Government of India

Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources

Solar Electricity

Dr Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister of India

Smt. Sonia Gandhi

Chairperson, National Advisory Council

Energy is an important input for

economic development. Since exhaustible energy sources in the country are limited, there is an urgent need to focus attention on development of renewable energy sources and use of energy efficient technologies. The exploitation and development of various forms of energy and making energy available at affordable rates is one of our major thrust areas.

Today India is one of the few

leading countries in the development and utilization of renewable energy. The country is blessed with various sources of non-conventional energy and I hope the efforts of Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources will promote viable technologies that can reach the benefits of such sources to the poorest people in the far-flung regions of the country.

Renewable Energy in India

nergy is a basic requirement for economic development. Every sector of Indian economy agriculture, industry, t r a n s p o r t , commercial, and domestic needs inputs of energy. The economic development plans implemented since independence have necessarily required increasing amounts of energy. As a result, consumption of energy in all forms has been steadily rising all over the country. This growing consumption of energy has also resulted in the country becoming increasingly dependent on fossil fuels such as coal and oil and gas. Rising prices of oil and gas and potential shortages in future lead to concerns about the security of energy supply needed to sustain our economic growth. Increased use of fossil fuels also causes environmental problems both locally and globally. Against this background, the country urgently needs to develop a sustainable path of energy development. Promotion of energy conservation and increased use of renewable energy sources are the twin planks of a sustainable energy supply. Fortunately, India is blessed with a variety of renewable energy sources, the main ones being biomass, biogas, the sun, wind, and small hydro power. (Large hydro power is also renewable in nature, but has been utilized all over the world for many decades, and is generally not included in the term new and renewable sources of energy.) Municipal and industrial wastes can also be useful sources of energy, but are basically different forms of biomass.

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R ENEWABLE E NERGY

IN I NDIA

Advantages of renewable energy are that it is perennial available locally and does not need elaborate arrangements for transport usually modular in nature, i.e. small-scale units and systems can be almost as economical as large-scale ones environment-friendly well suited for decentralized applications and use in remote areas. The Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources has been implementing comprehensive programmes for the development and utilization of various renewable energy sources in the country. As a result of efforts made during the past quarter century, a number of technologies and devices have been developed and have become commercially available. These include biogas plants, improved wood stoves, solar water heaters, solar cookers, solar lanterns, street lights, pumps, wind electric generators, water-pumping wind mills, biomass gasifiers, and small hydro-electric generators. Energy technologies for the future such as hydrogen, fuel cells, and bio-fuels are being actively developed. India is implementing one of the worlds largest programmes in renewable energy. The country ranks second in the world in biogas utilization and fifth in wind power and photovoltaic production. Renewable sources already contribute to about 5% of the total power generating capacity in the countr y. The major renewable energy sources and devices in use in India are listed in Table 1 along with their potential and present status in terms of the number of installations or total capacity.

R ENEWABLE E NERG Y

IN I NDIA

Table 1 Renewable energy in India at a glance

Estimated potential 45 000 MW 16 000 MW 3500 MW 15 000 MW 1700 MW 1000 MW 12 million 120 million 140 million m of collector area
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Source/System Wind power Biomass power Bagasse cogeneration Small hydro (up to 25 MW) Waste to energy P Municipal solid waste P Industrial waste Family-size biogas plants Improved chulhas Solar street lighting systems Home lighting systems Solar lanterns Solar photovoltaic power plants Solar water heating systems Box-type solar cookers Solar photovoltaic pumps Wind pumps Biomass gasifiers
* as on 31 March 2005

Cumulative installed capacity / number* 3595 MW 302.53 MW 447.00 MW 1705.63 MW 17 MW 29.50 MW 3.71 million 35.20 million 54 795 342 607 560 295 1566 kWp 1 million m 2 of collector area 575 000 6818 1087 66.35 MW

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N ATION AL E LECTRICIT Y P OLICY 2005

National Electricity Policy 2005

The National Electricity Policy aims at achieving the following objectives. 1 Access to Electricity available for all households in the next five years. 2 Availability of Power demand to be fully met by 2012. Energy and peaking shortages to be overcome and spinning reserve to be available. 3 Supply of reliable and quality power of specified standards in an efficient manner and at reasonable rates. 4 Per capita availability of electricity to be increased to over 1000 units by 2012. 5 Minimum lifeline consumption of 1 unit/household/day as a merit good by 2012. 6 Financial turnaround and commercial viability of electricity sector. 7 Protection of consumers interests.

