Environmental friendly solar energy in restructured Indian power sector

Renewable energy sources and technologies have potential to provide solutions to the longstanding energy problems being faced by the developing countries like India. Solar energy can be an important part of India´s plan not only to add new capacity but also to increase energy security, address environmental concerns, and lead the massive market for renewable energy. Restructuring has changed the traditional mission and mandates of power utilities in complex ways, and had large impacts on environmental, social, and political conditions for countries like India. The combination of utility restructuring, technology evolution, recent environmental policies provide the bases for renewable to progress an important energy option in near future for India. Only renewables are eligible for support from within their country of origin and count towards that Governments renewable and carbon targets, so there is urgent need to promote renewable in present Indian restructured power sector in sustainable and eco-friendly manner. In this paper, efforts have been made to summarize the availability, current status, strategies, perspectives, promotion policies, major achievements and future potentials of solar energy options in Indian restructured power sector.