Staff Reporter
Guwahati: Under the PM Surya Ghar Yojana, work is going on to install solar panels in around 15,000 households in Assam. Till now, around 1 lakh applications have been submitted under the scheme.
Official sources said that solar panels to generate 3 KW of power have already been installed in a residence at Kahilipara in Guwahati. Of the total of 1 lakh applications received, 15,000 feasibility reports have already been received from the subdivisions of APDCL concerned. Now the applicants are in the process of selecting vendors for the installation of the solar panels in their houses. Once the vendors are selected, the installation of solar panels will begin. It takes not more than two days to install solar panels, the sources added.
The enthusiasm displayed by the people has resulted in around 15 lakh people registering their names online for inclusion in the scheme, the sources also said. Installation of solar panels will give freedom from frequent power cuts, load shedding, and other problems associated with electricity connections, and people are showing interest in the scheme primarily because of this. Moreover, the headache associated with the payment of electricity bills will become a thing of the past. Not only that, the households with surplus power from the solar power system will be able to sell the surplus power to the APDCL.
Both the central and state governments also provide subsidies to people installing solar panels on their premises.
The state government incurs huge expenditures on purchasing power, and it is showing keen interest in installing solar power systems because of that. Currently, around 291 MW of solar power is being generated with the help of private parties. Along with this, three mega-solar power projects are being implemented in the state. Around 3,000 MW of power is expected to be generated from these projects. To further accelerate its renewable energy ambitions, Assam Power Generation Corporation Limited (APGCL) has joined hands with Oil India Ltd. in a 51:49 equity shareholding pattern. This strategic partnership aims to make Assam self-reliant and energy independent by developing a staggering 650 MW of solar power projects over the next two to three years, sources added.
Also Read: Household solar panel: Assam among top 3 applicant states (sentinelassam.com)
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