Slow solar scheme portal annoying

People unable to upload documents as server is down

Hyderabad: Despite friendly policies and a subsidy of 60 per cent offered by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) for the installation of rooftop solar systems on residential buildings under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, the people of Telangana are unable to avail of the benefits due to slowing down of the National Portal set up to accept applications. According to Telangana Solar Energy Association president B Ashok Kumar Goud, people are unable to register on the portal as it was taking long to upload applications.

“As a large number of people across the country are applying for the scheme, most of the time the server is down, making it difficult for them to upload their applications. People want to apply for the scheme, but since it is taking long, a majority of them are opting out of it,” he said. Apart from the slow server, it was also found that a majority of the consumers were unable to process their applications on the portal as they were not mentioning their email ID in the form as it has been marked as optional, Goud said.

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“As submitting email IDs have been made optional, a majority of the applicants are avoiding the column. We request the government to either remove the column or make it mandatory so that every consumer fills it,” he said. Stating that the association has received over 3,000 applications for installing rooftop solar panels under PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana in the State in the last one month, he urged the Centre to take measures to increase the speed of the portal. “It’s a golden opportunity for the people of the State to install rooftop solar panels on houses and offices. We have already represented the matter to the MNRE officials. We expect the Centre to take measures to resolve the issue at the earliest,” Goud said.

Besides, the delay in issuing technical feasibility approval by the Telangana State Renewable Energy Development Corporation Limited (TSREDCO) was also creating problems for consumers. Though the union Ministry of Power has issued a gazette notification removing the power of discoms to grant technical clearance up to a production capacity of 10 kWh, the State government has not started implementing it so far. Earlier, discoms were required to conduct a feasibility study for rooftop solar projects within 20 days of an application being filed, and then intimate the outcome to the applicant. The latest amendments have reduced that period to 15 days. Moreover, if the study is not completed by then, it shall be presumed that the proposal is technically feasible.

The PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana provides for a subsidy of 60 per cent of the solar unit cost for systems up to 2-kW capacity and 40 per cent of additional system cost for systems between 2 and 3-kW capacity. The subsidy has been capped at 3-kW capacity.

At current benchmark prices, this will mean Rs 30,000 subsidy for 1 KW system, Rs 60,000 for 2 KW systems and Rs 78,000 for 3 KW systems or higher. Although people in the State are keen on switching to solar power, the uptake of rooftop solar systems is poor, which is primarily because of the high cost of installation — approximately Rs 2 lakh for a 3-KW system and Rs 5 lakh and more for a 6-KW system. “If the State government could provide some kind of financial assistance to instal rooftop solar panels, a lot of people would come forward to join the scheme. States such as Gujarat and Rajasthan are offering subsidies to consumers. We should also do it,” Goud said. “High costs, tedious application and installation procedures, and tardy delivery of services are some of the hurdles, due to which people are not coming forward to install rooftop solar panels in the State,” he said.