As the world grapples with the urgent need to mitigate climate change, transitioning to 100% renewable energy has become a key goal for many nations. Australia recently achieved 100% renewable power supply, marking a significant milestone in the global clean energy transition. India’s roadmap towards a similar goal presents unique challenges and opportunities. This article explores the roadmap for India, drawing insights from international experiences and analyzing various aspects, including enabling technologies, business models, market design, system operations, and present-day hurdles and enablers.

Enabling Technologies

India’s transition to 100% renewable energy will hinge on the adoption and implementation of key enabling technologies. As shown in the resources provided, the following technologies will play a critical role:

Technology	Description
Utility-scale batteries	Large-scale battery storage systems that store excess energy generated from renewable sources for use during periods of high demand or low generation.
Behind-the-meter batteries	Smaller, localized battery systems that enable consumers to store energy generated from their own solar panels, increasing energy independence.
Electric-vehicle smart charging	Intelligent charging systems that optimize the charging of electric vehicles based on grid conditions, availability of renewable energy, and user preferences.
Renewable power-to-heat	Converting renewable energy into heat, which can be stored and used later, providing a flexible way to manage energy supply and demand.
Renewable power-to-hydrogen	Producing hydrogen through electrolysis using renewable energy, which can be stored and used as a clean fuel for various applications.

India’s progress in these areas has been significant, but further investment and innovation are needed to fully integrate these technologies into the national grid.

Business Models

New business models will be crucial in driving the adoption of renewable energy and enabling the transition to 100% renewables. The provided resources highlight several promising business models:

Business Model	Description
Aggregators	Entities that pool together the energy resources of multiple consumers, providing flexibility and resilience to the grid while generating revenue for participants.
Peer-to-peer electricity trading	A decentralized model where consumers can directly trade excess energy with each other, promoting local generation and consumption of renewable energy.
Energy-as-a-service	A model where energy is provided as a managed service, often including the installation and maintenance of renewable energy systems and energy management solutions.
Community-ownership models	Cooperative structures where communities jointly own and manage renewable energy assets, ensuring local benefits and engagement.
Pay-as-you-go models	Flexible payment models that allow consumers to pay for energy services based on usage, making renewable energy more accessible to lower-income households.

India’s diverse socio-economic landscape provides fertile ground for these innovative business models, which can drive renewable energy adoption across different sectors.

Market Design

A well-designed market is essential for integrating renewable energy into the grid. The resources provided outline key elements of market design that India can adopt:

Market Design Feature	Description
Increasing time granularity in electricity markets	Introducing finer time intervals for market operations to better match supply with demand, especially as renewable energy generation is variable.
Increasing space granularity in electricity markets	Allowing for localized markets that can optimize energy use and generation at a more granular level, improving efficiency and reducing transmission losses.
Innovative ancillary services	Developing new services that support grid stability, such as frequency regulation and voltage control, which are crucial in a renewable-dominated grid.
Re-designing capacity markets	Ensuring that capacity markets incentivize the availability of renewable energy and flexible resources, such as demand response and storage, during peak periods.
Regional markets	Promoting cross-border energy trade and cooperation within regions to balance supply and demand across wider areas.

Implementing these market design features will help India efficiently integrate renewable energy into its grid, ensuring reliability and cost-effectiveness.

System Operation

Effective system operation is key to managing a grid powered by 100% renewable energy. The following system operation strategies are highlighted in the resources:

System Operation Strategy	Description
Future role of distribution system operators (DSOs)	Transitioning DSOs to active managers of distributed energy resources, enabling them to balance local supply and demand in real-time.
Cooperation between transmission and distribution system operators	Enhancing coordination between transmission and distribution networks to optimize energy flow and ensure grid stability.
Advanced forecasting of variable renewable power generation	Utilizing advanced weather forecasting and data analytics to predict renewable energy generation more accurately, enabling better grid management.
Innovative operation of pumped hydropower storage	Leveraging pumped hydropower as a flexible and reliable storage solution, capable of providing large-scale energy storage and grid services.
Virtual power lines and dynamic line rating	Using digital technologies to optimize the capacity of existing transmission infrastructure, reducing the need for new lines and enabling more renewable energy to flow through the grid.

India’s system operators will need to embrace these strategies to manage the complexities of a renewable-dominated grid, ensuring reliable and resilient energy supply.

Present-Day Hurdles & Enablers

India’s journey towards 100% renewable energy is not without challenges. The provided resources identify key hurdles and enablers:

Hurdles	Enablers
Policy Uncertainty	Firm Policy Framework (GNA, ISTS)
Access to Low-Cost Capital	100% FDI/Preferential Lending
Poor Health of Discoms	Distribution Reforms
Lack of Transmission Capacity	Strengthen Transmission Corridors
High Dependence on Imported Technology	Boost Make in India
Price Uncertainty & Barriers to Trade	Economic Tailwinds – Price Certainty/Tax Breaks

Addressing these hurdles will require coordinated efforts from the government, industry, and financial institutions. Policy stability, financial incentives, and infrastructure investments will be crucial in overcoming these challenges.

Roadmap to 100% Renewables

The final section of the roadmap outlines a phased approach to achieving 100% renewable energy in India:

Phase	Key Actions
Ideas That Make Immediate Sense	Improve energy efficiency, maximize onsite energy production (e.g., Solar PV, VAWT, Solar Heating, Heat Pumps), and promote open access for solar, wind, and hydro energy.
Next Couple of Years	Focus on energy storage solutions (e.g., Li-ion batteries, flow batteries, fuel cells, thermal batteries), virtual PPAs, and offshore wind procurement.
By 2030	Achieve distributed green hydrogen (GH2), hydrogen-to-power and hydrogen mobility, onsite waste-to-energy, and explore tidal and wave energy.

This phased approach provides a clear path forward, emphasizing both short-term and long-term actions that India can take to transition to a 100% renewable energy system.

Conclusion

India’s roadmap to 100% renewable energy is ambitious but achievable. By learning from international experiences and leveraging enabling technologies, innovative business models, well-designed markets, and effective system operations, India can overcome present-day hurdles and achieve its renewable energy goals. The phased approach outlined in this article provides a practical framework for action, ensuring that India remains on track to a sustainable and resilient energy future.