Invention, Innovation and the Growing Demand for Energy – The Case of Solar Power and India

Technology and innovation are at the forefront of today’s business, political and social news. Yet, in many ways, there is much work to be done on explaining and understanding innovation. The energy arena provides an ideal setting for much of the related research. In this paper, we are interested in the innovation process in relation to solar energy. Innovation encompasses not only invention, but the ways in which ideas are developed, diffused and exploited. The process of innovation is discussed, followed by the brief history of the solar power and the analysis of the solar power introduction and diffusion in India.