Mission
Solar-is is an educational and direct engagement campaign aimed an increasing the presence and awareness of solar power and solar energy in communities across India. Ultimately, we aim to provide energy to low income communities through solar energy.
“Creative adaptability is the key to successful conservation.”
Solar Power in India
Solar power in India is a fast developing industry. The country's solar installed capacity reached 26 GW as of 30 September 2018. India aims to attain a solar power capacity of 100 GW by 2022 (India’s total peak electricity demand in 2017-18 was 164 GW and is expected to be 235 GW by 2021-22). This involves building more than four times the existing capacity in four years. If all goes according to plan, solar will account for three-fourths of the planned renewable energy capacity of 175 GW by 2022.
Given the general temperature, as well as the presence of approximately 80% ‘sunny days’ a year, the calculated solar energy incidence on India's land area is about 5000 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year. This means that the solar energy available in a single year in the country, exceeds the possible energy output of all of fossil fuel energy reserves in India!
Alternative Energy in Low Income Communities
Historically, participation in the solar economy has primarily been enjoyed by homeowners and large corporations in high socio-economic standing. Solar power in India is a fast developing industry. The country's solar installed capacity reached 26 GW as of 30 September 2018.
Low-income households often have an “energy burden” much higher than higher-income households, where “energy burden” is the percentage of income a family spends on energy.
While the initial costs of solar panels are high, it has been illustrated that the potential savings from solar are significant enough that households that use solar energy soon make the money back in electricity savings. The government in India is also keen to encourage the use of solar energy, and has therefore set up several schemes to do so, including net metering and subsidy offerings.