Air Pollution-An obstacle in the path of India’s Solar Mission

Air Pollution is undermining billions of investments made to harness solar energy in India. A recent study by a team of Indian and US scientists have measured how man-made particles floating in the air and deposited as grime on solar panels combined is seriously hindering sunlight from converting to energy. This interference is triggering a steep fall in power generation.

This intervention is making India a loss of about 3,900 MW energy, i.e. Half a dozen times the capability of its largest solar farm, a gigantic field of 2.5 million panels. These losses are a huge blow to India’s solar ambitions.

India is the third largest contributor to air pollution in the world. Hence, to bring down the carbon footprints, it is banking on solar energy to electrify homes of millions of its deprived citizens. In this solar panels are being set up in the nation at a double pace and by the close of this year, it’s believed India will pass Japan as the world’s third largest solar market. But with this striking growth comes “an exponential rise in the total amount of money lost” because of air pollution. The loss will be in billions of dollars_Prof. Mike Bergin (Duke University).

The dust has been a threat to solar projects in India for real long. In states like Gujarat and Rajasthan robotic wipers have been deployed to clean the solar panel after every sandstorm. According to the research choking smog from cars, coal plants, crop burning and trash fires are extreme sources that act as major adept to block sunlight.

Airborne particles, especially due to human bodily processes are more efficient in blocking light than dust, they get deposited onto the surface of solar panels and are tough to remove by washing. In the northern lands of India like New Delhi, the power generation is far less (almost 30 %) than its neighbouring homes. The grounds as stated by Vinay Rutagi, director of Solar Consultancy, Bridge to India is the high level of dust pollution and fog.

Though smog and dust are sickening millions across India every year and sapping solar power generation by more than 25 per cent, India’s solar sector has experienced an unprecedented boom in the past few years. Andhra Pradesh is all set to complete one of the largest solar parks that can challenge the world’s best. The costs of solar devices have become lower than coal-powered electricity.

Right away when we know air pollution is one of the largest perpetrators of health perils and also inducing a huge revenue loss policymaker must double their efforts for cleaner air.