Solar Energy in India is one of the most exciting growth industries in the world right now.Solar Energy in India is poised to take off in a exponential manner because of a unique confluence of favorable Supply and Demand factors .Here is a list of factors that will make Solar Power one of the fastest growing energy sectors in the world

  • India has very high isolation (solar radiation in layman language) which makes solar energy much cheaper to produce solar power in India  compared to  countries like Germany,Denmark etc.
  • India has a huge electricity demand supply gap – Large parts of India regularly face blackouts for lack of electricity supply leading to huge monetary losses .
  • Lack of power grid availability – Solar Energy is ideally suited for providing power to those areas which don’t have power lines connecting it.Large parts of India don’t have electricity grid connectivity and it is cheaper to power them through solar energy rather than extending power lines
  • Increasing expensive and unreliable electricity supply – The rates of electricity prices are going up rapidly each year due to a combination of factors like higher costs of fossil fuels,increasing capital expenditure by utilities and privatization of power.
  • Solar Energy approaching Grid Parity – The costs of Solar Energy has been decreasing rapidly over the last 2 years and has reached retail price grid parity in countries like Italy,Hawaii.
  • Strong Support from the Government –  The Indian government through the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission has provided strong support to the growth of this industry . The government has set a  target of 20 GW by 2022

You can also read about the Advantages of Solar Power

Solar Power Plants in India

Existing Solar Plants

1)Titan Energy ,KPCL ,3 MW plant ,Yelesandra village near Bangarpet, Kolar district,Karnataka

2) Photon Energy Systems 3 MW plant ,Itnal & Chikodi towns, Belgaum, Karnataka State.

3) Titan Energy, 2 MW plant ,Jamuria, West Bengal

4) Moser Baer ,Thin Film 1 MW , Chandrapur Maharashtra

5) Lanco , 5 MW ,Gujarat.

6) North Delhi Power Ltd (Tata Power) 1 MW , Delhi.

7) Reliance ,1 MW ,Thyagaraj stadium Plant,Delhi

8 0  Azure Power  2 MW  Awan, Punjab India.

Future Solar Power Plants in the Works

Solar PV Energy Plants under JNNSM ( 5 MW)

1 Camelot Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. Maharashtra
2 Khaya Solar Projects Nagore Rajasthan
3 DDE Renewable Energy Nagore Rajasthan
4 Electro Maritech Pvt Ltd Nagore Rajasthan
5 Vasavi Solar Power Nagore Rajasthan
6 Fine Hope Allied Energy Rajasthan
7 Karnataka Power Corpn. Ltd Karnataka
8 Newton Solar Pvt. Ltd Nagore Rajasthan
9 Green Tech Power Pvt. Ltd. Jodhpur Rajasthan
10 Saidham Overseas Pvt. Ltd Nagore Rajasthan
11 Mahindra Solar One Pvt. Ltd Jodhpur Rajasthan
12 Azure Power (Rajasthan) P.Ltd. Nagore Rajasthan
13 Rithwik Projects Pvt. Ltd, Anantapur AP
14 Sai Sudhir Energy Anantapur AP
15 Maharashtra Seamless Ltd Jaisalmer Rajasthan
16 Viraj Renewable Energy Jodhpur Rajasthan
17 Northwest Energy Nagore Rajasthan
18 Sun Edisson Energy P.Ltd Bikaner Rajasthan
19 Electrical Manufacturing Co.Ltd Allahabad UP
20 Alex Spectrum Radiations P.Ltd Bikaner Rajasthan
21 Indian Oil Corpn. Ltd. Barmer Rajasthan
22 Coastal Projects Ltd Chitradurg Karnataka
23 Welspun Solar AP Anantapur AP
24 CCCL Infrastructures Ltd Tuticorin TamilNadu
25 Alex Solar Pvt. Ltd. Orissa
26 Punj Lloyd Jodhpur Rajasthan
27 Bhaskar Green Power P.Ltd Jaisalmer Rajasthan
28 Oswal Woollen Mills Jodhpur Rajasthan
29 Amrit Animation P.Ltd Jaisalmer Rajasthan
30 Precision Technik P.Ltd Jaisalmer Rajasthan


