MSEDCL suggests high power demand from solar users causing outages, experts seek data The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has raised concerns that the growing adoption of rooftop solar systems in Nagpur is straining the city’s power grid, leading to frequent outages. Despite Nagpur’s installed solar capacity surpassing 530 MW—placing it among the top cities in Maharashtra—officials claim that the consumption patterns of solar users are creating imbalances in electricity demand and supply. MSEDCL officials argue that the mismatch between solar generation and peak usage times is causing grid instability, particularly during nighttime hours when demand spikes. According to MSEDCL data, Nagpur has approximately 94,467 solar consumers across residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. Of these, 66,041 are beneficiaries of the Centre’s PM Surya Ghar Yojana, contributing around 256 MW of capacity. Over 24,000 additional applications for rooftop solar installations are currently pending approval. Officials emphasize that solar systems generate electricity primarily between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., while most users consume power during nighttime hours, leading to overloads. This pattern, they claim, results in outages between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., when demand across the city rises sharply. A senior MSEDCL official highlighted that the grid’s challenges are compounded by the generation of harmonics due to the influx of solar power. These harmonics, they explained, create fluctuations and breakdowns in the system. The official acknowledged that addressing these issues would require significant upgrades to the distribution infrastructure but cited financial constraints as a major obstacle. They urged solar users to avoid excessive power consumption to alleviate the load.#nagpur #sudhir_budhay #masedcl #pm_surya_ghar_yojana #discoms
