Solar Photovoltaics in IndiaBegun as far back as in the mid 70’s solar photovoltaics programme of the Government of India is one of the largest in the World. While the rest of the world has progressed tremendously in production of basic silicon monocrystalline photoltaic cells, in India the major players are Central Electronics Ltd, BHEL, REIL and the other manufacturers of SPV modules are in fact assemblers sourcing the cells and carrying out assembly. Where this segment of basic manufacturing has not shown much growth in India and is unlikely also in the near future due to high costs involved in manufacturing monocrystalline silicon cells from scratch, the market is growing for SPV applications based products with the active encouragement of the government. Electricity and social development go hand in hand. Rural areas of India are so far-flung that in some cases it is decided not to lay down conventional electricity lines due to the small populace to be served and high cost of laying lines. Conventional gensets are also not feasible due to recurring maintenance problems. The best solution under the circumstances is solar photovoltaic based systems to generate power, run irrigation pumping sets and home lighting and streetlights. In addition to offering subsidy on these products government is also offering training on PV technology, PV system designs and related fields. The programme of MNES comprises of promoting use of PV technology to provide lighting in villages in the form of :
Reliefs offered by government on SPV manufacturers and users of SPV based products :
Entrepreneurs worldwide wishing to tap the Indian markets will find it a rewarding experience. A local partner helps.. So go on….spread the light.. |