SOLARCON India 2013 Begins With Charging The Solar Industry To Innovate, Collaborate &

Execute

Speaking at the inauguration to the industry leaders Shri Amita Prasad, IAS, Energy Secretary,

Govt.of Karnataka said, "Innovate, Collaborate and execute.‖

Solar power has the immense capacity to bring in stability to the fluctuating electricity tariffs in

India as it is cheaper than thermal and domestic coal. States have realized that solar sector is

positive as most solar radiation in the worst part of India is better than the best part of Europe.

Solar is a serious area to work for large scale projects in India. We can add large capacities to

rooftop solar projects and I am glad that states have understood the momentum of the big future

of the grid connected roof tops‖ included Shri. Tarun Kapoor, IAS, Jt. Secretary, MNRE.

Mr. K. Subramanya, Chairperson, SEMI India PV Advisory Committee sharing his views said,

―Standardization of the solar products is necessary. Bankers need to be involved to increase

budgetary support. Technology up gradation is essential. Respectability for the sector needs to be

attained. As investors are looking for uncertainty, solar lobbying is required to be made.

Dr. Harish Hande, Managing Director, SELCO India and winner of the Ramon Magsaysay

Award in the inaugural key note said, ―Off grid is the market for India. Innovation, resilience,

guts to fight the challenges are the key takeaways for the solar industry leaders. Social

engineering will alone make this industry succeed. Solar power industry can apply the insights

taken from the business models existing in other industry sectors‖. And Prof. Pradeep Haldar,

professor at the State University of New York (College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering)

and CTO of the U.S. Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium added, ―Innovation &

entrepreneurship are to be encouraged at social level. Solar industry needs to innovate and create

market opportunities to survive with the impending challenges. Government support is highly

critical. Supply chain across the solar industry segment needs to be kept intact.

On the inaugural day, addressing the ―JNNSM Phase - 2 (2013-2017) Policy Initiatives and

Implementation‖ in a session, Shri Tarun Kapoor, IAS, Joint Secretary, MNRE said,

―Developing manufacturers, system integrators, entrepreneurs was the mission of JNNSM Phase

I. With initiatives and implementations in Phase II we would take India to the first five countries

in the world in terms of solar power production. States are taking a better lead today. For the

Phase II, 800 MW is the off-grid target. The thrust areas include energy access, diesel

replacement, telecom towers, new innovative product, cooling, cold storage, water purification,

space heating and water pumping.‖ Speaking on the plans for off grid projects, he said, ―JNNSM

– II envisages development of cumulative capacity of 1000MW for off-grid solar power and

target of15million Sq.M. collector area. The targets include improved energy access in remote

areas, heating/cooling applications that would encourage employment generation opportunities,

replacement of diesel and Kerosene: Telecom Towers, solar cities and solar cookers & steam

generating systems

Speaking on the implementation perspective, Dr. Ashvini Kumar, Director, Solar Energy

Corporation of India added, ―To scale up the JNNSM Phase II objectives, we have institutional

arrangements on board, namely SECI (Solar Energy Corporation of India), Solar Energy

Research Advisory Council & Solar Energy Industry Advisory Council. These collectively aim

at planning and executing integrated programs on development of solar energy technologies to

achieve commercialization. These would be able to own, operate and manage both grid and off-

grid power stations. They will promote R&D and assist MNRE in executing the mission

objectives through appropriate mechanism. Although there are the issues of implementation –

connectivity norms, metering norms, business model-Tariff & PPA etc, performance, we are sure

with our collective effort we would be able to transform them into opportunities.

With the aim of facilitating the state‘s role in empowering the domestic PV manufacturers to

help them in their internal growth and in positioning India as a global leader not only in

consumption of solar technology but also as a provider, Ms. Bettina Weiss, President, SEMI

India said, "Our conference theme this year reflects SEMI‘s view that PV manufacturing must

complement the growth in solar PV adoption in India. Balancing PV supply and demand within

regions provides greater economic benefits, reduces carbon emissions and the costs of

transporting PV products, making a case for a strong regional manufacturing industry. In the last

few years, a large chunk of solar PV installations in India have been based on components

sourced from international suppliers and at different cost points. India must not become solely a

consumer of solar technology as it has much to offer the world as a manufacturer.

At SOLARCON India 2013, companies will present their products on an exhibition space spread

over 60,000 square feet. More than 4000 national & international trade visitors are expected to

attend India's largest solar industry centric event this year.

The SOLARCON India 2013 conference includes: Opportunities for independent power

producers under India‘s REC mechanism; Balancing PV supply and demand in India: Re-

invigorating Indian Manufacturing; Assessing the Indian Solar Market: Development Prospects

and Problems — the Big Picture; Perspectives on building a complete solar PV eco-system in

India; Role of States in PV Market Growth in India; Financing Solar – issues, options,

perspectives; Rooftop Solar: The next big driver in India; Structures, safety, performance,

reliability of PV installations and Energy conversion, storage and efficiency. The conference has

more than 40 eminent speakers both national and international from the entire solar industry eco-

system including the government.

A unique workshop on ―PV Standards — from Materials and Manufacturing to Systems‖ in

association with the IEEE Standards Association and the International Electrotechnical

Commission (IEC), will be offered. And a one-day tutorial on ―Solar PV System Sizing‖ in

technical collaboration with the National Center for PV Research and Education at IIT Bombay.

BRIDGE TO INDIA is a strategic

solar consultancy based in New

Delhi and Bangalore, India as well as

Hamburg and Munich, Germany.

Founded in 2008, the company offers

solar market intelligence, strategic

consulting and project development

services to international investors,

companies and institutions. As part

of market intelligence, BRIDGE TO

INDIA provides comprehensive,

analytical and up-to-date research on

the Indian solar market through

various reports. The company‘s

strategic consulting expertise lies in

assisting international clients to

engage with the Indian market in the

field of renewable energy, especially

solar energy. BRIDGE TO INDIA

also offers solar PV project

development services, by engaging

technology companies, investors and

real estate owners in India for solar

PV projects. BRIDGE TO INDIA

also runs the market information

website, IndiaSolarMarket.com,

which provides daily updates on

news, policies, opinions, jobs and

events in the Indian solar market.

ECOCONSTRUCTION INDIA is a printed and digital

platform focused on sustainable buildings, construction

and infrastructures. ECOCONSTRUCTION INDIA

covers innovation and trends in Bio climatic architecture,

smart buildings, passive houses, sustainable urban and

rural architecture, green planning, construction,

rehabilitation and recycling and infrastructures.

ECOCONSTRUCTION INDIA provides in depth

information on the complete lifecycle of a building and its

surroundings, from planning to demolition.

ENERGETICA INDIA, the leading technical magazine

for renewable and conventional power

generation, transmission and distribution in India is

published 8 times each year in addition to an annual

Energy India Guide.

ENERGETICA INDIA covers the latest news,

outstanding product developments, new technologies,

plant reports and other important topics for the energy

market. ENERGETICA INDIA printed version is

regularly distributed to 10,000 key decision makers

mainly in India.

EQ International, provides unique Insights &

Transparency in Power Generation, Clean Energy, Low

Carbon Technologies, and Carbon Markets. Latest

Industry Information, News, Research & Analysis,

Technology & Products Information, Business &

Financial News, Policy & Regulation is delivered to an

interesting diverse readership base in Energy

Corporations, Government, Policy Makers & Regulators,

Consultancy & Advisory Firms, Associations, Banking &

Financial World.

EQ offers a diverse & integrated platform with its

Monthly Technical Magazine (Distributed in Print &

Digital Formats), Special Supplements addressing

Specific industry, Weekly e newsletters, Diverse Digital

Publishing with its appearance on Web, iPad, Kindle,

iPhone, Blackberry, Android Platforms along with strong

emphasis on Social Networking @ Face book, Twitter to

enhance your reach, visibility, branding and addressing

the issues you feel are most important.

EQ Maintains a strong focus on the Indian Market from

where it is published with 12,500 Copies distributed to

Key Decision Makers. Approximately 2500 copies are

printed for Select International presence. Its unique and

strong digital presence (Distributed to 100,000+ Contacts)

takes it beyond borders and gets popularity in

International Market.

Global Solar Technology, with its focus on project

development, systems installation, installation and module

manufacturing in the US, Europe and South East Asia and

cell manufacturing in China, delivers over 24,000 solution

packed magazines to industry professionals across the

globe in hardcopy and/or digital format and across three

editions: International, SouthEast Asia and China. The

magazines are also distributed at every major and many

minor industry trade shows throughout the year. No other

magazine in the solar/PV manufacturing industry offers

the kind of exposure your advertisements, news releases

and technical content gets with Global Solar Technology

magazine.

Mercom Capital Group is a clean energy

communications and consulting firm with offices in the

US and India. Mercom delivers highly respected industry

market intelligence reports covering Solar Energy, Wind

Energy and Smart Grid. Our reports provide timely

industry happenings and ahead-of-the-curve analysis

specifically for C-level decision making. Mercom‘s

consulting division advises cleantech companies on new

market entry, custom market intelligence and overall

strategic decision-making. Mercom‘s communications

division helps clean energy companies build powerful

relationships with media, analysts, government decision-

makers, local communities and strategic partners. For

more information about Mercom Capital Group, visit:

http://www.mercomcapital.com. To get a copy of

Mercom‘s popular market intelligence reports, visit:

http://mercomcapital.com/market_intelligence.php.

SolarQuarter, is India‘s most preferred and largest solar

industry news and business information portal, with reach

out over 100,000+ readers and 50,000+ registered

subscribers across energy sector not only in India but also

across 30-40 countries worldwide. We thank you for your

support and encouragement, which has helped us carry

forward and improve upon our offerings constantly. We

are also clearly the most focused and the best in the

industry with constant updates on projects, industry

trends, market analysis, policy updates, financial

developments, investment banking and path-breaking

companies.

Renewable Watch covers the entire spectrum of

renewable energy - wind, solar, bioenergy, small hydro

and other emerging technologies - and includes both grid-

interactive and offgrid power solutions. It aims to provide

accurate information to track investments and projects, to

showcase innovations and technologies and to offer a

platform for debate and discussion on policy, regulation

and financing. The magazine is targeted at wind and solar

energy developers, technology providers, equipment

manufacturers, conventional power producers, renewable

energy development agencies, discom and transcos, fuel

producers and sellers, financial institutions, carbon fund

managers, industrial consumers, policy makers,

regulators, government agencies, research organisations,

management consultants, etc.

tradeindia.com is India's largest B2B market place with

more than 2.3 million global registered users. An ideal

forum for global buyers and sellers to conduct business

smoothly and effectively with database classified in 1593

categories. Pioneers in launching Trade Directory

EXPORTERS YELLOW PAGES, which provides

information about Indian Manufacturers, Exporters &

Service Providers.

The co-located SOLARCON India conference features the theme ―Balancing Energy Supply &

Demand in the Region - The need for a complete PV eco-system from materials to power

generation‖ and will attract a solid audience of influential delegates who also attend the show.

SOLARCON® India Media Accreditation

As a service to SOLARCON exhibitors, SEMI® provides media accreditation to members of the

working press. Accreditation is granted at SEMI‘s discretion and provides access to the

exposition, working press room and scheduled press conferences solely for the purposes of

reporting on the semiconductor equipment and materials industry, industry news events, new

products, business development, and other news associated with SEMI expositions. Due to the

number of requests received for press passes, media accreditation is limited to those acting in an

editorial capacity for relevant publications or news organizations.

Publishers/associate publishers, sales, advertising, PR, marketing, market research, technical

support staff, consultants and exhibiting company personnel are not eligible for press credentials.

SEMI requires proof of applicant‘s professional status, including titled business card, publication

masthead and applicant‘s name listed in an editorial capacity.

In addition, SEMI requires supporting documentation be provided as summarized below.

SOLARCON "Press" credentials will be assigned based on these criteria. Applications will be

processed only upon receipt of ALL requested documentation.

Journalists requesting media credentials may contact SEMI India at solarconindia@semi.org.

Trade Publications

Reporters from industry trade publications must provide both a business card with an editorial

title and a current masthead that includes their name.

Business Publications

Reporters from magazines and newspapers must provide both a business card with an editorial

title and a current masthead that includes their name.

Association Publications

Reporters from internationally recognized magazines/newspapers/newsletters produced by

industry associations must provide both a business card with an editorial title and a current

masthead that includes their name.

TV-Radio

Broadcast reporters and producers from news organizations must provide an editorial business

card. Camera/sound crews must provide broadcast station ID.

Market Research Staff and Analysts

Writers from internationally recognized market research journals, who write on a consistent basis

for regularly published newsletters and/or reports, must provide both a business card with an

editorial title and two samples of bylined articles published within the last six months.

Companies are limited to five (5) registrants for media credentials.

Freelance Writers / Authors

Persons requesting freelance credentials must provide an original letter of assignment and two

bylined articles published within the last six months. Those who freelance occasionally and are

employed by non-news organizations are not eligible for media credentials. Authors must be

under current contract and provide an original letter from their publisher.

Internet-based Publications

Editors from ―online‖, Internet-based, newsletter or solicited-article publications are admitted at

SEMI‘s discretion and must provide proof of a direct editorial coverage of the semiconductor

equipment or materials industry or related technology to be considered for eligibility.

Persons issued press credentials are prohibited from advertising sales while at SOLARCON

India. Press credentials will be revoked for anyone engaged in sales or solicitation activities.

SOLARCON India 2013

SOLARCON India 2013 brings together the entire supply chain with a focus on PV

manufacturing, production and technology and attracts equipment and materials suppliers; cell

and module manufacturers; balance of systems (BOS) suppliers (inverters, batteries, tracking and

mounting systems, integrators); distributors and project developers; academia and research;

utility-scale developers and government. Industry leaders look to SOLARCON India to source

the products, technologies, and solutions they need to meet the demand created by the Jawaharlal

National Solar Mission, and the State solar policies and opportunities arising from Renewable

Energy Certification and Renewable Purchase Obligations.

SOLARCON India is the event of choice for the solar industry in India and is your best

opportunity to benefit from and influence the direction of India‘s solar market. This best-in-class

exhibition attracts highly-focused visitors from across the Indian solar manufacturing

supply chain.

• Secure a booth at SOLARCON India 2013 and network with more than 4,000 national and

international trade visitors.

• Gain brand exposure and meet real buyers with purchasing authority.

• Discover new trends and products in the industry as well as tap into the full spectrum of

solar professionals.

