Why in the News?

The onset of cool, moisture-laden monsoon winds offers not just relief but also a significant opportunity for wind energy generation.

About the Indian Monsoon:

Origin: The word “monsoon” comes from Arabic ‘mausin’ or Malayan ‘monsin,’ meaning “season”.
Seasonal Wind Shift: Monsoons are seasonal winds that reverse direction with changing seasons.
Types:

1. Southwest Monsoon: Blows from sea to land, bringing rainfall across most of India.
2. Northeast Monsoon: Blows from land to sea, bringing rain mainly to southeast India.

Role of Tibet: The Tibetan Plateau heats up in summer, creating low pressure that draws in moist winds.
Ocean Influence: A high-pressure system in the southern Indian Ocean helps drive the southwest monsoon.
Atmospheric Factors: Influencers include the Subtropical Jet Stream, Tropical Easterly Jet, and ITCZ.
Other Drivers: The Somali Jet, Somali Current, Indian Ocean Dipole, and Walker Cell also affect monsoon behaviour.

Changing Wind Speeds: Monsoon wind speeds vary in strength and direction over time and place.
Energy Planning: Wind behaviour prediction is crucial for renewable power management, especially wind energy.
Agricultural Demand: Kharif crops planted in June depend on monsoon, raising seasonal energy demand.
Wind Energy Output: In areas like the Western Ghats, 70% of wind energy is generated June–September.
Forecasting Tools: Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models provide high-resolution wind forecasts.
AI Models: Tools like Google’s MetNet3 use satellite and radar data to predict wind in remote areas.

India became the 3rd largest wind and solar producer in 2024, after China and the US.
Installed wind capacity: 50 GW as of March 31, 2025.
In 2024, wind and solar contributed 10% of electricity—solar 7%, wind 3%; hydro added 8%, totalling 22% from clean sources.
Solar capacity grew by 24 GW in 2024, doubling 2023’s figure; wind grew by 3.4 GW.
Leading wind additions: Gujarat (1,250 MW), Karnataka (1,135 MW), Tamil Nadu (980 MW).
Top wind states: Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Maharashtra; targets: 140 GW wind and 500 GW non-fossil capacity by 2030.
Land Use & Capacity Utilization Factor (CUF): Wind farms occupy just 2% of land, allowing agriculture on the rest; CUF ranges between 16%–19%, with peak generation during monsoon months.

[UPSC 2014] The seasonal reversal of winds is the typical characteristic of:

Options: (a) Equatorial climate (b) Mediterranean climate (c) Monsoon climate * (d) All of the above climates