India's solar power subsidies for homes face scepticism
«I understand the importance of renewable energy and thought that everyone should adopt it,» said Narayan, 60, whose action inspired many others to do the same in the capital of Madhya Pradesh state in central India.
Now, a new government scheme — unveiled before voting began in nationwide elections in April — aims to encourage more people to install solar panels on their roofs as part of India's commitment to triple renewable capacity by 2030.
EV calculator
How much will I save if I choose an electric vehicle?
SELECT vehicle type
Calculate <div data-placement=«Mid Article Thumbnails» data-target_type=«mix» data-mode=«thumbnails-mid» style=«min-height:400px; margin-bottom:12px;» class=«wdt-taboola» id=«taboola-mid-article-thumbnails-109994295»>
The new programme, launched in February, provides 75 billion rupees ($9 billion) in subsidies to install grid-connected rooftop solar systems on around 10 million homes, allowing consumers to reduce their electricity bills when the sun shines and sell extra units to the grid to earn some money.
It is expected to create 30 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity in homes, leading to a reduction of 720 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent planet-heating emissions over the 25-year lifespan of the rooftop systems.
«I want three things. Every household's power bill should be zero; we should sell surplus electricity and earn money; and I want to make India self-reliant in the energy sector as we transition to the era of electric vehicles,» Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a televised interview in late April.
The process, which was previously complicated and fragmented, has been simplified with the creation of a one-stop online portal to smooth applications and facilitate installations.
