NEW DELHI, INDIA: The government should encourage small scale solar energy projects in rural areas along with the big ticket projects if it wants to meet the ambitious target of generating 20,000 MW solar power by 2020, an industry body said Tuesday.

"If the government wants to generate 20,000 MW of solar power, large scale projects alone won't do. We have to stress on meeting energy needs of rural areas through solar power," said Ajay Prakash Shrivastava, president of Solar Energy Society of India.

The society is a representative group of solar power producers in the country.

The government's solar mission outlines plans for a national target of 20,000 MW of solar generation capacity by 2020 and creation of 100,000 new jobs through the course of the plan.

"The government is talking about allocating Rs..91,000 crore to implement this programme and make it mandatory for conventional power producers to generate at least 15 percent through renewable resources," Shrivastava told reporters here on the sidelines of an international conference on renewable energy.

Currently only 500 MW is being generated through solar panels and a negligible portion is connected to the grid.

Solar producers, however, remain confident that given some assistance from the government, there is enough manufacturing potential to reach the target.

By using solar power together with conventional sources of energy, the country can reduce emission levels, Shrivastava said.

"If a solar plant is clubbed with a coal-based or any other conventional power plant, it can run during the day with the coal-based power kicking in after sunlight fades in the evening. You still save on the fuel and reduce emissions," he said.

"We are not saying that solar energy can replace conventional sources, but it can complement them and make fossil fuels last for a longer time."
©IANS