Popularising Solar Energy Needs Maintenance System

Kulbhushan Upmanyu

(The writer is an environmentalist heading Himalaya Niti Abhiyan)

There are immense possibilities to tap solar energy in India as sun shines for about 300 days in a year. Besides generating new employment opportunities, it will also help in reducing the huge burden of petroleum import. Notably, India have to import 70% of petroleum products for its needs. India can play its role in climate change too by reducing carbon emissions. India has kept a target of generating 100 GW of electricity through solar energy by 2022. Importance of clean renewable energy also increases as more than 30 crore of population of the country is deprived of electricity facility.

Generation of about 2 GW of solar energy will lead to reduction of about 20 million tonnes of carbon emission every year. The World Bank is ready to provide one billion dollar loan for this initiative to India. 650 million dollar loan has already been sanctioned by the World Bank to install roof top solar panels on houses and link them with grid. A big 750 MW solar energy project is being funded by International Finance Corporation at Rewa in Madhya Pradesh. The remote areas of Himachal Pradesh too are suitable for small solar power projects, probabilities of which should be explored. Besides this uninhabitable areas of Rajasthan are also appropriate for solar energy generation. Solar energy on roof tops of houses can be generated all across India.

The biggest hurdle in solar energy generation lies in its storage. However solution to this problem is available in the form of selection of proper battery. There are numerous techniques available in this area. Lead acid batteries are in use since long. However carelessness could damage the battery and installation of new one is a costly process. Besides this, dumping of a damaged battery is a risky proposition and poses a threat to environment too. Another options are Absorbent Glass Mat and gel batteries that do not need even electrolyte and distilled water. There are no maintenance issues in these batteries either and it can run for its lifetime. Lithium ion batteries are the highest capacity batteries with no maintenance costs.

The successful use of solar energy in the form of street lights have been carried out in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Some lessons can be learned from this initiative that can be used to make solar energy acceptable and successful at smaller level. However it could not be made successful without creating maintenance system at community level and proper selection of batteries. Tapping solar energy will open job opportunities and will take the country towards self reliance in terms of its energy needs.

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