Milan Vihar Apartments in east Delhi’s IP Extension became the first group housing society in the capital to get its own rooftop solar power plants. Inaugurated by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the 140 kWp plant will generate electricity at Rs 2.50 per unit for 1,600 residents living in approximately 400 flats, reported The Indian Express.
Kejriwal said the panels were set up under the RESCO (Renewable Energy Service Company) model, in which the cost of the installation — Rs 77 lakh in this case —is borne by a private company. “Under the agreement, the company sets up the plant and generates electricity at Rs 4.66 per unit for 25 years. The Delhi government will provide a Rs 2 subsidy — which means people will pay Rs 2.66. The Central government will pay 30% of the capital cost,” he said to the English Daily.
Indian Express reported that according to officials, the Delhi government, Indraprastha Power Generation Co. Ltd and Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Management Centre (EEREM) have signed an agreement under which electricity has to be provided at the same rate for 25 years.
Kejriwal added that the AAP will hold meetings with RWAs across the city in the next three months to start a similar initiative in other apartments and group housing societies that have space to install the panels.
Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, who was also at the event, said, “The main reason why many people do not opt for solar plants is that the cost of installation is very high. The government, therefore, has initiated this scheme where people do not have to pay for installation.”
The CM added that Delhi will soon be in a position where surplus energy generated through such schemes will be sold to other parts of the country. A senior official of EEREM said the system works on the net metering concept, “under which they will offer credit to residents who generate excess electricity through their solar panel systems and send it back to the grid”.
