Role of Energy Efficiency and Demand-side Management in India’s Clean Energy Transition

Abstract

India aims to achieve 500 GW of non–fossil fuel capacity by 2030, a substantial share of which would be contributed by variable and intermittent solar and wind. Further, India’s electricity demand is expected to increase with urbanization, income, and temperature. Energy efficiency and demand-side management programmes can play a critical role in India’s clean energy transition by reducing the demand for electricity and shifting it to times when solar and wind power can be most efficiently generated. Balancing the supply-side push for renewables with energy efficiency and demand-side management would be more cost-effective, less resource-intensive, and pose fewer social and environmental challenges compared to a renewables-only approach. This commentary highlights the importance of such an approach to India’s clean energy transition.