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‘Will launch pilot project to install solar houses in Haryana soon': Khattar on Vij's proposal
The Ministry of Power 'will soon launch a pilot project to install solar houses across Haryana', Union Energy Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Friday, adding that if successful, it will eventually be expanded to other states.
A solar house, also known as a solar home system (SHS), utilises solar panels to generate electricity from sunlight, which can then be used to power a home's electrical needs. The system can either be on-grid (connect to power grid) or off-grid (operate independently of grid).
The announcement came after Haryana Energy Minister Anil Vij — during the Regional Power Conference with northern states and union territories, in Chandigarh on Friday — suggested the construction of solar houses in Haryana villages, to 'meet farmers' rising power needs'.
Currently, many in Haryana villages have 10-kilowatt (kW) solar panels, Vij said. 'For higher capacity needs, dedicated solar houses will be more feasible. They require reliable electricity supply for agricultural activities, regardless of the source — solar, Bhakra or power central pool. Thus, a comprehensive solar project should be implemented to benefit all the stakeholders.'
'The state government has been working on promoting the use of solar energy across Haryana, so that it becomes self-reliant in the power sector. The Energy Department should run a pilot project to install solar houses across Haryana, and if successful, it could be expanded to other regions of the state,' Vij added.
Khattar said India's renewable energy share in the total installed power capacity has increased to 49 per cent in April 2025 from 32 per cent in 2014.
The minister said states should also work on having an adequate power generation mix, including the addition of nuclear generation capacity while meeting their resource adequacy plan.
He also pointed out that states should complete the installation of prepaid smart metres in government establishments and colonies by August 2025 and for all commercial, industrial and high-load consumers by November 2025.
States should work towards listing power sector utilities to generate additional resources and improve transparency and governance, the minister noted.
'We successfully met a peak demand of 250 GW in May 2024 and India has transformed from power-deficit to a power-sufficient nation and as of today, peak demand shortage is zero,' he said.
He outlined the importance of continuous cooperation and coordination between central and state governments in achieving the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
India's peak electricity demand is projected to reach 446 GW by 2034-35 and meeting this sustainably requires proactive planning and continued coordination between the centre, states, and stakeholders, the minister said.
He also advised states to implement Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) Guidelines and urged them to form dedicated teams for this critical planning.
The minister highlighted the importance of cyber-security measures and islanding schemes as effective measures to prevent power outages due to cyber concerns and enable the resilience of the grid.
Earlier, Vij urged Khattar to approve the 'viability gap funding for a 600 megawatt-hour (MWh) Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Haryana', while requesting 'early approval' for Rs 3,179.47-crore proposals under the Revised Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) to strengthen supply systems in Sonepat and Jhajjar, and Rs 142 crore for the pending proposal of a 33 kV substation augmentation under the LRP plan.
The Haryana Energy Minister also proposed a policy to 'regulate the installation of poles, substations and transmission lines' on agricultural fields and residential areas, in a bid to prevent inconvenience to stakeholders, while suggesting 'underground cabling' in densely populated or sensitive areas.
The meeting was attended by Anil Vij ( Energy Minister, Haryana), Harbhajan Singh ( Power Minister, Punjab), Subodh Uniyal (Forest Minister, Uttarakhand), A K Sharma ( Energy Minister, Uttar Pradesh), Ashish Sood (Power Minister, Delhi), Javed Ahmad Rana (Jal Shakti, Environment & Forest & Tribal Affairs, Jammu & Kashmir) and Heeralal Nagar (Energy Minister of State, Rajasthan).
