ROOFTOP SOLARIZATION (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env & Eco)

Context: Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs announced a slew of measures for the promotion of  green growth and renewable energy.

Rooftop Solar

• About: It refers to a photovoltaic system where solar panels are installed on the rooftop of residential or commercial buildings.
• Size: Rooftop mounted systems are relatively small when contrasted with ground-mounted photovoltaic power stations, which typically have capacities in the megawatt range.
• Residential Rooftop PV Capacity: Rooftop PV systems on residential buildings typically possess a capacity ranging from 5 to 20 kilowatts (kW), showcasing their suitability for smaller-scale energy generation.
• Commercial Rooftop PV Capacity: In contrast, commercial buildings often host rooftop PV systems with significantly larger capacities, frequently exceeding 100 kilowatts (kW), making them robust contributors to the energy grid.
• Benefits :

oSavings up to 15-18 thousand rupees annually for households from free solar electricity and selling the surplus to the distribution companies;

oCharging of electric vehicles;

oEntrepreneurship opportunities for a large number of vendors for supply and installation;

oEmployment opportunities for the youth with technical skills in manufacturing, installation and maintenance.

• Rooftop solar (RTS) Energy: India achieved 8.07 gigawatts of rooftop solar (RTS) installations by December 2022, out of the 40 GW of the target.

PM Suroyadaya Yojna: It aims to provide electricity to low and middle-income individuals through solar rooftop installations, along with offering additional income for surplus electricity generation. It aims to provide one crore households will be enabled to obtain up to 300 units of free electricity every month.