Solar adoption in India entering “accelerating growth” phase

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 20:53:06 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
https://ember-climate.org/insights/research/india-solar-uptake/

"India’s energy landscape is rapidly evolving, with solar and wind likely to
meet two-thirds of future demand growth by the Financial Year (FY) 2032, which
is the 12-month period from April 1 to March 31 the following year. This marks
a significant shift as solar and wind are likely to drive India’s electricity
generation growth from FY 2022-2032, in contrast to the previously
coal-dominated decade.

As RE, especially solar, enters an “accelerating growth” phase, grid
integration issues would have to be addressed to prevent a slowdown in solar
capacity addition. Balancing generation and demand cost-effectively with
existing thermal and hydro generation capacity and storage options will be
critical to prevent power shortages.

Notably, growth in electricity demand during the day has outpaced the growth in
demand during non-solar hours, with peak demand now occurring during midday
when solar generation is abundant. As a result, a larger portion of the
increase in demand has aligned with the generation from solar sources. However,
recent power shortages emphasise the growing need for peak power during
non-solar hours, historically supplied by coal-based generation. As coal’s
contribution to overall generation is projected to decrease, as per the NEP14,
a significant storage capacity, much higher than current levels, will be
required to balance generation and demand without a significant buildout of
coal capacity.

The expected cost reductions in batteries suggest that Variable Renewable
Energy (VRE) with storage is expected to be cost-competitive with coal-based
generation, especially for smaller storage needs. This therefore promises to be
a cost-effective solution for balancing generation and supply during non-solar
hours."

Via What Could Go Right? November 9, 2023:
https://theprogressnetwork.org/work-life-balance-gen-z/

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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