Solar capacity target

Solar capacity target

Part of: Prelims and GS III – Environment 

Context: According to a report by JMK Research and the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), India is likely to miss its 2022 target of installing 100 gigawatts (GW) of solar power capacity, largely due to inadequate uptake of rooftop solar.

• Solar capacity is a major part of India’s commitment to address global warming according to the terms of the Paris Agreement, as well as achieving net zero, or no net carbon emissions, by 2070.

Key takeaways 

• As of December 2021, India’s cumulative installed solar capacity was 55 GW, with grid-connected utility-scale projects making up 77% of the total and the rest from grid-connected rooftop solar (20%) and mini or micro off-grid projects (3%).
• With just eight months of 2022 remaining, only about 50% of the 100GW target has been met.
• Factors impeding rooftop solar installation include:
  • pandemic-induced supply chain disruption 
  • policy restrictions, 
  • regulatory roadblocks; 
  • net metering limits; 
  • the twin burdens of basic customs duty (BCD) on imported cells and modules and issues with the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM); 
  • unsigned power supply agreements (PSAs) and banking restrictions; 
  • financing issues and delays in or rejection of open access approval grants; 
  • The unpredictability of future open access charges.

News Source: TH