Ray of Sunshine for Earth Hour 2016: India’s Solar Story

While large scale solar farms have to overcome many hurdles, rooftop solar panels may just work well for India.

A solar panel is cleaned using a wet sponge. (Photo: iStockphoto)

On March 19, the World Wildlife Fund will celebrate Earth Hour 2016 between 8:30 and 9:30 PM worldwide. The hour is a chance to celebrate a commitment to saving the planet.

In the week leading up to Earth Hour, we will bring you some articles from The Quint’s archive to highlight environmental concerns. The theme for Earth Hour this year is ‘Go Solar’.

Here Comes the Sun…

Simply put, solar energy is the energy produced by thermonuclear fusion on the sun. Inexhaustible and non-polluting, solar energy has powered life on earth for billions of years.

Coming out of the Shadows

Solar energy falls with different intensities in different parts of the world and also at different times of the day and year. Till a few years ago, we did not possess technology that could efficiently convert solar-energy into electricity at commercially viable rates – a critical precondition for it to compete with conventional sources like fossil fuels.

Today, solar energy is used in two ways - either as solar thermal energy or by photovoltaic (PV) cells. In the former case, solar energy heats water that can be used for heating, washing, etc. In the latter case, a PV cell is made by using two differently charged layers of silicon. Many connected cells form solar panels which can generate electricity after receiving sunlight.

• Solar energy is used in two ways - either as solar thermal energy or by photovoltaic (PV) cells
• India receives an estimated 320 days of sunshine annually
• India’s installed solar energy is less than 1% of global installed solar capacity
• The government offers several incentives for rooftop solar systems under the JN National Solar Mission

What’s the (India) Story?

Workers walk in between rows of solar photovoltaics, after cleaning them, inside a solar power plant at Raisan village near Gandhinagar. (Photo: Reuters)

As a tropical country, India receives an estimated 320 days of sunshine annually. However, while India’s planners have long seen the potential for solar energy, it has taken a long time for that vision to see the light of day. Till date, India’s installed solar energy capacity hovers around the 3.3GW mark.

This is less than 1% of global installed solar capacity and is just over 1.5% of India’s total installed energy capacity. India has ambitious plans for solar though – the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has recently announced its plan to install 100GW of solar energy by 2022.

At present, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra lead in the country’s solar energy stakes. While large scale solar farms in India have to overcome several hurdles including issues over land acquisition and general infrastructure and financing troubles, what might well lead India’s solar revolution is the use of small solar panels on individual rooftops.

Joining the Rooftop Revolution

Rooftop solar panels. (Photo: iStock)

While solar farms require around 5 acres of land to produce 1MW of solar energy, rooftop solar systems have a much smaller footprint and the starting requirement is around 80 square feet of space.

While the initial costs of installation aren’t cheap, this is offset by government subsidies and electricity bill savings over the lifetime of the rooftop system. Most importantly, a proper rooftop system can guarantee clean, renewable power for the residents of the building.

Recognising their potential, the government offers several incentives for rooftop solar systems under the JN National Solar Mission. Additionally, states in India like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra have announced net metering policies. This means that connecting your rooftop panels to the electricity grid might actually earn you some money from your electricity discom if you generate excess power.

Solar energy can be a game-changer for India in several ways. Our import bill for energy continues to soar, load-shedding is common and there are endemic issues relating to pollution, infrastructure and transmission inefficiencies. While solar energy certainly has its issues, it would be a mistake for us to ignore its possibilities. As Walt Whitman said, “Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you.”

(Shalini Iyengar is a lawyer and researcher working in India.)