Response to discussion paper on “determination of tariff in respect of solar power projects (including solar rooftop pv projects) for FY -22-24 “

PREAMBLE:

The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC), in the exercise of the enabling powers conferred under the Electricity Act, 2003 has issued a discussion paper on Revision of tariff in respect of solar power plants (including solar rooftop PV projects) for FY -22-24

The Commission has invited suggestions/comments/ views of the stakeholders and the general public on the topics covered in the discussion paper.

Below are my comments and suggestions on the points mentioned in the discussion paper.

RESPONSE 1 ; PROCEDURAL:

SCENARIO :

As mentioned in the paper, the off-take of RTV projects among domestic consumers is very low. There may be many reasons for it including high CAPEX. Though high Capex is one of the reasons for the poor off-take of solar, there are many other administrative challenges in the implementation of rooftop solar plants.

It will be prudent now to take a look at the data published by BESCOM on their website on the list of commissioned SRTPV Installations.

The BESCOM website as of 18 March 2019 has the following figures (It is a Screen-shot from the then BESCOM Website )

As of 30 June 2021, the capacity installed has grown to 157 MW as per the Bescom website.

Let us look at the table carefully and analyze the data.

 

Sl No	Years	No of Installations (A)	Capacity in MWp (B)	Indicative capacity of each installation [(B x 1000)/A] in KWp	Percentage increase in Capacity year on year	Percentage increase in No of installations year on year
1	2014-15	27	0.32	11.85
2	2015-16	330	7.74	23.45	95.87%	91.82%
3	2016-17	507	44.39	87.55	82.56%	34.91%
4	2017-18	553	32.88	59.46	-35.01%	8.32%
5	2018-19	329	18.08	54.95	-81.86%	-68.09%
6	2019-21	1439	53.616	37.26	33.14%	38.57%
	Cumulative	3185.0	157.03

  

As seen from the table;

1.   In the years 2017-19, Capacity of rooftop installations in BESCOM circle is decreasing year on year whereas the cost of solar panels is falling year on year. Prices of solar panels have fallen nearly 40% in the years 2017-19. But the capacity of solar installations instead of doubling has halved.

2.   The increase in capacity on the years 2019-21 is not significant when viewed from the angle of immense solar potential and falling solar panel prices.

3.   The average size of a rooftop installation is around 35 KW. This means that domestic consumers form a very negligible proportion of the total installations.

The target set by the GOI is 40 GW for the rooftop solar segment by the end of the year 2022. Bangalore is one of the most progressive cities in India was expected to contribute a lion's share in the 40GW basket. It is reasonable to expect at least 1 GW from a bustling city of Bangalore to the national target of 40 GW. 157 MW is unfortunately is not even 20% of what a city like Bangalore should have contributed.

Suggestions :

In our experience of handling domestic consumers, most domestic consumers are willing to install solar plants for two main reasons;

• To offset their energy bill and to hedge against any future increase in energy cost.
• To be as environmentally friendly as possible.

In the above scenario, a better feed-in tariff is definitely welcome. However, there are much more procedural changes that are needed to give a much-needed fillip to the domestic consumers. Most installers and consumers in the domestic segment are stressed out by the time and cost over-runs dealing with BESCOM.

In our opinion, the following are needed urgently.

 1.Ease of application and Approvals:

 Every installer and every SRTPV consumer are irritated by long and lengthy procedures and series of approvals required for SRTPV installations. There is an urgent need for the rationalization of processes.

Plenty of precious time is wasted waiting at BESCOM offices for concerned officials. A minimum of 5  7 visits to the BESCOM office is required for one rooftop installation.

