The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank, will support Gujarat in the replication in five cities of the rooftop solar project, completed last month in Gandhinagar, in order to improve access to power and reduce air pollution from the burning of wood and fossil fuels.

The two pilot projects of 2.5 MW each demonstrated the viability of generating solar power through a grid-interactive system on rooftops, and will serve as a model for roll-out in the cities of Bhavnagar, Mehsana, Rajkot, Surat and Vadodara.

IFC is also developing a policy framework for the replication of the rooftop solar concept based on the experience gained in Gandhinagar, said Ms Anita M. George, IFC Director for Infrastructure in Asia, in a statement on Wednesday.

This programme is the first of its kind in India and aims to be a benchmark for green energy generation at the household level. The two pilot projects will produce nearly nine million units of clean energy and help to avoid 6,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year. The project will also help to mobilise private sector investment of around $12-14 million.

Gujarat is pioneering the adoption and promotion of clean energy by installing rooftop solar plants in the State, she said, adding the project will provide economic opportunities to the local residents, whose rooftops would be used for the installation of solar panels.

Mr D. Jagatheesa Pandian, Principal Secretary in the state Energy and Petrochemicals Department, said that IFC’s support will help Gujarat implement the rooftop solar power generation project and make it the preferred destination for solar projects in India. Successful implementation of the business model for the rooftop solar project in Gujarat would encourage similar models to be adopted in India and elsewhere in the region, he added.

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