The Electricity Act 2003

The Electricity Act contains the following provisions pertaining to nonconventional energy sources.
Sections 3(1) and 3(2)

Under Sections 3(1) and 3(2), it has been stated that the Central Government shall, from time to time, prepare and publish the National Electricity Policy and Tariff Policy, in consultation with the state governments and authority for development of the power system based on optimal utilization of resources such as coal, natural gas, nuclear substances or material, hydro and renewable sources of energy.

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T HE E LECTRICIT Y A C T 2003

Section 4

Section 4 states that the Central Government shall, after consultation with the state governments, prepare and notify a national policy, permitting stand-alone systems (including those based on renewable sources of energy and other non-conventional sources of energy) for rural areas.
Section 61

Section 61, 61(h) and 61(i) state that the appropriate commission shall, subject to the provision of this Act, specify the terms and conditions for the determination of tariff, and in doing so, shall be guided by the following, namely, the promotion of cogeneration and generation of electricity from renewable sources of energy; and the National Electricity Policy and Tariff Policy.
Section 86(1)

Section 86(1) and 86(1)(e) state that the state commissions shall discharge the following functions, namely, promote cogeneration and generation of electricity from renewable sources of energy by providing, suitable measures for connectivity with the grid and sale of electricity to any person, and also specify, for purchase of electricity from such sources, a percentage of the total consumption of electricity in the area of a distribution license.

Solar Electricity
Solar Energy
ndia lies in the sunny regions of the world. Most parts of India receive 47 kWh (kilowatt-hour) of solar radiation per square metre per day with 250300 sunny days in a year. The highest annual radiation energy is received in western Rajasthan while the north-eastern region of the country receives the lowest annual radiation. Solar energy, experienced by us as heat and light, can be used through two routes: the thermal route uses the heat for water heating, cooking, drying, water purification, power generation, and other applications; the photovoltaic route converts the light in solar energy into electricity, which can then be used for a number of purposes such as lighting, pumping, communications, and power supply in unelectrified areas. Energy from the sun has many features, which make it an attractive and sustainable option: global distribution, pollutionfree nature, and the virtually inexhaustible supply.

Solar Photovoltaics
Solar photovoltaics (SPV) is the process of converting solar radiation (sunlight) into electricity using a device called solar cell. A solar cell is a semi-conducting device made of silicon or other materials, which, when exposed to sunlight, generates electricity. The magnitude of the electric current generated depends on the intensity of the solar radiation, exposed area of the solar cell, the type of material used in fabricating the solar cell, and ambient temperature. Solar cells are connected in series and parallel combinations to form modules that provide the required power.

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SPV Technology
Crystalline solar cells

Most solar cells are made of a single crystal or multi-crystalline silicon material. Silicon ingots are made by the process of crystal growth, or by casting in specially designed furnaces. The ingots are then sliced into thin wafers. Single crystal wafers are usually of 125 125 mm or larger sizes with pseudo-square shape; multi-crystalline wafers are typically square-shaped with a dimension of 100 100 mm or larger. Using hightemperature diffusion furnaces, impurities like boron or phosphorous are introduced into the silicon wafers to form a pn junction. The silicon wafers are thus converted into solar cells. When exposed to sunlight, a current is generated in each cell. Contacts are attached to the top and bottom of each solar cell to enable inter-connections and drawing of the current.
Thin-film solar cells

Thin-film solar cells are made from amorphous silicon (a-Si), copper indium selenide/cadmium sulphide (CuInSe 2/CdS) or cadmium telluride/cadmium sulphide (CdTe/CdS), by using thin-film deposition techniques. These technologies are at various stages of development and have not yet reached the maturity of crystalline silicon. Production of thin-film PV modules is also limited.
PV module

PV modules are usually made from strings of crystalline silicon solar cells. These cells are made of extremely thin silicon wafers (about 300

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m) and hence are extremely fragile. To protect the cells from damage, a string of cells is hermetically sealed between a layer of toughened glass and layers of ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA). An insulating tedlar sheet is placed beneath the EVA layers to give further protection to the cell string. An outer frame is attached to give strength to the module and to enable easy mounting on structures. A terminal box is attached to the back of a module; here, the two ends (positive and negative) of the solar string are welded or soldered to the terminals. This entire assembly constitutes a PV module. When the PV module is in use, the terminals are connected either directly to a load, or to another module to form an array. Single PV modules of capacities ranging from 10 Wp to 120 Wp can provide power for different loads. For large power applications, a PV array consisting of a number of modules connected in parallel and/or series is used.

