States directed to use solar energy
New Delhi, Oct 20 (UNI) The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has been suggesting to various Central Ministries and Government Departments to maximize the use of solar energy devices and systems at their establishments.
According to an official release issued here today, the Ministry had already taken up the matter with the Ministry of Urban Development, State Governments/Union Territory Governments and requested them to consider issuing directives to their local bodies for modifying the building bye-laws to make the installation of solar water heating systems mandatory in certain categories of buildings.
Based on this, 18 states have issued necessary orders to their Urban Local Bodies. 26 Municipal Corporations/ Development Authorities in seven States have also amended their building bye-laws. A few State Governments have also issued Orders in their states for compulsory incorporation of passive architectural design concepts in new government buildings.
To encourage participation of the private sector for development of solar energy, the Ministry is providing various fiscal and financial incentives which include soft loans to manufacturers for technology up-gradation, concessional or nil duty on import of various equipment, exemption of excise duty, accelerated depreciation, generation-based incentive for setting up of grid power plants based on solar thermal and photovoltaic technologies.
Presently the quantum of subsidy / support being given to the private sector is in the form of soft loan at an interest rate of 5 per cent to manufacturers through IREDA for technology up-gradation on solar water heating systems.
Upto
Rs
10
per
Kilo
Watt
Hours
(KWh)
for
electricity
generated
from
solar
thermal
and
Rs
12
per
KWh
from
solar
photovoltaic
power
plants
of
capacities
1
MW
and
above
and
Upto
50
per
cent
of
the
cost
of
R
and
D
projects
from
industry,
the
release
added
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