Solar rooftop drive: People’s movement essential to enhance installations in India
The government has set an ambitious target to develop 175 gigawatt (GW) renewable energy by 2022, comprising 100GW solar, 60GW wind, 10GW biomass and 5GW small hydro projects. Of the total 100GW solar installation, 40GW would be rooftop and the balance 60GW would be ground-mounted utility scale. The Draft National Electricity Plan released recently by the Central Electricity Authority of India (CEA) has envisaged additional 1,00,000 MW renewable energy during 2022-27. Considering similar percentage of rooftop addition during 2022-27, it is expected that rooftop solar would be further added to about 24,000MW. Thus, the total rooftop installation until 2027 would be 64,000MW. This has become more crucial now, upon the ratification of the Paris Agreement. The total solar installation in India currently is to the tune of 9,000 MW. Of this 9,000MW, rooftop installation is about 1,020MW, comprising 377MW industrial, 263MW commercial, 121MW government and 260MW residential. Most of the installation—853MW (85%)—was developed under the capex model, and the balance 15%, i.e, 167MW, was developed under the opex model. The target set by the government is about 1,500MW in FY17. The balance 38,500MW rooftop needs to be installed in the next 5-6 years, i.e, about 6,500MW per year. International experience Globally, rooftop installation has picked up or is picking up, as there is pressure on the availability of land. In fact, 40-50% of the total installation in many countries is rooftop (see accompanying chart). The lessons learnt are that soft loans, tax credits, the role of municipalities and market-based economy have yielded better results than the earlier policy of feed-in-tariff and direct capital subsidy. Rooftop potential It is estimated to be about 1,24,000MW. The urban settlement is about 77,370 sq km, with 38% residential, 4% commercial, 3% industrial and the balance 55% others. Taking into account the global experience, even if 30% of the total solar installation on residential/small commercial rooftop is considered, we need about 40 lakh residential/small commercial installations with an average 3kW solar installation per roof. Thus, one could well imagine the effort required to involve 4 million roofs, though it is merely 1.3% of the total 300 million houses existing in the country. Recently, the government identified about 7,000MW rooftop installation on government and institutional buildings. About 500MW was tendered earlier and awarded. Another large tender of 1,000MW comprising 700MW opex model and 300MW capex model has been invited by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), with subsidy varying from 35% to 90%. To meet the gigantic task, residential/small commercial less than 10kW need to be involved on a large scale. However, various issues need to be addressed. * Degradation of rooftop solar modules is higher than ground-mounted ones, as the cooling effect is better in the latter type. An initial study pointed out that rooftop installation degradation is as high as 2.5% per year, as against 0.6-0.8% on ground-mounted installation. A detailed survey needs to be carried out to further study the degradation pattern. * To increase the rooftop penetration in the residential, commercial and industrial sectors, awareness must be brought to all the stakeholders, i.e. a ‘people’s movement’ through strong campaigning. * There are lot of teething troubles in implementation, as it is an emerging area that needs to be streamlined, including net metering approvals, delays in approvals from discoms, large variation of solar penetration percentage in a feeder amongst various discoms, scientific determination through modelling/appropriate software in determination of percentage penetration of solar installations, etc. Then there is lack of clarity on responsibility of bearing the cost augmentation of distribution system due to solar rooftop installation. There is also a need for standardisation of installation methodology to minimise installation time and better cooling/lesser degradation and to reduce the cost. Other issues are liberalisation or waiving of inspections of small-size solar installations at consumer premises, waiving building height approvals from municipalities or authorities, capacity building of discom staff to handle emerging areas, and availability of pan-India skilled manpower in solar installation and O&M. *Suitable quality control of solar module availability in the Indian market for easier access of good quality products by small customers. *Easy access of finance for small solar installations is a critical success factor to enhance the penetration of rooftop. In addition to Capex models, third-party models such as Opex and lease model financial products must be introduced, like a home or a car loan, in a big way for smaller installations. Brett Hundley Womens Jersey
