Suraj Vallamkonda bought a new electric scooter as a step
towards reducing his carbon footprint and tackling climate
change. But when he plugged it in to recharge, he realised he
was using fossil fuels to power his scooter, not green energy.
One solution, he knew, would be to install solar panels on
his rooftop.
But his home terrace, with its thriving herb garden, did not
have enough space for panels, so he decided to invest instead in
“solar biscuits”, or portions of panels in an existing system.
Vallamkonda tapped into solar power produced miles away via
a start-up business that helps meet individuals’ clean energy
needs at home with power produced by solar panels mounted on big
malls, schools and other sites across India.
The Bengaluru resident invested in solar panels virtually,
earning him credits that offset his electricity bill at home.
Green start-ups
Start-ups like SundayGrids are
making rooftop solar power accessible to urban Indians like
Vallamkonda and boosting India’s ambitious renewable energy
programme, which aims to move the nation away from its reliance
on fossil fuels like coal.
“The idea for the start-up came from the fact that most of
us did not have access to a rooftop,” said
Mathew Samuel, co-founder of SundayGrids.
“We were mostly living in rented apartments, often moving
cities; and as an individual, the economics of it and how to
install (panels) were also a challenge. But we wanted our say in
climate action, like so many other people do,” he said.
Rooftop solar is seen as a cost-effective, efficient and
easy-to-implement way to meet India’s rising energy demands.
More than 700 million Indians have gained access to
electricity since 2000, with about 97 per cent of the population now
connected to on- or off-grid power, according to the
International Energy Agency (IEA).
An expanding economy, growing population, urbanisation and
industrialisation mean India will see the largest increase in
energy demand of any country in the next two decades, according
to an IEA report on the country’s 2021 energy outlook.
At present, 40 per cent of India’s installed electricity capacity
comes from renewable sources like solar, wind and hydro.
But, according to India’s Ministry of New and Renewable
Energy, only 5.7 gigawatts (GW) of solar rooftop projects
had been set up by last November — a fraction of the 40-GW
rooftop solar target for the end of 2022.
That points to major scope to expand rooftop solar fast.
“(It) will be a consumer utility in 10 or 15 years, just
like a fridge or washing machine,” said Martin Scherfler,
co-founder of Auroville Consulting, who works on power-sector
reforms.
“Right now, however, it is a very bumpy ride with a lot of
resistance from old power distribution companies, for whom the
consumer was never supposed to be a producer.”
Scarce rooftops
According to a 2021 Asian Development Bank report, of the
total rooftop solar energy deployed in India, the residential
sector has been the worst performer
compared to other industrial and commercial spaces.
Researchers link this to low awareness, limited financing
options and roof ownership, and piecemeal implementation of net
metering, a billing mechanism that credits solar-system owners
for the electricity they add to the grid.
“In a five-city survey, we found most residents did not know
where to find relevant information on setting up rooftop solar,”
said Deepak Sriram Krishnan, associate director for the
non-profit World Resources Institute India’s energy programme.
“A lot of people want to make the switch, but also want it
to be economically viable. There are very few banks financing
rooftop solar and in most cases, the collateral is the entire
house.”
In apartments, rooftops are usually shared property also
housing television antennas and water tanks.
In individual houses, rooftops are spaces where clothes are
hung out to dry, terrace gardens bloom, spices are sun-dried,
children play and family get-togethers are held.
“A digital platform is a win-win situation,” said
Vallamkonda, noting his mother, who he lives with, “can’t wait
to invest a lot more” in the project’s next phase.
Digital solar
In the city of Hyderabad, software engineer Sandeep
Menon was first introduced to the idea of rooftop solar at
an apartment block owned by a friend.
“Normally when looking for an apartment, we look at the
rent, location and basic amenities,” he said.
“But access to green energy might soon find its way onto
that list. Till then, digital solar is bridging the gap. It is a
starting point for many who want to make the switch.”
Menon made an initial investment of ₹15,000
and saves roughly ₹1,000 on his quarterly
electricity bills, for a 15-year period.
Within six months of launching with seed money from a
fintech fund, SundayGrids sold out its 5-kilowatt (KW)
first-phase project and is now launching a second tranche of
100-200 KW, which will produce much more power.
Consumers also pay an on-boarding fee while sites hosting
the panels are billed for the solar power produced on their
premises, which still works out cheaper than conventional grid
electricity.
“We are tying up with more solar installers and also hosts
or people who have ample space to set up rooftop solar panels,”
Samuel said.
From shopping malls to schools, hospitals and industrial
hubs, Samuel and his team scout for hosts and do deals with
installers to set up and maintain panels.
They also draw up agreements with power companies to
discount customer bills in return for credits.
Rising demand
Tata Power Company
has emerged as one of the biggest players in the
rooftop solar sector, with CEO Praveer Sinha saying it is
the only way to “get away” from large coal power plants.
The company, which offers a one-stop service for setting up
rooftop solar, uses satellite images to assess the rooftop
capacity of a property and maintains the panels.
It is now developing thin film strips that can be stuck onto
a surface to generate solar power.
“We are also working on a do-it-yourself solar
power-generating kit that will allow individuals to set up on
their own,” Sinha said, adding the company was toying with the
idea of selling panels in various colours other than the
standard blue.
Tata has seen huge uptake from consumers for its one-stop
service, he said, calling for more financing options and tighter
regulation to keep out “fly-by-night” operators.
Power-sector consultant Scherfler said it was up to the
government to put in place market conditions and rules to
encourage citizens to use green energy.
The government already provides a subsidy of up to 40 per cent for
rooftop solar, and this year has further simplified procedures
to make installation easy.
To encourage individuals to invest in rooftop solar, it is
setting up a web portal for residents to register and promising
approval within 15 days.
It has also committed to early installation of net-metering
systems, provision of authorised vendor lists and creation of a
complaints mechanism.
“Centralised facilities are not the solution — individuals
can be,” said Scherfler.
Published on
March 14, 2022