Future Solar Thermal Energy Plants under JNNSM

  1. Lanco Solar  100 MW  Rajasthan
  2. Reliance Power 100 MW Rajasthan
  3. KSK Energy 100 MW Rajasthan
  4. Godavari Power 50 MW Rajasthan
  5. Aurum Renewables 20 MW Gujarat
  6. Corporate Ispat  50 MW Rajasthan
  7. Megha Engineering 50 MW Andhra Pradesh

Note there is also a number of solar power plants that have gotten PPA from the Gujart Government.There is almost 716 MW of solar thermal and solar PV plants that have been allocated by the Gujarat government alone.

Solar Panel Manufacturers in India

Note this is a dynamic list which is constantly growing as more and more global solar panel companies set up manufacturing bases/sales offices in India.The Solar Market of India is simply to huge to be ignored by any major solar panel producer.While some of the bigger companies have already won contracts to supply solar panels to solar plants,others are setting up Joint Ventures to establish solar panel proudcing factories eg.Abound Solar ( a Cadmium Tellerium startup).Here is a list.

Solar Photovoltaic Companies

Domestic Solar Cell/Module Producers

  • Moser Baer – This is primarily a Solar Panel Production Company which has recently made a big bet to get into the Power Production Space as well.Moser Baer Projects Private in which the Blackstone Group made a $300 million bet  has plans of a 20:80 mix of Green and Dirty Power.
  • Tata Power / Tata BP Solar – The biggest private utility in India has big plans for Clean Energy as well.Its subsidiary Tata BP Solar is one of the biggest producers of solar panels and cells in the country.The company has huge plans in wind,solar and geothermal energy.It has also invested in a geothermal energy project in Indonesia.
  • Solar Semiconductor – A Producer of Solar Power Modules and Cells. It has some operations in Solar Installation as well.
  • The following  companies are similar to Solar Semiconductor in having a small capacity to produce silicon based solar cells or solar panels or both.
  • IndoSolar
  • Topsun Solar
  • Titan Energy
  • PLG Power
  • Maharishi Solar
  • Kotak Urja
  • Photon Energy Systems
  • Lanco Solar – A major private utility in India.Has bagged a JNNSM bid to build a big solar thermal plant.Also getting into production of poly,wafers,cell and modules based on c0Si Technology.

Domestic Government owned Solar Producers

  1. BHEL – BHEL which is India’s largest Capital Good makers is the other company with the big solar ambitions.BHEL has strong capabilities in the field of making electricity generating equipment.Extending these capabilities in the field of solar power generation is a natural extension.
  2. BEL – This is another state owned company established by the Indian Government to meet the specialised electronic needs of the Indian defence services.  The company produces consumer products like  , Solar Powered LED-Based Traffic Signal Lights.Tying up with BHEL to set up a big solar equipment producing facility.

Foreign Solar Panel Producers

  1. Suntech – Suntech was  the world’s biggest producer of solar panels in 2010 and was one the first companies to set up operations in China.Its example was followed by a host of other Chinese companies.Suntech has been slow to expand compared to the fast growing small companies in China and has lost marketshare to them.It has started to vertically integrate in order to meet the low cost challenge from Trina and Yingli.Suntech makes one of the best quality Solar Panels in China.
  2. Trina Solar – Trina Solar is one of the lowest cost manufacturers of Solar Panels in the World right now and also sells it at a very low price.This is the reason that the company in a span of few short years has managed to acquire a substantial  global marketshare.The prices the solar panels being sold are around $340 per 200 watt module.Trina Solar.Like Yingli and Suntech,Trina Solar Panels are one the best quality in China
  3. First Solar – First Solar is the only Solar Thin Film Manufacturer in the world and a benchmark for other thin film companies thinking of making it big.The company was promoted by Wal-Mart promoters and has seen remarkable growth in the last few.This US based company uses Cadmium Tellurium (Cd-Te) Technology and  is the lowest cost panel producer in the world today if you don’t include any penalty for low efficiency.Even if you penalize the Cd-Te Technology for its lower efficiency vis-a-vis the higher efficiency crystalline technology,First Solar is clearly the leader with a core cost of 74c/watt.The company has a roadmap of  reducing the cost to 52c/watt by 2014 and given its track record it seems quite achievable.There is little doubt about First Solar’s ability to survive and flourish due to its massive first mover advantage

