International Journal of Research & Business Innovation (IJRBI)

GREEN MARKETING: SOLAR ENERGY OPPORTUNITIES AND

CHALLENGES IN INDIA
*J.Priyadharshini
**M.Selladurai
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
*Head, Department of Commerce, AVS College of Arts & Science, Salem
**Assistant Professor, Department of Commerce, AVS College of Arts & Science, Salem

Abstract
Green marketing is a very powerful marketing strategy. It refers to the process of selling
products and services based on their environmental benefits. This concept has enabled for the re-
marketing and packaging of existing products which already stay to such guideline 1. Solar
energy is a conventional as well as renewable energy. Solar energy products are very much
essential for the rapid growth and development in the country. The most important aspect of solar
energy is positive effect on the environment. It may be environmentally friendly in it nature. This
paper discusses about the importance of solar energy, various type using by the human
community and the effectiveness of the products. The paper identifies the importance of Green
Marketing with special reference to solar energy which explores the challenges and opportunities
of solar energy green marketing system. The paper also examines the present trends of solar
energy marketing in India and also at describes the reason why it is needed for the peoples in
adopting its future.
Key Words: Green Marketing, Green Products, Solar Energy, Eco Friendly.

INTRODUCTION
Green Marketing refers to holistic
marketing concept wherein the production,
marketing consumption and disposal of
products and services happen in a manner
that is less detrimental to the environment
with growing awareness about the
implications of global warming, non-
biodegradable solid waste, harmful impact
of pollutants etc. Both marketers and
consumers are becoming increasingly
sensitive to the need to switch into green
products and services. While the shift to
"green" may appear to be expensive in the
short term, it will definitely prove to be
indispensable and advantageous, cost-wise
too, in the long run.
STRENGTHS IN GREEN MARKETING
The following are the strength identified in
Green Marketing.
Business opportunity
Environmentally conscious businesses
Business practice transparency
Acceptance of environmental price
internalization
Supply chain expansion and
Closing the product life cycle
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THE IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY
As for the Green Energy, Solar
Energy is the renewable source of energy
which can make considerable contributions
to solving some of the most urgent energy
problems the world now faces. The Solar
Energy was currently needed for
compensating the Power failure problem.
For that, this paper analyses the
importance of Solar Energy and its
problems. In 2011, the International Energy
Agency stated that "the development of
affordable, inexhaustible and clean solar
energy technologies will have huge longer-
term benefits.
SOLAR ENERGY
Solar Energy is a radiant light and
heat from the sun. Solar energy
technologies include solar heating, solar
photovoltaic, solar thermal electricity, solar
architecture and artificial photosynthesis.
Solar technologies are broadly
characterized as either passive solar or
active solar depending on the way they
capture, convert and distribute solar
energy. Active solar techniques include the
use of photovoltaic panels and solar
Vol.4 No.1 January 2016
International Journal of Research & Business Innovation (IJRBI)
thermal collectors to harness the energy.
Passive solar techniques include orienting a
building to the Sun, selecting materials
with favorable thermal mass or light
dispersing properties, and designing spaces
that naturally circulate air.
ECONOMICAL IMPORTANCE OF SOLAR
ENERGY
The world has too long relied on the
unsustainable fossil fuel. Fossil fuels
damage our environment and we have
developed an unhealthy addiction to them.
Its time to break the cycle. Solar energy is
clean, cost-efficient, and environmentally
and economically friendly. Solar equipment
is easy to install with little need to dig. This
form of energy just makes sense in our
world.
Solar energy is rich in nature and it
is totally renewable source of energy. The
power comes from the sun. The sun is free
and inexhaustible. The supply will last as
long as the sun lasts. Using the sun helps
us to be in tune with nature and the cycles
of our planet. Humans need to strive to
work with the environment- not against it.
When we use roof top panels our supply
grows in line the demand.
The most important aspect of solar
energy is the positive effect on the
environment. There is no noise, very little
pollution, and no greenhouse gases. Again
the sun is a renewable source of energy so
there is no strain on the environment. The
surface of our planet absorbs the energy
equivalent of a barrel of oil for every square
meter from our sun. Solar energy emits no
carbon dioxide or greenhouse gases. There
is no damage to our present ecosystem the
way oil drilling does. The only pollution is
from the manufacturing of the equipment
and is nothing compared to current
pollution output from fossil fuels.
Solar energy is very cost effective.
The sun is shine at free of cost. There is no
charge for sunshine. For those who cannot
afford traditional energy an investment in
solar equipment provides long lasting
energy for generations to come. Solar
panels require almost no maintenance after
installation and have a long working life.
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Wind turbines are noisy and may
breakdown. Even though the initial price of
installation can be high money is saved in
the long run on electric bills. Energy can be
stored for use on dark hours during
inclement weather. The cost of the
equipment is also declining due to advances
in technology. The prices of fossil fuels are
on the upward trend and will only continue
to grow. The actual cost of running the
solar energy in the home is low. Most of the
governments give out grants, rebates, and
tax credits for those using solar power.
Power bills can also be reduced by selling
energy back into power grids.
If the health of the planet and low
running costs isnt a motivator enough,
consider the positive economic benefits.
SOLAR MISSION MINISTRY OF
RENEWABLE ENERGY OF INDIA
A number of multi stakeholder
consultations through meetings and
workshops were held during January, 2010
to May 2010 to finalize the guidelines for
selection of grid solar power projects and
the off-grid solar projects under the
Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission
(JNNSM). On the basis of the inputs
received through consultations, draft
guidelines for selection of grid solar power
projects were prepared and put on the
website of the Ministry for comments and
suggestions from various stakeholders,
before these were finalized. The
consultation process with various stake
holders is continuing for implementation
and review of the progress. Another set of
consultation meetings were held during
January 2010 to July, 2010 with the
financial institutions, commercial and
various regional rural banks to discuss
about the financing of solar projects and
their appraisal. Multi holder stake groups
were constituted and meetings held to
finalize a plan on capacity building
including education and training related
activities in solar energy. Multi stakeholder
meetings were also held for developing
strategy to set up radiation monitoring
facilities in different parts of the country.
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International Journal of Research & Business Innovation (IJRBI)

