It would take only around 0.3 per cent of the worlds land area to supply all of our electricity needs via solar power.
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The sun is the ultimate source of energy on earth and provides renewable sources of energy like wind, tidal energy, biomass etc. With the rapid advances in technology, direct conversion of solar energy into electricity has gathered momentum.
PV Modules and PV Array are modular in nature and hence can be installed in any number of banks for large scale solar farm applications. When these PV Arrays are installed in large numbers, they generate enormous DC Power ranging from kilowatt to many megawatts. Thus the enormous power generated can be directly supplied to the public grid by transformation of DC to AC power using Grid-tie Inverters at the level of the grid Voltage and Frequency. The system designed for this kind of applications is defined as Grid Connected System. In this application, grid serves as an ideal storage component and ensures system reliability
With more than 300 clear sunny days and solar insolation of 5-7 kwh / m2, solar power presents a large harnessable energy source for a power-starved country like India. The Government of India (GOI) has unveiled ambitious plans to install 20 GW of solar energy assets by 2020. Since the cost of solar power is high, GOI has also proposed a National Solar Mission to incentivise solar energy generation through various schemes. With the positive regulatory framework and pace of technology investment picking up in the last decade, solar power is expected to reach grid parity level in the next 5-10 years.
In pursuance of the above objectives, the Prime Minister launched the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission on 11th January, 2010. The Mission will be implemented in 3 stages leading to an installed capacity of 20,000 MW of grid power, 2,000 MW of off-grid solar applications and 20 million sq. m. solar thermal collector area and solar lighting for 20 million households by the end of the 13th Five Year Plan in 2022. The immediate aim of the Mission is to focus on setting up an enabling environment for solar technology penetration in the country both at centralized and decentralized levels. Apart from feeding 1,000 MW of solar power (solar thermal and photovoltaic) to the grid, the first phase (up to March 2013) will focus on promoting 200 MW capacity of off-grid solar energy applications to meet/supplement power, heating and cooling energy requirements and promoting 100 MW capacity of tail end and other small grid connected solar power plants.
The growth of Solar Energy is of extreme importance for Indian Government. With constant shortage of coal and a great emphasis on reduction of carbon footprint for the nation, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has great expectations from its Solar Mission, which will help garner 20 GW of Solar Energy in the next 10-12 years.
Currently Solar Mission has lots of schemes running to support Off-Grid and Grid Connected Solar application across the states. Besides this distribution of Solar Lanterns, Solar cookers, Solar water heaters at subsidized rates is also giving support to growth of Solar application in the country. For further reference govt website link is given below http://www.mnre.gov.in/
1) Businesses
Solar has a definitive impact on the way we manage our business. With increased carbon footprint by all corporate, it becomes our moral responsibility to mitigate those carbon footprints by adopting various means of renewable energy sources. Solar provides a very wide platform to achieve this goal. From small roof-top projects or Street Light project to large utility grid interactive MW size projects, Solar has proved that it can make a big impact on the way we manage and expand our Business. A variety of employment besides revenue stream is also created through Solar projects.
2) Environment
Solar Photo Voltaic technology provides a clean and quite way to generating power. It is having absolutely no impact over the environment while generating electricity. The solar module also needs no maintenance, other than cleaning while running the plant.
According to a recent UN report on green economy released, it said that India can generate 20,000 MW from solar power plants. The Indian market like the Earth's magnet is attracting solar companies, because of its abundant sunlight, exploding demand, and gigantic, mostly off-grid population. The country is seeing tremendous growth backed by the nation's massive energy demand increase. India has an enormous energy gap. Demand is expected to double by 2030, and 400 million people in the country have no access to electricity. 40 GW of this demand is estimated to be addressable by solar.
GIL has a keen focus on tapping solar energy source and is currently exploring both grid and off-grid solar solutions in the country and with the commencement of GIL first 10MW solar photo-voltaic power plant in record time ahead COD in Rajkot in Gujarat, GIL has laid strong foundation for forthcoming projects in Solar vertical.
Currently GIL is pursuing projects in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Karnataka under center and state policies, which are accepting proposals from various developers.
By 2015, GIL aspires to have more than 250 MW of operating Solar projects covering both PV and CSP technology.
