National Consultation on Delhi Solar Policy organised by Delhi Government to frame the state’s new Solar Policy
DDC Delhi and RMI India co-host National Consultation on Delhi Solar Policy to consult with and align relevant stakeholders in the solar energy ecosystem
Rooftop solar installation will not ruin your terrace space as you can explore putting the elevated solar panels at a height of 8 to 9 feet: Satyendar Jain
We aim to draft a benchmark Delhi Solar Policy that is all-inclusive and sets an example for others to follow so that Delhi emerges as a sustainable, modern and global city: Jasmine Shah, VC, DDC Delhi
We should aim to increase the contribution of solar power to more than 50% of Delhi’s energy basket by 2030: Satya Gopal, Additional Chief Secretary, Power Department
Promoting rooftop solar is the first step in transforming the consumers into producers of electricity and making them an active part of energy economy: Akshima Ghate, Managing Director, RMI India
NEW DELHI:
The Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi (DDC Delhi), in collaboration with RMI India, co-hosted the ‘National Consultation on Delhi Solar Policy’ today to frame Delhi’s new solar policy. The consultation aimed to align relevant stakeholders in the solar energy ecosystem on a shared vision for Delhi’s solar targets and to establish a clear set of actionable next steps to make Delhi the national and global leader in rooftop solar adoption.
The consultation was organised at the India International Centre. The Delhi Government dignitaries including Shri Satyendar Jain, Minister of Power, Shri Jasmine Shah, Vice Chairperson, DDC, Shri Gopal Mohan, Member, DDC and the Additional Chief Secretary, Shri Satya Gopal were present for the consultation. A host of stakeholders including solar developers like SunEdison and Fourth Partner Energy, government agencies, DISCOMs, government agencies, DISCOMs, think tanks, consumer associations, financiers, etc attended the consultation. National and international case studies in solar rooftop adoption were presented by organisations like RMI India, ICLEI, CEEW, Ernst & Young etc. during the inaugural session.
In his keynote address, Delhi Power Minister Shri Satyendar Jain said, “The policy consultations organised regularly by Delhi Government have enabled us to gather a lot of valuable feedback from the stakeholders for formulating a new, effective, exemplary and robust solar policy of Delhi. Through rooftop solar installation, Delhi Government will explore innovative mechanisms to effectively manage peak load, which is also complementary to the growth of EVs in the city. The customer must be provided with continuous maintenance and proper functioning of the solar panels through the promotion of the RESCO model.”
Shri Jasmine Shah, Vice Chairperson, DDC Delhi said, “Sustainability is a key aspect of CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal’s vision for the future of Delhi. Over the last 5 years, Delhi has emerged as an environmental leader by becoming the only state to shut down all its thermal power stations, transitioning its entire industry to clean fuels (PNG), becoming the undisputed national leader for EV adoption etc. Delhi’s last Solar Policy of 2016 has laid the foundation for rooftop solar adoptions in the city with 83% of total rooftop solar capacity (230 MW) installed since 2016. The new solar policy will make Delhi the the solar capital of India and hopefully, a global case study for how cities can lead the rooftop solar movement. It will also create thousands of new green jobs as envisioned under Delhi’s Rozgar Budget.”
Shri Satya Gopal, Additional Chief Secretary, Power Department, Delhi Government said, “The total solar power contribution (within and outside state) in Delhi’s total energy mix, which was less than 0.3% (79 MW) in 2016 has increased substantially to 7% (1189 MW) in 2022 and it is likely to increase to 11% (2540 MW) in the next two years. With the new policy, we should aim to install solar panels on the rooftops of all government buildings and encourage all individual house-owners, cooperative and group housing societies, owners of industrial and commercial units etc. to install solar panels on their rooftops and increase the contribution of solar power to more than 50% of Delhi’s energy basket by 2030.”
Ms. Akshima Ghate, Managing Director, RMI India said, “Promoting rooftop solar is the first step in transforming consumers into producers of electricity and making them an active part of energy economy. DISCOMs have a huge opportunity to potentially lower their average power purchase costs, REC costs, transmission and distribution losses etc. and adoption of rooftop solar also helps them avoid investments in generation capacity, transmission charges and distribution costs. For the governments, it means the creation of local green jobs, increased security and reliability of power and actionable climate commitments. For the consumers, it helps in reducing their reliance on grid electricity consumption, reduce their electricity costs by opting for lower tariff plans and gives them an opportunity to create additional income.”
During the day-long consultation, the attendees were divided into three stakeholder groups: residential, commercial & industrial and institutional stakeholders. The initial discussions focussed towards identifying the key challenges and barriers that impede solar deployment in Delhi, followed by deliberations upon potential solutions. The consultation led to recommendations like RTS installation mandates, streamlining of net metering processes, BTM storage, improving access to finance, fiscal incentives, promoting innovative business models, supporting the growth of virtual net metering (VNM) and Group net metering (GNM), etc. The stakeholders also outlined necessary implementation actions and milestones for solarising Delhi.
Delhi Government had presented a unique Rozgar Budget this year wherein a new solar policy has been envisaged with an objective of increasing the installed capacity of rooftop solar plants so that it can fulfil 10% of Delhi’s annual energy demand. The plan will also contribute to the creation of 40,000 new green jobs in this sector.