Lok Sabha Question No. 3091 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-03
Subject: Solar Energy Policy
Ministry: NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
Asked by: JAYSHREEBEN  PATEL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3091

TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.08.2017

## SOLAR ENERGY POLICY

## 3091. SHRIMATI JAYSHREEBEN PATEL:

Will the Minister of NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the Government's Solar Energy Policy;
- (b) the details of the progress made in the implementation of the above policy, State-wise;
- (c) the details of incentives provided to popularise the policy;
- (d) the manner in which the people are being encouraged towards the installation of solar rooftop panels along with the power generated in megawatts thereunder;
- (e) the details of the benefits accruing therefrom to the public and the Government; and
- (f) the planning of the Government for a better future with regard to this aspect?

## ANSWER

THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  FOR  POWER,  COAL,  NEW  &  RENEWABLE  ENERGY  AND  MINES (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

- (a): The  Government  has  declared  no  specific  'Solar  Energy  Policy'.  However,  the  Government  has launched, inter alia, following schemes to promote solar energy:
- i. Solar  Park  Scheme  for  setting  up  of  over  50  Solar  Parks  and  Ultra  Mega  Solar  Power  Projects targeting over 40,000 MW of solar power projects.
- ii. Scheme for setting up 1000 MW of Grid-Connected Solar PV Power Projects by the Central Public Sector  Undertakings  (CPSUs)  and  the  Government  of  India  organisations  with  Viability  Gap  Funding (VGF).
- iii. Scheme  for  setting  up  300  MW  of  Grid-Connected  Solar  PV  Power  Projects  by  Defence Establishments and Para Military Forces with VGF.
- iv. Pilot-cum-demonstration projects for development of grid connected solar PV power plants on canal banks and canal tops.
- v. Bundling Scheme - 15000 MW grid-connected solar PV power plants through NTPC Ltd./ NVVN.
- vi. VGF Scheme for setting up of 2000 MW of Grid Connected Solar PV Power Projects through SECI.
- vii. VGF Scheme for setting up of 5000 MW of Grid Connected Solar PV Power Projects through SECI. viii. Installation of Grid Connected Solar Rooftop Power Plants.
- (b): State-wise details of grid connected solar power capacity installed in the country, as on 30.06.2017 are given at Annexure-I.
- (c): The Government is promoting solar energy through various  fiscal and promotional incentives such as capital subsidy, generation based incentive, accelerated depreciation, viability gap funding (VGF), financing solar rooftop systems as part of home loan, preferential tariff for power generation from renewables,  foreign direct investment up to 100 per cent under the automatic route etc. Recently, Goods and Services Tax has been kept at the lower level of 5% to promote the solar sector.
- (d): The Government has taken various steps to encourage people to install solar rooftop systems. Details are given at Annexure-II. An aggregate capacity of 704.02 MWp grid connected rooftop solar power plants have been installed in the country as on 31.07.2017.
- (e): Installation of solar power helps in providing power to  people especially in far-flung areas. It also provides  environmental  benefits  resulting  into  combatting  climate  change.  This  apart,  installation  of  solar panels is done quickly in comparison to other modes of power and there is low operation and maintenance cost involved. Overall solar power contributes to energy security of the country.
- (f): The  Government  has  revised  the  target  from  20,000      MW  to  100,000  MW  by  2022  for  grid connected solar power projects through installation of 60,000 MW of ground mounted and 40,000 MW of rooftop projects. The Year-wise targets for grid connected solar power capacity installation are given below:

| Year/Category   | Rooftop Solar (in MW)   | Large Scale Solar Power Projects (in MW)   | Total (in MW)   |
|-----------------|-------------------------|--------------------------------------------|-----------------|
| 2015-16         | 200                     | 1,800                                      | 2,000           |
| 2016-17         | 4,800                   | 7,200                                      | 12,000          |
| 2017-18         | 5,000                   | 10,000                                     | 15,000          |
| 2018-19         | 6,000                   | 10,000                                     | 16,000          |
| 2019-20         | 7,000                   | 10,000                                     | 17,000          |
| 2020-21         | 8,000                   | 9,500                                      | 17,500          |
| 2021-22         | 9,000                   | 8,500                                      | 17,500          |
| Total           | 40,000                  | 57,000                                     | 97,000*         |

