ARTICLE | Renewable Energy in India
India’s quest for Sustainable Energy
The energy sector in India is quickly trying to diminish the supply-demand gap prevalent since long. According to policymakers, India’s challenge lies in dealing with both climate change and the need to switch to renewable sources of energy. In this regard, India has established the aim of transitioning from conventional to renewable energy sources for power generation by 2030. Recent studies have found that the country could go even further with renewables and reduce overall energy costs Shrila pokhariyal | Editorial Assistant
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he traditional sources of electricity, like coal, oil, and natural gas, are responsible for one-third of the global greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, the need of the hour is to enhance the living standards by providing cleaner and more reliable electricity. Rapid urbanisation in India has resulted in increased energy demands to fulfil the economic development plans that are being implemented. According to data compiled and released by the
36 March 2021 | www.urbanupdate.in
International Energy Agency, India is responsible for nearly seven per cent of the total global carbon emissions, ranking third after China (28 per cent) and the United States of America (15 per cent). However, the latest Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2021 has placed India among the top ten countries to have adopted substantial measures to mitigate climate change. The report has ranked India at 10th with a score of 63.98. India has taken an unprecedented course in renewable energy in the last
few years. India’s priority is to expand the use of clean energy sources. It has already taken various large-scale sustainable energy projects to ensure a massive growth of green energy. India is the fourth most attractive renewable energy market globally, assessed by Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index 2020. However, COVID-19 has adversely affected the performance of the renewable energy industry. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had set an ambitious aim of installing 175 Gigawatt (GW) of renewable energy capacity by 2022, which was intended to be increased to 450 GW by 2030, at the United National Climate Action Summit.
Wind Energy
The wind energy industry’s growth has given rise to a strong ecosystem, project operation capabilities, and a manufacturing base of about 10,000 Megawatt (MW) per annum. As of October 31 last year, the country has the fourth-highest wind installed capacity globally, with a total installed capacity of 38.26 GW, and had generated around 52.66 billion units between 2017-18. The wind is an intermittent and sitespecific source of energy, and therefore, an extensive wind resource assessment is essential for selecting potential sites. Through the National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE), the government has installed over 800 wind-monitoring stations across the country. It has issued potential wind maps at 50 metres (m), 80m and 100m above ground level. The recent assessment indicates a gross wind power potential of 302 GW in the country at 100 meters above ground level. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India, is also developing a strategy and roadmap to utilise the potential of offshore wind energy along the country’s coastline.
Solar Energy
Utilising solar energy is one of the chief components of India’s renewable energy strategy. Most parts of India
