Latest news with #GharMuftBijliYojana
Hans India
4 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Solar power lights up Naravaripalle
Tirupati: Naravaripalle, the native village of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in Chandragiri mandal of the district, has no doubt transformed quietly into a showcase of his vision of ushering in clean energy across the state so much so that nearly every home there doubles up as a solar power unit. Around 1,600 of the 2,300 households in the village cluster have already installed rooftop solar panels, excluding homes with structural limitations. Thus, this village is now not just the centrepiece of the scheme in the Tirupati district, where a total of 2,094 homes have adopted solar, but also a compelling example of what all is possible when public awareness, political will, and administrative support converge. On the flip side, however, it reflects the administration's studied focus on the Chief Minister's native district even as the broader rollout across the State mirrors a less appealing, if not an appalling, story. Under the Union government's PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSGMY), launched in February 2023, subsidies up to Rs.78,000 are offered for rooftop solar installations. The response of the public, except in designated pilot areas, has been lukewarm. In Chittoor district, for instance, close to 50,000 people have registered, 95 per cent of them from SC/ST communities; yet, only 268 installations have been done. Notably, 95 of these are from Nadimuru village in Kuppam mandal. In another pilot area inaugurated by the Chief Minister in January 2025, the initial traction has not gained momentum. Overall, people in Tirupati have shown strong interest, with over 63,500 applications, including nearly 60,000 from SC/ST communities, which have been assured that both state and central governments will fully cover their installation costs. Tenders for this phase are expected to be floated shortly. In contrast, the uptake among other social categories remains low. Key deterrents include the need for upfront payment, grey areas in the subsidy disbursement process, and lack of visible short-term benefits. Many of the consumers remain either partially or fully unaware of the procedures or are hesitant to invest in a scheme that they don't fully understand as yet. Officially speaking, applicants must navigate a multi-step process: register on the national portal, submit documentation (electricity bill, address, bank details), pay a registration fee, choose from approved vendors, and wait for DISCOM officials to install a smart meter. The subsidy is disbursed only after the completed project is photographed and uploaded. This process, which looks simple on paper, is proving cumbersome in practice, especially in rural and semi-urban areas. Officials from the Southern Power Distribution Company of Andhra Pradesh Limited (SPDCL) and New & Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Ltd (NREDCAP) are now being urged to proactively address public concerns, raise awareness, and simplify the procedures. All told, in the absence of targeted outreach and trust-building efforts across all communities, the larger vision of statewide solar adoption leaves much to be desired.
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
North East draws ₹38,856 crore RE investment; region holds 147 GW clean energy potential: Joshi
New Delhi: A total of 115 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) worth ₹38,856 crore have been signed for renewable energy projects in the North Eastern Region, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi said on Friday. Addressing the Ministerial Session on 'Green Northeast: Advancing Renewable Energy for Sashakt Bharat' at the Rising North East Investors Summit 2025, Joshi stated that the region has untapped renewable energy potential, including more than 129 GW from large hydro projects and over 18 GW from pumped storage plants. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has allocated 10 per cent of its annual scheme budget specifically for the North Eastern Region. The Minister said enhanced financial support is also being provided, including 10 per cent higher Central Financial Assistance (CFA) under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana and 20 per cent higher CFA for Components B and C of the PM-KUSUM scheme. A 20 MW solar park has been commissioned in Mizoram's Champhai district. A 25 MW green hydrogen plant is under development in Assam, which already hosts the country's first pure green hydrogen facility. More than 2,000 individuals from the region have been trained under MNRE-supported skill development initiatives such as Suryamitra, Varunmitra and Jal Urjamitra, the Minister said. Joshi added that the North East could play a significant role in India's grid stability under the 'One Nation, One Grid' initiative. He said that the proximity of the region to Myanmar, Bangladesh and Bhutan provides opportunities for cross-border electricity trade. The minister said several Indian conglomerates have expressed interest in investing in renewable energy in the North East. He assured investors of government support, including single-window clearances, capital subsidies, and dedicated solar park development. 'The time to invest is now. Not just for returns, but for impact, for a cleaner tomorrow and a self-reliant India,' Joshi said.
