Potential, Recent Status and Future Scope of Solar Energy

Kusum Sonkar, Anurag Pandey, Anil Kumar Verma*

Faculty of Science and Technology, The ICFAI University, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India

 Abstract

As the world grapples with the challenges of climate change, energy security, and sustainable development, solar energy has emerged as a vital component of the global energy mix. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the potential, recent status, and future scope of solar energy in India. We begin by highlighting the vast potential of solar energy, including its abundance, zero greenhouse gas emissions, and decreasing costs. We then review the current status of solar energy, including its global installed capacity, technological advancements, and market trends. Finally, we explore the future prospects of solar energy, including emerging technologies, innovative applications, and policy frameworks that will shape its continued growth and integration into the energy landscape. Our analysis reveals that solar energy is poised to play an increasingly significant role in the transition to a low-carbon economy, and we identify key areas of research, development, and investment that will be crucial to unlocking its full potential.

Keywords: Solar energy, photovoltaic, solar cell.

Introduction: Why solar energy?

The technology that is used to collect solar energy is not new; in fact, the first attempts to collect this energy in a variety of different ways date back to the seventh century BC. The first photoelectric effect was introduced by Albert Einstein upon publication of his paper, after which he received the Nobel Prize for his research in 1921. The first silicon photovoltaic cell developed had an efficiency of 4 % which later increased to 11 %. Hoffman Electronics reached 8 % PV efficiency in 1957, then 14 % in 1958. In India in 1999, PV capacity reached 1000 MW, up from 500 kW in 1977. With technological advancements, solar energy is used in various applications [1–4].

India is the world’s second-most populous country and placed 5th position in terms of Global economy. Agriculture is the primary occupation of around 80 % of the people engaged in this sector. Since agriculture is the backbone of the country, it contributes more than 20 % of the gross domestic product (GDP) as per the data released in the year 2020–21. As a developing country with a growing population, India’s demand for energy has risen rapidly. Global primary energy production from all sources is 514 EJ (EJ exajoule 1018 J), with fossil fuels accounting for almost 80 % of total energy consumption. It is projected that global primary energy consumption will reach 800 EJ by the year 2050 [5]. Carbon emissions have increased dramatically as a result of the widespread use of fossil fuels. Currently, India is the third most greenhouse gas emitter in the World [6]. In 2016, the World Health Organization published a list of the top 25 polluted cities of the world, which included 11 Indian cities [7]. This prompted the researcher to consider an alternative to fossil fuels. Renewable energy sources are the only option for meeting energy needs while avoiding environmental damage in this era of technological advancement. Renewable energy is a source that is naturally restored over time, for example, the rising of the sun. It is defined as any energy invention that makes use of renewable sources. Sustainable energy is defined as any form of energy that meets the current energy demands while avoiding the risk of unanticipated depreciation. The use of renewable and sustainable energy sources should be encouraged because they do not harm the environment [8]. In comparison with all renewable energy sources, solar energy is the most potential sustainable renewable energy source. Solar radiations are classified into three types: direct, diffuse, and scattered. The sum of all these three radiations is called global radiation [9]. Tropical and sub-tropical regions receive a large amount of solar radiation. India, a tropical country, is blessed with intense sunshine with only minor variations during the daytime. It received energy at a rate of 4–7 kW/m2- day during its three hundred (300) sunny days per year [7].

Importance of solar energy

The entire world is driven by conventional fossil fuels such as coal, gasoline, diesel, natural gas, and so on. As fossil fuels are convenient to use, they also have their consequences. Combustion of fossil fuels re- leases harmful NOX, SOX, and COX gases, posing a threat to the environment and human health. Recent population growth has increased fuel demand. Due the increased use of fossil fuels, environmental contamination has reached alarming levels. These causing effects are known as Global Warming. CO2 emission from the oxidation of fossil fuels is the main cause of global warming which is bad for the environment. So, to overcome global warming, we need to decrease the CO2 level and other toxic gases in the environment. The most effective way to accomplish this is to increase the use of renewable energy as a power source. In the renewable energy sector, solar power is the best alternative energy source because it has no harmful effect on the surrounding environment [10]. Solar energy has the potential to meet energy demands in terms of sustainability and quality. The solar energy that falls on Earth’s continents is more than 200 times greater than the annual total commercial power currently consumed by humans [11]. Solar energy can be produced simply by using PV cells, which are made of semiconductors and can store energy in batteries for further use in various operations. Many industries, schools, offices, and agricultural sectors generate electricity using solar energy.