Foreign Solar EPC/Installers/Developers

  • SunEdison/MEMC – US Polysilicon and Wafer Producer MEMC bought Sunedison which was one of the largest solar installers in 2008.Now MEMC is strongly expanding the system installation business not only in the US but other parts of the world like India,Europe,Korea,Canada and other places.The company recently installed one of the biggest solar plants in the world in Rovigo,Italy
  • Gehrlicher Solar Belectric – One of the largest installers in Germany,it is one of the first European Solar EPC players to set up base in India as its domestic market starts to saturate in solar power and slow donw
  • SDEM TEGA – Small American solar power developer
  • American Capital Energy– Small American solar power developer

Note a number of small and big companies are getting into the Solar EPC Business like Punj Lloyd,ESL either alone or in JV with foreign players.Recently L&T,the biggest infrastructure players in the Indian market announced a JV with Japanese Giant Sharp targeting the Solar Market in India.

Solar Inverter Manufacturers

  1. Delta Electronics – Taiwanese Giant Electronics Firm is setting up a production base in Chennai to capitalize on the Solar Inverter Opportunity.Delta is also expanding in countries like Singapore and Germany to take advantage of the the growth in Green Industry.
  2. SMA Solar – The Big Daddy of the Solar Inverter Market with a   40% Marketshare of the Global Market.This Germany company has become the most valued solar company in Germany beating out the old stalwarts like Q-Cells  and Solarworld.SMA Solar has managed to maintain its marketshare and grow as fast  with the global solar demand unlike some of its competitors.SMA Solar faces tough times ahead as the growing inverter industry attracts numerous competitors and it remains to be seen whether it can avoid the fate of Q-Cells.

Note other major inverter producers have also got a presence in India which lacks high quality domestic suppliers.Domestic inverter companies are Luminous and Su-Kam

Solar Thermal Companies (not developers)

  1. Siemens – The world’s largest green company is quite weak in the Solar Energy area.Like other conglomerates and competitor Areva,it acquired Israeli CSP company Solel Energy to make its foray into the Solar Thermal Energy sector.The company is looking to expand in India where the JNNSM has given equal importance to Solar Thermal Technology.
  2. Areva – Another Giant Global Electrical Equipment Conglomerate which entered the Solar Thermal Energy area by acquiring a struggling CSP startup Ausra.The company is planning like the others to make a major investment of around $3 billion to build 1000 MW capacity in India.The company is the biggest nuclear equipment supplier in the world and has interests in biomass energy as well.
  3. Schott – This German company is a provider of parabolic recievers used in CSP plants.The German Glass Maker is a big component supplier to the CSP industry but does not provide a turnkey solution.Schott is also involved in the Solar PV Technology area producing both crystalline silicon panels as well as thin film panels.
  4. Abengoa – Abengoa is one of the most well known suppliers of Solar Thermal Equipment in the world and is a proven developer of large scale Solar Plants in Spain and USA.This Spanish giant has signed a JV with India’s largest capital equipment company BHEL to manufacture components for Solar Thermal Plants..t has managed to win a large DOE grant for constructing another large Solar Thermal Plant in the USA.It has also signed a JV with Abu Dhabi promoted Masdar to build a 100 MW Shams 1 plant near Madinet Zayed in UAE
  5. Solar Millennium – The company is one of the most aggressive players in the Solar Thermal Energy Sector.The company is in the process of building CSP plants in Africa,Europe,India and USA.This German company has won several project approvals to build CSP plants in Califronia through its JV Solar Trust with Ferrostaal Inc.The company has running plants at Andasol in Spain.In 2009, Solar Millennium entered into a joint venture with Suryachakra Power Venture for joint development of solar power projects in India.The company uses parabolic tough technology and is able to provide a turnkey solution from Technology to Design to EPC.

