Perovskite Solar Cells and India’s Solar Energy Growth | 21 Apr 2025

Source: TH 

Why in News?  

A Nature study unveils a sustainable, water-based method for recycling Perovskite solar cells (PSCs), enhancing solar energy efficiency and supporting India’s push for greener energy. 

What are Perovskite Solar Cells? 

• About: A PSC is a type of thin-film solar cell that uses perovskite material as the light-absorbing active layer to absorb sunlight and generate electricity through the photovoltaic effect, offering high efficiency and low production costs. 
• Perovskite Material: It refers to any compound that shares the same crystal structure as the mineral perovskite (CaTiO₃).  
  • In solar technology, it typically denotes metal-halide perovskites, which are hybrid organic-inorganic materials composed of a metal cation (like lead), a halide anion (like iodide), and an organic molecule (like methylammonium).  
  • These materials are known for their excellent light absorption, charge transport properties, and tunability, making them ideal for photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications. 
• Key Concerns: PSCs contain toxic lead, posing significant environmental risks during recycling.  
  • Traditionally, recycling these cells involved harmful organic solvents like dimethylformamide, making the process even more hazardous.  
• Green Recycling of Perovskite Cells (Nature Study): The study introduced a water-based method to recycle PSCs, eliminating the need for toxic solvents like dimethylformamide.  
  • The process uses sodium acetate to extract lead safely, while sodium iodide and hypophosphorous acid help regenerate perovskite crystals.  
    • Other layers are recovered using ethanol and ethyl acetate.  
  • This method recovers 99% of materials and maintains efficiency over five cycles, promoting a circular economy and reducing environmental impact. 

What is India’s Current Solar Capacity? 

• Solar Capacity: As of April 2025, the total installed solar capacity stands at 105.65 GW.  
  • This includes 81.01 GW from ground-mounted installations, 17.02 GW from rooftop solar, 2.87 GW from solar components of hybrid projects, and 4.74 GW from off-grid systems. 
  • Solar energy accounted for 47% of India's total installed renewable energy capacity, driving the nation's renewable energy growth. 
  • India's solar module production capacity grew from 2 GW in 2014 to 60 GW in 2024, establishing the country as a global leader. It aims to reach 100 GW by 2030. 
• India’s Key Solar Initiatives:  Rooftop Solar Programme is supported by initiatives like SUPRABHA (Sustainable Partnership for RTS Acceleration in Bharat) and SRISTI (Sustainable Rooftop Implementation for Solar Transfiguration of India), aimed at accelerating RTS adoption, It saw a 53% increase in 2024 with 4.59 GW of new installations.  
  • PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSGMBY), the world’s largest domestic rooftop solar initiative, has reached a milestone of 10 lakh solar-powered homes as of 2025.  
    • The scheme offers free electricity to households by installing subsidized rooftop solar panels. 
    • The "Model Solar Village" initiative under PMSGMBY aims to establish one solar-powered village per district, promoting energy self-reliance. 
  • Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan supports farmers with subsidies for solar pumps and grid-connected plants to promote clean energy in agriculture. By 2024, 6.1 lakh pumps were installed, 35 lakh solarized, benefiting over 4 lakh farmers. 
• Leading States: Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu led the way, contributing 71% of India's total utility-scale solar installations.

What are the Major Challenges Facing the Solar Industry in India? 

• Land Acquisition Conflicts: Utility-scale solar plants require ~5 acres per MW. In a country where agriculture is the mainstay, acquiring land for solar often leads to displacement, protest (e.g., Dholera Park), and compromises on food security. 
  • Rooftop solar requires shadow-free space (~300 sq. ft for 3kW), which is not available in many urban homes or apartment complexes. 
  • Due to land acquisition delays and related implementation hurdles, the target of 40 GW rooftop solar capacity by 2022, under the 100 GW solar goal for 2030, was missed, leading to an extension of the deadline to 2026. 
  • Lack of awareness and misconceptions about cost, maintenance, and installation hinder adoption. 
• Infrastructure Deficit: India’s existing grid infrastructure, primarily designed for centralized thermal power, is ill-equipped to handle the intermittent and decentralised nature of solar energy. 
  • Transmission and distribution losses, though improved (from 23.7% in FY16 to 15.37% in FY23), still exceed the global average, posing integration hurdles. 
• Investment Constraints: Upfront installation costs, ranging from Rs 2.2 lakh to Rs 3.5 lakh for a 3–5 kW rooftop solar system, remain a significant deterrent despite government subsidies.  
  • Solar projects require substantial capital investment, which poses a barrier for small players.  
  • Additionally, credit risk in loan disbursement and recovery from low-income households continues to concern financiers. 
• Domestic Manufacturing Gaps: India heavily depends on imported solar modules and components, primarily from China, increasing vulnerability to supply chain disruptions. 
  • In 2023-24, India imported USD 7 billion worth of solar equipment, with China supplying 62.6%. 
  • Despite policies like the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, the growth of indigenous solar manufacturing is slow. 
• Environmental and Social Impacts: Large solar parks, like Bhadla (Rajasthan), threaten biodiversity, while India is set to generate 34,600 tonnes of solar waste by 2030. The lack of a recycling policy exacerbates the environmental challenge. 
• Limited Battery Storage Capacity:  Battery storage technologies are expensive and underdeveloped in India, making it hard to ensure 24x7 solar availability. 
  • India has only 20 MWh of battery storage capacity, versus a projected 74 GW requirement by 2032. 

How Can India Sustain and Accelerate Its Solar Energy Growth?

• Optimizing Land Use: With large-scale solar projects requiring significant land, integrating solar installations with agricultural activities (agrivoltaics) can optimize land use, ensuring food security while generating clean energy. 
  • Deploying solar panels on water bodies ( as seen in Kayamkulam floating solar project, Kerala and  100 MW Ramagundam Floating Solar Plant (Telangana)) can mitigate land acquisition challenges and reduce water evaporation, contributing to water conservation. 
• Grid Modernization and Energy Storage: Under the National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage there is a need to promotes scalable, cost-effective storage solutions to address solar intermittency. 
  • Integrate AI-enabled grid development with demand forecasting and real-time monitoring to improve load management. 
• DISCOM Reforms: Revamping the financial health of Distribution Companies (DISCOMs) is essential to ensure timely payments to solar power producers, thereby fostering investor confidence. 
• Circular Economy for Solar Waste: India should implement a national solar panel recycling policy in line with the E-waste Management Rules of 2022.  
  • This policy should incentivize the private sector to develop sustainable methods for managing solar waste, reducing environmental hazards, and fostering a circular economy for solar panel components. 
• Enhancing Domestic Manufacturing: Although PLI schemes have bolstered module production, it is crucial to focus on upstream segments such as polysilicon, ingots, and wafers to build a resilient solar supply chain. 
• International Collaboration: Leveraging platforms like the International Solar Alliance (ISA) can facilitate technology transfer, capacity building, and access to international funding, propelling India's solar ambitions.

Conclusion 

India’s solar energy future depends on an integrated approach that tackles technical, economic, environmental, and governance challenges. By aligning with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7, which focuses on ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all, India can achieve its domestic energy targets and become a global leader in the clean energy transition, reflecting its climate commitments and sustainable development vision.