Rooftop solar, storage and EVs in India

From pv magazine India

Indian policymakers need to plan for rooftop solar+storage, as the combination is becoming increasingly cost-effective, according to a new report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (Ieefa).

Ieefa has predicted that solar+storage will be cheaper than grid supply in 2021 for most commercial and industrial (C&I) customers in India. It expects the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for a 1 MW rooftop solar system, coupled with 250 kW of energy storage, to fall to around INR 6.6 ($0.09) to INR 6.8/kWh by next year. This is less than the grid tariff for most C&I consumers and well below the cost of power produced by diesel generators.

“Policy initiatives by central and state governments are already boosting the adoption of EVs, and although slow, rooftop solar and battery uptake is increasing,” said Vibhuti Garg, an Ieefa energy economist. “What’s missing, however, is the opportunity to integrate distributed energy and therefore maximize the benefit of combining rooftop solar with small-scale storage, smart demand-responsive appliances, and EVs.”

The report suggests the technical integration of rooftop solar with storage and EVs as a priority to improve consumer and investor confidence. This covers the quality of distributed energy resource products and installations, integration into the distribution grid, and investment certainty.

To continue reading, please visit the pv magazine India website.