QUESTION 10
GS3
12.5 marks
To what factors can the recent dramatic fall in equipment cost and tariff of solar energy be attributed? What implications does the trend have for thermal power producers and related industry?
WRITE IN
9 min
200 words
What the examiner wants
Explain why solar costs and tariffs have dropped sharply and what this means for thermal power.
Attribute + ImplicationsAnswer exactly what the question asks.
Demand-wise check
- 1Factors: falling module prices (Chinese scale), better technology, cheaper finance, reverse auctions, solar parks with land and grid, policy support (JNNSM)≈35 words
- 2Thermal implications: low PLF, stranded assets, NPAs in power sector, shift to flexible/backup role≈35 words
- 3Industry: coal demand outlook, equipment makers (BHEL), jobs in coal regions - need just transition≈35 words
- 4Caveats: storage and grid integration costs, import dependence on modules≈35 words
Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.
Answer plan
Causes of fallImpact on thermal generatorsRelated industryCaveatsConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Only causes, no implications
- Ignoring intermittency and storage
Draw this
- Line graph of solar tariff decline 2010-2017
Value addition
- DataSolar tariffs fell from a CERC benchmark of Rs 17.91/kWh (2010-11) to an auction low of Rs 2.44/kWh at Bhadla in 2017.CERC; SECI/NTPC auction results
- DataNon-fossil sources reached 50% of India's installed power capacity in 2025, five years ahead of the NDC target.Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, 2025
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 17 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Aniket Ranjan · AIR 48 · Page 15 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 41 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Aniket Ranjan · AIR 48 · Page 41 ↗Same syllabus reference
Links open original public sources. MainsBuddy does not host these answer sheets.
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 9 minutes, then get it checked.