By 2020, Telangana to have 5 GW solar power capacity

Telangana is planning to achieve 5 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity by 2020, and the state is planning to release a tender for setting up of around 1000 MW (1 GW) of solar power generation capacity.

In 2014, the state, which was formed off the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, presently has a total installed capacity of around 3,800 MW and after Karnataka it has the second highest solar capacity in the country which includes the grid-connected and standalone rooftop solar units.

The state government is in a phase of finalising the tender of 1000MW solar capacity and expects to reach the targeted 5 GW capacity by 2020 which will include some rooftop solar units and some standalone installations, said Mr. Ajay Mishra, Special Chief Secretary, Energy, Telangana.

In the solar park model, huge capacity comes up at a single location, making its management slightly harder and requiring extra evacuation infrastructure. So, instead of the solar park model, state has embraced decentralized distributed solar installation ventures.

Barring one Project, in which more than 100 MW of solar capacity is located, most of the projects have been awarded and installed on a de-centralized distributed model and rather than concentration of projects at one area as in solar parks, state had distributed projects across over more than 180 areas.

"By opting for a distributed solar installation model, the state had managed to save about ₹450 crore, which would have otherwise required to strengthen the transmission and distribution network," Mishra said.

The state is also planning to modify its solar power policy as it is expected that the new projects that are tendered out, come up at attractive prices, factoring the drop-in cost of solar modules and related equipment.

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.