• Forge links with local partners in the Indian marketplace.

• Reach out to the growing solar markets in Andhra Pradesh, Karnatka, Kerala and Tamilnadu.

The SOLARCON Difference

SOLARCON India is presented by SEMI India. SEMI India works year-round for the solar

industry, guided by industry leaders in India and works to promote the best interests of the

industry. In turn, SEMI India is supported by its parent company SEMI, the international trade

association with global reach.

Reporting and Communications

Course Overview:

Stakeholders are increasingly holding companies accountable for their activities and demand

information that is consistent, material, comparable, credible and well structured. This course

helps you to learn about international reporting standards and how to deliver your sustainability

message effectively to support business objectives.

Topics include:

• Identifying the key issues on which to report

• Transparency and accountability

• Developing priorities through stakeholder engagement

• International reporting standards

• Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)

• Tools and strategies to deliver an effective sustainability message

• Tailoring reporting solutions to meet a company‘s unique needs

• Measuring and reporting on community investment

• Reporting CSR activities to key stakeholders

• Developing an effective communications plan

• Case studies of successful reporting strategies

the fourth edition of India’s premiere solar energy focused event with the theme 'The

Promise of Affordable Solar Power in India: Unraveling the Bottlenecks and Identifying

Solutions 'kick-started in Bangalore this morning.

From (L-R): Debasish Paul Choudhury, Murugesh R Nirani, Jagadish Shivappa Shettar,

Pashupathy Gopalan, Managing Director, South Asia & Sub Saharan Africa Operations,

SunEdison; James CP Chen, Vice President - Solar Business Group, AUO Group, Taiwan;

Anita George, Director, International Finance Corporation; K Subramanya, Former CEO,

Tata BP Solar and Chairman, PV Advisory Committee, SEMI India and Bettina Weiss,

Vice President, SEMI PV Group.

Organised by SEMI India in association with the Department of Industries and Commerce,

Karnataka Government, Karnataka Udyog Mitra (KUM), Karnataka Renewable Energy

Development Limited (KREDL) and supported by the Union Ministry for New and Renewable

Energy, Government of India and Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), the

event was inaugurated Jagadish Shivappa Shettar, Chief Minister of Karnataka and Murugesh

Rudrappa Nirani, Minister for Large and Medium Industries, Government of Karnataka.

Speaking at the inauguration, Shettar said: ―Our government has given a new thrust to the solar

power sector by implementing a new renewable energy policy. We have added 441 MW of

renewable energy includes wind and solar during 2011-12. In our budget 2012-13 we have

proposed to setup a Green energy fund by levying surcharge of 5 paise per unit on industrial and

commercial consumers. The surcharge will be complimented by a support of Rs 25 crores from

the government. The resources available in the fund will be utilised to encourage rooftop grid

connected solar project".

Karnataka aims to achieve the solar energy target of 200 MW by 2016. "What is more, our

government has made it mandatory for all new houses to install solar water heaters. Apart from

that the government and local authorities have taken the initiative to install large number of solar

street lights and signals within Bangalore and few other cities, we plan to extend the solar street

lights across the state", the Chief Minister informed.

Speaking on the occasion, Nirani said: ―The Karnataka state initiated by releasing Solar Policy

2011-16, proposes to install 200 MWs Solar power by 2015-16 for procurement by ESCOMs to

meet the Renewable Purchase obligation RPO. Solar Power projects of 80MW capacities for

2011-12 and 2012-13 are awarded to successful bidders through competitive bidding. State

owned Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd, KPCL has commissioned four solar power projects

with aggregate capacity of 19 MWs, and yet to install five MW Solar power plant at Kaginele,

Haveri district".

The State government is planning to establish Solar parks in Bijapur, Gulbarga and Yadgir

districts, in order to ensure to provide plug and play facility for speedy implementation of Solar

projects. The cities of Mysore and Hubli-Dharwar are covered under model solar-city

programmes and roof-top harvesting programmes are likely to be taken in these cities under Net-

metering concept, the Minister informed.

"Karnataka nodal agency KREDL has identified 1,000 major buildings across the state for

implementation of Solar PV projects of capacity more than 100 kW. About 100 major

commercial institutions have been identified for steam-cooking systems. Karnataka leads in the

installation of solar water-heating systems in the country. KREDL proposed set up of a Solar

Park in 5,000 acres land in Bijapur district and the State and Commerce and Industries

Department is currently co-ordinating to get land and other pre-requisites on a top priority as

facilitator", Nirani added.

SOLARCON India 2012 kicked off in the presence of James CP Chen, vice president, Solar

Business Group, AUO Group, Taiwan, Dr Martha Symko Davies, Solar business manager,

NREL, USA; Bettina Weiss, Vice President, SEMI PV Group, William Polese, Managing

Director, Lux Research Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, Singapore and Debasish Paul Choudhury, President

- SEMI India. At SOLARCON India 2012 more than 100 companies are taking part and

exhibiting their products on space spread over 60,000 square feet. More than 5,000 visitors are

expected to attend India's dazzling event on solar energy. SEMI India facilitates the Government

of Karnataka‘s Solar initiative to make the State the next Solar Hub of India.

Choudhury, in his remark said: ―SOLARCON INDIA 2012 is a platform to give voice to the

solar manufacturing industry and eco-system in India and to further serve the constituents

through a wide range of initiatives, such as workforce development, industry standards, public

policy, market research and environmental, health and safety (EHS) programmes. Also, we are

pleased with the proactive efforts by the Government of Karnataka to support, collaborate and

aid the companies in the Solar eco-system".

"An economy based on Hydro Carbon is unsustainable. We will be failing in our duty to the next

generation unless we optimise the use of resources. The untapped potential in alternative sources

of energy holds the key to a sustainable future. I complement SOLARCON India 2012 in helping

re-focus on the issues that we now dwindle upon. I am sure the Conference will throw up many

more new ideas and suggestions, which will lead us the way forward," MN Vidyashankar,

Principal Secretary, Commerce and Industries Department, Governemnt of Karnataka added.

Indian solar PV industry asked to innovate, collaborate and execute

Features | CIOL Bureau

BANGALORE, INDIA: SOLARCON India 2013, the fifth edition of India's premiere solar-

focused technology and business event themed on "Balancing Energy Supply & Demand in the

Region-The need for a complete PV eco-system from materials to power generation" organized

by SEMI India.

The event is supported by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the Indian

Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), Karnataka Renewable Energy Development

Ltd. (KREDL), and the Government of Karnataka was inaugurated today in the presence of Ms.

Amita Prasad, IAS, Energy Secretary, Govt. of Karnataka and Tarun Kapoor, IAS, Jt. Secretary,

MNRE at the KTPO Exhibition Complex, Bangalore.

Prof. Dr. Roland Schindler, executive director, Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy

Systems; Prof. Chetan Singh Solanki, National Center for PV Research & Education at IIT

Bombay; K. Subramanya, chairperson, SEMI India PV Advisory Committee, and M.B Dyaberi,

IAS, MD, Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd also graced the ceremony.

Ms. Amita Prasad, said, "Innovate, collaborate and execute!"

"Solar power has the immense capacity to bring in stability to the fluctuating electricity tariffs in

India as it is cheaper than thermal and domestic coal. States have realized that solar sector is

positive as most solar radiation in the worst part of India is better than the best part of Europe.

Solar is a serious area to work for large scale projects in India. We can add large capacities to

rooftop solar projects and I am glad that states have understood the momentum of the big future

of the grid connected roof tops," said Tarun Kapoor.

K. Subramanya, said: "Standardization of the solar products is necessary. Bankers need to be

involved to increase budgetary support. Technology up gradation is essential. Respectability for

the sector needs to be attained. As investors are looking for uncertainty, solar lobbying is

required to be made".

Dr. Harish Hande, MD, SELCO India and winner of the Ramon Magsaysay Award, in the

inaugural key note said: "Off grid is the market for India. Innovation, resilience, guts to fight the

challenges are the key takeaways for the solar industry leaders. Social engineering will alone

make this industry succeed. Solar power industry can apply the insights taken from the business

models existing in other industry sectors."

Prof. Pradeep Haldar, professor at the State University of New York (College of Nanoscale

Science and Engineering) and CTO of the US Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium, added:

"Innovation and entrepreneurship are to be encouraged at social level. Solar industry needs to

innovate and create market opportunities to survive with the impending challenges. Government

support is highly critical. Supply chain across the solar industry segment needs to be kept intact."

JNNSM Phase 2 updates

On the inaugural day, addressing the "JNNSM Phase - 2 (2013-2017) Policy Initiatives and

Implementation" in a session, Tarun Kapoor, added: "Developing manufacturers, system

integrators, entrepreneurs was the mission of JNNSM Phase I. With initiatives and

implementations in Phase II we would take India to the first five countries in the world in terms

of solar power production. States are taking a better lead today. For the Phase II, 800 MW is the

off-grid target. The thrust areas include energy access, diesel replacement, telecom towers, new

innovative product, cooling, cold storage, water purification, space heating and water pumping."

Speaking on the plans for off grid projects, he said: "JNNSM - II envisages development of

cumulative capacity of 1000MW for off-grid solar power and target of15million Sq.M. collector

area. The targets include improved energy access in remote areas, heating/cooling applications

that would encourage employment generation opportunities, replacement of diesel and Kerosene:

Telecom Towers, solar cities and solar cookers and steam generating systems."

Indian solar PV industry asked to innovate, collaborate and execute

Features | CIOL Bureau

Speaking on the implementation perspective, Dr. Ashvini Kumar, director, Solar Energy Corp. of

India, added: "To scale up the JNNSM Phase II objectives, we have institutional arrangements

on board, namely SECI, Solar Energy Research Advisory Council and Solar Energy Industry

Advisory Council. These collectively aim at planning and executing integrated programs on

development of solar energy technologies to achieve commercialization. These would be able to

own, operate and manage both grid and off-grid power stations. They will promote R&D and

assist MNRE in executing the mission objectives through appropriate mechanism. Although

there are the issues of implementation - connectivity norms, metering norms, business model-

tariff and PPA etc., performance, we are sure with our collective effort we would be able to

transform them into opportunities."

ith the aim of facilitating the state's role in empowering the domestic PV manufacturers to help

them in their internal growth and in positioning India as a global leader not only in consumption

of solar technology, but also as a provider, Ms. Bettina Weiss, president, SEMI India said: "Our

conference theme this year reflects SEMI's view that PV manufacturing must complement the

growth in solar PV adoption in India. Balancing PV supply and demand within regions provides

greater economic benefits, reduces carbon emissions and the costs of transporting PV products,

making a case for a strong regional manufacturing industry. In the last few years, a large chunk

of solar PV installations in India have been based on components sourced from international

suppliers and at different cost points. India must not become solely a consumer of solar

technology as it has much to offer the world as a manufacturer."

At SOLARCON India 2013, companies will present their products on an exhibition space spread

over 60,000 square feet. More than 4,000 national and international trade visitors are expected to

attend India's largest solar industry centric event this year.

The three-day conference is themed "Balancing Energy Supply & Demand in the Region"

suggesting the need for India's significant PV deployment growth to be matched by a strong

manufacturing eco-system

News | by CIOL Correspondent

BANGALORE, INDIA: SEMI, the global industry association serving the manufacturing supply

chain for the micro- an d nano-electronics industries, is hosting its fifth SOLARCON India, a

premier solar-focused technology and business event, from 1-3 August 2013 at the KTPO

Exhibition Complex, Bangalore.

The inaugural ceremony is scheduled at 9:30 AM on 1 August, 2013 at the venue.

The event showcases the entire solar photovoltaic (PV) supply chain with a focus on

manufacturing and technology. Inaugural keynotes will be delivered by Dr. Harish Hande,

Managing Director, SELCO India and winner of the Ramon Magsaysay Award and Prof.

Pradeep Haldar, professor at the State University of New York (College of Nanoscale Science

and Engineering) and CTO of the U.S. Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium. An inaugural

day session on "JNNSM Phase - 2 (2013-2017) Policy Initiatives and Implementation" will see

Tarun Kapoor, IAS, Joint Secretary, MNRE and Dr. Ashvini Kumar, Director, Solar Energy

Corporation of India address the conference.

The three-day conference is themed "Balancing Energy Supply & Demand in the Region"

suggesting the need for India's significant PV deployment growth to be matched by a strong

manufacturing eco-system. Over 60 industry experts and leaders from across the country will

also address the conference over the three days, including: Prof. Dr. Roland Schindler, executive

director of the Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems; Prof. Richard Corkish, head

of the school of PV and renewable energy engineering at the University of New South Wales,

Australia; Dr. Bill Tumas, from the Materials and Chemical Sciences Directorate of the U.S.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). SOLARCON India 2013 is supported by the

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the Indian Renewable Energy

Development Agency (IREDA), Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd. (KREDL), and

the Government of Karnataka.

"Our conference theme this year reflects SEMI's view that PV manufacturing must complement

the growth in solar PV adoption in India," adds Bettina Weiss, president, SEMI India.

"Balancing PV supply and demand within regions provides greater economic benefits, reduces

carbon emissions and the costs of transporting PV products, making a case for a strong regional

manufacturing industry. In the last few years, a large chunk of solar PV installations in India

have been based on components sourced from international suppliers and at different cost points.

India must not become solely a consumer of solar technology as it has much to offer the world as

a manufacturer."

"I am delighted to be at SEMI's conference in India this year, and to discuss the importance of

supply chain collaboration, common standards and technology roadmaps, and collaborative

technology development and deployment programs as key elements in overcoming technology,

manufacturing and deployment challenges, in achieving lower costs and spurring the transition to

a low-carbon, renewable energy world economy," says Prof. Pradeep Haldar at State University

of New York (College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering) and CTO, U.S. Photovoltaic

Manufacturing Consortium.

"Breathtaking innovations in photovoltaic modules, new materials, components, and systems

integration are transforming the use and adoption of solar PV globally. India, with its solar

advantage and immense energy needs will be an engine of PV market growth and can be a true

beneficiary of the kind of applied research we conduct at Fraunhofer CSE. I am pleased to be

presenting this perspective at SOLARCON India", adds Prof. Dr. Roland Schindler, Executive

Director of the Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems.

The conference will also include presentations and discussions covering:

· Phase-2 of the JNNSM - Policy and implementation aspects.

· Opportunities for independent power producers under the REC mechanism.

Balancing PV supply and demand in India: Re-invigorating Indian manufacturing.

