Nagpur has achieved a significant milestone in renewable energy with its installed solar capacity crossing 530 megawatts (MW), positioning the city among the leaders in Maharashtra. However, senior officials from the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) have expressed concerns that the consumption patterns of solar users are contributing to a rise in power demand and adding stress to the grid.
Growth of Rooftop Solar in Nagpur
Aggressive promotion and subsidies from both the central and state governments have driven the expansion of rooftop solar installations in the city. According to MSEDCL data, Nagpur now has approximately 94,467 solar consumers across residential, commercial, and industrial segments. Among these, 66,041 consumers are beneficiaries of the central government's PM Surya Ghar Yojana, accounting for about 256 MW of capacity. Officials also noted that more than 24,000 applications for rooftop solar installations are currently in the pipeline, indicating continued growth.
Operational Challenges Faced by MSEDCL
Despite the gains in renewable energy capacity, MSEDCL officials report operational challenges. A senior official explained that rooftop solar systems generate electricity during the daytime, typically between 9 am and 5 pm, but the majority of consumers use power during the night. This mismatch between generation and consumption is leading to system overloads. The official stated, "Most of the breakdowns are taking place during night time. The second issue is the generation of harmonics in the system because of the injection of so much solar power. This creates fluctuation and breakdown in the system." Outages are particularly frequent between 6 pm and 9 pm when demand spikes across the city.
Infrastructure Upgrades Needed
MSEDCL acknowledged that addressing these issues would require significant upgrades to the existing distribution infrastructure. However, the utility cited financial constraints as a key hurdle. The official urged solar users to refrain from using excessive power to help reduce the load on the grid.
Solar Experts Challenge MSEDCL's Claims
Solar experts have countered the claims made by MSEDCL, demanding specific data to support the assertions. Sudhir Budhay, a solar expert, rejected the notion that rooftop solar is responsible for transformer overloading and increased total harmonic distortion (THD). He called these claims "broad assumptions without evidence." Budhay argued that the impact of rooftop solar is localized and depends on specific feeders and transformers. He stated, "Overloading can only be established through time-stamped load data, feeder studies and actual measurements, not general statements." Regarding THD, he noted that grid-connected inverters are designed to operate within prescribed standards, and harmonics are a system-level issue influenced by multiple factors, including existing electronic loads.
Commercial Concerns Behind Objections?
Budhay suggested that such objections often stem from commercial concerns, as rooftop solar reduces utility power sales. He urged utilities to present transformer-wise data and measured THD violations if there are genuine issues, instead of resisting solar adoption. He emphasized the need to strengthen infrastructure to accommodate the growing share of renewable energy.
