The year 2016 has ushered in one of the biggest and hardest push for the use of solar power in the country, with the government of Haryana making it mandatory for all buildings (500 square yards and more) to install solar panels. The order includes private bungalows, group housing societies, builder apartments, malls, offices, commercial complexes, schools, hospitals — any new or old building that meets the plot size criteria. The government is willing to offer a 30% subsidy on all installation costs but contingent to availability of funds, and hence this is “a first-come-first-served” basis scheme. Failure to install solar panels within the stipulated period will attract monetary penalties from Rs.10,000 to Rs.10 lakhs.
This order, from the department of renewable energy, supports the solar power policy of the state framed in September of 2014. The demand for power in Gurgaon particularly is extremely high and the distribution networks are prone to breakdowns, leading to long hours of power failures. By making solar power mandatory, the energy production will be augmented and will ease the pressure currently on other methods of generating power. The additional deputy commissioners of all Haryana districts will be responsible for the implementation of this order.
The order also stipulates that the minimum capacity of the solar panels must be 1kw or 5% of the building’s load requirement – whichever is higher of the two. The 1kw system is able to generate up to 4.5 units of electricity, which can power three fans, seven tube lights and a cooler for about 4-5 hours.
While installation may not be cheap, the system would pay for itself in 4-5 years and given that the lifespan of these systems is at least 25 years, it would be highly cost effective. In addition, the successful implementation of this order will dramatically reduce the long and frequent power outages in the Gurgaon and other Haryana cities, especially in summer.
We at Start Solar completely support the government’s endeavours and are doing our best to bring solar power to the masses in the most cost effective prices, with the least amount of hassle to the user, and backing our products with top class customer service. Please connect with us– give us a call on the number provided or fill in the inquiry form and you will receive a quick reply from a company representative.