In light of this week’s power crisis in India, our weekly review articles this week focus on the energy sector in India and the clean technology solutions available. Be sure to check out our post from earlier this year on the reality of the energy sector in India and the government’s mission to install 20 GW of solar by 2020.
“Simpa Networks offers innovative clean energy solution” by Fatimah Yasin on The Economic Times
India’s Economic Times featured our portfolio company Simpa Networks and its progressive purchase model that revolutionizes the affordability of a solar home system. The article comes at the perfect time as the overwhelming grid failure in India has made off-grid solutions more attractive than ever.
“Where to sell next-gen energy tech: India” by Katie Fehrenbacher on GigaOM
India’s demand for electricity has far outstripped its capacity; the blackout comes as no surprise and it’s clear that the country needs to turn to alternative energy sources. Fehrenbaher, who has written several GigaOM articles on solar in India (including one on Simpa Networks), advises next-gen energy startups to put India on their radar. With the Jawaharlal Nehru Solar Mission underway, the opportunity is too great to ignore.
“India’s power struggle” by Salil Tripathi on The Guardian Poverty Matters Blog
The many causes of India’s outdated, under-supplied, and ineffective power system have been highlighted this week. The grid has failed for a number of reasons: the rapidly growing gap between demand and supply, poor infrastructure, insufficient investment, uneconomic production, a poorly managed state-owned coal industry, theft, and transmission losses to name a few. Dramatic power failures like this one bring the country to halt, putting its promising economic growth at risk. Innovation is likely the only way to improve the energy situation and keep growth on track.
“India’s Solar Power Passes 1 Gigawatt Mark, As Nation Has Worst Blackout in Past Decade” by Mat McDermott on TreeHugger
Despite the bleakness of the current energy situation in India, the Jawaharlal Nehru Solar Mission hit an important milestone this summer ahead of schedule. In June, the nation reached 1.03 GW of installed solar capacity. There is a long way to go before the nation meets its goal of 20 GW, which will require heavy investment in energy infrastructure to become a reality. McDermott is optimistic that the blackout will serve as encouragement to embrace the opportunity for alternative energy sources.
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