Current status of solar energy utilization in India

For every developing country, electricity is critical to economic growth, industrialization, and urbanization [12]. India ranks 3rd in Asia and 4th in the Globe in terms of electricity generation from solar energy. The depletion and high cost of fossil fuels compel scientists to find an alternative source of electricity generation. Renewable energy technology is the best alternative source to fulfill India’s energy requirements. In India it is about 5 quadrillion kWh per year of energy is incident with daily global radiation of around 4–7 kWh/m2-day [13]. According to the data given by the MNRE, it is estimated that about 750 GW of solar power can be generated by installing PV cells on wasteland available in India [14]. Generally, solar energy can be converted into electricity in two ways: photovoltaic and concentrated solar power. Photovoltaic cells, in particular, are more commonly installed in India due to their lower installation costs when compared to concentrated solar power.

The government had installed 20 GW solar power generations at end of the year 2017. According to the report of MNRE-GEF-UNIDO, India has made rapid progress in renewable energy deployment, increasing installed capacity from 3.5 GW in 2002 to around 80.4 GW (excluding big hydro) in June 2019 [15]. During the last 6 years, solar has been the largest contributor of installed renewable energy increasing from 1 % to 38 %. The government of India has targeted around 150 GW renewable energy implementation by 2022 including solar energy (100 GW), wind energy (60 GW), biomass (10 GW), and hydropower (5 GW) schemes (MNRE-GEF-UNIDO report). As there is a rise in demand for electricity, the government has formulated several state-level policies in terms of important power plants which are provided in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1.  Important solar power plants and their locations in India (MNRE).

Solar power integration and harnessing techniques

Solar power integration typically involves the development of equipment and methods that make it possible for the available solar energy to be incorporated into the system that controls the distribution of electricity while maintaining grid performance, stability, and safety. The following critical components are required for successful solar energy integration from solar system to the electrical grid system: Solar Panels, Inverter, Electricity meter, An AC breaker, cables, safety switches and electricity grid [16].

There are two primary technologies for harnessing solar energy:

1. Photovoltaics (PV)

2. Solar Thermal Concentrators (STC) or

    Thermal Power Concentrators (TPC)

Photovoltaic

A PV solar system typically includes a grid and combinations of PV panels, a load controller, a DC to AC inverter, a power meter, a circuit breaker, and, notably, an array of batteries, depending on system size. PV solar systems have shown promising results in a variety of applications, particularly those that are off the grid [17–23]. Fig. 2 depicts the schematic arrangement of the PV solar system. The PV panels produce a DC output that is controlled by the charge controller and stored in a battery. When necessary, the energy stored in the battery is converted to alternating current via an inverter (DC/AC) for AC charging or directly to power DC loads. A power meter is a device that records and measures the amount of electricity that flows to a load [24, 25]. Fig. 3 showed different types of PV technologies used in solar system.

The Indian PV sector now consists of nine firms that manufacture solar cells, 23 companies that manufacture modules and approximately 60 companies that provide system integration services. A manufacturing capability of around 2 million silicon wafers per year is also available. Because solar PV systems cannot emit greenhouse gases (GHGs) or other pollutants like SO2 and nitrogen during operation, it is expected to 4600 GW of installed PV system would prevent more than 4 GT of CO2 emissions per year by 2050 [29]. Currently, the largest PV plant is located in the Kurnool Ultra Mega Solar Park in India with 1000 MW capacity [14].

Solar concentrators

Solar energy can also be harvested by using a solar concentrator. Solar concentrators harness solar energy in two technological modes: (i) Point focusing technology (PFT), (ii) line focusing technology (LFT). PFT involves the use of parabolic dish or solar tower. Whereas LFT involves the use of Parabolic Trough Collector (PTC), Compound Parabolic Collector (CPC), or Linear Fresnel Lens. These concentrators are mainly used for high-temperature applications and solar thermal operations capable of generating large amounts of electricity. A solar concentrator collects sunlight from a vast region and concentrates it into a small receiver. Solar concentrators are one of the best practices to generate electricity while using fewer resources and spending less money. Generally, materials used for the manufacturing of the solar concentrators are plastics and glass mirrors which results in a lower cost when compared to PV. Solar concentrators also reduce the dependency on silicon and increase cell efficiency by increasing the intensity of solar irradiance [27, 28].

Emerging photovoltaic technologies

Photovoltaic cells can be categorized by four main generations: first, second, third, and fourth generation Now a days third and fourth generations are emerging photovoltaic technologies such as organic solar cells, dye-sensitized solar cells, quantum dots solar cells, and perovskite solar cells are currently under research and development, opening up new research fields of application due to their lightweight and flexible design and low-cost production [29-33].

Fig. 2. Solar Energy Utilization.

Fig. 3. Photovoltaic technologies.

Social and environmental impact of solar energy technology

In order to validate the practicality of deploying the solar system, general ways such as social, economic, and environmental aspects of solar energy technologies are investigated.