Govt’s solar park plan a lifeline for power transmission business
The government’s decision last month to double solar park capacity to 40,000 megawatts (MW) in three years has opened up a new business opportunity worth up to Rs20,000 crore for power transmission companies. Adding new 50 ultra-mega solar parks to the 34 under construction in 21 states, as decided by the cabinet on 22 February, will need to significantly widen the green energy corridor—the transmission network for the solar parks—an official at Solar Energy Corp. of India, a state-owned company in charge of implementing various solar power projects, said. The ongoing Rs13,000-crore green energy corridor-II project connecting the 34 parks under construction and new transmission projects will be identified keeping in mind the location of the new parks, said the official, requesting anonymity. Transmission networks within the state where projects come up will be assigned to transmission utilities by the states, while inter-state projects will be assigned by the central government. Since construction of solar parks takes way less time than setting up a transmission corridor, transmission projects that need quick execution will be assigned to central or state transmission firms, while those for power plants that will come up at a later stage are likely to be auctioned as it affords sufficient time for a tariff-based bidding, an official in the power ministry said requesting anonymity. According to I.S. Jha, chairman and managing director of Power Grid Corp. Ltd, which prepared the road map for the green energy corridor-II, not all the proposed new solar parks may come up at new locations and many could be in the solar and land resource rich states such as Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, where such parks are already operating. “The required additional transmission capacity may be a mix of inter-state and intra-state. In the case of a new solar park, generally, the cost of transmission comes to Rs50 lakh to Rs1 crore per MW, depending on location,” said Jha. Under the green energy corridor project-II, 32 transmission projects—Rs8,041 crore of inter-state networks and Rs4,745 crore of intra-state network—are being constructed. Under the original 100 gigawatt (GW) solar capacity addition plan, 20GW was to come from solar parks which needed high-end transmission network and 40GW each from roof-top projects and distributed power projects, both of which require very limited transmission network. This has now been recalibrated to provide for 40GW of solar park capacity, merging with it a part of the planned distributed solar capacity. According to Reji Kumar Pillai, president and chief executive officer of India Smart Grid Forum, a public-private partnership of the power ministry, the real challenge of integrating renewable energy into the gird is in the roof-top segment. Integration of renewable energy into the low-voltage distribution grid is a major engineering challenge for power distributors, whereas transmission utilities are better-equipped to manage integration of MW-scale solar plants and wind farms connected at high voltage, he said. Jaron Brown Authentic Jersey
Cheap Chinese imports hurt domestic solar cell, module makers
Indian solar cells and modules manufacturers have not able to cash in on the opportunity of rising solar power installations thanks to Chinese competition. Between April and October 2016, India imported solar power material worth more than $1 billion. Solar power installations in India reached 4 GW in 2016, up from 883 MW in 2014. Installations are expected to surpass 9 GW in 2017. The Centre wants to ramp up domestic manufacturing to reduce imports of solar modules but the challenge is competition from Chinese manufacturers. Also, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruled last year that India’s domestic content requirements discriminated against US manufacturers. The Indian solar cells and modules industry mainly focuses on exports to Europe. India had exported almost $1 billion in solar modules before the National Solar Mission was set up. Exports boomed in 2008 due to global demand, but slowed down thereafter. As manufacturing took off in China, prices dropped to record low levels. From the beginning of 2011 