Dimming India: Pollution cuts sunlight, hits solar power

India is losing sunlight, with research showing a steady decline in sunshine hours across most of the country over the past three decades.

According to the BBC, scientists link the drop to air pollution, clouds, and local weather patterns, particularly in northern inland cities such as Amritsar and Kolkata, along the Himalayan belt, and Mumbai.

Data from 20 weather stations between 1988 and 2018 revealed that aerosols from dust, vehicle emissions, and crop burning, combined with lingering clouds, have cut sunlight reaching the ground by up to 44%. Winter smog and monsoon clouds exacerbate the decline.

The reduction in sunlight threatens agriculture, daily life, and India’s solar energy ambitions. Solar now accounts for 47% of the country’s renewable energy capacity, but pollution may reduce panel output by 12–41%, costing hundreds of millions in lost electricity. Studies suggest cleaner air could boost solar power by up to 28 terawatt hours annually and improve crop yields by up to 50% in the most polluted regions.

Globally, other countries, including Germany and China, have seen similar declines historically, though cleaner air policies have reversed the trend in some regions. Scientists warn that unless India tackles pollution, its solar ambitions could be overshadowed by smog.

By Aghakazim Guliyev