The notion that ‘green’ energy would not be viable has not aged well. Increasingly, the consideration that it is too expensive to adopt, even for resource-constrained countries, is changing. As the costs of renewable technologies have come down, renewable markets are slowly evolving to become viable alternatives to the conventional energy. Governments across the world are reconsidering the economics of renewable energy (RE) and increasingly accommodating renewables into the complex equations of public policy, which require balancing developmental agendas, environmental considerations, resource constraints, and political economies.
Over the last few years, India has taken up increasingly ambitious targets for RE capacity and had a total RE capacity of 84 GW in 2019–20, with renewables alone contributing 23% of the total installed electricity capacity in the country in March 2020 (CEA), even excluding large hydropower projects, which are traditionally not counted in renewable capacity estimations.
However, despite the increasing excitement surrounding a sustainable energy transition, it is important to remember that renewable energy technologies are still relatively young, and the thus the nature of the technologies available, their challenges, and the policy frameworks put in place have been continuously evolving. In this article, we follow the story of renewable energy in countries that have been early movers in the market and then consider the Indian context to discuss potential and problems.
Economics of Renewable Energy
The RE markets in other countries have developed differently over the decades. In its nascent stages, policy around RE needed a high support and subsidy base, though that has changed significantly with increasing competitiveness.
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Denne historien er fra July - September 2020-utgaven av Energy Future.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Air Pollution In India: Major Issues And Challenges
As per a study published in The Lancet Planetary Health Journal, in 2019, air pollution ‘caused more than 16.7 lakh deaths in India — over ten times more than the country’s COVID-19 death toll so far’. In this thought-provoking article, Dr Bhola Ram Gurjar foregrounds the challenges India is currently facing to bring the level of air quality to a certain standard and discusses solutions that could be adopted to combat the national crisis.
RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
Molten Salt Tower echnology for India
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In a report titled, ‘The India Energy Outlook 2021’, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said, the rapid expansion of solar power combined with favourable policies is transforming India’s electricity sector, allowing the country to offer clean, affordable, and reliable power to a growing number of households and businesses.
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The perils of crop-residue burning contribute to major environmental degradation. In this article, TCA Avni and Sunil Dhingra discuss how the practice of stubble burning is responsible for poor air quality and loss of agricultural biodiversity. They highlight the importance of managing paddy residue and offer sustainable solutions, incentives, and alternatives to crop burning.
GOVERNMENT EXTENDS TENURE OF CENTRAL ELECTRICITY REGULATORY COMMISSION CHIEF, MEMBERS TILL NEXT YEAR
The government has issued order for extension of the tenure of former Gujarat cadre bureaucrat Pradeep Kumar Pujari as chairperson of the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) till mid-next year.
CHINA SET TO ADD 140 GW RENEWABLE ENERGY CAPACITY IN 2021
China is expected to add 140 GW of renewable energy power generation this year as its electricity consumption continues to grow, according to forecasts from the China Electricity Council (CEC).