Solar lanterns in demand

The severe power crisis in the state has the public scouting for alternative energy sources to light their houses and business establishments.

Numerous enquiries are being made and orders being placed with the district office of Non-Conventional Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NEDCAP) for solar home lighting, solar lanterns and other related models.

However, the government has sanctioned no single unit so far to the district.

According to NEDCAP district manager D Ashok Kumar, the state government has sanctioned 400 solar lanterns to the district this fiscal against last year’s 200 lanterns, which however, are not yet released due to shortage of stock.

 People are making rounds to the office everyday.

At least 4-5 enquiries are made by the public daily for the lanterns, he informed.

The solar lanterns have got quite a good demand among public in view of the subsidy being offered on them.

The SFL model solar lantern costs Rs 2,265 per unit and the LED model is priced at Rs 2,554 per unit.

 A subsidy of Rs 900 would be offered on each unit on the above prices.

 But due to non-availability of the stock, people are being forced to approach private market and shell out Rs 3,000 or more on each solar lantern.

Though solar home lighting and solar street lights have caught the fancy of the public, there is no model available at the NEDCAP office for demonstration.

At present, the NEDCAP authorities are only promoting bio-gas units run with the help of cattle dung in rural areas.