Solar energy next step to reduce pollution

New Delhi: ‘Power Your Neighbourhood With The Sun’, an awareness and consultation programme on solar energy was organized by Purpose Climate Labs under at Yamuna Apartments  the campaign ‘Earn from the Sun’ and Indicus Foundation in New Delhi this week. The workshop focused on engaging residents in a dialogue for creating awareness on solar power by generating electricity through their rooftop while educating them on its several benefits such as cost-saving, government incentives and policies, as well as the vast environmental benefits.
 
The campaign ‘Earn from the Sun’ promotes solar power and accelerates its adoption by attempting to create excitement in Delhi residents through innovative and creative offline and online engagements. It works by generating awareness and connecting solar aggregators and government authorities with citizens to help ease the journey towards adoption of solar energy in households. Additionally, it encourages people to contribute to the national and state solar mission and towards reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
 
As per Delhi Solar Policy 2016 there is a target of 1 GW by this year (2020) and 2 GW by the year 2025. At the moment, the achievement is only 146 MW, this is in spite of the Central Government’s subsidy, Delhi Government’s generation-based incentives, and many other environmental and tax benefits. There is still much ground to cover to make up for the lag from the 2019 targets of 600 MW.
 
There have been announcements of ambitious targets and policies both at State and Center levels, and all-party support for renewable and clean energy due to the multifold benefits in terms of environment and air quality, savings and energy independence, jobs and livelihood.  Renewables are a key solution to meeting increasing energy demand and reducing air pollution. To support the campaign, Saurabh Bhardwaj, MLA, Aam Admi Party also attended the workshop where he addressed the residents and encouraged them to adopt solar power, “Today, India produces the cheapest solar power and we must make use of it. Delhi is a suitable city to start to bring in this change. This topic is something we should promote and pass on information about to help encourage more interest from friends and relatives to take the same step.  It is reassuring to know that I am representing a constituency where people are already so aware and concerned about the environment, ” - Saurabh Bhardwaj, MLA, AAP.”
 
Amandeep Singh, Project Manager, Geo Power India and a solar panel expert and technician from solar panel manufacturer also joined the workshop where he explained to the attendees the technology, cost, land space required and answered many questions from those present. He said, “Solar energy has the power to make you an electricity producer, then you won't have to be dependent on the DISCOMs. Rather, you can earn money from your generated electricity by selling it back to the grid”
 
The event organiser and campaigner at Purpose, Sandeep Dahiya said “ This event was aimed to provide a platform to citizens to ask and know about the benefits of policy, environment, economic, tech and other solar related issues. Solar rooftop systems in Delhi are the best fit to reduce peak electricity loads and bring down the power tariff slab for electricity consumers. Currently, there are two different models pursued by solar companies in Delhi. One is CAPEX where the plant owner pays for solar PV system installation and operation and gets the benefit of central and state subsidies, incentives and tax relaxations. There is another model called RESCO, where there is zero upfront cost to the consumer. A third-party sets up and maintains the solar PV system and the consumer pays fixed per-unit prices as mutually agreed by the consumer and installing agency, for a duration of 20-25 years, but RESCO is preferred by solar aggregators only for high capacity community solar plants.”