· Assessing the Indian solar market: Development prospects and problems - the big picture

· Perspectives on building a complete solar PV eco-system in India

· Plus discussions on state solar policies, sessions on financing perspectives, rooftop PV,

Structures, safety, reliability of PV installations and Energy storage, conversion and

efficiency.

A unique workshop on "PV Standards - from Materials and Manufacturing to Systems" in

association with the IEEE Standards Association and the International Electrotechnical

Commission (IEC), will be offered, as well as a one-day tutorial on "Solar PV System Sizing" in

technical collaboration with the National Center for PV Research and Education at IIT Bombay.

SOLARCON® India 2013 begins with

charging the Solar Industry to Innovate,

Collaborate & Execute

10 days ago by electronics 0

Off grid is the market for India Innovation, resilience, guts to fight the challenges- key learning for solar industry SECI (Solar Energy Corporation of India), Solar Energy Research Advisory Council & Solar Energy

Industry Advisory Council to assist MNRE to achieve JNNSM-II objective Energy access, diesel replacement, telecom towers, new innovative product, cooling, cold

storage, water purification, space heating and water pumping- Thrust areas for JNNSM-II

Bangalore, India, 1 August, 2013— SOLARCON India 2013, the fifth edition of India‘s

premiere solar-focused technology and business event themed on ―Balancing Energy Supply &

Demand in the Region-The need for a complete PV eco-system from materials to power

generation‖ organized by SEMI India and supported by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics

Engineers (IEEE), the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), Karnataka

Renewable Energy Development Ltd. (KREDL), and the Government of Karnataka

was inaugurated today in the presence of Shri Amita Prasad, IAS, Energy Secretary, Govt.of

Karnataka and Shri Tarun Kapoor, IAS, Jt. Secretary, MNRE at the KTPO Exhibition

Complex, Bangalore. Prof. Dr. Roland Schindler, Executive Director, Fraunhofer Center for

Sustainable Energy Systems; Prof. Chetan Singh Solanki, National Center for PV Research

& Education at IIT Bombay; Mr. K. Subramanya, Chairperson, SEMI India PV Advisory

Committee, Sri. M.B Dyaberi, IAS, Managing Director, Karnataka Renewable Energy

Development Ltd also graced the ceremony.

Speaking at the inauguration to the industry leaders Shri Amita Prasad, IAS, Energy

Secretary, Govt. of Karnataka said, ‖Innovate, Collaborate and execute.‖

―Solar power has the immense capacity to bring in stability to the fluctuating electricity tariffs in

India as it is cheaper than thermal and domestic coal. States have realized that solar sector is

positive as most solar radiation in the worst part of India is better than the best part of Europe.

Solar is a serious area to work for large scale projects in India. We can add large capacities to

rooftop solar projects and I am glad that states have understood the momentum of the big future

of the grid connected roof tops‖ included Shri. Tarun Kapoor, IAS, Jt. Secretary, MNRE.

Mr. K. Subramanya, Chairperson, SEMI India PV Advisory Committee sharing his views

said, ―Standardization of the solar products is necessary. Bankers need to be involved to increase

budgetary support. Technology up gradation is essential. Respectability for the sector needs to be

attained. As investors are looking for uncertainty, solar lobbying is required to be made‖.

Dr. Harish Hande, Managing Director, SELCO India and winner of the Ramon Magsaysay

Award in the inaugural key note said, ―Off grid is the market for India. Innovation, resilience,

guts to fight the challenges are the key takeaways for the solar industry leaders. Social

engineering will alone make this industry succeed. Solar power industry can apply the insights

taken from the business models existing in other industry sectors‖. And Prof. Pradeep Haldar,

professor at the State University of New York (College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering)

and CTO of the U.S. Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium added, ―Innovation &

entrepreneurship are to be encouraged at social level. Solar industry needs to innovate and create

market opportunities to survive with the impending challenges. Government support is highly

critical. Supply chain across the solar industry segment needs to be kept intact.‖

On the inaugural day, addressing the ―JNNSM Phase – 2 (2013-2017) Policy Initiatives and

Implementation‖ in a session, Shri Tarun Kapoor, IAS, Joint Secretary, MNRE said,

―Developing manufacturers, system integrators, entrepreneurs was the mission of JNNSM Phase

I. With initiatives and implementations in Phase II we would take India to the first five countries

in the world in terms of solar power production. States are taking a better lead today. For the

Phase II, 800 MW is the off-grid target. The thrust areas include energy access, diesel

replacement, telecom towers, new innovative product, cooling, cold storage, water purification,

space heating and water pumping.‖ Speaking on the plans for off grid projects, he said, ―JNNSM

– II envisages development of cumulative capacity of 1000MW for off-grid solar power and

target of15million Sq.M. collector area. The targets include improved energy access in remote

areas, heating/cooling applications that would encourage employment generation opportunities,

replacement of diesel and Kerosene: Telecom Towers, solar cities and solar cookers & steam

generating systems‖

Speaking on the implementation perspective, Dr. Ashvini Kumar, Director, Solar Energy

Corporation of India added, ―To scale up the JNNSM Phase II objectives, we have institutional

arrangements on board, namely SECI (Solar Energy Corporation of India), Solar Energy

Research Advisory Council & Solar Energy Industry Advisory Council. These collectively aim

at planning and executing integrated programs on development of solar energy technologies to

achieve commercialization. These would be able to own, operate and manage both grid and off-

grid power stations. They will promote R&D and assist MNRE in executing the mission

objectives through appropriate mechanism. Although there are the issues of implementation –

connectivity norms, metering norms, business model-Tariff & PPA etc, performance, we are sure

with our collective effort we would be able to transform them into opportunities.‖

With the aim of facilitating the state‘s role in empowering the domestic PV manufacturers to

help them in their internal growth and in positioning India as a global leader not only in

consumption of solar technology but also as a provider, Ms. Bettina Weiss, President, SEMI

India said, ”Our conference theme this year reflects SEMI‘s view that PV manufacturing must

complement the growth in solar PV adoption in India. Balancing PV supply and demand within

regions provides greater economic benefits, reduces carbon emissions and the costs of

transporting PV products, making a case for a strong regional manufacturing industry. In the last

few years, a large chunk of solar PV installations in India have been based on components

sourced from international suppliers and at different cost points. India must not become solely a

consumer of solar technology as it has much to offer the world as a manufacturer.‖

At SOLARCON India 2013, companies will present their products on an exhibition space spread

over 60,000 square feet. More than 4000 national & international trade visitors are expected to

attend India‘s largest solar industry centric event this year.

The SOLARCON India 2013 conference includes: Opportunities for independent power

producers under India‘s REC mechanism; Balancing PV supply and demand in India: Re-

invigorating Indian Manufacturing; Assessing the Indian Solar Market: Development Prospects

and Problems — the Big Picture; Perspectives on building a complete solar PV eco-system in

India; Role of States in PV Market Growth in India; Financing Solar – issues, options,

perspectives; Rooftop Solar: The next big driver in India; Structures, safety, performance,

reliability of PV installations and Energy conversion, storage and efficiency. The conference has

more than 40 eminent speakers both national and international from the entire solar industry eco-

system including the government.

A unique workshop on ―PV Standards — from Materials and Manufacturing to Systems‖ in

association with the IEEE Standards Association and the International Electrotechnical

Commission (IEC), will be offered. And a one-day tutorial on ―Solar PV System Sizing‖ in

technical collaboration with the National Center for PV Research and Education at IIT Bombay.

Ⅰ. Exhibition Introduction:

SOLARCON India 2013 brings together the entire supply chain with a focus on PV

manufacturing, production and technology and attracts equipment and materials suppliers; cell

and module manufacturers; balance of systems (BOS) suppliers (inverters, batteries, tracking and

mounting systems, integrators); distributors and project developers; academia and research;

utility-scale developers and government.

Industry leaders look to SOLARCON India to source the products, technologies, and solutions

they need to meet the demand created by the Jawaharlal National Solar Mission, and the State

solar policies and opportunities arising from Renewable Energy Certification and Renewable

Purchase Obligations.

SOLARCON India is the event of choice for the solar industry in India and is your best

opportunity to benefit from and influence the direction of India‘s solar market. This best-in-class

exhibition attracts highly-focused visitors from across the Indian solar manufacturing supply

chain.

Ⅱ. Exhibition Scope:

1. PV Cells and Modules

● Cells

● Modules

● Thin Film

2. PV Wafers, Materials and Equipment

● Equipment: Ingots and Wafers

● Equipment: Feedstock: Polysilicon, UMG

● Equipment: Cells

● Equipment: Modules

● Equipment: Thin Film

● Equipment: Integration and Automation

● Equipment: Inspection and Metrology

● Materials: Ingots, Wafers

● Materials: Feedstock: Polysilicon, UMG

● Materials: Consumables (Pastes, Wire)

● Materials: Gasses, Liquid Chemicals

● Materials: Solar Glass, Encapsulation

3. PV Balance of Systems (BOS)

● Inverters

● Measurement and Control Technology

● Chargers and Batteries

4. PV Components, Tracking and Mounting Systems

● Cables, Connectors and Junction Boxes

● Tracking Systems

● Mounting Systems

● Installation Aids

5. PV Applications

● Off-grid Systems

● Rooftop Systems

● Power Plants (Commercial, Utility-scale)

● BIPV

6. Solar Thermal

● Manufacturing Machinery and Equipment

● Automation

● Materials

● Production Machinery

● Solar Glass

7. Solar Thermal Applications

8. Solar Thermal Technology

9. Services

● Consulting

● Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC)

Ⅲ. Conference Introduction:

SOLARCON India‘s multi-track conference offers an excellent networking opportunity that

gives you access, information, analysis and key insights. Through a series of presentations,

papers and panel discussions featuring industry experts and operational leaders, SOLARCON

India addresses issues and solutions for the Indian PV industry. And, the exhibition and

conference are both located at the KTPO Exhibition Complex, Bangalore.

Expand your presence beyond the exhibition floor—contact SEMI India to present at the

SOLARCON India conference!

Ⅳ. Why Attend?

● Secure a booth at SOLARCON India 2013 and network with more than 4,000 national and

international trade visitors.

● Gain brand exposure and meet real buyers with purchasing authority.

● Discover new trends and products in the industry as well as tap into the full spectrum of solar

professionals.

● Forge links with local partners in the Indian marketplace.

● Reach out to the growing solar markets in Andhra Pradesh, Karnatka, Kerala and Tamilnadu.

SOLARCON India 2013 brings together the entire supply chain with a focus on PV

manufacturing, production and technology and attracts equipment and materials suppliers; cell

and module manufacturers; balance of systems (BOS) suppliers (inverters, batteries, tracking and

mounting systems, integrators); distributors and project developers; academia and research;

utility-scale developers and government.

Industry leaders look to SOLARCON India to source the products, technologies, and solutions

they need to meet the demand created by the Jawaharlal National Solar Mission, and the State

solar policies and opportunities arising from Renewable Energy Certification and Renewable

Purchase Obligations.

SOLARCON India is the event of choice for the solar industry in India and is your best

opportunity to benefit from and influence the direction of India's solar market. This best-in-class

exhibition attracts highly-focused visitors from across the Indian solar manufacturing supply

chain.

Solarcon India 2012, the fourth edition of solar-focused technology and business event will be

held in Bangalore on September 3-5.

The event, organised by SEMI India, includes an exhibition, a conference and parallel technical

sessions to be held at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC).

Solarcon India has been providing platform for industry, government, NGOs and other eco-

system partners to come together to discuss and evolve plans to help the growth of the local solar

industry.

According to Debasish Paul Choudhury, president, SEMI India, this year‘s event has already

attracted over 100 exhibitors and expects 5,000 visitors. It will be inaugurated by Union Minister

of New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah.

Inaugural keynote addresses will be delivered by James CP Chen, vice-president, Solar Business

Group, AUO Group, Taiwan; Martha Symko Davies, solar business manager, NREL, US; and

William Polese, managing director, Lux Research Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Singapore.

Key events include CEO panel discussion on ‗Key requirements of short-term and long-term

solar manufacturing sustainability in India.‘ CEO Forum to discuss ‗Can India touch 100 gw

installed solar power capacity by 2030?‘ and ‗Solar power project financing and price/KWH of

solar power - setting realistic expectations.‘

There will be off-grid sessions on ‗Policy and regulatory enablers for off-grid solar PV growth in

India‘ and ‗Rooftops, micro grids and other off-grid PV applications.‘

In addition, Solarcon India 2012 will feature a short skill development course on ‗Thin film PV

technology – cells to systems‘ in technical collaboration with the NCPRE (National Centre for

Photovoltaic Research and Education) based at IIT- Bombay.

SOLARCON India Advances Solar

Workforce Development Initiatives in India

SEMI India will host the third edition of SOLARCON India, the region‘s premier solar business

and technology focused industry exposition and international conference from November 9 to 11

at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre in Hyderabad, India. The theme for this

year‘s exposition, representing the widening solar value chain in India, will be: ―Showcasing the

Solar eco-system: From polysilicon to power plants‖. SOLARCON India will also feature a

certificate short course on ―Grid Connected Solar PV Systems: Design and Integration‖ in

technical collaboration with the prestigious National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and

Education (NCPRE) at IIT Bombay. The short course is part of a workforce development

initiative determined as a priority by the SEMI India PV Advisory Committee to support the

solar industry in India and the goals of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission.

―As a trade association we believe in bringing together our members with industry leaders to

work collaboratively on issues such as workforce development‖ said Debasish Paul

Choudhury, president, SEMI India. ―SOLARCON India is not just another show in India. It

is a platform to give voice to the solar manufacturing industry and eco-system in India and to

further serve our constituents through a wide range of initiatives such as industry standards,

public policy, market research and environmental, health and safety (EHS) programs.‖

The SEMI India PV Advisory Committee represents companies that include manufacturers,

equipment and materials suppliers, solar power project developers and academia, and connects

the complete PV supply chain in India. The 15 members represent: Tata BP Solar, Applied

Materials India, Lanco Solar, Solar Semiconductor, Moser Baer India, Titan Energy Systems,

Oerlikon Solar, Websol Energy Solutions Ltd., SunEdison Energy India Pvt. Ltd., AES Solar

Energy Pvt Ltd., Department of Energy Science and Engineering at the Indian Institute of

Technology Bombay, and Siemens Ltd.

