Grid connected rooftop solar projects programme launched

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today inaugurated grid connected roof top solar programme in a bid to enable public participation to harness renewable energy.

Patnaik said, “At a time when Odisha is one of the foremost States who are preparing climate change action plan, rooftop solar projects will be well accepted by public.”

A web platform www.rtsodisha.gov.in was also launched to help project stakeholders interact with consumers and provide services.This website created by Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA) will be useful in making the Rooftop Solar Program easily accessible to the common citizens, said Patnaik.

The State government will provide 30 percent subsidy to the consumers belonging to residential and institutional segments as well as to registered societies and trusts. At present, current investment for installation of a rooftop project is around Rs 70,000 per KW.

Consumers can install small power plants on the rooftops and consume the generated power during the day time. It will also help people export excess power to the grid at 220V/440V levels through service cables and save energy.

According to sources, the rooftop potential in Odisha has been estimated at 500 MW. For the current year a target of 8 MW has been fixed of which 4 MW has been exclusively assigned to Bhubaneswar.