India’s Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) is a one of its kind country level initiative that aims to help achieve the intertwined national objectives of ensuring energy security for the country and bringing about sustainable and environmentally efficient growth through large scale deployment of on-and off-grid solar power applications. With a supportive policy framework in place, the rapidly growing Indian solar industry offers immense investment opportunities.

A solar photovoltaic (SPV) lantern (Solar lantern) is a lighting system consisting of a lamp, battery and electronics, all placed in a suitable housing, made of metal or plastic or fiber glass, and a photovoltaic (PV) module. Electricity generated by PV module charges the battery. The lantern is a portable lighting device suitable for either indoor or outdoor lighting, covering a full range of 360 degrees. A lighting device which does not have omni-directional lighting will not be classified as a solar lantern in the present context.

This report published by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water & Natural Resources Defense Council presents findings and recommendations of Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission to scale grid-connected solar energy development in India.

This project, which is the first of three within the partnership programme between the business leaders’ initiative 3C (Combat Climate Change) and the Stockholm Environment Institute, has researched the development and deployment of two technologies that could play key roles in supplying electricity for a low carbon society: solar photovoltaics (PV) and carbon capture and storage (CCS). Technological change is crucial for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.

The development of an ecosystem- through economic, social, institutional arrangements- is of utmost importance in supporting technology dissemination and adequately serving the needs of a community. The National Solar Mission of India has not paid adequate attention to this aspect in its objective to promote off-grid applications of solar energy. This paper brings forward the practitioner’s perspective to highlight the barriers within the NSM guidelines, which adversely affect practical implementation.