Prior to SOLARCON India, SEMI, is organizing a short course on ―Solar PV Power Systems:

Concepts, Operation and Applications‖, in technical collaboration with the NCPRE from August

24-26 in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Rajasthan is emerging as a major destination for solar PV investment

and solar power plants activity in India.and is one of three regions in India that will make up

70% of India‘s market growth in 2011 due to favorable state policies. (Source: Solarbuzz, August

2011)

About SEMI and PV Group

SEMI is the global industry association serving the nano and microelectronics manufacturing.

The SEMI PV Group represents SEMI member companies involved in the solar energy supply

chain. SEMI member companies are the engine of the future, enabling smarter, faster and more

economical products that improve our lives. SEMI maintains offices in Beijing, Bengaluru,

Berlin, Brussels, Grenoble, Hsinchu, Moscow, San Jose, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, and

Washington, D.C. SEMI India, the Indian arm of the global industry organization SEMI was

established in 2008 in Bangalore. For more information visitwww.semi.org

and www.pvgroup.org. Follow SEMI India at http://in.linkedin.com/in/semiindia

and http://twitter.com/SEMIIndia

China has recently boosted its targets for solar power installations in its current 12th Five Year

Plan (2011 to 2015) to 40 gigawatts (GW) by the year 2015 and 10 GW this year alone. Given

the rapid growth in PV installations, China will likely emerge as the leader in new PV

installations this year.

Large-scale PV continues to be the dominant market segment in China. PV power plants with a

capacity of 6 megawatts (MW) or more are considered to be in this category and the Chinese

government has introduced new policies and measures to further improve this sector.

Following a successful launch at last year‘s Solarcon China, this conference will discuss the

latest government initiatives and technical and operational best practices to boost plant quality

and performance. Two out of five sessions, as well as an in-depth panel discussion, will focus on

the key issue of electricity quality and how to turn PV electricity into a grid-friendly power

source China and other countries can rely on.

The event will again be targeted to driving forward the technical optimization of large-scale PV

plant design (including site and component selection), construction, operation, maintenance and

monitoring. Quality assurance over the lifecycle of the power plant will also feature prominently.

In 2012, around 200 project developers, component manufacturers (modules, inverters, junction

boxes, transfer stations, monitoring systems, etc.), energy suppliers and grid-network operators,

designers and planners, financiers and representatives from politics, the media and trade

associations discussed topics such as yield optimization, cost structures, grid integration and

stabilization, financing and monitoring.

The SOLARCON India 2013 conference with the theme of ―Balancing Energy Supply &

Demand in the Region- The need for a complete PV eco-system from materials to power

generation‖ will be conducted at the KTPO Exhibition Complex, in Bangalore.

The conference, in its fifth edition is being hosted by SEMI, the global industry association

serving the manufacturing supply chain for the micro- and nano-electronics industries. The

conference is supported by IREDA and IEEE.

The inaugural ceremony is at 9:30 AM on 1 August, 2013 at the venue.

The conference will bring about networking for around 4000 domestic and international visitors.

The event aims to bring together the entire supply chain with a focus on PV manufacturing,

production and technology and attracts equipment and materials suppliers; cell and module

manufacturers; balance of systems (BOS) suppliers (inverters, batteries, tracking and mounting

systems, integrators); distributors and project developers; academia and research; utility-scale

developers and government.

The conference will also include presentations and discussions covering:

Phase-2 of the JNNSM – Policy and implementation aspects.

Opportunities for independent power producers under the REC mechanism

India‘s solar power industry is grabbing headlines with a flood of new announcements coming

out of SolarCon 2011, currently taking place in the city of Hyderabad.

India appears to be on track to becoming the world‘s biggest solar nation, as its National Solar

Mission opens new avenues for foreign investment in India‘s growing economy.

New Delhi-based consultancy firm, BRIDGE TO INDIA, have used SolarCon 2011 to release

details of a new report conducted with GTM Research that reveals proactive government support

programs for solar projects at the state and federal level is predicted to boost India‘s total

installed solar energy capacity from just 54 megawatts (MW) in 2010 to more than 3,000 MW by

2016.

"The India Solar Market: Strategy, Players, and Opportunities" report contains analysis of the

ongoing growth of solar power throughout the nation. It identifies the National Solar Mission as

the major contributing factor in fuelling this growth, along with various state-based incentives

such as the Gujarat, Rajasthan and Karnataka Solar Policies.

India's National Solar Mission is a government-backed solar investment scheme aimed at

achieving grid parity with fossil fuels and installing 200,000 MW of solar energy capacity by

2050.

National solar manufacturing in India will also rise to 1,500 MW of solar panels and 600 MW of

solar cells by the end of this year, according to the report. This capacity is expected to double by

2015.

Another major sponsor of the Hyderabad conference and winner of the 2011 Solar Industry

Award for Silicon innovation, REC, announced it has been chosen to supply its high performing

REC Peak Energy Series solar panels for a 5 MW solar farm being developed by Kanoria

Chemicals & Industries Ltd., in Rajasthan.

REC says it is expanding sales of panels into India due to increased demand. "REC is honored to

be selected as the supplier for this landmark project which will help Rajasthan and India to

benefit from solar energy," said Anil Yadav, from REC Solar Asia Pacific.

REC solar panels have already become a common sight on Australian residential rooftops since

national provider Energy Matters introduced the modules to the local home solar power market

in the middle of 2010. The panels proved so popular, in late 2010 Energy Matters entered into an

agreement for the purchase of 20 megawatts of the modules, one of the largest single solar panel

supply agreements in Australian history at the time.

250 MW solar plants to be setup by

Astonfield

According to reports, Astonfield Renewable Resources Ltd is going to develop 250 MW of solar

projects over the next two years. These solar projects will be established across three to four

Indian states. The total cost will be around Rs 2000 crore.

The company has solar plants in Rajasthan, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. Astonfield

has projects under development in India, Africa and the Middle East. Its goal is to develop about

250 MW of new solar capacity in India over the next two years.

The Rajasthan 5MW solar plant of Astonfield was in news recently for receiving India‘s First

CRISIL ‗A‘ Credit Rating. Read more here

About Astonfield Renewable Resources

Astonfield Renewable Resources Ltd. is a leading provider of affordable renewable energy in

emerging markets. Astonfield develops, owns, and operates a rapidly growing portfolio of

utility-scale solar plants. Through strategic partnerships with global technology and finance

leaders, Astonfield deploys the world‘s most advanced, proven renewable energy solutions to

power communities in India, Africa, and the Middle East. For more information visit following

links

Solarcon 2013: PV Restructuring in China 22. March 2013 | Global PV markets, Investor news, Markets & Trends | By: Eckhart Gouras

It is clear the fall from grace of one of the world‘s largest PV manufacturers – a key topic at this

year‘s Solarcon China 2013 – will impact other Chinese top-tier companies. Other discussion

points at the event included shifting policy models and the imminent overhaul of China‘s PV

FITs.

The Chinese PV market is mirroring this shake-out among its manufacturers and going through its own

significant restructuring.

Astronergy

The big news at Solarcon China 2013, held in Shanghai from March 19 to 21, was the

bankruptcy of Wuxi Suntech Power Co., Ltd, the PV module manufacturer based in Wuxi,

Jiangsu province, and the main subsidiary of U.S.-listed Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd.

As reported, it is widely expected that Suntech will not disappear completely, but undergo a

thorough restructuring to emerge as a leaner player, most likely with more local government

involvement in its management and control.

Tarnished

The company‘s downfall will affect other Chinese top-tier manufacturers, which up until now

could point to their top-tier status and prominent stock market listing in New York as indications

that they were very bankable as suppliers to PV markets around the world.

Of course, the steep slide in stock market valuations, along with increasing reports from PV

auditors that module production facilities of top-tier manufacturers are not necessarily superior to

the workshops of lesser known manufacturers, have already tarnished some of the sheen of these

celebrity manufacturers.

While it is hard to predict the medium- to long-term impact of the Suntech crisis, the

restructuring of China‘s PV manufacturers will now enter a critical phase, with some players

emerging as the new leaders and others, like Suntech, emerging with new owners and a very

different range of assets and liabilities.

Significant restructuring

As became clear at Solarcon China this week, the Chinese PV market is mirroring this shake-out

among its manufacturers and going through its own significant restructuring.

If Suntech is the big victim on the manufacturing side, Golden Sun will most likely be the victim

on the PV policy front later this year. Already on March 18, at this year‘s PV Project

Implementation Conference – China, part of Solarcon China, and organized jointly by

Solarpraxis AG and SEMI China, Wang Hai Sheng, Chief Analyst, Minsheng Securities, told the

audience of Chinese and foreign PV professionals that "it is very likely that Golden Sun will be

cancelled soon."

This was echoed on March 21 by NPD Solarbuzz analyst Qiming Han – at a separate event

organized by econet china, part of the German Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai – who also

sees an end to this program later this year. Han mentioned, however, that Golden Sun would

likely remain as a Ministry of Finance new energy subsidy program, though rather than

supporting PV projects, it would instead back other forms of renewable energy, such as solar

thermal.

Shifting policy models

At the Solarcon China 2013 Symposium on Green Energy, Power Grid, Policy and Market on

March 20, Wang Sicheng of the Energy Research Institute, part of China‘s top economic

planning authority NDRC (National Development and Reform Commission), talked about a

paradigm shift from a capacity-based PV subsidy model (Golden Sun), to a performance-based

PV subsidy model.

According to Wang, by making "the principle of stable income" the key driver of PV subsidies,

"low cost and high quality" PV installations will be encouraged. Conversely, with the generous

up-front subsidies awarded by Golden Sun, project developers have little incentive to build

robust PV systems with little degradation over a lifetime of 20 or more years.

While this shift to performance-based subsidies should be a good thing for China‘s PV

development – as is the restructuring and consolidation of its bloated manufacturing base – many

players in China‘s PV market are not thrilled by the prospect of Golden Sun ending.

As Wang of Minsheng Securities pointed out at the PV Project Implementation Conference –

China, Golden Sun developers have enjoyed a return on investment (ROI) of 19.1%, which is

more than 12% for large-scale ground-mounted plants and much more than 5.7% for distributed

PV projects.

The "principle of stable income" advocated by NDRC‘s Wang calls for an ROI of 8% over 20

years, which might be the lucky number in China (the Chinese word for 8 sounds similar to the

Chinese word for wealth), but is a far cry from the 19.1% earned under the Golden Sun program.

Distributed PV

While the future of Golden Sun – at least for PV in China – is not golden, distributed PV should

get a big boost in the course of this year. In keeping with "the principle of stable income," the

likely subsidy for distributed PV projects will be RMB 0.35/kWh (around US$0.056, €0.044), on

top of the savings of the local electricity tariff, which can range from RMB 0.4/kWh to RMB

1.4/kWh, depending on the location in China.

Distributed PV is premised on the self-use of the PV power generated, so the higher the

electricity rate in the location the PV system is being installed, the more attractive the ROI of

such distributed PV projects.

As Han of Solarbuzz made clear at yesterday‘s econet china event, any excess power sold to the

grid is only compensated at the regular electricity rate for desulfurized power, which is in the

range of RMB 0.3 to 0.4/kWh.

Han further pointed out that these subsidies are still preliminary and that there are efforts

underway, also from his organization, to improve the "stable income" of distributed PV, for

example, by adding RMB 0.2 to the desulfurized rate to make the revenue stream of the feed-in

part more attractive.

Whether the restructuring on the PV manufacturing side will have an impact on NDRC‘s PV

subsidy overhaul this year remains to be seen. However, it would be surprising if the two

processes developed completely independent from one another.

New FITs

If one other big theme at Solarcon China 2013 – the imposing and comprehensive European

Union trade tariffs on Chinese PV products – turns out to be a major burden on Chinese

manufacturers this year, we can be sure that NDRC will tweak its subsidy regime to further boost

the attractiveness of the domestic PV market.

This applies also to the country‘s PV feed-in tariff (FIT), which is also poised for an overhaul in

the coming months. Instead of a single nationwide rate, the new FIT will be based on four

irradiation levels with the highest subsidy going to areas with an irradiation below 1,050

kWh/sqm followed by the tiers 1,050 to 1,400 kWh/sqm, over 1,400 to 1,750 kWh/sqm and over

1,750 kWh/sqm. The FIT rates proposed in the current draft are RMB 1, RMB 0.95, RMB 0.85

and RMB 0.75 for these four tiers.

Perhaps it is the uncertainty on the regulatory side that is making industry insiders and observers

skeptical that the official government PV installation target for this year of 10 GW can be

reached. The uncertainty on the supply side with the crisis at Suntech and other Chinese

manufacturers will only make matters worse.

So instead of confirming this very ambitious target, which would almost certainly turn China

into the world‘s largest PV installation market this year, Bohua Wang, Secretary-General of the

China Photovoltaic Industry Alliance, only mentioned 8 GW as the likely figure for this year in

his keynote address at this Monday‘s PV Project Implementation Conference – China.

During the same conference, Minsheng Securities‘ Wang delivered an identical forecast, which

he broke down further into 3 GW Golden Sun projects, 4 GW large-scale ground-mounted

projects and only 1 GW distributed PV plants. And yesterday, Han from Solarbuzz was even

more cautious with a prediction of 7 GW for this year.

2013 will undoubtedly go down as a year of uncertainty and painful restructuring. However,

many participants at Solarcon China 2013 are optimistic about 2014, especially regarding

China‘s domestic market and the anticipated rise of distributed PV.

Read more: http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/solarcon-2013--pv-restructuring-in-

china_100010652/#ixzz2brWrggaK

as per reports, Su-Kam has set itself a target of Rs 350 crore from various solar projects that are

going to be set up in this financial year.

―We have set a target to achieve sale of Rs 350 crore which will come up from setting up solar

power projects in current fiscal,‖ said Dhananjay Sharma, GM, Solar Network-Domestic &

Global Business Division.

Su-kam Power Systems Limited is an India-based power solutions provider, with a presence in

more than 70 countries.

―The power situation in the country is abysmal at the moment. To overcome the same, we are

offering our customers these pocket friendly range of solar products that shall not only help them

in cutting down their hefty electricity bills but also reduce their carbon footprint in the long run,‖

Sharma said.

Solar energy is one of the most abundantly available forms of energy. The Earth receives 174

petawatts (PW) of incoming solar radiation in the upper atmosphere. If the solar plant starts

injecting electricity in the grid, it can help to displace equal amount of electricity that would have

otherwise been generated from the GHG intensive grid. Hence such projects are also eligible to

earn carbon credits under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

Solar Photovoltaics Cells

Tags:

Monocrystalline silicon Solar PV Solar Technologies Sunlight

Continued from -Part I

(This is a series of articles on the various technologies that can be employed to trap the sun‘s

energy. This is the 2nd

part of the series.)

