More use of rooftop solar benefits discoms: BSES-CEEW study

Power distribution companies (discoms) can enjoy net gains of upto 22 paise for every unit of electricity generated through solar rooftops, according to a study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and Delhi discom BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd (BRPL), BSES announced on Thursday.

A BSES release said over a system's lifetime, discoms could save Rs 5,500 for every kilowatt (KW) of capacity installed.

"Increasing the share of solar rooftop is a win-win proposition for both the discoms and the consumers alike. It can lead to significant net financial savings for both," it said.

"Discoms could enjoy net gains of upto Rs 0.22 for every unit of electricity generated via solar rooftops."

These findings are based on the data collected from solar rooftop installations connected to nine distribution transformers and one group housing society feeder in BRPL's license area.

The study also found that discoms stand to benefit more by scaling up solar rooftop installations among residential consumers, especially those in lower tariff slabs, versus industrial and commercial consumers.

"Over a system's lifetime, discoms could save Rs 5,500 (net-present value) for every kilowatt of capacity installed. This is in addition to the savings accruing to the rooftop solar consumers," the statement said.

The CEEW-BRPL study recommends deploying solar rooftops in areas where distribution transformers experience frequent overloading and day time peaks to increase net benefits.

"This study highlights costs and benefits of deploying solar rooftops for discoms and could guide strategic deployment of solar installations in licensed areas going forward. Widespread adoption of solar power is beneficial to both consumers and the discoms alike," BRPL Chief Executive Amal Sinha said in a statement.

According to thge report, discoms should prioritise the net export of solar power from subsidised consumers into the grid and adopt net-metering based compensation.

"Our analysis highlights that focusing on scaling solar rooftops among residential consumers leads to enhanced discom revenues, while also advancing India's solar targets, and creating new jobs", said CEEW Programme Lead Neeraj Kuldeep.

( With inputs from IANS )