Solar energy is not the best option for India

Source– The post is based on the article “Solar energy is not the best option for India” published in The Hindu on 1st February 2023.

Syllabus: GS3- Energy

Relevance– Sources of energy

News– The article explains how the overemphasis on solar power is not the right option for India. It also provides arguments in support of hydropower

Why overemphasis on solar energy is not the right option for India?

The first is the wrong comparison of solar power with coal electricity at the load centre, instead of at the pithed. It costs about half that of the load centre. According to the Central Electricity Authority, moving electricity through high voltage wires is cheaper than moving coal.

The second flaw is not comparing like with like. Solar electricity is intermittent and coal electricity is continuous. There is a need to add the cost of storage by battery.

Supporters of solar power add the environmental cost of carbon to coal. But, now the carbon market has crashed.

The shadow price or true economic value of coal is even lower than its market price. The cost of labour in mining carries a shadow price of zero.

Some researchers estimate the cost of carbon emission in terms of deaths due to particle pollution. Implicitly, they only include the particulate emission cost of carbon.

The number of deaths is multiplied by a figure for the value of statistical life. It is calculated by asking potential victims about their desire to pay to avoid an increase in probability by 10% of your death due to pollution.

They have arrived at a figure of ₹1 crore. The comparable figure in the United States is ₹1.8 crore. In reality, They don’t get so much compensation in case of any accident.

Thus, solar energy is made financially viable by leaving out storage battery costs and providing subsidies and concessions that are front loaded by the government.

What are arguments in support of hydropower?

Renewable energy in large hydro is both low carbon and least cost.

India has utilised only about 15% of its hydro potential whereas the U.S. and Europe have utilised 90% and 98% of their potential, respectively.

The extent of utilisation of hydro potential seems to be an index of civilisational development and evolution. The Three Gorges project on the Yangtze by China is the world’s biggest hydro electric project.

One major reason for the stress in the power sector is the focus on renewable energy in a big way.

NTPC was a model thermal power producer meant to produce coal-based electricity. It is doing unrelated diversification into renewables. It is not its core competence.