through the end of 2012 module prices fell from $1.80/W to $0.65/W. State funded Chinese manufacturers captured most of the global market. The installed capacity of domestic solar cells and modules in India was estimated to be 2,815 MW and 8,008 MW, respectively, while the operational capacity of solar cells and modules was 1,448 MW and 5,246 MW, respectively, in December 2016. However, manufacturers said the working module manufacturing capacity was approximately 3 GW at the end of 2016. This disparity in figures is due to obsolete manufacturing lines that are still being counted by manufacturers as operating capacity, according to Mercom’s Manufacturing Tracker. In April-October 2016, export and import activity totalling $1.22 billion was registered in the sector. Of this, India imported solar materials worth more than $1 billion. “The problems plaguing the sector are lack of scale, insufficient government support and an underdeveloped supply chain,” a manufacturer said. Manufacturers were hoping for incentives to scale up production, but the Union Budget disappointed them. They also wanted more clarity on state-level incentives so that they could determine the states in which to locate new manufacturing units. According to Mercom, Indian modules typically cost 10 per cent more than Chinese ones. With highly competitive auctions for solar parks, like the one in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, solar energy tariffs have fallen below Rs 4/kWh. Such tariffs are only viable with cheaper Chinese panels. Patrick Chung Authentic Jersey
Thermal power generation to reduce by half in next five years
Coal-fired power generation is expected to grow 4.05 per cent during 2017-18, suggests Central Electricity Authority (CEA) in its latest estimates. Hydel on the other hand is expected to grow 5.52 per cent, while nuclear will grow only about 2.43 per cent during the same year. CEA has estimated that coal-fired power plants are likely to generate 9,58,444 million units of power in 2017-18. In contrast it had estimated a total generation of 9,21,129 million units of power in 2016-17. About 89 per cent of the estimated power generation from coal-fired power plants has already been achieved between April 1, 2016 and January 2017. The estimate pegs growth of conventional power generation, which includes thermal, nuclear, hydel and import from Bhutan, at 4.35 per cent during 2017-18. Around 12,29,400 million units of power is likely to be generated from the conventional sources in 2017-18 against 11,78,000 million units in 2016-17. Nevertheless, CEA has also estimated that all coal-based thermal power plants need to brace for drastic fall in capacity utilisation to as low as 48 per cent by 2022 as additional non-thermal electricity generation capacities come on stream. CEA has predicted that by 2022 many plants may get partial or no schedule of generation at all – meaning many thermal power plants may have to be kept idle for lack of demand. According to CEA, installed capacity from different fuel types at the end of 2021-22 in base case works out to be 523 gigawatt including 50 GW of coal based capacity addition currently under construction and likely to yield benefits during 2017-22. “In order to accommodate high quantum of renewable energy into the grid, thermal plants are likely to run at low plant load factor (capacity utilisation) in future,” CEA predicted in its report. In fact, it has suggested that a market mechanism through regulatory intervention needs to be evolved so that the owners of thermal plants are able to recoup the investment and at the same time, customers are not unnecessarily burdened with high tariff. “Technical viability of plants goes for a toss if they run under 55 per cent capacity utilisation – a fact which is recognised by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission. It is detrimental for the plant boilers and leads to drastic reduction in plant life,” said power sector experts. “These plants are designed to run at very high capacity utilisation – around 85 per cent. When they runs much below full load, it consumes more coal leading to under recovery of energy charges, as regulations does not provide for this.” “Plants without power purchase agreement for even a portion of their capacity are in for trouble. Reduction in capacity utilisation leads to decline in revenue income for the plant. At less than 60 per cent capacity utilisation the margin, which would otherwise provide for operating costs including interest cost, other than coal costs, would get wiped off. These plants are headed for trouble,” he said.