 Suggestions:

• 1    Bescom website gives a timeline for various approvals. But it is nowhere mentioned what must be done or what is the next step if the timeline is not adhered to.
• 2   Submission of completion report (Format 5) is made online which is a very good step. However, Bescom officials still ask for many documents even after successfully submitting the work completion online. There is no point in uploading the work completion details online if the officials still ask for physical documents.
• 3  If BESCOM officials find any deviation or discrepancy in installation, the same must be put up online within a time frame.
• 4  The delay in commissioning (If any) after submission of work completion report (Format 5) must be documented and monitored.
• 5  There is no timeline fixed for meter calibration and testing from BESCOM. There is no system in place to check the progress or status as well. One has to keep visiting the BESCOM lab to check the status and one is just lucky to really get an update. How can the installer adhere to a installation timeline when the BESCOM labs cannot commit on the timeline for meter calibration? 
• 6  Hybrid inverter empaneled by BESCOM have a different grid interconnection Topology. Many BESCOM officials are not accepting this grid interconnection Topology though the inverter is empaneled. This is causing many delays and cost and time overrun.
• 7  It is good to have a single point of contact for all SRTPV approvals. That is notwithstanding the sub-division, there must be a single point of contact in BESCOM office for all SRTPV approvals.

2.Billing issue:

Almost all SRTPV consumers are having a tough time with billing. Following are few of the major issues regarding billing:

• Most consumers are not receiving the SRTPV bills on time.
• Some consumers are not receiving bills for months together.
• Payment is not happening on time.
• Meter readers are unable to take the EXPORT and IMPORT readings.
• In spite of installing the SRTPV system, the consumer is receiving normal bills with arbitrary readings.
• The meter reader is sometimes confused with the generation side meter. There are scenarios where the meter reader has taken the check meter (generation side meter) reading and billed the consumer for the solar energy generated.
• More than 60% of the consumers who have installed SRTPV are unhappy with the system/Technology because they have to run around to get their bill corrected.

Suggestions:

• BESCOM must pay interest if there is a delay in payment or even delay in meter reading. (This is mentioned in the PPA but not respected)
• Meter reading along with meter serial number must be available online for customers to cross-check.
• Call center (1912) must also handle SRTPV complaints.
• ALL SRTPV bills must be only online.

 

NOTE:

Consumers who are putting their hard-earned money into SRTPV are in a way doing a great service to the nation and the environment. If they cannot be incentivized, at least they must not be troubled or harassed or made to run from pillar to post for billing issues. Their due must be paid on time.

 

3.OTHER ISSUES:

A. Captive consumption or ZERO EXPORT:

At present, there is no clarity on the captive consumption of energy. One who wishes to connect to the grid but consumes the energy that he generates has no provision in the current policy. Permitting captive consumption will eliminate a lot of bottlenecks in the SRTPV implementation

B. Inverter Empannelment Issue:

For some strange reason, The ESCOMS in Karnataka has a system of inverter empanelment. No other state has this policy. All BIS-approved inverters can be used for grid integration. This inverter empanelment and subsequent renewal every year is having a negative impact on the solar installations. Top brands and the world’s leading companies have walked out of Karnataka leaving the solar developers with poor quality inverters.
This system of inverter empanelment must be immediately stopped and all BIS approved inverters must be allowed for grid connectivity.  

    

RESPONSE 2: NEED FOR COMPETITIVE TARIFF

Scenario:

Feed-in tariff is too low and it is un-just. The argument definitely has water. The fact is “BESCOM is buying power from the ‘rooftop solar’ owner at a much lower rate than what they are selling to them or other consumers”. That is, the current feed-in tariff is rupees 3.99 / 3.82 per unit while the average selling price of BESCOM is well above rupees 6 or 7 a unit (or even more). Also, there is no escalation clause in the power purchase agreement (PPA).

 

This is an unfair proposition. On the other hand, BESCOM revises its selling rate almost every year at an average rate of about 7 to 8 percent.In the net metering scenario, The SRTPV (solar rooftop photo-voltaic) consumer buys at a rate higher than the rate he sells power to BESCOM.

 

Given that any excess feed in from an SRTPV consumer is almost consumed within the immediate grid, it will be prudent to assume minimum or nil T and D losses from the power generated from a SRTPV unit. So, an SRTPV owner is giving clean power to BESCOM with almost Nil T & D losses with CAPEX coming in entirely from the SRTPV Owner.

 

[Note:  The SRTPV consumer and the installer goes around the pillar to post for all the approvals and commissioning to end up selling power way lower than market prices].

