High pollution levels could play spoilsport in India’s solar power generation plans, say experts.
For instance, in the National Capital Region (NCR) centered on Delhi, high pollution levels have hit the efficiency of solar rooftop projects to the extent of 10 percent, the experts commented.
Delhi is among the most polluted cities in the world. The World Health Organization ranked Delhi as the most polluted city in the world in 2014. In 2016, it ranked 11.
The loss on account of pollution assumes significance as the average efficiency of a solar panel is usually only around 16-22 percent of total capacity.
Experts said solar power generation is impacted by the dimming effect, a phenomenon wherein the amount of solar radiation reaching the earth’s surface decreases due to the presence of pollutants in the air that absorb solar radiation and reflect it back into space.
The annual mean of particulate matter (PM) under 2.5 micrograms found in every cubic metre of air or PM 2.5 in the data released in 2014 for Delhi was 153 ug/m3. It declined to 122 ug/m3 in 2016.
Sanjeev Aggarwal, managing director and chief executive of Amplus Energy Solutions Pvt. Ltd,which sets up solar rooftop projects, opines that in the urban and industrial areas, he clearly sees more particulate matter that impacts the generation capacity of solar panels due to soiling.
This is in the backdrop of solar power projects being bid out at record low tariffs.
By Baishakhi Dutta