Solar Subsidy/Solar Incentives/Solar Feed in Tariffs

The Indian Government’s launch of the ambitious Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission(JNNSM) was done with much fanfare with a target of reaching 20 GW of Solar Capacity by 2022 under 3 phases from the 81 MW currently.While the government had the best intentions and had laid down a well defined 10 year plan with subsidy support for both Solar Thermal and Solar PV Technology,it has already run into problems.Due to high interest the government went in for bidding of projects which led to irrationally low bidding from unknown firms.This has put the entire exercise in question with the the biggest private utility saying JNNSM is a failure.Without extensions of deadlines it looks highly unlikely whether the 37 winners will actually put up the plants.

JNNSM is divided into 3 phases with the ultimate goal of reaching grid parity with coal by 2030.I don’t know where they came with the 2030 figure as I think solar should reach grid parity much earlier and should be below coal cost much  before

1)Phase I (up to 2012/2013) – remaining period of 11th five yr plan & first yr of 12th yr plan Target of 1100 MW
2) Phase II (2013-2017) – remaining 4 yrs of 12th five yr plan Target of 3000-10000 MW
3) Phase III (2017-2022) – 13th five yr plan 20000 GW overall

Funding of the JNNSM will be done by

1) Renewable Energy Credits (REC) – State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERC) to fix a minimum
percentage of energy purchase from renewable sources of energy.Each state has a RPO percentage fixed for example Uttar Pradesh recently came up with a solar tender for 100 MW in order to meet its RPO requirements of 0.5% from Solar Power in 2011.Read more about Renewable Energy Certificate(REC) Policy in India

2) Bundling of Power – NTPC’s Trading Arm NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd  (NVVN) is chosen as the nodal agency for entering into a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with solar power  developers.NTPC will mix expensive solar power with cheaper coal power .

Solar Incentives

  • Zero import duty on capital equipment, raw materials and excise duty
    exemption
  • Low interest rate loans, priority sector lending
  • Coal tax
  • Budgetary Support for MNRE though 2011 Budget has not given anything
  • UNFCCC Funds – Again not certain as no international agreement ( another pipe dream)

Technology ( Solar PV vs Solar Thermal)

India’s Federal Government has given equal importance of Solar Photovoltaic Technology ( which uses Solar Panels to convert Sunlight into Electricity) and Solar Thermal or Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Technology which uses Heat from the Sun to generate Electricity.The Solar Thermal Advantages of energy storage is also overrated because it is cheaper to add energy storage to Solar PV given here in Solar Thermal Myths.Note Solar PV has many other advantages of Solar Thermal anyway.The Rapidly Declining Costs of Solar PV in fact pose a massive threat to all other forms of Solar Technology including Thin Film which has recently seen a number of players gone bankrupt.The recent conversion of Solar Thermal Plants by Tessera,the losses being made by Solar Millenium due to delays are further evidence of the decline and possible obsolescence of Solar Thermal Technology.Disadvantages of Solar Thermal Technology

1) High Costs – Desertec will apparently cost Euro 3.5/watt with another Euro  50c/watt cost for High Voltage Transmission.However these costs are too high  as Solar PV already costs Euro 3.5/watt and even on a conservative basis will have its costs reduced by 5% in the next 10 years making it attain half the cost of Solar Thermal Technology by 2020

2) Future Technology has a high probability of making CSP Obsolete – Solar Energy has become a Hotbed of Innovation with daily news of some new breakthrough in materials and process in PV Technology.Oerlikon has come out with a radial new a-Si Technology while CIGs player are touting increased efficiencies.Chinese Solar Companies have captured large chunks of the Solar Market through low cost leadership while number of Global Heavyweights like Posco,Samsung,Hyundai,Sharp,GE,TSMC promise to further decrease these costs.To bet Euro 400 Billion on a Technology that has a high probability of becoming obsolete is too risky.