Environmental impact

The use of fossil fuels, nuclear power, and other energy sources has a negative environmental impact. Solar energy is infinite and renewable and can help communities deal with fossil fuel price instability. Unreliable power and energy supply threatens human health. Most activities require cheap and enough electricity for effective processes [34]. Solar panels are pollution-free, easy to install anyplace in the sun, low- maintenance, easy to use, and long-lasting. When their functional life ends, these cells must be discarded properly. Burning fossil fuels releases 21.3 billion metric tonnes of CO2 annually. 50 MW solar power plants can reduce 80,000 tons of CO2 per year [35].

 Social impact

During the manufacturing and installation of solar technologies, some employment will be generated which also show positive social impacts. Rural communities rely heavily on household energy for cooking, lighting, space and water heating, etc. Village lighting promotes nighttime safety and productivity. Electricity has given societies education, entertainment, and information. Rural kerosene consumption in India creates 6.5 million tons of CO2 per year. Electricity might save 35 MT CO2 annually by replacing kerosene lights [36]. In under developed countries, 89 million individuals can afford solar illumination [37]. Off-grid solar power systems may be employed in remote locations where grid connectivity is not viable or cost-effective. Productivity increases life quality and wealth. 85 percent of the 1.3 billion people in developing countries without electricity live in low-income, rural, or isolated locations. This hurts any country’s economy. Due to their many benefits and low cost, solar panels are gaining popularity Worldwide. By 2030, oil is expected to produce 16,604.65 million tons of energy and be used 16,631.56 million tons [38]. The results showed that energy generation is less than consumption, leading to depletion. Some researchers have linked fossil fuel depletion to climate change.

Challenges and limitations

The consumption of fossil fuels cannot be reduced due to the high energy demand caused by overpopulation. Additionally, for agricultural needs and household appliances, a large chunk of our rural area still lacks power. Solar energy has the potential to play a significant role in resolving this issue.

The main concern in the development of solar energy is the high price and low efficiency of solar-related technologies. Furthermore, unlike fossil fuel technologies, the output of the solar energy technology systems is influenced by location and weather conditions. Though this technology is gaining popularity throughout the Globe and the implementation is now accelerating in India. The impact of radiation intensity due to the topological and seasonal diversity associated with solar technology can be overcome. Till date, this technology is required high capital investment, but it can be compensated due to least economic burden of the running cost in long-term solar project evaluation. The deployment of solar energy technologies is being deliberated due to lack of organizational funding for primary stage exploration. In many developing countries, there is a scarcity of specific training for solar energy technologies in vocational schools, universities, technical training, and labor centers. Apart from these, the installation of solar energy setup requires power-wise space due to which the space used may face competition to be used for even more purposes. The quantity of space needed for utility-scale solar power facilities. At pre- sent, India needs about 1 km2 space to generate every 20–60 MW of solar energy which is burdening the availability of space in India. India is now ranked 7th in the world for solar photovoltaic (PV) cell production and ranked 9th in solar thermal systems, trailing only Japan, China, and the United States. To maximize space use in India, which has a population of over 132 million, scientists came up with a solution. The new design uses solar tree panels on roofs, reducing civil building costs. India’s populous cities use these designs. It can be scaled up for local sustainable energy needs [39, 40].

Conclusion

Renewable and sustainable solar energy has high impact, and it is an effective substitute of conventional fossil fuels. Its use mitigates CO2 emission and greener option to overcome the Global warming threat. Presently India generating more than 100 GW solar power, and scope for generating 750 GW solar power through PV cells if appropriate cost- economic technologies available in near future. The present review explains the use and importance of solar energy in various agricultural applications such as water pumping, refrigeration, distillation, desalination, drying, and so on. The solar energy used for the above applications are proved most efficient as compared to the conventional powered source. The main goal of this summary is clearly narrated the various applications that can help farmers to earn high income at low input cost of energy; researchers for conducting and developing further experiments and technologies to improve the efficiency of the solar energy-based technologies, and the cost-effectiveness of the presently available technologies; finally, industrialists for production and deployment of the technologies at ground level. The greater potential of solar energy technologies should be developed for better utilization of solar power for agricultural activities to minimize the dependency on the fossil fuels-based energy. Finally, it concluded that, despite various technologies are available for agricultural activities in front of farmers, still substantial gap has been observed in the purchasing and adaptation of solar energy-based technologies by Indian farmers because the technical knowledge, satisfaction level and purchasing capacity of farmers is not up to the mark, and these factors need substantial improvement. Majorly, there is a need to develop low-cost solar   energy-based   technologies   for   using   in   agricultural   sector. Finally, the researchers, technologists and policy makers sincerely efforts are needed to minimize the capital cost for successful implementation of solar energy in various sector.

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