Solar PV (photovoltaics) converts sunlight directly into electricity by utilizing the photoelectric

effect which is the knocking of electrons into a high energy state. Solar cells produce direct

current electricity from light, which can be used to power equipment or to recharge a battery.

When more power is needed, cells can be electrically connected together to form photovoltaic

modules, or solar panels.

Materials used for making these cells are monocrystalline/ polycrystalline/ microcrystalline

silicon, cadmium telluride, and copper indium selenide/sulfide. Silicon is preferred because it is

easily available and also because of the huge technological base developed over the years in the

semiconductor industry.

In case of a monocrystalline silicon, pure material is required and efficiency is high but it is also

expensive; in polycrystalline type, liquid silicon is poured into shaped blocks which are then

made into arrays, defect appears at borders so the resulting cell is less efficient but more cost

effective; amorphous type is when a layer of silicon is deposited say on glass or other medium,

efficiency is lowest here but cost is also very low. Amorphous type finds application in low

power devices such as watches or calculators.

Silicon is very reflective, and this makes utilising sunlight a challenging affair. To overcome

this, an antireflective coating (titanium dioxide or silicon nitride) is applied to the top of the cell

to reduce reflection losses. This coating imparts the blue colour to solar cells instead of usual

grey that silicon has.

Advantages:

1. PV cells are comparatively light and have no moving parts and therefore require almost zero maintenance.

2. They have a long life, high durability and low operating costs. 3. A PV system can be constructed to virtually any size based on requirements. A user can easily

add more if his requirements change.

Disadvantages:

1. Some toxic chemicals, like cadmium and arsenic, are used in the PV production process. However, their environmental impacts are not significant and can be easily overridden if proper recycling and disposal is practiced.

2. Solar panels need to be inclined at an angle as close to the area’s latitude as possible to absorb the maximum amount of energy year-round. Not every roof has the required orientation.

3. Care should be taken to ensure that the cells are not shaded as the energy production is hampered.

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You are here: Home » News »

Electron spin may hold key to better solar

cells

Tags:

Electron Solar Cell

Silicon is usually preferred for making solar cells because of the large industrial base the element

has and also because of its easy availability. Silicon has 14 electrons, arranged in three different

shells. The first two shells are full while the outer shell is half full with four electrons. A silicon

atom in order to fill up its last orbit looks to share electrons with four nearby atoms.

With energy addition in silicon, like heat, it can cause some electrons to break free of their bonds

and leave their atoms. A hole is left behind. These electrons also known as free carriers wander

around looking for another hole to fall into and in the process carry what is called an electrical

current. Impure silicon takes a lot less energy to knock loose one of the ―extra‖ phosphorous

electrons because they aren‘t bonded with any neighbouring atoms. Most of these electrons

break free and we have a lot more free carriers than we would have in pure silicon. The process

of adding impurities on purpose is called doping.

A new class of solar cells that are known as organic solar cells and mimic photosynthesis have

the potential to bring about a revolution in how we use solar energy. Currently, their efficiency is

very low, only 12% which is about half of what silicon based cells achieve.

However researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Washington, have discovered that

once the spin of these electrons is manipulated, then the solar cell has increased

efficiency. Findings have been published in the journal Nature.

As stated on the website of University of Cambridge-

Researchers from Cambridge‟s Cavendish Laboratory developed sensitive laser-based

techniques to track the motion and interaction of electrons in these cells. To their surprise, the

team found that the performance differences between materials could be attributed to the

quantum property of „spin‟.

Researchers found that by arranging the electrons „spin‟ in a specific way, they can block the

energy collapse from „recombination‟ and increase current from the cell.

“This discovery is very exciting, as we can now harness spin physics to improve solar cells,

something we had previously not thought possible. We should see new materials and solar cells

that make use of this very soon” said Dr. Akshay Rao, a Research Fellow at the Cavendish

Laboratory and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, who lead the study with colleagues Philip

Chow and Dr. Simon Gélinas.”

This may ultimately lead the way towards designing cheaper, more efficient solar cells.

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9 hours ago India may decide on anti dumping case soon

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August 4, 2013

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July 28, 2013

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July 6, 2013

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How solar PV projects can earn carbon

credits?

Tags:

Crabon Credits Renewable energy Solar photovoltaic

Renewable energy is helping many countries to complete its economic transformation and

achieve energy security. Solar energy is one of the most abundantly available forms of energy

that is be a solution to our everincreasing energy demand. The Earth receives

174 petawatts (PW) of incoming solar radiation in the upper atmosphere. Out of that,

approximately 30% is reflected back to space while the rest is absorbed by clouds, oceans and

land masses. There are very few technologies available to harness solar energy and convert it

into usable form. One of the well known technologies is the solar photovoltaic cell. It is a device

that converts solar radiations into electric current using the photoelectric effect. A number of

solar photovoltaic cells when electrically connected to each other and mounted in a support

structure or frame is called a photovoltaic module.

Solar PV projects are growing worldwide due to its nature of converting solar energy directly

into electricity. It is also a good option where grid electricity is economically univiable.

Although the cost associated with solar PV projects are high but project developers are still

interested in solar PV technologies by considering the future expansion in the industry. Many

governments are providing subsidies e.g. feed in tariff, generation based incentives and other

benefits for solar projects. Recently India proposed National Solar Mission under its National

Action Plan on Climate Change to promote solar energy in the country.

Solar PV projects are environment friendly and help in reducing GHG emissions that would have

otherwise occurred due to the fossil fuel based power generation. If the Solar PV plant starts

injecting electricity in the grid, it can help to displace equal amount of electricity that would have

otherwise been generated from the GHG intensive grid (Most of the power grid have electricity

from coal based power plants). Hence such projects are also eligible to earn carbon credits under

the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

CDM – It is an arrangement under the Kyoto Protocol allowing industrialized countries (called

Annex 1 countries) with a GHG emission reduction targets to invest in projects that reduce

emissions in developing countries as an alternative to more expensive emission reductions in

their own countries. Such projects can earn Carbon Credits in the form of GHG emission

reductions (One carbon credit is equivalent to one ton of carbon dioxide). (Know more about

CDM)

Presently, In India, only one Solar PV project is registered under the CDM and one project is

awaiting registration. There are also other solar energy based CDM projects registered in India

other than solar PV technologies. Following tables shows registered CDM projects from India

under the solar PV and other solar energy category (Note: Data as on Nov 2011);

Registered CDM projects - Solar PV

Ref No Project title Project Developer Registration

Date

Annual emission

reduction

(Carbon Credits)

Emission

reductions till

2020 (Carbon

Credits)

5129

Solar Power Generation

Project

Reliance Industries

Ltd.

Requesting

registration 7,184 9,585

4615

5 MW Solar PV Power

Project in Sivagangai

Village, Sivaganga

District, Tamil Nadu

M/s Sapphire

Industrial

Infrastructures

Private Ltd.

16-May-11 7,862 12,816

Registered CDM projects – Other solar energy

Ref No Project title Project Developer Registration

Date

Annual emission

reduction

(Carbon Credits)

Emission

reductions till

2020 (Carbon

Credits)

4024 iHOT – I water heating

service

Anu Solar Thermal

Private Ltd. 10-Jan-11 28,350 2,84,757

3757 Bundled Solar Water

Heater Project

G K Energy Marketers

Pvt Ltd 12-Nov-10 22,746 2,27,460

2699 D.light Rural Lighting

Project D.light Energy Pvt Ltd 30-Oct-09 30,052 3,00,523

2279

Rural Education for

Development Society

(REDS) CDM

Photovoltaic Lighting

Project

Rural Education for

Development Society

(REDS)

10-Aug-09 21,060 2,10,600

414 Solar steam for cooking

and other applications

Gadhia Solar Energy

Systems Pvt Ltd. 22-Aug-06 562 9,056

Carbon Credits approval for RPower Solar

Project

Tags:

Carbon credits CER Reliance power Solar

The solar project of 100MW capacity of Reliance power in Rajasthan received carbon credit

approval under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) –

Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The Clean Development Mechanism is one of the

instruments created under the Kyoto Protocol to facilitate carbon trading. It is the first of

the flexible mechanisms governed by a regulatory body – the CDM Executive Board under the

UNFCCC.

Concentrated solar power systems use mirrors or lenses to focus sunlight into a high energy

intensity beam. A CSP is comprised of four basic components: Concentrator, Receiver,

Transport or storage and a Power converter unit.

―This is the world‘s largest Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project ever registered with the

Clean Development Mechanism Executive Board (CDM – EB),‖ the company said in a

statement. Learn more about CSP here

The advantage of CDM registration is that it will enable the project to sell Certified Emission

Reductions (CERs or Carbon credits). These CERs result into direct source of revenue. However,

CER pricing is market driven and dependent on the European market. European countries have

around 80% share in CER trading and hence any market based crisis in this region affects the

price of the CER. For the past one and a half year, the price of carbon credits has dropped

considerably (Read more on the status of carbon market).

The company also has a 40MW Solar PV project and around 94MW of operational wind farms.

Renewable energy policies by the

Government of India

Renewable energy sources are being used all over the world. Brilliant minds have devoted their

lives to finding resources that do not leak greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, or cost large

amounts of money. In the Video entitled ―New Energy Revolution,‖ it shows some of the

renewable energy sources being used all over the world. For example, wind energy, solar power,

Hybrid cars and using methane gas for stove fuel. These are all excellent examples of renewable

energy as they are all affordable and convenient as well as being efficient. The question is, will

people use them, or stay with the atmosphere damaging fossil fuels of today?

Solar power is an excellent energy resource. The sun gives us free rays, so why not use them as a

power source. The video shows Japan as a country which is educating their people about the

risks of over use of natural resources and benefits of renewable energy sources, like solar power.

Solar power is set out in a row of panels (Solar PV) which take in the sun‘s energy and provides

electricity for homes and other things. Cars can now be solely power by solar panels, creating

huge possibilities for less or zero carbon intensive transportation. If solar energy was used

worldwide, along with other renewable sources, the world would be cleaner and more

pleasurable to live in, knowing that the greenhouse gases are under control.

Hybrid cars are the cars that run on both electricity and gasoline or CNG. The Hybrid car was

invented to cut down the gaseous pollutants that are emitted by normal cars. The Hybrid car

emits around 90% less greenhouse gases than the normal car and inventors want to make it 100%

efficient. Toyota is leading in the production of usable and affordable Hybrid car. The car is

charged at places similar to petrol stations with an electric charger that easily plugs into the front

of the car. This marvelous invention can pick up the speed of 100 Km/h or more. It means, these

cars are excellent for city use. If more people can invest in Hybrid cars, there would be less

pollution than the conventional cars of today.

India has aggressive renewable energy targets and industrial energy efficiency policies, but

facing significant infrastructure challenges which may derail the otherwise good policy,

according to a new report by Climate Policy Initiative (CPI), a U.S.-based global policy

effectiveness analysis and advisory organization.

The topic entitled ‗The Policy Climate‘, which was released recently, says that despite the rapid

economic growth, India represented eight per cent of the increase in global energy-related CO2

emissions between 2000 and 2010, while China‘s contributed by 68 per cent.

The report finds that, in China, closure of inefficient coal-fired power plants saved the equivalent

of more than 100 million tonnes of coal, while renewable electricity grew 661 per cent between

2000 and 2010. Still, renewable electricity sources in China only produced the equivalent of 0.68

per cent of the electricity from conventional sources by the end of 2010.

In India, as compared with China, most new energy generation since 2000 came from

conventional sources (particularly coal), though the past decade saw exponential growth in

renewable energy generation (especially wind, which grew 1,250 per cent from 2000-2010). The

report says that implementation of policy relevant to climate change and its impact accelerated

markedly over the last decade, despite the slow pace of international climate negotiations. The

study presented three decades of evidence from five key economies — India, China, Brazil, the

European Union (EU) and the U.S. which together house slightly more than half of the world‘s

population and account for nearly two-thirds of global greenhouse gas emissions.

In the U.S. and India, renewable energy targets have been given to the States, even as the

national governments develop policies to incentivize it while China experiments with special

economic zones, incentives, and regulation for its low carbon cities and low carbon provinces,

according to the report. In India, both emissions and power generation have increased

dramatically, more than doubling in 15 years, the report points out.

Recently, under the Electricity Act 2003, Government of India enforced Renewable Purchase

Obligations –mandatory obligations to buy renewable energy by Electric utilities and other

eligible entities in the states. As of 2010, these State-wide targets translated to an approximate

5.5 per cent nationwide target for renewable energy.

Since the early 1990s, industrial productivity has tripled, but emissions have gone up by about 70

per cent and while the Indian industry largely improved its efficiency, performance at a sectoral

level was mixed. The steel industry emissions intensity increased due to an increase in primary

steel production v/s scrap, the report notes.

The good news is that in 2012, India was the world‘s fourth-largest market for new wind power

projects, it has ambitious solar energy targets, and it has significant government programmes

focused on energy efficiency (Global Wind Energy Council 2012). On the flip side, the report

says that because it is also about improving energy security, reducing energy imports, improving

the nation‘s balance of payments, creating new and profitable industries, India also pursues the

largest build-out of coal-fired power plants, coal mining, and related infrastructure anywhere

outside of China.

The report says that India‘s climate policy challenge, and one shared by the other rapidly

developing countries in this study, is to ensure that it can realise the full long-term economic

benefits of low-carbon development, without sacrificing short-term growth.

Outlining the challenges of low-carbon development in India, the report says that, the particulars

of the Indian economy and frequent change in financial markets will transform the way policy

will act and this could make low carbon investment more difficult.

The key sectors driving emissions in India are power, industry, and agriculture, the report says.

Rapid growth in electricity demand mirrored rapid economic growth in China and India. In both

countries, the most readily available source of indigenous fuel was coal. China was better at

exploiting its coal resources, while India had to rely on imports.

As far as agriculture sector is concerned, the consolidated emissions have been increased, driven

mainly by an increase in fertilizer use. For India as well as Brazil, exports might have driven

increased cropland expansion or agricultural intensification. Despite rising fertilizer use, nitrous

oxide emissions didn‘t rise dramatically, the report adds. Regrettably, while agriculture and

forestry are important emission sources in India, there is little policy focus on these sectors.

