VI. ROLLOUT FEASIBILITY Having established the major advantages and disadvantages that solar feeders might have over solar pumps, and vice versa, it is critical also to know whether either model for solarization can actually be implemented. In Rajasthan, the most obvious barriers to implementation are potential bottlenecks in the supply chain; namely, the supply of capital, hardware, and support services. Waste management is not currently reflected in the KUSUM guidelines, or anywhere in India’s central planning. Though not an immediate threat to rollout, waste management is a critical element of the infrastructure life-cycle that should not be forgotten.
SUPPLY OF CAPITAL Implications: Scaling Up Solar Feeders The discounted cashflow analysis presented in this section estimates total capital investment capital that must be mobilized for full penetration of Rajasthan’s solar feeder capacity. “Full penetration” is defined as the 6,121 MW of identified capacity if solar feeders are limited to a maximum size of 2 MW (as identified by RREC and noted in KUSUM A tender documents). Figure 7 illustrates the investment capital mobilized over time to reach 6,121 MW of solar capacity by 2030, 2040, and 2050, respectively. Overall, the longer the rollout, the lower the required capital investment in real terms. This is largely due to the assumption of falling module and panel costs over time and discounting of expenditures that can be delayed. While based on historic trends, these cost reductions are not guaranteed. Rollout by 2040 of the 6,121 MW capacity would require ₹15,642 of developer capital.
Figure 7: Total Cumulative Investment Capital Mobilized Over Time, KUSUM A (6,121 MW) (2020 ₹ crore) The scale-up analysis for solar feeders under KUSUM A demonstrates the impact of different scale-up paces on the total investment capital to developers. Quicker timetables substantially increase the total real expense to developers.
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