Rooftop solar power unit vendors fume over capacity capping in policy

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Vendors of rooftop solar power units across Maharashtra are protesting against MSEDCL and the energy department of the state for suddenly putting a cap while approving the system capacity of rooftop solar systems.Based on the consumer's average electricity consumption over the previous 12 months, the capping is termed an arbitrary shift in the policy by vendors.The state power utility, however, has defended the amendment introduced on Feb 13, maintaining that it would not impact consumers.The All India Renewable Energy Association (AIREA), which claims around 3,000 vendors of rooftop solar units as its members in the state, has announced a rally in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on March 5 to protest against the shift in govt policy."The Feb 13 decision of MSEDCL has impacted 60% of our orders. Domestic consumers are going to be hit due to the shift in govt policy. Many consumers intend to increase their power usage by switching to electric vehicles and increasing general consumption with rooftop solar units. They will be affected, " Ramprasad Awhad, the AIREA representative in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, said.Claiming that residential, commercial and industrial solar consumers are going to bear the brunt of the changed policy, Awhad accused the MSEDCL of violating the Electricity Act, 2003, and general rules related to the solar power generation policy.When contacted, Vishwas Vasant Pathak, independent director of MSEDCL, said the interests of the consumers will remain unharmed even if guidelines are revised."The tweak in the policy aims to avoid hoarding in the power sector. It has been found that some consumers have installed excess capacity solar units by miscalculation, and thereby have blocked expected load on transformers and other infrastructure. The new rules do not prohibit any consumer from getting solar units in keeping with their average consumption," he told TOI.A senior MSEDCL official said vendors of rooftop solar systems are misleading consumers over the new rules. "Vendors often mislead consumers in calculating expected power requirements to earn business. As new rules put a check on such profiteering practice, vendors are raising unnecessary hue and cry," he said, preferring anonymity.