The
world is facing a grave crisis of climate change caused by the excessive
emission of green house gases due to human activities. In tropical countries
like India, the manifestation of climate change has been in form of deadly heat
waves, drought, flash floods unseasonal rains and so on which claims hundreds
of lives each year. It is the poor farmers, labourers, construction workers and
homeless who suffer the most. About 30% of this green house gases are emitted
by power plants. In the Indian culture we consider Sun as a God and we have
turned towards him to help us to mitigate the problem of climate change to an
extent. The Government of India aims to install 100000 MW capacity of solar
power by the year 2022. This will provide us with clean energy without any
green house gas emissions. However, the question in front of us is that can
India achieve such an ambitious target of installing 100000 MW of solar power
in seven years? This question must be answered. This is because if this feat is
achieved then it will be a great boost towards our goal of energy security. It
will also help us reduce air pollution and green house gas emissions and
mitigate climate change. The poor farmers whose crops are being destroyed due
to erratic behavior of the weather will get some respite. Finally, it will make
India a leader on the world stage in terms of solar energy just as Germany is
in terms of wind energy. However, if we fail, then it will only lead to wastage
of resources which otherwise could have been invested in research and
development to search for other solutions to our problems. Although the goal is
very challenging, it is achievable provided we are able to meet some of the
challenges which stand in our way.
Geography
of India is such that it is perfect for solar power production. Being in the
tropical and subtropical region, it receives about 320 W/m2 of energy
equivalent to about 5000 trillion units annually. States like Rajasthan,
Gujrat, Telangana, Karnataka and so on which have barren lands, which cannot be
used for agriculture, are well suited for setting up solar power plants.
The
policy scenario in India is extremely conducive to solar power production. The
government is providing tax incentives for investors setting up solar power
plant and lower custom duties for import of solar power equipments. The
procedures for setting up solar power plants have been greatly simplified and
the clearances are obtained smoothly to reduce the delays.
The
support for solar industry is not only coming from Indian government but also
from foreign countries that recognize the threat of climate change, thanks to
the IPCC reports. The UN has devised various mechanisms like Kyoto protocol
using which the countries can provide support for solar industry in India to
mitigate the effects of climate change. Very recently there was Renewable
Energy Conference organized in India where solar power got lot of investment
promises from companies like SunEdison and Adani power.
However,
as mentioned earlier, the task ahead of us is very daunting. The current
installed capacity of solar power in India is about 3000 MW. Taking it to
100000 MW in 7 years will be a feat in itself. The technology for solar power
is still expensive and the cost of power comes out to be minimum Rs 7 compared
to thermal power which costs Rs 3-4 per unit. Indian lower and middle class may
not agree to pay high rates. The solar power will be available during the day
while peak demands in India is during the night. The technology for storing
electricity is expensive and may add to the cost. The Grid in India is very
unstable and weak and might not be able to absorb the solar power generated.
The
problems listed above mainly have to do with expensive technology and
infrastructure weakness. These problems are complex but solvable. India can use
funding from Green Climate Fund and loans from World Bank and newly opened New
Development Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank to strengthen the
power grid and remove other infrastructural bottlenecks. Platforms like UNFCCC can
be used to get solar technologies from developing countries at lower costs
under the principles of CBDR which will lead to lower cost of solar power.
The
development of solar energy is imperative for India. It can be used to partly
solve the problem of climate change which affects all but most severely the
poor and vulnerable. If the government adopts the right plan and executes it
well utilizing the global partnership for action against climate change, India
will definitely reach its goal of 100000 MW of solar power by 2022 and the sun
of solar energy will shine brightly in India.