Solar panels too expensive for aam admi
Posted on: 13/May/2013 11:08:40 AM - No. of views : (2202)
In spite of the Rs. 20,000 subsidy offered by the Tamil Nadu government, the prices of installing a solar power panel domestically is expensive for a middle class household. It doesn�t help that the subsidy has been announced but not yet come into place.
Those who displayed their wares at the Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency expo recently have quoted Rs. 1.6 lakhs for a 1 KW (kilowatt) output. This is for solar power panels that can be fixed to roof tops. �The handing out of the Central Government subsidy has not yet been streamlined� That is the main reason why most vendors are unwilling to commit on it while billing consumers upfront. Several solar power vendors have closed operations over the past year because of losses suffered in not getting the Central government subsidy�, said Solkar Solar Industry Limited founder K.E.Ragunaathan.
�The current power crisis as a window of opportunity to encourage more people to reduce dependency on the state power grid. The State government currently levies a VAT (value-added tax) component of 5 per cent on solar power components. Where is the incentive for the consumer to opt for solar inverter if the regular electric inverter is also taxed at same five per cent? If the tax component is cut or waived, it would lead to a considerable reduction in the entry price�, he said.
