A Comprehensive Overview of Renewable Energy Status in India - Environmental Sustainability: Role of Green Technologies - page 91

Fig. 1 Solar radiation on India (Garud and Purohit 2009 )

many schemes and incentives to support the
growth of the solar energy sector. The Government
of India has recently launched the ambitious
“Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission
(JNNSM)” which aims to promote the develop-
ment and use of solar energy for power generation
and other uses in the country (MNRE 2013 ).
India's National Action Plan on Climate Change
(2008) articulates a central role for solar power.
The Government of India's National Action Plan
on Climate Change released in mid-2008 by the
Prime Minister's Council on Climate Change
identifi es eight critical missions, one of which is
the National Solar Mission. The mission has twin
objectives—to contribute to India's long-term
energy security as well as its ecological security.
The objective of the National Solar Mission is to
establish India as a global leader in solar energy
by creating the policy conditions for its diffusion
across the country as quickly as possible. The
Mission will adopt a three-phase approach, span-
ning the remaining period of the 11th Plan and

fi rst year of the 12th Plan (up to 2012-2013) as
Phase 1, the remaining 4 years of the 12th Plan
(2013-2017) as Phase 2, and the 13th Plan
(2017-2022) as Phase 3. At the end of each plan,
and midterm during the 12th and 13th Plans,
there will be an evaluation of progress and review
of capacity and targets for subsequent phases
based on emerging cost and technology trends,
both domestic and global. The aim would be to
protect the government from subsidy exposure in
case the expected cost reduction does not materi-
alize or is more rapid than expected. The immedi-
ate aim of the mission is to focus on setting up an
enabling environment for solar technology pene-
tration in the country both at a centralized and
decentralized level. The mission includes a major
initiative for promoting rooftop solar photovol-
taic (PV) applications. The solar tariff announced
by the regulators will be applicable for such
installations. The power distribution companies
will be involved in the purchase of this power.
The mission would have a “much focused R&D