A shortage of bidirectional net meters is preventing some solar power plants in Kerala from being operated even after installation, according to the Kerala Merchants Chamber of Commerce, which has called for urgent government intervention to address the problem.
The chamber said the shortage was creating difficulties for consumers who had installed solar systems and was limiting the use of solar power generation. It urged the state government, the electricity department and the Kerala State Electricity Board to take immediate action.
Bidirectional net meters are required for electricity systems that can measure power moving in both directions between a consumer’s premises and the grid. In the case of rooftop solar installations, such metering is used to record electricity consumed by the premises and electricity supplied to the grid. The chamber’s statement did not specify the number of consumers or installations affected by the reported shortage.
The demand was raised by Kerala Merchants Chamber of Commerce president Paul Benedict and general secretary V.T. Joseph. The chamber said that consumers were facing difficulties despite having installed solar plants, because the required meters were not available to enable their operation.
The issue places the metering stage between solar installation and grid-linked use at the centre of the consumer complaint. Installing a solar plant does not by itself resolve the connection and accounting requirements needed for interaction with the electricity network. The chamber has therefore asked the electricity department and KSEB to intervene urgently, though the report does not include a response from either authority or a timeline for resolving the shortage.
The chamber also called for tax reductions on hybrid inverters and lithium batteries. It said the central and state governments should take steps to reduce the prices of these components. Hybrid inverters can support solar systems with storage or grid connectivity, while lithium batteries are used to store electricity, but the chamber did not provide details of the current tax structure or quantify the price reduction it is seeking.
The demands bring together two separate concerns raised by the business body: access to the grid through the availability of bidirectional meters, and the cost of equipment needed to manage or store solar power. The first concerns whether installed systems can be connected and operated, while the second concerns the affordability of expanding or strengthening such systems.
No information was provided in the report on the number of pending meter applications, the agency responsible for supplying the meters, or whether the shortage is limited to Kochi, Ernakulam district or other parts of Kerala. The immediate next step sought by the chamber is action from the state government, the electricity department and KSEB to resolve the reported meter shortage and address consumer difficulties.