CLASSIFICATION OF SOLAR ENERGY Heating water with solar

Solar Energy technologies use the energy.
sun's energy and light to provide heat, light, Solar Electricity
hot water, electricity, and even cooling, for Using the sun's heat to
homes, businesses, and industry. There are produce electricity.
a variety of technologies that have been Passive Solar Heating and Day
developed to take advantage of solar energy. lighting
Solar Energy Technologies: Using solar energy to heat
Photovoltaic Systems and light buildings.
Producing electricity directly Solar Process Space Heating and
from sunlight. Cooling
Solar Hot Water Industrial and commercial
uses of the sun's heat.

STATE WISE INSTALLED SOLAR POWER PLANTS &ITSUSAGES IN INDIA

Capacity in Megawatt Peak

Sl.No. State %
MW (MWp)

1 Gujarat 709.54 654.8 66.9

2 Rajasthan 198.7 197.5 20.2

3 Andhra Pradesh 21.8 21.8 2.2

4 Maharashtra 20.0 20.0 2.0

5 Tamil Nadu 15.1 15.0 1.5

6 Orissa 13.0 13.0 1.3

7 Uttar Pradesh 12.4 12.0 1.2

8 Karnataka 14.0 9.0 0.9

9 Punjab 9.3 9.0 0.9

10 Haryana 7.8 7.8 0.8

11 Uttarakhand 5.1 5.0 0.5

12 Chattisgarh 4.0 4.0 0.4

13 Jharkhand 16.0 4.0 0.4

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International Journal of Research & Business Innovation (IJRBI)
14 Delhi 2.5
15 Madhya Pradesh 7.4
16 West Bengal 2.1
Total
The above table also reveals that,
the state wise installed Solar Power Plants
and its usage in India. It can be inferred
that the Gujarat was the first state which
is having installed the maximum of 709.54
MW of solar power plants follwed by
Rajasthan with 198.7 MW. Remaining
states are having very minimum compared
to the above states and are come forward to
install plants into next level. This will helps
the overall development of the system.
Gujarat is the first state use
66.9%with the 654.8MWpfollowed by
Rajasthan is the second state with 20.2% of
197.5MWp. Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh are the
next level normal usage and remaining are
least usage states in India.
ADVANTAGES OF SOLAR ENERGY
Renewable Energy
It comes from the Sun
No pollution is associated with solar
power as well as Eco Friendly
Long-life for the solar panels
Maintenance is easy
Solar power is better than fuels
It is not harmful
Solar power gives high return on our
investment
Solar power creates more jobs
The power is free, once installed
It can be installed at anywhere in the
globe
It can use batteries to store power like
Uninterruptible Power Supply(UPS)
It does not damage the earth
It produce clean electricity
Can cook food with solar energy
Can save power of electricity
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2.5 0.3
2.0 0.2
2.0 0.2
1686.44 100
No need to bother about electricity
board
Solar panels are easy to fit on every
rooftop or terrace
The private and public sector can
immediately install the same to solve
electricity problem today
Solar power is the permanent solution
for the electricity problem
It is estimated that, 20 million solar
lights are estimated to avoid use of 1
billion liters of kerosene per annum in
2020.
It is also estimate that, 20 million
thermal collectors are expected to save
fuel oil in industrial applications and
electricity in other applications.
There are 5 million sq. m thermal
collectors are expected to save about
350 million litres fuel oil per annum in
2020.
Similarly, 15 million sq. m thermal
collectors are expected to save 9 billion
units of electricity per annum in 2020.
It is approximately estimated that,
3,000 MW of roof top Photovoltaic
systems and 3,000 MW of other power
plants by 2020.
PROBLEMS OF SOLAR ENERGY
INDUSTRY
Although solar power an
inexhaustible fuel source constitutes no
pollution and is versatile, there are still
challenges in harnessing this energy. The
discovered major problems facing the
exploration of this energy can be classified
into three, namely:
Cost of Photovoltaic (PV) Panels
The current direct cost of solar PV
power is widely acknowledged to be much
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International Journal of Research & Business Innovation (IJRBI)
greater than fossil fuel generation or many
other renewable energy sources, although it
is cheaper if considered on a long term run
point of view. It takes time to work out
which doping agent is best, and to find less
expensive manufacturing process for
producing the photovoltaic cells.
Efficiency of Panels
The efficiency of a PV panel depends
on the type of solar panel used. According
to literature, in mass production, only
about 30 percent efficiency has been
achieved for PV technology. This is not
