Prospects for Electricity Access in Rural India using Solar Photo-Voltaic based Mini-Grid Systems

Prospects for Electricity Access in Rural India using Solar Photo-Voltaic based Mini-Grid Systems

Presenters: Anshuman Lath (Gram Oorja Solutions Private Limited) and Shruti Mahajan Deorah (Goldmann School of Public Policy, UC Berkeley)

Overview

Solar photovoltaic (PV) based mini-grid systems have the potential to be an environmentally friendly and sustainable long term solution for electricity access in India. However, the high upfront costs of these mini-grids present policy makers, entrepreneurs and consumers alike with difficulties in financing them. Other challenges to their implementation stem from socio-economic issues and from the lack of adequate support from government agencies. We assess the potential for deploying solar PV based mini-grids to provide on demand electricity access, beyond just lighting. We describe one very high-quality installation in detail, in operation for 20 months now, that exemplifies several of the challenges involved in providing end-to-end solutions in rural India, as well as some solutions. We review the policy measures of the Indian government in the context of scaling out such innovative solutions, and argue that government must work together with entrepreneurs to create an Energy revolution akin to the Green revolution in India in the 1970s.