Discoms to be mandated timelines for rooftop solar projects execution: RK Singh

A time limit of 15 days will also be set for commissioning of rooftop solar projects.

The Indian government will soon roll out fixed timelines for the execution of rooftop solar projects, as announced by Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy, RK Singh, during a two-day review meeting held with state power ministers and secretaries in New Delhi.

"We will put in place time limits. Every discom has to conduct a technical feasibility assessment to determine the possibility of rooftop solar installation. Currently, the time taken for this assessment varies between 10 to 30 days, depending on the discom. I have conveyed that the government will soon set a maximum limit for the time required for the technical feasibility, and we are planning to fix it at 15 days," Singh said.

The minister further stated that a similar time limit will also be established for the commissioning of rooftop solar projects. "We have decided to impose a 15-day limit for the commissioning process," he added.

This move is an attempt to accelerate the growth of rooftop solar projects in India, which has experienced sluggish progress in recent years, despite various schemes offered by the Central and state governments.

According to the Annual Report 2022-23 of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), only about 1.66 GW of capacity was installed in the residential sector under its Rooftop Solar (RTS) program, against the target of 4 GW until December 31, 2022. In total, the country had around 7.6 GW of grid-connected RTS plants installed as of December 31, 2022. The ministry has extended Phase II of the Rooftop Solar Programme until March 31, 2026.

Similar to home appliances, consumers will soon be able to choose solar panels with higher efficiency under the government's star rating program for solar photovoltaic modules, launched on October 20. The standards will provide ratings from 1 to 5 stars based on module efficiency.

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) introduced these standards for the first time in power generation products. All previous energy efficiency standards in India have been applied to products that consume electricity, such as air conditioners, refrigerators, televisions, and so on.

These ratings are expected to help consumers select the best panels when procuring solar installations from vendors, ultimately boosting the government's rooftop solar program.

Singh also mentioned that the government plans to include more integrators in its empanelled list of rooftop solar developers, providing consumers with greater access and more choices.

"We are also planning to implement an integrated rating system for rooftop solar vendors so that consumers can make informed choices. Additionally, we are working on establishing benchmark prices for modules based on their star ratings," the Union Minister stated.