The sunniest region in India, Ladakh is witnessing an energy transition. Natural conditions make solar power more efficient here than in other parts of the country and the shift to renewable energy is improving people’s lives in towns and villages.
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00:00Business is booming for renewable energy entrepreneur Navang Thinlas.
00:07His many employees have their hands full.
00:09Solar power is in growing demand in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
00:13For the last two years, the government in Delhi has been subsidizing
00:16solar power systems for homeowners across the country.
00:20Now, there is state support from the Ladakh government as well.
00:27I started installing the units around 20 days ago.
00:31Since then, I have installed 13 rooftop units.
00:35I am getting a lot of inquiries from customers.
00:42Customers such as homeowner Abdul Ghafoor.
00:45He bought his rooftop solar power system with the help of a subsidy of 55,000 rupees,
00:51the equivalent of almost 600 euros, around a tenth of the total costs.
00:56Switching to green energy was important to him.
00:59But in the long run, the system is going to save him money as well.
01:11For example, if we get six hours of sunlight during the day,
01:14the rooftop solar power unit generates electricity.
01:17All our appliances run on solar power.
01:20In the evening, we use electricity from the grid.
01:23Any surplus electricity generated by the solar rooftop unit is fed into the grid.
01:29We will have no electricity bills because the grid power and solar power offset each other.
01:44Ladakh is also known as the roof of the world.
01:47Even the valleys here are more than 3,000 meters above sea level.
01:51Villages are few and far between.
01:53The region, including the capital Leh, is home to a population of just 300,000.
02:02The village of Somdo, almost 200 kilometers from Leh, is located on the shores of Lake Moriri.
02:09In the past, people here relied on diesel generators and wood-burning stoves.
02:15Now their energy needs are met by this solar plant.
02:19It was paid for by the government, but locals take care of maintenance themselves.
02:23Today, it's Dolma Chering's turn.
02:26The 38-year-old mother, who runs a restaurant,
02:29spent a week learning how to repair cables and maintain batteries.
02:33She says the system has benefited the village hugely.
02:37Solar power has been a huge help, especially at night.
02:41It's clean, it doesn't cause pollution, and it's good for the environment.
02:45There are 13 houses here and around 70 people living in the village,
02:50and solar power benefits all of them.
02:58In just two years' time, the Indian government plans to have increased the country's solar grid.
03:04In just two years' time, the Indian government plans to have increased the country's solar capacity
03:08to a total of 40 gigawatts.
03:11Only around a quarter of this has been installed so far.
03:14But here in Ladakh, many schools, hospitals and waste incineration plants
03:18are already running on solar energy.
03:21And farmers throughout the region have long been helping secure their livelihoods
03:25by using solar power in their irrigation systems.
03:30Entrepreneur Konchok Norgay has made his home completely energy efficient.
03:35He's been using a solar panel system for the last 15 years,
03:39which he installed with the help of a state subsidy.
03:43But that was not the only reason he opted for solar energy.
03:51It's so polluting, otherwise if you use, you know,
03:57fuel, kerosene, or, you know, if you use bushes from the mountain,
04:02people use, and the cow dungs and all that are used,
04:06which are not supposed to be used to burn.
04:10The polluting effect is even worse up here in the mountains, where the air is so thin.
04:15What with the new subsidies, it's never been easier to switch to solar energy.
04:20The government wants to subsidize solar power units in up to 10 countries.
04:25It's in up to 10 million private homes over the next few years.
04:29Ladakh gets some 300 days of sunshine a year.
04:32Entrepreneur Navang Dhinlaz believes the support is a huge opportunity.
04:41I think that renewable energy is a sector that can change the GDP of Ladakh.
04:46If you can generate power and sell it to other states,
04:49you can increase the income of Ladakh.
04:56According to the Indian Public Policy Think Tank,
04:58the Council on Energy, Environment and Water,
05:01over 250 million households across the country have solar energy capacity on rooftops.