Suggestion:

·       The details of the cost incurred by BESCOM for purchasing power is given in their website

·       As per the details available on the website, the average cost incurred by BESCOM for purchasing power in the year 2018 is as follows

Sl No	Month	PP Cost (INR/KWh)
1	Jul-18	₹ 5.42
2	Jun-18	₹ 5.73
3	May-18	₹ 5.51
4	Apr-18	₹ 5.23
5	Mar-18	₹ 4.67
6	Feb-18	₹ 4.98
7	Jan-18	₹ 4.82
	Avg	₹ 5.19

 

·       Average power purchase cost by BESCOM is rupees 5.19 rupees per unit.

·       At an inflation of 3% year on year, the cost of power purchase by BESCOM for the The next 20 years will be as follows

YEAR	PP Cost (INR/KWh)
1	₹ 5.19
2	₹ 5.35
3	₹ 5.51
4	₹ 5.68
5	₹ 5.85
6	₹ 6.02
7	₹ 6.20
8	₹ 6.39
9	₹ 6.58
10	₹ 6.78
11	₹ 6.98
12	₹ 7.19
13	₹ 7.41
14	₹ 7.63
15	₹ 7.86
16	₹ 8.09
17	₹ 8.34
18	₹ 8.59
19	₹ 8.84
20	₹ 9.11
AVG	₹ 6.98

·       So, in the most optimistic of scenario, the average power purchase cost by BESCOM over the next 20 years will be rupees 6.98 a unit.

·       Currently Bescom tariff varies from 4.5 rupees to 8.15 Rupees a unit depending on the tariff slab.

·       So, in a scenario where the consumer does not have an SRTPV unit in his premises, BESCOM is charging him or her rupees 5 a unit (This is a very safe assumption since most domestic consumers who can afford SRTPV units fall in the higher slabs).

·       In other words, BESCOM charges at a rate of 5 rupees per unit for any domestic consumer.

·       At an escalation of 4% every year, the unit rate of BESCOM power for the domestic the consumer is as follows.

YEAR	Tariff (INR/KWh)
1	₹ 5.00
2	₹ 5.20
3	₹ 5.41
4	₹ 5.62
5	₹ 5.85
6	₹ 6.08
7	₹ 6.33
8	₹ 6.58
9	₹ 6.84
10	₹ 7.12
11	₹ 7.40
12	₹ 7.70
13	₹ 8.01
14	₹ 8.33
15	₹ 8.66
16	₹ 9.00
17	₹ 9.36
18	₹ 9.74
19	₹ 10.13
20	₹ 10.53
AVG	₹ 7.44

 

·       So, in a 20-year time scale scenario, assuming ambitious very little inflation, BESCOM is buying power from KPTCL , NTPC and others at rupees 6.98 a unit and selling to the consumer at 7.44 rupees a unit.

·       So ideally, BESCOM must pay any producer of electricity a minimum of rupees 6.98 a unit.

·       However, BESCOM would say that the SRTPV consumer is using the BESCOM infrastructure free of cost. This is however not true. In a NET metering scenario, BESCOM recovers the infrastructure costs as demand charges. So, notwithstanding SRTPV, the consumer is paying for the infrastructure. For example, with or without SRTPV a consumer having sanctioned load of 5 KW pays (1x85) + (4x95) = 465 rupees a month. This is also subject to revision every year.

·       BESCOM recovers its T and D losses in the profit earned. In an SRTPV scenario, the SRTPV owner is giving good clean power at nil T and D.

·       BESCOM however loses a paying consumer, so to be fair to BESCOM and to account for cross-subsidy, rupees 1.25 or 125 paise per unit of electricity can be pegged to account for losing a paying customer and for cross-subsidy.

·       So rationally, any SRTPV consumer injecting excess energy into grid must be paid a rational price of (698-125) = 573 paise a unit or rupees 5.73 a unit.

·       Competitive tariffs for SRTPV owners will also encourage more installations and at the same time bring pressure on KPC and other companies to reduce rates and increase efficiency. 

RESPONSE 3 ; TARIFF DETERMINATION

The commission in the discussion paper has considered many variables in the determination of tariff. Here, we wish to enlist our responses to some of the variables considered by the honorable commission in arriving at the tariff.

Please note that the responses given here are only applicable to rooftop solar plants less than 10 KW.

Life of the plant (i)(Page:7)

On page 7 of the discussion paper, it is mentioned that the life of the plant considered is 25 years since the module manufacturer gives a warranty of 25 years on the panels.