India‘s renewable energy contributes around 11% of total installed capacity. Renewable sources

of energy vary widely in their cost-effectiveness and in their availability across the world.

Although water, wind, and other renewables may appear free, their cost comes in collecting,

harnessing, and transporting the energy so that it can do useful work.

On the other side Renewables themselves are non-polluting, while the structures built to harness

them can have positive or negative environmental impacts. For example, dams may affect fish

migration but may also create wildlife habitat.

Solar credits maximiser deals:

Look no further for your grid connect solar power system. You'll find no unknown, generic

brands or grey market components in our systems! We do not cut corners in quality of

components or installation. Our considerable buying power simply allows us to offer you the

best of the best at very low prices. Try our new instant online quoting tool

We only use quality, certified top brand name panels in our systems:

REC Phono Solar Daqo Suntech Sharp Sanyo

The inverters we use are from leaders in the industry, components that have proved themselves

time and again in Australia's often harsh conditions:

SMA Aurora

A component often overlooked when shopping for solar power is the mounting system. It's a

critical aspect - after all, you can't nail solar panels to a roof! We use Sunlock, a system designed

by installers for installers. Sunlock is 100% Australian made - in fact, it was developed by

Energy Matters' parent company, drawing from the decades of collective experience of our

BCSE accredited installation team!

Make money from your system!

A grid connected solar power system installed can generate cash for you under various state feed

in tariff programs whereby you'll be paid for electricity generated by your system that's exported

to the mains power grid! It's another great reason to go solar!

Here's what you get!

Quality solar panels Leading brand grid connect inverter Full manufacturers warranties on all components Standards compliant genuine SunLock mounting frames to suit tin roof All safety labels required by Australian Standards (AS4777) Installation by electrical contractors and solar accredited BCSE team Cabling, conduit, DC & AC circuit breakers and enclosures Assistance in applying for Solar Credits - we remove the paperwork hassle! Certificate of Electrical Safety

Off-grid/remote solar power - special packages

Since 2005, Energy Matters has been designing and installing stand-alone, off grid solar power

systems for customers across Australia.

Using our extensive technical expertise we have developed six easy-to-install systems of various

sizes, to suit most household applications. With these ready-made solutions, Energy Matters is

making stand-alone solar power simple.

Each kit is designed to deliver a certain amount of electricity over each 24 hours, under specific

environmental and user conditions.

Through our pre-assembled, centralised DC control boards, these off grid kits allow the safe

collection and distribution of almost any combination of DC charge sources, and the safe

distribution of energy to loads.

The key components of each off grid kit are listed below. Please contact us for current pricing

and further details.

2.0 kW.h/day Kit

6 x Daqo 190W monocrystalline solar panels (1.140kWp) 1 x Plasmatronics PL60 solar regulator 1 x SMA Sunny Island 2224 inverter/charger (2200W) 1 x Raylite 24V 600Ah deep cycle battery bank 1 x EM Medium Capacity SAPS DC Switchboard (pre-built) 1 x Standard Label and Signage Kit DC cables, string fusing and ancillaries

3.0 kW.h/day Kit

9 x Daqo 190W monocrystalline solar panels (1.710kWp) 1 x Plasmatronics PL60 solar regulator 1 x SMA Sunny Island 2224 inverter/charger (2200W) 1 x Raylite 24V 900Ah deep cycle battery bank 1 x EM Medium Capacity SAPS DC Switchboard (pre-built) 1 x Standard Label and Signage Kit

DC cables, string fusing and ancillaries

4.0 kW.h/day Kit

12 x Daqo 190W monocrystalline solar panels (2.280kWp) 1 x Plasmatronics PL60 solar regulator 1 x SMA Sunny Island 5048 inverter/charger (5000W) 1 x Raylite 48V 600Ah deep cycle battery bank 1 x EM Medium Capacity SAPS DC Switchboard (pre-built) 1 x standard label and signage kit DC cables, string fusing and ancillaries

6.5 kW.h/day Kit

9 x REC 250W polycrystalline solar panels (2.250kWp) 1 x SMA SIC40 MPPT solar charge controller 1 x SMA Sunny Island 5048 inverter/charger (5000W) 1 x Raylite 48V 1050Ah Battery bank 1 x EM High Capacity SAPS DC Switchboard (pre-built) 1 x standard label and signage kit DC cables, string fusing and ancillaries

9.0 kW.h/day Kit

14 x REC 250W polycrystalline panels (3.500kWp) 1 x SMA SIC40 MPPT solar charge controller 1 x SMA Sunny Island 5048 inverter/charger (5000W) 1 x SMA SunnyBoy 2000HF inverter (used for AC charging) 1 x Raylite 48V 1380Ah Battery bank 1 x EM High Capacity SAPS DC Switchboard (pre-built) 1 x standard label and signage kit DC cables, string fusing and ancillaries

12.0 kW.h/day Kit

16 x REC 250W polycrystalline panels (4.00kWp) 1 x SMA SIC40 MPPT solar charge controller 1 x SMA Sunny Island 5048 inverter/charger (5000W) 1 x SMA SunnyBoy 3000HF inverter (used for AC charging) 1 x BAE 48V 1200Ah deep cycle battery bank (Sealed gel) 1 x EM High Capacity SAPS DC Switchboard (pre-built) 1 x standard label and signage kit DC cables, string fusing and ancillaries

Notes:

1. The SAPS kits do not include any mounting hardware as standard. This is because there are

many different array installation methods used with off-grid systems (e.g. ground-mount, shed

roofs, tilt frames). A variety of mounting hardware solutions can be ordered with the base kit as

an option – contact your local AE / EM representative for more details.

2. These SAPS kits are designed for general household usage, and are intended to supply most of

their power output as 230V AC (via the inverter). The solar array has been sized to produce the

required daily energy demand during most months of the year. Depending upon the customer‘s

location, and site conditions such as prevailing weather and shading, backup charging from a

generator may be necessary during winter months and to cover short-term peak power usage.

3. Other regulated DC charging sources, such as wind turbines or hydro turbines can also be

connected to the system to provide supplementary charging.

4. The kits are intended to be installed by a Clean Energy Council accredited installer with stand-

alone design-and-install accreditation (SPS D&I), while all low voltage wiring and connections

must be installed and signed off by a licenced electrician.

Custom off grid system design

Off grid and remote solar power system enquiries and estimates are totally free and provided

with no-obligation, however a final quote and site inspection (if required) will incur a $250

design consultation fee; but this can be redeemed against the cost of the system. As part of the

consultation fee, you receive:

A comprehensive consultation, quote and analysis of load profile from BCSE accredited SAPS designer and installer

Quote for installation by our in-house network of BCSE accredited installers and electricians Access to a vast range of manufactures products and technology. We deal directly with manufactures, meaning that if any warranty issues arise, they will be

handled swiftly with minimum of disruption to you.

REC / Solar Credit Rebate eligibility

Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs/STC's) provide rebates on off grid systems. The rebate is

based on the size of the system in conjunction with the area in which the system will be installed.

To determine the zone in which you live, use this table (PDF)..

Bengaluru, Karnataka, September 3, 2012 /India PRwire/ -- SOLARCON India 2012, the fourth

edition of India's premiere solar energy focused event with the theme "The Promise of

Affordable Solar Power in India: Unraveling the Bottlenecks and Identifying Solutions",

organized by SEMI India in association with the Department of Industries and Commerce,

Government of Karnataka; Karnataka Udyog Mitra (KUM); Karnataka Renewable Energy

Development Limited (KREDL) and supported by the Union Ministry for New and Renewable

Energy, Government of India and Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) was

inaugurated today by Shri Jagadish Shivappa Shettar, Hon'ble Chief Minister of Karnataka

and Shri Murugesh Rudrappa Nirani, Hon'ble Minister for Large and Medium Industries,

Government of Karnataka.

Speaking at the inauguration, Shri Jagadish Shivappa Shettar, Hon'ble Chief Minister of

Karnataka said, "Our government has given a new thrust to the solar power sector by

implementing a new renewable energy policy. We have added 441 MW of renewable energy

includes wind and solar during 2011-12. In our budget 2012-13 we have proposed to setup a

Green energy fund by levying surcharge of 5 paise per unit on industrial and commercial

consumers. The surcharge will be complimented by a support of Rs. 25 crores from the

government. The resources available in the fund will be utilised to encourage rooftop grid

connected solar project.

Our state aims to achieve the solar energy target of 200 MW by 2016. Our government has made

it mandatory for all new houses to install solar water heaters. Apart from that the government

and local authorities have taken the initiative to install large number of solar street lights and

signals within Bangalore and few other cities, we plan to extend the solar street lights across the

state. "

Shri Murugesh Rudrappa Nirani, Hon'ble Minister for Large and Medium Industries, Government of Karnataka said, "The Karnataka state initiated by releasing Solar Policy 2011-16,

proposes to install 200 MWs Solar power by 2015-16 for procurement by ESCOMs to meet the

Renewable Purchase obligation RPO. Solar Power projects of 80MW capacities for 2011-12 &

2012-13 are awarded to successful bidders through competitive bidding. State owned Karnataka

Power Corporation Ltd., KPCL has commissioned 4 no's. Of Solar Power projects with

aggregate capacity of 19MWs, and yet to install 5 MW Solar power plant at Kaginele, Haveri

district.

The State government is planning to establish Solar parks in Bijapur, Gulbarga and Yadgir

districts, in order to ensure to provide PLUG & PLAY facility for speedy implementation of

Solar projects.

The cities of Mysore and Hubli-Dharwar are covered under model solar-city programmes; and

roof-top harvesting programmes are likely to be taken in these cities under Net- metering

concept.

Karnataka nodal agency KREDL has identified 1000 major buildings across the state for

implementation of Solar PV projects of capacity more than 100kW. About 100 major

commercial institutions have been identified for steam-cooking systems. Karnataka leads in the

installation of solar water-heating systems in the country.

KREDL proposed set up of a Solar Park in 5000 acres land in Bijapur district; and the State and

Commerce & Industries Department is currently co-ordinating to get land and other pre-

requisites on a top priority as facilitator."

SOLARCON India 2012 kicks off in the presence of Mr. James CP Chen, vice president, Solar

Business Group, AUO Group, Taiwan; Dr. Martha Symko Davies, Solar business manager,

NREL, USA; Ms. Bettina Weiss, Vice President, SEMI PV Group; Mr. William Polese,

Managing Director, Lux Research Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Singapore and Mr. Debasish Paul

Choudhury, President - SEMI India. At SOLARCON India 2012 more than 100 companies will

present their products on an exhibition space spread over 60,000 square feet. More than 5000

visitors are expected to attend India's dazzling event on solar energy.

SEMI India facilitates the Government of Karnataka's Solar initiative to make Karnataka the next

Solar Hub of India. Mr. Debasish Paul Choudhury, President, SEMI India, added,

"SOLARCON INDIA 2012 is a platform to give voice to the solar manufacturing industry and

eco-system in India, and to further serve the constituents through a wide range of initiatives, such

as workforce development, industry standards, public policy, market research and environmental,

health and safety (EHS) programs. Also, we are pleased with the proactive efforts by the

Government of Karnataka to support, collaborate and aid the companies in the Solar eco-

system."

"An economy based on Hydro Carbon is unsustainable. We will be failing in our duty to the next

generation unless we optimize the use of resources. The untapped potential in alternative sources

of energy holds the key to a sustainable future. I complement SOLARCON India 2012 in helping

re-focus on the issues that we now dwindle upon. I am sure the Conference will throw up many

more new ideas and suggestions, which will lead us the way forward," said Mr. M.N.

Vidyashankar, IAS, Principal Secretary, Commerce & Industries Department, Governemnt

of Karnataka.

Notes to Editor

About SOLARCON India 2012

SOLARCON India 2012 is the premier solar energy focused exhibition and conference in India.

It combines a best-in-class international exhibition & a three-day conference at the Bangalore

International Exhibition Center (BIEC), Bangalore between September 3-5, 2012. The theme for

this year will be: "The Promise of Affordable Solar Power in India: Unraveling the Bottlenecks

and Identifying Solutions". The conference attracts high- profile participation of solar energy

leaders from all segments of the industry supply chain, academia and the government from India

and around the world. The event attracts highly-focused business visitors including industry

executives and professionals, researchers, entrepreneurs, financiers, academics,

architects/builders and other end-users. For more information, please visit,

www.solarconindia.org.

About SEMI and PV Group

SEMI is the global industry association serving the nano- and microelectronics manufacturing

supply chains. The SEMI PV Group represents SEMI member companies involved in the solar

energy supply chain. Our 2,000 member companies are the engine of the future, enabling

smarter, faster and more economical products that improve our lives. SEMI maintains offices in

Beijing, Bengaluru, Berlin, Brussels, Grenoble, Hsinchu, Moscow, San Jose, Seoul, Shanghai,

Singapore, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C.

SEMI India, the India office of the global industry organization SEMI, was established in 2008

in Bangalore. For more information, visit www.semi.organd www.pvgroup.org. Follow SEMI

India at: http://in.linkedin.com/in/semiindia and http://twitter.com/SEMIIndia.

The SEMI India PV Advisory Committee represents companies that include manufacturers,

equipment and materials suppliers, solar power project developers and academia, and connects

the complete PV supply chain in India. The 15 members represent: Tata BP Solar, Applied

Materials India, Lanco Solar, Solar Semiconductor, Moser Baer India, Titan Energy Systems,

Oerlikon Solar, Websol Energy Solutions Ltd., SunEdison Energy India Pvt. Ltd., AES Solar

Energy Pvt. Ltd., Department of Energy Science and Engineering at the Indian Institute of

Technology Bombay, and Siemens Ltd.

Solar Technologies- What do you feel about

its future?

January 15, 2012 2:59 pm

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Puskar

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CSP Economics of solar tech Solar Energy Solar PV Solar Technologies

(This is a series of articles on the various technologies that

can be employed to trap the sun‘s energy. This is the first part of the series.)

Almost every discussion on solar technology begins with the inevitable question- What about the

low efficiency and high cost? People doubt whether solar can be economical enough; if it will

ever be able to compete with coal? But is there any technology which did not have these two

hurdles initially? I feel solar has the potential to succeed the way telecom has done in India.

Remember the time when customers were charged for incoming calls and possessing a cell

phone was luxury. While government policies no doubt helped the telecom sector penetrate each

and every corner of India, credit also goes to the brave Indians who embraced the cell phones

without prejudice. The people who paid initially for incoming calls made it possible for modern

mobile telephony to succeed. R&D efforts usually go into technologies that people like and

sadly, no matter how good a technology is; unless it is efficient and cheap- it will not succeed.

