BRIDGE TO INDIA in collaboration with Greenpeace launched the report ‘Rooftop Revolution: Unleashing Delhi’s Solar Potential’ yesterday i.e. July 23rd 2013, at the India International Centre as a part of Greenpeace’s campaign ‘Switch on the Sun’
- The report proposes that Delhi can be a 2 GW solar city by 2020
- The report provides arguments, analysis and data to the Delhi government, the distribution companies (DISCOMS) and the people of Delhi to show why solar makes sense
- Panel discussion following the report’s launch collectively concluded that it is the right time for the Delhi government to come up with the state’s solar policy
‘Switch on the Sun’, a campaign initiated by Greenpeace calls for the development of renewable energy projects, particularly solar power projects to develop sustainable cities. The initiative is currently emphasizes on the need for Delhi to go solar in the wake of rising grid prices and increased dependency on other states to satisfy the state’s power needs. Greenpeace believes that with the second highest per capita income in the country, Delhi is in a very good position to take the lead in transitioning to decentralized sustainable energy generation.
The report proposes that Delhi can be a 2 GW solar city by 2020 and provides a roadmap for the same. With reducing costs, solar is increasingly becoming a competitive energy source. Hence it is proposed that this target be achieved without the support of government incentives. At the launch of the report Tobias Engelmeier, Managing Director, BRIDGE TO INDIA, stated that a stable long term policy for solar was the need of the hour. He emphasized on the fact that Delhi possesses the geographic potential, the infrastructure and the money to support solar; however, it lacks the ambition to give solar the required initial push. Tobias explained that for Delhi to go solar there was a need to improve the financing for solar, develop a pool of technically skilled workforce and demonstrate the feasibility of solar in the city. The report provides arguments, analysis and data to the Delhi government, the distribution companies (DISCOMS) and the people of Delhi to show why solar makes sense for the city.
The launch of the report was followed by a panel discussion comprising of some of the important stakeholders of Delhi’s energy sector. The panel discussed and debated over several issues and problems related to Delhi going solar. The discussion ended with a collective opinion that as solar was increasingly becoming competitive with grid power, it was infact the right time for the Delhi government to come up with an independent solar policy for the State. Everyone agreed, as it is concluded in the report, that the government and commercial consumers should be the first movers to go solar in the city. The government could do so by aggregating projects and tendering them out to achieve benefits of scale. Commercial consumers, being the highest paying consumers of power, would find solar to be a more viable option in the coming years, considering the increasing cost of grid power.
‘Rooftop Revolution: Unleashing Delhi’s Solar Potential’ can be downloaded by clicking on the following link: http://www.wordpress-117315-688799.cloudwaysapps.com/our-reports/policy-briefs
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