Can a New Generation of Nuclear Reactors Help Us Transition to Renewables?

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Though the shift to renewable energy sources was already underway, the pandemic has reinforced the need to speed up the transition. In a bid to attain its renewable energy targets, during the UN Climate Action Summit held in September 2020, India to 450 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030. With this ambitious revision, the National Solar Mission has been acclaimed for strengthening India’s position in decarbonizing the coal-dominated power sector, with bold steps being taken to coal-based power plants with 14 GW capacity. Additionally, a favorable market for renewable energy assures that India will achieve its of 175 GW before 2022. With a large number of renewable energy projects expected to start operation, India has already 125 GW of clean energy capacity.

300 Sunny Days

With around 300 sunny days a year and a potential 748 GW solar energy output, India is using the to harness this power. The World Bank’s 2017 highlighted India’s commitment to expanding its solar energy sector, and with on solar already down 82% over the past decade and to fall a further 66% by 2040, it should make India’s commitment to provide 24/7 electricity to its entire population by 2030 less costly. The current tariff per unit of solar electricity has reached a of 1.99 INR. Although this has created a challenge for developers to make solar projects economically viable, a power revolution is on its way.

With all its efforts, India now has the fifth-largest globally. Recently, India has announced the development of the world’s largest solar energy project with 600 MW capacity in Madhya Pradesh to be completed by 2022-23, with in-principle funding agreed with the International Finance Corporation, the World Bank and Power Grid. A further boost to India’s solar power supply is set to come from revised metering regulations on , which accounted for just 4.6 GW at the end of 2020. According to the International Energy Agency’s , the country expects an 18-fold increase in the share of solar in the national power supply by 2040 from the current level of just 4%. 

With an electrification rate of 95%, India has progressed significantly for a developing economy. The bigger challenge now is to ensure sustainability. In hopes of providing reliable, clean and affordable electricity for all, back in 2016, India an expenditure of $1 trillion by 2030. Another $845 million would be devoted to establishing transmission and distribution networks by 2040, as per estimates by the International Energy Agency. An important issue that attracted the government’s attention is the storage of solar power to address the flexibility of power systems. The government plans to expand the electricity infrastructure with three core values: safe technology, open-access technology and clean energy incentives.

The expansion of clean energy sources comes with some other potential benefits. In leading the establishment of the International Solar Alliance, India is actively encouraging 121 solar energy-rich countries to participate in the sharing of technology and finance to eliminate poverty. Poverty elimination will come with the creation of jobs in producing clean energy and affordable solar power. The industry is expected to generate around by 2022, with rooftop solar expected to be a major employer.

Around 36,000 suryamitras, or skilled solar technicians, and 1,450 solar rooftop grid engineers have been trained in 2018-19 to accommodate growing requirements. Solar energy has also proven effective in improving the quality of life in rural India, with 12,000 being distributed to farmers in Chhattisgarh state at a subsidized rate under the Ujjwala Yojna scheme in 2017, a clear step toward making clean energy more accessible.

Investing in Renewables

Policy measures like reverse bids, tax-free solar bonds, long-tenor loans and government subsidies have created a positive outlook for promoting renewable energy. Recently reported low tariffs for solar power costs are encouraging both for local and foreign investors. However, the effect of the nascent goods and services tax (GST) on investment in photovoltaics and renewable energy is still contentious. 

Before the new tax regime was launched in 2017, developers raised concerns over losing the tax exemption on the equipment used in solar projects. However, India’s Power Ministry was that the removal of tax exemptions on solar production will have no significant effect on India’s clean energy initiatives due to already low tariffs on renewable energy. Additionally, the in global coal-based power generation has reinforced the commitments to make renewables a major source of the energy supply chain.

However, according to a 2019 by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water and the International Institute for Sustainable Development, the GST regime has raised the costs of photovoltaic power generation by nearly 6% while at the same time reducing the price of generating coal power by 1.6%. While coal-based powerplants are currently running on an all-time low operating capacity of 51%, a reduction in coal prices would discourage rural populations — around 70% of India’s population live in villages — from shifting to solar power for daily needs. For most Indians, liquified petroleum gas serves as the primary source of cooking fuel. If consumers can’t get easy access to cheap solar cookers and appliances under the current GST regime, it will be difficult to expedite the extension of solar technology to the wider population. 

