Chennai : Tamil Nadu’s Solar Energy Policy 2012 unveiled by Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa Saturday aims at making the southern state a regional solar energy hub.
Under the scheme, the state will have solar energy parks, will encourage households to adopt solar energy, make it compulsory for all new government buildings to have rooftop solar panels and ask big industries to use solar power. The scheme aims at generating 3,000 MW of solar power by 2015.
According to the policy, Tamil Nadu has around 300 clear sunny days in a year and southern parts of the state are considered the ideal locations for development of solar power projects.
The policy aims to set up 1,000 MW of solar power generation capacity during 2013-2015.
As per the policy, the state would make it compulsory for high tension power consumers like special economic zones (SEZ), industries, IT parks, telecom towers, colleges and residential schools and buildings with built up area of 20,000 square metre or more to purchase six percent solar power from Jan 2014.
The above category of consumers may fulfil their obligation by captive generation, buying from third party solar power generators or renewable energy certificates from solar power projects in Tamil Nadu or purchasing solar power from Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Ltd. (TANGEDCO) at solar power tariff.
As per the policy, installation of solar water heating systems would be made mandatory for industries having hot water boiler/steam boiler using fossil fuel.
Power consumers falling under domestic, agricultural, power looms, low tension industries, cottage and small-scale industries categories are exempted from solar power purchase obligation.
Solar power projects would be developed through competitive bidding. Investments though joint ventures by state undertakings will also encouraged through competitive bidding.
Appropriate incentives will be provided to attract investors to this sector so as to make the state a regional hub for the solar power industry.
The Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency will act as the single window clearance agency for solar power projects in the state.