Potential of transition to the cleaner energy sources in an urban context

Abstract

Efforts to combat climate change have taken off in the last two decades, and the international community has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. Reduced global energy demand is a critical component of climate change action (Derwort, 2015). The government has raised its previous ambition to 450 GW by 2030, implying that in the next ten years, we will build as much RE capacity as we have built from all sources to date. Furthermore, by 2030, rising population, rising income levels, and fast urbanisation and industrialisation are expected to result in a 95 percent increase in electricity demand. Renewables are likely to meet at least half of this additional demand, highlighting the immense market potential. India‟s population is more than 1405 million which is growing at an annual rate of 1% (WorldOMeter). Due to the fast depletion of fossil fuel-based energy resources, India will suffer substantial energy shortages, rising energy prices, and energy insecurity in the next decades. In 2016, the residential sector in India accounted for approximately 24% of total energy consumption and more than a third of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It is expected to increase more than eightfold by 2050. To meet India's ever-increasing energy demands, the government set an ambitious goal of generating 175 GW of clean energy by 2022, with the goal of fostering and promoting renewables as a long-term alternative to carbon-emitting fossil fuels. (ReNew Foundation, 2021). Clean energy pricing have lately been identified, and India's ambitious renewable energy capacity target of 450 GW by the end of this decade has set the stage for accelerated renewable energy adoption in some Indian states. Rajasthan has one of the largest renewable energy generation capacities among Indian states, with 9.8 GW. Due to its outstanding solar potential and vast stretches of barren land, allowing frameworks for land procurement, it is a state of particular interest to renewable energy investors and developers. The purpose of this research is to look into the potential of cleaner energy sources in the residential sector. Because of its climatic conditions and high solar radiation throughout the year, Jaipur city has the greatest potential for solar energy out of any other renewable energy source. Because photovoltaics are commonly used on building roofs, this study concentrated on residential building rooftops. This study will also look at the barriers to installing solar photovoltaic hurdles on residential rooftops in order to determine the feasibility of roof area for photovoltaic application in Jaipur. As a result, this work aims to bridge the gap by determining the potential of cleaner energy sources in Jaipur's residential sector. Solar PV is one of the most widely used renewable energy technologies in buildings. This will address the current energy scenario of the study area. In this objective, both primary and secondary data are collected including socio-economic conditions, demographic pattern, occupation structure, power demand, the energy consumption pattern and the current status of power distribution companies in the city. A primary survey of forty households is being conducted, and several research questions have been asked, primarily about the willingness to switch to cleaner energy sources. The weighted overlay method is used to determine the suitability of residential land for integrating solar photovoltaic rooftop applications. In the second objective, this study zoom in on significant challenges and barriers using literature from secondary data sources that are critical to raise the solar PV roof top integration in the residential sector in the study area. And finally, in the objective three, suitable strategies are proposed and policy recommendation for integration of solar energy in the residential sector of the city. A major challenge is that users have a poor understanding of the benefits of rooftop solar. This is largely caused by the high initial capital cost of deploying the systems, particularly for residential customers. In one study of five Indian cities, nearly half of the respondents were unaware of rooftop solar technology and its application in the household context. The PV Plant generates 4207 MWh per year, with an average daily generation of 11.52 MWh. Because of the higher solar radiation in this region during the summer months, electricity generation is highest during this season. Because of the cleaner atmosphere and moderately lower temperatures during the winter months, electricity generation is also reasonably good. System and capture losses are lower in rainy months, owing to lower generation and solar radiation, which is quite low in comparison to the jaipur's dry climate. These findings suggest that solar PV is a viable renewable energy generation option for the city and, as such, should be considered as both a valuable mitigation and adaptation measure. Changes in electricity tariffs, solar PV system installation costs, and regulatory mechanisms can all have a significant impact on solar PV potential and must be considered, as they have a greater impact than projected climate changes. Furthermore, the state's current net metering institutional framework for distributed generation limits economic potential (Alberto Jos´ e Leandro Santos*, 2020). To summarise, although some obstacles will persist with installation and generation, they can be mitigated by the long-term benefits in order to reduce reliance on foreign resources and maximise financial, social, and environmental benefits (Alper Atak*, 2019).