ROOFTOP SOLAR PV - A MASSIVE JOB OPPURTUNITY IN INDIA

Recently, a positive surge has emerged in Indian solar PV industry. Now, the time has come to reap the benefits this positive surge. It has made an easy way to achieve target of 100 GW by 2022. Government divided this target, 60 GW for utility scale and 40 GW for rooftop. These targets should be achieved at all cost specially the target of rooftop solar PV to solve prevailing unemployment problem throughout the country.

There are many challenges in achieving the target 40 GW in solar rooftop PV in India. Majority of the peoples are well not conversant with solar PV technology and its importance. Solar PV application is an old technology but still it is not the part of the School and college education. Discoms/ utilities are facing financial problems and are under severe debts in the country is also a major barrier in adoption of solar rooftop PV. Discoms/utilities requires huge amount for strengthening its transmission and distribution network to accommodate the generation from solar rooftop PV. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has done a commendable job, declared state wise targets for achieving a target of 40GW and also declared 50 solar cities in India. By and large, State Governments will have to materialize targets 40GW, not by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

Every structure of Central and State Governments should be ornamented with solar rooftop PV for fast development solar rooftop PV culture in the country. Strengthening of Discoms/ utilities has become imperative to receive the generation from solar rooftop PV and to build the confidence among the peoples that they would receive timely payments for the electricity supplied by them to the Discoms/utilities. Central and State Governments should maintain a perfect coordination for fast development of solar rooftop PV as it associated with the economic development of States as well as of India. It would create large number of Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) through the country with massive job opportunities.

LET US MAKE OUR SOLAR CITY

Government of India had already planned to develop solar cities to cope up with the rapid rising of the energy demand of cities, since rapid urbanization with economic growth has increased the energy demand of cities. Accordingly, pollution is drastically increasing in cities which are hazardous to human life. Such problems have already been faced by developed countries like Australia and USA, consequently they developed solar cities. Demand of Electricity has been growing with the urbanization, electricity utilities experiencing problems in supplying electricity demand of city, especially peak electricity demand.

Now, the Government strategy is to exploit all types of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, biomass, small hydro, waste to energy etc. Ultimately the aim is to reduce 10% demand of conventional energy at the end of five years by utilizing local renewable energy available in the cities. Solar resource is abundantly is available through the country and most of the cities have good solar resource.

Government wants to install solar PV plants on utility scale looking the cost economics and to solve unemployment problem of the country. Limited land resource is a major problem in the country; therefore, land bill could not be passed in parliament. The only alternative remains with the Government to utilize roof of buildings in cities to generate electricity and solve unemployment problem.

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has set to achieve the target 40 GW for solar rooftop PV by 2022. Declaration of 50 solar cities by the Government of India would add to the effort of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) for achieving the target 40 GW for solar rooftop PV by 2022. Such Government’s effort would not reduce the gap between supply and demand of electricity but it would also provide employment opportunities to the millions.

Listen! Government knocking Your Door

India is aggressively developing in solar energy sector, especially in solar photovoltaic (SPV). India has decided to achieve the target of 100GW, 60 GW for ground based and 40 GW for rooftop by 2022 with the commissioned projects of capacity 3,743 MW (almost ground based) by 2014-15. Rooftop PV is to be developed from infancy stage, therefore, development of rooftop is really a challenging job for India.  The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has fixed the year wise targets and state wise targets for attaining rooftop target to 40 GW by 2022. Year wise rooftop target for the year 2015-16 is 200MW and subsequently increasing year by year and reaches to 9,000 MW in the year 2021-22.

