Skilled manpower, land pocket needed for solar mission

The two-day 7th International Solar Assembly, an India-driven global alliance on harnessing solar energy with 120 countries as members, began in Delhi on Monday.

- Ajay Mathur, Director General of International Solar Alliance (ISA), talks to Jitendra Choubey

Ajay Mathur, Director General of International Solar Alliance (ISA), talks to Jitendra Choubey and underlines global financial challenges to expand solar projects in developing countries. The ISA has set a climate goal to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Excerpts:

Where do India and the rest of the world stand in terms of solar waste management capacity?

One of the problems with solar is its long gestation period and the lack of international standards for making solar panels from recycled solar waste. The current modern solar technology is different from the older one. Secondly, we need to develop a decentralized, cost-effective recycling facility. So, ISA is in talks with various organizations such as the International Electrotechnical Commission and the International Standardization Organization to create the standards and move towards a future in which the solar panels can be completely recycled. India has issued electronic waste rules that address the problem in the first instance.

India has a regional inequality in the development of Renewable Energy—south and west India is far ahead of North and East.