The National Solar Mission, sometimes known as the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), is a project of the Central and State Governments of India to develop solar power in that country. It is one of the eight climate missions of the Indian government under the NAPCC (National Action Plan on Climate Change) mitigation strategy. The National Solar Mission, which was first introduced in January 2010 and has since undergone two revisions, now claims a target of 100 GW of solar PV by 2022. By establishing the policy framework for its widespread deployment, JNNSM aims to position India as a solar energy leader on a worldwide scale. This article will explain to you about National Solar Mission which will be helpful in preparing the Environment Syllabus for the UPSC Civil Service exam.

Why focus on Solar Energy?

• India is a tropical country and most of it receives solar radiation for more than 300 days. If it is used to generate electricity, it can produce 5000 trillion kWh.
• Since it is a developing country, the demand for energy is huge, and to meet the demand some source is necessary.
• All climatic changes and pollution have thus compelled us to move from fossil-based energy to green energy.
• The nature of pollution-free generation, renewable capacity, and worldwide usage make solar energy ideal for the replacement of fossil fuels.

National Solar Mission - Objectives

• To position India as a leader in solar energy by establishing the political framework for a rapid spread of technology throughout the nation.
• Phases: The Mission will use a three-phase strategy, with Phase 1 covering the final year of the 11th Plan and the first year of the 12th Plan (up to 2012–2013), Phase 2 covering the final four years of the 12th Plan (2013–17), and Phase 3 covering the 13th Plan (2017–22).
• Each plan will have an evaluation of progress, review of capacity, and targets for succeeding phases based on developing cost and technology trends, both domestic and worldwide, at the end of each plan and mid-term during the 12th and 13th Plans.
• The objective would be to protect the government from exposure to subsidy costs in the event that expected cost reductions do not occur or proceed more quickly than anticipated.
• Up to 2013, the first phase will concentrate on catching the low-hanging fruit in solar thermal, promoting off-grid systems to serve people without access to commercial energy, and modestly expanding grid-based system capacity.
• In the second phase, capacity will be aggressively ramped up to create conditions for increased and competitive solar energy penetration in the nation after taking into consideration the experience of the first few years.

National Solar Mission- Salient Features

The 100GW solar power capacity has been divided into the following 4 parts:

• The rooftop solar energy generation of 40 GW.
• Large and medium scale grid-connected solar projects of 60 GW.
• To achieve 15 million square meters of solar thermal collector area by 2017 and 20 million by 2022.
• To deploy 20 million solar lighting systems for rural areas by 2022.

National Solar Mission- Implementation

Phase 1

• The target set was up to 1,000 MW of grid-connected solar plants, 100 MW of rooftop and small solar plants, and 200 MW off-grid solar applications.
• Till March 2013 Rs.4337 crore has been approved for phase 1 activities.
• As per norms and guidelines, the implementation of the first target will be done through NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd (NVVN), the trading subsidiary of NTPC limited will directly purchase solar power from project developers.
• NVVN will sell purchased power to different state utilities through different agreements.
• For successful implementation of the mission, it will support various activities for example human resource development, technical assistance, training, publicity, and awareness.

Phase 2

• In phase 2, 4 GW target would be developed under the central scheme and 6 GW under the various state-specific schemes.in short National Solar Mission envisages the installation of around 10 GW of utility-scale solar power projects.
• There are various areas covered under phase 2 such as,
  • Scaling up grid-connected projects
  • Rooftop PV program
  • Solar cities (target of 60 cities)
  • Energy Access through remote villages.
  • Telecom towers, solar water pumps, and heating systems, solar cookers.
  • Human resource development – 1 lakh trained & specialized personnel
  • Solar parks ( 250 MW capacity and land area of 600 hectares)
  • Hybrid systems.

National Solar Mission- Funding

• $94 Billion came to be the total cost for the generation of 100GW solar power.
• Some bilateral and international donors are also involved by the government such as the Green climate fund which falls under the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change).
• Also, large public sectors are counted for investments.
• Funds would be generated through independent power producers and through bundling mechanisms with thermal power also.
• Rs 15,050 crore is provided by the Indian government as capital to promote this project.
• It is planned to reduce the cost of this project through long-term policy, large-scale deployment goals, and Domestic production of critical raw materials, components, and products to achieve grid tariff by 2022.

National Solar Mission- Benefits

• Renewable source: Among all other benefits of solar energy this is the most imp one that is solar energy is truly a renewable source of energy, that is it will never end as far as the sun is there. Therefore solar energy is available for at least 5 billion years according to scientists.
• Less pollution: relative to other energy sources like fossil fuels, wood, etc solar power generates no pollution to the environment. So, it comes under green energy.
• Low maintenance costs: most reliable solar panel manufacturers offer 20-25 years warranty and so the cost of maintenance is less. It just needs proper cleaning a couple of times a year.
• Reduction in energy bills: generating your own electricity means using less from the utility supplier. So this will translate to savings on your energy bill and will increase your energy self-reliance.
• Improvement in grid security: the grid is less vulnerable to blackouts if there are many power plants. A grid with high penetration of solar energy has thousands of energy production centers that are widely spread out. This will improve the security of the grid in case of overload, natural, and human-caused disasters.
• Less dependency on LPG: As it focuses on solar energy, it automatically reduces the dependency on Liquified Petroleum Gas.
• Employment Generation: National Solar Mission is likely to generate more employment opportunities for the citizens.

