Delhi L-G directs roadmap for promoting solar power panels

Lt Governor Anil Baijal today directed the power department to prepare a standard operating procedure (SOP) as well as a roadmap for promoting installation of solar power panels in the city.
He said the SOP will help in facilitating various government departments and potential large users to install solar power.
He also asked the secretary (power), Delhi government, to prepare a roadmap for time-bound installation of rooftop solar panels on government buildings including schools and hospitals, and malls in the city to achieve the target of tapping 1 GW solar power by 2020.
Baijal dubbed solar energy as a strong antidote to pollution while participating in a meeting of officials including Delhi chief secretary of and secretary (power) among others from different departments of the Delhi government.

The Delhi Solar Policy - 2016 aimed at mass adoption of solar power in the city was notified on September 27, 2016. The highlights of the policy included a generation-based incentive for 3 years.
The L-G also asked for an awareness campaign for popularising advantages of solar power and incentives given by government to individual households for adopting solar power, through distribution of pamphlets along with power bills by the discoms.

A presentation on initiatives taken by the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Management (EEREM) Centre of power department was made by the secretary (power).
Delhi government has envisaged exploring possibilities of alternate sources of energy to reduce its dependency on power from outside the state and also to meet high demand in peak season, officials informed the L-G.

The city, which has almost 300 sunny days a year and sufficient rooftop space available for installation of solar photo voltaic systems, has a huge potential of 2,500 MWp (annual generation approximately 3,500 million kWh) of solar energy.