Telangana Starts Net Metering

• The Indian state of Telangana has introduced its net metering scheme for solar rooftop consumers
• Maximum rooftop solar capacity residential and government consumers can install will be for up to 100% of their load
• Industrial, commercial and other consumers can install solar systems providing power up to 80% of their load

The Indian state of Telangana has approved net metering for solar rooftop consumers. The policy will be applicable for systems in the range of 1 kW to 1 MW and will come into force once it is notified in the official gazette.

The policy titled Telangana State Electricity Regulatory Commission (Net Metering Solar PV Grid Interactive Systems) Regulation 2016 allows consumers of the local distribution company to make use of net metering. The maximum rooftop solar capacity to be installed at any eligible consumer's premises can only supply up to 100% of the demand of residential and government consumers. For industrial, commercial and other consumers solar systems can supply up to 80% of their load.

The net metering arrangement will be approved for the interested consumers on a first come and first serve basis. Those consumers who have already installed the rooftop PV system before the policy comes into effect will be given priority.

The new meter will be procured and installed by the distribution company at its own cost. But the consumer may opt to procure the meter at his own cost for testing and installation by the distribution company, which will be responsible for the supply, installation, testing and maintenance of the metering equipment, according to the policy released by Telangana State Electricity Regulatory Commission (TSERC).

Consumers will be exempted from transmission charge, transmission loss, wheeling charge, wheeling loss, cross subsidy surcharge and additional surcharge.

Consumers can use the solar power generated for captive use, and the excess can be sold to the utility for an average power purchase cost of a distribution licensee or distribution company (discom). The discom can use the power to comply with its renewable purchase obligation (RPO).

Speaking to clean energy research and consultancy firm Mercom Capital
Group, a TSERC official said, "The policy has been released to make people aware of the process, incentives and subsidies and to ease the process of installing rooftop solar PV systems."

Telangana is next to Karnataka when it comes to highest solar PV capacity to be commissioned in 2016-17, a total of 1,900 MW, according to Mercom Capital.