06 Sep “The Dawn of Solar Era: India’s Contributions to a Sustainable Global Energy Landscape”
This article covers “Daily Current Affairs” and topic details of “The Dawn of Solar Era: India’s Contributions to a Sustainable Global Energy Landscape”
Syllabus mapping:
GS-3: Economy: Energy sector: Renewable Energy contribution in the India energy basket.
For Prelims:
What is the International Solar Festival? What are the key facts related to renewable energy? What is Internal Solar Alliance? What are the schemes related to the Renewable energy sector?
For Mains:
How renewable energy is contributing to achieving net zero emissions by 2070, What does the role of solar energy play in this target? what are the challenges currently India is facing, and what solutions are to achieve the full potential of solar energy?
Why in the News?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the inaugural International Solar Festival in New Delhi via video conference, highlighted that India’s solar energy capacity has surged 32-fold over the past decade.
What is the International Solar Festival?
The first International Solar Festival, organized by the International Solar Alliance (ISA), highlights and celebrates the transformative impact of solar energy on communities across member countries. The festival showcases how solar power is transforming lives by providing new opportunities, improving energy access, and contributing to economic and social development.
International Solar Alliance (ISA) 2015
Founder: The ISA was co-founded by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then-French President François Hollande during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris.
Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana, India.
Structure:
Governing Council: The Governing Council is the supreme decision-making body of the ISA. Members: Composed of representatives from member countries, with each member having one vote.
Assembly: The Assembly is responsible for policy decisions and approving the budget and work plans of the ISA. Members: Includes representatives from all member countries, with meetings held annually.
Current Membership: 100 member countries
Mandate: The International Solar Alliance’s mandate is to promote the adoption and deployment of solar energy globally, particularly in solar-rich countries situated between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
Key Initiatives and Programs: Solar Technology Mission which focuses on accelerating the development and deployment of solar technologies. Solar Financing Facility that Aims to provide financial support and incentives to encourage investment in solar energy projects.
India’s Renewable Energy Basket
Commitments: India aims to achieve approximately 50% of its cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy sources by 2030.
Current Statistics (as of December 31, 2022):
1. Installed Renewable Energy Capacity: 167.75 GW.
2. Projects Under Development: 78.75 GW.
3. Projects Under Bidding: 32.60 GW.
Global Rankings:
1. 4th in Renewable Energy Installed Capacity.
2. 4th in Wind Power Capacity.
3. 4th in Solar Power Capacity (according to REN21 Renewables 2022 Global Status Report).
Capacity Growth:
Total Renewable Energy Capacity (including large hydro): Expanded from 76.37 GW in March 2014 to 167.75 GW by December 2022, representing a growth of about 2.20 times.
Solar Power Capacity: Rose from 2.63 GW in March 2014 to 63.30 GW in December 2022, marking a significant increase of 24.07 times.
India’s Achievements in Solar Energy:
A. India was the first G20 nation to meet its Paris Agreement renewable energy commitments.
B. Solar capacity in India has increased 32-fold in the last decade.
C. India aims to achieve 500 gigawatts of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030.
Table: Renewable EnergySector-wise Cumulative Achievements (as of 31.12.2022)
| Sector | Installed Capacity (GW) | Under Implementation (GW) | Tenderd (GW) | Total Installed/Pipeline (GW) |
| Solar Power | 63.30 | 51.13 | 20.34 | 134.77 |
| Wind Power | 41.93 | 12.93 | 1.20 | 56.06 |
| Bio Energy | 10.73 | — | — | 10.73 |
| Small Hydro | 4.94 | 0.54 | 0.00 | 5.48 |
| Hybrid/Round the Clock (RTC)/Peaking Power/Thermal + RE Bundling | — | — | 11.06 | 11.06 |
| Sub-Total | 120.90 | 64.60 | 32.60 | 218.10 |
| Large Hydro | 46.85 | 14.15 | — | 61.00 |
| Total | 167.75 | 78.75 | 32.60 | 279.10 |
Table: Achievements and Objectives Under Various Solar Energy Schemes (as of 31.12.2022)
| Scheme/Program | Objectives | Achievements |
| Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) | Promote decentralized solar power generation for farmers. | 88.45 MW of solar power plants installed under Component-A.
1.81 lakh stand-alone solar pumps installed under Component-B. 1,174 pumps solarized under Component-C. |
| Rooftop Solar (RTS) Programme Phase-II | Increase residential sector adoption of rooftop solar systems.
Achieve the target of 4 GW capacity. |
1.66 GW capacity is installed in the residential sector (against a target of 4 GW).
A total of nearly 7.6 GW capacity of grid-connected RTS plants is installed nationwide.
|
| Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) Scheme for Grid-Connected Solar PV Projects | Develop large-scale grid-connected solar PV projects. | 8.2 GW projects awarded.
