India
The Indian Renewable Energy programme is well established,
having been constituted under the Department of Science
and Technology before being transferred to the newly-created
Department of Non-Conventional Energy Sources in 1982.
The Department was upgraded to the Ministry of Non-Conventional
Energy Sources (MNES) in 1992 and MNES has since worked
with the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency
(IREDA - created in 1987), to accelerate the momentum
of renewable energy development. The promotion has
been achieved through R&D, demonstration projects,
government subsidy programmes, programmes based on
cost recovery supported by IREDA and also private
sector projects.
India receives a good level of solar radiation, the
daily incidence ranging from 4 to 7 kWh/m2 depending
on location. Solar thermal and solar photovoltaic
technologies are both encompassed by the Solar Energy
Programme that is being implemented by the MNES. The
Programme, regarded as one of the largest in the world,
plans to utilise India’s estimated solar power potential
of 20 MW/km2 and 35 MW/km2 solar thermal. The country
has also developed a substantial manufacturing capability,
becoming a lead producer in the developing world.
The principal objective of the Solar Thermal Programme
is the market development and commercialisation of
solar water heaters, solar cookers etc. At the present
time the installed systems account for some 500 000
m2 collector area and some 485 000 solar cookers.
Solar water heating has been applied in a wide variety
of circumstances from individual residences to hotels
to industrial processes. The near-future potential
for such systems is around 30 million m2 of collector
area. Solar air heating has been utilised in various
parts of the country for drying agricultural produce
and in timber kilns. Solar stills have been employed
in large numbers to supply distilled water in rural
hospitals, battery-charging stations and for the supply
of drinking water in remote arid zones.
The MNES has been promoting the sales of box solar
cookers since the early 1980’s. This type of cooker
is designed to prepare food for up to 4-5 people and
can be supplied with or without electrical back-up.
However, the Dish Solar Cooker designed for 10-15
people and the Community Solar Cooker for 35-40 people
have also been developed. In March 1999 the world’s
largest Solar Steam Cooking System was installed at
Mount Abu, Rajasthan. It is a hybrid system with back-up
oil-fired boilers and is designed to prepare food
for 10 000 people.
There is also a separate Solar Buildings Programme
aimed at creating an awareness of the potential for
solar-efficient buildings. The passive solar design
concept is a climate-responsive architectural practice
that is now being researched, developed and implemented
throughout the country.
During 1999, a proposal for a 140 MW integrated solar
combined-cycle power project with a solar thermal
power capacity of 35 MW was agreed. The plant, based
on the parabolic trough collector technology, is to
be located in the Jodhpur district of Rajasthan and
will have supplementary firing by naphtha/gas on sunless
days. It is due for completion by end-2002.
A Solar PV Programme has been developed by the MNES
for the past two decades, aimed particularly at rural
and remote areas. To date approximately 44 MW have
been installed (representing some 750 000 systems),
of which street lighting and solar lanterns account
for 2.8 MW each, home lighting systems for 4.3 MW,
water pumps for 4.2 MW, telecommunications for 14.7
MW, power plants for 2.2 MW and other applications
for 12.5 MW. Exports account for another 13.5 MW.
The MNES has instituted a plan for establishing solar
PV power generation of 1 MW for use in specialised
applications: voltage support at rural sub-stations
and peak shaving in urban centres. At the present
time 15 grid-interactive solar PV power projects have
been installed in seven states and a further 10 are
under construction.
Country Notes
(SOLAR ENERGY)
Australia || Canada
|| China
|| France
|| Germany
|| India
|| Indonesia
|| Israel
|| Italy
|| Japan
|| Kenya
|| Korea
(Republic) || Mexico
|| Netherlands
|| Norway
|| South
Africa || Spain
|| Switzerland
|| Thailand
|| United
States Of America
