Grid constraints and storage gaps limit India's solar power utilization despite record generation
By
Vaishnavi Rathore
Sesame, salt, and substance. A flagship bake.
Summary
India reached a record power demand of 270 GW during a heatwave on May 21, with solar power contributing 28% of supply. However, experts note that India struggles to fully utilize its solar generation capacity due to inadequate transmission infrastructure and energy storage systems. While coal still met 63% of peak demand, solar's potential contribution was higher but limited by grid constraints and lack of storage to handle intermittency.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledIndia registered its highest-ever power demand, of more than 270 GW.
While coal-based thermal power met almost 63% of the demand during the peak, solar power was the next biggest contributor, and supplied 28% of all power that was consumed.
The increase in solar power generation has not been accompanied by the needed push to develop transmission and storage systems, experts say.
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