Solar power initiative gaining momentum

The state government's solar panel installation on rooftops has received a good response so far from Navi Mumbai and Pune. The rooftop solar policy was approved in January this year offering incentives to the citizens opting for the natural resources power.

“We have so far received 500 applications for the solar rooftop power and about 175 are from Pune and Navi Mumbai. We welcome the positive response to the new initiative,” Chairman and MD of MSEDCL Sanjeev Kumar said.

Aiming to generate 500 megawatts of power in the next five years, the state in January had approved the proposal of the solar rooftop power for old and new buildings, Adivasi ashram shalas, government and semi-government institutes. The local bodies were asked to change their development rules accordingly.

The idea is to promote the use of solar power to run water heaters, lamps and for domestic use.

The government then had announced to give Rs 2,682 crore as subsidy to the government offices and the people below poverty line.

The state is offering 100 per cent subsidy to the government and semi-government institutes and 15 per cent to private buildings.

This was one of the initiatives of the state government for generation of 10,000 megawatts of electricity from natural resources such as solar, wind, among others.

The state government will also introduce solar-based agriculture pumps for a group of farmers to cut down their electricity bills. One such pilot project would come up in Solapur.