*******

## ANNEXURE-I REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (B) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3091 FOR 03.08.2017

## STATE/UT-WISE DETAILS OF SOLAR ENERGY CAPACITY INSTALLED

(As on 30.06.17)

| Sr. No.   | State/UT                                      |   Total cumulative capacity till 30.06.2017 |
|-----------|-----------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh                                |                                     2010.87 |
| 2         | Arunachal Pradesh                             |                                        0.27 |
| 3         | Bihar                                         |                                      111.52 |
| 4         | Chhattisgarh                                  |                                      128.86 |
| 5         | Gujarat                                       |                                     1262.1  |
| 6         | Haryana                                       |                                       81.4  |
| 7         | Jharkhand                                     |                                       23.27 |
| 8         | Karnataka                                     |                                     1180.38 |
| 9         | Kerala                                        |                                       74.2  |
| 10        | Madhya Pradesh                                |                                      857.04 |
| 11        | Maharashtra                                   |                                      452.36 |
| 12        | Odisha                                        |                                       79.42 |
| 13        | Punjab                                        |                                      809.45 |
| 14        | Rajasthan                                     |                                     1961.21 |
| 15        | Tamil Nadu                                    |                                     1697.32 |
| 16        | Telangana                                     |                                     1609.27 |
| 17        | Tripura                                       |                                        5.09 |
| 18        | Uttar Pradesh                                 |                                      359    |
| 19        | Uttarakhand                                   |                                      233.48 |
| 20        | West Bengal                                   |                                       26.14 |
| 21        | Andaman & Nicobar                             |                                        6.56 |
| 22        | Delhi                                         |                                       40.27 |
| 23        | Lakshadweep                                   |                                        0.75 |
| 24        | Puducherry                                    |                                        0.08 |
| 25        | Chandigarh                                    |                                       17.32 |
| 26        | Dadra and Nagar Haveli                        |                                        2.97 |
| 27        | Goa                                           |                                        0.71 |
| 28        | Manipur                                       |                                        0.03 |
| 29        | Meghalaya                                     |                                        0.01 |
| 30        | Nagaland                                      |                                        0.5  |
| 31        | Daman & Diu                                   |                                       10.46 |
| 32        | J&K                                           |                                        1.36 |
| 33        | Himachal Pradesh                              |                                        0.73 |
| 34        | Mizoram                                       |                                        0.1  |
| 35        | Assam                                         |                                       11.78 |
| 36        | Others/ data from rooftop division cumulative |                                       58.31 |
| TOTAL     | TOTAL                                         |                                    13114.6  |

## ANNEXURE-II REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (D) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3091 FOR 03.08.2017

## STEPS TAKEN TO ENCOURAGE ROOFTOP SOLAR INSTALLATION

- (a)  The  Central  Financial  Assistance  (CFA)  upto  30%  of  benchmark  cost  for  the general category states and upto 70 % of benchmark cost for special category states, i.e. North Eastern States including Sikkim, Uttarakhand,  Himachal Pradesh,  Jammu  &  Kashmir  and  Lakshadweep,  Andaman  &  Nicobar  Islands  is provided for installation of grid connected rooftop projects in residential, institutional and social sector.
- (b)  All the 36 States/ UTs have notified net metering regulations and/or tariff orders.
- (c) Over 1933 firms have been empanelled as channel partner.
- (d)  Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) issued the largest Rooftop Solar (RTS) tender  for  500  MW  for  social/institutional/residential  sectors  and  500  MWp  for Govt. sectors.
- (e)  4  State/  UTs  of  Chhattisgarh,  Haryana,  Uttar  Pradesh  and  Chandigarh  have notified mandatory notification for RTS.
- (f)  As  financial  CFA  has  been  withdrawn  for  projects  in  Industrial  &  Commercial sectors,  MNRE  made  efforts  to  provide  concessional  loans  to  developers  in these  segments.  Thus  multilateral  concessional  loans  of  USD  625Million  have been approved from the World Bank to State Bank of India (SBI) and USD 500 million has been approved from Asian Development Bank Punjab National Bank (PNB) for RTS development in Industrial & Commercial sectors.
- (g)  MNRE also prepared model EPC agreement / PPA which have been duly vetted by Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Law and Justice.
- (h)  Publicity through print and electronic media.