Finding a spot in the Sun: International Solar Alliance

Business Standard takes a look at the UN-established partnership of solar resource rich countries

What is International Solar Alliance (ISA)?
Officially announced during UN Climate Change Conference in Paris on Nov 30, the ISA is a partnership between solar-resource-rich countries. Currently, 121 countries have agreed to be members of ISA.

Déjà vu?
During 2008-2010, Narendra Modi as the CM of Gujarat approached the then PM Manmohan Singh with a concept of Sun-Son, a group of Asia Pacific countries to come together for research and development in solar energy.

Why ISA?
As a part of its climate change commitments, India committed close to 40 per cent of its energy to come from renewable energy sources by 2022. The underlying rationale for ISA is to “ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all”, said the ISA working draft.

It also plans to increase the share of renewable energy substantially by 2030. By 2030, it envisages enhancing international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology, including renewable energy, energy efficiency and advanced and cleaner fossil-fuel technology.

India’s role
Government of India will support ISA by hosting its secretariat for an initial period of five years and thereafter it is expected to generate its own resources and become self-financed. PM Narendra Modi and French President François Hollande would inaugurate the foundation laying ceremony of this secretariat at the National Institute of Solar Energy in Gurgaon.

The total financial support by India, including cost of the land, will be Rs 400 crore, said Upendra Tripathy, secretary, ministry of new and renewable energy.

What remains to be done?
There are still no tangible targets attached to the working of the alliance. While some countries would be responsible for export of solar panels and some for cheap technology, a legal commitment by each one of them would be made subsequently.

Around $1 trillion of capital is expected to be mobilised with this partnership. Out of this, Tripathy said around $500 billion would come from corporate private sector.