Rooftop solar project: Regulatory commission suspends KSEB's decision to implement gross metering system

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Regulatory commisssion has stopped KSEB's move to rob money from one lakh consumers who have installed rooftop solar in the state under the pretext of electricity metering.

The commission clarified to continue the existing net metering and declared that rooftop solar consumers will have the right to sell the electricity to others if they wish. Preman Dinaraj, who was the chairman of the commission, issued the order to save the consumers. The order will be implemented from August 1.

The current net metering is measured using a bi-directional meter.The house owner only pays for excess electricity used as per the current tariff. If the house owner consumes less electricity, then the excess electricity cost will be paid to the house owner at the rate of Rs 3.91 per unit.

But now KSEB demands a gross metering system having two meters to measure electricity provided to house and also to measure electricity given to KSEB. It was stated that KSEB suffered loss due to net metering system and as a result demanded gross metering. But Kerala Kaumudi published an article on July 11 that this decision will negatively affect the rooftop solar scheme. The rooftop panel owners also pointed out this during evidence collection.