Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Friday 16 March 2018

Clean Power ? #SolarPower #RooftopSolar



For the moment at least, that is a “ contradiction in terms “


The utility electricity sector in India has one National Grid with an installed capacity of 334.40 GW as on 31 January 2018.


Renewable power plants constituted 32.2% of total installed capacity. Of this , Solar is just about 20 GW – mostly in the form of large land based ( 50 MW + ) installations


So , most of the power that we produce today , is “ dirty / polluting “


Sure , we have set a target to achieve 100 GW of Solar by 2022 – mostly in land based projects


We might even succeed in reaching 40 % of total installed capacity by way of solar by 2022 , by which time , most of the current coal-based power plant would be operating at the PLF ( Plant Load Factor ) of under 50 % and would find it impossible to survive without a massive government subsidy ( meaning , “ more taxes “ for citizens ! )


To totally get rid of dirty coal-based power plants , might take us to 2050


Till that time, there is no getting away from “ dirty power “ – and the associated NPAs of lakhs of crores of rupees ! ( - a perpetual re-capitalization of banks, using tax money ? )


But whether a coal-based power plant or a land based solar plant, both require certain infrastructure for delivering that power to homes / offices  /  factories


To better understand that “ infrastructure “ , look at the full page advt brought out by Ministry of Power in today’s news papers


It reads :



INTEGRATED  POWER  DEVELOPMENT  SCHEME  ( IPDS  )


Providing RELIABLE and  QUALITY power supply to cities


·         So far Rs 28,405 Crore sanctioned


·         Strengthening of DISTRIBUTION NETWORK in over 3600 towns


·         All towns to be IT Enabled for AUTOMATED MEASUREMENT of SYSTEM LOSSES


·         1100 SUBSTATIONS being added


·         1365 additional POWER TRANSFORMERS for Capacity Enhancement


·         55,318 km of HT–LT TRANSMISSION LINES being added to provide quality power


·         72,014 Km of AERIAL / UNDERGROUND CABLES for uninterrupted power supply



Look at the words highlighted in BOLDRED


If we were to go all out and enable citizens to install ROOF TOP solar plants , then none of those highlighted things would be required !


Each residential building will produce / store and consume its OWN power , without having to depend upon DISCOMS


No need for metering /  transformers / substations / cables / transmission lines !


No need for DISCOM to maintain the infrastructure ! or worry about thefts ! or sign Power Purchase Agreements – and then worry about rescinding !


Now , recognizing that it is just not possible to switch-over to ROOF  TOP  SOLAR , overnight, we must appreciate what the government is doing ( ref : above advt )


But what I fail to understand is :


Why is govt not going all out to encourage ROOF TOP SOLAR ?


I urge the Policy Makers to read :

SolarRoofs ?  Why not ?   [  06  Feb  2018  ]


For roof top installations , currently govt gives 30 % subsidy



Change this as follows :


#   30 % by way of subsidy


#   70 % by way of interest free loan , repayable over 10 years




Why not save all the funds required for the above-mentioned infrastructure and use for the interest free loans / subsidy for Solar Roof Tops  ?

16  March  2018







No comments:

Post a Comment