World Environment Day: Harnessing Solar Energy For Sustainable Development

It is pertinent to discuss the potential of Solar Energy as a rich source of Renewable Energy at a time when the Government of India’s ambitious Production Linked Scheme (PLI) is all set to incentivise the industry in a pragmatic way. This scheme is intended to reduce the import bills and boost domestic production. 

Solar energy is a renewable resource that utilises the abundant sunlight available on Earth to generate electricity and heat. By integrating solar energy into our ecosystems, we can leverage its potential to address environmental, social, and economic challenges.

Renewable Energy is also a priority area at a time when achieving Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and ESG Score is high on the agenda of nearly all industries towards sustainable development. This will also help in reducing carbon footprint going forward.  An ESG score is an evaluation of an organization's performance against various sustainability metrics related to either environmental, social or governance issues.

Reducing carbon footprint mitigates the effects of global climate change, improves public health and maintains biodiversity. Renewable Energy sources such as Solar Energy is free, renewable and a green source of energy unlike Fossil Fuels which release high levels of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and other pollutants into the atmosphere when they are burned. This has devastating effects in the form of severe health and ecological damage.

There is an unmet need to reduce the alarming surge in environmental pollution due to Greenhouse Gas Emissions. This clearly highlights the growing role of Solar Rooftop Solutions to generate electricity without producing any harmful emissions.

Generating power through solar panels is a holistic and long term solution towards water conservation as solar energy technology does not require any water. On the contrary, a coal-fired power plant consumes 530 Litres of water to produce 1000 kWh of electricity while 38 Litres of water is required to extract enough natural gas to generate the same amount of power, according to a study from the Virginia Water Resources Research Center.

Amongst the other key environmental benefits of Solar Energy is that it helps reduce the risk of oil spills which are a major hazard to marine ecosystems and coastal communities. The higher dependency on oil can be addressed by choosing Solar Energy towards conserving our marine and aquatic ecosystem.

The risk of oil spills from tankers and drilling platforms will significantly decrease with less reliance on oil which simply means producing and transporting less oil.

The message here is loud and clear - Switch to Solar Energy. This will immensely save our environment. On an average, one 10 kW solar roof eliminates around 4 tons of carbon emissions annually. This is roughly equivalent to planting over 100 trees annually. Larger installations can be more effective. Commercial or residential solar installation offers measurable benefits towards environmental conservation and sustainability.

The idea for the One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG) initiative which was put forth by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, at the First Assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in October 2018 is a also welcome initiative to connect renewable energy supply across borders.

India’s National Solar Mission also aims to establish India as a global leader in solar energy by creating the policy conditions for solar technology diffusion across the country on priority basis.

This augurs well with the fact that India plans to add 76 gigawatts (GW) of utility-scale solar and wind power by 2025 which could save up to USD 19.5 billion a year (over 15 lakh crore) caused due to the burning of coal, according to the latest research by Global Energy Monitor.

Solar Energy is the holy grail for the Indian population and economy. By harnessing the power of the ecosystem through solar energy, we can foster sustainable development by mitigating climate change, improving energy access, and creating a greener and more equitable future.