Andhra Pradesh and Telangana can use solar plants to generate electricity

Hyderabad: With Andhra Pradesh and Telangana receiving bright sunshine and with the weather department predicting a hotter summer this year, the governments of both states should focus on harnessing the sun’s energy through the “Grid Connected Solar Rooftop and Small Power Plant” scheme of the ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE).

The two states can take a lesson or two from Karnataka where the scheme is being implemented. In Bengaluru, the installed solar rooftop capacity is already around 3.5MW. While owners of small houses can utilise the power generated for their own use, those having large roof areas can even sell power back to the Karnataka government at a price of Rs 9.56 per unit.

Karnataka is ahead in using this scheme even though AP has the potential of generating more solar power. As per National Institute of Solar Energy, MNRE, AP has 38 GWp (Giga Watts peak) potential of solar energy whereas Karnataka has only 24GWp. Telangana is close with 20GWp of solar energy potential.

A research by the Center for Ecological Science at Indian Institute of Science has found that Telangana receives solar radiation of minimum 4.5 kWh/m2/day (kilowatts hour/ meter square/ day) in peak winter and 6.6 kWh/m2/day of solar radiation in summer. For AP, while the maximum limit stays the same, the minimum goes down to 4kWh/m2/day in the months of the southwest monsoon and winter.

As per the research, at a place which receives 4.5 kWh/m2/day, a solar cell can generate 69 Watts/m2 of power, which means that anyone having a house with a roof of 100 square meters can have a solar power plant of 6.9 Kilo Watt capacity which will be enough to run the household. Surplus power can be sold to the government if the MNRE scheme is implemented.

Using the same calculations, AP and Telangana, which have a combined 2,056 hectare of barren land that can be used for generating solar power, can have power plants of at least 1,400MW capacity round the year.

Dr T.V. Ramachandra of CES, IISc, whose work has been instrumental in helping Karnataka take up the grid-connected solar rooftop scheme says, “It is high time that Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments take to solar power for satisfying their needs. They have the solar potential to even generate surplus power and sell to neighbouring states. This will also go a long way in conserving the environment in both states.”