Delhi To Host International Solar Festival In September

EE News Desk Jun 26, 2024

The festival aims to spotlight how solar energy uplifts communities and enables universal energy access

As per media reports, the International Solar Alliance will host its first international solar festival on 5 and 6 September in Delhi. The festival aims to highlight the role of solar energy in uplifting communities and providing universal energy access.

Bhupinder Singh Bhalla, secretary of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, stated that India aims to install 500 GW of non-fossil fuel energy capacity by 2030.

He mentioned, “Nuclear (energy) will be a small component of that goal. Around 485 GW will be from renewables, and 300 GW is targeted to be solar. That’s a huge jump. We must quadruple our solar capacity in the next six years.”

For large-scale energy generation and serving remote rural populations, solar is playing a major role. It provides reliable electricity for lighting, cooking and other appliances, particularly in rural areas, Bhalla pointed out.

Climate change is impacting us like never before, underlined Ajay Mathur, director general of International Solar Alliance. “But the opportunity has never been more profound. Solar provides us with an opportunity to be cost-effective in every single application we can think of. Be it running a cold storage or solar pumps. It benefits the unserved communities,” he said.

He understands that it can stimulate local economies and reduce energy imports while reducing emissions.

“Our hope is to have a light in every household. We have a lot of success stories also. These stories can be celebrated and shared and that is why we now have a festival,” Mathur underscored.

The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is a global intergovernmental organisation dedicated to promoting solar power adoption. Currently, it has 119 member and signatory countries.

ISA’s programs focus on setting up solar projects in countries most affected by climate change, particularly in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

ISA's mission is to unlock US$1 trillion in solar investments by 2030 while reducing the costs of technology and financing.

The ISA was conceived as a joint effort by India and France to mobilise efforts against climate change through solar energy solutions, and it was conceptualised on the sidelines of the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).