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Regulation planned to promote solar water heating systems

Staff Reporter

Local bodies to get grant for promotional schemes

KOCHI: Energy crisis is expected to be one of the key issues of development in future. Non-availability of energy has been posing problems in implementation of development strategies. The Government has been on the lookout for alternative energy sources.

Solar energy has been identified as one potential source, and schemes are being devised to promote it.

The Ministry of Urban Development has joined the efforts undertaken by the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources in promoting solar energy.

A model regulation pertaining to building bylaws for installation of water heating systems using solar energy was circulated by the former among all States and Union Territories, according to sources.

The model regulation was intended to be circulated among local bodies for incorporating it in their building byelaws. The regulation, when incorporated by the local bodies in the existing building bylaws, will make it mandatory for several categories of buildings to have solar water heating systems.

Accordingly, a one-time grant will be available to municipalities and municipal corporations that adopt and notify the modification of their building bylaws for ensuring installation of solar assisted water heating systems in at least some categories of buildings. The grant will be Rs.5 lakhs for municipalities and Rs.10 lakhs for municipal corporations.

The amount is intended to be utilised by the organisation for training, awareness programmes and creation of infrastructure. Funds will also be provided to the State nodal agencies by the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy sources up to Rs.10 lakhs for campaigns planned for the full year.

The campaign includes hoardings and advertisements on public transport vehicles, such as buses and autorickshaws.

In order to promote technology upgrading in industry, soft loans are to be made available to manufacturers at a reduced rate of five per cent through Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA).

The loans will be provided for projects involving advanced and new technologies, which would lead to lower costs of production, improved performance and reliability of the products.

In addition, visits abroad by industry delegations, including participation in fairs abroad, to provide exposure to new materials, advanced technology and more efficient manufacturing techniques, will be supported through partial financial assistance on a case-by-case basis.

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