INDIA’S SOLAR POWER PROGRAM
Why in the News?
- India’s solar power program, including rooftop systems, lags behind schedule.
- Prime Minister launches Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana targeting 1 crore houses.
- Aims to reduce electricity bills, make India energy self-reliant.
Source: TH
About Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana :
- Aims to rapidly install solar power systems on one crore houses, promoting rooftop solar capacity.
- Offers incentives and financial assistance to make rooftop solar adoption affordable for residential consumers.
- No specific timeline provided for the implementation of the scheme.
- Reduces monthly electricity bills for households adopting solar rooftops.
- Aligns with India’s target of reaching 500GW renewable energy by 2030, emphasizing solar contribution.
Solar Energy status:
· 2014 target of 100 GW solar power by 2022 missed by a significant margin. · Grid-connected rooftop solar, part of the plan, achieved only 11 GW by the end of last year. · Aims to tap into the untapped residential sector, which currently constitutes only 20% of rooftop solar installations. · CEEW report reveals the potential to deploy 637 GW on rooftops, with about 118 GW considered feasible. |