Solar village project for 24x7 supply to come up at Villupuram

The project envisages to study energy conservation and efficiency measures with a 170 kilowatt solar plant connected to the existing Tangedco low-tension distribution network in the village located near Auroville in Villupuram after making necessary modification in the network.

The Commission relaxed grid penetration norm of 90 per cent of the distribution transformer (DT) capacity for the solar plant to allow 100 per cent penetration considering it as a research project.

“TEDA has proposed for enhancement of the present capacity of the DT from 100 KVA to 500 KVA with line strengthening to connect the solar power plants and there should be no difficulty for TEDA and Tangedco in injecting and evacuating power. In any case, this is a special approval for the purpose of research and study and therefore, the commission approves grid penetration to the extent of 100 per cent of the capacity of DT,” it said. It directed TEDA and Tangedco to make provisions to measure the gross generation of the solar power plant, record and compute the consumption of all categories of LT services connected to the DT, measure the generated energy that is stepped up and sent out from the DT and feeder by affixing DT meters and feeder meters, the unit consumed after sunset, and arrive at the transmission and distribution losses saved every month as well as the financial gain in average power purchase cost. To verify the effect of reduction of losses, the present loss levels should be measured. As against its demand for fixing a tariff of Rs 3.26 per unit of solar power generation, TNERC has fixed a levelised tariff of Rs 0.96 per unit, noting that the project cost comes in as grant and local body fund.