India is considering expanding its solar STAR-C to a number of Pacific Island countries: India is considering expanding its solar STAR-C initiative operated by ISA, to a number of Pacific Island countries.
Daily Current Affairs Quiz: July 2023
About STAR-C
The International Solar Alliance’s (ISA) Solar Technology and Application Resource Centre (STAR-C) is one of its initiatives.
Objective:
The main objective of STAR-C is to create a strong network of institutional capacities within IAS member states to enhance quality infrastructure for the uptake of solar energy product and service markets, particularly in least developed countries and small island developing states.
Governance:
The Supervisory Committee oversees the STAR-C project, which is being executed jointly by the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).
Initial Focus:
Initially, the focus was on the Economic Community of West African States, the Pacific Island Forum, and the East African Community.
Expansion:
India is considering about spreading STAR-C to a number of Pacific Island countries in order to develop solar power ecosystems and combat climate change in the region.
International Solar Alliance (ISA):
The International Solar Alliance is an alliance of more than 120 signatories, most being sunshine countries, which lie either completely or partly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
Objective:
The primary objective of this alliance is to work for efficient consumption of solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil-fuels.
Joint-Effort:
The ISA was conceived as a joint effort by India and France to mobilize efforts against climate change through the development of solar energy solutions.
Headquarter:
It is the first International intergovernmental organization to be headquartered in India.
Administration:
The Director General is in charge of ISA. The Director General directs operations and performs ISA Secretariat tasks. He is responsible to the ISA Assembly. He has a term of four years and is eligible for re-election.
Eligibility:
All member states of the United Nations are eligible to join the ISA. Countries that do not fall within the Tropics can join the alliance and enjoy all benefits as other members, with the exception of voting rights.
ISA’s ‘Towards 100’ Strategy:
The ISA is governed by its ‘Towards 100’ strategy, which seeks to mobilise USD 1,000 billion in investments in solar energy solutions by 2030, while also providing clean energy access to 1,000 million people and resulting in the installation of 1,000 GW of solar energy capacity.
Significance:
Through this work, ISA has:
- Identified and designed and tested new business models for solar projects.
- Supported governments to make their energy legislation and policies solar-friendly through ease of doing solar analytics and advisory.
- Pooled demand for solar technology from different countries and drove down costs.
- Enhanced access to finance by lowering risks and making the sector more appealing to private investment.
- Increased access to solar training, data and insights for solar engineers and energy policymakers.
