Solar Energy: Status, Challenges, and Way Forward

India is endowed with vast solar energy potential. India receives nearly 3000 hours of sunshine every year. About 5,000 trillion kWh per year energy is incident over India’s land area with most parts receiving 4-7 kWh per sq. m per day.

• National Institute of Solar Energy has assessed India’s solar potential to be about 750 GW assuming 3% of the waste land area to be covered by Solar PV modules.
• Gujarat and Rajasthan have the highest solar energy potential.

Challenges in scaling up Solar Energy

• Solar power costs have come down considerably but the costs of small solar power projects is higher than other sources.
• Large Solar Parks face hurdles in acquiring large tracts of land.
• Establishment of large solar parks has led to conflict with the local communities and issues in bio-diversity protection e.g., in Rajasthan and Gujarat
• Slow pace of growth.
• Financial constraints.
• Reliance on imports for Solar Equipment: India at present lacks the capability to produce solar wafers or polysilicon.
• Solar Waste Management.
• WTO Constraints: India’s Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) clause has faced legal challenges at the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Solar Energy generation in India

• The MNRE launched the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission in 2010 to achieve 20 GW of grid connected solar power by 2022 in three phases through several steps including Solar Park Scheme, Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs) scheme for grid connected solar PV power projects, and Viability Gap Funding (VGF). The target was revised to 100 GW in 2014-15.
• The Government has also launched the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Uttan Mahabhiyan Yojana (PM-KUSUM) for grid connected agricultural solar pumps.
• Suryamitra Skill Development Programme by the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) focuses on Solar Energy project’s installation, operation & maintenance.
• Atal Jyoti Yojana has been launched to provide solar street lighting systems for public use.
• The Government has also undertaken initiatives for international collaboration. India is the founding member of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) which is headquartered in India. India has proposed the idea of “One Sun, One World, One Grid”