The 'PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana' scheme, introduced by the government to promote renewable energy sources, has ignited a fervour for solar power in Kashmir.
Within a mere two weeks of its launch, the scheme has garnered significant interest, with 3390 registrations pouring in from the Kashmir division. Additionally, 564 formal applications have already been submitted, as reported by the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL).
This initiative, conceived by the Central government, aims to encourage the adoption of solar energy among households by alleviating the financial burden associated with installation costs.
Beneficiaries of the scheme stand to receive a substantial subsidy of Rs 78,000 for installing solar rooftop systems with a capacity of 3KW and above. Such incentives have played a pivotal role in driving the scheme's popularity, facilitating the transition to cleaner and more sustainable energy sources.
Officials express optimism that the PM Surya Ghar scheme will reignite interest in solar power among residents of Jammu and Kashmir, a region that has historically lagged in harnessing its solar power generation capacity.
While the state had a solar power installed capacity of 40.63 megawatts (MW) as of April 2020, the growth has been sluggish, with a mere addition of 15 MW up to October 2023, bringing the cumulative capacity to 55 MW.
Comparatively, neighbouring states like Himachal Pradesh have demonstrated remarkable progress, with a significant increase in solar power generation during the same period.
In response to this need for accelerated growth, the union cabinet, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana with a total outlay of Rs 75,021 crore.
This scheme, launched on February 13, offers Central Financial Assistance (CFA) for Residential Rooftop Solar, covering 60 per cent of the system cost for 2 kW systems and 40 per cent for systems between 2 to 3 kW capacity, capped at 3 kW.
Additionally, households can access collateral-free low-interest loans for the installation of residential rooftop solar systems. Through this initiative, households stand to not only save on electricity bills but also potentially earn income by selling surplus power to DISCOMs.
The proposed scheme is expected to add 30 GW of solar capacity through rooftop solar in the residential sector, generating 1000 BUs of electricity and reducing CO2 equivalent emissions by 720 million tonnes over the 25-year lifetime of rooftop systems. Furthermore, it is anticipated to create around 17 lakh direct jobs across various sectors.
To avail of the benefits under the scheme, households can register themselves on the official website https://pmsuryaghar.gov.in.
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