Rooftop solar installation witnessed a tremendous growth in 2022 with sales of solar kits increasing globally to 5.2 million in the second half of the calender year, 20 per cent more than the units sold in the first six months, an official said on Wednesday.
"In the past year, we have seen tremendous uptake of solar rooftops," said Ajay Mathur, Director General, International Solar Alliance.
Data reveals that 5.2 million solar energy kits were sold globally in the second half of 2022, which is a 20 per cent increase from the first half of the year and 18 per cent higher than the previous peak in the second half of 2019," he said at the South Asia Forum for Distributed Energy (SAFDE) here.
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"This clearly shows that we have learned to value them as we go. We have also learned to value the off-grid utilisation architecture in parallel," he added.
Earlier in the day, the forum was opened by Union Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy, Chemicals and Fertilizers Bhagwant Khuba.
Over 200 international and domestic stakeholders, experts and government representatives are deliberating on decentralised solar solutions for improved energy access, resilience, and sustainable growth.
Khuba exuded confidence that the event would pave the way for meaningful discussions.
With a focus on public-private collaborations, SAFDE aims to explore innovative solutions, address challenges, and foster partnerships that can enhance energy access and stimulate economic growth in the region, particularly by driving meaningful dialogues around the future potential and continued relevance of DRE (distributed renewable energy) and weak grid markets.
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Themes of the discussions at SAFDE include in-depth conversations on productive use of renewable energy, weak grid market-based solutions, supply chain challenges, SDG goals, climate justice, carbon credits, and the role of gender in the decentralised renewables sector.
As part of the event, end-users of distributed renewable energy solutions from across India will present impact testimonials of how these technologies have positively contributed to their lives and livelihoods.
The event also features an exhibition showcasing innovative products and services by local and international firms, providing insights into the latest advancements and trends in the DRE sector.
"At SAFDE, we bring the key Indian and South Asian players in the distributed energy space together to talk about how we can improve energy access, support livelihoods, and deliver green growth even more than we do already. Since this is a very dynamic environment, it is crucial that we meet, learn from each other, and strike new partnerships," said Koen Peters, Executive Director at GOGLA, a global association for the off-grid solar energy industry.
According to GOGLA's Global Off-Grid Solar Market report, 104 million people have benefited from improved access to energy through off-grid solar energy, and close to 15 million are benefiting from improved access to appliances.
The report also noted that in the past decade, 98 million metric tonnes of CO2 emissions have been avoided through the sale of off-grid solar solutions, the equivalent of taking 26 coal-fired power plants offline for a year.
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