{"id":48541,"date":"2025-07-18T20:56:02","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T15:26:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=48541"},"modified":"2025-07-19T13:35:44","modified_gmt":"2025-07-19T08:05:44","slug":"india-solar-goldmine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/18-07-2025\/india-solar-goldmine","title":{"rendered":"Discovering India&#8217;s Solar Goldmine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Energy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>There is a need for data-driven reassessment of India\u2019s solar energy potential to unlock investment, drive innovation, and accelerate the transition to net-zero emissions by 2070.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About Solar Power in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India is rapidly emerging as a global leader in clean energy, with over 110 GW of installed solar capacity.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India\u2019s total renewable energy capacity reached <strong>237.5 GW<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India&#8217;s Solar Potential:<\/strong> According to <strong>The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI),<\/strong> India\u2019s total solar potential is estimated at 10,830 GW. It includes:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ground-mounted solar on barren land: 4,909 GW;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Agri-PV (on plantations): 4,177 GW;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rural and urban rooftop solar: 960 GW;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rail, road, and building-integrated PV: 684 GW;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Floating solar PV: 100 GW;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Global Comparison: <\/strong>According to the <strong>World Bank\u2019s Global Solar Atlas:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India ranks among the top countries with excellent solar PV conditions, with high irradiance and low seasonality.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Namibia, Chile, Australia, and parts of the Middle East and North Africa boast high solar PV potential, often exceeding 4.5 kWh\/kWp daily.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>China and the United States, while leading in installed capacity, have lower average solar irradiance compared to India.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"d9c579\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"632\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Discovering-Indias-Solar-Goldmine-632x1024.png\" alt=\"solar power in india\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-48560\" style=\"--dominant-color: #d9c579; width:378px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Discovering-Indias-Solar-Goldmine-632x1024.png 632w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Discovering-Indias-Solar-Goldmine-185x300.png 185w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Discovering-Indias-Solar-Goldmine-768x1244.png 768w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Discovering-Indias-Solar-Goldmine-948x1536.png 948w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Discovering-Indias-Solar-Goldmine.png 1190w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 632px) 100vw, 632px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Global Solar Atlas (GSA)<\/strong><br>&#8211; It is a free, web-based tool developed by the <strong>World Bank\u2019s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP)<\/strong> in collaboration with Solargis.<br>&#8211; It provides high-resolution data and maps to assess solar energy potential across the globe, especially in developing countries.<br><br><strong>Key Features<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>Interactive Mapping: <\/strong>Zoom into any location worldwide with up to 1 km resolution.<br>&#8211; <strong>Solar Resource Data:<\/strong> Includes Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI), Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI), and PV power potential.<br>&#8211; <strong>PV Calculator: <\/strong>Offers site-specific and regional assessments of photovoltaic energy generation.<br>&#8211; <strong>Downloadable Maps:<\/strong> Country-specific poster maps and GIS layers for planning and analysis.<br>&#8211; <strong>Hourly Profiles:<\/strong> Monthly summaries and 12\u00d724 hourly averages for solar generation variability.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges in Harnessing India&#8217;s Solar Power Potential<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Outdated Estimates<\/strong>: India\u2019s official <strong>solar potential estimate \u2014 748 GWp<\/strong> \u2014 was based on <strong>2010 wasteland data and 2011 census<\/strong> figures. It had limited strategic planning and investment in solar infrastructure.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Lack of granular, geospatial data on irradiance, land use, and infrastructure proximity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Insufficient coordination between central and state agencies on siting and resource allocation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Changing India\u2019s Land Use Pattern:<\/strong> Urbanisation, industrialisation, Agricultural land diversion and digitalisation are changing India\u2019s land-use patterns.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Grid Integration and Infrastructure Gaps:<\/strong> Transmission bottlenecks limit the evacuation of solar power from generation sites to consumption centers.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Lack of smart grid systems hampers efficient load balancing and storage integration.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Weak Domestic Manufacturing Ecosystem:<\/strong> India lacks backward integration in the solar value chain\u2014no domestic production of wafers or polysilicon.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Heavy reliance on imports, especially from China, and limited R&amp;D and innovation in high-efficiency modules and recycling technologies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Low Adoption and Policy Barriers in Rooftop Solar:<\/strong> Net metering restrictions, bureaucratic delays, and inconsistent state policies discourage adoption.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>High upfront costs and limited access to concessional loans for small consumers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Efforts and Initiatives<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme:<\/strong> Launched to boost domestic manufacturing of high-efficiency solar PV modules.