Solar Panels’ Output Down 12 Per Cent Due To Air Pollution In Delhi, Finds MIT Study 

A study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has found that the severe air pollution in the national capital, New Delhi reduced solar power generation capacity by 12 per cent in the period 2016-2017. The quantum of power lost is expected to exceed the profit margins of many solar installations leading to questions over the government’s planned solar push.

The study published in the journal Energy & Environmental Science found that air pollution caused loss in solar output to the tune of 9 percent in cities like Beijing, Ulan Bator and Kolkata. It is estimated that the value of the loss in revenue from solar power could be around the region of $20 million for Delhi while the corresponding loss figure for Kolkata is $16 million.

Ian Marius Peters, who led the study, said “When you’re doing project planning, if you haven’t considered air pollution, you’re going to undersize and get a wrong estimate of your return on investment.”

The Indian Government in an ambitious renewable energy push had announced that a minimum of 30 gigawatts of solar power projects would be auctioned every year till 2028. However, the findings of the study combined with the constant air pollution in Delhi throughout the year could throw a spanner into the calculations of firms bidding for solar projects in polluted cities like Delhi and Kolkata.