International Solar Alliance – A Change For The Better

Sun – the brightest shining star in the solar system is also a very valuable source of energy. It is an unlimited resource, delivering around 430 quintillions, that’s 430 billion joules of energy to earth every hour, an amount that exceeds the planet’s annual energy needs!!

As global warming is increasing at a dramatic pace, many countries are desperately trying to harness the richest source of energy – the sun. While the list of countries trying to establish a network of solar energy harnessing centers is quite big, two countries are years ahead when compared with the rest of the world. These two countries are India and France. In the year 2015, India and France jointly announced an alliance aimed at improving solar facilities around the world. This alliance is known as the International Solar Alliance(ISA).

Started with just two member nations, at present this alliance has more than 120 members. This number is set to increase dramatically in the near future.

The major obstacle that every country is facing is the cost of a solar network. Replacing the traditional sources of energy – the fuel and coal ain’t that easy. The cost of installation is simply too much to bear. This where the ISA will have to step in. Ensuring low cost and high availability of finance is the main responsibility of ISA.

The second most difficult thing is the skill for deploying such technologies. As all the instruments related to solar energy are recently made, the availability of skilled engineers is a challenge.

While every country is facing these challenges, one country which stands out for its tremendous progress in this field is INDIA. Initially, in 2016 India had kept the target of 20GW solar capacity by the year 2022. But because of the central government’s efforts and investment, the country achieved this milestone by 2018, four years ahead of schedule. India is now home to the world’s biggest solar park in the world. Bhadla Solar Park – located in Rajasthan, India, has a capacity of over 2.2 GW. Also, many other projects have been planned by the GOI.

While India is leading in this sector, we need every nation to contribute more to play an instrumental role in our new relationship with the sun!