Andrew Dahlen
January 26, 2013
Distributed Solar Power in India
Summary
According to the International Energy Agency, 300 million Indians are without modern
electricity, which is over 20% of the global total. In August 2012, 600 million people in India
were without power when their electrical grid collapsed. This lack of energy security hinders
both human and economic development. A critical, and at times overlooked, part of the solution
is the creation of distributed, off-grid renewable energy sources within India’s poorer rural
communities.
Introducing photovoltaic cells in select Indian communities can revolutionize India’s
failed energy system. A centralized system that, as we saw this summer, is easily overburdened
and unstable. An off-grid solution can bypass many of the inefficiencies of centralized
production, and give the power directly to the communities. However, it is important to first
evaluate the economics and optimal locations to implement such systems. A geospatial analysis
taking into consideration energy demand, solar radiation, population density, and income levels
can help guide investors and policymakers to find the best locations for off-grid renewable
systems.
Geospatial Questions
1. What regions within India are best suited for photovoltaics, when considering average
annual solar radiation, population density, and economic variables?
Answering this question will guide policymakers and investors to focus their attention
toward the best-suited communities for solar generation. It will require aggregating annual solar
radiation data – to account for variations amongst the seasons – to find the most efficient
location. Secondly, overlaying this data with population density will identify the population
bases that can benefit most efficiently from solar systems. Finally, including information about
low-income communities (or regions not connected to the electricity grid) will identify the most
need for energy sources. Taken together, these factors will demonstrate the greatest need and the
greatest opportunity for solar power.
2. Are the regions in India lacking energy access mostly rural (low population density), and
therefore furthest from centralized transmission lines?
This question will require two data sets: Indian communities without access to modern
electricity sources, and a map of India’s electricity grid. I anticipate both will be difficult to
locate, but the answer will determine the main cause of inaccessibility to energy. Most articles I
have read implicitly assume these communities are rural and impoverished, but this GIS analysis
will definitively illustrate the cause for a lack of energy access for 300 million Indians.
Articles
Andrew Dahlen
January 26, 2013
1. Solar energy potential assessment using GIS, T. V. Ramachandra
http://wgbis.ces.iisc.ernet.in/biodiversity/pubs/ces_pubs/pubs_2007/theme4_38.pdf
This article guided much of my thinking for this project. The author utilizes GIS data and
analysis to identify communities most suitable for solar energy projects. Ramachandra also uses
towns’ inaccessibility to the electricity grid and economic standing as other indicators. The key
distinction, however, is that the article only focuses on one sub-district, whereas I will attempt to
examine the entire country.
2. Scope for Renewable Energy in Himachal Pradesh, India – A Study of Solar and Wind
Resource Potential, Gautham Krishnadas and Ramachandra T V
http://www.ces.iisc.ernet.in/energy/lake2010/Theme%201/gautham.pdf
This article is similar to the prior article, where one district in India is evaluated for
renewable generation. I particularly found the methodology interesting in this article, as the
authors used a 22-year average data set for solar radiation levels. The authors also cited NASA
as a source for their GIS data sets, which I will attempt to access.
3. Evaluating the potential of small-scale renewable energy options to meet rural livelihoods
needs: A GIS- and lifecycle cost-based assessment of Western China's options, John
Byrne, Aiming Zhou, Bo Shen, Kristen Hughes
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421507000547
I was interested in this article because it describes the economic benefits of off-grid
renewable energy sources for a rural community in China. The article concludes that off-grid
solutions are more efficient and economical than generators, and uses GIS analysis to identify
the best market for expanding the solar and wind systems.
4. Providing electricity access to remote areas in India: Niche areas for decentralized
electricity supply, M.R. Nounia, S.C. Mullickb, T.C. Kandpalb
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148108002127
This article is very useful for identifying the economic variables important in determining
when photovoltaic systems are most cost-effective. The authors analyzed rural towns in India,
and importantly concluded that off-grid distribution systems are more financially viable than
expanding the centralized grid. This data will provide important supplemental data to my GIS
analysis.
Data Sources
I have not found GIS data for solar radiation in India. One article cites NASA’s Surface
Meteorology and Solar Energy project, though I have not yet been able to access its data sets. I
also need to locate data sources for India’s power grid. All other data (population density,
median income) should be contained within ArcGIS.