Renewable energy: The mainstay of energy supply

India is increasingly adopting responsible renewable energy techniques and taking positive steps towards ensuring a more sustainable future. Here, is detailed analysis on why, what and how things should be done to make a city eco-friendly.

Environmental pollution and ecological destruction are most the runways problems. In India, two third populations are still deprived for energy services. India is largely dependent upon coal but it comes with huge environment and social cost. But now a day the challenge of India is to meet the energy requirement throughout the country.

Why is India switching to renewables?
Krishnendu Mukherjee, Coo, Sova Solar Ltd. says, “To meet the sustainability of the environment, India tries to switch over on the renewable energy resources which are good sources of sufficient energies.” These renewable energies are the key sources of avoiding fossil fuels. India tries to incorporate the green energy resources in rural as well as urban areas to secure the future of India which can end the challenge of energy poverty & climate change.

Renewable energy sources and technologies have potential to provide solutions to the long-standing energy problems being faced by the developing countries. The renewable energy sources such as wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, ocean energy, biomass energy and fuel cell technology can be used to overcome energy shortage in India. To meet the energy requirement for such a fast growing economy, India will require an assured supply of 3–4 times more energy than the total energy consumed today.

Renewable energy technologies as the mainstay of energy supply
India is increasingly adopting responsible renewable energy techniques and taking positive steps towards carbon emissions, cleaning the air and ensuring a more sustainable future. In India, from the last two and half decades there has been a vigorous pursuit of activities relating to research, development, demonstration, production and application of a variety of renewable energy technologies for use in different sectors. India’s renewable energy aspirations have been taken into consideration. India has been pursuing its agenda on renewable quite aggressively which is evident from the ambitious target of 175 GW of installed capacity by 2022.

Ashish Joshi, Director, Addin Power says, “The enhanced penetration of renewable seeks to address India’s key energy objectives of increasing energy security, reducing energy poverty and improving energy sustainability. The signifi¬cant decline in per unit cost of solar and wind power in auctions have made renewable economically competitive with other fossil fuel sources.”

Ketan Mehta, CEO, Rays Power Infra says, “It is about time that the grid parity has been already achieved and very soon we would see that all the rooftops and the houses are powered by solar.”
Solar, being completely modular, can be pretty much installed everywhere. So with solar rooftops and home lighting systems and other solar products, we will see that the source of power is completely constant.

Miles to go before we have a renewable society!
Research carried out at the University of Technology (LUT) in Finland has found that India will have the capacity to operate on a fully renewable electricity system by 2050. It’s a big claim for a nation of more than a billion people, many of whom still live without electricity at all. The demand for storage technologies in energy transition pathways towards 100 per cent renewable energy for India, it details how increasing solar, wind and storage capacities would allow India to transition from its fossil fuel-heavy energy mix to a clean and sustainable alternative. An estimated 15-20 per cent of power would be produced by energy prosumers, mainly citizens, using roof-mounted PV.

There are significant challenges for India to overcome when transitioning to an entirely renewable energy system, but it would be beneficial for India for a number of reasons. Not only would it dramatically cut the emissions of this, the third-biggest polluter in the world, but also create a huge number of jobs and improve health.

India’s climate and landscape provide advantages for the uptake of renewables, getting as many as 300 days of sunshine a year to boost solar production. Jeetendra Saraf, Founder, Newtronics Green Energy says, “India has one of the best solar potentials in the world, this resource is well distributed all over its area and with prices declining so fast every year, there is no reason why India cannot achieve its climate change targets and also achieve a fully sustainable energy system until the middle of this century.”

Coal still hold the reins
India’s reliance on coal will persist even in 2050. Joshi, Addin Powersays, “The renewable energy is one of the options to meet this requirement with an envisaged share of 45-50 per cent in energy mix;but cannot be the only source of energy because of its own limitations such as the solar energy can be generated only in day time, wind energy can be generated in availability of specific wind only.” India would like to use its abundant coal reserves as it provides a cheap source of energy and ensures energy security as well.

What’s next?
Although, India is still in its nascent stage of tech revolution in generating renewable energy, the country has made significant strides in recent years.Virendra Bagde, Senior Manager Sales – Solar Vertical, Factory Automation & Industrial Division, Mitsubishi Electric India Private Ltd. says, “The new technologies will always stand as a game-changer in reducing the country’s reliability on non-renewable sources such as coal. “Adding to it are the Indian power sector’s huge investment potential of 15 trillion and the expectations of robust growth in the renewable energy storage system market. Technologies along with these factors will definitely help India gradually achieve a sustainable future.

Light at the end of the tunnel
The future looks bright as nearly 293 global and domestic companies have committed to generate 266 GW of solar, wind, mini hydro and biomass-based power in India over the next decade.

Saraf of Newtronics Green Energy says,” The Indian power sector has an investment potential of 15 trillion over the next four to five years, which indicates immense opportunities in power generation, distribution, transmission and equipment. “

A bright and sustainable future beckons us. So, the question is we ready to unleash our limitless energy in order to make renewable energy more affordable and light up the energy revolution?

“Green energy resources secure the future of India and can end the challenge of energy poverty and climate change.”
Krishnendu Mukherjee, Coo, Sova Solar Ltd

“The signifi¬cant decline in per unit cost of solar and wind power have made renewable economically competitive with other fossil fuel sources.”
Ashish Joshi, Director, Addin Power

“With solar rooftops, home lighting systems and other solar products, the source of power is completely constant.”
Ketan Mehta, CEO, Rays Power Infra

“The new technologies will always stand as a game-changer in reducing the country’s reliability on non-renewable sources such as coal.”
Virendra Bagde, Senior Manager Sales – Solar Vertical, Factory Automation & Industrial Division, Mitsubishi Electric India Private Ltd.