Prospects of Renewable Energy Scenario in India

An exponential rise in the population, increases greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through different human activities and has raised serious concern about climate change and global warming. This has also resulted in a sharp increase in the gap between the demand and supply of energy. It turns aggravated the need for the usage of non-exhaustible sources of energy. Fossil fuels usage is broadly considered unsustainable due to its limited availability and environmental pollution concerns. The energy requirement is rising continuously with rapid urbanization and industrialization. The developing countries mainly depend on conventional energy sources such as coal, petroleum, natural gas and many other exhaustible fuels. Scientists and researchers have been constantly encouraged to develop alternative energy sources to cater to the demands of the ever-increasing population. In this context, the different renewable energy sources, from biomass and waste-to-energy, can be a potential alternative to conventional energy sources. The chapter focuses about recent developments and prospects of renewable energy in India.