Response :

It is true that the module manufacturer gives a warranty of 25 years on the panels. However, another significant part of the system is the inverter. Inverter manufacturers give a warranty of 5 years to 10 years depending on the technology and quality control protocol of the respective manufacturer. The discussion paper does not talk about the replacement of the inverter after the warranty period. We wish to bring to the notice of the honorable commission that the cost of replacement of the inverter (including inflation in prices) must be incorporated while arriving at the feed-in tariff.

 

Capacity Utilization factor (III)(Page:8)

In page 8 of the discussion paper, it is mentioned that the CUF considered for rooftop solar plants as 19%.

Response :

•    While a CUF of 19% is very optimistic while still achievable at utility-scale, in rooftop segment particularly in urban areas with high dust levels and shadows of trees and neighboring buildings, a CUF of 19% is almost impossible to achieve. We request the commission to take a note of this and revise the CUF for rooftop plants to 17%.
•    When degradation is considered for the PV plant, Reduction in CUF must also be considered.
•    Since the yield of the plant reduces year on year, CUF must also reduce year on year.

Capital Cost (v)(Page:9)

In page 9 of the discussion paper, it is mentioned that the capital cost of RTPV plants up to 10 KW as 43,760 per KW.

Response :

•    We request the honourable commission to kindly publish how this capital cost is arrived at. This would allow us to give a more detailed response and better participate with our views.
•    The cost of panels which was falling till the year 2020, is now increasing.
•    At the outset, the cost of 43,760 is too low and most system integrators will agree that it is impossible to install a small rooftop solar plant (up to 10KW) at this cost. Hence, we request the honourable commission to relook at the capital costs.

Depreciation (iX)(Page:11)

In page 11 of the discussion paper, it is mentioned that the depreciation considered for SRTPV plants to be 5.38%.

Response :

•   The depreciation is applicable only for companies and individuals cannot avail of depreciation benefits.

TIMELINES (Xiii)(Page:13)

Page 13 of the discussion paper mention various timelines for the SRTPV process.

Response :

•    The timelines were given in the previous orders as well.
•    While this is a welcome step, there is no mention in the paper on what is the redressal mechanism if these timelines are not complied with.
•    With our experience, we have been making multiple trips to ESCOM offices for approvals and commissioning.
•    One of the activities missing in the discussion paper is the bi-directional meter calibration. At present, ESCOMS accepts the new meter for calibration only after the PPA is approved. There is no timeline for meter testing and no way to get an update from ESCOM on the status of the meter. Installers have to make multiple trips and spend long hours at BESCOM Labs. 

Rooftop Solar Industry in Karnataka in the brink of collapse

 

The lockdown in the years 2020 and 2021 has hit the MSME sector very hard and Rooftop solar industry is one of the worst affected sectors because of the lockdown.

The government of India announced a slew of measures, schemes, and incentives to help the MSME sector. Center and state governments have been making announcements that they are doing their best to revive the MSME sector. 

The Solar Energy sector is one of the fastest-growing sectors in India over the last few years. The Industry has contributed substantially in generating employment, reducing T ad D losses in power supply, and cutting down harmful carbon emissions. 

However, the rooftop solar energy sector is yet to catch up with the pace of the world, also with the target given by the government of India. The government of India has set a target of 40 GW by the year 2022 for the rooftop solar segment and regrettably, we have not even achieved one-third of the target. It is very unlikely that this ambitious target is going to be met. 

One of the reasons attributed to the poor offtake of rooftop solar in India is poor awareness and high capital cost. While this may be true, one of the least discussed and perhaps the greatest impediments in the implementation of rooftop solar in India is poor policy and inaction by State regulatory commissions and even poor implementation by the state DISCOMS. 

Take for example the state of Karnataka. It is one of the most progressive states in terms of renewable energy adoption. Yet, it is seeing one of the darkest days (Like other states) with respect to rooftop solar energy generation. 

The Energy policy in the state is decided by the Karnataka Energy Regulatory Commission (KERC). It is the KERC that decides the feed-in tariff, the net metering regulations, the interconnection voltages, etc. 

The Rooftop solar energy policy will be valid till 31 march of every year and a new policy will be notified by the commission for the next financial year. However, there is no fixed time by which the new policy has to be issued. Installers and businesses around solar have to keep waiting.

