It is also being predicted that efficiencies as high as 30 to 35 per cent will be achieved by 2020.
Several states in India are increasing realising the potential of solar energy and actively tapping it too. A retired senior official of Kerala State Electricity Board, K Sivadasan has reportedly said that Kerala is capable of producing 10,000 MW of solar rooftop capacity at the present efficiency level of 16.5 per cent. However, this can be increased to 20,000 MW by improving the efficiency of the module.
It is also being predicted that efficiencies as high as 30 to 35 per cent will be achieved by 2020, Sivadasan said.
With solar efficiency, Sivadasan basically means the amount of ambient light that can be converted into usable electricity, which can be evaluated in two ways.
One of the mechanisms to promote investments in solar sector is by Feed-in-tariff (FIT), which is an administrative mechanism and gives priority to renewable energy sources for guaranteed access to the grid. It ensures that the electricity generated from renewable energy source can be sold to the utility grid, thereby ensuring guaranteed long-term payments for energy transferred at a predetermined rate.
Sivadasan told Hindu Business Line that FIT and rooftop grid connected solar installation has helped promote the growth of solar capacity globally. Since these components are produced in large quantities, the cost of unit price has also come down, bringing the overall cost of solar power down.
The HBL report also stated, “Agency for Non-Conventional Energy and Rural Technology, an autonomous body and nodal agency, is spearheading a rudimentary 10,000-solar rooftop power plants programme in the State. Present annual energy demand of the State is 17,000 million units; available resource is just 7,000, making an annual deficit of 10,000. Demand increases at 600 million units annually. Solar energy in the State has reached grid parity with conventional energy, which is when electricity from solar source proves less costly than electricity from the existing grid.” “But we can reach grid parity with our ‘delivered energy charge at consumer point,” Sivadasan added.