New Indian Express
15-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
PM Surya Ghar lights up over 23,000 homes in Andhra Pradesh
GUNTUR: Andhra Pradesh is steadily turning its rooftops into power hubs, with over 23,000 households now generating their own electricity under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. The Centre's flagship scheme, which aims to promote clean, affordable energy, is being implemented across the state by the three power distribution companies - AP Central Power Distribution Corporation Limited (APCPDCL), AP Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (APSPDCL), and Eastern Power Distribution Company of Andhra Pradesh Limited (APEPDCL). So far, more than 12 lakh applications have poured in, but only 22,822 rooftop solar installations have been completed, feeding over 79,000 kW of solar power into the grid. APEPDCL leads the tally with 10,584 installations, followed by APCPDCL with 7,984 installations and APSPDCL with 4,254 installations. Explaining how the scheme works, APCPDCL Deputy Executive Engineer Ratnakumari said that the electricity generated through Solar Rooftop Photovoltaic (SRTPV) systems is fed directly into the state grid. The DISCOM adjusts this against the consumer's electricity bill. 'For example, if the solar system generates power worth Rs 80 and the household's total consumption is Rs 100, the consumer pays only Rs 20,' she said. Eligibility requires at least 100 square feet of rooftop space, and apartment complexes can also apply. The scheme offers up to 60% subsidy - Rs 30,000 for 1 kW systems, Rs 60,000 for 2 kW, and Rs 78,000 for 3 kW, with the typical installation cost ranging from Rs 60,000 to Rs 80,000.
Indian Express
05-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Opinion A silent solar energy revolution in J&K
Pradeep Kumar, 49, is a resident of a mountain hamlet called Kundgwari in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district — a region that, after being ravaged by terrorism in the 1990s, is now seeing peace. The first educated person in a family that has for generations subsisted on agriculture, Pradeep works as a teacher and was one of the first in his district to install a rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system. When I asked him why he chose to spend a part of his modest income on this, the wisdom of his reply left me awestruck. 'Sir ji, I think of this money as investing in my children's financial future, I don't want to burden them, for the rest of their lives, with a monthly power bill which rises every year,' he said. As the nation wakes up to the re-envisaged reality of solar energy today, we in the north, are better placed. In fact, J&K already has a cumulative installed capacity of around 75 MW of rooftop solar power plants. The process saw a major resurgence in recent months, all thanks to the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana scheme. A whopping 8,000 domestic consumers across J&K have already come on board. A power-deficit region like ours, which sources a major chunk of its supply from hydroelectric power plants, has already exceeded its Renewable Power Obligation (RPO) targets. Yet, actively pushing for greater decentralised solar installations is important for us as it reduces stress on the grid. Moreover, developing mega-sized solar projects is still tough for the Union Territory – as it is for most parts of the country — given the difficulty of identifying feasible land banks (500 acres for a 100 MW solar park) in the hilly topography. J&K's power sector, with a legacy of some of the highest aggregate technical and commercial (ATC) losses (over 50 per cent) in the country, has had one of the most interesting 'unbundling' or corporatisation journeys in India — a process intensified by the removal of Article 370. Our nascent discoms, plagued by a growing base of non-paying consumers at one point, have come a long way in the last few years in terms of loss reduction while implementing some major reforms like smart metering and prepaid billing. Surya Ghar might be one of the highest per-individual subsidies offered by the government of India. Typically, running such a huge process with such heavy financial disbursals is tricky and leakage-prone, but the design of the scheme implementation process via the Surya Ghar 2.0 portal has become a major game-changer. It has helped cut through red tape and eradicated physical inspection steps such as approving minimal load feasibility by default. Most importantly, the heavy CFA subsidy is automatically credited to the beneficiary's bank account within a month, with no need for follow-ups. Going beyond the dependence on consumer choice, a low-hanging fruit where governmental investment directly counts is solarisation of government buildings. We have embarked on an ambitious plan to solarise around 22,500 government buildings, out of which around 30 per cent have been solarised already, resulting in a capacity addition of 60 MW. Another aspect is the PM KUSUM scheme for solarisation of irrigation pumps, under which around 23,000 sites across J&K, ranging from the basmati belts of Jammu to the saffron fields of Pampore, are being targeted for solarisation. A major spin-off benefit of Surya Ghar is the employment boost it has given to the local economy. Apart from panel suppliers and retailers, the Surya Ghar vendors are actively engaging a large number of youth to handle installation, maintenance and servicing of panels. Energy independence is key to the goal of atma nirbharta as outlined by the Prime Minister. The step taken to redefine MSMEs was a major boost to private participation in solar PV manufacturing. However, in the global race to install more solar capacity, neighbouring China's burgeoning PV panel manufacturing output needs to be outscored. This can happen with local demand pushing domestic production, which has to be qualitatively strong and financially competitive enough to ensure edge against cheaper imports. So far, the narrative around renewable energy has implied that sustainability requires compromise – financial or material. This, however, changes with Surya Ghar: Sustainability is now, in terms of investment, the economically wiser choice, and a more fashionable alternative. As I dwelt upon Pradeep's rationale behind his Suryaghar investment, I realised that we need to explore successful investment options more actively in order to ensure energy security and the atma nirbharta of our future generations. The full answer may elude us right now, but we do know that the sun will indeed shine for all eternity.
