011.

Solar power
Among the various renewable energy resources, India
possesses a very large solar energy potential; most parts of the
country are blessed with good amounts of sunshine. There are
about 300 clear sunny days in a year in most parts of country.
The average solar radiation incident over India varies from 4
kWh/day - 7 kWh/day. The solar radiation received over the Indian
land area is estimated to be about 5,000 trillion kWh/year. In
June, 2008, a National Action Plan on Climate Change was
announced, which included eight major national missions with
the one on solar energy being the centre piece. This mission
envisages a major step up in the utilization of solar energy for
power generation and other purposes. The Jawaharlal Nehru
National Solar Mission (JNNSM) was launched by the Prime
Minister of India in January 2010, with a target of 20,000 MW
grid solar power (based on solar thermal power generating systems
and solar photovoltaic (SPV) technologies), 2000 MW of Offgrid
capacity including 20 million solar lighting systems and 20
million sq.m. solar thermal collector area by 2022. The Mission
will be implemented in three phases. The first phase will be of
three years (up to March, 2013), the second up to March 2017
and the third phase will continue until March, 2022. The target for phase-I is to set up 1,100 MW grid connected solar plants
including 100 MW of roof top and small solar plants and 200
MW capacity equivalent off-grid solar applications and 7 million
sq. m solar thermal collector area.
A new architecture has been designed for the 1000 MW
projects. These will be implemented through NTPC Vidyut
Vyapar Nigam (NVVN). NVVN will sell the solar power to the
State utilities after bundling solar power with the equivalent
capacity of thermal power. CERC has announced tariffs for the
purchase of solar power by NVVN. The tariff for 2011 for PV
is Rs.17.91 per unit and Rs. 15.31 per unit for solar thermal
power. The main objectives of the mission are to help reach grid
parity by 2022 and help set up indigenous manufacturing capacity.

Solar power in India is a fast-growing industry. As of 30 September 2016, the country's solar grid has a
cumulative capacity of 8,626 MW (8.63 GW).[1][2] In January 2015, the Indian government significantly
expanded its solar plans, targeting US$100 billion of investment[3] and 100 GW of solar capacity,[4] including
40 GW directly from rooftop solar, by 2022.[5][6][7] Large scale solar power deployment began only as recently
as 2010, yet the ambitious targets would see India installing more than double that achieved by world
leaders China or Germany in all of the period up to 2015 year end. The rapid growth in new deployments of
solar power are recorded and updated monthly on the Indian Government's Ministry of New and
Renewable Energy website.[2]
In addition to the large scale grid connected solar PV initiative, India is also continuing to develop the use
of solar power for off-grid and localized energy needs. India has a poor electrification rate in rural areas: in
2015, only 55% of all rural households had access to electricity and 85% of rural households depended on
solid fuel for cooking.[8] Solar products have increasingly helped to meet rural needs, and by the end of
2015 a cumulative total of just under 1 million solar lanterns had been sold in the country reducing the need
for expensive kerosene.[8] In addition, a cumulative total of 30,256 solar powered water pumps for
agriculture and drinking water had been installed. [8] During 2015 alone, 118,700 solar home lighting systems
were installed and 46,655 solar street lighting installations were provided under a national program. [8] The
same year saw just over 1.4 million solar cookers distributed or sold in India.

ndia is ranked number one in terms of solar electricity production per watt installed, with an insulation of
1700 to 1900 kilowatt hours per kilowatt peak (kWh/KWp).[10] On 16 May 2011, Indias first solar
power project (with a capacity of 5 MW) was registered under the Clean Development Mechanism. The
project is in Sivagangai Village, Sivaganga district, Tamil Nadu.[11] India saw a sudden rise in use of solar
electricity in 2010 when 25.1 MW was added to the grid, and the trend accelerated when 468.3 MW was
added in 2011.[12] More recently growth has been over 3,000 MW per year (see table below) and is set to
increase yet further.

solar resources[edit]
With about 300 clear, sunny days in a year, the theoretically calculated solar energy incidence on India's
land area is about 5000 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year (or 5 EWh/yr).[13][14] The solar energy available
in a year exceeds the possible energy output of all fossil fuel energy reserves in India. The daily
average solar power plant generation capacity over India is 0.20 kWh per m2 of used land area, which is
equivalent to about 14001800 peak (rated) capacity operating hours in a year with the
available commercially-proven technologies.