Workers instal roof-top solar panels on the terrace of a residential building in Visakhapatnam. FILE PHOTO | Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO
Solar power generation within the operational jurisdiction of Andhra Pradesh Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited (APEPDCL) has touched 589 Megawatts (MW), driven by the expansion of rooftop installations and renewable energy initiatives, according to G. Syambabu, Chief General Manager (Energy Conservation and Solar Energy Division), APEPDCL.
Delivering a special lecture on the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, organised by the Public Relations Society of India (PRSI), Visakhapatnam Chapter, at the APEPDCL Circle Office on Wednesday, Mr. Syambabu urged public relations personnel to build wider awareness regarding Central and State subsidies to help domestic consumers reduce their monthly power bills.
Highlighting the progress of the ‘PM Surya Ghar’ scheme, the official stated that out of 1,48,770 applications registered across the discom’s limits as of October 13, rooftop solar systems have been successfully installed in 1,04,820 households, adding an estimated 331.53 MW of capacity to the grid. Installing up to 3 kW capacity offers maximum financial utility for domestic consumers, he noted.
To address challenges faced by apartment residents, APEPDCL is promoting virtual net metering. Under this agreement, residents who own a house anywhere across the 12 districts under APEPDCL can set up solar panels on that property’s terrace and credit the generated power to the grid, offsetting electricity consumption at their apartment residence.
In alignment with the State welfare programmes, APEPDCL is targeting 400.05 MW capacity across 2,00,027 Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) domestic consumers. As of October 13, 1,28,697 systems generating 257.39 MW have been commissioned. A proposal to provide 2 kW solar rooftop systems to 3.5 lakh Backward Class (BC) domestic consumers aims at generating an additional 700 MW of capacity.
Under the PM-KUSUM scheme, feeder-level solarisation involving 220.30 MW capacity across 252 agricultural feeders is underway to supply daytime power to 49,533 pump sets. Furthermore, 43.87 MW capacity will be installed across 1,567 government buildings via the Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO) model.
APEPDCL superintending engineer B. Simhachalam Naidu and PRSI chairman M.K.V.L. Narasimham were present.
Published - October 14, 2026 09:14 pm IST