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FOCUSINDIA India reaches grid parity


THE NATIONAL SOLAR MISSION, a directive unveiled by India in 2010, intends to increase to 20,000 Megawatts the amount of India’s solar installation by 2022. It is a far-reaching and ambitious plan, which could result in burgeoning solar photovoltaic (PV) business opportunities in India. The question, though – and one which will be the chief focus of discussion at an upcoming conference organized by leading global solar energy (PV) think-tank, SolarPlaza – is this: Are 100 MW PV power plants already feasible in India?


“I definitely believe a 100 Megawatt plant in India is a distinct possibility,” said Pashupathy Gopalan, the VP of South Asian operations for MEMC and SunEdison. Gopalan, one of the featured speakers at the conference, said that India is ready right now, but “it is going to take a few years before the programs can become larger and developers are given larger projects to execute.”


Vijay Anand Bhagavatula, the Deputy GM for Corporate Strategy for Moser Baer also is scheduled to speak at the event and carries a message of high hopes for high-powered PV plants in India; a message that relies heavily on the ability to reach parity.


solar farms connected to the grid, as well as rooftop installations, and additional support from companies going green.”


India offers unique challenges to the establishment of large scale PV, which Bhagavatula suggested are not financial. The most difficult challenge, he surmised, is that India’s energy needs are myriad.


“It’s all linked to grid parity right now, and in all probability we will have that in about six or seven years,” he said. “In the Indian market what has happened in the last few years is that the government has decided to try to reduce carbon emissions 24% by 2020, which leaves about ten years or so for us to go green.


That is what the National Solar Mission is founded on and also the key driver of solar power into the future. Our national agenda aside, there are independent states that have devised their own solar policy. In the next twelve or eighteen months we will in fact see large scale


Indian growth encourages company


VOLEX GROUP PLC, a designer and manufacturer of interconnect solutions and power cords, is launching a full range of products into the renewable energy market in India, including junction boxes (J-Boxes) and custom-designed fused harnesses. The J-Boxes, which are to be manufactured at Volex’s Chennai manufacturing plant in India, carry the power generated by solar arrays and are TÜV certified for supply to India and any other countries where this is a requirement.


Volex has already enjoyed success in the renewable energy market, supplying to developers and manufacturers of solar energy systems throughout the US and Europe. Volex supplies cable assemblies that interconnect solar arrays across Photovoltaic (PV), Concentrator Photovoltaic (CPV) and Highly Concentrated Photovoltaic (HCPV) installations. These components contribute to the transfer of power through junction boxes and combiner boxes, as well as interconnecting between the solar cells, resulting in a significant increase in the overall performance of the installation. The company has had a presence in India for the last 11 years, supplying to the country’s fast-growing telecoms market.


Volex is now looking to expand its presence in this region by penetrating the renewable energy market through the provision of products for solar installations.


Dhanaraj Babanagar, Sales Director for the Solar Division at Volex, comments, “India currently lags behind other countries in terms of solar deployments but uptake of these technologies has undoubtedly increased throughout the region. Private companies are beginning to consider the advantages of investing in renewable technologies and the government is putting plans in place to generate power that feeds into the grid via solar installations.”


Ramesh Subramanian, Country Head and Finance Director, Volex India, adds, “As the first company to have TÜV approval for a junction box produced in India, Volex India has a great opportunity to facilitate the uptake of solar arrays across the country. With a factory in Chennai, Volex can apply its vast industry experience to deliver short lead-times and flexible logistics in terms of delivery to the whole of India and indeed further afield, not to mention competitive pricing frameworks.”


“There are regions in India that are cut off completely from the rest of the world, and so we need to pursue large scale power plants and, at the same time, decentralized power connecting those that are cut off to the mainstream,” said Bhagavatula. “Large scale solar power plants will definitely help us conquer our unique challenges. The advantage of clean technology is evident to everyone and the private sector is taking note and supporting our solar agenda.”


But is it realistic to think that one of India’s long-term goals, the ability to generate solar at 10 cents per kilowatt hour, is possible down the road?


“That is indeed a long-term goal,” said Bhagavatula. “During peak usage hours solar has already achieved parity. At peak summer hours we are already on par with other methods for electricity.”


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www.solar-pv-management.com Issue I 2011


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