Why is it in the News?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced the 'Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana' under which one crore households will get rooftop solar across the nation.

What is 'Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana'?

• The scheme aims to equip one crore poor to middle-class households with rooftop solar panels in a bit to provide electricity from solar energy.
• The scheme would not only reduce the electricity bill of the poor and middle class but would also make India self-reliant in the energy sector.
  • Rooftop solar panels are the photovoltaic panels installed on the roof of a building which is connected to the main power supply unit.
  • Thus, it reduces the consumption of grid-connected electricity and saves electricity costs for the consumer.
  • In a solar rooftop system, there is only an upfront capital investment and minimal cost for maintenance.
• Under this scheme, one crore households will get solar rooftops.
• Moreover, it will offer additional income for surplus electricity generation.
• The consumer can choose any vendor on the national portal and after installation, the subsidy is sent directly to the bank account of the consumer.
• The Pradhanmantri Suryodaya Yojana is a new scheme but very similar to the previously announced Rooftop Solar Programme in 2014.
  • The previous scheme had aimed to produce 40,000 megawatts (MW) or 40 gigawatts (GW) of solar power by 2022.

India's Advancements in Solar Energy:

• At the end of last year, 2023, India’s solar power generation stood at 73.31 GW, up from 2022’s 63.3 GW.
  • However, rooftop solar power generation only stands at around 11.08 GW as of December 2023.
• The total solar power generated in the nation, Rajasthan leads the pack with 18.7 GW while Gujarat follows with 10.5 GW.
  • However, when talking about rooftop solar power, Gujarat is at peak position — with 2.8 GW — followed by Maharashtra at 1.7 GW.
• India has more than 300 million households and an average of 300 sunny days each year, which has tremendous potential for rooftop solar installations in residential spaces.
• However, experts note that despite several measures, India’s rooftop solar power generation is not where it should be, listing reasons for the situation.
  • The primary reason for rooftop solar not becoming popular is that it is still an expensive option for many.
  • There is also a lack of awareness.

Importance of Solar Power to India:

• Harnessing the power of the sun to generate electricity is important to India for multiple reasons.
• If India wants to achieve its aim of becoming net zero by 2070, it has to look towards the sun.
• In fact, at COP26, in November 2021, India committed to meet 50 per cent of its electricity requirements from renewable energy sources by 2030.
  • For these aims to be met, India has to harness the full capacity of the sun.
• Moreover, India’s share of global energy demand is predicted to double to 11 per cent in 2040, making it imperative to enhance energy security and self-sufficiency in power generation without increasing environmental costs.
  • This increase in power demand is likely to increase India’s reliance on coal, oil and natural gas as a source of energy.
• However, additional imports of oil and increased domestic production of coal will not only fall short of energy demand but will also entail economic and environmental costs.
  • The expansion of solar power units and increased reliance on solar power allow India to enhance energy security in the face of rising demand.
• Furthermore, India is already facing depleting groundwater levels, owing to which the nation must shift its energy resources away from water.