Solar Energy Potential in India.




In recent years, the world the fastest growing thing is the energy requirement by the world, with the reduction in the conventional resource. The most challenging thing in front of the world is how to fulfill the requirement of energy. Due to the limitation of the conventional resources, the world has to think about the alternate source of energy. Now a day’s most of the countries are emphasizing the development of renewable energy resources. In the renewable energy resources, solar energy plays an important role and it is a tremendous source of energy. The sun is the planet’s most powerful source of energy and also the most unused source of energy by humans.

 The National Solar Mission is a major initiative of the Government of India and State Governments to promote ecologically sustainable growth while addressing India’s energy security challenge. It will also constitute a major contribution by India to the global effort to meet thechallenges of climate change.

 IN launching India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change on June 30, 2008, the Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh stated: “Our vision is to make India’s economic development energy-efficient. Over a period of time, we must pioneer a graduated shift from economic activity based on fossil fuels to one based on non-fossil fuels and from reliance on non-renewable and depleting sources of energy to renewable sources of energy. In this strategy, the sun occupies center-stage, as it should, being literally the original source of all energy. We will pool our scientific, technical and managerial talents, with sufficient financial resources, to develop solar energy as a source of abundant energy to power our economy and to transform the lives of our people. Our success in this endeavor will change the face of India. It would also enable India to help change the destinies of people around the world. “The National Action Plan on Climate Change also points out: “India is a tropical country, where sunshine is available for longer hours per day and in great intensity. Solar energy, therefore, has great potential as a future energy source. It also has the advantage of permitting the decentralized distribution of energy, thereby empowering people at the grassroots level”. Based on this vision a National Solar Mission is being launched under the brand name “Solar India.

Presently, India has installed capacity of 276.783GW out of which 69.6 % is from thermal, 15.2 % from hydro, 2.1% from nuclear and about 13.2% from renewable energy sources (as on August 2015). Table-1 shows the electricity requirement and availability in India. Thus, Indian power sector is basically based on fossil fuels, with about three-fifths of the country’s power is generating reserves of coal. The thermal power station emits a high amount of toxic gases such as N0x, COx and SOx gases which is ingenious to health and environment. In last few decades Indian government ha staken many steps to reduce the use of fossil fuel-based energy and promote renewable energy generation.




India was the first country in the world to set up a Ministry of non- conventional energy resources in early 1980. The Solar and wind energy are freely available and they are environment-friendly. The wind energy systems are not possible at all sites because of low wind speeds and it is more unpredictable than solar energy. Solar energy is the most important renewable energy resource which is available in most of the country of the world. Even its technically available potential is much higher than the current total primary energy demand . Table.II. shows Solar Power in India.

The power sector is one of the key sectors contributing significantly to the growth of country’s economy. Power sector needs a more useful role to be played in defining, formulating and implementing the research projects with close involvement of all utilities such that the benefit reaches the

ultimate consumer.



In India, there is a huge gap between the energy generation and energy consumption. India has a great potential for solar power and it is estimated so many times of the energy requirement which is about 5000 trillion kWh per year. The solar radiation incident over India is equal to 4–8 kWh per square meter per day with an annual radiation ranging from 1200–2300 kWh per square meter. Table. I show the development progress of JNSM. It has an average of 250–300 clear sunny days and 2300–3200 hours of sunshine per year.

India's electricity needs can be met on a total land area of 3000 km2 which is equal to 0.1% of total land in the country.