Amidst the ongoing power crisis in the state, the Goa Energy Development Agency ( GEDA) is considering to shift many residential homes to an off grid electrification model which generates its own electricity, not relying on the national power grid. The state should work on a long-term proposal to encourage homeowners to generate solar power, store it in battery banks and then supply excess power to the state during the peak demand hours of 6pm to 11 pm. The high initial cost for solar installations, changing of batteries every five years and the relatively cheap tarrifs hinder the shift to an off grid system, but proper incentivisation in the form of subsidies and tax breaks could do the trick. Presently the state offers 50% subsidy for installations even above 10 kW which is the cap set by the Centre. Goa currently pays Rs 4.50 for every unit of power purchased but supplies to domestic consumers for as low as Rs 1.60 per unit. Renewable energy is the only way forward. The state cannot afford to supply cheap power anymore, citizens need to take proactive action and shift to more sustainable solutions to avoid power shocks in future.
