Several solar energy panels line the concrete and metal rooftop at The Brookefields Mall in the city. Nearly 10 % of the mall’s day time power requirement is met by the 595 kWp rooftop solar energy system.
The mall commissioned a 250 kWp rooftop solar power plant in April 2016 and added 345 kWp now.
“Such grid sychronised rooftop solar energy systems can meet the power needs of lighting, air conditioner, and chiller units in malls. Airports, hospitals, and malls consumer power on all days of the week. Such rooftop solar plants will help meet the continuous power needs,” said Rahul Dasari, Chief Executive Officer of Sunshot Technologies, which has implemented the project at Brookefields. M. Balasubramaniam and Ashwin Balasubramaniam, Directors of Brookefields, said in a press release that the mall had always focused on sustainability. With the recent project, it has completed the second phase of solar energy installation.
It is not just commercial buildings, but some of the educational institutions in the city have also tapped solar energy by installing rooftop systems.
At PSG Institutions, the solar energy journey started in 2013 with installation of 1.6 MW rooftop systems. Now, it has 2.4 MW, covering 3.6 lakh sq.ft. With 3.6 million units of solar energy generation a year, almost 25 % of the total energy requirements of the Institutions is met from different renewable sources.
R. Ragupathy, Group Senior Manager of PSG Institutions, said the Institutions also have solar steam for kitchen boiler, solar water heaters, and also wind energy. All the solar energy systems are on rooftop and connected to the grid. If the systems had been installed on the ground, nearly eight acres would have been the area required. “We are able to save on the power bill,” he said.
These are among the large-scale commercial establishments, schools, and colleges that have opted for rooftop solar apart from a few industries. Most of these are for captive use.
The State Government came out with a Solar Energy Policy 2019 a few months ago. Yet, a large number of businesses are still reluctant to go in for rooftop solar energy because of the challenges they face.
V. Lakshminarayanasamy, president of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore, says if a commercial establishment or educational institution goes in for solar energy, they can use it for lights, fans, and air-conditioners. At least 30 % to 40 % of the industries, retailers, and traders in the city might switch over to solar energy if the guidelines and details of the policy are clear and well-explained to the businesses. For instance, if a commercial establishment wants to instal and use a rooftop solar energy system for captive purpose, should it get the permission of the authorities concerned and should it instal a meter. “We have written to the Departments concerned on this. We need such details,” he says.
According to the Solar Energy Policy 2019, bi-directional service connection energy meters will be installed by the distribution licencee to record the imported and exported energy. The imported energy is debited at the applicable consumer tariff and the exported energy is credited on the basis of a solar energy tariff.
P. Kumarasamy, secretary of the Somanur Job-working Powerloom unit Owners’ Association, says though the powerloom units want to tap solar energy, they are unable to get adequate information on the tariff and procedures. “It should be viable for us to invest in solar energy. Even if the members ask us for details, we are unable to give them proper information,” he says.
According to an official of Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency, it facilitated nearly 25 MW rooftop installations last year covering 25,000 beneficiaries in the domestic segment in the State. They received subsidy from the Central Government. This year, the Union Government is yet to come out with the final guidelines for the subsidy scheme. However, the State Government recently announced that it will provide up to ₹15,000 subsidy apart from the Central Government subsidy for domestic consumers installing one KW rooftop solar energy system. It has also said that a scheme will be implemented by the Agency for MSMEs that go in for energy efficiency and renewables. While the Agency facilitates installation of rooftop, it is the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) that provides the connection and the meter.
Another official said that in Coimbatore, the Tangedco received 11 applications for rooftop solar energy under the new policy guidelines for single phase connection, and 62 for three phase connection. The net meters to make the pending connections effective are expected in a week or 10 days.
Sources in the solar sector said that Tamil Nadu was always pro-active and leading in renewable energy. However, rooftop solar energy installations slowed down during the last six months. One reason could have been the general elections. But, there are challenges such as delay in getting the electricity inspector certificate. Further, net metering should be permitted for industries and commercial use. Installation of rooftop systems will gain momentum only if there is net metering.
A meeting planned in Chennai this month-end is expected to identify the challenges and submit it to the government seeking remedial measures.
