Solar Energy along with the wind and ocean energy is considered to be an Environmental friendly, clean and green energy. Entire world is focusing to develop these sources as alternative renewable energy sources, in its pursuit of minimizing the impact of Green House Gases like CO, CO2 and NOx in the atmosphere. These emissions are the result of the use of energy created by burning the fossil fuels, like petroleum oils, coal and natural gas. As per report of KYOTO PROTOCOL, each Mega Watt of Solar Power generated is equivalent to 330 kgs of Carbon Credit, which is a measure of reduction in emission of greenhouse gases.
GOI INITIATIVE: Aligning with these international endeavors, Indian Government under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has fixed a proactive target of achieving 100 Giga Watt (GW) of Solar Energy generation by the year 2020, which itself may be revised upward to an ambitious target by the year 2022. The Government is encouraging electricity consumers, whether residential, commercial, industrial, NGOs, trust buildings, schools, colleges, hotels, hospitals, institutes etc., to put up their own Grid – Tied solar power units. Salient points of this program are:
- The Government is committed in all international fora to harness clean and green energy sources to counter the challenge of Climate Change. Solar energy occupies a pride of place among such sources due to geographical location of India and its abundance throughout the year.
2. Roof Top spaces on all kinds of buildings and structures provide excellent locations to place Solar Photo Voltaic (SPV) panels to gather electricity during the Sunlight hours.
3. Requirements of electricity for each such building can be estimated from its consumption pattern as obtained from the electricity bills and a matching capacity solar unit can be planned subject to the constrains of shadow free areas available on these buildings. Except for high rise apartments, in majority cases, it is possible to meet total requirements of electricity by installing Solar Generation Systems.
4. As per Govt. policy norms, electricity generated from such de-centralized units can be stored by connecting the system to the state grid through a bi-directional meter. During sunlight hours, production of electricity in excess of consumption will be deposited in the grid, while during other times, the grid will continue to supply power normally to all consuming points in such building complex. The consumer will be billed only for the difference of solar units and the grid units.
5. To encourage general public to go solar, the central and state Governments offer handsome subsidies from time to time. For commercial buildings and firms, GOI is giving a benefit of accelerated depreciation, with a view to reduce the payback period on such expenditures
THREE – FOLD ADVANTAGES:
- The payment liability of monthly electricity usage reduces to negligible.
- A consumer participates in the national / international drive as a commitment of use of clean and green renewable energy source and contributes towards the overall Environmental Conservation Efforts.
- A consumer gets a life – long sustainable electricity source with almost Nil-Maintenance and totally free of cost.
ROOFTOP SOLAR – OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENTREPRENEURS:
Spread of awareness among the masses and encouragement by the Governments of the day has opened up a whole new economic sector for business people. While, big industrial houses have entered into setting up of huge Solar Parks with capacities like 30 MW, 100 MW and even higher on the non – agricultural land across the length and breadth of the country, in this article, we shall restrict our discussion to only those opportunities, which are available to medium and small-scale entrepreneurs. A possible classification of such occupations could be as listed below:
- Setting up SPV Panel manufacturing units: This is an interesting combination of automatic CNC based computer-controlled machines and a labour intensive assembling of components to obtain an attractive looking SPV panel. Coupled with extensive standards of IEC codes and rigorous quality control testing, manufacturing of solar panels is an excitingly new manufacturing field which has opened up for the entrepreneurs. At a first sight, a simple looking solar panel incorporates about 20 small and big components while going through the process of assembly line and needs competent, skilled and trained manpower to get the finished products.
- Engg. Procurement and Construction (EPC) Contractors: The entrepreneurs present and future in this field will act like a catalyst to the process of providing Exponential growth in the Decentralized Solar Units’ demand and the allied services. This occupation also will continue to attract more and more educated youth as the drive to harness solar energy keeps creating a sort of vacuum and a non-stop momentum. These entrepreneurs will be an essential B2C link between the big operators of Corporate Solar businesses and the end – user consumers
3. Setting up ware houses and trading centers: As the tempo and momentum of Decentralized Solarifications builds up all around, there will be huge requirements of such facilities, storing panels, mounting structures, cabling materials, invertors and other electrical / electronic accessories. These enterprises will serve those EPC contractors who will engage themselves in designing and supplying the Solar Power- small and medium range systems to residential, commercial and industrial sectors. Therefore, this type of businesses will also see an upsurge due to increased B2B interface. Once the benefits of solar energy and the incentives are lapped up by the consumer public at large, the demand will go on mushrooming and may not taper off at least in next 10 years.
CONCLUSION:
- Decentralized Solar Energy Generation at the Rooftops of retail consumers of electricity is an emerging, fast growing, promising and exciting economic sector, particularly in India, Africa and other countries who are more blessed than others by the “Sun God”.
- Leaving big businesses of Solar Parks, Solar Power plants etc. to the big corporate guns of India, the solar energy does provide exciting opportunities of employments for small and medium entrepreneurs which are waiting to be exploited. The early birds who enter in this line are bound to reap long term benefits and shall be ahead in the eventual competition, which is bound to set in sooner than later.