Almost all of us have used solar power in one way or the other. Most people have their first

experience in childhood when they use a lens to light up a piece of paper. I had a solar powered

watch for a long time and it served me well. Solar is ideal for small applications such as

calculators and watches. For remote locations, solar lanterns are a good alternative.

In the wake of the Fukushima incident, people have had a rethink on technologies such as solar.

There can be no arguing on the fact that solar energy is clean energy; is infinite (will always be

there as long as we have the sun) and that nobody can stop it. While supplies of oil are worst hit

in times of a crisis or war, solar energy doesn‘t suffer from such drawbacks. Perhaps the cleanest

among all solar technologies would be the Solar PV (photovoltaics) which convert sunlight by

employing the photo electric effect. If batteries are not used then it becomes a very convenient

technology but batteries ensure that we have power during the night time. Safe disposal of used

batteries or reuse will ensure that the energy source remains clean.

Solar energy doesn‘t pollute or generate toxic waste in its operation. It is especially

advantageous for tropical countries as a good alternative source of energy for it can be used in a

variety of locations unlike Hydro for example. However, solar is also unreliable as a cloudy sky

means the efficiency would dramatically reduce.

Broadly speaking, Solar Technologies can be clubbed into the following two categories-

1) Solar PV, and

2) CSP or Concentrating Solar Power

The CSP consists of various technologies such as Parabolic Trough, Linear Fresnel Reflectors,

Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector (CLFR), Stirling Solar Dish, Solar Power Tower, Solar Pond

etc.

The economics of the various solar technologies will depend on the efficiency of the process

which is employed for utilizing them. Unless the operating costs are pretty much similar if not

equal to conventional technologies that make use of fossil fuels, they will not be attractive.

However, in order to design more efficient operating systems, a reliable solar energy database is

an absolute requirement. The location, amount of solar insolation and the atmospheric and

climatic conditions would all be instrumental in designing more efficient systems that can

incorporate effective corrections according to the locations and the changing weather conditions

An introduction of Concentrated Solar Power

(This is a series of articles on the various technologies that can be employed to trap the sun‘s

energy. This is the 3rd

part of the series.)

We talked about Solar Photovoltaic cells in the previous article. This article will cover CSP or

concentrated solar power. CSP aims to focus sun‘s rays to a point which is used to boil water

which generates steam and that is in turn used to produce electricity. Alternative systems may

also use oil or molten salt for generating electricity but the basic principle remains the same.

Also sometimes called as Solar thermal power, the heat generated maybe used directly or maybe

used for generating electricity depending on the user‘s requirement. A CSP has essentially four

basic components-

1. Concentrator 2. Receiver 3. Transport or storage 4. And a Power converter unit

Concentrated solar power systems use mirrors or lenses to focus sunlight into a high energy

intensity beam. Since the sun travels between the tropics in its journey throughout the year and

also during the day, all such systems need a tracking system for tarcking the sun in order to have

a high efficiency.

Note: Mostly all CSPs are hybrids ones. They use fossil fuel to supplement the solar output

during periods of low solar radiation.

Molten salt: after working with a variety of fluids, molten salt is regarded as best for it is a low

cost, efficient, non-toxic and has higher operating temperatures.

The molten salt is a mixture of 60 percent sodium nitrate and 40 percent potassium nitrate,

commonly called saltpeter. The salt melts at 221 °C (430 °F). It is kept liquid at 288 °C (550 °F)

in an insulated ―cold‖ storage tank. The liquid salt is pumped through a solar collector where the

focused sun heats it to 566 °C (1,051 °F). It is then sent to a hot storage tank. This is so well

insulated that the thermal energy can be usefully stored for up to a week.

The molten salt can be heated and stored in insulation tanks for electricity generation at night

when the sun is no longer available. This allows CSP‘s to provide electricity at night too.

One of the main drawback of CSP technologies is the huge land requirement. Yet the advantages

of lowest materials demand, good land-use factor, modularity, thermal storage etc. make CSP

technology the most preferred for large solar power plants.

Solar Parabolic Trough

September 2, 2012 11:16 am

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Parabolic solar Renewable energy Solar Technologies Solar thermal

Continued from Part 3

(This is a series of articles on the various technologies that can be employed to trap the sun‘s

energy. This is the 4th

part of the series.)

A parabolic trough employs parabolic mirrors that act as

collectors (can be coated silver or polished for more efficiency). A Dewar tube runs along its

focal length. In case of a parabola, incoming rays which are parallel (sun‘s rays arriving are

nearly parallel) will be reflected always to the focus regardless of where they arrive on the dish.

It tracks the sun‘s movement from east to west. The number of parabolic troughs can be varied

according to the system‘s requirements.

The mirrors used in parabolic troughs are in the shape of a parabola and are usually of a single

piece of unit. However, 2 mirrors can also be used which are inclined at an angle to make the

shape of a parabola.

Since 2009, metal sheets have replaced glass in the parabolic troughs. Silver polymer is

employed for constructing it. Advantage is in the form of much less weight and less cost. The

efficiency is not compromised upon.

The sun‘s rays concentrate on the focus of the parabola which has a Dewar tube running along its

length. It can contain water, oil, or as in modern technology available nowadays- molten salt.

The heat generated is used to produce steam which generates a turbine producing

electricity. The fluid is passed again after heat exchange and the process is repeated.Efficiency

is around 15%. Thermal storage insulated tanks can be used for storage of molten salt for use at

night time. The next challenge is to increase night time operations to twelve hours from the

current six hours to provide all round electricity.

Since the sun moves through the tropics, the entire solar assembly should also track the sun

otherwise efficiency will be severely compromised. This was done manually earlier but

nowadays, motors and computer simulation models are used that automatically calibrate for the

position change of the sun.

Advantages:

1. The low cost provided by parabolic troughs is the greatest advantage. The cheapest source at present is solar parabolic troughs. Considerable working experience has been gained from their working over the years.

2. Parabolic troughs generate very high temperatures which are suitable for steam generation. Thermal storage in insulated tanks can provide electricity at night.

3. Solar PV’s are expensive and more area can be covered by parabolic troughs which employ cheaper mirrors.

Disadvantages:

1. Sun tracking is necessary to maintain solar collection by parabolic troughs otherwise the output will reduce. This increases cost and maintenance associated in maintaining the moving structures.

2. High concentrated sunlight is essential for good working of a parabolic trough. In diffused light, there is an inability to focus sunlight efficiently and the output decreases dramatically. Solar cells can provide some output even in diffused light, not so the case in solar parabolic troughs.

3. Parabolic trough plants require large amount of land while solar PV’s can be conveniently places on rooftops.

4. Molten salts freeze at high temperatures in the range of 120ºC to 220ºC. There is a risk of it freezing at night which affects plants operations

India’s first solar PV project registered under

the CDM

On 16th

May 2011, India‘s first 5 MW of installed capacity solar power project registered under

the Clean Development Mechanism that uses solar PV technology for power generation. This

project is now eligible to earn carbon revenue from year 2011 onwards. Please find following

details relevant to the project activity;

General Info

Project Title: 5 MW Solar PV Power Project in Sivagangai Village, Sivaganga District, Tamil Nadu

Project Developer: Sapphire Industrial Infrastructures Private Limited (SIIPL is a subsidiary of Moser Baer Clean Energy Limited)

Capacity: 5 MWp Type: Grid connected solar PV Location: Rettaipillai Ayyanarkulam Village, Arasani Muthupatti Panchayat, Sivagangai, District:

Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu Expected power generation: 8322MWh of net electricity per annum Electricity buyer/PPA with: Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) (southern grid)

Financial Information

Total project cost: Rs. 96,78,84,274 Project IRR without CDM revenue: 10.84% Project IRR with CDM revenue: 12.78% Power tariff: 4.50 Rs/KWh (+10.50 Rs/KWh MNRE incentives)

CDM info

Methodology used: AMS I.D./Version 16 Annual average of the estimated emission reductions (CERs) over the crediting period: 7866

tCO2 e Crediting Period: 7 years (Renewable) Additionality: Investment analysis Benchmark: Prime Lending Rate (PLR) published by RBI

Technical description

1. The project activity is solar photovoltaic based power generation. The rated capacity of the power plant will be 5MW at standard test conditions of 1000W/m2 solar radiation, 250C ambient temperature and 1.5 Air mass.

2. North south oriented and layout with flat panel of thin film type modules of PV array 3. Capacity of each Module is 78W (P) / any other compatible size. 4. Inverters Capacity – 500 kW each 5. Land area – 66 acres 6. The DC electric power generated by the photo voltaic modules are converted into 415V, 3

phase, 50Hz, AC power in a number of outdoor inverters, stepped up to 11000V through a set of outdoor transformers located in a distributed manner all over the plant.

7. The total power generated will be stepped up to 110kV in a 6.3MVA, 11/110kV power transformer with its associated 110kV outdoor switch gear located in a switch yard for interconnection to the 110kV transmission line of TNEB.

8. Plant load factor: 19% 9. Grid emission factor: 0.944793 tCO2/MWh

We are expecting more solar PV based Indian CDM project in near future. Following table

shows solar PV CDM projects under the validation stage from India;

The amount of solar energy produced in India is less than 1% of the total energy demand. The

grid-interactive solar power as of December 2010 was merely 10 MW (Read more on Indian

electricity scenario). Government of India has taken initiative to promote solar energy in the

country and have started Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) in 2010 (as a part

of NAPCC). Under the JNNSM, a total of 150 MW (each for 5 MW) of grid connected solar

plants were awarded to 30 companies by Dec 2010. JNNSM include generation based incentive

to the each kilowatt hour of power produced by solar PV project and as a result of it, solar PV

based power plants are becoming an exciting business opportunity. Carbon credits projects based

on solar PV technologies are also helping the project developers to cover their project cost

associated with the technology and equipments.

China: Big PV project possibilities, but grid and policy issues exisit 19. March 2012 | Top News, Storage & smart grids, Industry & Suppliers, Markets & Trends, Global PV

markets, Applications & Installations | By: Becky Stuart

The consensus at Solarpraxis' first "Project implementation conference - China 2012" in

Shanghai is clear: the potential of photovoltaic project development in China is huge, particularly

in light of falling system costs. However, overcoming policy and grid connection issues is key.

China has massive photovoltaic potential, but there are development issues.

Thomas Beetz

IBC Solar (China)'s Sebastian Trimpl believes that China's solar industry has more potential than

any other country in the world. However, in order to access it, it is essential to address the policy

and grid issues.

As has been widely reported, in 2011, 2.89 gigawatts (GW) of new photovoltaic capacity was

added to China's grid, thus bringing cumulative capacity to just over three GW. This year, most

are in agreement that between four and five GW will be installed, while by 2020, there is a 45

GW pipeline in the planning.

Trimpl added that China is "significantly different" from other solar markets, due to its focus on

large-scale projects. Currently, he said average project sizes are 10 megawatts (MW). However,

this is expected to grow to 50 MW in the future. Meanwhile, small-scale and rooftop projects are

projected to remain a niche market.

In his presentation, Tairan Guo, VP of BaySolar expanded by saying that under the Golden Sun

Program, brought into play in 2009, one GW of projects are expected to be installed in 2012.

However, the government is planning to end it this April.

Irradiation

In his keynote address, Peter Xie from GCL Energy spoke of China's high solar irradiation. Tibet

and the western regions of China are said to hold the best development potential, particularly for

large-scale plants. However, as Trimpl pointed out to the packed audience, while there is high

electricity yield in these areas, grid structure is poor. Consequently, how to use the electricity

produced needs to be considered, and not simply how to generate as much energy as possible.

This, he said, is also a big problem in Germany, particularly in light of the bigger projects.

Falling costs

Xie went on to speak of China's solar cost advantage, and rapidly falling costs. Already, he said,

system costs in the country have "dramatically" decreased, from US$2.37 per Watt (/W) in the

third quarter (Q3) of 2011, to between $1.74 to $1.90/W in Q1 2012. Average selling prices

(ASP) for photovoltaic modules have also fallen to $0.81/W in Q1 2012. Meanwhile, for a

typical solar system of 20 MW, installation costs are around US$1.95/W.

He explained that land, development and interconnection costs are minimal in comparison to, for

example, the U.S. As such, average development costs are around $0.23/W, interconnection

costs $0.32/W, module costs $0.81/W and balance of system costs $0.32/W. According to Xie,

GCL expects to be installing large-scale projects in China at grid party in 2014. The company

has a global photovoltaic pipeline of three GW this year.

Challenges

Both policies and grid connection were identified as the main challenges to photovoltaic

development in China, despite the implementation of the feed-in tariff (FIT) last July. These,

Trimpl said, are "key" to its further development, as is project financing. Construction problems

were also identified, due to the inexperience of installers, as was dust and, specifically, how the

modules can be effectively cleaned. He added that in terms of quality, standards for solar

systems are lacking on a global level. Component testing is also important.

Sebastian Meyer, director of research and advisory at Azur International, went on to say that as

soon as the domestic photovoltaic market becomes meaningful, it will face management issues.

For example, it is expected that module companies will need to establish regional assembly

operations, since many local subsidy programs favor locally-produced components.

Meyer further compared the development of China's solar sector to its wind industry, in his

presentation. Until now, wind has dominated, but he said that there is "growing clarity"

regarding the economics of solar in China. Looking ahead, he believes that interconnection

queues and curtailment will occur as the country's wind and solar pipelines intersect: wind has

currently installed 65 GW compared to solar's 2.89 GW; in the future, 350 GW of wind and 45

GW of photovoltaics is expected to be added to the grid.

He went on to say that compared to wind, solar is faster to implement, and requires less heavy

equipment. Overall, he believes that solar is likely to see a domestic market birth similar to

wind's development between 2005 and 2010.

Meyer concluded by stating that the "popular strategy" by companies of expanding downstream

into project development is "risky" due to the dominance of the "Big 5" energy companies.

Watch out for more China solar news this week from Solarcon and Asia Solar.

Read more: http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/china--big-pv-project-possibilities--but-

grid-and-policy-issues-exisit_100006154/#ixzz2brckUCUE

India may decide on anti dumping case soon

Tags:

Anti-dumping duty Solar

India may decide as early as next week as to whether it will

impose duties on imports of solar equipment, as per reports citing Solar Independent Power

Producers Association lobby (SIPPA).