Standard Capacity/Ratings and Specifications

The wattage output of a PV module is rated in terms of peak watt (Wp) units. The peak watt output power from a module is defined as the maximum power output that the module could deliver under standard test conditions (STC). The STC conditions used in a laboratory are 1000 watts per square metre solar radiation intensity Air-mass 1.5 reference spectral distribution 25 C ambient temperature. SPV modules of various capacities are available, and are being used for a variety of applications. Theoretically, a PV module of any capacity (voltage and current) rating can be fabricated. However, the standard

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capacities available in the country range from 5 Wp to 120 Wp. The voltage output of a PV module depends on the number of solar cells connected in series inside the module. In India, a crystalline silicon module generally contains 36 solar cells connected in series. The module provides a usable direct current (DC) voltage of about 16.5 V, which is normally used to charge a 12-V battery. In an SPV system, the components other than the PV module are collectively known as balance of system (BoS), which includes batteries for storage of electricity, electronic charge controller, inverter, etc. These batteries are charged during the daytime using the DC power generated by the SPV module. The battery/battery bank supplies power to loads during the night or non-sunny hours. An inverter is required to convert the DC power from the PV module or battery to AC power for operating the load. Some loads such as DC pumps do not require an inverter or even a battery bank.

Standards for SPV

Photovoltaic standards in India have been established by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). So far, there are eight standards prescribed by the BIS for SPV. These standards mainly relate to the areas listed below. SPV terminology Measurements of cells and modules Methods of correcting the measurements Qualification test procedure for crystalline silicon modules General description of SPV power generating systems Parameters of stand-alone SPV systems

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Standards are under preparation for BoS components such as batteries, inverters, and charge controllers. These standards are based mainly on the corresponding International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) or European standards.

Testing and Cer tification of SPV

The Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources (MNES) has established facilities for testing of solar cells, PV modules, and systems at its Solar Energy Centre (SEC) in Gurgaon, Haryana. Apart from the SEC, some facilities for the testing of PV modules and SPV-based lighting systems are available at the Electronic Testing and Development Laboratory (ETDC), Bangalore; the Electronics Regional Testing Laboratory (ERTL-East), Kolkata; and the Central Power Research Institute (CPRI), Thiruvananthapuram. While the ETDC has facilities to test PV modules, the ERTL-East and the CPRI are mainly meant to test SPV-based lighting systems. The Ministry provides design/ performance guidelines for SPV systems being promoted under its programmes. The test centres carry out tests on a sample SPV system and provide a test report on its performance based on the specifications laid down by the Ministry. India has currently about 14 PV companies that manufacture PV modules, and over 45 companies that manufacture SPV systems. Manufacturers have to get their samples tested either by the SEC or by other test centres mentioned above for supply under the Ministrys schemes.

Advantages of SPV Systems

The major advantages of using SPV systems are as follows. Abundant solar radiation is available in most parts of India. Hence, SPV systems can be used anywhere in the country. SPV systems are modular in nature. Hence, they can be expanded as desired and used for small and large applications. There are no running costs associated with SPV systems, as solar radiation is free.

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Electricity is generated by solar cells without noise. PV systems have no moving parts. Hence, they suffer no wear and tear. As most of the components of SPV systems are pre-fabricated, these systems can be installed quickly. Hence, PV projects have short gestation periods. SPV modules have long-life, and require no maintenance. Only BoS components such as batteries and inverters require minor maintenance.

SPV Lighting Systems

SPV lighting systems are becoming popular in both the rural and urban areas of the country. In rural areas, SPV lighting systems are being used in the form of portable lanterns, home-lighting systems with one or more fixed lamps, and street-lighting systems. Applications in urban areas include glow-sign display systems on the streets, traffic signalling, message display systems based on light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and systems to illuminate advertisement hoardings.
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Solar lantern

The solar lantern is a portable lighting system. Being light in weight, it is easy to carry around and therefore ideal for both indoor and outdoor usage. A typical solar lantern consists of a PV module of 8 Wp to 10 Wp capacity, a sealed maintenance-free battery of 12 V, 7 AH (amperehours) capacity, and a compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) of 5 W or 7 W rating. A solar lantern is usually meant to provide light for three to four hours daily, and designed to have a three-day autonomy, that is, to function in this manner for three days without sunlight. Operation No installation is required for a solar lantern. During the day, the PV module is placed in the sun and is connected through a cable to the lantern unit. The incident solar radiation is converted into electricity, which, in turn, charges the battery. A green LED light indicates the charging of the battery. At night, the lantern is simply detached and used wherever required. The battery provides power to the lamp. The cost of a solar lantern with the above specifications is in the range of Rs 30003300. Low-cost models with smaller PV modules and battery capacity are also available.
Solar home system

A solar home system (SHS) provides a comfortable level of illumination in one or more rooms of a house. There are several SHS models featuring one, two, or four CFLs. It is also possible to run a small DC fan or a 12-V DC television with the system.

