A System Level Framework for Evaluating High Share of Renewables in the Future Energy Mix

Keeping in view India’s recent international commitment to expand the share of renewable electricity to 40%
of total generation by 2030, this paper proposes a framework for planning and addressing the implications of high share of renewables in the energy portfolio. Of the planned capacity addition target of 175 Giga Watt (GW) for renewables, wind and solar energy sources form a predominant share of 160 GW. These sources are inherently intermittent in nature. For effective integration of these sources, a system-level framework is required to understand the impact – in terms of resource availability, land utilization, technology options, economics, evacuation infrastructure and the need for storage.

(*Deepthi Swamy is the other author of this paper.)