Bengal paves way for viable rooftop solar energy with net metering

Nowthere is no restriction and anyone can install rooftop solar.Earlier regulations did not allow net metering for commonhouseholds, a WBERC official said.However, a consumer cannot install solar panels morethan its own load.

To make solar energy viable forhouseholds in Bengal, WBERC has relaxed rooftop solarregulations by allowing net metering starting from capacity of1 KW against 5 KW capacity criteria required earlier and thattoo for restricted categories of consumers, an official said.

Earlier no individual or housing complexes except co-operatives, were permitted the benefit of net metering a keydriver for rooftop solar adoption. Without net meteringrooftop solar projects are not very economically feasible, theofficial said.

According to earlier regulations, only institutions,commercial, industrial and cooperative housings were allowednet metering benefit but that was from 5KW onwards.

The West Bengal Electricity Regulatory Commission(WBERC) in its recent amendments to the Cogeneration andElectricity Generation from Renewable Sources Regulations 2013had allowed net metering from 1 KW but had restricted it to 5KW, a top official told PTI.

The new amendment mandates ''gross metering'' facilitiesfor solar system installation capacities above 5 KW.

The commercial benefit for a consumer is far less incase of gross-metering compared to net-metering thus makingadoption less commercially attractive. A simple implicationis, now a small installation up to 5 KW gets a boost but itdeprives larger installations between 5 KW and 10 KW.

''To boost renewable energy use, we have allowed net-metering of solar power installation from 1 KW to 5 KW. Nowthere is no restriction and anyone can install rooftop solar.

Earlier regulations did not allow net metering for commonhouseholds,'' a WBERC official said.

However, a consumer cannot install solar panels morethan its own load. That means if a household has an existingelectricity load of 2 KW then his installation cannot behigher than 2 KW even if he has space and interest, a WBERCofficial explained.

The Union Power ministry in its model regulation hadprovided gross metering over 10 KW solar installations.

The net metering concept allows to set-off the numberof units produced from the total consumption and he payselectricity charges only what he had derived from the grid ordistribution company.

The regulation allows set-off of up to 90 per cent ofhis solar power generation for any month.