Rajasthan, Haryana, Chhattisgarh discoms major gainers under UDAY
The power distribution utilities in Rajasthan, Haryana, Chhattisgarh and Punjab are among major gainers in lowering their interest cost under UDAY scheme meant for revival of discoms. “State power distribution companies (DISCOMs) are reporting handsome savings and improvements in operational efficiency and found ways of cutting down power theft under Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY),” a senior official said. UDAY scheme was rolled out about 15 months ago in November 2015. As many as 22 states have joined the scheme so far. Elaborating further, the official said,”Utilities in Rajasthan, Haryana, Chhattisgarh and Punjab are among the major gainers in lowering their interest cost. The Rajasthan government projected a saving of Rs 4,697 crore, Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam projected a saving of Rs 766 crore and Chhattisgarh projected a saving of Rs 526 crore.” “Dakshin Haryana DISCOM has achieved the book profit of about Rs 78 crore in first half of this fiscal in the backdrop of Rs 479 crore loss in fiscal 2016. This is commendable achievement by the DISCOM after joining UDAY,” the official said. Out of 22 states under UDAY fold, power tariff orders for 2016-17 have been issued in 18 states. Therefore, they are working towards maintaining the financial viability and operations on commercial principles of State DISCOMs. The official said that Finance Ministry has already given permission to 12 states – Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh to issue bonds to the tune of Rs 1,94,681.49 crore. The states issued bonds worth Rs 1.83 lakh crore under the UDAY scheme to revive their debt laden discoms. State run power giant NTPC has been handholding state electricity generation utilities in improving their operational efficiency through organising various workshops involving knowledge transfer relating to productivity enhancement and deputing its staff to study processes of various project sites. The official said,”With coal rationalisation and import substitution, NTPC has been able to achieve savings of 32 paise/unit. Even considering coal price hike, increase in clean energy cess & railway freight, there is a net benefit of 6.5 paise/Unit.” Some of the initiative by the states to improve their performance include Manipur DISCOM-MSPDCL’s effort to install pre-paid electricity meters to reduce the outstanding consumer debts, energy theft and improve the billing efficiency. The revenue collection has gone up from Rs 88.61 crore in 2012-13 (Rs 7.38 crore monthly average) to Rs 175.95 crore in 2015-16 (Rs 14.66 crore monthly average). T.J. Oshie Authentic Jersey
Essar Power Hazira attains 100% capacity utilization within 3 months
Essar Power Hazira Ltd, a subsidiary of Essar Power Ltd, on Friday, announced that its 2×135 MW power project in Hazira, Gujarat, was now operating consistently at close to 100% capacity utilization. The achievement is significant because it comes close on the heels of the commissioning of the second unit, which occurred just three months ago. It is also an indicator for the increased capacity utilization of its captive client—Essar Steel’s 10 million tonne Hazira-based steel complex, KVB Reddy, CEO, Essar Power, said. The plant can run on multiple fuels, like coal, corex fines and corex gas, simultaneously. It can also utilize excess gases from the process units of steelmaking operations. Over the last few weeks, it has lived up to its green commitment by using a higher proportion of by-products from the steelmaking process, including coal fines and corex gas. The plant is also helping bring down Essar Steel’s power procurement cost, while lending unmatched reliability and flexibility to the steelmaking process. Essar Steel has increased its capacity utilization from 30% to 80% over the last one year, he said in a release. Close to 80% of Essar Power’s targeted capacity of 6,100 MW, which comprises both captive and IPP assets, have been made operational. In the last two years, increased coal availability, both from domestic and overseas suppliers, as well as the strong operational efficiencies harnessed by Essar Power’s technical team have helped improve performance significantly. In October 2016, Essar Power had commissioned Unit 2 of Phase I (2X30 MW) of the 2×60 MW Paradip power project. Earlier in May 2016, the company restarted first unit of its 2×600 MW Mahan power project after a 19-month shutdown. Danilo Gallinari Jersey
Kudankulam power transmission lines to be completed by 2018
