Mahavitaran Destroys Prime Minister’s Solar Home Scheme

Pune: The central government has launched the ambitious Prime Minister Solar Home Scheme, aiming to install solar systems on one crore homes across the country, reducing their electricity bills to zero. However, Mahavitaran is reportedly working to completely dismantle this scheme. As a result, this scheme will have no benefit in the state. Additionally, Mahavitaran is set to start exploiting other ordinary electricity consumers by imposing commercial electricity bills on those working from home. In response, organizations and associations working in the solar energy sector are preparing to take to the streets.

According to Jayesh Akole, the president of the Solar System Integrators Association (TSSIA) Maharashtra, Mahavitaran, realizing that its revenue would drop due to reduced electricity consumption under the Prime Minister Solar Home Scheme, has filed petitions to impose several draconian rules.

Present at the press conference were Shashikant Wakde, president of Maharashtra Solar Manufacturing Association (MASMA), Sameer Gandhi, Sanjay Kulkarni, and Jayant Rao.

Under the Prime Minister Solar Home Scheme, consumers who have installed solar systems are required to give the electricity generated during the day to Mahavitaran’s grid. The electricity used by the consumer during the day and night is deducted from the solar-generated units, and they must pay for the remaining units. If the solar system generates more electricity than used, the extra units are credited to the consumer’s account. The consumer can use these units before the end of the financial year. At the end of the year, Mahavitaran pays the consumer for the extra units. To facilitate this system, net meters are installed. These meters, until now, were not smart meters, but Mahavitaran will now install smart net meters for all consumers, which will be Time-of-Day (TOD) meters.

According to rooftop regulations, consumers with TOD meters will have their solar-generated electricity credited during the day (from 9 AM to 5 PM). However, under the new rules, electricity generated during this time will be treated as low-demand, or “off-peak” electricity, and will not be compensated as per the earlier system. Solar power is naturally generated during the day, while household consumption primarily occurs from 6 PM to 9 AM. With the introduction of TOD meters, compensation for electricity used during the day will no longer be provided. In Mahavitaran’s recent proposed electricity tariff hike, the time from 9 AM to 5 PM has been defined as the low-demand period. Therefore, solar power generated during this period, if not used, will remain in the consumer’s account and can be compensated at a rate of Rs. 3 to Rs. 3.50 per unit by Mahavitaran at the end of the year. Meanwhile, for electricity consumed during the peak hours (6 PM to 9 AM), the consumer will still have to pay the bill.