Myths about Solar Energy in India.



1. Introduction

A few myths about solar energy in India are widely shared, and have been applicable to the Indian society for ages. Some of them may still be applicable. However, most of them are false.
So, I would like to debunk some of them here.
1) The myth that solar energy is useless in India Myth: "Solar energy is useless in India". This myth is prevalent because of the severe shortage of electricity supply in India. The myth goes something like this: If a family has a solar-powered house or a house that is completely powered by solar energy, then it automatically means there is no electricity supply available in the house (and if there is no electricity available at all then there would be no need for anyone to use any form of electrical appliances).
The myth also goes something like this: Solar power does not produce any electricity at all; it only consumes it! Myth: "If you have an electric motor (such as an air conditioner), you can only use it for producing electricity" Myth: "You cannot use solar power for producing electricity" Myth: "If you have an electric motor (such as an air conditioner), you cannot ever make any scientific or technical progress with it" Myth: "If you want to make any scientific or technical progress with your car, then you will need to buy and install private generators" Myth: "If you want to make any scientific or technical progress with your car, then you will need to buy and install a diesel generator" Myth: "A diesel generator needs and consumes fossil-fueled energy; therefore, fossil-fueled energy needs will always be necessary" The above myths are easily understood on the basis of simple mathematics. So instead of wasting time on these myths, let us spend our time discussing one more! Let us discuss another myth about our beloved Indian sun!
2) The myth that people who do not have access to power cannot do anything Myth: “People who do not have access to air conditioning cannot work” (This is a relatively recent fact.) It was believed that if people did not have access to air conditioning then they could not work and therefore they could not perform their daily tasks either.
In reality though, this myth was simply wrong. People who do not have access to air conditioning can perform their daily tasks just as well as people who do have access to ACs. They can also perform their daily tasks better than people who do (which means they can also.

2. Myth 1: Solar energy is only good for powering solar water heaters

Finding solar water heaters powered by solar energy in India is not all that easy. This is because the average Indian’s need for a solar water heater is relatively modest, especially if one considers the heat pump as a primary energy source. While one can install a solar hot water system that is capable of delivering heated water to a home, it is not much more than an ordinary electric or hybrid refrigerator with the addition of some coolant. On the other hand, if one wants to run an air-conditioned home with electricity, there are options available. In fact, many people in India who have an air conditioner installed at home could benefit from having solar hot water systems installed as well.
Myth 2: Solar energy does not produce any pollution
Subtopic: Myth 1: Solar Energy does not produce any pollution
Keywords: myth about solar energy in india
Text: Power plants and electricity generation have been linked to environmental disasters such as dust storms and smog. And yet, some people believe that there is no environmental issue here. They claim that solar power does not emit any pollutants into the atmosphere and hence it does not pollute anything. Factually speaking, there are only two ways for you to make electricity from sunlight – directly or indirectly through power plants which are fueled by fossil fuels like coal or natural gas. If your aim is to use renewable energy sources like wind or sun to generate electricity, then you must also be able to produce enough material (wind or sun) needed for making these resources commercially viable. You can either do this by building wind turbines or setting up power plants using coal or natural gas (and later on large hydroelectric dams).
Myth 2: Solar energy can't be used for heating homes
Subtopic: Myth 1: Solar Energy can't be used for heating homes
Keywords: myths about solar energy in india
Text: While a significant portion of India's population lives in rural areas where access to electricity is limited, another segment – urban Indians – must also cope with shortfalls in power supply at times of peak demand on a daily basis. In such circumstances households cannot rely on fossil fuel-based power generators such as diesel-run generators which have serious side effects on health and environment . In these cases Indian households turn towards alternative forms of renewable energy sources like solar panels and rooftop solar panels . For instance , many apartment buildings now have rooftop capacities which allow them to generate their own electricity by using their own roof.

3. Myth 2: Solar energy systems are expensive to install

Myth 2: Solar energy systems are expensive to install
Solar energy systems have low upfront costs. But the long-term costs of these systems are very high.
This is not a myth!
Here’s why:
When you purchase solar energy system, you should understand the long-term cost of electricity in your area. The cost of electricity depends on a number of factors like: how much sunlight is received, how many people are using electricity in a given area and the distance between major electrical substations. We give an example below to help you understand this. If 5 people draw 50W from solar panels, and 1 person only draws 10W, the total electricity produced will be 50W/5 = 1.5W per person per day. This can vary based on weather, time and other factors. But it is always worth mentioning that solar power systems aren’t cheap because they generate electricity – it’s very expensive because it has to be stored for at least 24 hours (almost no one uses solar energy for 24 hours).
Furthermore, if more than one person uses solar power system in an area, depending on their usage patterns, the total cost of electricity may be very different from above average figures mentioned above (especially if they use higher frequency cycles). So while it may seem cheaper initially to buy a larger system with more panels etc., the upfront costs will be higher than what most people think (such as 0.27 cents per kWh). This can lead to financial problems over time if you continue paying large sums for electricity that do not actually come out of your pocket or are used by very few people!


4. Myth 3: The capital cost of solar is prohibitive, especially for low-income users

India has a lot of myths about solar energy and how it is going to transform the country. But, in the end, myths are just stories. Even if they seem to be true, they don’t really apply to the real world. Here are a few common ones:
Myth 1: Solar panels are difficult to use
Myth 2: Solar power is not clean enough
Myth 3: Solar panels will not make any money Myth 4: Solar panels can’t be deployed in India Myth 5: The government won’t let us install them

5. Myth 4: Solar power is too expensive to be economical

A myth is a story that has usually been repeated for a long time, told and retold as an established piece of folklore, often with the intent to promote some bias, prejudice or idea. Myth 4: Solar power is too expensive to be economical.
The myth is that solar energy is too expensive to be economical. While it is true that solar energy is not cheap, there are many reasons why it may not be economical even now.
Last year I wrote a post on the basics of what makes solar electricity economic (or why it might not be economical at all). In this post, we’ll focus on myths around solar power in India.
The first myth I want to dispel (which was also covered in last year’s post) is that solar power in India will never become cost-effective. This was most recently espoused by Haresh Nanda in his article ‘Why Solar Power Will Never Be Cost-Effective in India“ . Haresh claims that this myth has been perpetuated by a number of factors:
• Since most Indian households have access to the grid and have electricity as part of their daily consumption, they have no need for rooftop-based solar power systems;
• India’s grid penetration rate remains low;
• Grid penetration isn’t growing at the same pace as rooftop installations — so adding a significant number of new systems over time at a much lower cost than what they currently cost (as compared to grid prices); and
• Incentives such as feed-in-tariffs which can make up for costs incurred during the initial build phase and keep costs down over time.
Haresh summarises these factors with one simple question — how long before we’ll see an Indian household install panels on their roof? For example:
Let us say you live in Bangalore with your family and you want to get your family’s home energy price down from Rs 1.50 per unit per day (where it currently stands) to Rs 0.50 per unit per day (under the subsidy). You get your electricity from either the utility company or from your own rooftop system. The utility company provides you with around 60 units per month. You will have spent around Rs 1000 for this system over four years (for about three months each year). Therefore, you take out a loan of Rs 30,000 ($500) over five years with an interest rate of 10%.