In tune with increasing energy demands and as per India’s INDC (Intended Nationally Determined Contribution) provided to UNFCCC as part of Paris climate pact, India intends to build 175 Giga Watts (GW) of renewable energy by 2022.
It includes:
• Solar Power: Target – 100 GW (current installed capacity 3GW)
• Wind Energy: Target – 60 GW (current installed capacity 22GW)
• Biomass: Target – 10 GW (current installed capacity 4000MW)
• Small Hydro: Target – 05 GW (current installed capacity 4000MW)
Apart from electricity generation in a environmentally friendly manner, in order to focus on efficient use of energy National Programme for LED-based Home and Street Lighting was launched.
Importance of National Programme for LED -based Home and Street Lighting:
• Energy conservation: LEDs havelonger life (50,000 hours) and increased efficiency due to photo sensitive semiconductor technology. Estimated savings of 100 b KWh (domestic) and 9 b KWh (street lighting).
• Mitigate climate change: It helps in mitigating the climate change by reducing the CO2 emission by 85 million tonnes annually.
• Environment friendly:They have no mercury they have zero negative environmental impact.
• Reduces power load: It is estimated to reduce reduce peak load by 20000 MW (domestic)and 1500 MW (street lighting).
• Rural electrification: Reduced peak load and supply of LED would not help in rural electrification but also for rural development.
• Economical: There availability at low prices and their usage is also economical to the nation as it reduces energy import bill.
• Industry: It gives a boost to Make in India, startup and stand up India it would give thrust to LED manufacturing, especially for the MSMEs. It would also promote employment.
Thus National Programme for LED -based home and street lighting not only helps facilitate India’s commitment of reducing its emission intensity per unit of GDP by 33-35% by 2030 under its INDC but also step towards bringing positive behavioural change in society by shifting to less energy consumption mode.
Note: If someone wants to write the targets part in paragraph format, you may write as: It included 60 GW of wind power capacity and 100 GW of solar power capacity by 2022, which is more than six times the current installed capacities of approximately 22GW and 3GW, respectively. Other sources of RE, biomass and hydro are targeted to achieve 10 GW and 5GW respectively by 2022.
