Power Farmers to Produce Solar Energy in Uttarakhand

UREDA has nominated 200 individual farmers to set up solar projects in the state

India: The Uttarakhand Renewable Energy Development Agency (UREDA) plans to setup solar power plants in all 13 districts of the state. Under the village-level scheme, plants between 5 KV to 500 KV in capacity, will be set up in the state of Uttarakhand. Around 200 individuals have been selected by UREDA to set up solar power generation plants on their land. 70% funds for the project will be provided by the central government, while the state government will be providing 20%. For the remaining 10%, individuals will have to take loans from bank. The selected farmers will directly supply the renewable energy to the state government at a fixed price of USD0.07 per unit.

TechSci Research depicts that India’s solar power potential within the country’s geographical limits is high as majority of the geographical area lies within the tropics. As per Census of India 2011 and Wasteland Atlas of India 2011, the total solar power capacity in the country stood at 748 GW, which is more than twice of the country’s total installed power capacity.  In 2015, the Government of India set a target of 100 GW of solar power generation in the country by 2022. Backed by favorable government measures and abundant solar resources, the solar rooftop market in India is expected to grow at a robust pace over the next five years. 

According to released report of TechSci Research, “India Solar Rooftop Market By State, By Connectivity, By End User, Competition Forecast & Opportunities, 2011 – 2021”, the solar rooftop market in India to grow at a CAGR of over 60% during 2016 - 2021. In India, the solar power market is in its developing stage, and numerous measures are being taken by the government to promote the use of solar energy in the country.