Project description

Title: Solar Mapping and Monitoring
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU)
Country: India
Lead executing agency: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India
Overall term: 2010 to 2013

Context

In 2009 India announced its National Solar Mission, which set a target of adding 20 GW of power generating capacity through solar power projects by the year 2022. When designing and optimising any solar power plant, it is essential to have reliable solar radiation data. However, for a large number of interesting locations developers and investors lack the precise data they need, which makes it very difficult for them to calculate the output and economic risks involved in their solar power projects. To significantly improve the information available on various aspects of solar radiation, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has now initiated the country wide

Solar Resource Assessment Project, which involves the installation of some 50 solar radiation-cum-meteorological stations throughout India.
At present no monitoring system exists to measure the output and efficiency of existing solar power projects. The public sector is about to invest considerable funds in order to establish such a system.

Objective

Reliable data on solar radiation throughout India is being used to accelerate the planning and implementation of solar power plants. A monitoring and benchmarking system is in place, which is raising the output of existing solar power plants.

Approach

To achieve its two objectives, the project involves two main components. Firstly, it is working with the Centre for Wind Energy Technology (C-WET) – an autonomous R&D institution established by MNRE – to design and implement a system for collecting ground-based solar radiation and meteorological data. For this system, more than 50 solar radiation and meteorological measuring stations are being set up across the country. In as many as 10 of these, special high precision instruments will be used to obtain more detailed information on phenomena such as spectral distribution and aerosol concentration. All these data are to be compared and combined with satellite data in time sequences, which should enable reliable and suitably accurate predictions to be made of the relevant solar radiation at given locations (solar map). This information will help the government to develop its support programmes, and will enable project developers and investors to plan with greater security. This in turn will allow projects to be implemented faster and more effectively.

Secondly, C-WET is collecting data on the actual performance of existing solar power plants that have received state subsidies, and which operate with a capacity greater than one megawatt. With the help of the solar map this information is standardised, after which the performance of the plants is compared in a benchmarking programme. Thus it is possible to make countrywide comparisons of the efficiency of installed PV systems. The results are reported to the project operators and developers, together with observations and recommendations on how to improve the efficiency of the power plants and increase their outputs. General conclusions can also be formed about the adequacy of specific technologies and the choices of locations. This, in turn, will enhance the effectiveness of publicly-funded programmes to promote solar power projects.

A network of relevant institutions at national and regional level ensures that a holistic approach is taken in gathering and processing information. The institutions themselves receive support, and training is provided for the professional staff. The project is transferring German experiences and know-how in the field to India, through exchanges and cooperation involving relevant institutions and experts.

Results achieved so far

MNRE has already begun procurement of the 50 measuring stations. These will be installed and commissioned by mid 2011.

The ministry has appointed the Centre for Wind Energy Technology to set up and operate the surface measurement stations. Based in Chennai, C-WET is already responsible for similar activities to assess wind energy potentials. A special Solar Resource Assessment group has been established, and trained in the installation, operation and calibration of the stations.