Solar PV manufacturing in India and roadmap ahead
India’s Solar PV mission is expected to take off in grand style. India has put up well defined milestones for Solar PV, 20 GW by 2020, 100 GW by 2030 and 200 GW by 2050. The targets are very very ambitious but quite possible to achieve. Solar PV manufacturing world over was plagued with high cost of manufacturing not so long ago. Advent of second generation (Thin film based) and third generation technologies (Nano-material,multi-Jn) is expected to bring down the cost considerably.
Year 2008 saw PV module manufacturing in India reaching up to 180 MW levels, which is in fact a quite handsome rise from the levels of 10 MW in 2001. Coming years will see the share of Solar PV world over rising quite handsomely.While India’s is making plans to steam up and take the renewable energy program to new level, China is far ahead. It has been announcing big solar PV plants off and on. China has recently announced series of solar PV plants with capacties in the excess of 100 MW. The recent one is by Canadian Solar. Cleantech has reported that Canadian Solar has got the rights to install a solar power plant of 500 MW. The Initial phase will begin with 100 MW which is likely to be commissioned by 2011.
In Solar PV field the pace with China has been moving is mind boggling. China has large deserts which can be utilized to produce solar power. And that’s what the Dragon has been doing. India may be an IT superpower but as far Solar and Renewable fields are concerned, India has a lot to catch up with China.
The north western parts of India, mainly the Rajasthan state falls under the “> 2200 kW/sqm/year” Solar Insolation category. India’s present electricity requirement is 500 billion kWh. With an area allocation of 50 km by 50 km in Rajasthan exclusively dedicated to Solar Power generation, country’s total electricity demand can be met. Otherwise four square areas of 25 km by 25 km can also meet the counry’s electricity requirement.
Solar based power plants are going to get a major phillip in the energy mix of future.
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