In India, a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by six companies for the construction of 4,000 MW of solar power plants. This is classified as an Ultra Mega Solar Power Project (UMSPP).
Image obtained with thanks from Tawheed Manzoor on Flickr.
That is enough to power up to 1.3 million homes (assuming that they consume an average of 3 kW). This project will be constructed in Rajasthan, India, starting with a 1 GW phase.
This a big step towards the reduction of smog emissions in India, which, in some cases, is enough to create a thick cloud of smog/smog bank which prevents people from travelling due to a lack of visibility. This smog also causes lung cancer, which costs people their lives, and also a great deal of money.
Apart from that, this solar power project would lessen the likelihood of power shortages (due to fuel shortages) in India as well. The best thing about sunlight is that you don’t have to buy it from anybody.
The presence of more clean energy in the electricity market of India is an environmental incentive for more people to adopt electric vehicles, which can also act as energy storage (due to their large battery banks), facilitating the use of surplus solar energy which otherwise would have gone to waste.
Fortunately, solar power plants automatically load follow (but to a limited extent). They generate the most electricity during the hottest afternoon hours (called peak hours by energy companies), which is when electricity demand is highest, partly due to increased air conditioner power demand.
According to PV-Tech:
‘The agreement was signed with attendance from Shri Praful Patel, Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises and the Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Farooq Abdullah.
The consortium of companies will be registered as a public enterprise under Druk Holding Investments (government investment arm of the ministry of finance), with headquarters in Delhi.’
Source: PV-Tech.
