India Solar Market Could Hit 33.4 GW by 2022

January 3rd, 2012 by Zachary Shahan

As mentioned in my 2012 solar energy expectations yesterday, I think India’s got a good chance of shooting onto the solar power map this year. Following up on solar in India, a recent report by Bridge to India estimates that the country will have 33.4 gigawatts (GW) of solar power installed by 2022, far more than the 20 GW that are targeted by India’s National Solar Mission (NSM).

The report projects that 14.15 GW will already be on the ground in 2018, and it also projects that solar will hit grid parity in India at that time, which would make it a far more attractive energy option for those who care only about the market price of solar (not the health, environmental, and energy insecurity costs of relying on fossil fuels).

The report projects that a combination of economies of scale and technological improvements will continue to bring solar’s costs down in the coming few years.

However, the report notes that there currently isn’t enough government support for small or off-grid solar power applications. Government subsides too heavily focus on utility-scale solar PV projects.

“40 percent of the population does not have access to the grid,” says Kadampat Punnan Philip, manager of the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA). “But even the villages connected to the grid can benefit from solar power because the Indian grid is so unreliable.”

Note that solar power is cheaper than diesel in India now (according to reports last month) and some industry insiders are projecting solar costs in India will drop 40% by 2015.

Solar panels in India by fredericknoronha

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Tags: bridge to india, India, India National Solar Mission, india solar 2022, india solar energy, Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency, IREDA, Kadampat Punnan Philip, National Solar Mission, NSM, solar costs india, solar energy costs india, solar energy india, solar india, solar power costs india, solar power india

About the Author

Zachary Shahan spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as the director/chief editor. Otherwise, he's probably enthusiastically fulfilling his duties as the director/editor of Solar Love, EV Obsession, Planetsave, or Bikocity. Zach is recognized globally as a solar energy, electric car, and wind energy expert. If you would like him to speak at a related conference or event, connect with him via social media. You can connect with Zach on any popular social networking site you like. Links to all of his main social media profiles are on ZacharyShahan.com.