Tuesday, 31 October 2023

RKS liberates RTSP

( read : Shri R K Singh liberated Roof Top Solar Power )

Context :

Rooftop solar programme / 22 Jan 2022

Extract :

Subject – Environment

Context – Rooftop solar programme norms eased

Concept :

· India has significant rooftop solar potential at 1.7 petawatt hour per year.

Changes introduced :

· MNRE said that now it is not necessary for a household to get the RTS installed by any of the listed vendors of a State Discom. The households can also install the equipment on their own and inform the Discom along with a photograph of the system.

o The Discom will then have to ensure that net metering is provided within 15 days.

o The government said that individual households can now opt for a vendor of their choice.

· The subsidy amount for purchasing the equipment will be credited directly into their bank accounts, within 30 days of installation.

About the scheme :

· Implemented by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

· Presently under implementation is the Grid-Connected Rooftop Solar Scheme (Phase II), it aims to achieve a cumulative capacity of 40,000 MW from Rooftop Solar Projects by the year 2022.

· This scheme is being implemented in the state by distribution companies (DISCOMs).

The major objective of the programme includes :

· To promote the grid-connected SPV rooftop and small SPV power generating plants among the residential, community, institutional, industrial and commercial establishments.

· To mitigate the dependence on fossil fuel based electricity generation and encourage environment-friendly Solar electricity generation.

· To create an enabling environment for investment in the solar energy sector by the private sector, state government and the individuals.

· To create an enabling environment for the supply of solar power from rooftop and small plants to the grid.

MY TAKE :

Dear Shri R K Sighji ( Minister for New and Renewable Energy ),

While congratulating for this “ minor liberalization “ of current ROOF TOP SOLAR REGIME , please ask if this is enough, considering :

# Our installed capacity of Roof Top Solar was a meagre is 6.0 GW By Oct 2021

# Our target is to achieve 40 GW by the current year ( 2022 )

Obviously an impossible task, with just 11 months left to install 34 GW

( Source : Why India's rooftop solar installation initiative is yet to see the light of success )

Could we achieve this target in next 22 months ?

Yes

By UNLEASHING the power of the sun through implementation of suggestion in my following e-mail :

Sun : Our Soul ( A New SOS ) …………………………………. 02 Jan 2017

Extract :

Why install small solar power plants on roof tops ?

Simple :

With roof-top based solar plants , we don't need to distribute power over long distances , using nation-wide distribution network. We produce / store / consume power in same place

So no transmission costs / losses / thefts !

There are no " intermediaries " between producers and consumers ( eg: DISCOMS )

No need of elaborate " metering / billing / accounting "

No need for PPA ( Power Purchase Agreements ) between producers and DISCOMs

A roof top solar installation can be done in a matter of hours, providing employment to lakhs of Installation Technicians, employed by thousands of MSME engaged in such work

Many more lakhs will find jobs in companies engaged in manufacture of allied electrical / electronic / storage batteries etc

So enormous " Job Generation " as a by-product

These local MSME manufacturers / installers , will aggressively compete and provide quick / efficient , after-sales service

Of course , roof top solar power's Capital Cost per kwh is higher than same for large land based installations . Over the next couple of years, this will even out

But as I mentioned in my earlier blog :

* COST OF FUEL ( Sun ) is ZERO

* COST OF MAINTENANCE , too , is nearly NIL

Practically , the only cost of a roof top based solar plant is " INTEREST ON CAPITAL "

Now NDA government has announced a Capital Subsidy of 30 % on " Competitively Discovered Price " for roof top installations and made an allocation of ( approx ) , Rs 5200 crores ( $ 750 million ), for putting up 4200 MW

But , on the balance 70 % of Capital Cost , users will need to borrow money from banks at 10 % - 15 % interest and go through a lengthy approval process and hypothecate the assets

And ensure timely repayment of EMI in order, not to get their plants " repossessed " !

But imagine following scenario :

* Government declares units belonging to " Solar Power ( Panel Mfr / Power Production &

Distribution / Ancillary Mfr ) " as a " SOS " industry

* Units will need to register as such with Department of Company Affairs ( DIPP )

* Units will be exempt from paying Corporate Income Tax for 10 years , on whatever

income they earn ( only those starting operations latest by 31 March 2018 )

* No questions will be asked as to the " source " of funds invested in the shares of such

units ( a kind of Temporary Amnesty Scheme - 01 April 2017 till 31 March 2018 - to

channelize BLACK MONEY into creation of PRODUCTIVE / NON-POLUTING assets )

* Units cannot engage in any other Industrial / Commercial / Financial activities

* Units cannot declare any dividends to share-holders for 10 years

These are just broad outlines and details need to be worked out

If there is political courage to pull off such an initiative , government will NOT need to allocate ANY AMOUNT !

NO NEED TO SUBSIDIZE THESE UNITS OR THE USERS , WITH THE TAX PAYERS' MONEY !

Instead of that $ 750 million allocation ( from tax payers' money ) , Black Money holders will readily pump in $ 750 BILLION into the SOLAR INDUSTRY ( enough for additional installed capacity of 750 GW - as against our current installed capacity 8.63 GW of solar , and a target of 100 GW , by 2022 ! )

Remember , how , only a few months back , tiny Indonesia managed to collect $ 300 billion of its Black Money , by levying tax ( no penalty ) of just 4 % !

And with this kind of INCENTIVE WINDOW ( to convert BLACK into WHITE ) , expect

* Hundreds of SOS Units to spring up before 31 March 2018

* They will have ZERO cost as far as servicing of EQUITY is concerned ! No dividends !

* They will not need to borrow funds from banks and pay interest ( no danger of NPA ! )

* They will say : We are not in the business of " manufacturing of panels " but we are in

the business of " Delivering electric power to homes / businesses "

With regards

Hemen Parekh / hcp@RecruitGuru.com / 24 Jan 2022

Thank You, Shri R K Singhji : the Green Warrior……………[ 26 Oct 2021 ]

Not Good Enough ! ……………………………………………………………[ 02 Dec 2017 ]

Treading ( gently ) on Solar Power Trading…………………… .[ 18 Oct 2021 ]

No Godfather for Rooftop Solar ? ……………………………………..[ 01 June 2021 ]

Market-based Model for Renewable Energy ………………………[ 09 June 2021 ]

Congratulations , Shri R K Singhji …………………………………….[ 19 Nov 2020 ]