Solar capacity reaches 20 GW on govt push

• India has achieved 20 GW (giga watt) cumulative solar capacity, achieving the milestone four years ahead of the target for 2022 originally set in the National Solar Mission.
• The utility-scale cumulative installations now stand at approximately 18.4 GW, with rooftop solar accounting for another 1.6 GW.
• For the first time, solar was the top source of new power capacity additions in India during calendar year 2017. Solar installations reached 9.6 GW and accounted for 45% of total capacity additions.
• The top state for solar installations was Telangana, followed by Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

About the National Solar Mission:

• National solar mission will increase capacity from the current 22 gigawatt (GW) to 100 GW by 2022.
• The 100 GW solar power capacity has been divided into rooftop solar electricity generation (40 GW) and large and medium-scale grid-connected solar projects (60 GW).
• First phase of JNNSM, Rs 90,000 crore would be created using the bundling mechanism with thermal power. In common parlance, bundling refers to selling electricity in bundles, for instance, the sale of one unit of solar power bundled with four units of thermal power.
• The energy ministry defines bundling mechanism as the “bundle of relatively expensive solar power with power from the unallocated quota of the Government of India (Ministry of Power) generated at NTPC coal-based stations, which is relatively cheaper, and sell it to the distribution utility at the weighted average price”.
• Large public-sector companies, independent power producers and state governments will have to contribute to achieve the ambitious target of 100 MW capacity addition.
• The Centre also plans to leverage bilateral and international donors, including Green Climate Fund under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), as 100 GW of solar power would replace coal-based power plants and reduce Co2 emissions.

By: Vishal