The domino effect -> scaling solar energy usage
Since its formation, the Sun has continually influenced everything in the solar system by its enormous gravitational force and radiation of energy. From the creation of the different planets and their specific constituents, Sun’s gravitation and energy have defined the physical and chemical structures of the planets and properties of their constituents. We can attribute everything — both known and unknown to us — in the solar system to the Sun’s gravitation and energy.
Back to the future.
It was not until the 18th century, our dependence on energy from various crude sources became somewhat limited. This dependency, however, increased with coal being the forerunner and the discovery of electricity which fuelled the industrial revolution. We started realising the increasing cost of energy generation, transmission and it did not take us long to realise that we have the most powerful, near infinite source of energy available for free. But then, the big question was,
“How do we tap this?”
A first conclusive answer to this question was found in 1839 by Alexandre Edmond Becquerel, who discovered the photovoltaic application, i.e., he found that when specific materials were exposed to Sun, they generated small amounts of current. In 1876, William Grylls Adam and his student Richard Day exposed selenium to solar light and discovered that it produced electricity. Although this find was primitive and inefficient, it proved to the scientific community that energy from the Sun could be transformed into electricity without a system of moving parts, or conductive solution bath; which can then be used.
Subsequent work by others gave us more efficient and practical systems. For instance, in 1941, Russell Ohl invented the first working solar cell prototype. In 1953, Gerald Pearson, Daryl Chapin and Calvin Fuller, found more efficient silicon cells which could be used to produce usable electricity that could power small electrical devices. Thus began the evolution of solar cells to the current systems of our times.
History of solar energy usage in India.
Solar energy in India has always been tied to the five-year plan (FYP) since its independence. It was not until the third FYP in 1961 when the first official discussion was held to design, develop and implement solar energy as a source of electricity generation along with the traditional sources such as coal and hydro. Sadly, there was no official discussion on subsequent research, development, and application in the next two FYP setting us back in the scale of countries which were actively designing, developing and implementing systems to tap solar energy.
Since the sixth FYP in 1980, India has shown continuous and increasing interest in the systems to tap solar energy. For instance, during the sixth FYP, to tackle the growing energy demand from off the grid in rural and remote areas, new systems were developed and implemented. During the eighth FYP in 1992, the then Indian government took a bold decision of electrifying 10,000 villages through electricity primarily generated from solar energy. In 1997, with the ninth FYP, the Government of India started involving private companies to partner for the design, development, and implementation of the new efficient systems to harness solar energy.
Since 2002, the Government of India has created many agencies and bodies both within the government and in partnership with the private companies to increase the design, development, implementation, and transition to the systems that can harness solar energy. For instance, the government decided to construct a 140 MW solar power plant in Rajasthan, and it subsidised most of the costs incurred with the research, design, development, and implementation. It also started community participation as the involvement of only private companies still left space for the various communities.
The eleventh (2007–2012) and the recent twelfth (2012–2017) FYPs have been the most supportive for the adoption of solar energy. For instance, during the eleventh, solar power was declared as one of the essential sources which will give us independence from the conventional sources of energies and also help India to lower the greenhouse-gas emissions. The most recent FYP focused on setting up research centres dedicated to improving the domestic technology concerning solar power and plans to increase the power generation from solar energy by as much as 1000 MW per annum.
Now, India is more committed to using clean solar energy than ever. For instance, with the Electricity Act of 2003, the government made it mandatory to harness a minimum percentage of solar energy when compared to other conventional sources of energy, and it reinforced the Act with higher percentages and commissions for achieving these percentages with the National Electricity Policy in 2005. The state of Karnataka in 2010 became the first state to endorse the Semiconductor Policy to increase the participation jointly from governmental agencies, the private sector, and even the local communities.
All these actions from the central and state governments have contributed to the increased efficiency of the solar power systems and have fastened the implementation and transition to using cleaner energy sources. With the advancing discoveries and inventions in science and technology focusing on renewable energy sources particularly concerning solar energy, the future only looks brighter and more sustainable for the survival of not just humans but all the species on this Earth.
Written by Anoop Bhargav, Business Development Team Lead, Vee Technologies
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