Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Thursday, 23 November 2023

DEAR SHRI R K SINGHJI / 40 % SUBSIDY FOR SOLAR ROOFTOP WILL TAKE US NOWHERE !

 If you don’t obsolete yourself…

 

 

Then someone else will

 

( Ted Levitt in his essay , “ Marketing Myopia )

 

 

Apparently, Mumbai DISCOMS ( Adani – Tata – BEST ) seems to have realized this

 

 

Context :

Mumbai: Firms woo residents to solar panels with subsidy, bill savings   / TOI  /  24 Aug 2021

 

 

Extract :

 

Ø      DISCOMs announced up to 40 % subsidy on installing solar panels on building rooftops

Ø      There will be a net metering system, wherein whatever solar power you generate, goes to the grid.And this is adjusted with

      your monthly electricity bill

Ø      Excess units generated will be credited in future billings

Ø      A 1 kWp panel – it occupies 110 sq ft – costs Rs 46,000, but with 40 % subsidy it reduces to Rs 27,600 , including tax,    

      installation, 5-year maintenance

Ø      The savings could range from Rs 800 to Rs 2400 a month, depending on 1 – 3 kWp of solar panel installed

Ø      On the other hand, if the panel generates more units than what you consume, then the EXCESS units are kept in an

      ENERGY BANK

Ø      One can install a maximum  10 kWp panels on a rooftop

 

 

MY  TAKE :

 

 

Ø      Most of these proviso are old stuff . May be earlier subsidy of 30 % got raised to 40 % ( tinkering ? )

 

Ø      What did enthuse me however, is the use of the term “ ENERGY BANK “ – something which I suggested in my following

      earlier e-mails :

 

         #  Congratulations , Shri R K Singhji    ………………  19 Nov 2020 

 

             #  Congratulations, Shri Vijaybhai Rupaniji ……….   30 Dec 2020

 

             #  Congratulations , Shri Saurabh Patelji  …………….31 Dec 2020

 

Ø      Now this new term ( ENERGY BANK ), implies ( as in our normal financial banks ), the introduction of the concept of “ Safe

      Keeping / Storing “ of your surplus Solar generated units ( instead of cash )

 

 

Ø      At present, DISCOMS just “ Buy and Sell “ power. They do not have Grid-scale STORAGE BATTERIES

 

Ø      They simply ask the power generating plants ( mostly coal based ) to step up or step down the generation, depending upon

 

      the demand at the moment

 

 

Ø      Generating plants themselves do not have grid-scale storage batteries ( 100 MW + )

 

Ø      Hence, all power remaining UN-CONSUMED at any given moment, is lost for ever !

 

 

Ø      Now, if DISCOMS promise to STORE your excess units, then they must create STORAGE capacities, in the form of Storage

      Batteries ( several, distributed geographically in areas they serve ). May be, the DISCOMS will be forced to join hands and

      create COMMON battery facilities. They will keep track of units “ deposited “ and units “ withdrawn “ by each DISCOM – and

      by each customer of each DISCOM

  

Ø      That is inevitable since all existing coal-based plants are bound to gradually shut down over the next 10 years

 

 

Ø      If 100,000 ( 1 lakh ) rooftop each generate 10kWp each, that is 1,000 MW ( 1 GW )

 

Ø      Now, Govt had set a target of 40 GW of Rooftop Solar by 2022 ( far from reaching that )

 

 

Ø      But whenever we do, that would amount to 40 Lakh rooftop installations of 10kWp each

 

Ø      But most rooftops can manage only 5 kWp (550 sq ft  of terrace space )

 

 

Ø      That would mean, we need 80 Lakh rooftop installations ( 8 million )

 

Ø      India had approx. 32 MILLION buildings ( Stone + Concrete ) as per 2001 Census     

 

Ø      If, someday all of these buildings were to have Solar rooftop installations, what could be the “ Nature of Business “ for the

 

      DISCOMS ?

 

 

Ø      They would, no more be in the business of, “ Buying and Selling “ power ( whether generated by Solar Farms or rooftops )

 

Ø      May be they will “ charge “ their customers for “ Safe-keeping / Storing “ excess units ( some foreign banks do NOT pay

 

     you any interest for your money lying with them – instead they “ charge “ you a small FEE for safe-keeping )

 

 

Ø      I suspect Adani – TATA – BEST officers got to read my following blog :

 

             How to reduce Carbon Emission to Net Zero ? ………………….[ 25 July 2021 ]

    

           And having read, they might be asking :

 

           “  What business are we in ? “

 

I believe they should ask Shri R K Singhji ( Architect of our Renewable Energy Mission )

 

 

With regards,

Hemen Parekh  /  hcp@recruitGuru.com / 25 Aug 2021

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