The setting up of the Kudankulam-Kochi 400kv power transmission line for power evacuation from the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project has gained speed and is expected to be completed next year. According to P Vijayakumari, director, Transmissions and System Operations, KSEB Ltd., the transmission lines will be completed by December 2018. “The state badly needs these transmission lines. It will become the backbone of the power supply of the state once completed,” she said. She also said that all the oppositions regarding the Land Acquisition for setting up the tower stations of the power lines have come down. “Very attractive compensation is being offered for the affected parties and hope that people will realise it and withdraw their protests,” she said. She also said that the power lines are necessary for the state not only for the power supply from the nuclear project but also for maintaining a power system in the state. The KSEB is also planning three substations along the route of the power lines. The proposed line passes through Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Ernakulam districts. The major opposition faced by the project in the state was in Kottayam district. There are around 140 Tower stations in the district alone. Though the work for setting up the power lines began 11 years back, due to stiff opposition from the affected persons only 88 tower points could be located and out of them only the foundations of eight were completed. According to Vijayakumari, discussions were held by the people’s representatives with the affected persons in places where there were issues and slowly the opposition has died out in Kottayam district. Now the survey for the remaining 49 towers will begin from Wednesday in Anickad, Pampady, Kangazha, Vellavoor and Manimala Panchaytas, said an official of the Land Acquisition department. Now, that the Athirappally Hydro Electric project has resurfaced again amidst widespread protests, the focus have shifted to Koodankulam project, making it as a possible alternative for Athirappally. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan is determined to implement the project within a time frame. The Powergrid corporation has also assured the Government of completing the project within six months of the completion of Land Acquisition. The LDF Government has also increased the compensation amount from Rs 341 crores to Rs 1020 crores following discussions with Powergrid Corporation. Vladimir Sobotka Jersey
Why Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Project is a breakthrough for India’s 100 GW renewables ambition
The recent record low solar tariffs have once again started the murmurs in the in the business circles and in the media about how low tariffs will render this sector ineffective in the long run. This argument was valid when we were in the midst of falling prices last year in the host of NTPC/SECI project auctions. While, the current Rewa Project pricing is in a very different context, it has not stopped the “low prices danger” brigade who are extending this argument to the whole industry. The idea behind this article is to dispel such wrong notions and set out how the Rewa Project is different from other solar projects and, therefore, the pricing here may not be the right benchmark for all other projects. First, and most importantly, it is required to note that this is an “Ultra Mega Power Project” on the likes of the UMPPs in coal which had seen a record low in coal power pricing of sub Rs 2 per unit levels. Therefore, by their very nature, UMPPs have the natural advantage of scale and project level benefits which the normal power projects do not have and, therefore, they tend to be of lower risks and hence lower tariffs. Let us examine this project a bit more. In the Rewa Project, the quoted tariff for solar power has dropped to Rs 2.97 per kWh in 2017 from the highs of around Rs 12 per kWh in 2010, which is a huge decline. Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Project in MP, for 750 MW, is thus a landmark project in the short history of reverse auctions in Solar in India. Overall, 20 companies took a part in Rewa bidding out of which 18 companies are successfully qualified for reverse auction and three companies who have won the bid are Mahindra Renewables, ACME solar & Solenergi Power with all-time lowest tariff Rs 2.97 per kWh. The most electrifying part of solar technology is that it is constantly changing with the steadily dropping cost. One of the advantages of this project is that the selected bidder will sign a power purchase agreement with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and Madhya Pradesh Power Management Corporation (MPPMCL). Since DMRC is financially sound, there is no payment realisation risk. Also, deemed generation is allowed which means if there is no offtake of power then the developer would be compensated for the power generation. Guaranteed generation is the additional key feature which enables each off takers to get the supply. Firstly it will be supplied to Delhi Metro rail corporation (DMRC) and then rest will be provided to Madhya Pradesh Power Management Company Ltd (MPPMCL). Rewa project has its own unique features. For this project, the overall groundwork has been done by the State Government i.e. the identification of the land for the project as well as the land allotment to the developer. The