For many years the hydropower was the only renewable source of energy that was used in India. Solar and wind continued to be untapped for almost 70 years, primarily due to the lack of relevant technologies and federal assistance.
India is among the top carbon emitters in the world, with its massive population crossing over 1.3 Billion and power sector working to cater to this number.
However, in recent years, India has taken the much-needed step towards the adoption of renewable energy. The growing concerns associated with climate change has encouraged the government and power sector companies in India to establish a detailed roadmap to achieve clean and renewable power source.
Objectives that forms the Foundation
Initially, the power sector companies in India committed to the Private Climate Accord, which it plans to reduce the intensity of carbon emission per unit of GDP by 33-35% over 15 years. Additionally, the country is also planning to generate 40% of its electricity from non-fossil fuels.
This agenda will create a significant shift from coal-based power to generate renewable energy production. To achieve these objectives, the power generation companies in India need to produce 5 gigawatts from hydropower, 10 gigawatts from biomass, 60 gigawatts from wind, and 100 gigawatts from solar by the year 2022.
It is undoubtedly a challenging task for the sector to achieve as the adoption of renewable energy sources is still at its inception phase. Coal continues to meet 82% of the power demand in the country; however, the share of coal in energy production is expected to fall to 50% from current 57.9% by 2040.
Objectives that are Backed by Strong Initiatives
According to the report by International Energy Agency, solar and wind account for 90% of India’s capacity growth. This has resulted from auctions for contracts to generate power-generation capacity that facilitates some of the world’s lower prices to facilitate the technologies.
The country, which currently holds small conventional energy resources as opposed to the energy requirements of the massive population, can promote the immense potentials of solar energy.
The government is committed to the generation of renewable energy infrastructure. The objectives of 175 GW targets of 2022 and the development of ISA-led by India and France. Along with the potentials of solar, India is also exploring the prospect of hydropower, especially in the north-eastern states.
Benefits of Using Renewable Energy
Following are the advantages of renewable energy
Reduced Carbon Footprint: Human activities are burdening the environment with carbon dioxide and other harmful emissions. These toxic gases create a blanket, trapping the heat inside the environment, resulting in the generation of adverse environmental impacts such as droughts, storms, extinction of species, rising sea level, etc. using renewable energy sources will help in producing less harmful emissions by providing clean energy.
Better Health of Citizens: The water and air pollution from coal and the natural gas plant has been linked to numerous diseases such as heart attacks, neurological damages, breathing issues, cancer, etc.
Solar, hydroelectric, and solar energy sources produce electricity with no emission of harmful substances. While there are some air pollutants from biomass and geothermal, the discharge is significantly lower than coal and natural gas-powered plants.
Economic Benefits: As opposed to fossil fuel technologies that are primarily capital intensive and mechanized, the renewable energy industry has labor-intensive operations.
To install and maintain a solar panel or wind farm, skilled technicians are required. So, when a country focuses on adopting more renewable energy source, they pave the way for more economic benefits by creating better job opportunities.
With adequate investment in green technologies, India can achieve its goals to reduce its carbon footprint. With a growing population and industrialization, the demand for electricity is exponentially increasing.
Adopting renewable sources of energy will allow the power sector in India to meet the increasing need for a more efficient and environment-friendly manner.