According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the expected investment in solar energy in India between 2012-17 is $27 billion. When the government made its plans public in 2008, the solar mission was praised by most quarters, including the likes of Greenpeace, for its boldness of vision and statement of intent. Two-and-a-half years later, a few concerns have emerged. Srinivas Krishnaswamy, director of the green NGO Vasudha Foundation, says, “One concern is the large emphasis on grid-fed solar power as opposed to decentralised, distributed solar. Fortyfive percent of our households, by the government’s own figures, are without electricity despite the country adding 32,000 MW through conventional means in the past 10 years. Why? Because grid power isn’t same as access. By focussing on off-grid solar, we have a real opportunity to electrify our villages.”.........Read More

Source: Tehelka