National Solar Mission- Achievements

• Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), a significant procurement agency, was established to lessen the risks for solar power providers.
• The development of integrated solar parks to provide infrastructure for solar power plants will enable the creation of larger projects to reduce capital investments in solar power-producing projects.
• A dedicated transmission grid was created for regions with an excess of sunlight or wind to generate solar and wind energy, and this was done as part of the renewable energy corridor project.
• In India, monitoring stations for solar radiation have been installed.

National Solar Mission- Significance

• Major Procurement Agency: SECI Solar Energy Corporation of India has been formed as a major procurement agency to reduce the risk of solar power producers.
• Better Solar Power Plant Infrastructure: Solar parks have been developed to provide a better infrastructure for solar power plants.
• Reduction in Capital Investments: Establishment of larger projects to bring down capital investments of the projects.
• Renewable Energy Corridor: A renewable energy corridor was launched to develop a transmission grid for the areas with an abundance of sunlight or wind to create solar wind energy.
• Solar Radiation Monitoring Stations: Solar radiation monitoring stations were set up across India.

National Solar Mission- Challenges

• The poor quality of solar photovoltaic modules in India has been a persistent problem throughout the years.
• This might have been improved by stepping up technological R&D to create completely automated manufacturing facilities for solar PV modules made of polysilicon.
• However, no such specific allocation has been established for R&D.
• The regulatory reason for the delay in allowing the pass-through of the 5% Goods and Services Tax (GST) is also affecting developers.
• Companies worry that such regulatory delays may prevent them from recovering additional expenses related to the safeguard duty on solar cells.

Related Government Initiatives

Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (Kusum Scheme)

• The Central Government has announced the Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (KUSUM) scheme, which aims to increase solar electricity output in India while also providing farmers with the benefits of solar farming.
• The Kusum Scheme is carried out by The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is in charge of this project.
• Initially, 1.75 million off-grid agricultural solar pumps will be distributed by the government.
• 10, 000 megawatts of Solar panels will be installed on barren ground.
• The state electricity distribution firms, or DISCOMS, will purchase the extra solar energy generated by farmers on barren fields. DISCOMS will be given incentives to purchase this electricity.
• The government's tube wells and existing pumps will be adapted to run on solar power.

International Solar Alliance

• The international solar alliance has been granted observer status by the United Nations General Assembly, six years after it was jointly founded by France and India.
• It's a historic move that will pave the way for clear cooperation between the ISA and the UN, as well as promote global energy development.
• The ISA was developed in 2015 as a joint effort by India and France during the United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties' 21st session.
• The alliance was founded with the goal of promoting solar energy in member nations and mobilizing over $1 trillion in funding for solar energy installations at a low cost.
• The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is a group of countries with abundant solar resources that are located entirely or partially between the Tropics of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.

*To know more about the topic, click this link International Solar Alliance

One Sun, One World, One Grid (OSOWOG)

• The One Sun One World One System (OSOWOG) is a global electricity grid that distributes power around the world.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi first proposed the initiative at the International Solar Alliance's (ISA) inaugural assembly in 2018.
• According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Electricity's (MNRE) proposal, the OSOWOG will have a large size, intending to offer energy to around 140 countries via a single system that will transport solar power.
• The OSOWOG's philosophy is that 'The Sun Never Sets,' and that it is always present in some geographical spot, globally, at any given time.
• The program will aid in the realization of energy development's "three transitions."
  • The shift from fossil fuel to clean energy dominance in energy production.
  • The shift in energy allocation from local equilibrium to cross-border and worldwide distribution, as well as
  • The shift in energy consumption from coal, oil, and gas to electric-centric usage.

Rooftop Solar Scheme

• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy launched a rooftop solar program.
• The Grid-Connected Rooftop Solar Scheme (Phase II) is now being implemented: Rooftop Solar Projects are expected to generate a total capacity of 40,000 MW by 2022.
• Distribution companies (DISCOMs) in the state are implementing this scheme.
• The Ministry will provide a 40% subsidy for the first 3 kW of solar panel capacity and a 20% subsidy for the next 3 kW and up to 10 kW of solar panel capacity under this program.
• The cost of a rooftop solar plant must be paid by the residential customer by reducing the subsidy amount supplied by the Ministry to the vendor at the stipulated rate.

National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy 2018

• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) adopted the National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy on May 14, 2018.
• It's a campaign to promote a huge grid-connected wind-solar PV hybrid system that makes efficient use of transmission lines and land.
• The National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy also intends to reduce renewable power generation unpredictability and improve grid stability.
• The following are the major objectives of the National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy:
  • Provide a comprehensive framework for promoting big grid-connected wind-solar photovoltaic (PV) hybrid systems that make efficient use of transmission infrastructure and land.
  • Reduce renewable energy generation fluctuation and improve grid stability.
  • Encourage the development of novel technologies, methods, and workarounds that combine the functioning of wind and solar PV systems.

Conclusion

India's solar energy sector has grown to become a prominent player in grid-connected power generation capacity throughout the years due to the continuous efforts of the government through such schemes. Millions of people in Indian communities have profited from the National Solar Energy Mission that meets their energy demands in an environmentally benign manner. The benefits also include an improvement in the standard of living and the creation of economic opportunities at the village level apart from making India a global solar energy leader.