Solar cookers which are 0.657 million in numbers and 3.12 million square meter solar water heater collector area have also been distributed or installed in India as per the mentioned date under various solar energy programmes.
The present cost of electricity generation from solar thermal and solar photovoltaic energy systems is INR13.45 and INR18.44 per unit respectively, as fixed by Central Electricity Regulatory Commission.
Solar energy systems are presently not commercially viable due to their high initial costs. Therefore, the Ministry has been providing various fiscal and financial incentives for promotion of such systems. These incentives include capital and interest subsidies.
The Ministry is also supporting research & development in this sector through academic institutions, research organizations and industry, to improve the efficiency, increase the life and reduce the costs of such systems. As a result of research and development efforts and volume production, the costs of solar energy systems are declining gradually.
