a study about solar energy adoptation in india and future of india as a renewable energy .

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CHAPTER – 1
A study on customer awareness and attitude towards solar products
INTRODUCTION
EVOLUTION OF SOLAR ENERGY
Human civilization has been witnessing a gradual shift towards cleaner fuels-from
wood to coal, from coal to oil, from oil to natural gas; renewable are the present
demand. With the fluctuating high cost of petroleum, minimizing dependence on
importing conventional energy resources, stewardship to protect
The Planet and providing affordable energy to all, countries including India have
stepped up their energy path for harnessing indigenous renewable resources.
Energy is an essential element in human life. A secure, sufficient and accessible
supply of energy is very crucial for the sustainability of modern societies. The
demand for the provision of energy is increasing worldwide and will continue to
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rise as developing nations reach developed status and developed nations maintain
their modernization trends. Most predictions provide for the energy consumption
growth of developed nations compounding at around 1% a year; however, for
developing nations, consumption presently compound at over 5% a year.
Energy systems presently in use across the world can be classified into three main
areas: fossil fuels, nuclear power and renewable. Fossil fuels in their crude form,
i.e. wood and coal have traditionally been an extensive energy resource. More
refined forms of fossil fuels, oil and gas, are still the dominant energy medium in
the world. Nuclear power due to a number of reasons is not accessible to the vast
majority of the world and has found its application only within developed
countries. Renewable energy resources as compared, on the other hand, are easily
accessible to mankind around the world.
Renewable are not only available in a wide range, i.e. solar, wind, biomass and
wave energies but are also abundant in nature. The present energy situation, led by
fossil fuels, has two major concerns namely, environmental impacts and depletion
of resources. During energy use, varied stresses are created on the natural
environment, some of which have global implications like the global warming,
while others cause local impacts such as their effect on human health and ecology.
Coal exploration and mining causes land degradation through subsidence and mine
fires. The impact of mining on forest areas is of particular concern. Similarly, with
onshore oil and gas production drilling waste fluids, drilling waste solids, produced
water and volatile organics exhibit the potential to contaminate surrounding water
bodies. Nuclear power has also serious reservations due to its associated
radioactive emissions. Renewable energy sources, being clean and environment
friendly, have a clear edge over the rest of energy systems. Fossil fuel reserves are
diminishing rapidly across the world.

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India’s population is expected to reach 2289 million by the year 2051 . Huge
population and development activities are assumed to increase India’s energy
demand tremendously over the coming years. This work presents the energy
scenario of India in terms of its total energy demand and supply and its context
within the world community.
The renewable energy prospects of India have been highlighted herein.
Furthermore, prospects ofsolar hydrogen to be used, to meet the energy demand of
six major energy consuming Indian conurbations: Chennai, Delhi, Jodhpur,
Kolkata, Mumbai and
Trivandrum.
Government of India launched Jawaharlal Nehru national solar mission (inns) on
11th January 2010, as of it mission under national action plan on climate
change(napcc-2008).the program was inaugurated by former prime minister
manmohan Singh on 11 January 2010 with a target of 20gw by 2022 which was
later increased to 100 gw by the narendra modi government in the 2015 union
budget of india.india increased its solar power generation capacity by nearly 5
times from 2650 mw on 26 may 2014 to 12,288.83 mw on 31 march 2017.the
country added 5,525.98 mw in 2016-2017,the highest of any year.

