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Q36 (IAS/2016) Science & Technology › New Materials, Energy & Environment-linked Tech › Solar energy technologies Official Key

'Net metering' is sometimes seen in the news in the context of promoting the

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: A
Explanation

Net metering is a billing system that tracks the difference between the energy your solar panels produce and the energy you consume, crediting you for excess production or billing you for additional usage.[3] It measures your power consumption against the power your solar panels produce, and when you produce more solar energy than you use, the difference is credited back to you.[4] This mechanism can provide significant financial and environmental advantages and is important in advancing the widespread use of solar energy.[5] The credit system incentivizes households and consumers to install solar panels, making option A the correct answer. Options B, C, and D are incorrect as net metering specifically relates to electricity generation and billing, not natural gas, CNG kits, or water meters. While net metering is associated with solar power, it isn't limited to that energy source—any power you generate, including wind, hydro, or biogas, is eligible for net metering.[6]

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Q. 'Net metering' is sometimes seen in the news in the context of promoting the [A] production and use of solar energy by the households/co…
At a glance
Origin: Mostly Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 · 7.5/10
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This is a classic 'Term in News' question derived from the operational mechanics of the National Solar Mission (2015-16 era). It tests whether you understand the 'how' (implementation mechanism) rather than just the 'what' (policy targets). It rewards reading the fine print of government schemes.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Does net metering promote the production and use of solar energy by households/consumers?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"This mechanism can provide significant financial and environmental advantages and is important in advancing the widespread use of solar energy."
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states net metering provides financial and environmental advantages.
  • Says net metering is important in advancing the widespread use of solar energy, directly tying the policy to increased adoption.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"Net metering measures your power consumption against the power your solar panels produce. When you produce more solar energy than you use, the difference is credited back to you."
Why this source?
  • Explains how net metering credits excess solar production, reducing homeowners' net bills.
  • Shows the billing mechanism that creates a direct financial incentive for households to produce and use solar energy.

Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 6: Environmental Degradation and Management > i) Solar Energy or Photovoltaic (Pv) Energy > p. 51
Strength: 4/5
“(i) Solar Energy or Photovoltaic (Pv) Energy Solar energy is one of the most important sources of green electricity. Solar energy is non-exhaustible, reliable and pollution free. It may be utilised for water heaters, power generation devices, airconditioning, space heating, development of pisci-culture, multifarious uses of water and refrigeration. Tis energy is generated by converting sunlight directly into electricity even on cloudy days, using semi-conductor technology. Even in the winter season a useful amount of hot water can be produced from roof top collectors. Te buildings are also designed in such a way in which solar energy may be generated and utilised.”
Why relevant

Describes solar energy as suitable for household applications (water heaters, power generation, space heating) implying households are a natural target for solar adoption.

How to extend

A student could combine this with the basic fact that financial incentives for household technologies (like billing credits) tend to raise adoption to assess whether net metering (which provides billing benefits) would encourage household solar.

NCERT. (2022). Contemporary India II: Textbook in Geography for Class X (Revised ed.). NCERT. > Chapter 5: Print Culture and the Modern World > Solar Energy > p. 117
Strength: 4/5
“India is a tropical country. It has enormous possibilities of tapping solar energy. Photovoltaic technology converts sunlight directly into electricity. Solar energy is fast becoming popular in rural and remote areas. Some big solar power plants are being established in different parts of India which will minimise the dependence of rural households on firewood and dung cakes, which in turn will contribute to environmental conservation and adequate supply of manure in agriculture.”
Why relevant

Notes that photovoltaic technology is becoming popular in rural/remote households and that solar plants reduce household dependence on traditional fuels.

How to extend

Using the idea that household uptake responds to reduced running costs or improved access, a student could infer net metering (which offsets electricity bills) might similarly boost household PV adoption and then look for billing/regulatory details to test it.

Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 23: India and Climate Change > 23.14. PROMOTION OF ENERGY SAVING DEVICES > p. 315
Strength: 5/5
“• The Bureau of Energy efficiency has introduced "The Bachat Lamp Yojana", a programme under which households may exchange incandescent lamps for CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps) using clean development mechanism (CDM) credits to equate Purchase bill. : i• Some states have made mandatory the installation of solar water heaters in hospitals, hotels and large government and commercial buildings. Subsidy is provided for installation of solar water heaters in residential buildings.”
Why relevant

Gives an example of policy actions (subsidies, mandatory installations) used to promote solar devices in residential and institutional buildings.

How to extend

Since net metering is a regulatory/financial mechanism, a student could extend this pattern of policy-induced adoption to hypothesize that net metering would also promote household solar and then seek empirical tariff/billing evidence.

Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 8: Energy Resources > Solar Energy > p. 28
Strength: 4/5
“The Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) technology enables the conversion of solar radiation into electricity without involving any moving part like turbine. Over 650,000 solar PV systems have been installed in the country. In many parts of the country, the solar energy programmes have been implemented. One such example is the Rural Energy Co-operative at Sagar Island in the Sundarban Delta of West Bengal. Similar programmes have been implemented in the other islands in the Bay of Bengal, the desert of Jodhpur (Rajasthan), Kalyanpur (Aligarh), and Coimbatore (Fig. 8.8).”
Why relevant

Reports large-scale deployment of over 650,000 solar PV systems and implementation of rural/off‑grid solar programmes aimed at communities and households.

How to extend

A student can use the example that programme-driven installation grows household PV capacity and reason that grid-interactive measures like net metering (which improve economics of grid-tied PV) could have a similar effect, prompting an evidence search on uptake after net metering introduction.

Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 23: India and Climate Change > Objective > p. 302
Strength: 5/5
“• To establish India as a global leader in solar energy, by creating the policy conditions for its diffusion across the country as quickly as possible. • The Mission will adopt a 3-phase approach, spending the remaining period of the 13th Plan and first year of the 14th Plan (up to cor-3) as Phase 1, the remaining 4 years of the 14th Plan (cor-3-r7) as Phase 2 and the 14th Plan (cor-7-zz) as Phase 3. does not matteriize or is more rapid than expected. • The first phase (up to 2 or 3) will focus on capturing of the low hanging options in solar thermai; on promoting off-grid systems to serve populations without access to commercial energy and modest capacity addition in grid-based systems. • In the second phase, after taking into account the experience of the initial years, capacity will be aggressively ramped up to create conditions for up scaled and competitive solar energy penetration in the country. r Promoting innovative policy and regulatory regimes, financing mechanisms, and business models which not only create, but also sustain markets for energy efficiency in a transparent manner with clear deliverables to be achieved in a time bound manner.”
Why relevant

States the Mission will 'promote innovative policy and regulatory regimes, financing mechanisms, and business models' to create and sustain markets for solar energy.

How to extend

A student could treat net metering as one such regulatory/financial mechanism and therefore predict it would be expected to promote household solar unless practical/regulatory details negate the effect; they could then check specific net‑metering rules and household uptake data.

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Statement analysis

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