1.1 WHAT IS RENEWABLE ENERGY?
Renewable energy is defined as energy that comes from resources which are naturally replenished on a human timescale such as sunlight, tides, waves, wind and geothermal heat. Renewable energy replaces conventional fuels in four distinct areas: electricity generation, hot water/space heating, motor fuels, and rural (off-grid) energy services
1.2 BACKGROUND FOR ITS NEED
1.2.1 A Remedial effort towards climate change mitigation
Over the last century the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil has increased the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). To a lesser extent, the clearing of land for agriculture, industry, and other human activities have increased concentrations of greenhouse gases. This continuous increase in greenhouse gases beyond the natural levels is the main cause of the current global warming trend and hence the adverse climate change. Gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect include: Water vapour, Carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane, Nitrous oxide, Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s). The consequences of changing the natural atmospheric greenhouse gases may cause warming of earth’s surface and the lower atmosphere, change in cropping pattern, increasing sea level, partially melt glaciers, and many more. We need to make some massive changes in order to keep from baking our planet and, thus, baking the human species (and other living world) to death. A number of bilateral and multilateral methods are adopted as the remedial effort to limit earth’s warming and climate change. Electricity is one of the key things we need to clean up. The utility electricity sector in India had an installed capacity of 284.303 GW as of 31 December 2015. Of this installed capacity 72% is constituted by the non renewable sources. Since Coal constitutes the major part of this (coal: 173.017 GW) and hence contributes in huge CO2. Emissions and thus climate change to a larger extent.
Renewable energy is on an upward march in this effort. RE has low specific emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere relative to fossils fuels, which makes them useful tools for mitigating climate change. It is inexhaustible and do not damage the delivery of environmental goods & services including the climate change.
1.2.2 To overcome the gap between Demand and Supply of Energy
Energy is a basic requirement for economic development. In every sector of Indian Economy-agriculture, industry, transport, commercial, and domestic- the consumption of energy has also resulted in the country becoming increasingly dependent on fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. Concerns have been raised on the sustainability of our economic growth in view of rising prices of oil and gas and their shortage in future. Increased consumption of fossil fuels also causes environmental problems both locally and globally.
Despite increase in installed capacity by more than 113 times in 65 years, India is still not in a position to meet its peak electricity demand as well as energy requirement. The peak power deficit during financial year 2001-02 was 12.2 per cent, approximately 9252 MW, however, at the end of Financial Year 2014-15, the peak power deficit decreased to the order of 2.4 per cent to As a fallout of this situation, planned and un-planned measures were undertaken by the government and utilities to bridge this demand-supply gap. The electricity generation primarily depends on coal reserves, secondly on hydro power followed by natural gas. Coal depletion has motivated the country to look for other resources to meet its energy demand. There is a large potential for renewable energy resources, which needs to be harnessed in a planned and strategic manner to close the gap between demand and supply.
The country urgently needs to develop a sustainable path of energy development. Increased use of renewable energy sources and energy conservation are the twin planks of a sustainable energy supply. RE has enormous potential to meet the growing energy requirements of the increasing population of the developing world.