PM2.5 is one of the major contributors to air pollution in India, resulting in poor air quality and human health issues. The current study explores the applicability of TTAinterfaceTrendAnalysis (an ‘R’ language-based Graphical User Interface package) in estimating the annual and month-wise trends in PM2.5 over five Indian megacities (New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chennai). The package offers a one-stop solution for various statistical analyses such as data imputation, outlier detection, trend analysis, data smoothing, diagnostic tests, etc.

In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines were revised for six key air pollutants. The new guideline levels for PM2.5 and O3 may be unattainable for many countries due to natural sources and background levels. Reductions in NO2 may increase O3 due to atmospheric chemistry. Regional-specific scientific expertise is necessary to guide local air quality management towards more appropriate WHO interim targets and controls on modifiable factors especially considering atmospheric chemistry.

Lower-cost air pollution sensors can fill critical air quality data gaps in India, which experiences very high fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution but has sparse regulatory air monitoring. Challenges for low-cost PM2.5 sensors in India include high-aerosol mass concentrations and pronounced regional and seasonal gradients in aerosol composition. Here, we report on a detailed long-time performance evaluation of a popular sensor, the Purple Air PA-II, at multiple sites in India.

So far in this series, we discussed different aspects of India’s solar PV sector, including taxation, policies, and the journey towards sustainability. In this concluding piece, we focus on popular technologies, innovations, challenges, and opportunities.

India’s solar photovoltaics (PV) market is rapidly growing. However, to reach the ambitious goal of 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030, there is a pressing need to increase installed capacity and generation targets. With only around 62 GW of installed solar capacity achieved by the end of 2022, India fell short of its 100 GW target for the year. Favourable policies, financial support, technological advancements, and a competitive market are essential for further advancing the growth of India’s solar PV sector.

In the previous article, we discussed the gaps in key areas that hamper the sustained growth of India’s solar PV market. In this article, we shift our focus to two critical aspects that are influencing the sector - ALMM and BCD.