• The world is on the cusp of a Solar Revolution. Not only is solar the world’s most abundant and clean energy source,with its widespread acceptance, it has become the common energy imperative to drive international climate action.
• Many countries are in line to solar acceptance, with India leading the way, giving it the scale and affordability that global climate action asks for.Solar energy is playing a key role not only in the developing world to tackle energy access and energy security, but also in developed countries to facilitate energy transition.
• Despite technological superiority over other energy technologies, solar energy is facing an important challenge as the global photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing supply chain is concentrated in a handful of countries,which resulted in recent price surges because of the choking of existing limited supply chains.

Solar Energy Facilitate Development in India

• Job Generation:The Solar Sector has immense potential to create new jobs, 1 GW of Solar manufacturing facility generates approximately 4000 direct and indirect jobs.
  • In addition solar deployment, operation and maintenance can create additional recurring jobs in the sector.
• Environmental Development:India’s energy demands are largely fulfilled by non-renewable sources of energy.
  • Thescarcity of these fossil resources stresses the need for renewable energy sources. Abundance of solar energy can fulfil India''s clean energy demands.
• Energy Security:India being a developing economy needs proper electricity for industrial growth and agriculture.
  • For achievingself-sufficiency and minimal cost in power generation, assured regular supply, solar energy can play a vital role.
• Social development:The problem of power cuts and unavailability of electricity, especially in rural areas, leads to improper human development.
  • The use ofsolar energy can enable social development in even the most remote areas of India.

Challenges Related to Solar Energy in India

• High Dependency on Imports:India still is largely dependent on foreign countries like China for solar modules.
  • Backward integration in the solar value chain is absentas India has no capacity for manufacturing solar wafers and polysilicon.
  • In 2021-22, India imported nearlyUSD 76.62 billion worth of solar cells and modules from China alone, accounting for 6% of India’s total imports that year.
• Land Scarcity:Solar projects that are ground-mounted require a vast area for installation. Per capita land availability in India is very low, and land is a scarce resource.
  • Installing solar cells near substations may have to compete with other land-based necessities for a small area of land.
• Losses in Cost and T&D (Transmission and Distribution):Solar energy is also having problems with cost competitiveness and competing against other energy generation technologies.
  • The cost of T&D losses is approximately 40%, making generation through solar energy sources highly 
• No Solar Waste Management Policy:Despite ambitious solar installation targets, India does not have a policy for managing its solar waste. Solar waste consists of discarded solar panels. It is predicted to grow by 4 to 5 times within the next ten years.
• Acceptability Concern:Despite the fact that solar energy production techniques have been improvised in India, it has not yet been commercialised.
  • Topographically and climatically, sun rays are not uniformly available at any particular place throughout the year,and people (particularly farmers), have not yet been educated about its advantages and benefits.
• Low Cost to Benefit Ratio:Despite significant growth in the installed solar capacity, the contribution of solar energy to the country’s power generation has not grown at the same pace.
  • In 2019-20, for instance, solar power contributed only 3.6% (50 billion units)of India’s total power generation of 1390 BU.

Government Schemes to Enhance Solar Energy Production in India

• International Solar Alliance
• National Solar Mission
• Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM)
• One Sun, One World, One Grid (OSOWOG)

Looking ahead

• Solar Self Reliance:India needs to cultivate a strong domestic solar energy market supporting the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
  • The best way to support the development of solar PV manufacturing projects is direct support to upstream actors, for instance throughDesign and Production Linked Incentives.
• Bio Solar Cells:India can also explore the use of bio solar cells by generating electricity from microbial photosynthetic and respiration processes.
• Towards Global Solar Manufacturing Hub:Given its geographical location and abundance of resources, India is nicely positioned to become a global hub of solar manufacturing.
  • India’s solar storywill continue to provide important lessons for other developing countries that are looking to transition to clean energy.
    • With 110 members and signatory countries, the India led International Solar Alliance is making efforts to bring about this change.
  • Technology sharing and financecould also become important aspects of ISA in the future, allowing for meaningful cooperation between countries in the solar energy sector.
• Catalysing Net Zero Target: Solar Mini Gridsand community rooftop solar installations can enable the solar shift in India. Localised Solar energy is the one which could become the cornerstone of the net-zero India that we are aiming to see in 2070.
• Reducing T&D Loss: India can encourageR&D activities to find more innovative solutions to cut down T&D loss by establishing research centres and funding gives some relief to solar energy players.
  • In addition, India can collaborate with world-renowned universities for the upgradation of substations and T&D lines toreduce T&D losses.