India loses 29% of solar power potential due to air pollution
POWER & RENEWABLE ENERGY

India loses 29% of solar power potential due to air pollution

According to a study conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, between 2001 and 2018, India has lost 29% of its global horizontal irradiance potential or the radiation that generates solar power, due to air pollution.

This shortfall in harnessing potential solar energy equates to a loss of $245-$835 million per year.

According to the report, air pollution is not only harming people's health but also preventing India from meeting its solar energy goals.

To assess pollution, IIT looked at the soiling effect, or the presence of solid dust, as well as atmospheric attenuation, or the scattering of light due to gaseous pollutants in the air. According to the study, if India had met its clean air targets, it could have generated more clean energy and relied less on fossil fuels for power.

According to the study, urban haze caused an 11.5% reduction in solar radiation falling on a surface in Delhi in 2016-17, resulting in a $20 million loss.

Successful implementation of the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) and complete mitigation of household emissions through the supply of cleaner fuel for domestic use and rural electrification would allow India to produce a surplus electricity of 6-16 terawatt hours per year from existing solar power installed capacity in 2018.

This translates to an economic benefit of $325-$845 million per year, as per the study entitled ‘Cleaner air would enhance India's annual solar energy production by 6-28 terawatt hours’, written by Dr Sagnik Dey, Dilip Ganguly, Somnath Baidya Roy, and others from the Centre for Atmospheric Science, IIT-Delhi.

The study calls for the successful implementation of three government programmes: the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Grameen Jyoti Yojana (DDUGIY) for reducing household emissions, and the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) for combating ambient air pollution.

According to the study, PMUY and DDUGJY can generate a surplus of 3-8 terawatt hours per year, worth $163-$425, while meeting the NCAP target can generate another 3-8 terawatt hours per year, worth $163-$425.

According to the study, the combined benefits of these three policies were worth $325-$845 million, which is nearly the same as the $1,100 million budget allocation for PMUY and $42.6 million for the first two years of NCAP.

Image Source

Also read: Kerala and Maharashtra to allot funds to promote renewable energy

According to a study conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, between 2001 and 2018, India has lost 29% of its global horizontal irradiance potential or the radiation that generates solar power, due to air pollution. This shortfall in harnessing potential solar energy equates to a loss of $245-$835 million per year. According to the report, air pollution is not only harming people's health but also preventing India from meeting its solar energy goals. To assess pollution, IIT looked at the soiling effect, or the presence of solid dust, as well as atmospheric attenuation, or the scattering of light due to gaseous pollutants in the air. According to the study, if India had met its clean air targets, it could have generated more clean energy and relied less on fossil fuels for power. According to the study, urban haze caused an 11.5% reduction in solar radiation falling on a surface in Delhi in 2016-17, resulting in a $20 million loss. Successful implementation of the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) and complete mitigation of household emissions through the supply of cleaner fuel for domestic use and rural electrification would allow India to produce a surplus electricity of 6-16 terawatt hours per year from existing solar power installed capacity in 2018. This translates to an economic benefit of $325-$845 million per year, as per the study entitled ‘Cleaner air would enhance India's annual solar energy production by 6-28 terawatt hours’, written by Dr Sagnik Dey, Dilip Ganguly, Somnath Baidya Roy, and others from the Centre for Atmospheric Science, IIT-Delhi. The study calls for the successful implementation of three government programmes: the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Grameen Jyoti Yojana (DDUGIY) for reducing household emissions, and the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) for combating ambient air pollution. According to the study, PMUY and DDUGJY can generate a surplus of 3-8 terawatt hours per year, worth $163-$425, while meeting the NCAP target can generate another 3-8 terawatt hours per year, worth $163-$425. According to the study, the combined benefits of these three policies were worth $325-$845 million, which is nearly the same as the $1,100 million budget allocation for PMUY and $42.6 million for the first two years of NCAP. Image Source Also read: Kerala and Maharashtra to allot funds to promote renewable energy

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

India, EU Unite for Research on Marine Plastic & Waste-to-Hydrogen

India and the European Union (EU) have launched two major research and innovation initiatives under the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC). The TTC was established in 2022, by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen to strengthen the bilateral partnership on trade and technology. With a joint investment of Rs 3.91 billion, the initiatives focus on two coordinated calls in the areas of Marine Plastic Litter (MPL) and Waste to Green Hydrogen (W2GH), co-funded by Horizon Europe—the EU’s research and innovation framework programme—..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

Dr Ajay Kumar Takes Over as UPSC Chairman

Dr Ajay Kumar, Former Secretary, Ministry of Defence took the Oath of Office and Secrecy as Chairman, Union Public Service Commission today. The Oath was administered by Lt Gen Raj Shukla (Retd.), the senior most Member of the Commission.Having pursued a B Tech. in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, Dr Ajay Kumar has done his MS in Applied Economics from the University of Minnesota, USA and PhD in Business Administration from Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, USA. He was also conferred an Hon. Doctor of Philosophy by Amity University in..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

MSME Ministry Invites Applications for National Award 2024

The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has acknowledged the significant contributions made by MSME entrepreneurs and aims to motivate and encourage them by presenting National Awards for outstanding performance. Currently, there are 35 National Awards offered to MSMEs across various categories. Special provisions have been made to recognize MSMEs led by women entrepreneurs, those belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), and entrepreneurs from the North Eastern Region.Under this scheme, selected MSMEs are honored with a trophy and certificate, along with..

Advertisement

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?