India plans to provide solar energy to 400 million people

China is not the only country to bet heavily on solar power. India’s new prime minister, Narendra Modi, is set to use solar power to power the 400 million people in India who currently lack access to electricity.

“Solar energy has the potential to completely change outdated ideas about how to extract energy,” said Narendra Taneja, chief energy officer of the Indian People’s Party, which is headed by Prime Minister Modi. However, this is not populism, because Modi, as head of the state of Gujarat in 2009, initiated the creation of the first incentives aimed at stimulating the large-scale solar sector.



The goal is that by 2019, using solar energy, every home will have at least two lights on, a TV set running and a solar cooker running. This may sound like sheer nonsense to many of us living in relatively affluent countries, but it could make a major difference to the lives of people who currently lack access to electricity. In addition, we are talking about improving health, because the burning of natural fuels and coal for cooking and lighting, significantly worsens the environmental situation indoors.

It is no secret that India has huge potential for solar energy projects. If China can build 50,000 megawatts of solar capacity within a few years, then India could build even more if only the country really puts a focus on solar power.

This map shows how rich India is in solar resources.

Undoubtedly, the country’s abundant solar reserves should help India break away from its extreme dependence on coal.

Source: aenergy.ru