Electric mobility has gained momentum worldwide as a sustainable choice in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality. However, the adoption rate of electric vehicles (EVs) is low because of driving range anxiety, high upfront costs, and the lack of public charging infrastructure. A robust public charging infrastructure can reduce range anxiety and increase the EV adoption rate.

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The United Nations High-Level Dialogue on Energy estimates that an annual investment of USD 35 billion will be required to make clean and affordable universal energy access (SDG 7) by 2030 a reality. For this, the financial solvency of utilities is a prerequisite.

The power sector is in the throes of a transition. This change is being driven mainly by renewable energy integration, energy storage technologies to support the renewables, and smart meters. By tracking electricity usage round the clock, smart metering facilitates dynamic pricing (raising or lowering the cost of electricity based on need), helping distribution companies (DISCOMs) cut down on commercial losses.

The Sixth Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projects intense heatwaves in India, with longer durations and at an increasing frequency. This doesn’t bode well for the country which has a predominantly tropical climate and cooling is constantly required to maintain comfortable indoor spaces.

In his address to the nation on the occasion of the India’s 75th Independence Day, the Prime Minister mentioned that we have crossed the milestone of 100 GW of installed renewable energy (RE) capacity. Out of 100 GW RE, 40 GW is accounted for by wind power, 44 GW by solar, and the rest by small hydro, waste-to-energy, and biomass projects. The government had initially set an ambitious target of 175 GW of RE by 2022, which was later increased to 450 GW by 2030.