Goa gets 12-hour sunshine a day for over eight months – a good amount of sun compared to some other states in the country. But, when it comes to adoption of solar power, the sunny state woefully lags behind.
Goa Energy Development Agency’s (GEDA) latest estimate puts the state’s total installed solar rooftop power capacity at around 55 megawatt-peak (MWp).
Of this, solar power generated by the industrial segment is the highest at 28.52 MWp, followed by the commercial segment at 13.22 MWp.
The residential segment produced just 9.45 MWp, which was consumed by 856 prosumers (both producers and consumers). The number of prosumers is less than one per cent of the state’s population of 15.75 lakh.
The low response by the residential prosumers is a trifle baffling to the GEDA bureaucrats when the economic benefits of switching to solar power from fossil-fuel electricity looks appealing, on the face of it.
Besides, the Centre and the State have also pooled their resources to provide subsidies to promote higher acceptance of the green energy among residential rooftop solar consumers.
Besides, the Centre and the State have also pooled their resources to provide subsidies to promote higher acceptance of the green energy among residential rooftop solar consumers.
Under the old scheme, the Centre was giving 40 per cent subsidy for installation of grid-connected solar rooftop plant of up to 3 kilowatt-peak (kWp) with net metering while the state gave 10 per cent.
For a solar plant between 3 kWp and 10 kWp, the state shelled out a higher subsidy of 30 per cent and the Centre’s contribution was 10 per cent on the benchmark approved by the government.
Above 10 kWp, 50 per cent of subsidy was borne solely by the state.
This scheme did not cut much ice with their target audience in the residential segment. They went back to the drawing board and have now come out with a new solar power scheme. Armed with it, they’re sounding as optimistic as before.
This time, it’s a financial assistance scheme of Rs 18,000 from the Centre and Rs 22,000 from the State for up to 3 kWp rooftop solar plant.
The funding assistance goes up to 30 kWp. For this, the state government has made an allocation of Rs 36.5 crore for two years and looking to reach an installed capacity of 20 MWp by FY25.
This scheme addresses only one major part of the government’s mission to make solar the primary source of energy for power consumers.
There are several other pieces that also need to fall in place. One of them is appointing vendors, who not only install the solar rooftop plant, but also provide maintenance and repair services.
Many enthusiastic solar consumers are opting out because they’ve burnt their fingers with rooftop solar plants. There are very few of them who were able to derive the promised savings on electricity bills.
Goa has one of lowest power tariffs in the country in the residential segment.
Goa has one of lowest power tariffs in the country in the residential segment. Therefore, it’s not very compelling for residential power consumer to shift to solar.
Higher tariff rates in the commercial and industrial segments make it more attractive for them to crossover to the usage of green energy.
The government’s move to rope in state-empanelled vendors and distribution agencies to facilitate installation of rooftop solar plants for individuals, Group Housing Societies (GHSs) and Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) will also give some wind to this alternative energy bid.
A pitfall it would need to watch out for is to not make the process cumbersome by involving too many agencies. In terms of finances, there is no dearth of funding for solar plants. Practically, all segments in this category of energy can easily raise funds.
There have been many missed targets for installed solar capacity by both the Centre and the State. Goa’s last one for the solar rooftop was 1,560 MWp by 2022.
At its current installed capacity of 55 MWp, the State has been able to barely achieve 3.5 per cent of the goal.