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WHAT ARE THE ITEMS NEEDED TO MAKE A SOLAR PANEL
SYSTEM?
Solar panel systems require more components than just a set of solar panels. While
you can theoretically wire your panels straight to the device you wish to power,
this may fail to power some or all of your devices. To set up a stable and flexible
solar power system, you need solar panels, a charge controller, a battery and a
power inverter.
SOLAR PENAL
Solar panels, also known as modules, contain photovoltaic cells made from silicon
that transform incoming sunlight into electricity rather than heat. (”Photovoltaic”
means electricity from light — photo = light, voltaic = electricity.)
Solar photovoltaic cells consist of a positive and a negative film of silicon placed
under a thin slice of glass. As the photons of the sunlight beat down upon these
cells, they knock the electrons off the silicon. The negatively-charged free
electrons are preferentially attracted to one side of the silicon cell, which creates an
electric voltage that can be collected and channeled. This current is gathered
by wiring the individual solar panels together in series to form a solar photovoltaic
array. Depending on the size of the installation, multiple strings of solar
photovoltaic array cables terminate in one electrical box, called a fused array
combiner. Contained within the combiner box are fuses designed to protect the
individual module cables, as well as the connections that deliver power to the
inverter. The electricity produced at this stage is DC (direct current) and must be
converted to AC (alternating current) suitable for use in your home or business.
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SOLAR CELLS
The solar cells are the foundation of any solar power system. A collection of
individual solar cells comprise a solar panel. Each cell creates electrical energy
when exposed to light. Depending on the nature of the connections between your
solar cells, your solar panel system can achieve a number of different combinations
of volt and ampere ratings. Consequently, your solar panels can have a number of
different power output ratings. If you have a number of different solar panels, you
may need to combine their outputs with a combiner box.
CHARGE CONTROLLER
The power output of a solar panel system fluctuates depending on the amount of
sunlight it receives. Because the sun moves across the sky over the course of a day,
panels output a different amount of power throughout the day. When cells receive
no sunlight, they output no power. If you power a device directly from a solar
panel, the device may not receive enough power to sustain operation. Therefore,
the power must be stored in a battery. However, before it goes to a battery, it
should travel through a charge controller. The charge controller is a device that
regulates the power coming from the solar panels with the right voltage and current
to the battery. This is important for safe and efficient battery charging.
BATTERY
Power from a charge controller travels to a battery for storage. A battery stores the
power from your solar power system based on its amp hour rating. Amp hours
denote the amount of amps of current that a battery could output in one hour before
needing a charge. Typically, a solar power battery is not discharged quickly over
the course of an hour, but slowly over the course of a number of hours. Many amp

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hour ratings assume a 20-hour discharge time. For example, a 160 amp hour
battery might be used to output 8 amps of current for 20 hours.
INVERTER
Batteries and solar cells provide direct current power, or DC. This means that the
current flows in one direction. However, many electrical devices and systems
require alternating current power, or AC. For example, the electrical outlets in a
typical house provide alternating current. For this reason, a versatile solar panel
system will have a power inverter that converts the DC power from the battery or
solar panels to AC power suitable for the electrical makeup of a house.
GRID-TIED SYSTEMS
In some circumstances, it may be desirable to tie your solar panel system to a
nearby power grid. In this case, your solar power is fed directly to the power grid
and your home uses that power. Typically, you are billed for the difference
between the power you use and the power you produce. Therefore, you can
potentially make money if you use less power than your system produces. In a
grid-tied system, a battery is optional. Therefore, a charge controller is optional.
You may wish to have a battery and charge controller in the event of power grid
failure. This way, you can still power your home.
Solar power is arguably the cleanest, most reliable form of renewable
energy available, and it can be used in several forms to help power your home or
business. Solar-powered photovoltaic (PV) panels convert the sun's rays into
electricity by exciting electrons in silicon cells using the photons of light from the
sun. This electricity can then be used to supply renewable energy to your home or
business.

