India boosts battery storage to curb 11% summer solar curtailment
India is stepping up its battery storage game to stop wasting clean solar energy.
This summer, even with record electricity demand, 11% of solar power went unused because the grid just couldn't handle it all.
At a recent summit, Renewables Secretary Santosh Kumar Sarangi pointed out that almost 42 gigawatts of planned capacity are stuck without buyers since non-battery setups aren't as flexible.
Northern, western curtailments prompt battery pairing
States in the northern and western regions are losing out: over eight billion kilowatt-hours were wasted from April to June alone.
Plus, about 21 gigawatts worth of renewable projects have only partial access to the grid and could face even more disruptions.
That's why pairing solar with batteries is becoming a must-do to help abate the mounting curtailments of solar power that the grid is currently unable to absorb.