Panaji: To incentivise production of solar power in the state, the government has proposed a 50% subsidy for small prosumers (consumers and producers of solar power) as an amendment to the Goa State Solar Energy Policy, 2017.Instead of granting an interest-free loan that would be recovered in instalments from small prosumers, the government proposes to provide a 50% subsidy on capital costs to prosumers in the residential, institutional and social sector categories that have solar plants with a capacity of up to 100kW. If the amendment is allowed, the Centre will bear 30% of the subsidy’s cost and the state, 20%. Also, such a subsidy will be released to the prosumer only six months after the solar power project is connected to the grid.The proposed amendments to the solar policy have been uploaded to the website of the Goa Energy Development Agency, www.geda.goa.gov.in. The government has invited stakeholders and members of the general public to forward their comments latest by 5.45pm on December 17 to the agency’s member secretary either by post to the 5th floor, IDC building, Patto, or by emailing gedagoa@yahoo.com.A single-window clearance portal for grid-connected rooftop solar installations has already been readied for consumers in Goa, but is yet to be launched. Developed by the EU-India Technical Cooperation Energy Project, in coordination with the Asian Development Bank’s technical assistance programme, it will assist consumers in adopting green energy without having to worry about red tapism.Staff of the electricity department have already been trained in the working of the online platform, which will handle applications and the approval process. Once launched, the platform will eliminate the need for consumers to coordinate with the electricity department and GEDA. They will simply have to log onto the portal and key in details like their address, email ID and mobile number, after which they will be guided through the process.

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