The worldly beings are constantly crying for cleaner sources of energy, and every day (on average in a given year) earth is being bombarded with 20x the energy consumed (in every form) by us humans. All thanks to the Sun.


The energy needs per capita in India is around 630.9 kg of oil equivalent (in 2014), so for 2024 if we simply double it that would be 1261.8 kg or around 14,675 kWh. That whopping 14.675 megawatt-hour is for an entire year, so for a day, it comes down to 40 kWh. Considering an average of 4 kWh generation per kWp solar PV setup equates to 10 kWp per capita. According to these simple stats, if India could only install and operate 141 Gigawatt of solar PV, then our country could be free of energy dependency.


Right? The answer is more like, maybe not. Since the Sun only shines during the day and is not regular throughout the year, it cannot be that simple. If only we could store the excess energy generated and that goes unused, then we might be close. What are the best ways to store energy? Hydrogen would be the most obvious option, as it can be derived from water and the output could be water again, creating a regenerative cycle of original raw material.


Hydrogen from Water by Electrolysis method: An electric current splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. If the electricity is produced by renewable sources, such as solar or wind, the resulting hydrogen will be considered renewable as well, and has numerous emissions benefits.


How much electricity does it take to get hydrogen?

Electrolysis of ammonia in waste water consumes just 1.55 kWh of electrical energy to produce 1 kg of hydrogen. When used as part of a fuel cell, 1 kg of hydrogen can produce up to 23 kWh of electrical energy, but this figure could be lower with an older battery.


As of 2023, the per capita land share of an individual Indian is 0.0021 sq km or 2,081 sq meters. Considering the 20% efficiency of solar PV modules today and 1000 watts per sq meter of irradiance, the surface area needed for 10 kW of solar PV setup would be 50 sq meters. This could be a simple rooftop. agri-voltaic, float-a-voltaic installation too. So the remainder of 1981 sq meters could be allotted for other uses including forest, natural space, and other regions.


The energy generated includes all costs, of a human being's environmental impact which includes right from food, housing, clothing, transportation, lifestyle, etc. All that we need to do is to keep that solar PV system up and running efficiently throughout both their lifetime(s).


For the sake of economics, let's get to the math again. Considering the average lifetime of an Indian as 75 years, and the service lifespan of solar PV as 25 years, we need a total of 30 kW per capita for a lifetime. Assuming an average cost of INR.50/- per watt-peak for solar PV, the cost would amount to 1.5 million rupees in today's money. This would be the 'green' cost per human to see the earth's natural habitat flourish and thrive sustainably.


So now to the next obvious question. How do we achieve it?