UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Cabinet approves scheme to promote ‘floating’ solar plants

Q1. The draft potential assessment and draft policy framework for floating solar photovoltaic deployment, on which the Union Government's floating solar push rests, were prepared for the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy by which one of the following?

  • A. The Solar Energy Corporation of India along with the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
  • B. The Central Electricity Authority along with the National Institute of Wind Energy
  • C. The National Institute of Solar Energy along with the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee
  • D. NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd along with The Energy and Resources Institute

Q2. Under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana, the co-located energy storage systems to be supported are to add up to a cumulative storage capacity of about how many megawatt-hours across the programme?

  • A. 5,000 MWh
  • B. 10,000 MWh
  • C. 15,000 MWh
  • D. 20,000 MWh

Q3. Which one of the following best describes the preparatory-stage support of up to ₹50 lakh per project available under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana?

  • A. A grant towards the cost of grid connectivity and the dedicated transmission line up to the pooling substation
  • B. A grant towards the cost of bathymetry and hydrography surveys and environmental assessments carried out before construction
  • C. A concessional loan, repayable after commissioning, towards the cost of the anchoring and mooring system of the array
  • D. A performance incentive released on attaining a specified capacity utilisation factor in the first full year of operation

Q4. Under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana, how much central financial assistance is available per megawatt of floating solar capacity, and at what stage is it released?

  • A. ₹2 crore per MW, released to every sanctioned project after successful commissioning
  • B. ₹1 crore per MW, released in full at the time of sanction irrespective of whether the project is commissioned
  • C. ₹50 lakh per MW, released annually to the developer throughout the entire operating life of the project
  • D. ₹1 crore per MW, released to eligible projects after successful commissioning

Q5. Consider the following statements comparing India's floating solar deployment with its assessed potential and its overall solar base: 1. India's assessed floating solar potential is of the order of a hundred times its currently commissioned floating solar capacity. 2. The floating solar capacity targeted under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana by 2030-31 exceeds India's assessed floating solar potential. 3. India's currently commissioned floating solar capacity is less than one per cent of its total installed solar capacity. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. India's assessed floating solar potential is of the order of a hundred times its currently commissioned floating solar capacity.
  2. The floating solar capacity targeted under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana by 2030-31 exceeds India's assessed floating solar potential.
  3. India's currently commissioned floating solar capacity is less than one per cent of its total installed solar capacity.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 2 and 3 only

Q6. With reference to the Omkareshwar Floating Solar Park, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. It is situated on the Omkareshwar reservoir on the Narmada, in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh.
  2. Its planned capacity is 600 MW, of which about 278 MW has been commissioned.
  3. NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd is the sole developer of the entire park.
  4. The park was commissioned with a co-located battery energy storage system from its first phase itself.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 3 only
  • C. 3 and 4
  • D. 4 only

Q7. In Indian renewable energy policy, an installation of the kind at Omkareshwar is described as a 'park' rather than a plant. Which one of the following best describes what a solar park is under the relevant Union scheme?

  • A. A single generating station of at least 500 MW built and operated by one central public sector undertaking for a single bulk procurer
  • B. A facility for testing and certifying solar modules and balance-of-system equipment before their commercial deployment in the field
  • C. A dedicated cluster for the manufacture of solar cells and modules, supported through the production-linked incentive route
  • D. A contiguous area with developed common infrastructure and evacuation facilities in which several developers set up individual projects

Q8. Consider the following statements regarding the geography and support architecture of solar deployment in India. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. Rajasthan, Gujarat and Karnataka together account for more than half of India's installed solar capacity.
  2. Assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana is available only to those States that lack desert or wasteland suitable for ground-mounted projects.
  3. The Scheme for Development of Solar Parks and Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects, rolled out in 2014, carries a target of 40 GW.
  4. Ground-mounted installations account for a larger share of India's installed solar capacity than rooftop and off-grid installations taken together.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 only
  • C. 2 and 4
  • D. 4 only

Q9. Which one of the following statements about the institutional responsibility for solar power programmes in India is correct?

  • A. Solar parks are sanctioned and financed entirely by the Ministry of Power, State governments having no role whatsoever in site selection
  • B. The Scheme for Development of Solar Parks and Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects is run by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, which supports States in creating the infrastructure
  • C. All grid-connected solar capacity in the country is developed exclusively by the Solar Energy Corporation of India, which is also the sole procurer of the power
  • D. The Central Electricity Authority is the nodal body for every renewable energy subsidy scheme in the country, including rooftop solar for households

Q10. Consider the following statements comparing the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana with the Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana: 1. The outlay approved for PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana is larger than that approved for PM-SSY. 2. Under PM Surya Ghar, central subsidy is capped at ₹78,000 for systems of 3 kW and above, whereas under PM-SSY assistance is given at ₹1 crore per MW on commissioning. 3. Both schemes are administered by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and both make co-located battery storage compulsory for their beneficiaries. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The outlay approved for PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana is larger than that approved for PM-SSY.
  2. Under PM Surya Ghar, central subsidy is capped at ₹78,000 for systems of 3 kW and above, whereas under PM-SSY assistance is given at ₹1 crore per MW on commissioning.
  3. Both schemes are administered by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and both make co-located battery storage compulsory for their beneficiaries.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q11. The floating solar photovoltaic capacity to be supported under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana is officially estimated to avoid carbon dioxide emissions of about how many million tonnes per year?

  • A. About 2 million tonnes
  • B. About 5 million tonnes
  • C. About 10 million tonnes
  • D. About 25 million tonnes