State and union territories wise targets has been fixed by MNRE up to 2022, Maharashtra with the highest target (4,700 MW) followed by Uttar Pradesh (4,300 MW), Tamil Nadu (3,500 MW), Gujarat (3,200 MW), Rajasthan (2,300 MW), Karnataka (2,300MW), Madhya Pradesh (2,200 MW), West Bengal (2,100), Punjab (2000MW), Andhra Pradesh (2000 MW), Telangana (2000 MW) and remaining other states and union territories

SNo.	States	Targets in MW by 2022
1.	Maharashtra	4,700
2	Uttar Pradesh	4,300
3	Tamil Nadu	3,500
4	Gujarat	3,200
5	Rajasthan	2,300
6	Karnataka	2,300
7	Madhya Pradesh	2,200
8	West Bengal	2,100
9	Punjab	2,000
10	Andhra Pradesh	2,000
11	Telangana	2,000
12	Remaining States and Union Territories	21,400
	Total Capacity	40,000

Source: MNRE

Now, the Government has realized that ample rooftop is available at residential, commercial, industrial and institutional sectors in the country and that should be utilized for generation of electricity. "Above targets are to be achieved by the peoples, not by Government". Therefore, peoples have vital role for generation of electricity from solar rooftop PV.  Government has determined to achieve the targets at all cost, developing mechanism for large adoption of solar rooftop PV, providing subsidy, bank loans and training for installation of solar rooftop PV at residential, commercial, industrial and institutional sectors ranging from 1KWp to 500 KWp .  

Are Yar Century Marne Ka Hai

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Are Yar Century Marne Ka Hai

Solar Photo Voltaic (solar PV) is the fastest growing among all renewable energy sources in the world.  It reached to 177 gigawatts (GW) by the end of 2014 and meets 1% electricity demand of the world. Several researches has claimed that Solar PV would be able cater 20% electricity demand of world by 2050.  Solar PV added 40 GW in the year 2014 and China, Japan and United States accounted for major contribution. Solar PV market increased due to rapid reduction in cost of PV.  Some countries have achieved grid parity owing to rapid falling cost of PV.

India launched Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission in July, 2009 under the National Action for Climate Change for development of solar energy in India, having ambitious target of 20 GW for solar projects including rooftop by 2022.  Installed capacity of solar projects in India was 2,632 MW by March 2014 MW and 3743 MW by March 2015. In January 2015, the Indian Government has revised target to 100 GW by 2022 i.e. 5 times. Recently, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has decided the year wise targets for achieving 100 GW by 2022. This 100GW was divided in two categories; land based 60 GW and rooftop 40GW.  The capacity addition target for year 2015-16 is 2,000 MW, 12,000 MW in 2016-17 and increasing to 17,500 MW by 2021-22.

Fixing of above targets by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy shows that the Government is keen to develop solar PV in India at faster rate. A positive wave has surged in Indian solar industry and boosted the morale of complete solar industry with the Government initiatives.  Also, the investors from worldwide are looking forward for business in solar sector in India.  Decisively, our country would be global leader in solar energy sector. 

AaO ChAlE SmArT CiTiEs BaNaNe Me YoGdaN KaRe

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The time has come to light your residence, office/ commercial establishment with the rooftop solar. Adoption of Rooftop Solar PV is largely associated with the environmental, social and economic development of the country. It would provide millions of job opportunities and would also encourage entrepreneurship through the country.  Government of India has launched 100 smart cities and 500 Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). Development of smart cities and AMRUT would encourage renewable energy, especially rooftop solar PV.  Contribute towards Government efforts to develop smart cities and adopt rooftop solar PV.

Brief on Solar Rooftop PV

Solar rooftop PV is a matured technology and generates electricity during sunshine.  Rooftop PV is a distributed form of generation of electricity. The rooftop PV is composed of PV modules and the balance of system (BoS). The PV module is the interconnected array of PV cells. The items covered under balance of system are structure for installation, racks, invertors, transformer and misc electrical items.  Presently, the capital cost of rooftop PV is a major barrier in its adoption in India. Generation from RTPV has several advantages, mainly no additional land, transmission network and water is required.

