THE Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited’s (MSEDCL) has recently put a condition before solar consumers that their total generation cannot be accounted beyond 150 units per month per kW. Further, the export to the grid cannot be accounted beyond 100 units per month per kW. Raising concern over the issue, Sudhir Budhay, a renewable energy consultant, on Thursday filed a petition before Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC).

 

“There is no such limit in any regulation of the MERC. MERC’s rule is simple which says solar plant capacity can be up to the consumer’s sanctioned load (or 5 MW, whichever is lower). This is to protect the safety of the electricity network and is based on peak power in kW, which is technically correct and acceptable, not on the number of units (kWh) generated in a month. Generation depends on the orientation building, angle on inclination, technology used and many other factors,” Budhay said. Budhay said that MSEDCL’s new restrictions on rooftop solar usage will hurt thousands of consumers across Maharashtra. “For last few years, MSEDCL has been blocking and delaying solar projects at every level – for big plants that are not getting Open Access for captive use, to industrial and commercial consumers facing sudden changes in power compensation rules and Time of Day (ToD) tariffs. Recently the distribution company also started restricting small residential rooftop systems by allowing capacity only up to the “last 12 months’ average consumption”, even though the rules clearly allow capacity up to the full sanctioned load,” he said. In case any one wants to check the AC capacity, he can simply check “Generation MD” (KW/KVA) and not the quantum of power (units), Budhay explained. .

 

he new ‘100 units per kW’ export limit is even more unreasonable. In real life, export can easily be 100 per cent of generation, or very close to it, when the house is locked for some weeks, When the family is out of town, or a shop/office is temporarily closed or any similar reason. No rule allows the consumer to deny power exported from a solar setup. MERC has never fixed any minimum consumption or maximum export ratio in its regulations. Solar banking – the facility to inject surplus power into the grid and adjust it later – is a basic feature of rooftop solar policy. If accounting of export power is artificially capped, the whole idea of encouraging people to invest in renewable energy is defeated. “Because of these actions, many solar consumers across Maharashtra are suffering financial loss,” Sudhir Budhay told The Hitavada.