A Study on Green House Gas Mitigation from Solar Parks in India

Renewables are playing pivotal role in promoting sustainable development. India through its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has shown its commitment on mitigating Green House Gases. In February 2015, India stated its federal mission is to achieve 175 GW of Renewable Energy based capacity by the year 2022. This paper analyses the solar capacity installed through solar parks in India, corresponding power produced with prevailing solar insolations and potential Greenhouse gas abated. The current identified 20 GW solar park project with varying solar insolation of 4 - 5 kWh/m2/day has potential to produce 37155982 MWh of solar power and mitigate 34672792 tonnes of CO2/annually. Similarly, additional 40 GW Solar park capacity being considered would generate 74311963 MWh mitigating 69345584 tonnes of CO2 annually. Better solar suitability areas would help in enhanced solar generation by 15% more as compared to moderate and low solar areas. Capacity planned through Solar Parks would help in mitigating 1.40% and 2.81% of Greenhouse gases of the total India's emissions respectively.