Around 22 solar power projects having a cumulative capacity of 772.99 MW are under different stages of development will achieve commercial operation DeCOD by 2015-16, subject to availability of Grid by National Transmission And Despatch Company (NTDC) and announcement of tariff by NEPRA. Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) is promoting the use of solar technology at domestic level for electricity generation. The private sector is already using solar energy for domestic use for self consumption as there is no restriction or licensing requirement, official sources told APP, here today.
Souces said Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) is pursuing and facilitating the development of Alternative & Renewable Energy (ARE) based power projects through the private sector under Renewable Energy (RE) Policy 2006. Official said the RE power projects based on wind and solar energy are being developed by private sector on IPP mode. Besides solar,3 wind power projects of 150 MW capacities in total are under construction and will be completed in 2014, he said.
Another 13 wind projects having a cumulative capacity of 680 MW are at advance stages, ready to achieve financial closing in 2014. In total, 33 wind power projects are in different stages of development, while 2 wind power projects of 49.5 MW and 56.4 MW capacities respectively are operational. Sources said the RE Policy 2006 allows consumers to avail features like Net-Metering and Wheeling of Energy which require interconnection with the grid.
“The implementation of such schemes, however, requires regulatory framework enabling the domestic, commercial and industrial users to carry out net-metering, wheeling using solar energy”. Sources said AEDB has prepared draft rules for distributed generation, covering electricity generation from solar at domestic level, and submitted the same to National Electric Power Regulatory Authority NEPRA for announcement. “NEPRA, being the regulator, is the concerned agency for developing regulatory framework including incentives”.