developer has to pay land charges of Rs 5.4 crore for each 250 MW unit, infrastructure charges of Rs 3.57 crore for every six months for first 10 years for each 250 MW unit, administrative charges of Rs 75 lakh for each 250 MW unit, local area development charges of Rs 5 crore (in two instalment), registration fees Rs 2.5 crore and project development fees of Rs 76 lakh. All these payment mechanism removes the uncertainties as compared to others projects. Loan for the development of 33/220 KV Pooling substation to evacuate power from the Rewa Solar power project is done through World Bank. It is one of the first project to get funding from Clean Technology Fund (CTF) in India. In this project they introduce three tier payment security Mechanism for the procurer. Largest solar power tender is led by a State and not led by Central Public Sector Units (CPSUs). There is no Viability Gap Funding for the developers. This is one of the highly bankable project as all arrangements are done by the government i.e. from land to grid connectivity. In this scenario, the developers can tie up their debt funding for long tenure at lower costs. If we compare Rewa projects with other projects like SECI Anantapur & Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh, and NTPC Rajasthan etc, this UMPP has far more security and lower risks to justify the viability of this low price of Rs 2.97 per Unit. Looking at the big picture of the 100GW vision of the Government, they had kept aside 20 GW to come for such UMPP’s and based on the success here – it is now hiked to 40 GW. To achieve this target, the number of installations would be at least 50 solar parks, each with a capacity of 500 MW. Large chunks of land are available in some States. There are some developers who are keen to take up their very large projects. Land has been identified in Gujarat, Rajasthan, J&K (Leh and Kargil) and Madhya Pradesh. This will help the Government of India to achieve the 100 GW target of Solar power in India. Thomas Davis Jersey
Don’t give rooftop solar units the short shrift
Riding on the wave of the record low solar tariff, of Rs 2.97/kWh, in the 750 MW Rewa Solar Park project in Madhya Pradesh, the Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs approved increasing the number of such parks to 50 (from 33), which will take the installed capacity from 20 GW to 40 GW by 2020. An additional Rs 8,100 crore ($1.2 billion) has been earmarked for this. It is perfectly logical for the government to hand large, ground-based solar parks a boost considering that the Madhya Pradesh bids showed that solar can compete financially with fossil fuels. However, the possibility of the government reducing the rooftop photovoltaics (RTPV) target from 40 GW to 20 GW to accommodate the doubling of capacity of solar parks is real and worrying. Promoting large-scale solar may look like an economically-viable option to the government, considering that RTPVs are more expensive than ground-based solar — even though experts in the field agree that the best application of solar is in its decentralised RTPV form. RTPV requires no land (which comes at a premium in countries like India), provides energy security for the consumer and reduces environmental impact by displacing diesel generators. From the perspective of distribution companies (Discoms), RTPV reduces system congestion as well as transmission and distribution losses because generation and usage are decentralised. RTPV also has immense potential, in countries like India, to drive policy changes such as time-of-use pricing, which is at its incipient stage here. Yet, RTPV contributes only around 10 per cent of India’s 10 GW installed solar capacity. Countries such as Germany (>75 per cent), the US (>40 per cent) and Australia (>85 per cent) have a large share of their installed solar capacities on rooftops. Boosting RTPVs in India is necessary. However, various problems associated with it need to be first addressed. The central government offers a 30 per cent capital subsidy for RTPV systems for domestic, institutional and social sector consumers. Recently, the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) floated tenders for 1.5 GW RTPV on government buildings across the country. However, RTPV in India is essentially driven by state-level policies of gross-metering (GM) or net-metering (NM) and more than 90 per cent of the installed 1.1 GW has come through state channels. Each state has its State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) prescribing GM/NM rates based on the PV market economics and the financial strength of the Discoms. Most schemes have a plethora of complicated forms and procedures, restrictions on sanctioned load and unviable rates — all of which dissuade consumers. Applicants for the central capital subsidy have rarely received it because of red-tape issues. A stable policy regime, which aligns well with state and central schemes, a streamlined process to avail subsidies and eradication of corruption