Financing issues seen as preventing households from benefiting fully from BESS-related tariff scheme

Ceylon Electricity Board 's newly introduced feed-in tariff of Rs. 45.80 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for rooftop and ground-mounted solar systems with battery storage applicable to electricity exported to the grid between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. appears financially attractive at first glance.

- BY IFHAM NIZAM

However, practical financing barriers may prevent most households from benefiting, according to an energy expert.

Under current conditions, a 5 kW rooftop solar-plus-battery system costing around Rs. 1.32 million could generate roughly 4,800 kWh annually during the evening period, earning about Rs. 220,000 per year. That translates to a simple payback period of about six years, or around seven to eight years when considering battery limitations, maintenance and occasional system downtime.