Kerala Homes Or Mini Solar Power Stations; The Soura Project

It is no secret that all of us experienced cleaner air and enjoyed the peaceful sounds of nature during the COVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdown and somewhere down the line have vowed to do our bit to help conserve the environment. I have been noticing a surge in the news leading to more awareness about going green and using renewable sources of power, lately. Nations worldwide have taken serious note of the fact and have accelerated their efforts in this direction.

In the domestic arena, Kerala has committed to install rooftop solar panels on 75,000 homes to meet at least 25% of the state’s power needs from solar energy by 2022. Kerala launched a new solar rooftop program in January targeting the reduction of carbon emissions and cutting its reliance on imported power. The Soura project, as it is called aims to install solar panels on 75,000 homes, which will contribute 350 MW of power to Kerala’s grid. The state still sits in the middle of the list of states in India in terms of installed solar capacity.  With this program, Kerala aims to convert each household into a “mini solar power station” to address the state’s power needs. Any surplus electricity generated can be sold back to KSEB at a rate of Rs. 3/kWh.  The state currently has a population of more than 33 million.

In another news, Minister N. Gadkari has also urged India’s growing MSME sector to avail the benefits of rooftop solar to bring down their operational cost. The MSMEs on average pay Rs. 8 or more per unit for power consumption. Installing a rooftop solar system and using solar energy for their power needs will not only result in massive savings but also help them becoming “Atma-nirbhar” and will also reduce the overall carbon footprint of the nation.

“To assist MSMEs in implementing rooftop solar projects, the ministry is working with the World Bank on a credit guarantee program to make financing accessible to unrated MSMEs. Considering the rates of solar power from large utility power plants have come down to a record INR 1.99/kWh, MSMEs must leverage this opportunity to bring down their energy expenses,” he said.

Source: India Times