was launched by renowned author Chetan Bhagat. This academic year, eight MBA students secured placements in various companies. Mr. Ravikumar also announced a new MoU with IBM, which will provide training and placement opportunities to both engineering and MBA students. The event concluded with captivating cultural performances by the students. MBA Dean Dr. Madhumohan, In-charge Chandrashekhar, faculty members, and a large number of students participated in the event, making it a memorable occasion.
The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
Over 2,260 acres to be acquired for Nanguneri SIPCOT Industrial Park
Chief Minister M. K. Stalin's announcement of setting-up SIPCOT industrial park at Nanguneri has started taking definitive shape as the Tamil Nadu Government has notified the acquisition of 915.03 hectares (2,260.13 acres) of patta and government poramboke lands near Nanguneri for the proposed industrial estate. When Mr. Stalin visited the district on February 7, he announced that the SIPCOT would establish industrial estates at Nanguneri and Moolaikkaraipatti in addition to the already overflowing Gangaikondan SIPCOT Industrial Growth Centre. Subsequently, the notification for acquiring 826.86 ha of private patta land and 88.17 ha of government poramboke land has been issued. While the private patta lands will be purchased through negotiations, the government poramboke land will be used for this project through ownership transfer. Apart from appointing a team of officials led by a Special District Revenue Officer, the government has also approved the proposal for allocating ₹871.86 crore for acquiring 2,042.35 acre private patta land for the project. To expedite the land acquisition to be done around the Nanguneri Toll Plaza, a Special District Revenue Officer, a Special Tahsildar and 117 positions have been created as the government is keen on starting the work at the earliest. The land identified for the upcoming industrial park is close to the 4-lane Kanniyakumari to Tirunelveli national highway to make transportation easier. 'An Indian major having its presence in a range of product manufacturing is likely to have its unit here for producing shoes, sports shoes, sneakers etc.,' a senior official told The Hindu. Even though the Chief Minister's announcement on setting-up an industrial estate near Nanguneri has moved to the next level with the notification on acquisition of land, the Nanugneri Multiproduct Special Economic Zone announced by late Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in March 2001 is gradually dying. While the entry of one more SIPCOT Industrial Complex has enthused the industrialists and the investors having their manufacturing units in Gangaikondan, they also urge the government to explore the possibilities of reviving the 'gradually dying' Nanguneri Multiproduct Special Economic Zone. 'Since the Nanguneri Multiproduct Special Economic Zone was initiated by late Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi in March 2002, Mr. Stalin should take vigorous efforts to revive it. Even though there are some legal tangles now crippling this SEZ's full-fledged development, setting it free is not something impossible for a government. If the Nanguneri Multiproduct SEZ is also revived along with the Nanguneri SIPCOT complex, the entire southern region, advantageously situated close to Thoothukudi and Vizhinjam Ports, will become well-developed region within no time,' said Gunasingh Chelladurai of Bell Group of Companies.
