Monday, July 17, 2017

India's renewable energy push

India is among the top three polluters globally and now the Indian government wants to cut its dependence on traditional power sources and go green. 

By 2027, India is aiming to get nearly 60% of it's power from renewable sources. However, the biggest challenge is proving to be the solar energy sector. 

Our India correspondent Neha Poonia reports. 


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VO: 
In India, over 70% of generated power still comes from coal-fired plants. 

But in the next 5 years, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to usher in a green energy revolution. 

<<Bite: Narendra Modi, Indian Prime Minister>>
We have set ambitious targets for ourselves. We want 175 gigawatt renewable energy by 2022- of which 100 gigawatts is from solar. We are confident India will be able to do this. 

VO: 
Since Prime Minister Modi's commitment at the Paris Climate Change Conference in 2015- solar power generation capacity in India has more than tripled. 

Yet experts like Aruna Kumarankandath believe, India will only be able to achieve 60% of the target by 2022. 

Experts say that apart from India's unreliable power grid- and the high cost of batteries that are needed to store solar power, the reluctance of power distribution companies is a big challenge. 

<<Bite: Aruna Kumarankandath, Renewable Energy Expert>>
Rooftop is something that needs to scale up for us to achieve this goal. Distribution companies are worried that their high paying customers will move to solar power. This would impact their revenue stream. This is the main concern for discoms. 

VO: 

The government's push to the renewable energy sector has ensured that some- like Tagore International School in Delhi- are willing to experiment. 

The school first installed a few rooftop solar panels in 2013 at the cost of over 40,000 USD. Today, it is Delhi's first all green school. The school's director Madhulika Sen says that green is the only way to go. 

<<Bite: Madulika Sen, Director, Tagore International School>>
I know it's costly- but the cost is coming down. The government is subsidising it. How long can we depend on thermal energy or nuclear? Is this the future we want for our kids?

VO:
All classrooms now run on solar power. The monetary benefits have also been substantial. Earlier, the school paid over 6100 USD in electricity bills per month- that's now fallen to less than 200 USD. 

The renewable energy goal has also favoured start-ups like Samay Mangalagiri's. He says while the industry has expanded in the last two years, the initial capital investment still makes many Indians wary

<<Bite: Samay Managalagiri, Director, SM Renergy>>
If someone wants to invest and own the asset, the person needs to part with a lot of money- be it a house, a school or a commercial set-up. The initial capital is substantial which most people are not keen on. 

VO: 
Industry experts like Aruna Kumarankandath also claim that despite a 30% government subsidy for India made solar panels, what makes solar panels expensive is lack of research and development in India. 

<<Bite: Aruna Kumarankandath, Renewable Energy Expert>>

Most of the solar panels being used in India are from China. There no manufacturing in India. That's a segment that is serious lagging. 

VO: 
India budgeted over 700 million USD for renewable energy last year, but the federal government has also appealed to developed nations to invest heavily in India to ensure that the sun doesn't set on it's clean energy ambitions.

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