The year 2021 still does not have a policy. All rooftop solar works have come to a halt since new guidelines and policies are not issued by the commission with respect to rooftop solar installation. No new PPAs or Power Purchase agreements are made from April 01, 2021. 

This inaction, lack of policy and no firm commitment to timelines is causing panic and anxiety in the solar industry. Thousands of people have lost jobs and many more are likely to lose jobs in the coming days if the authorities behave indifferently with no concern either for the economy or for the environment. 

One of the reasons given by the commission is that they are awaiting some policy guidelines from the Ministry of Power (MOP). In the interim time, till the guidelines come from the ministry of power, KERC could have continued with the previous year's policies saving hundreds of jobs. (The MOP could have also said, old guidelines will be in force until the new one is issued) .

 The new guidelines have also been issued by MOP in the last week of June 2021 but KERC is yet to act on them. 

The Rooftop solar industry in Karanataka has already lost one quarter of a year with no idea how much more to wait for the new policy. 

This has been the story in few other states as well. 

If central and state governments are truly concerned about reviving the economy, they must not sit on important policies for months together. With COP 26 happening in the next couple of months, India must aggressively push for sustainable and equitable development. However, the poor actions on the ground do not give hope in that direction. 

Solar has immense potential both in terms of ensuring clean energy and generating employment. Government must capitalize on this great gift of the sun by making adoption of it easier & simpler instead of entangling it in the web of inefficient bureaucracy.  

The government's purported concern towards MSME is also not in sync with the way it has handled the rooftop solar segment. If they were truly concerned about MSME, the government must have acted on new guidelines on time and also issued orders to states not to delay implementation of clean energy technologies. 

We are still caught up with old bureaucratic models of endless red-tapism and inaction. If we have to reduce the ill effects of climate change and revive the economy, we have to act very quickly. Generating employment and reducing carbon emissions must be our top two priorities. Bureaucracy must be in pace with the urgent needs. If we continue in the paradigm of poor accountability, climate change will soon sweep us into death and despair. 

Climate Change and Bureaucracy

 

A recent study of the risk consultancy firm Versik Maplecroft says that “Out of the 100 cities that are at the greatest risk to environmental issues such as Air Pollution and natural disasters, 99 are in Asia and 43 in India”. The study covered 576 Cities on indices like Air and water quality, Water scarcity, heat stress, vulnerability to Natural disasters, and Climate change. Worryingly, our National Capital New Delhi comes second after the city of Jakarta.

Other than the Empirical evidence that we are seeing in terms of Cyclone, the poor quality of air, and the Pandemic, this is yet another study that warns India of the perils of the “Business as Usual” Approach. It is high time that we get serious about Climate Change and shift our focus to Action.

Good Quality Air, Water, and Food must be the priorities of India and not Mandir, Masjid, CAA, etc.

Our Environmental indices continue to be poor. Air Quality in Major cities in India is at Warning levels. Water is less conspicuous than air but the quality of Piped water supply in Urban India is much below acceptable standards. Many reports and studies have confirmed this.  

In post-Pandemic India, the focus of the government will be economic recovery and massive Economic Growth. It is desirable since millions have now been pushed into poverty.

However, This Economic progress may come at the cost of the environment. This is exactly what we have to avoid. Famous Broadcaster David Attenborough has warned that if we fail to act now, we will see “Irreversible damage to the natural world and collapse of societies”. He has also mentioned that we are running out of time and the only time to act is “NOW”.

So, what options do we have in India? We want a healthy, progressive nation to be breathing clean air, drinking pure water from the tap, and not be running cancer or oxygen express trains.

We have to adopt a multi-pronged approach if we have to reach our Lofty goals. Few on the policy front and few at the Action Front. 

First, the country must change its energy policy. The regulatory authorities must not be at the hands of retired bureaucrats who run it like government offices delaying Important policies. Technology is fast-changing and if governments don’t adapt to it, the country will lose. Take for example the rooftop solar program in India. The policy goes for revision every financial year-end and it takes 2 to 3 months for the new policy. Till the time no new projects are taken. Solar Energy is now much cheaper than the Grid. So, the Electricity distribution companies (DISCOMS) are incurring losses due to large offtake of rooftop solar projects. Now the DISCOMS are using regulatory authorities and Governments to delay policies, impose irrational duties on imports of solar components, put a cap on solar generation, and so on; so that their financial condition does not worsen. This is hurting both the economy as well as environment. Government must immediately restructure DISCOMS and Regulatory authorities so that both work with the industry and not against each other.

