Introduction
Energy is one of the major inputs for the economic development of any country.
Energy can be classified into several types based on the following criteria:
• Primary and Secondary energy
• Commercial and Non commercial energy
• Renewable and Non-Renewable energy
Primary and Secondary energy
Primary energy sources are those that are either found or stored in nature. Common primary energy
sources are coal, oil, natural gas, and biomass (such as wood).
Primary energy sources are mostly converted in industrial utilities into secondary energy sources; for
example coal, oil or gas converted into steam
Commercial and Non commercial energy
Commercial Energy
The energy sources that are available in the market for a definite price are known as commercial
energy. By far the most important forms of commercial energy are electricity, coal and refined
petroleum products. Commercial energy forms the basis of industrial, agricultural, transport and
commercial development in the modern world.
In the industrialized countries, commercialized fuels are predominant source not only for economic
production, but also for many household tasks of general population.
Examples: Electricity, lignite, coal, oil, natural gas etc.
Non-Commercial Energy
The energy sources that are not available in the commercial market for a price are classified as non-
commercial energy.
Non-commercial energy sources include fuels such as firewood, cattle dung and agricultural wastes,
which are traditionally gathered, and not bought at a price used especially in rural households. These
are also called traditional fuels. Non-commercial energy is often ignored in energy accounting.
Example: Firewood, agro waste in rural areas; solar energy for water heating, electricity generation,
for drying grain, fish and fruits; animal power for transport, threshing, lifting water for irrigation,
crushing sugarcane; wind energy for lifting water and electricity generation.
Renewable and Non-Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy obtained from sources that are essentially inexhaustible.
Examples of renewable resources include wind power, solar power, geothermal energy, tidal power
and hydroelectric power .The most important feature of renewable energy is that it can be
harnessed without the release of harmful pollutants.
Non-renewable energy is the conventional fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas, which are likely to
deplete with time.
Indian energy scenario in various sectors –
domestic, industrial, commercial, agriculture,
transportation and others
Introduction
Overview of India’s energy landscape
Key statistics: total energy consumption, energy production
Importance of energy in various sectors
Overall Energy Consumption by Sector (Pie Chart)
Title: Energy Consumption by Sector in India
Content:
o Domestic
o Industrial
o Commercial
o Agriculture
o Transportation
o Others
Visual: A pie chart showing the percentage of total energy consumption by each sector
Domestic Sector
Content:
o Share of energy consumption
o Energy sources: electricity, LPG, solar, etc.
o Trends in energy use
Visual: Bar graph showing the energy consumption by source in the domestic sector
Industrial Sector
Content:
o Energy consumption percentage in industries
o Major energy sources: coal, natural gas, electricity
o Trends in energy efficiency and renewable energy adoption
Visual: Bar graph depicting energy consumption in key industrial sectors (e.g., steel, cement,
textiles)
Commercial Sector
Content:
o Energy consumption in offices, malls, hospitals, etc.
o Primary energy sources: electricity, natural gas
o Trends: green buildings, energy-efficient appliances
Visual: Bar graph showing energy consumption trends over time in the commercial sector
Agriculture Sector
Content:
o Energy use in irrigation and mechanization
o Sources: diesel, electricity, solar
o Government initiatives: KUSUM, solar pumps
Visual: Pie chart showing the proportion of energy sources used in agriculture
Transportation Sector
Content:
o Energy consumption in road, rail, air, and water transport
o Major sources: petrol, diesel, CNG, electricity
o Trends: rise of electric vehicles, biofuels
Visual: Bar graph showing energy consumption in different modes of transportation
Others
Content:
o Energy use in construction, mining, and miscellaneous sectors
o Emerging trends: microgrids, decentralized energy production
Visual: Pie chart depicting the energy consumption in miscellaneous sectors
Challenges in the Energy Sector
Content:
o Energy demand vs. supply
o Dependence on fossil fuels
o Environmental impact: pollution, carbon emissions
Visual: Summary points or infographics showing key challenges
Opportunities for Growth
Content:
o Potential for renewable energy
o Energy efficiency improvements
o Investments in smart grid technology
Visual: Bar graph or summary infographic highlighting growth opportunities
Government Initiatives & Policies
Content:
o National Energy Policy
o Key initiatives: National Solar Mission, UJALA, etc.
Future plan
Advantages of Renewable Energy:
1. Economic benefit
Low Long term cost – wind and sun would always be here.
Low maintenance cost – As there are fewer moving parts.
2. Environmental benefit
Lower pollution Level – Such as almost nil air pollution.
Land Degradation prevented – For example, it is unlike large
hydro where large swathes of land are swallowed.
3. Health benefit
Lesser chance of Industrial Hazards – In Large hydro, there is
possibility of flooding, in thermal power plants and nuclear power plants,
boiler explosions are a big threat.
Low Pollution means lesser environmental risks.
4. Social benefit
Environment is a social good. Perverving pastures, forests and
natural vegetation is akin to preserving the social structure of the
society.
5. Moral advantage:
Its our moral duty to preserve the earth for the future generations.
“We don’t inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from
our children”.
Disadvantages of Renewable Energy
1. Erratic Production: Both Solar & Wind generation could be erratic.
Solar energy production is disrupted in the night or when it is cloudy.
Similarly, winds don’t always blow.
2. Wafer thin margins: Wind & Solar tariffs have hit such low that
margins have become wafer thin. Companies need to be protected from
the shocks.
3. Long term Power Purchase agreements(PPA) are not suited to
renewable energy.
4. Domestic Content requirement: Manufacturers of PV Cells face
heavy import duty on Chinese PV imports. This makes them expensive.
5. Import dependence: India has avery small domestic manufacturing.
The domestic cell manufacturing in 2019 was meagre 3.1 GW in
6. Rooftop Production: We’ve achieved only 3% of our target of rooftop
production of energy. This is because sometimes, rooftop installations
might not be economically viable for the home-owners.
7. Lack of trained personnel: workers engaged in PV installation are not
skilled. It discourages the investment.
8. Operational issues: The solar panels used are not designed for very
high temperatures. In remote areas such as, in deserts with high
temperatures, the panels do not yield their optimal usage.
9. Dust is a problem: especially in Rajasthan, which require frequent
cleaning and increase the operational costs.
10. Hardness of the water: Solar power plants generally exist in
desert areas where only hard water is available. But, Hard water is not
suitable for cleaning, and companies have to invest in reverse
osmosis (RO) and other technology to make it suitable.
