All-time high 3,291 MW solar power generated in State

 The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation recorded an all-time high solar power generation of 3,291 MW on Thursday. The State has a total solar installed capacity of 4,772 MW.

With the NE monsoon having ended and the summer season is about to begin, solar power generation has picked up.

A senior Tangedco official said that 3,291 MW solar power generation, including rooftop installation, is the highest recorded generation in a day bettering the previous highest of 3,253 MW on February 9 this year. “With the increasing installed capacity of solar plants, we will be bettering solar power generation in the future,” the official added. In TN, on an average, solar installations contributed 16 million units of energy a day during 2020-21 as against 29 MUs by windmills.

P Ashok Kumar, president, Tamil Nadu Solar Energy Developers Association, and member of the TNERC’s State Advisory Committee, said normally for any solar installation, February is the peak generation period. “People usually believe May is when solar generation peaks since it is one of the hottest months. But, in solar cells, the optimal flow of electrons will be at 25 degrees centigrade with the best inclination. February is best suited for solar generation with clear radiation GHI, sunny days and optimal temperature,” he said, adding, with the temperature going up or below (25 degrees centigrade), there would be degradation in the output of the solar cells resulting in a reduction of generation.

He also welcomed the State’s plan to increase solar power generation. “The solar power sector suffered in the last two years owing to introduction of net feed-in tariff replacing popular net-metre facility. Now net meters have been re-introduced for domestic rooftop solar producers. With industries allowed to install up to one megawatt of rooftop solar, many are opting for this option considering the cheaper generation cost and availability of low-interest loans. These policy changes will result in higher solar capacity additions in the coming years,” he said.