A new Indian Solar Radiation Atlas is to be the basis for a broad expansion of solar energy in India. Within the framework of the solar mapping and monitoring project, the German Environment Ministry supported the development of the Atlas with almost two million euros.
Thanks to the support provided, India will now be able to rely on a concrete set of solar radiation data. With the Indian Solar Radiation Atlas the German Environment Ministry is supporting the Indian government’s ambitious goal to have 100 gigawatts of solar power capacity by 2022. This will also be a major contribution to India’s strategy for combating climate change.
The Atlas will facilitate both the planning and the implementation of solar energy projects for which precise solar radiation data from the Indian regions are required. These are the data made available by the Solar Atlas. Investors will thus have a decision-making tool at hand which allows them to assess the concrete benefit of photovoltaic installations or solar thermal power plants, for instance.
Over the past three years satellites and special measuring stations at more than 120 locations all over India measured solar radiation. The data compiled provide reliable information on the locations in India which are best suited for solar energy installations.
Moreover, such an Atlas - provided it maps the entire country - can provide information on the overall renewable energy potential, which can be used to formulate national goals and to shape tailor-made support tools.
The Solar Atlas is also part of the International Renewable Energy Agency’s (IRENA) Global Atlas initiative and as such an important step to globally mapping the potential for renewable energy.