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By Hugh Finlay
India's most ambitious solar project yet is the huge Bhadla solar park. Spread over 45 square kilometers (20 miles), it is located in the desert of Rajasthan, where temperatures are almost 50 degrees Celsius, all year around. The land is owned by the government, who were glad to give it to solar power production, as part of the government's strong determination to create as much solar power for India as possible. Courtesy of the state government, Bhadla is already connected to the power lines needed to take the electricity to nearby cities, and by the end of 2018, the solar park will be fully operational, producing 2,255 MW of electric power. Bhadla has a million solar panels, and presents a spectacular sight. The panels take on an orange color at dawn, and at dusk. Far away from habitation, with plenty of land available, Bhadla is ideal as a solar park. India has much wasteland, which can be used for such solar parks.
The clean reputation of solar power has been a big reason for India's enthusiasm for solar power. At the moment, 70% of the country's electricity is produced from burning gas or coal, a very polluting form of energy. Up until recently, gas or coal were a much cheaper way of producing power, than solar. That has changed. Growing international enthusiasm for solar power, especially from China, and improvements in solar technology, have now made solar power is as cheap as gas or coal power.
30 solar parks are being set up around the country, and more are planned, to meet the government's aim of generating 1,00,000 MW of solar power. Interestingly, about 40% of this target will be supplied by solar power from solar panels on the roofs of people's houses, in towns and cities. A solar panel can produce 300 watts of electricity. Spurred by economic growth, demand for electricity is increasing in India.
Another advantage of solar power is that it is much simpler, and quicker, to set up than other systems of energy production, such as gas or coal. A new solar park can be operational in a few years, as compared to a new gas, or coal, plant, which takes several years to become operational. Unlike other energy production systems, solar parks require little equipment. If you have solar panels, transformers, inverters and cables, you have most of what you need to produce solar power on a mass scale. Not much staff are needed to manage a solar park.
Spurred by economic growth, and the desire for everyone in its huge population to have electricity, the India is pressing forward with its energy plans.
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