Solar panel in India.



1.Introduction


India has a rich solar energy potential. Our country is endowed with vast solar energy potential, which can be harnessed by means of solar energy. However, in order to harness the full potential of solar energy it is necessary to ensure that all the citizens are aware of this resource and pull together for its expansion.

Solar energy is not a commodity that can be bought and sold at knock-down prices. This does not mean that it should not be used as a source for power generation and electric vehicles. But in order to harness the full potential of solar energy it is necessary to ensure that all the citizens are aware of this resource and pull together for its expansion.


2. History of Solar Energetic Usage in India


Although India is endowed with vast solar energy potential, the solar energy utilization (SEU) has been limited by the lack of power lines and grid connection. The country has been a net importer of electricity for some time. Today, India is looking to solve the grid connectivity issue by installing solar power generation systems. A large part of the nation remains under drought conditions, which can be attributed to lack of water supply. The use of renewable energy provides an alternative to fossil fuel based power generation. Solar energy is a reliable and affordable source of energy that can supply free or low-cost electricity to people across India.



3. Present Scenario of Solar Energy Usage in India


Solar energy is a renewable, clean and cheap source of electricity. It has the potential to meet about 25% of the country's current electricity demand by 2030. The solar power potential in India is estimated to be about 5,000 trillion kWh per year (TWh) with most of it concentrated in the west coast region and northern regions.

The following graph shows the number of solar energy plants that have been commissioned in India since 2005 and gives an idea of how rapidly they are increasing. The green dots represent projects that are still under construction while the red dots represent projects that have been commissioned but are still under construction.

It is hard to quantify what will happen to this percentage when India's installed capacity rises beyond 400 GW, but it would be safe to assume that it will eventually reach around 80%.

The graph also shows how much electricity is generated from biomass: there are many small plants producing around 500 kWh per day (the blue dot). Large scale biomass based power generation can be expected to make up 60% of the total power generation capacity by 2030.

The following graph shows how PV plants have grown since 2000: green dots represent mostly large scale projects (around 10 MW) while red dots represent smaller projects (about 1 MW). Most large scale projects started during 2010-2011. This growth trend can be expected to continue until 2030 due to continuous government subsidies for electricity from renewable sources and expansion in transmission infrastructure.