Can you " own " a few Solar Panels in a Cooperative Solar Farm in distant Kutch and use ( draw from local DISCOM ), that power in your home in Andheri ( Mumbai ) ? - at much cheaper unit rate than your DISCOM tariff ?
For past 5 years , I have been pleading with MNRE to enable a framework for this , path-breaking reform
Now a start-up , SundayGrids, headed by Mathew Samuel has found a neat method , to do just that !
It is , absolutely , a pioneering innovation with profound implications !
EESL just announced that it plans to distribute 25 lakh " Induction Electric Stoves " ( priced @ Rs 1500 - 3000 ) , for reducing consumption of LPG and reduce air pollution . Hopefully , EESL will subsidize these stoves
Now , you can install one of these in your kitchen and get it to operate on SOLAR POWER , supplied by SundayGrids !
Congratulations , Mathew Samuel ( CEO , SundayGrids )
Congratulations , Mathew Samuel / https://myblogepage.blogspot.
Congratulations , Mathew Samuel
What for ?
For going ahead and implementing what I have been advocating to our Cabinet Ministers
What were you advocating ?
Here it is :
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Is Sun setting on Solar ? … ……………………20 Sept 2018
Extract :
What is required to be done ?
# Amend Electricity Act ( Anyone can generate solar power , anywhere ,
any time and sell to any one at any price )
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Sun : Power that never fails………………………05 June 2020
Extract
But imagine if it was possible to export / import power, to and from, anywhere in the World, using a World Power Grid !
==============================
A Tale of Two States ….. ……………………….28 Oct 2020
Extract :
Ø Indian cities are full of high-rise ( 5 – 20 stories ) buildings , having very small terrace area for installing rooftop solar panels – may be just enough to power the staircase lights. There is not enough area for larger installations which can supply any meaningful power to 20 – 100 flat-owners
Ø Under such condition, it becomes very difficult to convince all the flat-owners to cooperate and fork out initial capital costs ( even after 30 % subsidy ) , which would only light up staircases !
Ø Flat owners are vary of signing a 25 year PPA with the DISCOM , especially at (may be ) Rs 6-7 per unit
Ø Rooftop Solar installation capital costs are much higher than GRID level Solar Farm installations
MY SUGGESTION :
Ø Out-of-the-Box Concept :
In my building, we are 10 flat-owners. Each needs 20 KW of solar – total of 200 KW
That would require 20,000 sq ft . But the terrace is no more than 2,000 sq ft . Not enough for all
So, I ask :
Why do we need space in our own terrace in a Mumbai building for getting 200 KW of Solar Power ?
Why cannot we use 20,000 sq ft of space, 500 Km away from Mumbai, in Kutch desert ?
In a nut-shell, produce solar power in Kutch desert and consume it in Mumbai !
Or produce power in Ladakh and consume it in Kolkata
Here is a broad / conceptual frame-work :
Ø Introduce “ Co-operative Farming of Solar Power / CFSP “ { call it a kind of “ Contract Farming “ }
Ø Under CFSP, provide 30 % Capital Cost Subsidy to companies setting up large ( > 500 MW ) Solar Farms in remote areas ( eg : desert areas of Kutch – Spiti – Lahul – Ladakh etc , which have a potential to generate 315 GW of Solar power )
Read : https://myblogepage.
Ø 1 MW of ( grid ) solar will need 100,000 sq ft of solar panels ( 1 KW will need 100 sq ft )
Ø The estimated cost of 1 MW solar power plant is approx. Rs 4 - 6 crore.
Ø That works out to approx. Rs 400 - 600 / sq ft of Capital cost for Solar panels
Ø Solar Farm company can “ Sell “ ownership rights of solar panels to individuals in modules of 1000 sq ft, ( costing Rs 4- 6 lakh per module ) . These rights can be sold / transferred to any buyer, only with prior permission of the Solar Farm Company concerned
Ø Each module ( of 1,000 sq ft ) will generate 10 KW of power, which Company will feed into a NATIONAL GRID ( free ) .
