Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday launched India's ambitious solar energy mission, the centrepiece of its activities to combat climate change, which aims to generate 20,000 MW of solar power by 2022.
Some salient points of this policy are:
-To ramp up capacity of grid-connected solar power generation to 1,000 MW by 2013
-An additional 3,000 MW to be connected to the grid by 2017 through the mandatory use of renewable purchase obligation by utilities
-States buying solar power to get equivalent quantum of thermal power free
-To install 20 million solar lighting systems in rural areas by 2022
-To install 20 million square metres of solar panel
-Gradually make solar heaters compulsory
-Provide soft loans to support manufacturing capacities and reduce cost further
-Ensure effective mechanisms for certification of manufacturers of solar thermal applications