The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is reportedly working to discourage solar power supplied to the national grid from rooftop solar panels, aiming to limit the amount of solar power acquired.
Currently, the CEB pays Rs. 27 per unit for up to 500 kilowatts of roof-top solar energy supplied to the grid and Rs. 23 per unit for energy exceeding 500 kilowatts. However, Javid Kamil, Chairman of the Solar Industry Association, said to Aruna newspaper on 9th March 2025, that the CEB was planning to reduce these payments by 30%
The payment for solar energy has already been reduced from Rs. 37 per unit a few years ago. Solar panel suppliers provide a 20-year warranty on their products. Kamil warned that the proposed reduction in payments could destabilize the solar industry and affect the ability to maintain and service approximately 100,000 installed solar panel systems across the country.
However, Minister of Power and Energy Kumara Jayakodi rejected this news as baseless in the news bulletin of the Independent Television Network (ITN) on 9th March.
In a media statement, the CEB explained that during the nationwide power outage on February 9, 2025, over 50% of the national electricity demand was met by solar power generation on that day, amounting to approximately 800 MW. Additional support was obtained from the Norochcholai Lakvijaya Power Plant (470 MW) and hydropower plants (130 MW). Based on this situation, the CEB proposed cutting off solar power generation during low-demand periods to minimize grid instability.
Approval from the CEB for installing solar panels is reportedly becoming more difficult due to alleged irregularities and backdoor dealings. Some solar panel owners pointed out that it was very difficult for them to get the CEB allocated capacity for them. Some had even used the Right to Information Act to get capacity details before pressing for capacity allocation. They allege that this happens due to backdoor dealings of some CEB officials with the solar panel companies.
Former Minister of Power and Energy, Patali Champika Ranawaka, strongly criticized the proposal to cut solar capacity by 50%, calling it a national crime. In a statement, Ranawaka described the decision as short-sighted and warned that it threatens the country’s future, the environment, and human welfare. He emphasized that renewable energy is not just an alternative but a necessity for the country’s energy security.
