{
  "id": 3281111,
  "title": "How to make a solar-heavy grid stable and affordable",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/how-to-make-a-solar-heavy-grid-stable-and-affordable",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-25T14:31:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/how-to-make-a-solar-heavy-grid-stable-and-affordable-10849228/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "India has become a global climate leader in renewable energy, installing more than 283 GW of capacity and having another 150 GW in the pipeline. India aims to achieve 60% of its power from non-fossil fuel sources by 2035, five years ahead of schedule. The progress has been driven by sustained policy focus and technological advancement.\n\nHowever, integrating intermittent renewable sources into the grid remains a challenge. Generating power from these sources does not always match demand, leading to operational strain and transmission congestion. Technical stability concerns are also a growing issue due to the inverter-based nature of solar and wind technologies.\n\nThe obvious solution of battery energy storage systems (BESS) is hindered by high costs, import dependency, and limited domestic value addition. India needs to look beyond traditional solutions and explore multiple complementary mechanisms for grid stability.\n\nOne approach is to increase electricity consumption during peak renewable generation hours. This can be facilitated through industrial electrification, where sectors transition to electrified processes. India is at a technological inflection point where many industrial processes are becoming viable for electrification.\n\nAnother solution lies in demand aggregation, where energy transition orchestrators serve as single-window solutions for transitioning industries. These organizations would bundle energy efficiency solutions, process electrification support, clean heat integration, and renewable energy procurement into comprehensive packages. They must have expertise in demand aggregation for favorable pricing from renewable generators and financial capabilities for low-risk, low-cost project finance.\n\nElectric vehicle (EV) charging can also help balance demand during peak solar hours. Time-of-use tariffs should create a larger gap between peak and off-peak electricity prices, incentivizing consumers to shift flexible electricity use away from peak demand periods. Policies such as 'Charge at Workplace' can further support this by encouraging employees to charge their vehicles during work hours when solar generation is at its peak.\n\nFinally, distributed renewable energy paired with small-scale battery storage offers a third avenue for demand matching. With over 49.8 lakh rooftop solar installations, India's rooftop solar program has gained public support. The next step is to pair these systems with residential battery storage, creating hybrid systems that charge during midday and provide power during evening consumption. Additionally, grid-tie inverters equipped with smart control capabilities will further enhance grid stability.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "India aims to achieve 60% non-fossil fuel power by 2035, ahead of schedule",
    "Integrating intermittent renewables into grid poses technical stability challenges",
    "Demand aggregation, EV charging, and rooftop solar with storage offer solutions"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}