Compulsory rooftop solar panels in residential areas soon: LG

NEW DELHI: Rooftop solar panels will soon be made compulsory in residential areas, asserted Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Wednesday, adding that the initiative will help meet the power demand of the Capital.

"Soon, we will make it mandatory for cooperative housing societies to have solar panels on rooftops," the LG said, while addressing the CII Delhi State Annual Session and Business Conference.

"One of the biggest issues that Delhi is facing apart from pollution is traffic congestion. There are more than 77 corridors which suffer from traffic jams on a daily basis due to poor engineering and designing," the LG said.

He added, "We have made a two-fold plan: A constructive plan and a regulative plan. Through these plans, we will be able to tackle traffic congestion in 16 months. To reduce dust, we will start mechanized sweeping of roads soon." He said that PUC check of cars now would be linked to car insurance.

The Delhi government's power department earlier said it has opened the registration process for installation of rooftop solar power plants in the city, as it aims to tap one GigaWatt of green energy by the year 2020. "The registration process has been opened for residents of Delhi in the residential, institutional and social sector categories under the city government's solar policy of 2016 and Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission's (Net Metering for Renewable Energy) Regulations 2014," a senior official said.

Under the scheme, 30 percent central financial assistance will be given by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) on the cost of the solar photo-voltaic plant. The generation-based incentive (GBI) of Rs two per unit is also there for the residential category, the official said. The Indraprastha Power Generation Company Ltd (IPGCL) has empanelled vendors for solar photovoltaic installations.

Earlier, the LG had directed the power department to prepare a standard operating procedure(SOP) and a roadmap for promoting installation of solar power panels in the city.

The Delhi Solar Policy, which aims at the mass adoption of solar power in the city, was notified on September 27, 2016. The highlights of the policy include a generation-based incentive for three years. In the conference, Delhi government Cabinet minister Satyendra Jain and Kailash Gahlot were also present. The ministers talk about the slum development and also the common mobility card for the DTC buses and the Metro.