New Delhi: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has issued guidelines for incentivising power distribution companies (DISCOMs) for the installation of rooftop solar projects under PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana in the areas serviced by them. “Under the scheme, the DISCOMs shall be required to put in place several facilitative measures for promotion of rooftop solar in their respective areas such as availability of net meters, timely inspection and commissioning of installations, vendor registration and management, interdepartmental convergence for solarizing government building etc. It is also expected that rooftop solar installations shall be undertaken by the commercial and industrial segments under the DISCOM areas,” said the MNRE in its guidelines.
“In order to enable DISCOMs to undertake these tasks more effectively and to create a greater motivation within DISCOMs as SIAs for the scheme, the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana has a provision to incentivize DISCOMs,” said the MNRE
DISCOMs or power departments will serve as the State Implementation Agency (SIA) at the state/UT-level. The total financial outlay for the ‘Incentives to DISCOMs’ component is Rs 4,950 crore, said the MNRE. The ministry was implementing the Grid-Connected Rooftop Solar (GCRT) Phase II Programme under which incentives to DISCOMs were provided under Component B. After the approval of PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, the Phase II programme has been subsumed under the new scheme. This scheme component will operate in continuation of the Component B of GCRT Phase II programme.
“The Incentives to DISCOMs shall provide resources to the DISCOMs to participate in IEC and branding activities, create conducive regulatory and administrative mechanisms to ensure adherence to timelines for approvals (feasibility, commissioning, inspection, grievance redressal etc.), achieve targets for implementation, ensuring timely availability of net meters, saturation of RTS on government buildings, utilisation of incentive for RTS-dedicated activities, incentivising field-level staff through recognition and rewards and other measures that are to be undertaken by the State DISCOMs or other agencies for RTS deployment,” said the MNRE.
DISCOMs will receive incentives based on their achievement in the installation of additional grid-connected rooftop solar capacity beyond a baseline level. The scheme also has provision of indicative rewards system to recognise and motivate the field staff of DISCOMs. Specifically, the incentives are structured to reward DISCOMs with 5 percent of the applicable benchmark cost for achieving an additional capacity of 10 percent to 15 percent over the installed base and 10 percent for capacities beyond 15 percent. This progressive incentive mechanism aims to drive higher participation from DISCOMs and ensure robust growth in rooftop solar capacity, said the MNRE.
Under PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, the government is aiming to install rooftop solar plants in 1 crore households by FY2026-27 with a total financial outlay of Rs 75,021 crore. The scheme is expected to add 30 GW of rooftop solar capacity across households and government buildings.
(PSU Watch– India's Business News centre that places the spotlight on PSUs, Bureaucracy, Defence and Public Policy is now on Google News. Click here to follow. Also, join PSU Watch Channel in your Telegram. You may also follow us on Twitter here and stay updated.)