The Future of Solar Energy in India

India, with its booming economy and humongous population of over 1 billion, has always faced shortage of energy. Even though the country is among the largest producers of electricity in the world, it is hardly ever able to meet the electricity requirements of its ever-so-rapidly increasing population. At present, almost 53% of India’s energy requirements are met with coal; going by the predictions, the coal reserves of the country will not last beyond 2050. [coal power plant]. It is common knowledge that over 72% of the population of this third world country still resides in villages, with only about half of its rural population getting access to electricity. It is high time India moved to renewable ways to feed its population its fair-share of electricity.

Solar energy has emerged as the most viable and environment-friendly option for India to cater to the energy requirements of one and all—including the 50% of its rural inhabitants who still live without electricity. A typical solar system is very easy to set up and just entails installing solar panels correctly in order for it to work. Quite a few people were already aware of its benefits and were really quick at setting their properties up with solar systems; in fact, the utilization of solar energy in India is nothing new and has existed in select locations for quite some time now. However, it has yet to pick up steady momentum.

The future of solar energy in India is as bright as that of the sun the solar systems derive power from. A brief overview of why India will definitely turn to solar power sooner or later is as follows:

1. Geographical Advantage

How long can India ignore the looming threat to its fossil fuel reserves? The geographical location of India is such that it can not only produce enough energy to meet its own requirements, but also produce enough energy for the entire world! Because it falls in the tropical region, it receives generous amounts of solar radiation all through the year amounting to nearly 3,000 long hours of sunshine. In India, there are top five states which have highest renewable energy capacity where solar modules are able to produce ample amounts of electricity even on overcast days.

2. Upcoming Solar Projects in India
The states of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Maharashtra have incredulous amounts of potential to tap solar energy, owing to their strategic location. At present, the Thar region in Rajasthan is home to some of the best solar projects of the country, generating close to 2,100 GW power. Gujarat houses one of the largest solar power plants in India. Last year saw Indian government has been approved of a master plan envisaging the upgradation of 50 of India’s cities to blossoming solar cities.

3. How to Use Solar Energy in Multiple Applications Around You?
One more reason as to why the future of India’s electricity lies inevitably in harnessing solar energy is because of the number of ways in which the radiation of the sun can be put to use—from solar panels that are the backbone of any solar system, solar inverters, solar street lights, solar UPSs, solar fans, solar lanterns, solar cables, solar mobile chargers, solar power conditioning units, solar home systems, solar road safety equipment and solar fencing to even solar CCTV cameras!

4. Highly Advantageous at Cheap Cost
It is true that solar panels and solar systems are slightly expensive to purchase, to begin with. It is, however, also true that solar systems once set up help save money, from the moment on! Solar panels usually have a lifespan of around 25 years and are definitely worth the investment in every respect. The use of solar energy to power electrical appliances eliminates any dependency whatsoever on the constant supply of electricity to any place. Solar power is also good riddance of hefty monthly electricity bills for the common man.

5. Employment Prospects
The transition to the utilization of solar energy is an imminent and long-impending one. It is only a matter of time before we see an entire solar sector come up. The persistent problem of unemployment in India will definitely also get better and the unemployed youth will be able to see the light of day with the creation of more and more jobs.

Even though many people have already taken to installing solar panels in their homes and offices for meeting their energy requirements on a daily basis, there is still a long way to go before India becomes a complete solar nation.