In a recent post, our MD, Vani Kola discusses the potential of solar as a clean energy source to meet India’s energy requirements. She says, "Technologies such as solid-state batteries, flow batteries, and advancements in lithium-ion technology hold the potential to revolutionise energy storage. If these technologies can be widely adopted, they will transform the Indian power sector". If you're passionate about clean energy and innovation and are building in this space, we would love to hear from you. Email us at [email protected]. You can also reach out to Pranav Koshal from our investments team.
MD @ Kalaari Capital | I’m passionate and motivated to work with founders building long-term scalable businesses
India's journey with solar power began decades ago. ISRO pioneered solar technology by developing and deploying solar panels on its satellites in the 1970s. Meanwhile, Auroville showed the practical benefits of solar power on a community scale. Today, however, India finds itself at a critical crossroads: how to meet the ever-increasing energy demands of its huge population? Solar energy offers a clean, sustainable solution — and rooftop solar installations lead the charge. According to Mercom, India's cumulative rooftop solar capacity reached 10.8 GW by March this year. And the average cost of rooftop solar systems decreased for the sixth consecutive quarter by more than 6% in Q1. This is driven by several factors: 1️⃣ Financial Benefits: With the average cost of electricity for residential consumers ranging between ₹4-₹8 per kWh, rooftop solar can offer savings of up to 90% on energy costs. 2️⃣ Government Subsidies: Subsidies like the Rooftop Solar Program and the PM Kususm scheme can cover up to 40% of the project cost for residential users, making it an attractive investment. 3️⃣ Net Metering: This policy allows selling excess electricity generated by solar panels back to the grid. While not all states in India provide net metering, the ones that do have seen higher rates of solar installation. This being said, one of the biggest challenges with solar power is its intermittency — it only generates electricity during the day. This creates a mismatch between supply and demand, especially during peak evening hours. This is where advancements in battery storage technology come in. Efficient energy storage systems can bridge this gap by storing excess solar energy generated during the day and releasing it when needed, even at night. Currently, the efficiency of converting sunlight to electricity in commercial solar panels is around 20-22%. This is a significant growth from the 6% efficiency in the 1980s, but there is still room for growth. Technologies such as solid-state batteries, flow batteries, and advancements in lithium-ion technology hold the potential to revolutionize energy storage. As someone who finds this area incredibly exciting, I believe that if these technologies can be widely adopted, they will change our entire power sector. If you're passionate about clean energy and innovation, and perhaps even work in this space, please reach out to Kalaari Capital. Image source: India Today #technology #solar #energy #renewable #India