Dharam Pal, a UT advisor, has instructed the Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science and Technology Promotion Society (Crest) to produce a comprehensive year-by-year action plan to generate 69 megawatts (MW) of solar electricity.
During a review meeting on Monday, it was discovered that many residential, industrial, commercial, and institutional buildings, among others, had failed to comply with the order mandating the construction of solar power plants in Chandigarh.
According to UT counsel Dharam Pal, orders have been issued requiring all such building owners to install solar panels in accordance with building ordinances immediately, or face legal action.
The government has petitioned the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) for a review of the Resco (Renewable Energy Service Company) model for solar plant development in the city. However, the UT administration’s request to apply the Resco model was denied by the electricity regulatory commission.
The Crest petitioned the JERC to deploy the Resco concept in the city. Crest’s nodal officer, recommended this plan after receiving consent from previous UT administrator V P Singh Badnore, since people were concerned about the initial capital outlay.
The city’s solar power generation target has been raised from 50 megawatts (MW) to 69 MW by 2022, according to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. The UT has generated around 46 MW to date.
In a notification released on May 18, 2016, the government made rooftop solar power plant installation mandatory in residential houses spanning 500 square yards or more, as well as group housing societies.
The deadline for solar panel installation was extended to March 31, 2021 by UT administration, but it was not extended after that. The deadline was delayed last year due to a lockdown. At that moment, the UT administration chose not to penalise residents until the lockdown was lifted.
