Is solar power cheaper than coal?

In the last few years, the cost of gridconnected solar photovoltaic (PV) power has come down drastically. There is strong evidence from international studies that the levelized cost of solar power is on par with coal-fired power plants when the cost of externalities (greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution and ash disposal) is taken into account. A one-day workshop was held recently to explore how far these cost trends of solar and coal-fired power plants are valid in the Indian context. The workshop was targeted at various players in the power sector, such as decision-makers, bureaucrats, think-tanks, power generation and distribution companies, academic institutes and grass-root organizations

Performance of a megawatt-scale grid-connected solar photovoltaic power plant in Kolar District in Karnataka

A megawatt scale grid-connected photovoltaic power plant was commissioned on 27 December 2009 in Yalesandra in Kolar district in Karnataka. The Yalesandra plant is one among more than 20 such Megawatt size solar power plants in India during the past few years. The performance of this plant during its first year of operation has been discussed. The total electrical energy generated by the Yelasandra plant during 2010 was 3.34 million kWh. Although the performance of photovoltaic modules was good, there were problems associated with the inverters which led to reduction in energy generation. The impact of temperature variation of modules on their performance has been highlighted