Government Plans for Solar Powered Lighting Solutions

The Government implements schemes for cost effective solar power lighting solutions for rural population in electrified/unelectrified areas and villages in the country that may have an impact on kerosene subsidy bill. Lighting up about 47 percent of the country population will depend on the fund availability in the respective programme. This was stated by Sh. Piyush Goyal, Minister of state for Power, Coal & New and Renewable Energy (Independent Charge) in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.

Details of programme implemented by MNRE and Ministry of Power (MoP) are as under

I. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is implementing Remote Village Electrification (RVE) Programme for providing financial support for lighting/basic energy using renewable energy sources including solar energy in those remote unelectrified census villages and unelectrified hamlets of electrified census villages where grid extension is not found feasible by the State Governments and hence are not covered under the Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY). The programme is implemented in States by State Nodal Agencies.

II. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is also implementing Off-grid and decentralized solar applications scheme of Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission for installation of solar PV systems and power plants in various parts of the country including power deficit areas/unelectrified areas.

III. Ministry of Power is implementing Decentralised Distributed Generation (DDG) scheme under Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) for electrification of villages where grid connectivity is either not feasible or not cost effective. In XII Plan, DDG has also been extended to the grid connected area where supply of electricity is less than 6 hours a day. Decentralized Distributed Generation (DDG) can be from conventional or renewable sources including solar energy.

Both under the DDG scheme of Ministry of Power and RVE programme of MNRE, the Government provides subsidy of 90% of the project cost. Under the DDG scheme, the balance 10% can be arranged by the Implementing Agency at their own or arranged from any financial institutions/Rural Electrification Corporation (REC), whereas for RVE projects the balance 10% cost of projects for remote village electrification is financed through contribution from the state governments and beneficiaries, etc. However, it is necessary that at least half of the balance cost is met from state government’s funding.

The RVE projects are taken up only in remote unelectrified census villages and unelectrified hamlets of electrified census villages where grid extension is not found feasible by the State Governments and hence are not covered under the RGGVY.

The norms followed for solar photovoltaic (SPV) based DDG projects are that the average household load should not be more than 100 watt, population of the villages/hamlet should be more than 100 and cost norms of MNRE benchmark to be followed.

Under the Off-grid and decentralized solar applications scheme of Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy provides 30% capital subsidy for installation of solar PV systems and power plants in various parts of the country including power deficit areas/unelectrified areas. (90% capital subsidy for Government organizations of special category States).

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