India plays an important role in the Earth’s ongoing fight against global warming. She is among a group of developing nations that seek to move away from conventional, polluting coal energy toward clean but less established sources of renewable energy. India, is the world’s 4th largest carbon emitter (after China, the U.S. and the EU) at present, and is one of the countries to have signed on the Paris Climate Agreement (2016).
But despite being a major polluter, or perhaps because it realizes the significance of being one, India is on track today to meet and even exceed the ambitious climate goals set at Paris. In the last two years India has made tremendous progress in shifting away from coal and toward renewables, fueled by ambitious goal-setting and supportive government policies. What’s crucial now is developing the financial infrastructure to fund small-scale projects and newer technologies to ensure that clean, renewable power reaches India’s rural areas.
In the week where we celebrated the nation’s 70th Independence Day, we bring you 5 reasons to admire India or feel proud (if you are an Indian) when it comes to the subject of renewable energy.
Rapid Installations
India has added 9 GW of solar power in the past two years, for a total of 12 GW of total solar power capacity. The country has abundant solar power potential. With the objective of emerging as the country with the largest solar power capacity, the various enterprises of India are aiming towards doubling the the previously mentioned figures. The country, by achieving this goal, can enter the league of nations that currently include China, the USA, Japan, in terms of solar power generation capacity.
Huge increase in Solar Capacity
India’s solar generation capacity has expanded by about 370 % in the past three years. According to a report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance, another 37 GW will be added by 2020. India is also expected to expand the growth of its solar market by 90 % this year. The central government has also announced many incentives which will help in completing existing solar projects. However, in order to make the most of solar power, Indian citizens must be educated about the advantages and usage of solar energy.
Breaking the hegemony of Coal
Coal has been India’s fossil fuel of choice for generating electrical energy. Coal has ruled the Indian energy sector, for hundreds of years now. The need for a better, greener alternative was never more necessary. Emissions from coal burning deteriorates the quality of air and forms the cause of various ailments – this has become a major mitigating factor in the usage of coal.
The growth of the solar sector and the resonance of clean energy have started chipping away at the dominance of coal. Many Indian states have scrapped their plans to build new coal fired plants and declared a cancellation of various coal mining projects. BNEF projects that by 2040, coal will no longer play the role of a superpower in the Indian society.
The world’s largest single-location solar power plant
Kurnool, in Andhra Pradesh, is currently the site of the world’s largest single-location solar park, which has a potential capacity of 1,000 mega watts. With 900 MW already commissioned, it has outpaced the 648 MW solar park developed by Adani Industries in Tamil Nadu and Topaz Solar Park of 550 MW in California.
The project site is located about 280 km from Hyderabad. The park has been developed under the solar parks scheme of MNRE and set up by the Andhra Pradesh Solar Power Corporation, a joint venture company. About ₹7,000 crore has been invested in the park by developers and the government.
Growth of renewable energy touched the 7th Sky
Government aims high and works towards enhancing large scale as well as small scale industries to ramp up in solar energy production such as rooftop solar. Installation of solar parks across the nation are on the verge of enhancement. The government of India has set a target of installing 40 GW of rooftop solar and electrifying 18,000 villages by 2022. More use of solar batteries is encouraged. Urban as well as rural sector make use of solar panels to generate electricity. Obstacles which used to block the pathway of production due to lack of resources is being rescued.
These facts make India one of the leading nations to fight against Pollutants. India has completed 71 years of independence and we must take pride in various enterprises which have worked so hard to achieve this agenda of making India a healthy nation to live. We make best use of nature to provide cleaner and a healthier atmosphere, we have freed ourselves from infected environment. This is freedom secured in true sense.
Written By: Manaswita
Edited By: Anirban Banerjee