SolarPowerNerd
India’s solar story starts in the early 1980s, though the groundwork was laid decades earlier. What began as a sidelined energy source evolved into a national priority that turned India into one of the world’s leading solar producers.
Here’s the full timeline.
What Brought India to Where It Stands Today?
The literal answer is “in the eighties,” but the context matters. India first considered solar power as a supplementary source of renewable electricity, not a major one.
In the late sixties and seventies, India was already focusing on renewable energy sources, but chose to prioritize water sources and geothermal energies. Solar power was left behind.
Today, India is a massive presence in the solar power industry. Here are a few reasons for this rapid development.
Climate and Geography
India maintains a climate fitting for solar power usage. While there’s great climate diversity within the country, as a whole, it has access to large amounts of consistent sunlight.
India gets around 300 sunny days on average, giving it incredible potential for solar power generation.
Rural Electrification
India holds large numbers of rural establishments that are harder to connect to the grid and benefit greatly from both small-scale and large-scale solar power. The country’s power grid was developed with extreme difficulty in some areas, making local power sources for off-grid locations incredibly important.
Many rural locations don’t have the conditions for conventional power generation, being in remote or hard-to-access places. Small-scale solar devices like lamps, heaters, and batteries helped these communities tremendously.
Energy Independence
India possessed substantial power issues even when not considering its grid. These mostly concerned power independence and distribution, as the country wasn’t stable power-wise in the past.
India’s plans for renewable energy expansion were made with independence in mind. Many citizens went powerless, and some got electricity through dubious means.
Minimizing both of these occurrences was the goal of India’s electricity-development operations.
Why Solar Power Fits India
Understanding India’s reasoning for solar development requires looking at the pros and cons.
The most obvious advantage of solar energy is that it doesn’t pollute the environment or draw upon natural resources. While solar energy production technically produces some pollution, the amount is tiny compared to conventional sources.
Solar power outperforms other renewable sources for long-term viability. While water sources may eventually be compromised and geothermal isn’t eternal, the sun will last for billions of years.
A key capability for India is portability. Installing solar panels is relatively easy, and solar-powered devices save citizens large amounts of electricity.
These devices can make an off-grid establishment use electricity efficiently with rooftop panels, generators, and batteries.
Solar systems also require little upkeep for both large-scale and small-scale variants. Faults are uncommon and there are no major negative effects from faulty panels.
No excess waste is produced, and cleaning panels is incredibly easy.
The Downsides
Solar panels are costly for personal use, and arrays are costly for government projects, though more efficient production methods keep developing. To combat this, India invests deeply into both commercial and government usage of panels and their mass-production.
Solar power can only be generated during daytime and must be stored for overnight usage. Batteries for any power source are inefficient compared to direct usage and costly to produce and maintain.
Records of India’s Solar Power Development
True solar power development began in 1981 when CASE (Commission for Additional Sources of Electricity) was formed. CASE was charged with promoting, funding, and supporting solar power research and integration.
Simultaneously, STEC (Solar Thermal Energy Centre) was founded with a focus on solar power research and optimization. From 1981 to 1983, somewhere between 20 and 30 solar-powered heater systems were installed for industrial use.
In 1982, DNES (Department of Non-Conventional Energy Sources) was formed as a subsidiary of India’s Ministry of Energy. While STEC was research-oriented, DNES provided funding and organization for renewable energy development.
To facilitate solar panel production, NASPAD (National Solar Photovoltaic Energy Demonstration Program) was started. NASPAD focused on improving solar generation hardware and making panels and solar devices more efficient.
Between 1985 and 1990, the Amorphous Silicon Solar Cell was developed, further increasing power generation efficiency. In 1987, IREDA (Indian RE Development Agency) was formed to commercialize solar electricity, backed by the Asian Development Bank and the Netherlands.
The Rural Turning Point
Between 1992 and 1997, India acknowledged the sun’s usefulness for supplying rural areas. This was the major change that kickstarted India’s efforts to make solar power more viable.
