Greenpeace prod for clean, solar energy

Social organisation Greenpeace on Tuesday rooted for the use of solar power, which it said could bring down household electricity bills significantly. HT reports.

Social organisation Greenpeace on Tuesday rooted for the use of solar power, which it said could bring down household electricity bills significantly.

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The NGO — taking their Switch on the Sun' campaign to the next level — released a report titled 'Rooftop Revolution: Unleashing Delhi's Solar potential' on Tuesday. Greenpeace said in the report that the city had the potential to generate around two giga-watts (GW) of solar power by using just 1.6 per cent of its roof space. The Greenpeace report was released days before the power regulator is scheduled to announce the new electricity tariff.
The report says the city has the potential to be India's first solar mega city with 2GW installed capacity by 2020.

"Rooftop revolution is not just a report but a vision to realise Delhi as a green capital powered by clean and sustainable sources of energy like solar power. The report comes at a time when the national capital is facing a serious electricity crisis and rising tariff. This report provides an alternative way. What is required is political intent to convert this vision into a reality," said Anand Prabhu Pathanjali, energy campaigner Greenpeace India.

With electricity tariff going through the roof in the last few years, solar energy was the way forward, the NGO claimed.

The report also says that in 2012 alone, power tariffs in Delhi increased by about 20 per cent and is expected to rise further by 25 per cent in the next five years. On the other hand, the cost of solar power has fallen by almost 50 per cent in the last two years.