While marginal increases in costs will be short-term pain for manufacturers and power companies, this may also delay projects and affect the government’s National Solar Mission target. Investors will have to demand extra support from the government and banks for their existing projects. Under these circumstances, it would be interesting to see whether India receives further foreign investment. If the cost of power generation in India does rise, it would negatively affect initiatives being undertaken in past years to encourage renewable energy growth.

Last year, the Solar Power Developers Association the GST Council to reassess the tax structure of solar projects. Photovoltaic contracts include a 70:30 ratio on the valuation of goods and services that sets the tax rate at 8.9%. The solar power industry is seeking the ratio to be changed to 90:10 as 90% of the value of solar contracts is constituted by materials while 10% comes in the form of services. This would take the to 6.3% and give support to solar projects. Renewable energy players are eagerly awaiting the GST regime’s reevaluation as a much-needed step toward India achieving its sustainability targets.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect 51³Ô¹Ï’s editorial policy.

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Fast forward to 2019, and the US National Science Foundation India third when it came to publishing science and engineering articles. Despite this, the country came 52nd in the . Reaching such a low rank is an alarming sign for science education in the country.

Problems in Science Education

In India, there are two forms of schools: state-run and private. Despite separate school systems, the curriculum is decided by either the state or central governments. While science and mathematics have seen improvement over the years, they lack enough practical work.

This may be a common problem at schools worldwide — irrespective of public or private models — but it is particularly prominent at state-run schools in India. Most of these institutions are not equipped with well-managed practical science labs. There is also a shortage of science and mathematics teachers. Both state and central governments are trying hard to resolve this problem by implementing new measures. These have included the recruitment of additional teachers, guest faculty members and education fellows, but none of these have been sufficient.

The recruitment of temporary teachers often means they do not take much interest in developing teaching aids for subjects like physics or mathematics as they are only at a school for a short period of time. The appointment of dedicated employees such as education fellows for up to five years could help solve this problem.

These fellows would essentially be employed as innovation experts who are responsible for developing innovative learning aids in local languages around India. These education fellows could go on to become permanent teachers if they do their job well. At the same time, making these developed teaching aids available to other partners, such as private schools or book publishers, would help distribute the resources to a wider market.

The science curriculum should be revised regularly and kept up to date with the demands of the modern-day market, but it should also be tailored for the individual learner. It is well-known that the majority of Indians live in small villages and, therefore, science education should be village-centric. Examples from daily village life illustrating scientific principles would enable far-more effective learning than those from urban or foreign settings. Yet most science textbooks are not catered to village students, which leaves many confused with the concepts and thus affects their education.

Science books should focus more on the practical application of science laws. While explaining the laws, students must know about the practical relevance of that scientific principle. On the one hand, students should be made aware of the necessity and relevance of differential equations for automobiles, steel and power industries. On the other hand, the pure scientific application in space science and technology should also be highlighted. Such an approach would make a student develop a deeper understanding of subjects. Yet the majority of the current curriculum is outdated and lacks innovation.

Government Initiatives

Some schemes by the central government have sought to address this. The Atal Innovation Mission was introduced in 2015-16 to promote innovation and entrepreneurship culture among Indians. Likewise, the was launched to help students understand the importance of STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — subjects. This scheme provides significant monetary support of up to 1 million rupees ($13,300) to selected public and private schools.

Various forms of modern technology have been purchased by educational institutions, including drones and electronic sensors. Yet students are often only taught to assemble items that already exist by following a supplier’s instructions. Instead, they should be testing their skills by developing new, innovative models of the same concepts.

Teachers are expected to use equipment purchased under the scheme of Atal Tinkering Lab to bring out a student’s hidden ideas. For example, a drone can be used as an educational tool for such things as teaching engineering design by explaining aerodynamic models, materials selection with how to make drones lightweight, electronic circuit design and also battery selection.

Students have to be taught the importance of scientific collaboration. India needs to focus on scientific modeling in which students apply principles and learn to work together in teams. In sum, the real purpose of the Atal Lab program will only be achieved when schools adopt innovative teaching practices and make students think outside the box.

Other initiatives, such as the National Children Science Congress, the Inspire Awards and the National Science Seminar, are being organized by the central government with the support of each state. While India is taking steps in the right direction, it is high time to redevelop science education.

If India can find innovative ways in shaking up its science curriculum and the way it is taught, future generations of Indians are more likely to pursue higher education in science. In turn, India would flourish when it comes to scientific research.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect 51³Ô¹Ï’s editorial policy.

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