India becomes a leader in solar

Since 1947, when she became independent, India has aspired to be a leader in the developing world. Its strategy for achieving that goal has relied on what political scientist Joseph Nye calls "soft power": exerting influence through attraction rather than aggression. India used the legacy of its nonviolent freedom movement to spread its influence abroad — particularly among newly independent colonies in Africa and Asia — during the first decades following its independence. After shifting its focus to trade liberalization with advanced economies over the past quarter-century, India today is once again trying to make inroads with developing countries, this time using solar power. This movement is an urgent one for India, one of the world’s biggest polluters. Urban areas in India are almost as polluted as those in China, which is forcing the government to analyze their best energy strategy. In 2015, India joined with France to launch the International Solar Alliance (ISA), a cooperative effort to spread the adoption of solar energy. The ISA, the first international organization headquartered India, is open to 121 countries in the sunshine-rich area between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. Together, these countries — of which 68 have joined the ISA so far — account for nearly 75 percent of the world's population but only 23 percent of global solar capacity, and most are poor states. The organization, which held its first meetings in March of this year, will afford India the opening to demonstrate its knowledge of scaling up solar power, and also to assert its leadership role in the developing world.

The big picture for India’s energy future

Stratfor’s 2018 Annual Forecast noted India's moves in renewable energy and its continued attempts to expand its influence overseas. As the country pursues its global ambitions, it is using its expertise in solar energy to project soft power in the developing world through the International Solar Alliance. Solar generation is growing fast and momentum seems to be contagious in the region. China is also beginning to get serious about solar power.

Scaling Up Together

The ISA doesn't require binding commitments of its members, nor does it aim to dispense large amounts of funding. Instead, it recognizes the challenges countries still face in adopting renewable energy. Financing the construction of solar infrastructure, for example, remains a major barrier for developing countries, accounting for up to 75 percent of total project costs in many cases. The costs of some of the technology required to generate and use solar power, such as storage technology, also is a bit much for up-and-coming states, despite a steady decline in prices. In addition, the market for solar energy in smaller states may be too limited to attract investors, and governments may struggle to differentiate among the glut of technologies and policies to find the best one for their domestic energy needs. Designs and certification standards for solar appliances relevant to rural living — like water pumps and street lights — have much room for improvement as well.

Solar power is here to stay, and the sooner you explore how much you can save, the sooner you can enjoy the benefits of residential solar power. Go to HahaSmart.com and try our price checker tool. It tells you how much solar power you need, and how much you can save.

Please visit our solar blog to find out more about the benefits of going solar.