Power consumers in Andhra Pradesh ‘can store’ the power generated from their rooftop grid-connected solar photovoltaic units like money in a bank.
A consumer, who sets up the solar PV unit on his house, but is not using the energy when it is generated in the day time, can just relax. The grid-connected net metering system takes care of the power generated but not used by the consumer himself. This will be passed on to the grid and supplied to other consumers who need power.
The consumer in turn gets power when he requires from other sources. This is the advantage of the new net metering-based system that helps meter the units generated, or passed on to the grid and also used by the consumer. The advantage of this system is that a consumer setting up a grid-connected solar PV rooftop unit does not have to invest in back-up batteries.
However, for those who do not want to make use of this feature, will have to invest more on batteries. This allows the consumer to store the power generated from solar PV panels and use it later in the night, according to M. Sahoo, Special Chief Secretary Energy, Government of Andhra Pradesh.
Addressing a press conference ahead of the two-day meet to showcase latest solar PV products and solutions, he said the Government is keen to promote the solar PV installations. A detailed Government order facilitating grid-connected solar PV rooftop units was announced in March 2013. Now the focus is to encourage people to take advantage of the initiatives.
The Andhra Pradesh Government offers 20 per cent subsidiary, in addition to 30 per cent offered by the Centre through Ministry of New & Renewable Energy. For a one kilo watt unit which costs about Rs 1 lakh to install, with subsidy, it works out to Rs 50,000.
He said that in spite of the Government moves to encourage setting up of solar PV projects inviting competitive bids, the progress has been tardy.