India’s solar plans

India places huge bets on solar power, which will not just fulfil its environmental obligation towards United Nation’s climate change agenda but will also contribute towards increased job availability in the sector. In its action plan to combat climate change – the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) submitted to the UN, India has promised to increase its renewable energy target to a massive 175 GW, of which solar energy is expected to rise to 100 GW by year 2022. Of this, as much as 40 GW is slated for rooftop solar.

As per government records, the total installed capacity for solar power till May 2016 is 7564 MW and the target for current year is 10,500 MW for grid connected solar power. After assuming power two years ago, the government had also announced setting up of ‘Solar Parks’ and sanctioned 34 of them with an aggregating capacity of 20,000 MW in 21 States, including Andhra Pradesh’s 1500 MW capacity unit, the largest such project in the world.

The best part is, apart from private players and the designated agencies to carry out the task to enhance solar power generation, it is the other arms of the government that are making major inroads into solar power productions. Kochi Airport was the first airport to go all solar in 2015. Other airports, Delhi metro, Indian railways and if not all state government buildings, but definitely central government buildings built by CPWD and solar-powered toll plazas all these and many more are already functional or in the pipeline.

Maharashtra government in January this year cleared a ‘solar off grid policy’ aiming to save at least 500 MW in the next five years. The Arunachal Pradesh Energy Development Agency (APEDA) has already initiated a process since April 2016 for ‘design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning with five years comprehensive warranty and maintenance of 300 Wp Solar Power Packs’ for Rural Electrification of 1058 off-grid villages.

Proper implementation of ‘SuryaMitra’ app promises immediate solutions to the consumer for installation, service or repair for solar installations. Such last mile issues for those really off grid – in physical and allegorical sense – will actually ensure the success of solar power as a tool for social transformation.