Jammu and Kashmir administration approves Rs 400 crore rooftop solar project for govt buildings

According to reports, the approval was made during an Administrative Council meeting chaired by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

“The Administrative Council, which met here under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, approved solarizing of all government buildings in Jammu and Kashmir by installation of Grid-Tied Rooftop solar power systems of an aggregate capacity of 70 MW in Capex (Capital Expenditure) mode at a project cost of Rs 400 crore and 200 MW in RESCO (Renewable Energy Service Company) mode,” an official spokesman of the J-K administration said.

The project, which will be implemented by the Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JKEDA), aims to utilize the extensive rooftop spaces of government buildings for solar energy generation. 

The official spokesperson said that the solar power systems will be equipped with bi-directional smart meters, and the Virtual Net Metering (VNM) benefit will be provided by DISCOMs.

This arrangement will allow the additional energy generated by the solar panels at one site to be adjusted against the electrical connections of different buildings within the same department, as per reports.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of December next year (2025), with JKEDA responsible for maintaining the systems free of cost for the next five years through empaneled vendors.

Solar power developers, under the RESCO mode, will execute power purchase agreements for 25 years with the respective departments based on tariffs determined through a bidding process, reports said.

The installation of 270 MW solar power plants is projected to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 8.3 million tons over 25 years, the spokesperson said, adding that the project, additionally, is expected to create over 10,800 jobs for highly skilled, skilled, and unskilled personnel.

"Several additional job roles would be created by solar PV grid-connected projects in secondary and tertiary segments along with the manufacturing and supply of system equipment such as inverters, cables, trackers, and other parts," the official spokesperson said.