News Analysis India

Tag: Solar energy

  • Rajasthan tops states generating solar energy, overtakes Karnataka: Centre

    Express News Service

    JAIPUR: Rajasthan has become the leader in the country in the solar energy sector. 

    In a recent report of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Rajasthan has overtaken Karnataka to be at the top in the country with an installed capacity of 7737.95 MW of solar power. With a 7469 MW capacity, Karnataka ranks second and with a 5708 MW capacity, Gujarat is at the third position. 

    In Rajasthan, the rays of the sun are available in sufficient quantity for 325 days out of 365 days, which is the best in the country for solar energy.  Here, 150 lakh units of electricity are being produced daily from the wind power plant, and 225 lakh units from the solar power plant. 

    Officials claim that the number one spot in solar energy could be possible due to the changes made by the Rajasthan government under the new solar energy policy of 2019. Apart from this, special provisions were made for this sector in the Rajasthan Investment Promotion Scheme-2019 (RIPS) which revolutionized the field of solar energy.  

    ALSO READ | SECI offers 9 GW solar power projects to Andhra Pradesh

    New solar power capacity of 2348.47 MG has been installed in Rajasthan only in the last 8 months and during this period, a record investment of 10,000 crores has been made, a record in the solar energy sector.  Rajasthan has recorded unprecedented progress in all areas of solar energy including ground mount, rooftop, and off-grid in the year 2021. A target of 30 GW of solar power generation has been set to be achieved by the year 2024-25. 

    Officials of the Renewable Energy Corporation claim that the way the work is being done in the state, now Rajasthan is likely to remain on top for many years. Solar parks are being developed continuously in the state to take more electricity from the sun and the target is to have a capacity of 30,000 MW by the year 2030 as mentioned in the new solar policy. 

    In a nutshell, the focus in Rajasthan will be on 200 GW solar energy capacity, 1.25 lakh hectares of land available and 70 thousand MW capacity plants can be set up. No wonder, many big companies have also reached the state which includes Adani Green Energy – 9700 MW (Solar & Hybrid), Renew Power-  10 thousand MW (solar), JSW – 10 thousand MW (solar and hybrid), and Greenko Energy – 4500 MW (pumped storage).

    The solar installed capacity of states (Figures in MW)

    Rajasthan – 7738 
    Karnataka- 7469 
    Gujarat- 5708 
    Andhra Pradesh – 4380 
    Maharashtra- 2444
    Tamil Nadu- 4675 
    Telangana – 3992 

  • Rajasthan leading state in country in solar energy production: CM Gehlot

    This is the result of the Solar Energy Policy 2019 and the Rajasthan Investment Promotion Policy 2019 implemented by the state government, Gehlot said.

  • All govt health care centers in Jharkhand to be equipped with solar panels

    Express News Service

    RANCHI: Learning lessons from the coronavirus pandemic, Jharkhand has decided to equip all government hospitals, including community health centers (CHCs) and primary healthcare centers (PHCs) with roof top solar plants in the next few months.

    According to officials at Jharkhand Renewable Energy Development Agency (JREDA), during the pandemic it was observed that keeping the freezer and other medical equipment working is important for preserving the medicines for a longer period of time. It was decided to install 2-4 KW small solar power plants in all CHCs and PHCs across Jharkhand.

    Along with the health care centers, police stations, residential girl’s schools and tribal hostels will also be equipped with solar power plants to ensure a regular supply of electricity with an intention to reduce power consumption by at least 40-45 per cent. As many as 1,400 buildings have been identified under Renewable Power Development Programme.

    According to JREDA Project Director Vijay Kumar Sinha, about 20 MW power is expected to be generated by installing roof top solar plants on these 1400 buildings. “As of now, our first priority is health centers like CHCs, PHCs, Sadar Hospitals, secondly, we will be focusing on police stations, then comes residential girls school and tribal hostels,” said the Project Director.

    It will not only install but also be committed towards its maintenance, he added. “We are also developing IOT System through which there will be a chip fitted with every solar plant which we would enable us to know sitting in Ranchi that whether it is functioning well or it has stopped working or has developed a snag which may be fixed in the next couple of hours,” said Sinha.

    Responsibility of maintenance is given to the bidder along with the tender for at least 5 years, he added. Sinha said that life of the solar panel is more than 25 years, while batteries last for at least 5 years. “ Out of the 1400 government buildings identified for the purpose, installation of solar power plants in 783 buildings have already been completed. The rest will be covered within the next couple of months,” he added.

    With this, electricity consumption from the traditional source of energy will be reduced to more than 40 percent. “Despite financial constraints, Rs 180 crore was allotted in the last two years for installing solar power plants in the state so that the consumption of traditional sources of energy could be minimized. This means the government is serious,” said JREDA Director KK Verma.

  • Bihar first state to have two green towns

    By Express News Service
    PATNA: If everything goes as per plan, Bihar is set to become the country’s first state to have two green energy efficient towns in Rajgir and Bodh Gaya. The towns will start getting solar energy through the first of its kind renewable energy project from 2023.

    After Rajgir and Bodh Gaya, Patna’s many important government offices including the governor house, the Patna High Court, the Bihar Museum and the Vidhyut Bhawan would also get round the clock green energy supply being developed with the help of the Solar Energy Corporation of India.

    To implement this poject, the state government has decided to use the land available in Lakhisarai and Bhagalpur district to construct solar energy plants.

    Confirming this, Bihar’s secretary of energy Sanjeev Hans said that the 500-megawatt solar energy plants will be set up at Lakhisarai and Bhagalpur.

    “The Solar Energy Corporation of India has agreed to provide green energy and develop the system. The project will get started by June 2023,” Hans said.

    He also said that the excess solar energy generated through the proposed plants will also be used to run the turbines for water supply and other power-driven works.

  • Madhya Pradesh to get solar energy panels installed at wind power plant sites

    By Express News Service
    BHOPAL: In a bid to make Madhya Pradesh energy self-reliant, the government will install solar energy panels at wind power plant sites to provide solar energy during daytime and wind power in the nights.

    Energy Minister Hardeep Singh Dang reviewed the draft of the state’s renewable energy policy on Tuesday.

    At the meeting, Dang informed that this year maximum solar parks have been approved for Madhya Pradesh in the country. Of the 18,000 MW solar parks approved in the country this year, about 5,000 MW solar parks have been approved for Madhya Pradesh alone.

    These include 1500 MW Agar-Shajapur-Neemuch Solar Park, 600 MW Omkareshwar Floating Solar Park, 950 MW Chhatarpur Solar Park and 1400 MW Morena Solar Park. All these parks will be completed in 2022-23.

    Land has been identified for Rewa-2, Chhatarpur, Morena, Sagar and Ratlam Solar Parks. Work is going on at various levels in all the projects under construction.