India Contributed 12% to the Global Solar Generation Increase
India Contributed 12% to the Global Solar Generation Increase

Highlights:

  • 5.5% of global electricity demand was met through solar in the first half of 2023
  • India’s solar generation grew by a staggering 26% in the same period.

India met 7.1% of its domestic electricity demand through solar in the first half of 2023. Moreover, India contributed 12% of the overall global rise of solar generation during the same period. The data was shared in a new report by global energy think tank Ember.

For the study, the analysts from Ember studied the data from 78 countries that represent 92% of the global electricity demand. The team found that at the global level, solar accounted for 5.5% of the energy consumption, which was 16% (+104TWh) higher than the past year.

Moreover, the analysts state that 50 countries have set new solar generation records, including India in May. India’s solar generation grew by 26%(+12 TWh), which was above the global average. This powered half of the country’s electricity demand growth in the January to June period of 2023.

India also witnessed a significant decline in the growth of power sector emissions. Due to the increase in renewables, the growth of coal-based power generation slowed down. And, as compared to the 9.7% rise in emissions during the first half of 2022, this year the power sector’s emissions grew by only 3.7%.

Further, Ember’s analysis states that the growth of solar and wind resources has prevented an estimated 11 million tonnes of carbon emissions.

“Renewables are doing the job of slowing India’s emissions growth, which is helping to get the world to a plateau in power sector emissions,” states Neshwin Rodrigues, Ember’s India analyst.

Ember released another report in the past week stating that two-thirds of India’s power generation growth will be driven by solar and wind energy in the next decade. Moreover, the share of solar in the power mix could grow from 5% to 25% by 2032 if India meets its NEP14 targets.

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Resource: The Times of India