Renewable Energy in India: Sources, Missions and PYQs
Exam notes on renewable energy in India: solar, wind, hydro, biomass, geothermal and tidal power, the ministry and missions behind them, and climate pledges.
By GK24 Editorial Team· Published · 4 min read
Energy sources are divided into conventional and non-conventional, or in the more useful language of this chapter into non-renewable and renewable. Coal, petroleum, natural gas and nuclear fuel exist in a fixed stock and are exhausted as they are used; sunlight, wind, flowing water, biomass, the heat of the earth and the tides are replenished continuously, so they are renewable. India has pushed hard on the second group because its fossil reserves are limited, its import bill for oil is large, and its climate commitments require the electricity system to move away from coal.
Conventional sources for contrast
Coal is ranked by the proportion of carbon it contains, which decides how much heat it gives. Peat is the first and poorest stage, formed of partly decayed plant matter; lignite or brown coal comes next; bituminous coal is the widely used grade for industry and power; and anthracite is the hardest, oldest and best, with the highest carbon content and a clean, almost smokeless flame. Petroleum and natural gas complete the fossil group. The disadvantages are the same in every case: the stock is finite, the extraction damages land, and burning them releases carbon dioxide and other pollutants.
The renewable sources
| Source | How it works | Indian sites and leaders |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | Photovoltaic cells convert sunlight directly into electricity; solar thermal plants use mirrors to raise steam | Bhadla in Rajasthan, Pavagada in Karnataka, Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh |
| Wind | Moving air turns a turbine coupled to a generator | Muppandal in Tamil Nadu, Jaisalmer in Rajasthan; Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Karnataka lead |
| Hydro | Falling water drives a turbine; small hydro is defined as up to twenty-five megawatts | Himalayan rivers and the Western Ghats |
| Biomass and biogas | Agricultural residue, animal dung and municipal waste are burnt or digested to give gas and power | Sugar mill cogeneration in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh |
| Geothermal | Heat stored in rock and groundwater raises steam or warms water directly | Puga valley in Ladakh, Manikaran in Himachal Pradesh, Tattapani in Chhattisgarh |
| Tidal and wave | The rise and fall of the sea and the movement of waves drive turbines | Gulf of Khambhat and Gulf of Kachchh in Gujarat, the Sundarbans |
A geothermal plant works at a much lower temperature and pressure than a conventional coal-fired steam plant, because the heat comes from natural reservoirs rather than from a furnace, which keeps its efficiency low but its running cost and emissions very small.
The institutions
India is among the very few countries with a separate ministry for this sector. The Department of Non-Conventional Energy Sources set up in 1982 became a full ministry in 1992 and was renamed the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in 2006. Under it work the National Institute of Solar Energy at Gurugram, the National Institute of Wind Energy at Chennai and the National Institute of Bio-Energy at Kapurthala. The Solar Energy Corporation of India, set up in 2011, and the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency handle project development and financing. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency, created under the Energy Conservation Act of 2001, works on the demand side with star labelling and building codes.
Missions and commitments
The National Action Plan on Climate Change, released in 2008, contains eight national missions, of which the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, launched in January 2010, is the one most often asked about. The International Solar Alliance was launched jointly by India and France at the Paris climate conference in 2015 and has its headquarters at Gurugram in Haryana, making it the first treaty-based international organisation headquartered in India. Later programmes include PM-KUSUM of 2019 for solar pumps and grid-connected solar for farmers, the National Green Hydrogen Mission approved in 2023, and rooftop solar schemes for households. At the Glasgow climate conference in 2021 India announced the set of pledges called Panchamrit, which include reaching five hundred gigawatts of non-fossil energy capacity by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2070; the updated national contribution submitted in 2022 commits India to meeting half of its cumulative installed electric power capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030 and to cutting the emissions intensity of its economy by forty-five per cent from the level of 2005.
Why the shift matters
Renewable plants need no fuel once built, so the running cost is nearly fixed and immune to the price of imported oil and coal. They produce no carbon dioxide while generating and very little other pollution. Small units can be set up where the demand is, which suits villages far from the grid. The limitations are equally examinable: solar and wind are intermittent and need storage or a firm backup, plants take up a large area, and the initial cost is high. Hydro and tidal projects have their own environmental costs in submergence and in damage to coastal ecosystems, which is why large projects are assessed before clearance.
Exam Point of View
Questions come from four places. First, the classification itself: which source is renewable, and the ranking of coal by carbon content, where anthracite as the highest and peat as the lowest is asked again and again. Second, institutions and their locations: the ministry, the Solar Energy Corporation of India, the wind institute at Chennai, and above all the headquarters of the International Solar Alliance at Gurugram. Third, the missions and their years, especially the solar mission of 2010 and the climate action plan of 2008. Fourth, the geography of sites: Bhadla, Muppandal, Puga valley and the Gulf of Khambhat. Avoid memorising installed capacity in gigawatts, because the figure changes every quarter and question banks quote stale numbers.
Important Facts
| Ministry | Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, named so in 2006 |
|---|---|
| Highest carbon content coal | Anthracite |
| Lowest grade of coal | Peat |
| National Solar Mission | Launched in January 2010 |
| National Action Plan on Climate Change | Released in 2008, with eight missions |
| International Solar Alliance headquarters | Gurugram, Haryana |
| Solar Energy Corporation of India | Set up in 2011 under the ministry |
| Geothermal sites | Puga valley, Manikaran and Tattapani |
| Tidal energy sites | Gulf of Khambhat and Gulf of Kachchh |
| Small hydro | Projects up to twenty-five megawatts |
Practice MCQs on this topic
Which of the following types of coal has the most carbon content?