Second, we must bring accountability to the Water distribution system in major cities. Many studies have pointed out that the piped water quality in the city of Bangalore is below acceptable standards. Yet the Government-owned water distribution company is not accountable for it. This indirectly means pollution is unaccounted for. We must bring in strong laws to punish the government-owned bodies and boards when their service is counter to their policies and standards.

Third, Government must stop this subsidy business in promoting solar or bio-mass or any other renewable energy technologies. Technology is galloping. These technologies are affordable and scalable and do not need subsidies. The government is just hindering the offtake of these technologies by introducing subsidies thereby encouraging sub-standards products and technologies (To match their price). Bureaucrats are having merry in the name of subsidies. Subsidies have never done any good for the environment. In fact, Subsidies have harmed the environment. We have the classic example of subsidies on synthetic fertilizers which have ruined the soil and polluted the water.

Fourth, Forests and trees must be regarded as infrastructure. Indiscriminate cutting of trees and forests must be stopped immediately in the name of infrastructure development. Clearing of forests; if required, must be accompanied by a court-monitored action of making a bigger forest in a time-bound manner.

Fifth, Government must use its financial resources and CSR funds for growing forests. Exactly like how major works like highways are awarded, we have to award “Building forests” to private bodies. This will also boost the local Agro-economy and soil health. Growing forest must be regarded as infrastructure development.

Sixth, Cities must be made to pay for catchment management and maintenance. For example, In Bangalore, the water supply board (Or the citizens) does not contribute anything to the catchment development of its two major river basins Cauvery and Kabini. Protecting the pristine catchment of these two rivers is of primordial importance for the city. City water supply companies must take care of and be responsible for the catchment of its source.  

Seventh, Waste is a major problem in cities. The Municipal authorities are not able to handle it and rightly so. The magnitude is too large. Wet waste must be handled as locally as possible. Citizens must be encouraged to compost the wet waste in-house. Or the municipal authorities must make sure that the wet waste does not leave the ward. Centralized management will add a lot of methane to the city air.

Eighth, most cities receive annual rainfall to meet their water requirement and yet we spend plenty of energy and money in conveying water. The country has enough engineering capabilities to manage the city water needs within the city. Large amounts of money and energy can be saved by arresting the runoff from the city to meet its own needs. Many water bodies can be constructed which will cool the city and add to its bio-diversity.

Ninth, City planners must move ahead of setbacks, FAR, etc, and make it mandatory for every house/ society/ factory, etc to have a provision for at the least one tree. Bad Building by-laws coupled with rampant corruption have almost taken out the concept of gardening in the house. Many buildings have come up in the cities with ugly-looking stilt parking and multiple floors with no earth space for either a tree or the rainwater to percolate.

Tenth, At the individual level, we have to work on and quickly adopt local forestry, Rainwater harvesting, Rooftop solar, organic terrace farming, cycling etc. Environment and climate change studies must start with primary school and be continued to every branch of education till graduation.

At a larger level, governments must take all possible actions to reduce or ban plastics. Electric vehicles must be given a strong push. The scourge of corruption must be reduced if not eliminated.

Jargons must give way to actions. Conferences, Seminars, signing of agreements, Meetings, etc are of no avail anymore. What is required is action and action now. We have always regarded nature as God. The God-form of Nature is limited to only talks and self-boasting. In reality, we have abused nature and will soon see her wrath. If we don’t change now, perhaps we can never again.

 

 

 

 

Solar Power at Ramakrishna Yogashrama

 

Around the end of 2018, a friend of mine took me to a beautiful Ashrama on the outskirts of Bangalore Called the Ramakrishna Yogashrama. It is located on the banks of the Bheemanakuppe lake en route to the famous Big Banayan Tree.

The campus is spread a little over 2 acres. Most of the campus is a plantation with many varieties of mangoes, Banana, Guava, coconut, and turmeric. 

