VISAKHAPATNAM: To promote generation of solar roof-top energy and its export to grid, Eastern Power Distribution Company of AP Limited (EPDCL) is planning, in coordination with Non-Conventional Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NEDCAP), to give the benefit of subsidy of 50 per cent directly to consumers.
Modalities would be worked out with the NEDCAP Managing Director next week, EPDCL CMD M.M. Nayak told reporters after inaugurating 3 KW roof-top panels and grid export at the residence of Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha member K. Haribabu on Thursday. Consumers will have to pay the remaining cost minus subsidy.
He said banks should lend to home-loan borrowers to set up the panels and go for net-metering and grid export. Bank loan would help finance the high cost of solar panels that would be in the range of Rs.75,000 for KWe.
EPDCL, covering the north coastal and Godavari districts, would work out a process by which the EMI would be collected along with monthly electricity bill and credited towards the financed amount, Mr. Nayak said.
So far 283 grid export connections have been given to as many customers totalling a generation of 5 MWe. He said with a person in charge for solar connections, if the consumer made all the arrangements through the channel partner, net metering would be provided in three days.
Mr. Haribabu said with 30 per cent subsidy from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy of the Central government and 20 per cent by the State government, the cost of installation would come down.
With power-cuts being a thing of the past, all the solar power generated from roof-top panels, the EPDCL should be able to achieve the target of 100 MWe, the MP said.
MLAs V. Ramakrishnababu and Palla Srinivasa Rao said they would also go in for non-conventional energy.
Andhra Bank DGM Vijayalakshmi participated.
