Thiruvananthapuram: In a significant relief to 'prosumers' (consumers who produce and supply solar power to the grid), the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) is likely to pay 42 paise more per unit. The order is expected to be issued in June after the withdrawal of the code of conduct for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Consequently, the feed-in tariff (solar power supplied to the grid after personal use) will rise from Rs 2.69 to Rs 3.11.
Under the existing arrangement, KSEB authorities take a monthly reading of the amount of power supplied by prosumers (export) and the power they consume from the grid (import). When exports exceed imports, the electricity is transferred to the banking system. Subsequently, the power exported over a one-year period from April 1 to March 31 is calculated, and a tariff determined by the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission is credited to the prosumer's account by KSEB.
KSEB officials confirmed that prosumers will be compensated for the power they supplied during the 2023-24 financial year based on the new tariff. Meanwhile, prosumers have raised concerns about the recent change in the cycle used to calculate annual exported power, shifting from October-September to April-March. "The new cycle begins in April, which is a hot month when the electricity consumption is high, and there will be no excess power to transfer to the banking system," said a prosumer.
During the past year, KSEB determined the feed-in tariff based on the price it paid for power purchased from outside the state for daytime consumption. A report regarding this was also submitted to the regulatory commission by KSEB.
