Unique roofs of mosques in J&K ideal for renewable energy initiative

Ambitious project in Kashmir to generate renewable energy by installing solar panels on mosques, potentially transforming power generation.

The uniquely multi-tiered and broad-sloped roofs of mosques in Kashmir are set to be part of an ambitious project to generate renewable energy in the scenic Valley.

J&K Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, at a meeting held in Srinagar recently, gave the nod to include religious places, especially mosques in Kashmir, under the flagship ‘PM Surya Ghar (sun house)-Muft Bijli Yojana (free electricity scheme)’ to boost the generation of electricity in a region that faces long power cuts throughout the year.

Reyaz Ameen Malik, an electrical engineer who gained expertise in the renewable energy sector in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, feels the initiative could be a game-changer. “It has huge potential, given that there are mosques with wide roof surfaces in every locality in the Kashmir Valley. The government’s move to install solar panels on mosques could prove to be a game-changer. Religious sites have no load requirement at night, can easily become self-sufficient in the summers, and supply surplus electricity to the Power Department with an on-grid system. They can generate 3 KW (kilowatt) to 5 KW of electricity,” Mr. Malik said.  He gave the example of Gulbarg colony with 10 mosques in its vicinity in uptown Srinagar. “This one colony could easily generate 50 KW of electricity,” he said.

Several vendors registered with the J&K government are petitioning caretakers of mosques to install rooftop solar panels. But most mosques in Kashmir are registered as domestic consumers by the Power Development Department. Several vendors told The Hindu that mosque caretakers were reluctant due to lower their subsidy component.

“Mosques are not income generating units. It needs additional handholding from the government to install solar panels. The government should either increase the subsidy components for mosques, or hire a third party to invest in sharing and selling surplus energy,” Ejaz Ahmad, a mosque caretaker in Srinagar’s Hawal, said.  

The J&K government offers a subsidy component of only ₹9,000 in the Union Territory, unlike in other States, including Uttarakhand, where the State’s subsidy component is ₹23,000 per kilowatt, and ₹17,000 for 3 KWs.

The Central scheme, which is currently applicable in J&K, provides ₹36,000 as the subsidy component per kilowatt, ₹72,000 for 2 KW, and ₹94,800 for 3 KW.