The Indian government has approved amendments to the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020. These new modifications aim to simplify the process of setting up rooftop solar plants for consumers and getting new electricity connections.
The major amendments to facilitate faster and easier solar installations are as follows:
- Technical feasibility studies will not be required for solar power systems of up to 10kW capacity. This study is conducted to check if it is physically and financially viable for a household to install solar panels.
- For solar power systems above 10kW capacity, the timeframe for conducting a technical feasibility study has been reduced from 20 days to 15 days.
- The responsibility of strengthening the distribution systems for plant capacities up to 5kW solely lies with the distribution companies (DISCOMs).
- The timeline between installation and commissioning of rooftop solar power systems has been reduced to 15 days, from the previous 30 days.
Apart from these, the time required for getting new electricity connections in metropolitan areas has been reduced to 3 days. The new connection timeline in municipal areas would be 7 days, and in rural areas would be 15 days.
Consumers can also obtain separate electricity connections for charging their Electric Vehicles (EVs).
Earlier in January 2024, the government had simplified the application process for installing rooftop solar power systems for residential consumers. Moreover, the Prime Minister of India has also launched the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana at an investment of ₹75,000 crore, under which the solar subsidy has been raised to 60%.
All these changes will boost the rooftop solar infrastructure in India, and facilitate the nation’s clean energy transition.
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