India’s Solar Power Revolution Could Have Global Effect (20,000 MW by 2022)

[jpak]

http://theenergycollective.com/energyrefuge/75773/india-s-solar-power-revolution-could-have-global-effect


India has a Solar Mission to install 20,000 MW of solar power by 2022. Solar electricity is already cheaper than electricity produced with diesel generators.

These optimistic figures from India, the second most populated country in the world, has led the New Scientist magazine to write an in-depth article about it saying that India’s solar power revolution could have a ripple effect across the globe.

Solar panel prices fell by nearly 50 percent in 2011 and now they cost just one-quarter of what they did in 2008. This is good news for a good slice of the Indian population, one quarter of which lacks access to electricity. But electricity connection is not reliable, hence the use of diesel generators as backup power, increasing India’s share of greenhouse gases.

Solar electricity has fallen to 8.78 rupees per kilowatt hour (against 17 rupees for diesel-generated power) due to falling production costs. Acording to a Bloomberg News Energy Finance specialist, solar is now cheaper than diesel wherever it’s as sunny as Spain, which includes many parts of the world such as chunks of Latin America, Africa and Asia. Analysts say that by 2015 solar electricity will be as cheap as grid electricity in half of all countries.

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[Voice for Peace]

1. WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR??????

I'm in New Mexico where it is SUN SUN SUN 95% of the time.

Where's the solar power???? I don't understand what's taking so long.
Meanwhile the sun keeps shining shining shining shining, urging its energy upon us.

[hunter]

2. Lead acid battery recycling in India is a disaster.

Until that problem is solved inexpensive solar is bad news.

India

Vietnam

http://www.okinternational.org/lead-batteries/Recycling

Without a modern battery recycling infrastructure many of these "cheaper than diesel" solar systems soon become an environmental nightmare.