Context:
∙ PM announces a solar rooftop scheme to electrify one crore households with solar electricity.
About
∙ The government will launch ‘Pradhanmantri Suryodaya Yojana’ with the target of installing rooftop solar on one crore houses.
∙ It will not only reduce the electricity bill of the poor and middle class, but will also make India self-reliant in the field of energy.
Current status
∙ It is estimated that there are less than 10 lakh households with rooftop solar installations in the country.
∙ There was a target to install 100 GW by 2022 — 60 GW from utility projects (mega concentrated solar parks) and 40 GW from rooftop solar.
∙ But, according to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s website, solar power installed capacity in India has reached around 73.31 GW as of December 2023, while rooftop solar installed capacity is around 11.08 GW. Notably, solar power has a major share in the country’s current renewable energy capacity, which stands at around 180 GW.
∙ In terms of total solar capacity, Rajasthan is at the top with 18.7 GW. Gujarat is at the second position with 10.5 GW.
∙ When it comes to rooftop solar capacity, Gujarat tops the list with 2.8 GW, followed by Maharashtra by 1.7 GW.
Need for expansion of solar energy in India
∙ Growing demand: India is expected to witness the largest energy demand growth of any country or region in the world over the next 30 years, according to the latest World Energy Outlook by the International Energy Agency (IEA).
∙ To meet this demand, the country would need a reliable source of energy and it can’t be just coal plants.
∙ Fulfill commitments: It aims to reach 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030.
∙ The country has increased it from less than 10 MW in 2010 to 70.10 GW in 2023, as mentioned before.
Other Schemes for Promoting Solar Energy
∙ PM-KUSUM (Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan): Aimed at ensuring energy security for farmers in India, along with honoring India’s commitment to increase the share of installed capacity of electric power from non-fossil-fuel sources.
∙ Solar park scheme: For Development of Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Power Parks (UMREPPs) targeting 40,000 MW of solar power installed capacity by 2025-26.
∙ Atal Jyoti Yojana (AJAY): The AJAY scheme was launched in September 2016 for the installation of solar street lighting (SSL) systems in states with less than 50% households covered with grid power.
∙ National Solar Mission: The mission was launched in 2010 with the objective of establishing India as a global leader in solar energy.
∙ International Solar Alliance: The ISA was launched in 2015 in Paris, on the side-lines of the Conference of the Parties (COP-21), with 121 solar resource rich countries lying fully or partially between the tropic of Cancer and tropic of Capricorn as prospective members.
∙ One Sun, One World, One Grid (OSOWOG): It focuses on a framework for facilitating global cooperation, building a global ecosystem of interconnected renewable energy resources.
