Section 1. JAWAHARLAL NEHRU NATIONAL SOLAR MISSION (JNNSM)
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Govt. of India launched a mission on 16th June, 2010 called Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) which is a major initiative of the Government of India and State Governments to promote ecologically sustainable growth while addressing India’s energy security challenge. It will also constitute a major contribution by India to the global effort to meet the challenges of climate change. The immediate aim of the Mission is to focus on setting up an enabling environment for solar technology penetration in the country both at a centralized and decentralized level.
General features of the Scheme:
The objective of the JNNSM is to establish India as a global leader in solar energy, by creating the policy conditions for its diffusion across the country and has immediate focus on setting up an enabling framework for solar technology penetration in the country both at centralized and decentralized level. The Mission will adopt a 3-phase approach;
Phase I: The remaining period of the 11th Plan and first year of the 12th Plan (up to 2012-13),
Phase II: The remaining 4 years of the 12th Plan (2013-17) and
Phase III: The 13th Plan (2017-22).
The Mission’s Targets:
- To create an enabling policy framework for the deployment of 20,000 MW of solar power by 2022.
- To ramp up capacity of grid-connected solar power generation to 1000 MW within three years – by 2013; an additional 3000 MW by 2017.
- To create favourable conditions for solar manufacturing capability, particularly solar thermal for indigenous production and market leadership.
- To promote programmes for off grid applications, reaching 1000 MW by 2017 and 2000 MW by 2022.
- To achieve 15 million sq. meters solar thermal collector area by 2017 and 20 million by 2022.
- To deploy 20 million solar lighting systems for rural areas by 2022.
Scope of the Scheme:
The scheme would be applicable to all parts of India and would, to begin with, be co-terminus with Phase-I of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission and will, inter alia, focus on promoting off-grid and decentralized systems, including hybrid systems to meet/supplement lighting, electricity/power, heating and cooling energy requirements.
Various off-grid solar photo voltaic systems/applications up to a maximum capacity of 100 kWp per site and off-grid and decentralized solar thermal applications, to meet/supplement lighting, electricity/power, heating and cooling energy requirements would be eligible for being covered under the Scheme. For mini-grids for rural electrification, applications up to a maximum capacity of 250 kW per site, would be supported.
Funding Pattern of JNNSM:
Funding under the scheme would be in Project mode, i.e. there must be a project report which would, inter alia, include client details, technical & financial details, O&M and monitoring arrangements. The total project cost shall be funded through a mix of debt and incentives where the promoters’ equity contribution would be at least 20% (unless otherwise specified). Techno-economic specifications for a minimum cut-off level for the requirement of the project mode would be specified by MNRE.
With effect from 1st April, 2011 the benchmark cost for photovoltaic is revised to Rs. 270 per Wp (with battery) {from Rs. 300 per Wp} and Rs. 190 per Wp (without battery bank) respectively.
For general areas the CFA would be 30% limited to Rs. 81 per Wp (with battery back-up) and Rs. 57 for systems (without storage battery).
For Special category states/North-East States viz. NE, Sikkim, J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the CFA would be 90% limited to Rs. 243 per Wp (with battery back-up) and Rs. 171( without battery backup).
However, for funding solar thermal systems in these areas, the subsidy would be limited to 60% for all categories of beneficiaries. The subsidy pattern detailed above can be accessed by only Central and State Government Ministries, Departments and their organizations, State Nodal Agencies and Local bodies.
3% of CFA would be admissible as service charges to programme administrators. For projects which involve civil society organizations and are aimed at the poor strata of society, eg. projects for deploying solar lanterns/home-lighting systems with small wattage and solar cookers etc., upto 10% of the CFA would be admissible as institutional charges. These would be provided by MNRE, in addition to the CFA.