quite reasonable when compared to the cost
of procuring them.
Insolation Value of the Area
Insolation (sunlight intensity) is
measured in equivalent full sun hours. One
hour of maximum or 100 percent sunshine
received by a solar panel equals one
equivalent full sun hour. Even though the
sun may be above the horizon for 14 hours
a day, this may only result in six hours
equivalent full sun. (Insolation value = 6).
This is as a result of the position of the sun
above the earth. The position of the sun
reflects how much of the earth's
atmosphere the light rays need to pass
through. Early or late in the day, the
sunlight is passing through much more of
the than in the middle of the day. This
insolation value varies for different
locations all around the entire earth.
SUGGESTIONS
The end users must have awareness
about the products to identify the
features.
Establish Solar Power Stations on Hills
and Dry areas.
Motivate the house owners to install
solar power panels on the rooftop or
terrace with government support
Enough or adequate subsidy may be
given to the investors on solar power.
Interest free loans and advances may
encourage the government employees to
install the same.
They can provide tax incentives to
attract more number of investors
All the government buildings must have
rooftop solar power panels
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Government should identify the solar
potential areas to establish the power
stations.
Domestic consumers feel that present
incentives are not sufficient or
attractive. Government must consider
more incentive and more subsidies for
the first one or two years.
The government would do well to
arrange loans at concessional rate of
interest, apart from providing a liberal
subsidy on the cost of the sets or
panels. The immediate potential
customers are schools, colleges and
Universities etc.
Encourage solar related projects
Give advertisement to create awareness
and encourage solar projects
The government must establish as
many solar power stations as possible
immediately.
Putting in place suitable policy and
regulatory framework at national and
state levels for growth of new and
renewable energy sector
Human Resource Development in new
and renewable energy sector
Fostering International Cooperation in
new and renewable energy sector
Information, Publicity, Public awareness
creation in the sector
Supporting Research and Development
related activities taken up by
institutions and various industry
Undertaking resource assessment and
potential estimation studies for new and
renewable sources of energy
Taking other special initiatives as may
be necessary for growth of the sector
CONCLUSION
Solar Power is the only solution for
the electricity problem. Solar Power is free
and it is the permanent solution for the
electricity problem. The future of renewable
energy in India is limitless. Indias
leadership in the clean energy program is
scaling new heights which is supported and
facilitated by economic and legal policy.
Although, the renewable energy scenario in
India is in nascent stage, the trend keeps
on quick growing. The existing laws and
Vol.4 No.1 January 2016
International Journal of Research & Business Innovation (IJRBI)

policies have made it easier for this sector OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES,
to flourish. A developed India fuelled on Journal of Engineering, Science and
solar power will be a model state for the Management Education, Vol.3, 2010/9-14.
world community. Howsoever, a dedicated 2 Mrs.Rs. Sudha, GREEN MARKETING IN
uniform policy like that of Gujarat for the INDIA, Namex International Journal of
solar power generation can really help in Management Research, Vol. No.2, Issue No.1,
JanJune 2012.
harnessing solar energy at massive scale.
Majority states in India receive a 3 Ravi Prakash, MAKING INDIA A SOLAR
ENERGY ECONOMY PROSPECTS &
considerable amount of solar radiation;
CHALLENGES, Hidayatullah National Law
therefore there is a scope for tapping solar University, Raipur.
energy at the commercial level. Thus, there
4 STRATEGIC PLAN FOR NEW AND
is a need to have a uniform national policy RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR FOR THE
for the setting up of solar power plants in PERIOD 2011-17, MINISTRY OF NEW AND
India. RENEWABLE ENERGY, GOVERNMENT OF
Certainly, India has to walk a mile INDIA.
before it takes a hold. 5 www.google.com
6 www.mnre.gov.in
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Pavan Mishra &Payal Sharma GREEN
MARKETING IN INDIA: EMERGING

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