Remove barriers to rooftop solar

The expansion of rooftop solar in Jammu and Kashmir presents an important opportunity to reshape the Union Territory’s energy landscape. The latest figures show that 46,133 residential rooftops have already been solarised under PM Surya Ghar, while government buildings are also increasingly being brought under solar power. But the programme’s success will ultimately depend on how effectively the administration removes the barriers slowing its implementation. The most striking obstacle is access to finance. Around 75 per cent of rooftop installations in KPDCL areas depend on bank financing, while 17,416 of 61,566 loan applications have been rejected. Such a high rejection rate deserves more than routine correspondence between banks and the power authorities. Eligible consumers should not be denied an opportunity to adopt solar energy because of avoidable procedural difficulties. The government also needs to ensure that the market supporting the programme keeps pace with demand. Uneven distribution of vendors can delay installations, particularly in districts where consumers have fewer service providers to choose from. Stronger monitoring and proportional deployment of vendors can help address this gap. Equally important is the solarisation of government buildings. Thousands of installations have already been completed, but metering, PPAs and commissioning must move alongside physical installation. Otherwise, public money invested in solar infrastructure will not immediately translate into energy savings or generation. The emphasis on RESCO projects is also welcome. This model can expand solarisation without placing the entire upfront burden on government departments, but only if implementation remains timely and transparent. J&K has already crossed half of its residential rooftop target and is performing better than the national average. The challenge now is to sustain that lead. A responsive financing system, stronger vendor network and faster administrative clearances can turn solarisation from a government programme into a widely accessible energy solution for households and institutions.