Everything before this was simply research on the side. But the potential that solar energy portability offered was too immense to ignore.
India had over 10,000 villages lacking conventional electricity access.
A plan was created to facilitate solar use in these rural areas, covering generation through panels and the use of sun-powered devices for everyday needs.
Policy and Infrastructure Growth
Between 1997 and 2002, independent producers (IRPP) were given access to official power lines so they could distribute their energy to consumers. IRPP was encouraged to further develop renewable energy through their work.
In 1997, a Special Action Plan (SAP) upgraded and standardized the country’s renewable energy production methods. This plan upgraded or replaced all possible hardware, including solar panels using photovoltaic cells.
Related to this plan, PATSER (Programme Aimed at Technological Self Reliance) launched to upgrade existing solar technology. At this point, India was already deeply committed to the solar power field.
Notable Operations and Events
Barefoot Solar Engineers was a non-government organization that held campaigns teaching low-education citizens about renewable energy. BSE taught citizens about the benefits of solar power and proper operation methods for devices like lanterns or cookers.
It also provided job opportunities.
The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) launched in January 2010. This development plan aimed to bring independent electricity to India, and it’s been massively successful.
The plan can be pinpointed as the root of India’s intense recent production efforts. Its goals were met with ease and greatly exceeded.
The initial goal was to make India energy-secure by 2022 and fully independent later. That goal was raised to a more ambitious 100 GW.
Governmental Promotion Efforts
Simply developing solar power isn’t enough. Incentivizing development outside government efforts is a major part of India’s plans.
The 2003 Electricity Act established reasonable pricing for energy distribution. The 2005 National Electricity Policy helped with non-governmental distribution and selling of solar and other renewable energy.
The 2008 National Action Plan on Climate Change increased the country’s goals for selling renewable energy. The 2017 Semiconductor Policy provided unique pricing and distribution advantages for semiconductors.
The Current State of Events
In the past four years, India’s solar production capacity has quadrupled, making it one of the fastest-growing solar energy producers on the planet. India is among the leading countries for solar power development, with incredibly low system installation costs and strong connections in the worldwide solar industry.
India continues to bring electricity to more rural areas and make further advancements. Rooftop solar panels currently provide around 2 GW of India’s total solar power, with a goal of 40 GW indicating massive upcoming production.
Future Plans
New, easier ways to finance and invest in solar power would be provided, such as simple bonds. Digital and analog media would be used to spread awareness about the importance of solar energy throughout the country.
Courses and programs would be added to standard education dealing with renewable energy sources and the operation, construction, and production of those devices. Specific plans include more solar parks and the Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
What year did India first start using solar energy?
India’s formal solar energy development began in 1981 when the government formed CASE (Commission for Additional Sources of Electricity) and STEC (Solar Thermal Energy Centre). Before that, India focused primarily on hydroelectric and geothermal renewable sources while mostly overlooking solar power’s potential for the country.
How much solar energy does India produce today?
India has become one of the world’s top five solar energy producers, with capacity that has quadrupled in recent years. The country set an ambitious target of 100 GW of solar capacity.
Rooftop installations currently contribute about 2 GW, with a target of 40 GW for that category alone.
Why is solar energy so important for India specifically?
India gets about 300 sunny days per year and has thousands of rural villages far from the power grid. Solar provides portable, independent electricity where traditional infrastructure can’t reach.
The combination of abundant sunshine, large rural populations, and growing energy demand makes solar an ideal fit.
What was the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission?
The JNNSM launched in January 2010 as India’s flagship solar development plan. It aimed to make India energy-secure by 2022 and fully independent afterward.
The mission exceeded its original goals so dramatically that targets were raised to 100 GW of solar capacity.
Final Thoughts
Solar power development in India started in the eighties, though it was considered as far back as the sixties. Through technological advancements and recognition of its usefulness for rural electrification, it became a national priority.
The 2010 Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission marks the pivotal turning point. It was a nationwide plan that sought to increase energy production, reach energy independence, and reduce pollution.
The plan was a massive success, and India continues to be a global solar leader to this day.
