Ghaziabad: Development Body May Amend Bylaws to Mandate Solar Panels for Residential Buildings

                Ghaziabad: Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) is set to amend its building bylaws to make solar panels mandatory for all plotted residential properties. Under the proposed 
rules, all plots of 100 sqm and above will have to generate at least 1kW of solar power.
Earlier this month, Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) revised its solar panel installation guidelines to make it mandatory for all residential properties with a plot size of 1,00 sqm or 
more to install rooftop solar panels under the PM Surya Ghar scheme.
"Once implemented, approval of building maps will be subject to provision for solar panels. No completion certificate will be issued if the provisions are not made," a GDA official said. 
The Authority has now asked the town planner to draw up a draft that is to be tabled before its board in the next meeting.
The move, officials said, aligns with the state govt's plan to make Ghaziabad a ‘solar city' and meet cover more than 10% of the city's total electricity requirements by 2027 from solar 
power.
The Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA), which is developing Ghaziabad as one of the 18 solar cities of the state, recently undertook 
segment-wise — residential, commercial, govt, industrial and educational institutions — rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) potential of the city and found it has a potential to generate 
about 2,858 MW solar energy.
Earlier, UPNEDA director Anupam Shukla told TOI an estimated 2,014 MW of power can be derived from solar panels installed on rooftops of residential dwellings alone. The study 
also showed that 616 MW solar pwer could be derived from panels installed at industrial sites, 107 MW from commercial buildings, 73 MW from educational establishments, 35 MW 
from govt offices and 14 MW from healthcare institutions.

Compared to conventional sources, solar energy is cheaper by at least 30% with both state and central govts offering subsidies and know-how for the installation of solar panels. For 
the installation of solar rooftop panels in residential areas, Rs 14,588 per kilowatt is offered as a central subsidy. Beyond 3KW consumption, the subsidy will be halved to Rs 7294/KW. 
The state govt, on the other hand, provides a subsidy of Rs 15,000 per kilowatt, with a maximum of Rs 30,000 per KW.
For a three- or four-bedroom flat, the estimated cost of installing solar panels comes to around Rs 2 lakh. There is also the concept of net metering, under which excess or unused 
solar energy will be passed on to the main grid of the power department, and the amount subsidised during billing.


Source : Times of India