Why does the 2022 target for rooftop solar seem ambitious?: 

Why does the 2022 target for rooftop solar seem ambitious?:

Context

• The government has set itself a target of 100 GW of solar power by 2022, of which 60 GW is to come from utilities and 40 GW from rooftop solar installations.

Main concern

• While the 60 GW target seems attainable, India is lagging behind on the target set for rooftop solar.

What is rooftop solar?

• Rooftop solar installations can be installed on the roofs of buildings.
• They fall under two brackets: commercial and residential.
• This simply has to do with whether the solar panels are being installed on top of commercial buildings or residential complexes.

Benefits of installing rooftop solar

• Rooftop solar provides companies and residential areas the choice of an alternative source of electricity to that provided by the grid.
• The main benefit of rooftop solar is to the environment, since it reduces the dependence on fossil-fuel generated electricity.
• Solar power can also augment the grid supply in places where it is erratic.
• Rooftop solar also has the great benefit of being able to provide electricity to those areas that are not yet connected to the grid like remote locations and areas where the terrain makes it difficult to set up power stations and lay power lines.

Way ahead for rooftop solar in India

• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has pegged the market potential for rooftop solar at 124 GW.
• \However, only 1,247 MW of capacity had been installed as of December 31, 2016. That is a little more than 3% of the target for 2022, and 1% of the potential.
• Imports of cheap solar panels are continuously placing a downward pressure on prices and so this scenario could change in the future.
• Commercial applications of rooftop solar are already feasible in most states.

Loopholes in adopting the rooftop solar

The problem of variability in supply

• Not only can the efficiency of the solar panels vary on any given day depending on how bright the sunlight is, but the solar panels also produce no electricity during the night.
• Arguably, night is when off-grid locations most need alternative sources of electricity.

Solution

• Storage technology for electricity, however, is still underdeveloped and storage solutions are expensive.
• ]So, while some companies will be able to afford storage solutions for the solar energy they produce, most residential customers will find the cost of installing both rooftop solar panels and storage facilities prohibitive.
• \Residential areas also come with the associated issues of use restrictions of the roof, if the roof is being used for solar generation, then it cannot be used for anything else.

The current electricity tariff structure rendering it as a useless option.

• Many states have adopted a net metering policy, which allows disaggregated power producers to sell excess electricity to the grid.
• However, the subsidized tariffs charged to residential customers undermine the economic viability of installing rooftop solar panels.
• The potential profit simply does not outweigh the costs.