SOLAR POWER TRANSMISSION TO RURAL INDIA
India is the 5th largest producer
of solar energy but nearly 300 million rural people are still living in the dark.
The barrier to the growth in rural productivity and economy is the lack of
basic amenities such as electricity, clean water, and sanitation. With
advantages like low production and operating cost, price sensitivity, and land
certainty, solar power is proving to be a panacea to these barriers.
As per a recent analysis released by IRENA
(International Renewable energy Agency), there is a drop of nearly 80% in the
cost for setting up solar PV projects between 2010-2018. Moreover, the cost of
solar power has decreased from ₹17
per unit to ₹2.44
per unit after the launch of the National Solar Mission in 2010.
Sterlite
Power - India
Let’s
have a look at how solar power, when combined with advanced technology, can help us
reach the goal of providing reliable electricity to millions of rural households:
Grid-Connected Solar Irrigation:
Agriculture account for nearly 18% of India’s GDP and is the primary
source of income for rural India. With about 60% of India’s irrigation system
depended directly on the groundwater, the growing water shortage, especially
in arid regions, is raising alarming concerns for our farmers. Grid-connected
solar irrigation cannot only save groundwater and solve the water concerns for
arid regions, it will also help the farmers by proffering an alternating income
source. By connecting the solar-powered irrigation system to the grid, farmers
can sell the extra electricity, and hence, increase their income. These are climate
resilient and counter-cyclical to agriculture and delivers reliable, free power
supply during the daytime which reduces their production risks.
Solar Micro and Mini grids:
With the increasing advent of solar micro and mini-grids, especially in
the rural areas of India, reliability in electricity seems to be no longer a
concern. The increased local ownership of the infrastructure and the small-scale operational structure also lowers down the issue of power theft to
a greater extent – which is a major concern in remote areas of India. Moreover,
apart from taking care of usual consumer applications like agriculture,
household/commercial applications, village and micro industries,
social/government institutions and
municipal functions, the RE-powered micro, and mini-grids are also improving the
environment by bringing down carbon emission levels.
Solar Photovoltaic Panels:
Eco-friendly panels with zero fuel usage and long life up to 20 years, comes
with easy transportation, assembly and installation in remote areas. They
produce DC electricity which can be stored in batteries and have a low
maintenance cost. Every kWh of generated solar power prevents the release of
around 0.7 kg of carbon dioxide.
AI-Powered solar inverters:
AI-powered solar Inverters installed with Artificial Intelligence (AI)
and Internet of Things (IoT) detects the demand, supply and flow of power in households
and stores energy more efficiently; hence, solving the problem of frequent
power cuts, which is a prime concern in rural and sub-urban parts of India. Although
AI-powered solar inverters are expensive in comparison to the other
alternatives, the data insights collected by its system can predict and solve
the problem of rural households.
Smart Nano Grids:
These are
small residential power systems with a low-cost approach for a village
electrification. Nano- grids come with a battery for energy storage,
characterized by both AC and DC loads and a main solar photovoltaic array for
electricity generation. It supports small commercial, social and
agro-industrial needs and other micro-enterprises.
Solar
panels and grids can transform the lives of rural people. Installation of
advanced solar technology can lighten up millions of families not only with the
access to electricity but also by enhancing the economy and creating new
possibilities.
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