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To understand this process further, let’s look at the solar energy components that
make up a complete solar power system.
THE ROOF SYSTEM
In most solar systems, solar panels are placed on the roof. An ideal site will
have no shade on the panels, especially during the prime sunlight hours of 9 a.m. to
3 p.m.; a south-facing installation will usually provide the optimum potential for
your system, but other orientations may provide sufficient production. Trees or
other factors that cause shading during the day will cause significant decreases to
power production. The importance of shading and efficiency cannot be overstated.
In a solar panel, if even just one of its 36 cells is shaded, power production will
be reduced by more than half. Experienced installation contractors such as NW
Wind & Solar use a device called a Solar Pathfinder to carefully identify potential
areas of shading prior to installation.
Not every roof has the correct orientation or angle of inclination to take advantage
of the sun's energy. Some systems are designed with pivoting panels that track the
sun in its journey across the sky. Non-tracking PV systems should be inclined at an
angle equal to the site’s latitude to absorb the maximum amount of energy year-
round. Alternate orientations and/or inclinations may be used to optimize energy
production for particular times of day or for specific seasons of the year.
NET METER
In a solar electric system that is also tied to the utility grid, the DC power from the
solar array is converted into 120/240 volt AC power and fed directly into the utility
power distribution system of the building. The power is “net metered,” which
means it reduces demand for power from the utility when the solar array is
generating electricity – thus lowering the utility bill. These grid-tied systems

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automatically shut off if utility power goes offline, protecting workers from power
being back fed into the grid during an outage. These types of solar-powered
electric systems are known as “on grid” or “battery-less” and make up
approximately 98% of the solar power systems being installed today.
A solar cell is a sandwich of n-type silicon (blue) and p-type silicon (red). It
generates electricity by using sunlight to make electrons hop across the junction
between the different flavors of silicon:
1. When sunlight shines on the cell, photons (light particles) bombard the
upper surface.
2. The photons (yellow blobs) carry their energy down through the cell.
3. The photons give up their energy to electrons (green blobs) in the lower, p-
type layer.
4. The electrons use this energy to jump across the barrier into the upper, n-
type layer and escape out into the circuit.
5. Flowing around the circuit, the electrons make the lamp light up.

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TYPES OF SOLAR SYSTEM INSTALLATION BASED ON POWER
CONNECTION
A. ON-GRID OR GRID-TIED SOLAR POWER SYSTEM
In on-grid or grid-tied type of solar system, the solar power generation system is
connected to the electric utility grid.
 When the consumption of power generated from solar exceeds that of
produced solar electricity, home owners can then use traditional utility
power source or the grid.
 When solar power production is more than the consumption, then the excess
solar electricity can be sold back to the utility company, thus making profit
from selling the power. This process is called as net-metering.
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ADVANTAGES OF GRID-CONNECTED SOLAR POWER
INSTALLATION
 Generates passive income through the facility to export excess electricity to
the utility company.
 Easier solar installation and ensures electricity even with lower solar power
generation capacity.
B. OFF-GRID SOLAR POWER SYSTEM

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In the off-grid solar power system type, the PV system is completely disconnected
from the utility power grid. Storage batteries are required to generate and store
power from sun, and use when required.
The excess power generated is only stored in the batteries and cannot be
transported back to the utility companies like the grid connection. For prolonged
excess power demand, electricity generators can be used as a power source to
match up with the requirements.
Benefits of off-grid solar power installation
• Brings power to the remote areas, where traditional grid connection is not
reachable.
• Uninterrupted power supply, even during power cuts.
2. TYPES OF SOLAR SYSTEM INSTALLATION BASED ON PANEL
MOUNTING STRUCTURE
A. FLAT ROOF SOLAR INSTALLATION
This is the simplest method of INSTALLATION OF SOLAR PANELS on the roof
of the residential or commercial buildings. Flat roof solar PV system installation
provides flexibility for orienting the solar panels at specific angle to get the
maximum exposure to the sun.
The solar panels are held together using any of the following THREE techniques-
• BALLASTS OR WEIGHTS: These are suitable in low wind zones. Instead
of bolting the solar panels on the roof, weights are used to hold them in an array.

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• BALLASTS OR WEIGHTS: These are suitable in low wind zones. Instead
of bolting the solar panels on the roof, weights are used to hold them in an array.
• MECHANICAL ATTACHMENT: Solar panels are mounted on the roof
using metal beams. The metal structures can sustain the solar array positions even
in windy zones.
• HYBRID MOUNT: This technique uses both ballasts and beam to hold the
panels together and cling to the roof.