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The SHS consists of a PV module of 18, 37 or 74 Wp capacity; a sealed, maintenance-free, or flooded leadacid battery of 12 V and 20, 40 or 75 AH capacity; and CFLs of 9 W or 11 W rating. The system is designed to provide service for three to four hours daily, with an autonomy of three days, that is, the system can function for three cloudy days. Operation A PV module is usually mounted on the roof of the house so that it is exposed to direct solar radiation throughout the day, avoiding any shadow. The module converts incident radiation into electricity, which, in turn, charges the battery, which is placed inside the house. The battery provides power to the CFLs, and to the television and/or fan as required. A change controller prevents overcharging and deep discharge of the battery. Cost The cost of an SHS depends on the load to be supported, the capacity of the PV modules used to meet the load requirement, and the capacity of the battery to meet the required autonomy. The indicative costs of five different SHS models are listed below. Model I Model II (one 9 W CFL): (two 9 W CFLs): Rs 6000 Rs 10000 Rs 11000 Rs 18500 Rs 17500

Model III (one 9 W CFL and one fan): Model IV (two 9 W CFLs and a fan/TV): Model V (four 9 W CFLs):

The cost of the fan/TV is not included in the above costs. There could be variations due to local taxes, additional transportation costs, etc.

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Solar street lighting system

A solar street-lighting system (SLS) is an outdoor lighting unit used to illuminate a street or an open area usually in villages. A CFL is fixed inside a luminaire which is mounted on a pole. The PV module is placed at the top of the pole, and a battery is placed in a box at the base of the pole. The module is mounted facing south, so that it receives solar radiation throughout the day, without any shadow falling on it. A typical street-lighting system consists of a PV module of 74 Wp capacity, a flooded leadacid battery of 12 V, 75 AH capacity, and a CFL of 11 W rating. This system is designed to operate from dusk to dawn (that is, throughout the night). The CFL automatically lights up when the surroundings become dark and switches off around sunrise time. The cost of an SLS is about Rs 19 000. Variations in the cost are possible on account of local taxes, additional transportation costs, etc. The Ministry provides financial assistance for the promotion of some of the above solar lighting systems among eligible categories of users.
Solar-powered traf fic signal systems

Conventional signal systems to control and regulate traffic are based on incandescent lamps, and are powered by the normal city supply. Failures in power supply often lead to chaos at traffic junctions. These
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conventional systems can be replaced by solar-powered traffic signalling systems, which use LEDs and work without interruption during power failures. Switching to solar-powered systems would help conserve large amounts of conventional electrical power. Besides consuming much less power, LED-based lights last much longer than conventional filament-based lamps. Hence, routine maintenance costs would be reduced. The design of these systems depends on the number of lights to be operated at a junction. A PV array of about 1 kWp capacity would be required for a four-road junction, along with an appropriately sized battery bank based on the site conditions. This system does not require an inverter. In case of need, the system can also work with conventional grid supply. The system has programmable logic controllers for setting parameters such as through time, peak time, on/off time, etc. Its features include auto, on/off , and blink. The cost of a solar-powered lighting system depends on its components, including PV array, battery bank, and electronic controller. For a four-road junction, the cost would be about Rs 6.40 lakhs. Such systems are presently being used in Bangalore, Delhi, and other major cities in the country.
SPV-based information display systems

LED-based information display systems, powered by SPV, are now being installed at road junctions, on the roofs of prominent buildings, and other places. These systems vary in size, and display useful information pertaining to population, road safety, AIDS, ambient conditions, etc. Such systems are slowly replacing traditional neon tube-based systems; the latter are not only expensive, but also consume much more energy. Such SPV-powered display systems can be installed in urban areas and along highways. Depending on their levels of power consumption, SPV information display systems are provided electricity by stand-alone SPV power plants. For a typical LED information system of size about 1 2 m and consuming about 300 watts of energy, an SPV module of about 2 kWp capacity is required to enable it to operate all through the night.
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The battery bank size would depend on the desired autonomy, and on the number of hours of operation required. The cost of such a system depends on the sizes of the SPV array and battery bank. These, in turn, depend on the power requirement of the display board. For a 300-watt system requiring 15 hours of operation, the approximate cost can be about Rs 7 lakhs.
SPV power plants