Potential of Solar Rooftop PV in India

There is unlimited potential of rooftop solar PV in India, this potential has been increasing with the economic and population growth of the country. According to the 2011 census India are having 330 million houses, 166 million houses electrified, and 76 million uses kerosene for lighting, 1.08 million using solar for lighting, 140 million houses with proper roof (concrete or asbestos/ metal sheet) and 130 million houses having 2 or more than two rooms.  Average house can accommodate 1 to 3 Kwp of solar PV system and large commercial roof can accommodate larger capacities. If we consider 20% roof of more than 2 rooms, the potential comes to 25,000 MW (most conservative).

Characteristic of Rooftop PV

The PV works during sun shine of the day, 9AM to 5PM. Generation from PV varies from season to season, PV generates 25% higher in summer season than winter season and it generates 50% higher in summer season than monsoon season. The generation from PV is maximum in summer when the requirement of electricity is at peak, it generates less in winter when requirement is less. It generates very less in monsoon season when requirement is very much less. Solar power can effectively used for power consumption during sunshine hours.  There are 24 hours in a day, and availability of the sun shine is more than 8hours per day, therefore, 30 % energy requirement of the day (0 hours to 24 hours) is available during sunshine. The electricity generated may be used during sunshine or may be fed to the grid when not required.

Capital Cost of Solar Rooftop PV

The capital cost of a rooftop PV system is composed of PV module cost and balance of system (BoS) cost. The BoS cost includes items, such as cost of structural system (e.g. structural installation, racks, site preparation and other attachments), the electrical system costs (e.g. the inverter, transformer, wiring and other electrical installations cost). It was only few years ago, PV electricity was four to five times more expensive than the grid supply. Continuing decreasing cost of solar rooftop PV and increasing cost of fossil fuels, grid parity have almost occurred commercial sector in several states of India where high solar resource is available and prevailing high tariff of electricity. The grid parity is expected to be achieved in commercial sector within two to three years in the states where moderate solar resource is available and prevailing lower tariff of electricity.

Advantage of Solar Rooftop PV

Solar Rooftop PV can be accommodated on roof or open ground and in variable capacities from few watts to several MW. When the load is less the power is surplus, this surplus power can be fed to the grid and in case power requirement is much, the same can be drawn from grid. The main advantages of Rooftop Solar PV are as under.

•  Space for mounting structures already exists, no additional  land is required.

•  The distribution network already exists and no new connection  is required.

•  A wide range of size can be accommodated from KW for residential and MW for commercial and industrial purposes.

•   The cost of residential rooftop PV is within the limit of many  home owners.

•  The power generated is used at the same place, therefore, involvement of transmission and distribution is very much less, the excess electricity generated is fed in the system of utility and the electricity required can be drawn from the utility. Ultimately, selling the electricity when not required in day hours of sunshine to the utility and purchasing when required.

•   The arrangement can be made for backup/ storage when utility  supply fails.

•   The house owner becomes conscious about the generation and consumption of electricity.

•   It will develop large numbers of entrepreneurs.

•  A large number of jobs shall be created throughout the       country.

Net Metering

In the day hours the domestic load is less, therefore, electricity is fed to grid and when the load is more than the capacity of solar PV, the electricity is drawn from the grid. The grid supply act as a back up to the rooftop PV, we use the grid supply in night hours, cloudy days when no sunshine and requirement is more than the capacity of solar rooftop PV. For maintaining the account of electricity transaction, a bi – directional meter is installed which can record power flow in both directions. Thus, the meter gives two readings detailed as under.

•                  Electricity supplied by the utility.

•                  Electricity supplied to the utility

Schematic Arrangement for Interconnection of Rooftop and Small PV Solar Power Plant with Distribution Licensee's/Discom's grid.

Abbreviations:

NM: Net Meter, SM: Solar Meter, PCU: Power Conditioning

Thus, the bill is raised for the electricity supplied by the utility and credited for the electricity supplied to the utility at the rate decided by respective regulatory commission of the states.

Now, what to do

Let us come together to encourage the Government’s efforts in development of smart cities. We should make planning to support Government efforts. Let us set an example, first adopt rooftop solar PV to light our residences and commercial establishments (offices, hotels, restaurant, ware houses) and religious places aware others for installation of rooftop Solar PV.