are some measures that are urgently required to encourage RTPVs in India. Considering that the onus of adopting RTPVs lies on consumers (unlike developers of solar parks), domestic, institutional, commercial and industrial consumers need to ramp up uptake of RTPV systems for the sector to gain momentum. However, lack of guidance, misinformation and rapidly-changing policy regimes have prevented consumers from investing in RTPV. Unreliable consultants, looking to make a quick buck, fail to explain the intricacies of shadows and grid-connectivity to prospective consumers. Only after installing systems have consumers found out that their business cases are skewed. In Karnataka, more than 1,000 consumers were lured in to sign up for 1 MW systems when their sanctioned load was less than 5 kW and there was no roof! This was because third-party investors wanted to exploit the loopholes in the state RTPV policy which were subsequently addressed in three changes in 2016-17 alone. Unfortunately, these changes in policy and GM/NM rates have made consumers sceptical and only 57 MW has been installed in the state so far. Unsure of receiving monthly payments from Discoms, consumers do not have the confidence (in RTPV) to apply for loans. A one-stop shop is needed that allows consumers to accurately assess the techno-economic potential and facilitate turnkey implementation along with obtaining finance without further hassles. Discoms often complain that RTPV will lead to attrition of revenue. Moreover, there is a fear that the already fragile distribution network might face technical difficulties while importing fluctuating electricity, intermittently generated from RTPV systems. Proper load flow analyses need to be performed taking into account distribution transformers and existing capacities and capabilities. Financial innovations and structural overhauls in Discoms are needed, along with robust roadmaps with stable GM/NM prices, to achieve RTPV targets. State governments and the Centre need to address these issues and attempt to rejuvenate the RTPV segment while encouraging solar parks. With most states on course to achieve their ground-mounted targets by 2020 (Karnataka aims to cross 6 GW by 2018-19) it only makes sense to increase the 100 GW target to accommodate the doubling of solar park capacities whilst keeping the 40 GW RTPV target intact. John Ross Jersey
Solar solution to water crisis in Sundargarh
Come summer and rural population in tribal-dominated Sundargarh district can be seen walking miles for collecting water. But, not anymore. The scene in rural Sundargarh has changed for the better. At least four lakh people would have assured safe drinking water through solar dual pump sets and Reverse Osmosis (RO) plants. During peak summer remote rural pockets, particularly the non-electrified villages, face acute scarcity of safe drinking water. This summer the district administration seems prepared to reduce drinking water drudgery of a substantial chunk of rural people. Administrative sources informed that in 2015-16 and 2016-17 the district had taken up about 1,080 solar dual pump set projects of which about 220 remaining projects would be made operational before summer. It is learnt that Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA) through Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) has complete about 560 solar pump projects and 44 remaining projects are nearing completion. Similarly, the Sundargarh District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) under the Gopabandhu Gramin Yojana has completed 175 such projects in 2015-16, while in 2016-17 about 300 more projects are taken up and around 120 completed. RWSS sources said, in non-electrified villages the solar dual pumps are fitted to existing tube-wells and through sensor technology the overhead tanks of 5,000 liters each get filled up on rotation. Each project costs about `4.6 lakh and covers 250-300 villagers. Significantly, RO plant projects with capacities of 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 liters per hour (lph) are also being implemented at the most populated Gram Panchayat (GP) headquarters or villages in 250 GPs including 39 model GPs. It envisages to rest the ownership of water purification projects with respective GPs. Total installation cost of a RO plant of 1,000 lph varies between Rs 8 lakh and Rs 10 lakh and covers about 1,000 persons with potable drinking water. Sundargarh Collector Bhupendra Singh Poonia said the solar pump projects, work on which have been completed, are producing effective results at targeted locations including all 21 remote and hilly villages under Paudi Bhuiyan Development Agency in Lahunipara block. The RO plants on completion would also ensure safe drinking water to targeted populations, he said adding the administration is in the process of renovation and upgradation of existing water supply projects. He asserted to take up the water supply projects in uncovered areas. Calvin Johnson Womens Jersey