- Prelims: Current events of national importance, Environmental pollution and degradation(Solar energy, Paris Agreement), PM2.5 etc
- Mains GS Paper III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation,Solar energy and its use in different sectors particularly agriculture etc.
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
- To address the global climate crisis, India has promised to source nearly half its energy from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030.
- In the shorter term, source of at least 60% of its renewable energy from solar power.
INSIGHTS ON THE ISSUE
Context
SOLAR ENERGY:
- India, being a tropical country is endowed with plenty of solar energy; hence, exploitation of solar energy becomes an important component of renewable energy sector
- 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
- Karnataka leads India’s list of states producing solar energy, with a total installed solar power capacity of about 7,100MW; followed by Telangana, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat
- India is fourth-largest solar power producer in the world
- International Solar Alliance: In pursuance to enhance Solar Energy production, India along with France launched the International Solar Alliance with the aim to promote solar energy in 121 member countries and to mobilize over $1 trillion of investment for the deployment of solar energy at affordable costs.
- 100 GW target: The target set by India for installed solar energy capacity is 100 GW by March 2023 — 40 GW rooftop solar and 60 GW ground-mounted utility scale.
What is pushing India for Solar energy?
- External pressure is pushing India more and more into the carbon limiting renewable energy path
- The Prime Minister’s own enthusiasm and support
- Solar energy is a free gift from the sun that has made identifying what is good for the country.
What are the misconceptions about solar energy?
- Levelized cost of power is coming down and is close to that of coal: Wrong comparison of solar power with coal electricity at the load center,
- Coal costs about half that of the load center.
- According to the Central Electricity Authority: moving electricity through high voltage wires is cheaper than moving coal
- Not comparing like with like: Solar electricity is intermittent and coal electricity is continuous.
- The cost of storage by battery has to be added.
- The shadow price or true economic value of coal is even lower than its market price, since the cost of labor in mining carries a shadow price of zero (they being unskilled workers who would be unemployed otherwise).
Enterprising researchers (E. Somanathan of the ISI et al.):
- They have quantified the cost of carbon emission in terms of deaths due to particle (PM2.5) pollution.
- They did not consider the greenhouse gasses cost of coal, because it is a global issue
- Included the particulate emission cost of carbon, which is a local issue.
- The number of deaths is multiplied by a figure for the value of statistical life.
- They have arrived at a figure of ₹1 crore.
- The comparable figure in the United States is ₹1.8 crore.
- Finding: coal-based electricity is categorically made unviable.
Renewable energy through hydro:
- It is both low carbon and least cost.
- India has utilized only about 15% of its hydro potential whereas the U.S. and Europe have utilized 90% and 98% of their potential, respectively.
- China relies on renewable energy, it banks more on coal and hydro.
- The Three Gorges project on the Yangtze is the world’s biggest hydro electric project.
Government Initiatives for solar energy:
Initiatives by India to shift to renewable energy:
- National Solar Mission (NSM): The 100 GW solar ambition at the heart of the world’s largest renewable energy expansion programme
- The Wind Energy Revolution: Leveraging India’s robust wind energy sector to boost clean energy manufacturing and the rural economy
- National Biofuels Policy and SATAT: Building value chains to reduce fuel imports, increase clean energy, manage waste, and create jobs
- Small Hydro Power (SHP): Harnessing the power of water to integrate remote communities into the economic mainstream.
- National Hydrogen Energy Mission (NHEM): Exploring the commercial viability of a versatile clean fuel
- Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme: Integrating India into the global clean energy value chains
- National Biofuels Policy and SAYAY: Building value chains to reduce fuel imports, increase clean energy, manage waste and create jobs.
Way Forward
- Solar energy is made financially viable by misleading the people by leaving out storage battery cost
- Handicapping it with subsidies and concessions that are front loaded by the government
- Forcing it on the industry and hapless discoms through state policy.
- From Discoms and industry it is clear from the slow progress.
- The programme is missing its target by 40%-50%, and discoms reneging on their 25-year power purchase agreements
- The extent of utilization of hydro potential seems to be an index of civilisational development and evolution.
- Solar power is viable in India is its use in water heating, and even that is because of increasing block tariffs.
QUESTION FOR PRACTICE
Q. Do you think India will meet 50 percent of its energy needs from renewable energy by 2030 ? Justify your answer. How will the shift of subsidies from fossil fuels to renewables help achieve the above objective ? Explain.(UPSC 2022) (200 WORDS, 10 MARKS)
