Why in the News
According to The Hindu (28 May 2026), an analysis published in Nature Sustainability finds that because of aerosols in the air, India's solar-power generation fell by 9.6% (about 15 terawatt-hours) in 2023 - among the highest losses in the world, with the greatest damage in polluted northern India. Aerosols are fine particles of sulphates and carbon; the main human sources are coal plants, road transport and industry.
Aerosols versus solar energy
Nature Sustainability study
India (press)
2023: 9.6% (~15 TWh) loss; more in northern India
Global (abstract)
5.8% (111 TWh); China 7.7%, US 3.1%
Diagram: original table.
What does the research paper contain?
It is in the paper "Coal plants persist as a large barrier to the global solar energy transition" (Rui Song, Feng Yin, Jan-Peter Muller, Adam C. Povey, Basudev Swain, Chenchen Huang, Roy G. Grainger; Nature Sustainability 9; DOI: 10.1038/s41893-026-01836-5; published on 15 May 2026 as per Crossref). As per the abstract, aerosol pollution suppresses PV generation at solar plants located near coal plants: from a global, facility-level dataset, aerosols cut global PV generation by 5.8% (111 TWh) in 2023. From 2017 to 2023, the annual loss of existing systems averaged one-third of the energy associated with new PV installations. In China the loss is the largest (7.7% of national PV in 2023; the loss-to-growth ratio averaged 38%, at times over 50%), yet intensive emission control reduced the loss there by 1.4% a year from 2017; in the US, with less co-location, the loss is only 3.1%. According to the authors, not counting this can lead to an overestimation of the climate benefit of the energy transition.
According to The Hindu, the researchers built the first facility-level database of 1.4 lakh solar facilities worldwide and analysed it with satellite atmospheric data. Over 2017-2023 the average pollution-driven loss was 74 TWh a year. China generated 793.5 TWh of solar power in 2023 and accounted for 54.9% of the global aerosol loss; many of its solar farms are within 30 km of coal plants. China cut the loss by fitting high-efficiency filters (FGD), while India's loss stayed flat over 2013-2023; in 2025 India relaxed the FGD target by limiting it to plants near major cities.
Where does confusion arise in the exam?
Keep the percentages separate: global 5.8% and China 7.7%, US 3.1% (abstract) versus India 9.6% and China's 54.9% share of the global loss (press). The "one-third" figure is a comparison with new capacity, not with total generation. The loss is from aerosols - not from dust-cleaning or shade; FGD are emission-control devices on coal plants, not solar-panel technology. Dates: the paper on 15 May 2026 (Crossref), the news on 28 May.
Direction of preparation from past questions:
The official General Studies Paper-I of UPSC Prelims 2023 carried statement-based questions. So prepare the figure, the country and the mechanism separately. The questions below are original practice, not actual PYQs.
Prelims Style: Practice Questions
1. Based on the abstract of the research paper, consider the following statements:
Statement 1: In 2023, aerosols cut global PV generation by 5.8% (111 TWh).
Statement 2: In 2023, China's national PV loss was 7.7% - the largest in the world.
Statement 3: The aerosol-driven PV loss in the US was greater than China's.
How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
View answer and explanation
Answer: (b) Only two. Statements 1 and 2 are in the abstract. The US loss was only 3.1% (less solar-coal co-location) - Statement 3 is wrong.
2. According to The Hindu, by how much did aerosols reduce India's solar generation in 2023?
(a) 3.1%
(b) 5.8%
(c) 7.7%
(d) 9.6%
View answer and explanation
Answer: (d). India 9.6% (~15 TWh); 5.8% is the global and 7.7% China's abstract figure, 3.1% is the US's.
3. Which of the following details is from the press report, not from the research paper's abstract?
(a) Over 2017-2023 the annual loss equalled one-third of the energy of new PV capacity
(b) The first facility-level database of 1.4 lakh solar facilities worldwide
(c) In China the loss fell by 1.4% a year from 2017
(d) Not counting the loss can overestimate the climate benefit
View answer and explanation
Answer: (b). The detail of the database of 1.4 lakh facilities is in The Hindu; (a), (c) and (d) are in the abstract.
Sources:
Nature Sustainability 9: Coal plants persist as a large barrier to the global solar energy transition (nature.com; abstract from Crossref).
The Hindu: Air pollution cut India's solar power output by 9.6% in 2023, 28 May 2026 (thehindu.com).
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