INTERNATIONAL SOLAR ALLIANCE

• Recently, the United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) has granted Observer Status to the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
• It will help provide for regular and well-defined cooperation between the Alliance and the United Nations that would benefit global energy growth and development.
• Earlier, the fourth general assembly of the ISA was held, where a total of 108 countries participated in the assembly, including 74 member countries, 34 observer and prospective countries, 23 partner organisations and 33 special invitee organisations.

Important points:

• The ISA is an intergovernmental treaty-based organisation with a global mandate to catalyse solar growth by helping to reduce the cost of financing and technology.
• ISA is the nodal agency for implementing One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG), which seeks to transfer solar power generated in one region to feed the electricity demands of others.
• It is an Indian initiative that was launched by the Prime Minister of India and the President of France on 30th November 2015 in Paris, France on the side-lines of the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP-21), with 121 solar resource rich countries lying fully or partially between the tropic of Cancer and tropic of Capricorn as prospective members.
• 101 members, after being joined by the US.
• The Headquarters is in India with its Interim Secretariat being set up in Gurugram.
• To collectively address key common challenges to the scaling up of solar energy in ISA member countries.

New ISA Programmes:

• New ISA programmes have been launched on management of solar PV panels & battery usage waste and solar hydrogen programme.
• The new Hydrogen initiative is aimed at enabling the use of solar electricity to produce hydrogen at a more affordable rate than what is available currently (USD 5 per KG), by bringing it down to USD 2 per KG.

Solar Energy

• It is radiation from the Sun capable of producing heat, causing chemical reactions, or generating electricity.
• The total amount of solar energy incident on Earth is vastly in excess of the world’s current and anticipated energy requirements. If suitably harnessed, this highly diffused source has the potential to satisfy all future energy needs.
• Solar Energy is available throughout the day which is the peak load demand time.
• Solar energy conversion equipment have longer life and need lesser maintenance and hence provide higher energy infrastructure security.
• Low running costs & grid tie-up capital returns (Net Metering).
• Unlike conventional thermal power generation from coal, they do not cause pollution and generate clean power.
• Abundance of free solar energy in almost all parts of the country.
• No overhead wires- no transmission loss.

SOURCE: THE HINDU,THE ECONOMIC TIMES,MINT