Top 5 Solar Energy Trends in India

Have you ever wondered how fortunate we are to be bestowed with this massive solar energy potential? India lies in one of the sunniest parts of the world. About 5000 trillion kWh energy is incident every year over Indian peninsula with which averages to 4-7 kWh per square meter per day. Highest annual global radiation has been witnessed in Rajasthan and Gujrat. This unparalleled solar potential can be harnessed effectively using photovoltaics as well as thermal technology to generate a huge amount of solar power.

Latest Trends –

1. Using unproductive land – There is an insufficient amount of land in many states of India to generate solar energy so as to meet the country’s current target of land-based energy. To tackle this issue, the ministry is allowing the state governments to allocate unproductive land for solar energy projects resulting in low costs and minimal use of private lands.

2. Emergence of distributed generation – This is the best way to narrow down the gap between supply and demand. The trend towards distributed generation has been noticed in the past years and has played a key role in electrifying villages and helping meet the latent demands in the system. Distributed generation also helps in overcoming the shortfalls in the transmission, mitigating the apprehensions of the solar energy suppliers to some extent.
3. Government’s Policies – The government is executing two national level programs to promote installation of solar roof tops. The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission was launched in 2010 and had set an ambitious target of 20 GW solar by 2022. This target was further revised in 2015 under Narendra Modi Government to 100 GW solar by 2022. Another web-based initiative, namely Solar Guidelines, has been adopted under Indo German Energy Programme (IGEP) to encourage rapid development of the solar sector in India by disseminating policy and technology related information. Moreover, State Bank of India has also signed an agreement with the World Bank for debt financing of Rs 4200 crore towards grid-connected solar projects in India. The government is making efforts to achieve its targets and enable widespread adoption of solar.

4. Off-Grid Solar Application – The Government of India has also incorporated off-grid renewable energy policy to boost the use of renewable energy through stand-alone systems in remote areas. The policy aims to increase the use of green energy and curb the growing issue of waste disposal. It expects the use of more solar products, bio gas and fertilizer plants in housing societies, private offices, and establishments.

5. Long-time partnerships – Partnerships and investments in the solar sector have been at an all-time high lately.  The Government of India and the Government of the United Kingdom have signed an agreement to work together in the field of solar energy. This partnership is expected to produce high-quality products that are of industrial relevance and are targeted towards addressing local needs. Because of the increasing share of renewable in India’s energy mix, the government of India has decided to operate on a different power trading platform. The proposed platform would help states buy, sell and trade renewable-based power.

Amplus Solar

July 31, 2017