Firdous Hassan
Srinagar: Demand for solar panels has shot up by more than 30 percent in Kashmir this winter.
According to the power department, energy demand has increased by more than 11 percent.
The peak load has increased to 2900 Megawatts. Currently, KPDCL is supplying a total of 1700 MW of electricity to the valley.
People in Kashmir are now increasingly installing rooftop solar panels as a backup energy source.
Showkat Ahmad Bhat, a dealer of a leading solar panel and inverters brand in Baramulla told The Kashmir Monitor that the demand for rooftop solar panels has been soaring this season.
“If we talk about villages where electricity issues are common during winters, almost every household has installed a solar panel on the rooftop. The winter, this season, has been mostly sunny so far which has helped the people to make better use of these panels,” he said.
Dar said that monocrystalline solar panels have hit the market during the last few years, which has solved the problem of electricity.
“These monocrystalline solar panels work even in cloudy weather. Its demand has increased by 30 percent,” he said.
Another dealer Musaib Ahmad from Srinagar said solar panels, solar water heaters, and solar cookers are in high demand in Kashmir.
“Solar water heaters have been selling like hotcakes for the last few years. Almost dozens of brands are currently supping solar-based equipment to Kashmir,” he said.
Last month, Jammu and Kashmir administration announced a 25% subsidy on the installation of Rooftop solar power panels on residential buildings.
“We have been running several programmes under which subsidy is being provided to the people for using rooftop solar panels. Besides people are also encouraged to use solar energy-based equipment, which include solar water heaters, cookers, and other appliances,” said an official from Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA).
. The government has decided to give a subsidy of 25% of the project cost for the installation of solar power plants on residential buildings in all districts. The project is to be completed by the end of November 2023,”
“In areas including Tangmarg, Pahalgam, and Ganderbal, we have a huge population covered under the scheme,” he said.
