The Tamil Nadu Government would like installation of roof top solar plants to become a people’s movement, as had happened with rain water harvesting in the State.

The State offers a subsidy of ₹20,000 to install roof top solar units. This is in addition to the 30 per cent subsidy offered by the Centre. It would cost ₹46,000 to set up a 1 kW solar roof top unit. However, the annual saving in electricity charges would be nearly ₹10,000, said R Viswanathan, Tamil Nadu Minister for Electricity and Non-Conventional Energy, inaugurating the 14th edition of Green Power 2015 organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry.

Pacts to buy power Energy Secretary Rajesh Lakhoni too requested the public to install roof top solar. If you buy a one tonne air-conditioner, also purchase a 1 kW roof top solar unit to balance the cost of electricity charges. It makes economical sense to put up solar in the roof top.

Viswanathan said that the State government will sign power purchase agreement with various companies to buy 2,000 MW of solar power by the year end. By the end of July, the State is expected to buy 1,000 MW of solar power. With this, Tamil Nadu will reach the projected 3,000 MW of solar power generation capacity in three years, he said.

Peak power demand This was the first summer without any power cut in the State. The annual increase in peak power demand is nearly 14 per cent, which used to be 6-8 per cent five years ago. This is due to rapid industrialisation, better standard of living and overall development. “We are taking all measures to bridge the gap between supply and demand,” he said.

Later talking to newspersons, Viswanathan said the State government will soon sign a memorandum of understanding with the Adani Group to set up a 700 MW solar park in Ramanathapuram district in southern Tamil Nadu with an investment of around ₹5,000 crore.

“The Chief Minister has to give an appointment to sign the MoU,” he said.

Carbon tax levy Jamshyd N Godrej, Chairman, CII - Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre, said that as India is one of the countries vulnerable to climate change, it has to act on all fronts to face the challenge. He said carbon tax onall forms of fossil fuel energy would create huge revenues that could be deployed for renewable energy generation.

According to Ramesh Kymal, Chairman, Renewable Energy Council, CII-Godrej GBC, in the past ten years, installation of renewable energy has grown at an annual rate of 25 per cent and the grid interactive installed capacity from renewable energy was more than 5,777 MW, representing 13 per cent of the total installed power generation capacity in India.

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