Lok Sabha Question No. 3096 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-11
Subject: Promotion of Solar Energy System
Ministry: NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
Asked by: Uday Pratap Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENRGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3096

TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.07.2019

## PROMOTION OF SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM

## 3096. SHRI UDAY PRATAP SINGH

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

- (a) whether the Government provides/proposes to provide any type of grant to Government/Non-Governmental  Institutes  and  the  common  man  to  promote  solar  energy system;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government is imparting training for installing solar pump and solar plant and the  method  of  its  utilization  under  'KUSUM'  scheme  in  the  country  especially  in  Madhya Pradesh and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) if not, the reaction of the Government thereto;
- (e) whether the Government has provided any grant/subsidy to farmers for the said purpose; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof, State/UT wise?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (I/C) FOR NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY AND POWER (SHRI R. K. SINGH)

- (a)  &  (b)  The  Ministry  of  New  and  Renewable  Energy  (MNRE)  is  implementing  various schemes  /  programmes  to  promote  solar  energy  system  by  providing  Central  Financial Assistance  (CFA)  in  form  of  grant,  subsidy,  incentives,  viability  gap  funding,  etc.  Details  of CFA being provided under different schemes / programmes are given in Annexure.
- (c)  to  (f)  MNRE  is  supporting  short  term  training  programmes  of  one  week  to  six  months duration  for  technicians  and  engineers  for  their  skill  development  in  project  development, system design, installation, commissioning, operation, maintenance and repairs of solar power projects. Suryamitra Training Programme was launched in 2015 to create trained manpower for deployment of Solar Power Projects. So far up to 31.3.2019 over 31,000 Suryamitras have been trained in the country of which 2,522 are from the State of Madhya Pradesh.

Similarly, Varunmitra programme of the Ministry is aimed to create trained manpower for the installation, commissioning, operation, maintenance and repairs of solar water pumping systems. Under this programme total 427 participants, including 20 from the State of Madhya Pradesh, got trained during 2018-19 by the National Institute of Solar Energy.

The Suryamitras and Varunmitras are trained for solar power plants and solar pumping systems respectively  and  their  skills  may  be  utilised  under  any  solar  project/scheme  including  New Scheme for Farmers launched by MNRE on 8.3.2019.

There is no provision of subsidy/grant for training of farmers under New Scheme for Farmers. However, subsidy is available under the Scheme for providing stand-alone solar water pumping system and solarisation of grid connected agriculture pumps.

*****

## ANNEXURE

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) and (b) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3096 FOR 11.07.2019

## DETAILS OF CFA/SUBSIDIES/INCENTIVES BEING PROVIDED FOR PROMOTION OF SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM UNDER VARIOUS SCHEMES OF MNRE

## A.     GRID-INTERACTIVE SOLAR POWER PROGRAMMES:

| 1. Solar Power Projects.                                                                                                                                                                            | 1. Solar Power Projects.                                  | 1. Solar Power Projects.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| a) Solar PV Power projects under Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) Phase-II, Batch-I of total 750 MW with Viability Gap Funding (VGF) support from National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF). | Minimum Project Capacity10MW Maximum Project Capacity50MW | VGF support up to 30% of Project Cost limited or maximum of Rs.2.50 Cr/MW whichever is less, based on reverse bidding process for power producers.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| b) Grid Connected Rooftop Solar PV Power                                                                                                                                                            | Benchmark cost fixed by MNRE on yearly basis.             | (i) For Residential Sector  Central Financial Assistance (CFA) up to 40% for capacity up to 3 kWp  CFA up to 20% for capacity beyond 3 kWp and up to 10 kWp  CFA up to 20% for GHS/RWA capacity up to 500 kWp (limited to 10 kWp per house and total upto 500 kWp) (ii) For Discoms Incentives up to 10% of project cost depending upon achievements in capacity addition above baseline. |
| c) Grid connected Solar PV Power Projects by Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs).                                                                                                            | Total size of the scheme 1000MW.                          | VGF support to the CPSUs/Govt. Of India Organizations at a fixed rate of Rs.1 crore/MW for projects where domestically produced cells and modules are used and Rs. 0.50 crores/MW in cases where domestically produced modules are used.                                                                                                                                                     |
| d) Grid-connected Solar PV Power plants on Canal Banks and Canal Tops                                                                                                                               | 1MWto10MW                                                 | Rs 1.5 Crore/MW for Canal Bank and Rs 3.0 Crore/MW for Canal Top Projects, subject to 30% of the project cost in both the cases.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| e) Solar Park Scheme                                                                                                                                                                                | --                                                        | 25 lakh per Solar park for preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |

|                                               | 20 Lakh per MWor 30% of the project cost including Grid-connectivity cost, whichever is lower                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
|-----------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| f) Solar PV scheme for Defence Establishments | Tender issued before 17/02/2017- VGF support is 2.50 cr/MW Tender issued after 17/02/2017- Rs 1.1 crore / MWfor all capacities.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| g) New Scheme for Farmers                     | (i) For Solar power plants, incentives to Discoms @ Rs. 0.40 per kWh subject to limit of Rs. 6.60 lakh per MW/year for a period of five years. (ii) For stand-alone solar pumps and solarisation of grid connected agriculture pumps: CFA of 30% of the benchmark cost or the tender cost, whichever is lower and in North Eastern States, Sikkim, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Lakshadweep and A&N Islands, CFA of 50% of the benchmark cost or the tender cost, whichever is lower. |

## B.     OFF-GRID / DECENTRALIZED SOLAR ENERGY PROGRAMMES:

| 1.   | Decentralized Solar Photovoltaic Systems.                   | Decentralized Solar Photovoltaic Systems.                             |
|------|-------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
|      | a) Solar Street Lights / Power packs                        | CFA up to 30% of the project cost.                                    |
|      | b) Solar Study lamps under off-grid scheme                  | CFA up to 85% of the lamp cost.                                       |
|      | c) Solar Study lamps under 70 lakh Solar Study lamps scheme | Student contribution Rs 100/- per lamp and balance to be paid as CFA. |
|      | d) Solar Street light under AJAY scheme                     | CFA up to 75% of the project cost.                                    |
| 2.   | Concentrating Solar Thermal Technology                      | CFA up to 30% of the project cost.                                    |