1.5 GW commissioned. |
| Solar Parks and Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects: | Facilitate the development of large solar parks and ultra-mega solar power projects. | 57 Solar Parks approved with a cumulative capacity of 39.28 GW across 13 states. |
| PLI Scheme: National Programme on High Efficiency Solar PV Modules | Enhance Domestic Production of High-Efficiency Solar PV Modules: | Rs. 24,000 crore outlay for achieving GW scale manufacturing capacity.
8.7 GW capacity awarded under Tranche-I with Rs. 4,500 crore outlay, currently under implementation. |
| Green Energy Corridor | Develop infrastructure for transmitting renewable energy. | 8,759 ckm of intra-state transmission lines were constructed. |
| Human Resource Development Programme | Train and develop skilled professionals for the solar energy sector. | 4,363 Suryamitras trained from April 2021 to December 2022, totaling 51,529 trained Suryamitras. |
| Renewable Energy Research and Technological Advancement (RE-RTD) Program | Promote research and development in renewable energy technologies. | 17 R&D projects focused on cost reduction, reliability, and efficiency improvement of renewable energy systems and components. |
Challenges India is facing to tap the full potential of Solar Energy:
Technological Limitations in Photovoltaic Efficiency: Most sunlight-hitting photovoltaic (PV) cells are lost during the conversion process, resulting in current efficiencies of 17-20%.
Solar Intermittency and Storage Challenges: Solar power is intermittent and requires costly storage solutions to ensure availability during non-sunny periods.
Geographic Variations in Solar Intensity: Solar energy production is uneven, with less energy generated in higher latitudes or areas with significant cloud cover and pollution.
Cost Competitiveness with Other Energy Sources: High upfront costs of solar installation can be prohibitive, affecting the return on investment despite available incentives.
Land Use Requirements: Utility-scale solar farms require large land areas, raising concerns about land availability and environmental impact.
Supply Chain and Equipment Availability: Dependence on imported solar components and the local supply chain’s capacity to meet the increasing demand can lead to delays and higher costs.
Grid Integration and Connectivity: Integrating a large volume of solar power into India’s existing electrical grid is challenging due to grid stability issues and the need for substantial infrastructure upgrades.
Skilled Workforce Shortage: There is a shortage of trained professionals for solar panel installation, maintenance, and technical support, which can hinder project development and operational efficiency.
Solar Panel Life Cycle and Environmental Impact: Solar panels degrade over time and pose challenges related to recycling and environmental impact during production and disposal.
Solutions to tap the full potential of Solar energy in India:
1. Enhancing Photovoltaic Efficiency: Advanced technologies, such as multi-junction PV cells and bifacial panels, can significantly improve photovoltaic efficiency.
2. Increasing Solar Reliability: Net metering and advances in battery technology enhance solar reliability and storage efficiency.
3. Optimizing Solar Intensity Utilization: Solar tracking technology and AI-powered optimization improve energy yield by maximizing solar exposure.
4. Improving Cost-Effectiveness: Federal and state incentives, along with advancements in materials and domestic panel production, aim to reduce solar installation costs.
5. Addressing Land Use Concerns: Design optimization and agrivoltaics help minimize land use and integrate solar panels with agricultural activities.
6. Mitigating Environmental Impact: Research into panel recycling and efforts to extend the lifespan of solar panels address environmental concerns related to production and disposal.
7. Strengthening Supply Chain and Equipment Availability: Encouraging domestic manufacturing of solar components through production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes and fostering partnerships to improve local supply chain capacity.
8. Building a Skilled Workforce: Expanding training programs and educational initiatives to build a skilled workforce, and supporting industry-academia collaborations to address the shortage of qualified professionals.
9. Key Strategies for Solar Adoption suggested by India’s Prime Minister
Awareness: Increasing knowledge about the need for sustainable energy.
Availability: Encouraging domestic solar manufacturing to increase accessibility.
Affordability: Implementing schemes and incentives to make solar energy financially accessible.
Download plutus ias current affairs eng med 6th Sep 2024
PRELIMS QUESTION:
Q. With reference to Solar energy in India, Consider the following statement:
1. Solar energy is the largest contributor to India’s renewable energy basket.
2. India is the only G20 country that has achieved its commitment under the Paris Agreement of 2015.
3. Solar energy is evenly distributed across the Indian states.
How many of the above-given statements are correct?
A. Only one
B. Only two
C. All three
D. None
ANSWER: B
MAINS QUESTION:
How does the International Solar Alliance (ISA) contribute to India’s solar energy strategy, and what is the broader role of international collaboration in addressing both global and local challenges in the solar energy sector?
(250 Words 15 marks)
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