Solar power is growing in India, but the technology is facing many obstacles to commercialisation, a report says.
A report published by the Energy Research Institute (ERI) says solar power in the country has more than tripled in the last four years, with the demand for power from the sun reaching 6.4 GW in 2015.
This growth is attributed to the expansion of the grid, the rapid growth in solar installations and the use of low-cost inverters and batteries to power the devices.
The study says that by 2020, the country is expected to have a total installed solar capacity of 7.7 GW.
However, it also said that, in contrast to the previous years, the cost of solar power is likely to grow significantly due to the increased use of solar energy.
Solar power plants are expected to cost more than 10 times the cost that conventional power plants.
ERI said that in 2019, solar power capacity in India amounted to 1,200 megawatts.
It said the price of solar is expected in 2020 to reach $US20/kWh.
The report says that solar power installations are likely to reach 7,600 megawatts by 2020.
It expects solar power to reach 12,200 gigawatts by 2025.
The study said that India’s demand for solar power would grow by more than 15% by 2027, to a total of 9,600 GW of installed solar power.
The Energy Research institute said that a new trend is emerging, but it has to be understood in context.
ERIC, a division of the Carnegie Institution for Science, said that there is a strong opportunity for the use solar energy, as it will reduce carbon emissions and the CO2 footprint.
ERIs report comes as India has announced a pilot scheme to sell solar power as a fuel alternative to fossil fuels in a bid to meet the countrys ambitious climate targets.