Future of Solar Energy
Indian Perspective
In some ways, India has always faced a
shortage of energy, owing to its flourishing economy and a massive population of
1.37 billion. Due to this swiftly increasing population, the country is not
being able to meet its electricity requirements. A high percentage of the
Indian population lives in villages and not all of them have easy access to
electricity. It is time for India to move to more renewable methods of getting
electricity to its humongous population. Solar energy is feasible and
environment-friendly and hence the country can tap into this new method to meet
the energy requirements to provide electricity to all, especially the rural
population 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. Solar energy is being used in certain parts of the country, it just
needs to pick up a steady momentum.
As to the future of solar energy in India,
the following reasons are why the country can move towards solar energy in the
near future.
·
India has a geographical
advantage as it is in a tropical region. It receives a substantial amount of
solar radiation throughout the year and hence can tap into this source of
energy. The states of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Rajasthan
have the highest renewable energy capacity where solar modules are able to
produce ample amounts of electricity even on overcast days. [1]
·
Due to the strategic
location, there are some states in India which have the potential to tap solar
energy, such as Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab,
Haryana and Maharashtra. Hence there will be upcoming solar projects in the
country.
·
The solar radiation can
be used in a number of ways such as solar panels, solar street lights, solar
fans, solar UPS, etc.
·
Solar panels are costly
to set up, but once done, it eradicates the need for other means of
electricity. Solar-powered systems are cheaper in the long run as they help
save up money and solar panels have a lifespan of about 25 years. [2]
·
The upcoming utilization
of solar energy will also lead to more jobs being created. The country has faced challenges in the
usage of solar energy due to the absence of uniform and stable policies and the
high cost of capital in comparison with other South Asian countries. The
country needs a National Solar Policy that will remove bottlenecks at the
state level and hasten further adoption. The dawn of electric vehicles will
lead to the use of renewable energy, which will further boost the growth of the
industry. With the Government’s support, developers getting long term
visibility in terms of the project pipeline and actual off-takers witnessing value
in adopting solar electricity, India is poised to secure its renewable future.
References:
French Perspective
What’s the future of
solar energy in France?
France objective is to
have 32% energy produced threw renewable sources by 2030, today this number is
around 17%.
The biggest investment is in
solar, the government objective is to have 44 .5 GW of solar energy
production whereas today we have around 10 GW installed. We can explain these
very high objectives by the solar energy potential that exists in France (as
shown by the French map underneath). Government and companies believe very
strongly in the potential of auto production. Let’s imagine a new building is built it will need to have solar panels installed on its roof to produce
enough energy for its self and sell the extra production to the grid.
However, still many issues
exist the first is that today the solar industry is a subsidy driven industry
the technology isn’t mature yet to be sustainable on its own. Even if
production prices have really improved in the past years at what horizon will
solar production be competitive? Issues concern, in particular, the
capacity of creating stocking batteries.
Another issue is the
strength of nuclear lobby in France energy production is still dependent at 70%
of nuclear powerplants. Many industrial arguments that it is the cheapest and
cleanest source of industry available. Today there are big negotiations going
around the construction of 4 new nuclear powerplants. If the French state
decides to launch its construction that could be a serious threat to the growth of renewable and in particular solar energy.
The development of
renewable energy sources is now being held back in France by the growing
opposition of local residents to new settlements, as well as by land use
conflicts with other agricultural, commercial or residential uses. This is the case for photovoltaic solar energy, as shown by the mobilization of inhabitants
and farmers in Larzac (South of France) against the creation of a power plant
that could occupy 400 hectares.
What are the upcoming
challenges? How could they be addressed?
By producing a lot and
cheaply, Chinese companies have inflated a market that was previously limited,
resulting in supply that is twice as high as demand. This overproduction, at
low cost on the Chinese side, caused a sharp drop in prices, by 45% in 2011,
then again by 25% in 2012
Therefore the future of
the sector is shaping up on a European scale. The Commission is seeking to
protect the European photovoltaic industry, whose survival is threatened by the
dumping practices of Chinese manufacturers. For this purpose, taxes on Chinese
solar energy are introduced (about 20%).
Recommendation: The the challenge for European industry is first and foremost to find new markets in
South America, North Africa, the Middle East, India, the United States and
Japan. The European market can then differentiate itself through its added
value, in terms of the application of photovoltaic systems and integration in
buildings.
A very informative read.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot :)
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