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B. PITCHED ROOF SOLAR INSTALLATION
This type of solar power installation is made on the angular roof. This technique is
complex because the solar panels need to be held intact in the inclined surface of
the roof.

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C. GROUND-MOUNT SOLAR INSTALLATION
Some buildings are not suitable for installation of solar panels because of their
location, sun exposure areas, etc. In such cases, where the land area is sufficient,
ground-mounting of solar panels can be done. This installation type usually
involves metal and concrete structures to fix the solar panels on and above the
ground.

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BENEFITS OF SOLAR ENERGY
1. REDUCE YOUR ELECTRICITY BILL
The immediate benefit of it is to drastically reduce your electricity bill to zero or
near zero. Solar is a one-time investment with a guaranteed life of 25 years. With
the 25 years of Power purchase agreement between you and the state government,
while the electricity that you purchase from the local utility is month to month. In
the long run, you would be paying much more money to your utility than your
initial investment. Besom Power purchase agreement.
2. EARN MONEY
In the state of Karnataka, the ESCOMS like BESCOM, Bangalore Electricity
Supply company, are paying Rs 7.08 up to 10 kWp system, which is the maximum
that most homes need, for any excess solar energy that is exported back to the grid.
Most Utilities buy other forms of energy from other forms of energy at much lower
price, which in 2017 is around RS 3.15 IN THE STATE OF KARNATAKA. Your
investment would get IRR’s of 9% and above for smaller systems to 20% for
bigger roofs, the payback periods on your investments could be from 5 years to 9
years. CALCULATE YOUR RATE OF RETURNS AT OUR SOLAR
CALCULATOR
3. AVAIL GST BENEFITS
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Unlike most systems that are under GST (Good and Service Tax) of 12% to 28%
tax bracket, the solar rooftop generating systems are under 5% tax brackets. Solar
is a very few goods in India that comes under 5%. Apart from that, the Basic
Customs duty on imported solar cells, which is used in almost all the solar panels
manufactured in India is 0%. Check the link here for exemptions on Solar cells.
4. PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FUTURE RAISE IN TARIFF
The electricity tariff in Karnataka from 2016 to 2017 has increased from Rs. 6.90
to Rs.7.40, i.e., 7.2% for home consumers. The year preceding that the tariff
amount has increased from Rs 6.40 to Rs.6.90,i.e., 7.8%. With economic and
population growth, our dependency on energy will go up multifold and so does our
electricity tariffs. By making a one-time investment in solar, you will be hedging
against any future increase in tariff rates and reduce your exposure to volatile and
potential energy costs.
5. AVAIL ACCELERATED DEPRECIATION BENEFITS
If you are a private limited company in India, you could avail 40% accelerated
depreciation benefits today and get an immediate benefit of 13% reduction in your
overall cost of the system. TO KNOW MORE
6. INCREASE YOUR HOME VALUE
As the benefits of putting solar, today will carry forward to next 25 years. Any
solar investment on your home will immediately increase the valuation of your
home. With IRR’s of 9% and above from smaller systems to 20% on bigger
systems, the payback periods on your investments could be from 5 years to 9 years.

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7. SAVE WATER
Any thermal or nuclear power plant, heat produced by burning the fuels is used to
turn the water into steam to produce the electricity. A typical thermal power plant
uses 1800 to 3000 litres; of water for 1 MWh of energy. While a typical solar
power plant on your roof uses 75 liters to 100 liters, used for cleaning the solar
panels, to produce 1 MWh of equivalent energy. That’s 1700% more water than
what could have been used for other utilities.
8. REDUCE THE HEAT TRAP TO YOUR HOME
A study published in Solar Journal found out that the direct roof is 5 degrees
Fahrenheit cooler under solar panels than under an open terrace.
9. HELP FASTER TRANSITION TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES
The Indian government has set itself an inspirational target of selling only electric
vehicles by 2030.The transition depends on the price of batteries and the faster
adoption of renewable like Solar by the country. Imagine India without any
emission of co2 and soot that create gloom in our crowded cities like Delhi and
Bangalore. http://money.cnn.com/2017/06/03/technology/future/india-electric-
cars/index.html
10. REDUCE INDIA’S GLOBAL DEPENDENCE ON FOSSIL FUELS
Most wars of 21st century are fought for the hegemony over the fossil fuels that
run our fleet of vehicles in India. Although the cost of oil has come down in recent
past to $45 per barrel of oil, it was less than a decade ago when the international

