Rooftop solar generation gains popularity

KARACHI: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has issued more licences for photo voltaic solar-based distributed generation facilities in Islamabad, as more people are opting for rooftop generation.

Nepra announced Net-Metering Regulations in September 2015, allowing consumers to generate renewable energy, particularly solar power for their own use, while feeding the surplus into the network of distribution companies.

An official at the power regulatory authority said as of now they had received 25 applications and over 100 queries for net-metering.

With over 300 days of sunshine, the country has an enormous rooftop potential and rooftop solar can drastically bring down the power demand and reduce load on the distribution, transmission system, the official added.

Mujtaba Khan, CEO of Reon Energy, said that the development of alternative energy on micro and mass levels needed a push from the government authorities.

“(Islamabad Electric Supply Company) IESCO has started implementing net-metering, while Lahore Electric Supply Company is also considering implementing the concept within its area of operations. However, K-Electric is still reluctant, as the power utility does not want to lose sales,” Khan added.

Net-metering could supplement the grid with an additional power that could reduce the energy supply-demand gap and also bring down the cost of energy for the consumers.

“It will also decrease the load on the overall transmission and distribution system. Each rooftop and open space can act as a solar generator. Pakistan is one of the best countries in the world for rooftop solar,” he added.

Anyone willing to install generation facility and opting for net-metering would need to acquire distributed generation licence from Nepra, he said, adding that it is a cumbersome process, but Nepra is quite efficient and processing these applications within weeks.

Reon Energy has come up with the solution of installing distributed generation on rooftops of households, commercial centres and industrial units. “We have made arrangements with certain banks and also can support our clients secure financing for the generation systems as per their requirements,” Khan added.

The cost of solar panels is declining in the international market and as the new technologies are being leveraged, the cost of solar panels would decline further, he added.

The net-metering regulations explain that surplus solar electricity produced in a month will get carried forward, as an electricity credit in the electricity bill of the next month and so on.

Finally, at the end of the financial year, the net surplus electricity would be credited to the consumer at an agreed rate.

The scheme; thus, provides an incentive to those who are paying high electricity tariff such as high-end residential and commercial consumers to go solar, Khan added.