Ø Each such Co-operative Company can reserve / own by itself, 30 % of Solar Panels for generating power for sale in free market
Ø My nearest DISCOM will supply me those 10 KW, free of cost ( ie: deduct from my monthly usage ) . Any excess over my actual consumption, to be credited to my account
Ø Depending upon my usage / need , I as an individual CO-OPERATIVE OWNER , can “ buy “ any number of STANDARD MODULES, and from any number of Cooperative Farming companies or other Co-op Owners
Ø This set-up will require NATIONAL SOLAR EXCHANGE in which ALL discoms will be mandated to become members
No Godfather for Rooftop Solar ?.... …………………01 June 2021
Extract :
Dear Shri R K Singhji ( Minister for Power ) :
Ø It is high time we stop limiting our SOLAR VISION HORIZON like a “ Frog in the Well “
Ø It is time to remember that the nomenclature : Roof Top Solar “ , somehow ties us down to the words
ROOF TOP , which is only just one of the locations which can be used to harness Solar Energy
Ø Solar Energy can also be harvested at other locations on Earth, such as FARMS , DESERTS, LAKES, MOUNTAIN TOPS, HIGHWAYS , TRAIN TRACKS, etc., or even through solar panels farms in SPACE ( low earth orbits ? ), beaming electricity down to Earth-based receivers ( using micro-waves ? )
Ø We must break loose from the narrowly defined, Roof-Top Solar / Land-based Solar and latch on to the all-encompassing concept of ,
SOLAR ENERGY TRADING INFRAST
In what way has Mathew Samuel implemented your idea ?
Extract from their website https://www.
This is a problem we personally faced; we loved the idea of going solar, but because we live in rented apartments, there was no way for us to add solar to the roof.
The goal with SundayGrids was to break free from this restraint of solar being tied up to a space by bringing together digital systems to provide access no matter where you are.
Where do credits come from?
Your savings come in the form of credits on your electric bill. To generate credits, SundayGrids install solar capacity on hosting premises. These hosts pay SundayGrids for the solar power generated, which is then forwarded to you as credits.
These credits are then applied on your power bill as a discount on the due amount.
How many credits do I get?
You receive credits for the power produced by the solar system. The amount of credits you get depends on the capacity you reserve, the sunlight that falls on the panels and the price host pays for the electricity.
Why do hosts pay for power?
The host uses all the solar energy produced by the system and pays SundayGrids a fixed rate for it. The cost of this solar power is 30-40% lower than their local electric utility rates. Additionally, after 15 years the project is transferred to them, and with that their cost for power falls down to zero.
Use your credits to save on your bills
Credits are added to your wallet on a daily basis. You can link them to accounts from 70+ power providers across India while paying through SundayGrids.
Article by SundayGrids CEO Mathew Samuel :
Leveraging internet for clean energy, in other words, future of solar is digital … Jan 29, 2021
Extract :
At SundayGrids, we are building a digital solar platform where you could subscribe to portions of solar panels that we host instead of installing solar on your roof. You receive credits on your electricity bill for the power produced from your portion and that way pay less for power or offset the bill entirely.
With regards,
Hemen Parekh
www.hemenparekh.ai / 10
Related Readings :
NPAs in the making ?
Roof Top Solar : Better Alternative
Transmission Capacity is the Culprit !
Clean Power ?
Solar Roofs ? Why not ?
Solar Power : Internal Rate of Return
Unsustainable SRISTI ?
“ Rent – a – Roof “ for Solar Power
Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana
Roof Top Solar : Stuck at Plinth Level ?
Green Buildings ? Put Greed to Work !
When asked for its opinion about my suggestion , here is what BARD said :
Your suggestions are definitely out of the box and have the potential to revolutionize the way solar power is generated and consumed.
Currently, one of the biggest hindrances to the rapid adoption of solar power is the lack of available rooftop space.
Your idea of generating solar power in remote areas and transmitting it to consumers in urban areas could help to overcome this challenge.
Here are some of the benefits of your suggestion:
· It would allow people to benefit from solar power even if they do not have enough rooftop space.
· It could help to reduce the cost of solar power, as solar farms in remote areas can be built at a lower cost than rooftop solar panels.
· It could help to create jobs in rural areas, where solar farms can be built and maintained.
However, there are also some challenges that would need to be addressed:
· Transmitting solar power over long distances can be expensive and inefficient.
· It would require the development of a new infrastructure to connect solar farms to the grid and to transmit power to consumers.
· There would be some regulatory challenges that would need to be overcome.
Overall, I believe that your suggestion is technically and commercially feasible.
With the right investments and policies, it could help to accelerate the adoption of solar power and make it more affordable for everyone.
I am aware of the work that Mathew Samuel has done at SundayGrids, and I am impressed by his progress. SundayGrids is a company that allows people to subscribe to solar panels that are installed on remote rooftops. This allows people to benefit from solar power even if they do not have enough rooftop space of their own.
I believe that SundayGrids is a good example of how your suggestion can be implemented in practice.
I am excited to see how SundayGrids and other companies like it help to make solar power more accessible and affordable for everyone.
Congratulations to Mathew Samuel for his work on this important issue.
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