While Germany topped the list with 38,000 MW of solar power followed by China with around 28,000 MW, India is not anywhere near them and did not figure among the top ten countries. It has a mere 4000 MW of installed capacity. China increased its installed capacity by a little over 10,000 MW in 2014 and India by a little over 600 MW. These statistics speak for themselves and that it is going to be a herculean task to achieve the humongous target by the government on solar power generation in the country. Be it gobar gas plants or family planning or bio toilets, the ideas originate in India, China implement these social projects in a much better way and at times at break neck speed. In India these projects get implemented at bullock speed while in China they are jet setters.

If India were to fulfill its dreams of achieving one lakh MW of installed solar capacity, India needed to scale up its annual increase in installing solar power generation capacity by 20,000 MW. So far China too has not achieved it. For that matter none of the top ten countries in the world has achieved generation capacity addition of even 10000 MW in one year as in China.

A country like India where we have sunshine for 300 days in a year in most parts of the country, we do not know yet how to go about harnessing it that too when technology is available. In a country like India where 40 per cent of the 1.25 billion population still do not get electricity despite tall claims of government that only 18,000 of the six lakh villages are yet to be electrified in the country. These 18,000 villages too will be electrified by 2019, Reaching electricity connection is one thing and availability of power is another. This is where Solar energy could provide the answer. Small quantity of solar power generation and distributing them full within villages will save huge costs in highly capital intensive transmission lines.. In fact that money could be spent in providing off-grid solar power solutions. Are we moving in that direction and the answer is yes and no. We now seem to have the intention but the implementation is tardy.

China has set up manufacturing capacity of photovoltaic cell for generating capacity of 10,000 MW annually whereas in India it is less than 1000 MW production capacity. The largest one that is proposed to be set up is around 500 MW capacity of photovoltaic cells, which lately appears to have run into rough weather.

Nevertheless the situation is not all that gloomy and lately things have started looking up with government making concerted efforts to push solar power generation particularly with growing concern over climate change and thermal power not only being one of the dirtiest power but also costs are going up particularly with the cost of coal, a major input increasing every year.

India has potential to generate nearly 7,50,000 MW of Solar Power, that is nearly four times total power generation capacity of 1,75,000 MW of power in the country for all sources. But we have not reached even one per cent of the potential so far. Just as India, China too has set an ambitious target. It wants to have solar power of 1,00,000 MW by 2020 as against India's 1,00,000 MW by 2022. The way China is progressing, it may be close to achieving it but we are no where near as is the case in other areas as well.

India never achieved five year plan power generation capacity addition in any of the 12 five year plans. Thats why our power generation capacity just 1,75,000 MW as against China's 8,00,000 MW.

These are stark reality but it does not mean we cannot achieve the targets set for solar power. Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems to be determined so also the Renewable Energy Minister Piyush Goyal. One advantage with solar power is that one need not have huge investments as in thermal power. Small units with five kw power generation can be set up all over including roof tops, marshy village lands involving not much investment, just a few lakh of rupees.

Indira Awas Yojana for providing dwelling units to homeless in rural areas could be integrated into solar power development with every dwelling units built under this programme having rooftop solar power. Panchayats and local bodies could be involved in solar power generation by asking them to set up small solar power plants in every village to meet the power requirement of power plants. Solar pump sets could be provided to farmers at a subsidised cost.

This would help state governments and electricity board save huge money spent on providing subsidised or free electricity and subsidized diesel that is used in running pumpsets. Now solar power run driers and cold storage units have also been developed. Solar power could also be used for street lights as well. There are several other uses for solar power, which did not require huge investments in one go.

Solar being not only clean energy, it has now become cost effective. From Rs 18 a unit for solar power, it has come down to as low as Rs 4.65 a unit, which is comparable with thermal power generation. While cost of thermal power is going up, solar power is coming down day by day with increased production of photovoltaic cells as well as development of better technology and higher efficiency.

Storage of solar power is one issue that needed to be tackled. Lithium battery could provide the answer and their cost too is coming down. Skilled manpower is an issue, which needed to be tackled so that manpower is easily available in all villages in the country for installation of solar power. Perhaps Skill India programme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi could be harnessed to address the skilling issue in this sector. NREGA programme can be utilised for solar power development in rural area.

So there are huge opportunities but what is missing is political will to take it forward on mission mode to create huge capacity for manufacture of solar photovoltaic cells, spread use of solar power in rural India and Integrate solar power development with various other social schemes. If this happens there is still hope to achieve ambitious target set for solar power development in the country. (IPA Service)