India is blessed with plenty of sunlight for most of the year yet it is energy deficient. Explain the need of solar sufficiency in present context and reforms taken by Indian government to harness the solar potential available.

January 21, 2022 February 21, 2024

Solarï¿½power inï¿½Indiaï¿½is a fast developing industry. The country’sï¿½solarï¿½installed capacity reached 28.18 GW as of 31 March 2019.
Need of Solar energy:

Energy security:ï¿½ The solar energy will meet the rising energy demand of the huge and continuously rising countryï¿½s population. It will help to ensure uninterrupted availability of energy, both electricity and heat
Renewable source of energy:ï¿½The solar energy is inexhaustible unlike the fossil fuels ï¿½ coal, petroleum and natural gas that are finite
Addresses climatic change:ï¿½The solar energy is also a non-polluting source of energy. It does not emit any of the greenhouse gases while producing electricity
Low running cost:Once the installation of solar panels is done, there is almost zero running cost for the power generation. The little cost incurred is for the maintenance
Growth of manufacturing sector:ï¿½Making of solar panels for converting solar energy and batteries for storing the solar energy will boost the manufacturing sector of the country

ï¿½Steps taken by the government:

National Solar Mission: It is an initiative of Central government and state government. It set a target of 20GW by 2022 but later this target was revised to 100GW
National Institute Of Solar Energy:It is the apex National R&D institution in the field Solar Energy. The institute is involved in demonstration, standardization, interactive research, training and testing solar technologies and systems
Solar park scheme: The Solar Parks/ Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects will be set up across various states for five years from 2014-15 to 2019-20
Sustainable Rooftop Implementation of Solar Transfiguration of India (SRISTI):ï¿½It is part of the larger grid-connected Rooftop Solar power programme. The government has set a target to install 40,000 MW of rooftop solar power capacity by 2022
SuryamitraSkill Development Programme:ï¿½ It aims to develop the skills of youth, considering the opportunities for employment in the growing Solar Energy Power projectï¿½s installation, operation & maintenance in India and abroad

Promoting solar energy has served several benefits, including the use of clean energy, potential to create many more employments particularly in rural areas.

Topics: GS-III: Infrastructure Energy Sector