Context:
The Centre has modified the ₹75,000-crore PM-Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojna, originally intending to fully fund 1-3 KW solar system installations in one crore households. The revised plan now covers up to 60% of installation costs, requiring households to contribute the remainder, with a minimum payment of ₹20,000. Eligible houses must have suitable roofs, grid connectivity, and consumers are still responsible for grid power usage payments. Additionally, low-interest, collateral-free loans are available to assist with installation expenses.
Relevance:
GS II: Government policies and Intervention
Dimensions of the Article:
- About Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana
- India’s current solar capacity
- India’s solar policy
About Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana:
- The scheme provides free electricity to its beneficiaries and further sustainable development and people’s wellbeing.
- It aims to light up 1 crore households by providing up to 300 units of free electricity every month.
- It scheme provides substantive subsidies, which will be given directly to people’s bank accounts and heavily concessional bank loans.
- The Central Government will ensure that there is no cost burden on the people.
- Urban Local Bodies and Panchayats shall be incentivised to promote rooftop solar systems in their jurisdictions.
- Hence, the scheme will lead to more income, lesser power bills and employment generation for people.
Rooftop Solar Panels:
- Definition: Rooftop solar panels are photovoltaic panels installed on a building’s roof, integrated into the main power supply system.
Benefits
- Energy Consumption Reduction: Significantly reduces reliance on grid-connected electricity, leading to lower electricity costs for consumers.
- Surplus Power Export: Excess solar power generated can be exported to the grid, providing monetary benefits to consumers based on prevailing regulations.
India’s current solar capacity:
- Solar power has a major share in the country’s current renewable energy capacity, which stands at around 180 GW.
- According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s website, solar power installed capacity in India has reached around 73.31 GW as of December 2023.
- The rooftop solar installed capacity is around 11.08 GW as of December 2023.
- In terms of total solar capacity, Rajasthan is at the top with 18.7 GW. Gujarat is at the second position with 10.5 GW.
- When it comes to rooftop solar capacity, Gujarat tops the list with 2.8 GW, followed by Maharashtra by 1.7 GW.
Importance for expansion of solar energy in India:
- According to the latest World Energy Outlook by the International Energy Agency (IEA), India is expected to witness the largest energy demand growth of any country or region in the world over the next 30 years.
- To meet this demand, the country would need a reliable source of energy and it can’t be just coal plants.
- Although India has doubled down on its coal production in recent years, it also aims to reach 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030.
- Therefore, it is essential to expand solar power capacity.
India’s solar policy:
- Since 2011, India’s solar sector has grown at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 59% from 0.5GW in 2011 to 55GW in 2021.
National Solar Mission (NSM):
- The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), also known as the National Solar Mission (NSM), which commenced in January 2010, marked the first time the government focussed on promoting and developing solar power in India.
- Under the scheme, the total installed capacity target was set as 20GW by 2022.
- In 2015, the target was revised to 100GW and in August 2021, the government set a solar target of 300GW by 2030.
- India currently ranks fifth after China, U.S., Japan and Germany in terms of installed solar power capacity.
- As of December 2021, the cumulative solar installed capacity of India is 55GW, which is roughly half the renewable energy (RE) capacity (excluding large hydro power) and 14% of the overall power generation capacity of India.
- Within the 55GW, grid-connected utility-scale projects contribute 77% and the rest comes from grid-connected rooftop and off-grid projects.
-Source: The Hindu