India is presently considering a case which may result in imposition of anti dumping duties on

US, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and some local importers after a case in this regard was filed.

These countries are exporting solar products at very low prices that is hurting the local solar

industry in the country.

What is an anti dumping duty?

Domestic governments impose such a duty when there is sufficient reason to believe that the

imports reaching a country have been deliberately priced below their market value and this is

affecting the local industry. This is done to protect domestic industry and save jobs which

otherwise may have to shut shop because they cannot compete with the imported low priced

products. Although, it may seem a bit like anti competition policy but its not. Some companies

deliberately indulge in this practice of introducing products at lower prices and driving out the

local industry and after establishing themselves, they can then raise the price.

The Indian solar industry manufacturers allege that they have suffered losses because of the

inability to compete with cheap imported products.

The initial case related to imposition of anti-dumping tariffs on China, Malaysia, Taiwan and

USA but later the petitioners wanted it to be extended to Japan and EU also. The case has

divided the solar industry with groups on each side. While those is favour argue that cheaper

products have hurt the domestic industry, those against imposition of duties argue that Indian

manufacturers are unable to meet quality and capacity demands. Imposition of such duties often

also results on retaliatory measures by affected countries.

EU recently settled such a similar dispute with China. Read more on i

Solar Shipments show a rise

Tags:

Solar Trade

Solar shipments exceeded sale projections by 32% in Asia as

per reports.

Canadian Solar Inc. (CSIQ) , Guelph, Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. (YGE) and Trina Solar

Ltd. (TSL) also surpassed their own projections.

Yingli said shipments will rise 23 percent to 24 percent from the first quarter, compared with an

earlier estimate of gains in the low- to mid-teens. China accounted for 23 percent of the Baoding,

China-based company‘s shipments last year, up from 6 percent in 2010.

Throughout the world, solar industry is increasingly being looked at a clean energy option. EU

and China recently averted a trade dispute and reached a compromise with regard to the trade

dispute of solar products. Read more here China is aiming to increase its solar power generation

four times its present capacity and reach up to 35 GW by 2015. Read more here

Closer home, Su-Kam has set itself a target of Rs 350 crore from various solar projects that are

going to be set up in this financial year. Read more here

Long pay back periods, low plant load factors and requirement of large area of land are the main

barriers behind the slow growth of solar energy. All this seems to be changing with a renewed

interest and growth in the sector

EU and China have reached a compromise

with regard to the trade dispute of solar

products

Tags:

China EU Solar Trade

EU and China have reached a compromise with regard to the trade dispute of solar products.

Chinese solar panels had been subjected to tariffs of 11.7% which could have been raised to

47.6% as anti dumping duties but the two parties were able to reach a consensus.

Throughout the world, solar industry is increasingly being looked at a clean energy option and

such a move can only help trade. Some EU member countries had cut back on subsidies because

of recession. The competition from low priced Chinese solar products is often touted as a reason

for the solar industry problems by many countries but this is not the real picture. Critics point out

that the cost of panels is not the only investment and inverters and installation costs cannot be

ignored.

While European counterpart firms accuse Chinese products of availing benefits of subsidies and

resorting to dumping, the tariffs would have cut down trade between EU and China and resulted

in more pollution and less installations of solar PV.

The full text of the agreement is not yet available but according to reports, member states were

unanimous in their decision to not impose duties on Chinese solar panels. A minimum price was

set for the products and would apply to initial 7GW.

However, European firms are not satisfied and this might lead to further legal battles in the

coming weeks. The price undertaking measure resorted to in this case is legally applicable and

may set a precedent for settling other such disputes.

Booming solar energy market in India

Tags:

Government schemes for solar energy projects Solar power plants in India

Indian Renewable Energy sector is rapidly growing with the share of total capacity rising from

2% in 2003 to around 10% in 2010. Total installed power generation capacity of Renewable

Energy in India is around 18 GW (Ministry of Power). Out of that Wind Energy contributes

almost 70% followed by Small Hydro at 15%, Biomass Energy at 12% and remaining 3%

includes solar and others RE sources. Long pay back periods, low plant load factors and

requirement of large area of land are the main barriers behind this slow growth of solar energy.

The share of solar energy in India‘s total installed power generation capacity is very low but

however it has shown considerable growth in last decade.

What does science say?

Earth receives 174 peta watts (PW) of incoming solar radiation at the upper atmosphere. Out of

that approximately 30% is reflected back to space. Rest of the radiations are absorbed by clouds,

oceans and land masses. The amount of solar energy reaching to the earth‘s surface is about two

times that of all other conventional sources – such as coal, oil, natural gas, and mined uranium

available on earth. This itself shows the huge potential of solar energy.

Why go for Solar in India?

India has a vast solar energy potential. About 5,000 trillion kWh/year of energy is incident over

India‘s land area with most parts receiving 4-7 kWh per sq. m per day. (JNNSM document)

The reasons behind encouragement of the Indian solar sector are as follows – India has very high

solar isolation (as discussed above), India has a huge electricity demand supply gap , Lack of

power grid availability, Increasing expenses and unreliable electricity supply, availability of

more efficient solar technologies and GovernmentSupport (Discussed below)

How MNRE helps solar energy projects?

The world‘s first exclusive ministry for renewable energy development, the Ministry of Non-

Conventional Energy Sources (MNES was established in 1992. Since Oct 2006 it is known as

‗Ministry of New and Renewable Energy‘) implements various schemes to help the Renewable

Energy sector. Following points elaborate the kind of government‘s support to RE developers in

the country.

1) National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) induced Government‘s policy mandating

an increased percentage of electricity to be generated from Renewable Energy (NAPCC

envisages renewable energy to constitute approximate 15% of the energy mix of India till 2020)

2) Subsidy Scheme to Promote Solar Energy through the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar

Mission (JNNSM–With target of 20,000MW till 2022)

3) International Climate Change treaties (e.g. Kyoto protocol)

Power Deficient regions with regular blackouts of 8-10 hours (Load shedding) and large power

demand from India‘s fast Growing Economy triggered government‘s attention to invest

considerable time and money in this sector. (Know more about Indian electricity scenario)

How many government’s schemes are available for solar energy development?

I‘ve mentioned only those schemes which I am aware of. There is a possibility of the existence

of more such schemes.

Sr.

No

MNRE Schemes for Solar Projects

1 Generation based incentive for grid interactive solar power generation projects (January, 2008) (PV

and Thermal both)

2 Programme on “Accelerated development and deployment of solar water heating systems in

domestic, industrial and commercial sectors” during 2008-09 & 2009-10 (Dated: 18th August, 200)

3 Revised Scheme on “Demonstration and Promotion of Solar Photovoltaic Devices/ Systems in

Urban Areas & Industry”

4 Continuation of the Scheme on “Promotion of Solar Thermal Systems for air heating/Steam

generating applications, Solar buildings and Akshay Urja Shops” for implementation during the

financial year 2010-11.

5 Implementation of the programme on “Development of Solar Cities” during 11th Plan period

including 2010-11.

Is Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) mechanism applicable to Solar projects?

Yes, REC mechanism includes solar power projects. A brand new REC mechanism was

launched by the Indian government in 2010. Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) are a type of

environmental commodity intended to provide an economic incentive for electricity generation

from renewable energy sources. One REC is created when one megawatt hour of electricity is

generated from an eligible renewable energy resource. There is also provision to separate RECs

from the solar projects and non-solar projects by considering high cost associated with solar

power generation. Presently solar REC have fixed price band of 12000-15000 INR/REC. (Know

more about REC mechanism)

How many solar energy plants are functioning in India?

Well, it is difficult to find out the number of solar energy plants in India as I did not find any

such list on government departmental websites and other credible sources. I‘ve some data of

solar energy plants but it is not complete so please don‘t consider these numbers to be actual.

Sr. No Power plant developers Capacity

1 Titan Energy ,KPCL, Yelesandra village near Bangarpet, District- Kolar, Karnataka 3 MW

2 Azure Power, Awan, Punjab India. 2 MW

3 Photon Energy Systems, Itnal & Chikodi towns, Belgaum, Karnataka State. 3 MW

4 North Delhi Power Ltd (Tata Power), Delhi. 1 MW

5 Lanco Energy, Gujarat. 5 MW

6 Titan Energy, Jamuria, West Bengal 2 MW

7 Moser Baer, Chandrapur Maharashtra 1 MW

8 Reliance Power, Thyagaraj Stadium Plant, Delhi 1 MW

From the above information it is clear that solar energy market is picking up its pace in India.

However there is a need to encourage Incubators for Solar Energy enterprises. MNRE,

Department of Science and Technology and some University departments are also providing

assistance for solar energy projects in the country. These institutions create scheme, provide

technological solutions, infrastructure support and guidance to help convert ideas into marketable

products.

On another side, there is a lack of investments in this sector due to financial un-viability of the

project (Long payback periods and less PLF). It can be minimised by using government‘s

support and evolving more efficient technology. We also lack solar energy potential map of

every possible part of the country. Using Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System

can help to create solar resource maps.

Booming solar energy market in India

Tags:

Government schemes for solar energy projects Solar power plants in India

Indian Renewable Energy sector is rapidly growing with the share of total capacity rising from

2% in 2003 to around 10% in 2010. Total installed power generation capacity of Renewable

Energy in India is around 18 GW (Ministry of Power). Out of that Wind Energy contributes

almost 70% followed by Small Hydro at 15%, Biomass Energy at 12% and remaining 3%

includes solar and others RE sources. Long pay back periods, low plant load factors and

requirement of large area of land are the main barriers behind this slow growth of solar energy.

The share of solar energy in India‘s total installed power generation capacity is very low but

however it has shown considerable growth in last decade.

What does science say?

Earth receives 174 peta watts (PW) of incoming solar radiation at the upper atmosphere. Out of

that approximately 30% is reflected back to space. Rest of the radiations are absorbed by clouds,

oceans and land masses. The amount of solar energy reaching to the earth‘s surface is about two

times that of all other conventional sources – such as coal, oil, natural gas, and mined uranium

available on earth. This itself shows the huge potential of solar energy.

Why go for Solar in India?

India has a vast solar energy potential. About 5,000 trillion kWh/year of energy is incident over

India‘s land area with most parts receiving 4-7 kWh per sq. m per day. (JNNSM document)

The reasons behind encouragement of the Indian solar sector are as follows – India has very high

solar isolation (as discussed above), India has a huge electricity demand supply gap , Lack of

power grid availability, Increasing expenses and unreliable electricity supply, availability of

more efficient solar technologies and GovernmentSupport (Discussed below)

How MNRE helps solar energy projects?

The world‘s first exclusive ministry for renewable energy development, the Ministry of Non-

Conventional Energy Sources (MNES was established in 1992. Since Oct 2006 it is known as

‗Ministry of New and Renewable Energy‘) implements various schemes to help the Renewable

Energy sector. Following points elaborate the kind of government‘s support to RE developers in

the country.

1) National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) induced Government‘s policy mandating

an increased percentage of electricity to be generated from Renewable Energy (NAPCC

envisages renewable energy to constitute approximate 15% of the energy mix of India till 2020)

2) Subsidy Scheme to Promote Solar Energy through the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar

Mission (JNNSM–With target of 20,000MW till 2022)

3) International Climate Change treaties (e.g. Kyoto protocol)

Power Deficient regions with regular blackouts of 8-10 hours (Load shedding) and large power

demand from India‘s fast Growing Economy triggered government‘s attention to invest

considerable time and money in this sector. (Know more about Indian electricity scenario)

How many government’s schemes are available for solar energy development?

I‘ve mentioned only those schemes which I am aware of. There is a possibility of the existence

of more such schemes.

Sr.

No

MNRE Schemes for Solar Projects

1 Generation based incentive for grid interactive solar power generation projects (January, 2008) (PV

and Thermal both)

2 Programme on “Accelerated development and deployment of solar water heating systems in

domestic, industrial and commercial sectors” during 2008-09 & 2009-10 (Dated: 18th August, 200)

3 Revised Scheme on “Demonstration and Promotion of Solar Photovoltaic Devices/ Systems in

Urban Areas & Industry”

4 Continuation of the Scheme on “Promotion of Solar Thermal Systems for air heating/Steam

generating applications, Solar buildings and Akshay Urja Shops” for implementation during the

financial year 2010-11.

5 Implementation of the programme on “Development of Solar Cities” during 11th Plan period

including 2010-11.

Is Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) mechanism applicable to Solar projects?

Yes, REC mechanism includes solar power projects. A brand new REC mechanism was

launched by the Indian government in 2010. Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) are a type of

environmental commodity intended to provide an economic incentive for electricity generation

from renewable energy sources. One REC is created when one megawatt hour of electricity is

generated from an eligible renewable energy resource. There is also provision to separate RECs

from the solar projects and non-solar projects by considering high cost associated with solar

power generation. Presently solar REC have fixed price band of 12000-15000 INR/REC. (Know

more about REC mechanism)

How many solar energy plants are functioning in India?

Well, it is difficult to find out the number of solar energy plants in India as I did not find any

such list on government departmental websites and other credible sources. I‘ve some data of

solar energy plants but it is not complete so please don‘t consider these numbers to be actual.

Sr. No Power plant developers Capacity

1 Titan Energy ,KPCL, Yelesandra village near Bangarpet, District- Kolar, Karnataka 3 MW

2 Azure Power, Awan, Punjab India. 2 MW

3 Photon Energy Systems, Itnal & Chikodi towns, Belgaum, Karnataka State. 3 MW

4 North Delhi Power Ltd (Tata Power), Delhi. 1 MW

5 Lanco Energy, Gujarat. 5 MW

6 Titan Energy, Jamuria, West Bengal 2 MW

7 Moser Baer, Chandrapur Maharashtra 1 MW

8 Reliance Power, Thyagaraj Stadium Plant, Delhi 1 MW

From the above information it is clear that solar energy market is picking up its pace in India.

However there is a need to encourage Incubators for Solar Energy enterprises. MNRE,

Department of Science and Technology and some University departments are also providing

assistance for solar energy projects in the country. These institutions create scheme, provide

technological solutions, infrastructure support and guidance to help convert ideas into marketable

products.

On another side, there is a lack of investments in this sector due to financial un-viability of the

project (Long payback periods and less PLF). It can be minimised by using government‘s

support and evolving more efficient technology. We also lack solar energy potential map of

every possible part of the country. Using Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System

can help to create solar resource maps.

The future is bright with the SUN