Download - Solar 2010 – Conference & Exhibition
Raising the Demand for Solar
Narasimhan Santhanam, Director,
Energy Alternatives India
www.eai.in
Solar Power…
• Smells and tastes no different from coal-based/natural gas power
• Is available no better than wind-based power
• Is not a baseload source as hydro power
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Why?
BECAUSE ITS POTENTIAL AS A FUTURE
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCE IS
IMMENSE
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But…
How does one create demand for a
commodity that costs four times the
price at which it is available
elsewhere?
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About EAI
• Leading Indian renewable energy business intelligence, market strategy consulting firm
• All primary renewable energy sectors – solar, wind, bio-fuels/biomass, waste-to-energy, small hydro
• Market research, entry and diversification strategy, economic, financial modeling and pre-feasibility analysis
• Professionals from IITs and IIMs, with renewable energy, industry research and economics backgrounds
• Based out of Chennai, India
• More at www.eai.in www.eai.in
1Let Go of Grid Solar PV Fixation
“A man with only a hammer sees every problem as a nail” – Abraham Maslow
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Not Just PV, but also Thermal
– CSP (solar thermal) has higher efficiency than PV (21% vs. 17%)
– Power from CSP costs slightly less than PV
– Storing heat is less costly than storing electricity (using batteries could increase cost by over 75%)
– Use of thermal for heating and drying purposes is efficient (less losses as no conversion)
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Plethora of Solar Product Possibilities
• Solar Cookers International has rated India as the #1 country in the world in terms of solar cooking potential; estimated potential demand of 10 million solar cookers in this country
• India has less than 0.5 million solar water heaters. China has 25 million!
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Plethora of Solar Product Possibilities
Consumer Products Commercial/Industrial ProductsSolar Water HeatersHome Lighting, Street Light, Outdoor LightingSolar LanternsSolar Power PacksSolar Submersible PumpsSolar Pool CoversSolar Pool HeatersSolar CookersSolar FencingSolar RadioSolar CandlesSolar Exhaust FansExotica - Solar Powered Bags
Absorption ChillersBoilersSolar Thermal DesalinationSolar Water PumpsSolar DryersSolar based Electric FencesSolar LED Signalssolar LED Road StudsExotica - Solar Panels on Sound Barriers on Roads
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2Take Solar Where Really Needed
“Stop selling. Start helping” - Zig Ziglar
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Take Solar to Unelectrified Villages
– Over 60,000 villages have no grid power
– TERI’s Lighting a Billion Lives (LaBL)
– SELCO’s success– Innovative processes - Hybrid of
biomass and solar?– Innovative financial schemes
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Tale Solar to Areas with Long Power Cuts
• India’s peak power shortages are expected to worsen from:– 17% peak deficit in 2009 (23 GW
gap), to– 25% peak deficit in 2015 (over 60
GW shortfall)
• Power disruptions cost over Rs 25,000 crores per year
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3Position Solar diFFeRently
“I took a child’s scribbling and sold it as abstract art” – Groucho Marx (att.)
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Position It against the Right Fuel(“Diesel Substitute”)
• Let solar PV be compared to diesel generated power; Economics almost the same, perhaps even better with govt subsidies
• Over 250,000 cell phone towers, consume about 2 billion litres of diesel per year. Move to solar will result in a reduction of 5 million tons of CO2 emissions and savings of US $1.4 billion in operating expenses.
• Irrigation Pumps - Promote micro-irrigation– 21 million irrigation pumps in India– 9 million run on diesel
• Areas like Andamans almost fully running on diesel power
• Diesel prices will continue increasing while solar prices will continue decreasing www.eai.in
Position It as a Safer Fuel(“Healthy”)
• Over 80 million families in India use kerosene as a fuel
• Results in acute respiratory infections: influenza and pneumonia• 2.5 million people suffer severe burns
each year primarily from upturned lamps• Solar/LED provides far better white light
than kerosene lamps, resulting in less eye strain
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Position It as the Anywhere Fuel(“Freedom”)
• Let it not be called solar electricity; let it be seen as “powering you anywhere”
– You cannot take the grid with you while on a mountain hike
–Mobile applications – phones, camping and related travel
– Using it where it is application specific – local refrigeration for preserving milk
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Position It as a Corporate Statement(“Responsibility”)
– Companies keen on making green statements out of both genuine concern and for branding• Infosys has a CSR budget of Rs 20
Crores
– Facilitate such adoption by providing customized solutions and benefits• Awards and recognition
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4Provide External Stimuli
“Governments should act when markets can’t” - Anon
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Stimuli Using Incentives
• Incentives– REC– CER– F-I-T– CDM– Net Metering– Other Financial Incentives
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Stimuli through Regulations
• Mandates such as the RPOs• “Increase” the prices of
substitutes• Carbon tax• Reduce subsidies for fossil fuels and
provide it for solar# of households using kerosene 7.6 crores
Total kerosene used per year 3.6 billion liters
Savings to govt from subsidy avoidance per household per year
Rs 1200
Cost of a solar PV solution per BPL household / cost per year with 15 years lifetime
Rs 20,000 / Approx Rs 1300
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5Invent the Future
"The best way to predict the future is to invent it." - Alan Kay
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Technology Innovations
Adapt Pure Tech Innovations Innovate on Indianized Solutions
Cell efficiency increases India-specific applications
Storage breakthroughs India-specific products
Thin film innovations India-specific adoption
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Financing Innovations• Microfinance
– SKS Microfinance, India's largest MFI, offers solar lamps to its 5 million customers
– SELCO works with many microfinance institutions
• “Softer” Loans– Already available for a range of consumer
solar products (at interest rates 5% and below)
– Capital subsidies available along with soft loans
• Public-private Partnerships www.eai.in
Raising the Demand for Solar
1. Let Go of Grid Solar PV Fixation2. Take Solar Where Really
Needed3. Position Solar Differently4. Provide External Stimuli5. Invent the Future
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“The significant problems that we face
today cannot be solved with the
same mentality that created them”Albert Einstein
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Let There be Sun!
Narasimhan Santhanam, Director, Energy Alternatives [email protected], Mob: +91-98413-48117
www.eai.in
www.eai.in