Solar schemes in India taking nation towards sustainable developments, targets yet to be achieved

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India has been actively pursuing solar energy initiatives to address its energy needs and to reduce its carbon footprint. Some solar schemes and initiatives in India are – Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), Solar Rooftop Subsidy Scheme, Solar Parks, Solar Water Pumping Scheme, Grid-Connected Solar Power Projects, Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), International Solar Alliance (ISA), KUSUM Scheme. These schemes and initiatives reflect India’s commitment to expanding its renewable energy capacity, particularly solar power, to meet its growing energy demands while mitigating climate change.

There is a significant increase in the utilization of solar energy for electricity generation in India, as reported by Ember’s Global Electricity Review 2024. The Global Electricity Review, a prominent global energy think tank, provides encouraging insights into the global energy landscape.

After the significant progress, challenges such as grid integration, intermittency, and land acquisition remain same. But with continued technological advancements, policy support, and market innovations India is poised to further accelerate its transition towards a solar-powered future, contributing to global efforts to combat climate change and promote sustainable development.

Top countries in the list China leads in solar electricity generation primarily due to its massive scale of solar infrastructure deployment. It has been able to rapidly expand its solar capacity, resulting in the highest solar electricity generation globally.

The United States ranks second in solar electricity generation due to its robust solar market and favorable policy environment at the federal and state levels.

Solar energy’s role in electricity generation is on the rise in India. As per Ember’s Global Electricity Review 2024, India generates 113 Terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity from solar sources. Whereas, China leads globally with 584 TWh, followed by the United States with 238 TWh.

India under solar power-

The installed solar power capacity in India has experienced remarkable growth, increasing from 2,821.9 Megawatts (MW) in March 2014 to 82,637.8 MW by April 2024. This exponential growth can be attributed to supportive government policies, incentives, subsidies, and initiatives aimed at accelerating the adoption of solar energy.

Despite the substantial increase in solar power capacity, it currently accounts for 18.5% of India’s total installed capacity, indicating the dominance of other sources such as coal. In terms of actual energy generation, solar power contributes 6.7% to the country’s total energy mix.

Coal still remains the dominant source of electricity generation in India, accounting for a significant 49.2% of installed capacity and contributing to 74.8% of total power generation. India has historically relied on coal-based power generation due to the abundance of coal reserves and the established infrastructure for coal-fired power plants.

While coal continues to play a crucial role in India’s energy mix, there is a growing recognition of the environmental and sustainability concerns associated with coal-based power generation, including air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The increasing deployment of solar power presents an opportunity to diversify the energy mix, reduce carbon emissions, and enhance energy security.

India has set ambitious renewable energy targets as part of its commitment to the Paris Agreement and its national energy policy objectives. The growth of solar power capacity reflects India’s transition towards a cleaner and reliable energy future, aligning with global efforts to mitigate climate change.

India is transitioning towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly energy mix.

Indian Government and its struggle to achieve the target

Indian government is facing challenges in achieving its ambitious targets for solar energy deployment by 2030.

The PRS Legislative report for January 2024 highlights a concerning trend: the utilization of funds designated by the Central government for solar energy initiatives has dropped significantly. Specifically, it fell from 69% in 2021-22 to 53% in 2022-23. This decline in fund utilization is affecting essential solar energy programs administered by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, such as the Rooftop Solar Programme and the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) scheme. These initiatives are crucial for the government’s ambitions in the solar energy sector.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted various sectors, including renewable energy deployment. The Rooftop Solar Program, launched in 2014 with the aim of achieving 40,000 MW of rooftop solar capacity by 2022, faced challenges due to the pandemic. The government extended the deadline to 2026 to account for the delays caused by the pandemic.

Even after the challenges posed by the pandemic, the Rooftop Solar Program has shown significant growth. By November 2022, it had installed 6,657 MW of solar rooftops, indicating progress towards the program’s target. Subsequently, this capacity increased to 10,406 MW, reflecting ongoing efforts to ramp up rooftop solar installations.

While there has been progress in rooftop solar deployment, challenges remain in effectively implementing solar energy programs and utilizing allocated funds.