Indian economy has grown by
5% in the year 2012-13. The scenario is extremely bleak. There is pronounced
slowdown in the industry across the country. The energy sector is one of the
most sluggish one and there is very little ray of hope. Power projects have
been greatly delayed or held up. Many of the existing ones are operating way
below their potential. Financial condition of state distribution companies are
in shambles.
Transmission and Distribution
losses (both commercial and technical) are way higher in India as compared to
many other countries. There are complications in transmission lines, rights and
access etc. The most significant issues attributed to this phenomenon are vast
gap in supply of coal and natural gas against demand and increase in import of
coal for generation. The projections have gone seriously awry. It is estimated
that by 2017 (5Y Plan 2012-17) the demand for coal will be in the range of 1000
Million Tonnes and supply will be far less.
Not only are the residential
consumers suffering so are the industrial and commercial ones. Businesses have
to resort to expensive diesel generators to keep their operations online. The
shortage is also a contributing factor in our weak manufacturing sector; an
area which is today dominated by the Chinese globally. Process industries and
continuous manufacturing cannot flourish with frequent power cuts, multiple
staggering days and poor quality of power whatever little is available. There
have been cases of major grid collapse in peak summer due to excessive drawing
of power. There is also the element of subsidy which is extended to agriculture
and not industry that further contributes to dulling our competitive edge.
These issues are not going
to get resolved overnight when nothing has happened in so many years of our
independence.
In this bleak backdrop, the
promise of Solar Energy is the most assuring one that requires concentrated
multi-dimensional efforts. There is tremendous potential for solar power in
India. It is clean, sustainable and eternal. And the fuel is free!
Only 0.8% of
our Installed Capacity is Solar-based Power.