In an SPV power plant, electricity is centrally generated. This electricity is either made available to users through a local grid in a stand-alone mode, or connected to the conventional power grid in a grid-interactive mode. Stand-alone power plants provide grid-quality power locally to people to meet their requirements for lighting and other needs. Power plants are preferred over individual SPV systems if a number of users are in close proximity. The cost of power may be of the order of Rs 15 per kWh for a grid-interactive power plant and higher for stand-alone power plant.

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Stand-alone SPV power plant

A stand-alone SPV power plant is typically designed for specific requirements. The capacity of a stand-alone power plant varies from 1 kWp to 25 kWp, and in some cases even higher. These systems are used where conventional grid supply is not available, or is erratic or irregular. A stand-alone power plant functions like an uninterrupted power supply system (UPS) and provides a constant, stable, and reliable supply to the loads. These power plants can also be used in areas where grid supply is available; in such places the power plants operate like a hybrid power plant, working with grid, as well as with SPV. The capacity of its battery bank depends on user requirements. The most common use for such plants is the electrification of remote villages. Other uses include power for hospitals, hotels, communications equipment, railway stations, border outposts, etc., Stand-alone SPV power plants comprise PV array, battery bank, inverter, and charge controller. Depending on the system voltage, SPV modules are arranged in series and parallel combinations. The standard combinations are 2, 4, 6, 10, 20 or more modules. The corresponding system voltages are in the range of 24 to 240 V. The size of the battery bank is determined by the system voltage and ampere-hour requirements of the load. The inverter is selected based on the system voltage and peak-load capacities. Other components such as junction boxes, distribution boxes, and cables are selected according to the maximum amount of current to be handled by them.

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The cost of a stand-alone power plant depends on the PV array size, battery bank capacity, inverter, etc. The approximate cost of a standalone power plant is between Rs 3.00 lakhs and Rs 3.50 lakhs per kW of PV capacity. Distribution costs (such as in a village) may be extra.

Solar Generators
A solar generator is a small capacity, stand-alone SPV power system based on a PV array, connected to a battery bank and an inverter of appropriate size. This system is designed to supply power to limited loads (such as lights and fans) for a period of two to three hours daily in situations such as conventional power failure or load-shedding. The MNES currently promotes four models of solar generators, with capacities of 150, 350, 450, and 600 Wp. These solar generators are mainly meant to replace the conventional small-capacity petrol-based generators that are used during routine load-shedding periods in urban areas by shops, clinics, and other small establishments. The components of a typical solar generator are a small SPV array connected to a battery bank of appropriate size and an inverter based on 12, 24, or 48 V. The system is designed to supply power to loads such as lights, fans, credit-card operating machines, and personal computers for a period of two to three hours. The cost of the four solar generator models promoted by the MNES varies from Rs 35 000 to Rs 145 000.

Building-integrated PV Systems
In a building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) system, PV panels are integrated into the roof or faade of a building. BIPV systems are becoming common in Europe, the USA, and Japan. The SPV panels generate electricity during the daytime, which is used to meet a part of the electrical energy needs of the building. BIPV systems have significant potential in India, where a large number of buildings are constructed every year for different purposes, and where energy consumption in

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buildings is growing at a rapid rate. Although the initial costs of a BIPV system are high, long-term savings result from a reduction in electricity consumption. India needs more experience in the field of BIPV technology. In order to encourage this application and to prepare manufacturers and users, the Ministry supports BIPV projects by meeting 80% of the cost of PV modules installed in the systems on government and semigovernment buildings.