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Solar Park Scheme:<\/strong> Aims to establish 50 solar parks with a cumulative capacity of ~38 GW by 2025\u201326.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These parks attract investment and enable economies of scale.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/04-02-2023\/pm-kusum-scheme\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/04-02-2023\/pm-kusum-scheme\">PM-KUSUM Scheme<\/a>:<\/strong> Targets 30.8 GW of solar capacity by 2026 through decentralized solar for agriculture.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Promotes indigenous manufacturing and rural energy access<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>PM Surya Ghar:<\/strong> Provides up to 300 units of free electricity per month to 1 crore households via rooftop solar.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u20b975,021 crore outlay includes subsidies, incentives for DISCOMs, and capacity building.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Expected to add 20 GW of rooftop solar capacity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>International Solar Alliance (ISA):<\/strong> India-led global initiative with 120+ member countries.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Promotes solar deployment in developing nations, especially Africa.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Programs include SolarX Startup Challenge, Green Hydrogen Innovation Centre, and Solar Data Portal.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Grid and Storage Integration: Green Energy Corridor<\/strong> project enhances transmission infrastructure.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Smart grid and energy storage solutions are being scaled to support intermittent solar supply.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Policy and Regulatory Support: <\/strong>100% FDI permitted under automatic route.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Waiver of inter-state transmission charges for solar projects commissioned.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Green Open Access Rules and net-metering reforms promote decentralized solar.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Forward: Utilising Full Potential Of Solar Energy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Floating Solar PV (FSPV): <\/strong>It offers a solution to <strong>land scarcity<\/strong> and water body utilisation.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Improved mapping of <strong>inland water surfaces<\/strong>, better understanding of <strong>regional evaporation losses<\/strong>, and localised performance data can unlock <strong>~100 GW potential<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Methodologies Reflecting Present-Day Realities: <\/strong>Modern, data-rich, and granular assessments need to incorporate solar irradiance and land gradient; proximity to substations and roads; ISRO\u2019s remote sensing data; <strong>Global Solar Atlas<\/strong> &amp; NREL radiation data and Transmission grid data from CEA.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Economic Implications of <\/strong>Reassessing the Solar Potential<strong>: <\/strong>A robust demand pipeline will catalyse the <strong>solar panel recycling industry<\/strong>, especially for materials like silver, copper, and silicon.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Attract larger domestic and foreign investments;<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Accelerate <strong>solar manufacturing ecosystems;<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Encourage production of <strong>cells, wafers, polysilicon, and metallurgical-grade silicon;<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Boost <strong>ancillary industries<\/strong> and generate <strong>thousands of green jobs<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Enabling Smarter Land and Resource Planning<\/strong>: It enhances India\u2019s <strong>energy security<\/strong> and supports its vision of becoming a <strong>global solar hub<\/strong>. State and central governments can:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Strategically allocate <strong>land, water<\/strong>, and <strong>transmission corridors;<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Promote <strong>shared infrastructure<\/strong> for roads, power lines, and worker townships;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Achieve <strong>economies of scale<\/strong> and increase deployment efficiency.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Global Leadership and Strategic Vision:<\/strong> India\u2019s leadership in the International Solar Alliance and initiatives like <strong>\u2018One Sun, One World, One Grid\u2019<\/strong> positions it to champion global solar transitions. A data-enabled approach will:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Set new benchmarks for solar potential assessment;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Drive equitable and sustainable energy access;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Strengthen India\u2019s role as a clean energy superpower<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Daily Mains Practice Question<\/strong><br><strong>[Q]<\/strong> In what ways does the concept of &#8216;India\u2019s Solar Goldmine&#8217; reflect the country\u2019s strategic potential in renewable energy, and how can it shape India\u2019s role in global climate leadership?<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.orfonline.org\/expert-speak\/discovering-india-s-solar-goldmine-a-data-enabled-approach\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Source: ORF<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/UPSC-Editorial-Analysis-18-July-2025.PDF.pdf\">Download PDF<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There is a need for data-driven reassessment of India\u2019s solar energy potential to unlock investment, drive innovation, and accelerate the transition to net-zero emissions by 2070.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48541","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-editorial-analysis"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48541","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48541"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48541\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48632,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48541\/revisions\/48632"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48541"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48541"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48541"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}