J&K grapples with untapped rooftop solar potential

Srinagar, Nov 27: As the chasm widens between power generation and soaring demand, Jammu and Kashmir grapple with a distinct setback – the underutilisation of rooftop solar potential.
Officials said that out of approximately 22 lakh consumers, a mere 1600 have taken the initiative to install grid-connected solar rooftop plants, contributing only 8.5 MW of power generation.

As per the records available with the Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA), these figures underscore a pressing need for accelerated efforts.
Even with JAKEDA's current plans to install 10,000 more plants in the next 2-3 years, the cumulative generation is not expected to exceed 60 MW, leaving a stark gap in the region's energy portfolio.

Officials are calling for short-term planning by the administration, proposing the ambitious goal of harnessing 1000 MW of solar power with appropriate planning and budgetary allocation.
Concerned citizens and experts express dismay over the slow pace and inadequate planning in developing solar energy plants.
They emphasise the need for a renewed government scheme, backed by mass awareness, facilitation, and substantial subsidisation of these plants.
Experts argue that if only half of the registered consumers with distribution corporations started installing solar rooftop plants, around 50 percent of the demand for energy supplies to consumers in J&K could be met.

Unfortunately, the J&K government woke up to launch the rooftop solar scheme in 2021, almost a decade after it was introduced by the Union Ministry of Renewable Energy in the country.
The scheme launched by GoI had envisaged a target of 1,00,000 MW of solar power by 2022 out of which 40,000 MW was to be achieved through rooftop.
Whereas the target set for large solar plants was surpassed, the target for solar rooftops was not achieved and as such the target of 40,000 MW achievements has been reset for March 31, 2026.

The rooftop solar power capacity was estimated to have reached 12762 MWs by June 2023.
The share of J&K in achieving solar capacity has remained at 8.5 MW and the majority of 1600 consumers having installed solar rooftop plants so far have been of the capacity of 3 kW to 5 kW though subsidy was
available from 1 kW to 10 kW.

The rooftop solar scheme, part of the National Solar Mission, aimed to reduce participants’ energy bills substantially.
J&K, being under special category states, received capital subsidies.

Now, the demand for a renewed composite scheme for rooftop solar plants is gaining momentum, with citizens advocating for an increase in capital subsidies beyond the current 65 percent.
Rooftop solar plants offer not only cost-saving benefits to participants but also promise to reduce distribution and transmission losses, easing the burden on power distribution infrastructure.
Additionally, encouraging solar energy plants aligns with the global goal of reducing carbon footprints, ensuring a safe and pollution-free environment for future generations. The urgency for a comprehensive strategy to unlock J&K’s rooftop solar potential is now more evident than ever, experts said.