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price of oil had reached $160 per barrel during financial crises to $72 per barrel
with Inflation adjusted. The faster we transition away from Fossil fuels, the better
we shield ourselves from any needless wars and increase in the price of oil.
11. IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE
The biggest benefit of all from going to solar is in reducing the CO2 emissions, the
leading cause of climate change. As per Inter Panel on Climate Change report
(IPCC), in order to keep the Global temperature raise up to 2 degrees C above the
pre-industrial level, the scientific community estimates that the carbon emissions
should peak by 2020 and should reduce steeply to 50% of 2020 emissions. A 1
kWp of Solar panels would reduce roughly 2 kg of CO2 per day and 18 tonnes of
CO2 over its lifetime of 25 years.
12. INCREASE GEOPOLITICAL SECURITY
Currently, India imports more than 200 million tons of petroleum products from
some of the most politically unstable parts of the world including countries like
Sudan, Syria, Iran and Nigeria. With ample solar energy, available in India
13. CREATES MANY LOCAL JOBS
Unlike other power sources like coal and hydro, which are typically installed at
MW scale remotely and shipped to your home, a solar power plant can be set up on
your home using local workforce. Whenever you set up a solar power plant, it
would be normally done by someone locally. Solar Creates Jobs within your
community.

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14. REDUCES TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTION LOSSES IN THE
GRID
Today almost 23% of electricity generated is lost in transmission and distribution.
Unlike the thermal, hydro and wind energy, solar energy could be produced on
your own roof and can be consumed within your building, thereby limiting your T
& L losses to almost zero.
15. SOLAR PROJECTS THROUGH CORPORATE SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY FUNDS
Todaya company with CSR funds has an option of choosing solar rooftop projects
to provide power in areas where no other power source is available and help
improve overall livelihood, sanitation, health and education of the entire
community.
16. REACH OUT TO YOUR GREEN CONSCIOUS CUSTOMERS
Needless to say, there are many people who are being conscious of their
consumption, energy needs and their carbon footprint. Many companies and
individuals are willing to pay a premium price to buy a product that has least
carbon footprint.
17. HELP DREAM OF 24/7 POWER SUPPLY TO INDIAN VILLAGES
On a priority basis, most of the generated power is being catered to urban and
semi-urban areas, leaving out most of the Indian Villages either in entirely dark
and partially dark, although the power used by our villages is negligible. By cities

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adopting solar today, we not only can go green but also help our government to
power up the villages where more than 60% of Indian population lives.
18. REDUCE NUCLEAR DEPENDENCY
Unlike a thermal power plant, a nuclear power plant doesn’t pollute and doesn’t
produce any greenhouse gas. However, all nuclear power plants have inherent risks
of severe nuclear reactor accidents, like the ones in Fukushima or Chernobyl that
released a massive amount of radiation in surrounding areas killing and damaging
many of the local people living in that community. Why go for Nuclear power
plants that take 7.5 years on avg to install, when a solar power plant can be
installed in a week.
19. REDUCE THE RISK OF EXTINCTION OF SPECIES
As per the fourth IPCC report, “there is 20-30% of species, assessed so far are
likely to be at increased risk of extinction if global average warming exceeds 1.5-
2.5oC”
20. INSPIRE YOUR KIDS
“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; We borrow it from our Children”.
It’s important that we inspire our kids to use the products and energy sources with
least impact on the environment so as to build a sustainable future for all.