Gandhinagar, 21 April 2012

Azure Power, an independent power producer in the solar energy sector, today in a press meet announced plans to develop India’s first megawatt (MW) scale rooftop project in the Gujarat capital. The company would set up a 2.5 MW plant at an investment of Rs 25 crore.

The first project of its kind in India will be set up under the Gandhinagar Photovoltaic Rooftop Program (GPRP).

The project will be attractive for rooftop owners through a revenue sharing arrangement for 25 years. Power companies having PPAs with the State Government will off-take solar power at Rs 11 per unit and pay Rs 3 per unit to rooftop owners who install solar equipment.

This way cities can become energy generators and power companies selling in cities can meet their renewable purchase obligations (RPOs), Mr Inderpreet Wadhwa, CEO, and Mr D. J. Pandian, Principal Secretary (Energy), Gujarat Government, said here on Saturday.

The model would demonstrate aggregation of 60-plus rooftops under a single project. The concept has the potential to tap into 1,000 MW of rooftop solar power across Tier-I and II cities, they said.

Azure Power was selected for this project through a competitive bidding process conducted by the Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute (GERMI). The projects will include a mix of Government and private rooftops. This programme is expected to encourage public participation and increase solar power generation awareness.

Mr Pandian said the GPRP is expected to revolutionise solar power generation on rooftops in Gandhinagar and then in the State. Rooftop solar installations have a huge market potential in India.

“We have signed agreements with two companies, Azure Power and Sun Edison, to develop 2.5 MW of rooftop solar power each in North and Southern parts of Gandhinagar over the next one year,” Pandian told reporters.

“Under this model, 80 per cent of government buildings and 20 per cent of residential premises would be covered. The terrace owners would get Rs 3 per unit as roof rent, and also electricity supply from such rooftop installations through the discoms,” he said.

The project would cover 60 buildings including Jeevraj Mehta (JM) Bhawan (old secretariat). The Bhawan is projected to have 17 lakh units clean generation capacity annually, thereby saving over Rs 50 lakh on power bills.

“Once commissioned, the projects would help the state cut down its electricity bills by over 25 per cent” Pandian said. The 5 MW of rooftop solar power on commissioning is expected to generate 80 lakh units annually.

“The rooftop solar power generation model is proposed to be replicated in Surat, Vadodara, Mehsana, Rajkot and Bhavnagar as well,” Pandian said.

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