Apart from the main sanctum sanctorum for the holy trinity, the Ashram has a Hostel block, A training center, and a pretty big Goshala. Ashram also a small quarters for the staff. 

Apart from Spiritual pursuits, the ashram is actively involved in imparting Vocational training. The Ashram also has a residential facility for about 15 kids who are pursuing various levels of School education in the nearby Schools. The schooling, boarding and lodging facilities, and vocational training are all completely free of cost.  

Ramakrishna Yogashrama 

I was taken to the place for a different reason. The Campus being quite

far from the city limits had some electrical infrastructure issues. Most importantly there was no stable electricity connection (Grid) available at the campus. There was no power in most parts of the monsoon.  During summer it used to get very difficult for the cows to bear the scorching heat since the power supply to the Goshala was erratic. Since there was a training center and hostel, having a stable power supply was very important. 

The president of the Ashrama is Swami Yogeshwarananda. A highly educated and dedicated Swamiji has dedicated his life to the cause of spirituality and education. Swamiji gave me a comprehensive view of the campus and the problem. To overcome the problem of electricity, the Ashram had already invested in a solar power project. But unfortunately, it was not working and most of the equipment was burnt because of poor design and installation. Swamiji mentioned that they had invested a lot of money to no avail. He also mentioned that they were getting a huge electricity bill and was hurting them financially; given that they were mainly running on donations. 

Now my job was to assimilate the data, find the best solutions in the most sustainable way. I crystallized my thoughts into three goals. 

• Make sure that The ashrama does not pay any more electricity bills anymore. 
• Make sure that there are no power cuts in the sanctum Sanctorum at any given point in time (Since it also had the student study area) . 
• Use all possible components from the old system. 

Then we went about designing the solution. From the old system, we could recover about 3 KW of Solar Panels and 6 batteries of 150 Ah, and some cables. 

After some discussions with the Swamiji, we came up with the following solutions. 

1.  A 5 KW Rooftop Solar hybrid system for the main sanctum Sanctorum. This would ensure an un-interrupted power supply and also would ensure zero electricity bill since the excess power could be traded with the electricity distribution company. We could use 4 out of the 6 recovered batteries here.

2.  Out of the 3 KW Recovered solar panels, Use 2 KW solar panels to put an On-grid rooftop Solar system on the hostel block. 

3. Use the remaining 1 KW solar panels and 2 batteries to put a 1 KW off-grid solar system for the GoShala (Cowshed). 

Now that we decided on the solution & system topologies, the next challenge was the funds for the project. Though Ashrama picked up a large chunk of the cost, we still had to find ways to fund some portion of the project. 

The funding challenge was overcome by the following means 

1. From my organization; we pledged a small sum and some electrical accessories like cables, switches, circuit breakers, etc. 

2. The inverter supplier, Studer from Switzerland gave a very good discount on the hybrid inverter. 

3. We ran a crowdfunding campaign where we got a good chunk of money. As expected some of our clients made a very generous contribution to the project. 

4. Since the On-grid system does not work during power cuts, a disciple of the Ashrama donated a UPS for the Hosel block. 

All the challenges were overcome by end of February 2019. The project started rolling. We installed a 5 KW Hybrid system at the sanctum sanctorum. A 2 KW on-grid system came up at the hostel block and a 1 KW Off-grid system came up in the Goshala. 

All our staff was very enthusiastic about the project since it had a very good social cause. By the end of March 2019, all the projects were completed and commissioned.

It has been more than 2 years since the project is completed. There is not even one day of darkness at the Ashrama. Not a single rupee is spent on electricity for the last two years. On the other hand, every month the electric grid company is paying a small amount for the Ashrama for the excess energy supplied to the grid. Cows look happy and so are staff who maintain the Goshala. There is 24 x 7 Power at goshala thanks to the off-grid solar power system. 

This was not our first social project nor will this be the last. 5 years back, we installed an Off-grid solar system at a remote school in the Western Ghats totally out of funds raised from friends and family. I was told that the small off-grid system that we installed there has helped the school immensely particularly the class X students who stay at school for a few months to prepare for the exams. 

These projects reinforce my belief in the power of Solar Energy and I am sure, solar energy is going to make a big socio-economic impact in the world in the coming years.