Soorya Bala Sangramaya
The Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy has launched a new community based power generation project titled Soorya Bala Sangramaya(Battle for Solar Energy) in collaboration with Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA), Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and Lanka Electricity Company (Private) Limited (LECO) to promote the setting up of small solar power plants on the rooftops of households, religious places, hotels, commercial establishments and industries.
It is expected to add 200 MW of solar electricity to the national grid by 2020 and 1000 MW by 2025 through this intervention.
Under this program, the consumers will have options to generate and use electricity in their premises.
In case of electricity in excess of their requirements, they can sell the excess to the national grid or bank it for later use. According to the electricity usage the customer can select a preferred option from the following three schemes:
- Net Metering
- Net Accounting
- Micro Solar Power Producer.
Net metering
The customer generates electricity using solar panels fixed on their houses/premises and connected to the grid through net metering system. The consumer has to pay only for the net amount of electricity that he consumed.
In this system, if that particular customer’s production exceeds his consumption, he can bring forward the balance and consume it in the months forthcoming.
No fee will be paid for the excess electricity produced.
The customer will be given the choice of using the balance electricity within 10 year period.
Net accounting
If the generated units of electricity using the solar panels fixed on their houses/premises are greater than the amount he consumed, the customer will be paid Rs.22.00 per unit during the first 07 years and from the 8th year he will be paid Rs. 15.50 per unit.
If the consumption is greater than he generated, the consumer has to pay at the existing electricity tariff for the excess electricity consumed.
Net Plus
Getting paid for the amount of electricity generated using the solar panels fixed on their houses/premises. Unlike net metering method there is no linkage in-between the electricity consumption of the customer and the electricity generation.
The customer has to pay for the electricity consumed according to the existing tariff. Electricity Board will pay for the total amount of electricity he generates.
