BSES, Delhi’s major distribution company (DISCOM), announced that it has installed more than 1,000 solar rooftop connections with a sanctioned solar load of over 40 MW.

According to BSES, the total number of solar rooftop net metering connections is likely to cross 2,000 and the sanctioned solar load will double up to around 80 MW by the end of 2018.

Analysis of the BSES data shows that the highest number of solar rooftop net metering connections are in the domestic segment (604), followed by commercial establishments (262) and educational institutions (178).

“BSES has energized rooftop net metering connections ranging from a sanctioned load of 1 kW to over 1600 kW. Consumers have begun to see the benefits of rooftop solar net metering and how it reduces their electricity bills. This is reflected in the varied consumer mix,” said a BSES spokesperson.

The increase in distributed generation will help BSES to meet its renewable purchase obligations (RPO) and minimize overloading issues in congested areas during peak summer months.

Though Mercom has found that net metering has been a drag on India’s rooftop solar sector, Delhi is one city where the regulations are streamlined and the approvals take not more than 25 days to 30 days which is mostly one of the reasons for the solar rooftop sector to grow.

Recently, Mercom reported that Delhi was planning to launch solar rooftop demand aggregation program for domestic consumers and the national capital is expected to generate 2 GW of rooftop solar power by 2025.

In line with the union government’s endeavor to expand the use of green energy, Delhi’s major distribution company (DISCOM), BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd (BRPL), also recently launched an initiative called Solar City in the national capital. The initiative is designed to increase solar rooftop installations in the city. Hailed as the country’s first solar rooftop consumer aggregation program for residential buildings, the Solar City initiative will provide installations for entire apartment complexes at a single point.

In February 2018, the Delhi government also released its draft Delhi Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) 2018. The draft ECBC aims to create minimum requirements for energy-efficient design and construction of commercial buildings in Delhi. In the draft code, the government stresses the importance of installing renewable energy generation, mainly rooftop solar, on commercial buildings across the city.