SPV Pumping System

Water pumping is one of the most important applications of PV in India. An SPV water pump is a DC or AC, surface-mounted or submersible or floating pump that runs on power from an SPV array. The array is mounted on a suitable structure and placed in a shadowfree open space with its modules facing south and inclined at local latitude. A typical SPV water-pumping system consists of an SPV array of 2003000 Wp capacity, mounted on a tracking/non-tracking type of structure. The array is connected to a DC or AC pump of matching

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capacity that can be of surface-mounted, submersible, or floating type. Interconnecting cables and electronics make up the rest of the system. SPV water pumps are used to draw water for irrigation as well as for drinking. The normal pumping heads are in the range of 10 metres (m) for irrigation, and 30 m for drinking water. It is possible to use pumps with even greater head, especially for drinking water supply. The SPV array converts sunlight into electricity and delivers it to run the motor and pump up water. The water can be stored in tanks for use during non-sunny hours, if necessary. For maximum power output from the SPV array, the structure on which it is mounted should track the sun. Electronic devices are used to do this in some models, thereby enabling the systems to operate at maximum power output. The power from the SPV array is directly delivered to the pump in the case of DC pumps. In the case of AC pumps, however, an inverter is used to convert the DC output of the array into AC. No storage batteries are used in an SPV pump. An SPV pump based on a one-horsepower motor can irrigate about 11.5 hectares of land under a variety of crops except paddy and sugar cane (assuming a 10-m water table). Using the same pump along with drip irrigation, it is possible to irrigate up to 6 hectares of land for certain crops. A two-horsepower SPV pump could irrigate about 23 hectares of land under many crops except paddy and sugar cane (again assuming a 10-m water table). The cost of an SPV pump depends on the capacity and type of pump. For example, a DC surface pump with a 900 W array may cost about Rs 150 000; a similar pump of 1800 W may cost about Rs 300 000; and an 1800 W AC submersible pump may cost about Rs 422 000.
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Annual mean daily global solar radiation in India (in kWh/m2/day)

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Rajiv Gandhi Akshay Urja Diwas

On 20 August 2004 the 60th Birth Anniversary of our Late Prime Minister Mr Rajiv Gandhi the Ministry organized the Rajiv Gandhi Akshay Urja Diwas. Initiated by the Honble Minister of State (NonConventional Energy Sources), Mr V Muttemwar, the occasion saw the release of a commemorative stamp by the Honble Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, at a function attended by Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson, United Progressive Alliance (UPA), Members of the Union Cabinet, Members of Parliament, Chief Ministers, Foreign Dignitaries, Administrators, Scientists, and students among others. The day was also appropriate to advocate renewable energy, since Mr Rajiv Gandhi was a keen enthusiast of scientific advances that would enable India to leap into the 21st century. Thus, a human chain of nearly 12 000 school children was formed in the National Capital to promote a renewable future. In the rest of the country too, functions such as rallies and human chains were organized. In addition, competitions such as essay writing, painting, quizzes, and debates were held, all of which covered different aspects of renewable energy from biogas to biomass to solar, hydro, and wind power. The essence of these public activities was to generate mass awareness and disseminate information about the advances made in renewable energy technologies, and with the ultimate objective of achieving Akshay urja se desh vikas Gaon gaon bijlee, ghar ghar prakash. The success of the Rajiv Gandhi Akshay Urja Diwas has encouraged the Ministry to make it an annual affair, to be celebrated on 20 August every year.
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For more information, please contact Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources Block No. 14, CGO Complex Lodi Road, New Delhi 110 003 Tel. +91 11 2436 0707 +91 11 2436 0404 Fax +91 11 2436 1298

Disclaimer Every effort has been made to provide correct information in this booklet. However, the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources (MNES) does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy of the facts and figures mentioned here, nor for any consequences arising out of use of any information contained in this publication.

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Shri Vilas Muttemwar

Minister of State (Independent Charge) Non-Conventional Energy Sources, Government of India New Delhi 110 003

The promotion of renewable energy sources in the

country requires widespread publicity and greater awareness of the potential of these energy sources and the products available. The Ministry of NonConventional Energy Sources is expanding several of its programmes so that these sources can contribute to sustainable development of the nation. The Ministry will work towards reducing the costs of renewable energy products and making them easily available to the people. The motto of the Ministry is Akshay urja se desh vikas and the ultimate goal is Gaon gaon bijli, ghar ghar prakash.

Solar Electricity

Booklets in this Series

1 Biogas 2 Biomass 3 Solar Heat 4 Solar Electricity 5 Energy Recover y from Wastes 6 Wind Energy 7 Small Hydro Power 8 Hydrogen Energy 9 Solar Energy Centre 10 Centre for Wind Energy Technology 11 Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd 12 Information and Public Awareness

Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources, Government of India Block No. 14, CGO Complex, Lodi Road, New Delhi 110 003 Web site: www.mnes.nic.in