Should developing countries like India be transitioning to green energy? Is it even feasible/practical for them to do so? Will this transition be facilitated by the developed nations? Or do they need to adopt domestic Solar Panel Manufacturing to even begin? And Doesn’t that delay the process?
If you’re trying to gauge this recent urgency being placed on becoming environmentally- conscious for businesses and countries and have a billion questions like this, keep on reading as we dig deeper into the energy revolution and answer them all.
Anyone realistically viewing commerce and globalization in the years to come, is already contemplating the absolute necessity of transitioning to green energy to continue scaling and using the natural resources. But why is it important?
The Need for Green Energy Transition
Fossils fuels have been the primary source of energy since always, and this was working for us before we realized that not only do fossils fuels take thousands of years to replenish, but they also require complex, toxic processes to harness the said energy used to power everything in the modern world. Meaning the reliance of humankind on this source of energy is wasteful and not practical in the nearing future.
This creates the demand for other renewable sources of energy that do not deplete and harm the ecosystem during extraction, otherwise called Green Energy.
For globalization to continue at the pace it is going, it has become indispensable to channel these sources such as sunlight, biomass, etc. to support industrialization and continue manufacturing. Else one of the two things may happen: Eventually shortage of fossil fuels may stop the world from progressing, or over-extraction of the same may completely devastate the environment ultimately posing a risk to human survival.
Actually, BOTH these things will DEFINITELY happen if we continue working the way we currently are. Hence, the world as a whole must transition to green energy and delay the impending doom hanging over our heads.
How can the Transition be Brought About in India?
The most viable source of green energy we have today is sunlight, and that paired with other resources needs to be harnessed to the maximum extent. Lucky for us, we’re not running out of sunlight! (hopefully!)
And so for this transition to happen, we must adapt all of our processes to operate on this energy. This means restructuring every home, business, and industry in a nation with a population of over 140 crores (1.4 billion). Understandably, this change won’t happen overnight. It is estimated by the national authorities that the country aims to reach the zero carbon emission goal by 2070, but even by that metric, India seems to fall behind.
The Ideal Approach.
Many environmental experts suggest that the fastest approach is to import Solar power panels and other products being already produced worldwide and practice nationwide installation and adaptation. This sounds great until we realize the nuances involved in any transition.
Sure, we can buy billions worth of solar products and then immediately spend another billion bucks to install those all over. Can we though?
Developing countries like India are often limited by the availability of money and resources to bring any kind of development to it. Besides a nation battling with unemployment, hunger, malnourishment, and poverty at such a large scale, is not capable of transitioning just yet.
The Practical Approach: Domestic Solar Manufacturing.
To actualize the vision of a complete transition, the nation needs to do what it does best- “Make in India”. It’s not like there’s just one solar products company, There already exist several innovative businesses in India that have recognized this disparity and are working on it. And thus, as a nation, India needs to invest more of its capital and resources to promote domestic manufacturing of solar products instead of draining millions of the taxpayers’ money down the drain in import-export duties.
This would not only significantly cut down the costs, but will also benefit the nation in terms of technological advancement and literacy. Not to forget the amount of awareness and employment a movement like this would generate, eventually also making the adaptation process easier. Adopting this will also boost the national economy and ultimately go a long way to battle problems like poverty and hunger.
Will This Delay the Plan?
Unfortunately, yes.
Choosing to manufacture in the country will inevitably slow the process down by a couple of years. Meaning it may take longer for us to achieve the goal and that could mean the environment and ecosystem will be harmed for a little longer.
So Why Still Do It?
If you think about it, the path to sustainability is never ending and requires perpetual efforts from people and authorities along the way. And in these scenarios, the best way for India to be able to progress is by giving it more time. Unless it may never fully recover from the financial repercussions of making decisions in haste.
In fact, overall, this would prove to be a better and more lasting solution as it would make the nation more independent and would lead it onto the path of development faster.
To Conclude:
The transition to green energy is the need of the hour, and for India to be able to fully transition with minimal collateral damage, strong emphasis on domestic manufacturing of solar products must be encouraged.
