How critical is rooftop solar to India’s energy sector

Rooftop solar (RTS) has the potential to revolutionize India’s energy landscape as it offers a sustainable and affordable solution in a decentralized way to fulfill the growing electricity needs of the nation and also makes users self-reliant. It also helps to mitigate climate change as it produces carbon free electricity.

Rooftop solar power system is a photovoltaic (PV) system in which the solar panels used to generate energy are fixed on the roof of a building, either residential or commercial or institutional. Solar rooftop systems can be of two types, most rooftop solar systems are Grid-connected photovoltaic power systems and the second one is rooftop solar system with battery storage.

Solar panels are made of smaller solar cells or photovoltaic cells which are often made of Silicon. These panels are generally protected by tempered glass and an aluminum frame is used to hold them in place.

Grid-connected Rooftop Solar 

If a rooftop solar system that is linked to the grid generates more solar energy than the installer uses, the excess is exported to the grid. When solar energy isn't available due to cloudy days, power is taken from the grid. 

A bi-directional or net meter that is installed on a customer's premises, tracks energy flow in both directions. A user has to pay for extra electricity units used by him which is a difference between imported and exported electricity units. This is net-metering.

A grid-connected solar power system lowers the electricity bills for users by reducing the electricity consumption provided by State power corporations or corporate.

What is Rooftop Solar Programme

The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, the first major initiative to promote the growth of solar energy, was launched by the Indian government in January 2010. The primary objective was to generate 20 GW of solar energy (including rooftop solar) during the course of three years, from 2010 to 2013.

In 2015, the government revised this target to 100 GW to be attained by 2022, with a 40 GW produced from the rooftop solar system. India attained an installed RTS capacity of around 7.5 GW in December 2022. 

In 2023-2024, the installed RTS capacity of the country increased by 2.99 GW, the highest growth reported in a year. According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, India had 11.87 GW of installed RTS capacity (about one fourth of target 40 GW) as of March 31 of the current year. The 40 GW target's deadline was moved up to 2026.

India has to intensify its efforts to increase its RTS potential in order to fulfill the growing demand for energy.

The government will subsidize the installation of rooftop solar projects up to 3 KW capacity to the 60% of the total costs via tie-ups with renewable energy service companies. The installations will be carried out in one crore households.

The subsidy is effective only for Solar Panels made by Indian industries which will help in enhancing the domestic manufacturing capacity.

India has a total RTS potential of over 796 GW. There are still some States that have not reached their maximum RTS potential. RTS alone has to generate about 100 GW by 2030 in order to fulfill India's ambitious targets of installing 500 GW of renewable energy capacity (including a solar component of 280 GW) by 2030 and a net-zero emission target by 2070.

States Share

Some states have lagged behind, although Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan have made significant progress based on the RTS capacity computed as of March 31, 2024.

Rajasthan having the largest area with a high solar irradiation has the highest RTS potential in the nation. However, some states are yet to fully realize their RTS potential including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand. 

Rooftop Solar is a part of ‘Muft Bijli Yojana’

A flagship scheme named "Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana" with a huge financial outlay of 75, 021 crore aims to provide up to 300 units of free power per month to one crore homes by equipping them with RTS systems. 2 kW, the average system size of the targeted house, will contribute 20 GW to the total RTS capacity.

The scheme provides incentives for local bodies and model solar villages in each district, distribution companies, innovative projects, capacity building, awareness and outreach, and payment security mechanisms.

How to Enhance the Growth of Rooftop Solar

There are certain ways that need to be adopted to ensure the growth of the Rooftop Solar (RTS) system.

Creating Awareness 

Getting customers on board requires raising awareness. Door-to-door RTS promotion activities and grassroots-level awareness initiatives led by local organizations and distribution corporations are required to cover the country.

Making RTS System Economically Viable

RTS must be affordable for average households. For that several low-cost financing solutions are still needed. For example, the government subsidies help to reduce the overall cost of households.

Recently, there have been more banks and non-bank financial companies offering RTS loans. It should be as simple to obtain affordable RTS loans as it is to obtain a car or bike loan. When there are several credit choices available, more customers will be inclined to switch to solar 

power.

Promoting R&D

Supporting R&D in energy storage, smart grid infrastructure, and solar technologies may reduce costs, boost efficiency, and increase the reliability of RTS systems. 

For example, utilizing drone and/or satellite photography to analyze shadow-free regions on rooftops, building layouts, height, and density, as well as trends in energy use, is one way that technological solutions might expedite the adoption of RTS. These technologies may assist in identifying eligible roofs to meet the 1-crore objective, as well as providing stakeholders with precise feasibility assessments and ideal RTS system designs.

Skill Development

A trained workforce may be developed with the support of training programs, vocational education, and skill development initiatives. 

As of December 2022, over 51,000 technicians had received training under the "Suryamitra" (solar PV technician) program launched in 2015. Accelerating these programs is necessary to support the RTS infrastructure.

RTS Policies should be reviewed

As the "Muft Bijli Yojana" gets underway, it is important to evaluate and amend RTS policies, including net-metering guidelines, grid-integration requirements, and building codes. This will aid in resolving new issues and enable the program's seamless execution. 

Customers who lack sufficient roof space for RTS installations, the options such as virtual net-metering and group net-metering need to be fast-tracked for them. (should prioritize the virtual net-metering and group net-metering alternatives).

By realizing the full potential of Solar Rooftop India can quickly accelerate its shift to a clean energy future with the right push.