Solar regulations envision consumers to reap dividends

Srinagar, Dec 9: In a significant move towards harnessing solar energy and encouraging consumers to adopt sustainable practices, the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission for J&K has adopted new regulations to incentivise the installation of solar rooftop projects, particularly solar rooftops, in Jammu and Kashmir.

The regulations, officially known as the ‘Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission for the State of Goa and Union Territories (Solar PV Grid Interactive System based on Net Metering) Regulations, 2019’, seek to promote the development of solar energy by empowering consumers to install solar plants with a particular emphasis on solar rooftop.

Under these regulations, all types of rooftops, including vacant spaces, water bodies, and elevated spaces adjacent to premises, qualify for the development of solar rooftop projects, except for premises of historical significance, unless permission is obtained from the appropriate authority.

According to Regulation 4.1, solar projects with a capacity of up to 500 kW at a single premise, based on technologies approved by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), are eligible for connection to the grid under these regulations.

Regulation 4.2 stipulates that eligible consumers can install solar projects, provided the projects meet certain criteria, including being within permissible rated capacity, located at the consumer's premises, and interconnected and operated safely in parallel with the Distribution Licensee's network.

The availability of electricity connection at the premises is a basic requirement for Solar Rooftop installation.

Regulation 4.3 allows consumers to generate solar power for self-consumption and feed excess solar power into the grid, which will be adjusted under Net Metering as per the provisions of these regulations.
Regulation 11.2 specifies that if the exported electricity exceeds the imported electricity during the billing period, the excess will be carried forward to the next billing period as credited units.
However, if the imported units exceed the exported units, the Distribution Licensee would raise an invoice for the net electricity consumption.

Under Regulation 11.3, the unadjusted net credited units of electricity at the end of each financial year would be considered as units purchased by the Distribution Licensee at the Average Power Purchase cost or Feed-in-Tariff determined for that year, whichever is lower.

Furthermore, the regulations introduce concepts such as ‘Group Net Metering’ and ‘Virtual Net Metering’, allowing surplus energy to be adjusted in more than one electricity service connection or sold to other consumers within the same distribution corporation at no extra cost.

Importantly, Regulation 14 exempts solar projects installed under these regulations, whether self-owned or third-party-owned, from charges related to the banking of electricity.
This means surplus energy generated during periods of higher production, such as summer, can be stored and used during periods of higher consumption, such as winter.

The implementation of these regulations marks a significant step towards sustainable energy practices in J&K, providing consumers with both incentives and flexibility in adopting solar rooftop installations.
The use of smart meters and net meters ensures the seamless and automatic measurement of all energy transactions, making the process efficient and user-friendly.