High Tension (HT) electricity consumers in Tamil Nadu who use solar energy will have to consume the energy generated within 15 minutes, according to a recent order of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC).
While this comes into effect from April 1, 2024, the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) is given six months to develop the required software.
The HT consumers say this will create several hardships for the solar energy generators.
According to HT electricity consumers, the TNERC notified forecasting, scheduling, and deviation settlement and related matters for wind and solar energy generation regulations in 2019. Only forecasting and scheduling came into effect. This was repealed and new regulations were notified in 2024 as the Deviation Settlement and Related Matters for Wind and Solar Generation Regulation 2024 came into effect from April 1.
The energy accounting will be done in 15 minute blocks for generation and consumption. The surplus energy produced will be considered as banked energy along with banking charges (which are yet to be notified for solar energy).
The energy banking can be adjusted during any block period other than peak hour blocks during a billing cycle. This will be effective from April 1. The billing software for adjustment of energy will be made ready in six months by the Tangedco, it said.
The banking period continues to be one month without any banking charges till the banking charges are fixed by the TNERC under the proposed green energy open access regulations. Hence, in respect of solar generation, the banked energy cannot be carried forward to the subsequent months, it said.
This will be a problem for the HT consumers since the energy generation and consumption adjustment is implemented with retrospective effect and the required software is yet to be developed.