- A.Bituminous
- B.Lignite
- C.Peat
- D.Anthracite
Show answer
Anthracite is the oldest and hardest grade of coal, with the highest proportion of carbon, so it gives the most heat for its weight and burns with a clean, almost smokeless flame.
Read the full explanation →Compared to a conventional steam plant, the temperature and pressure in a geothermal plant are
- A.Comparable
- B.Much higher
- C.Higher
- D.Lower
Show answer
A geothermal plant takes steam or hot water from a natural underground reservoir, whose temperature is set by the rock and rarely approaches what a furnace can produce, so both the temperature and the pressure at the turbine are well below those of a coal-fired steam plant, and the thermal…
Read the full explanation →The headquarters of the International Solar Alliance is located at
- A.New Delhi
- B.Gurugram, Haryana
- C.Bengaluru, Karnataka
- D.Paris, France
Show answer
The alliance has its secretariat on the campus of the National Institute of Solar Energy at Gwal Pahari in Gurugram, and because it rests on a framework agreement among its members it is the first treaty-based international organisation to be headquartered in India.
Read the full explanation →The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission was launched in which year?
- A.2006
- B.2008
- C.2010
- D.2015
Show answer
The mission was launched in January 2010 as one of the eight national missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change, and its aim was to make solar power competitive by building capacity in stages and by supporting domestic manufacturing.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following is NOT a renewable source of energy?
- A.Tidal energy
- B.Natural gas
- C.Biomass
- D.Geothermal energy
Show answer
Natural gas is a fossil fuel formed over millions of years from buried organic matter; the stock is fixed, so every unit burnt is gone, and it releases carbon dioxide when burnt, although less than coal for the same heat.
Read the full explanation →The Muppandal wind farm, one of the best known in India, is located in which state?
- A.Gujarat
- B.Rajasthan
- C.Tamil Nadu
- D.Maharashtra
Show answer
Muppandal lies in the far south of the state near Kanyakumari, where the wind pushed through a break in the Western Ghats blows strongly and steadily for much of the year, and Tamil Nadu has long been among the leading wind states of the country.
Read the full explanation →Puga valley, a site known for geothermal energy potential in India, is located in
- A.Ladakh
- B.Uttarakhand
- C.Sikkim
- D.Meghalaya
Show answer
The Puga valley in eastern Ladakh carries hot springs and sulphur deposits and is the best studied geothermal field in the country, the heat coming from the young mountain building of the Himalaya.
Read the full explanation →The best potential for tidal energy in India is found in
- A.The Gulf of Khambhat and the Gulf of Kachchh
- B.The Palk Strait
- C.The Andaman Sea
- D.The Lakshadweep Sea
Show answer
Both are long, narrowing inlets on the coast of Gujarat, and such a shape funnels the incoming tide so that the difference between high and low water is large, which is exactly what a tidal power scheme needs; the Sundarbans coast is the other site usually named.
Read the full explanation →The National Action Plan on Climate Change, which contains eight national missions, was released in
- A.2005
- B.2008
- C.2012
- D.2016
Show answer
The plan set out eight missions covering solar energy, enhanced energy efficiency, sustainable habitat, water, the Himalayan ecosystem, a green India, sustainable agriculture and strategic knowledge for climate change, and every later programme in this field refers back to it.
Read the full explanation →In India, a hydro power project is classified as small hydro when its capacity is up to
- A.5 megawatts
- B.10 megawatts
- C.25 megawatts
- D.100 megawatts
Show answer
Projects of this size and below fall under the small hydro programme of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, while larger schemes are handled as conventional hydro power by the Ministry of Power.
Read the full explanation →Which ministry of the Government of India is responsible for the promotion of renewable energy?
- A.Ministry of Power
- B.Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
- C.Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
- D.Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
Show answer
It grew out of a department for non-conventional energy sources created in 1982, became a full ministry in 1992 and took its present name in 2006, and India is among the very few countries in the world to have a separate ministry devoted to this sector.
Read the full explanation →Frequently Asked Questions
Which grade of coal has the highest carbon content?
Anthracite. The order from lowest to highest is peat, lignite or brown coal, bituminous coal and anthracite. As the carbon content rises the coal becomes harder, gives more heat for the same weight and burns with less smoke, which is why anthracite is the most valued grade.
Where is the International Solar Alliance headquartered?
At Gurugram in Haryana, on the campus of the National Institute of Solar Energy. The alliance was launched jointly by India and France at the Paris climate conference in 2015 and is the first treaty-based international organisation to have its headquarters in India.
Which states lead in wind energy in India?
Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Karnataka, with Rajasthan and Maharashtra also important. The best known wind farm is at Muppandal in Tamil Nadu, near the Palghat gap, where the wind funnelled through the break in the Western Ghats is strong and steady for much of the year.
Why is renewable energy called clean energy?
Because generating electricity from sunlight, wind, water or tides releases no carbon dioxide and almost no other pollutant at the point of generation. Emissions occur only while making and transporting the equipment, which is small compared with the carbon released by burning coal or oil through the life of a plant.
What are the main limitations of solar and wind energy?
They are intermittent: the sun does not shine at night and the wind does not blow steadily, so the supply must be matched with storage or with a firm source. Both need a large area of land for a given output, and the cost of building the plant is high even though the fuel afterwards is free.
Sources
- Contemporary India II (Class X), Chapter: Minerals and Energy Resources — NCERT
- Physical Features and Resources, chapters on conventional and non-conventional energy — NCERT
