Conference on 'Accelerated Deployment of Rooftop Solar PV Systems in India'
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in association with Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Chandigarh Renewal Energy Science and Technology Promotion Society, and Solar Energy Corporation of India have organized the conference on "Accelerated Deployment of Rooftop Solar PV Systems in India" on Wednesday, March 12, 2014 at Silver Oak Hall, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. The conference was primarily focused on accelerated deployment of rooftop solar PV systems in India. The forum provided an excellent opportunity for various stakeholders to participate in a dialogue and share knowledge on technological options for promoting rooftop solar PV systems in the country. More than 100 delegates participated in this event.
With a view to provide impetus to solar rooftop systems uptake in the country, TERI, with support from Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation is working on two-pronged approach by developing (i) First-of-a-kind cloud based open-source Web-GIS Tool for estimating Rooftop Solar Power potential for Indian solar cities with Chandigarh as a pilot, and (ii) a white paper on "Accelerating Behind-The-Meter: Solar Energy Penetration through Market Transformation and Enabling Policies" to workout appropriate business models and technical/policy/regulatory interventions that could promote extensive deployment of rooftop solar PV systems in India.
The main objective for this conference was to release the Rooftop Solar Web-GIS Tool for Chandigarh.
Speaking on the occasion, HE Mr Shivraj VPatil, Governor of Punjab & Administrator, UT Chandigarh, said, "Solar energy is revolutionizing the world. Countries are investing in this sector because it is beneficial to the environment and also saves on energy costs." He urged the private sector to take a leaf from solar initiatives in China, Europe, and Japan and invest in solar devices, saying that manufacturing indigenous solar technologies by Indian companies could bring down the cost of solar products. He said that the application of solar energy was easy and each household could now invest in solar products. Mr Patil said, "There are cost-effective technologies available for mass generation and use of solar energy.". Mr. Patil also said that land costs in cities had gone up, so there is a need to invest in rooftop solar devices. "We have taken a decision to install rooftop solar energy devices in government buildings in Chandigarh to become a model solar city", he said. Mr Patil also added that government was already providing subsidies to the private sector to produce renewable energy.
Dr Leena Srivastava, Vice Chancellor, TERI University & Honorary Executive Director, The Energy and Resources Institute, said, "If you look at international trends, Rooftop Solar PV Systems are here to stay. In Germany, about 25 per cent of energy generation comes from solar power and other countries too are investing in renewable energy". She said that we have to face the challenges thrown up by this sector by investing in innovations while creating the right environment for policy regulatory frameworks. "We need coping strategies to deal with erratic and ineffective power systems with enabling mechanisms. It is important to bring the various stakeholders together, including local institutions, to take the process forward", she added.
Mr Chinmaya Acharya of Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, said, "The Green Revolution brought food security to India, while the White Revolution made India the largest producer of milk in the world. The time has come for a solar revolution in the energy sector as there is wide recognition about the impending energy crisis in India". He said that the costs of solar products have come down over the years and rooftop solar devices have begun to have a significant impact on our renewable energy solutions. He added that the tool will aid viable business models, and policy mechanisms to implement the project.
Mr Alekhya Datta, Research Associate, TERI, presented the "Rooftop Solar Web-GIS Tool for Chandigarh" and demonstrated the "SPV4ALL" mobile application (Beta Release) during the first Technical Session. It was well appreciated by the session chairs, Dr Arun Kumar Tripathi, Director, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (Government of India); Mr Santosh Kumar (IFS), Director (Science & Technology), and CEO, Chandigarh Renewal Energy, Science and Technology Promotion Society; and Dr Vandana Sharma, Deputy Director General and Head, Remote Sensing and GIS Division, National Informatics Centre, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Government of India), along with other delegates who attended the event.
Dr Ujjwal Bhattacharjee, Senior Fellow, and Mr Sudhakar Sundaray, Research Associate, TERI, showcased the outcomes of the white paper on "Accelerating Behind-The-Meter: Solar Energy Penetration through Market Transformation and Enabling Policies".
The conference was concluded with a Panel Discussion on "Accelerated Deployment of Rooftop Solar PV: the Way Forward". Distinguished panelists, Mr Shirish Garud, Associate Director, The Energy and Resources Institute; Mr Arup Ghosh, Chief Technical Officer, TATA Power Delhi Distribution Limited; Mr Ramesh Narayanan, Senior Executive Vice President, Reliance Infrastructure Limited; Dr Terry Mohn, CEO, General MicroGrids Inc. USA; and Mr Ashish Sethi, Vice President & SBU Head-Solar, Su-Kam Power Systems Limited participated in the high-level roundtable discussion on the approach needed for accelerated deployment of rooftop solar PV systems in India.
An "Innovation Showcase" was also organized by renowned industries and manufacturers during this event to exhibit and demonstrate the various products available for rooftop solar PV systems in India.