The grid-connected solar energy in India: Structures and challenges

Abstract

Since Independence in 1947, the Government of India has been releasing an array of functional structures to support the growth of solar energy in the country. This paper, while unpacking and illustrating the temporal evolution of policy and institutions responsible for solar energy development, critically reviews the political economy of grid-connected solar energy in India. Findings from this study indicate that the implementation of a range of policies, programmes, and institutions, especially since the initiation of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), has been playing a prominent role in India's solar energy portfolio – building up the sector from less than 10 MW installed capacity in the 2000s to about 3000 MW in 2014. Still, solar energy is not the most popular source of renewable energy in India. The findings of this study also indicate that issues sorrounding policy, financial, and social aspects are increasingly becoming impediments to bringing a paradigm shift in the solar sector.