Solar Energy Act should not make consumers suffer

Consumers are switching to solar, even after taking out a loan, as a last resort because they cannot afford the electricity bill but they are worried that this will also turn into a setback. Currently, the net metering system is used. That is, those who feed solar electricity into the KSEB grid and use KSEB electricity for domestic use only have to pay a charge for the excess electricity. However, the draft of the Renewable Energy Amendment Act prepared by the Regulatory Commission suggests that the net metering system is unscientific and that gross metering should be used instead. With the switch to gross metering, separate meters will be installed for solar electricity and electricity used for domestic purposes from KSEB.

When this happens, the result will be a huge loss for those who have installed solar. Although such a proposal was made earlier, it was withdrawn due to huge protests from the people. After a break, the Regulatory Commission is trying to implement the same proposal again. While solar energy producers and groups assert that the draft prepared by the Regulatory Commission will destroy the solar energy production sector, the KSEB is arguing in favour of the draft law. KSEB argues that the loss due to the method of feeding cheap electricity to the grid during the day and providing expensive electricity to solar producers at night will have to be borne by consumers without solar panels as well, and this should be avoided.

Although the Regulatory Commission says that net metering will continue for existing solar consumers, solar consumers are of the opinion that it is not credible. Evidence collection on the amendment of the rules is being held from July 8 to 11. It is being conducted online. Registration for this will end on July 4. The Regulatory Commission says that it has been decided to conduct the evidence collection online to ensure greater public participation. When the evidence collection was conducted in person last time, those who participated in the evidence collection expressed their anger against the additional bill of KSEB. It was not even possible to complete the evidence collection due to arguments and racket. It is said that the evidence collection was moved online this time to avoid this.

Those who install solar panels will not benefit just by increasing their daytime electricity generation. The current electricity crisis can only be solved if that electricity can be stored for the night. For this, the solar consumer will have to pay for a special battery at their own expense. Not only will they have to spend about fifty thousand rupees for this alone, but they will also have to change the battery at regular intervals. There are suggestions in the rules that encourage this. Even if this system comes, when calculating the total cost, there will not be a significant difference in cost between buying electricity from KSEB and using solar energy. If KSEB and the Regulatory Commission make gross metering mandatory, it will be tantamount to giving a blow in the dark to those who have switched to solar. Therefore, if domestic consumers can be exempted from the scope of the new law, that is what should be done.