Solar infrastructure helps India meet record 256GW power demand

NEW DELHI: Riding on the growing contribution of solar energy to the power generation mix, India easily met its peak power demand of 256 gigawatts (GW) on Saturday, the highest single-day power demand on record, amid soaring temperatures across the country.When peak demand reached 256.1 GW at 3:38 pm, solar energy contributed nearly 57 GW, or about 22% of total power generation. Data from India’s grid controller showed that power generation from solar farms and rooftop systems rose to about 81 gigawatts at around 12:30 noon, accounting for about a third of the total power generation of 242 gigawatts, underscoring their growing importance in the power mix.

Driven by high consumption, demand on Saturday also surpassed the previous record of 252.1 GW set on April 24. The Ministry of Power expects peak demand to reach 271 GW this year.While coal plants continue to provide baseload, the contribution of non-fossil energy sources such as solar, wind, hydro and nuclear has increased significantly, officials said.In “Mann Ki Baat” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the importance of renewable energy amid global turmoil, saying solar and wind energy were key to India’s future and urging the adoption of clean energy. He also hailed the Kalpakkam fast breeder reactor reaching criticality as a “historic milestone.”Santosh Sarangi, secretary of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, said solar power generation, including rooftop systems, has been growing rapidly and plays an important role in meeting peak demand. “With the increase in the installation of battery energy storage systems, evening peak demand will also be met in the future,” he said.