An Economic Analysis of Determining Factors of Solar Energy Consumption of Rural Household in Villupuram District of Tamil Nadu

Abstract

The economic development plans implemented since independence have necessarily required increasing amounts of energy. As a result, consumption of energy in all forms has been steadily rising all over the country. This growing consumption of energy has also resulted in the country becoming increasingly dependent on fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. Rising prices of oil, gas and coal and potential shortages in future lead to concerns about the security of energy supply needed to sustain our economic growth. Increased uses of fossil fuels have also caused environmental problems both locally and globally. Against this background, the country urgently needs to develop a sustainable path of energy development.India is gifted with rich natural and renewable resources of energy like solar, wind and biomass. India has ranked the second position for the renewable energy attractiveness index in the world. According to the statement, India continued its upward trend in the index to second position with the government's programme to build 175 GW in renewable energy generation by 2022 and to have renewable energy account for 40 per cent of installed capacity by 2040. The country has added more than 10 GW of solar in the last three years from 2.6 GW in 2014. It may be necessary to continue with subsidies in the case of socially oriented programmes to Abstract: Growing consumption of energy has also resulted in the country becoming increasingly dependent on fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. Rising prices of oil, gas and coal and potential shortages in future lead to concerns about the security of energy supply needed to sustain our economic growth. Photovoltaic converts solar energy in to electricity that can be used for myriad purposes such as lighting, pumping and generation of electricity. This study focused determinants factors for adopting solar energy in the selected villages in the study area. Based on the comprehensive energy survey 300 households in Villuppuram district, researchers present the structure of rural household solar energy consumption in the study area. The study has been conducted with pre-structured interview schedule. Present study elaborated the benefits and difficulties faced by the respondents for using solar energy in Villuppuram district.