Thiruvananthapuram: Solar plants could soon become mandatory for houses in Kerala that consume over 500 units of electricity a month and have at least 100 sq m of rooftop space. The draft Kerala Energy Policy 2025, which proposes the measure, recommends that such houses install solar plants with a minimum capacity of one kilowatt.

Commercial consumers, too, will have to install solar plants—of at least three kilowatts—and if they have more than 400 sq m of space, the requirement would be five kilowatts. The policy proposes incentives for setting up the systems and suggests amending building rules to facilitate implementation.

A charging point for electric vehicles will also be made mandatory in all buildings in urban areas.

Currently, households consuming over 500 units a month pay more than Rs 5,000, including energy and fixed charges.

The draft policy also suggests an alternative for domestic consumers without rooftop space. They could invest in collective solar plants set up by residents’ associations. The association can identify a common site, install a plant, and share the electricity credit with members based on their investment. Similarly, non-domestic consumers could lower their bills by installing renewable energy systems on their premises.