3) Water Issue – Solar Thermal Plants use lots of Water which is Major Problem in Desert Areas.Using non-water cooling raises the cost of CSP projects too much.While using SeaWater has been proposed it remains to be seen if it possible to implement this solution as this would imply building Plants very near the Coastline

4) Ecological and Cultural Issues – The Usage of Massive Arrays of Mirrors is noted to heavily impact the Desert  Wildlife endangering the endangered species.California has already seen a massive fight on this issue with Project Developers curtailing the size of their Plants and spending money to move the wildlife.Don’t think this would receive too much attention in the African countries.They are also cultural issues with some of these Muslim countries might have in Exporting so much Energy to Christian Countries.

Summary

Solar Industry is a fast growing exciting industry with its inevitable growth pangs as well.The first phase of India’s Federal Policy has seen many hurdles and its success is in doubt,on the other hand Gujarat has managed to attract investment and power plants through a forward looking subsidy.States like Uttar Pradesh,Delhi,Maharashtra are also tentatively coming up with their own incentive policies.The Industry will see many ups and downs before it becomes a major billion dollar industry.Note Solar Power Industry has become the fastest growing in USA where it doubled last year and looks set to double this year again.The Nuclear Accident in Japan has given fresh energy to Solar Power with China set to double its target to 10 GW by 2015.

Solar Power  in India represents one of the best Energy opportunities in the 21st Century.However the growth at least in the initial stages will be geographically unequal.This is due to the fact that Solar Power requires strong government support and subsidies currently.The Indian Federal Government has already given it a strong push targeting 1000 MW by 2013 and 20 GW by 2022 under the JNSSM.While the Subsidy Program is facing some initial hurdles due to debt financing and aggressive project bidding,individual States are forging ahead to push Solar Energy on their own.Gujarat has been a trailblazer in this regard with The State has already received proposals for setting up around  365 MW of Solar Power.Gujarat through its own RPS and Feed in Tariff incentives is targeting 1000 MW by 2013.Rajasthan too is trying to exploit is massive solar insolation potential but its state policies have little clarity or direction yet.The state has signed around 1524 MW of Solar Project with 49 Developers.The Solar Policy Draft Proposal is mostly vague with a target of 10-12 GW  in 10-12 years with around 500 MW in the next 2-3 years.Rajasthan is set to see massive solar installation despite its government’s vagueness from the Federal JNNSM subsidy.Other states in India like UP,Delhi and Maharashtra have recently started making some moves but remains to be seen how good they are at implementing.Delhi seems to be on the way to implementing a smart policy of promoting small roof top solar residential installations.

National Solar Mission of India ( Understanding the Federal Subsidies and Incentives)

India launched its Solar Mission by the name of Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) with a lofty target of 20 GW by 2022.The Solar Mission has been divided into 3 phases and promotes solar energy installation,solar industry,solar heaters and off grid solar.

Objectives of the Solar Mission in India

1) Solar Lighting-Deploy 20 million solar lighting systems for rural areas

2) Solar Heaters – Achieve 15 million sq. meters  by 2017 & 20 million by -2022 of solar thermal collector area

3) Solar Manufacturing – Global Leader in Solar Manufacturing ( Seems a Pipe Dream right now) with Targets 4-5 GW equivalent of installed capacity by 2020 including setting up of dedicated manufacturing capacities for poly silicon material to annually make about 2 GW capacity of solar cells

4) Off Grid Solar Applications – Solar Mission has set a target of 1000 MW by 2017

First Phase

1) First Phase (How it has fared so far)

Smaller 2 MW PV Projects

India has set a target of 1100 MW for the first phase with around 100 MW allocated for 2 MW projects which have the best chance of being built.Note the 2 MW project winners are already flipping the projects as many non-serious players won the projects.These companies were speculators and has no intention of building the plants anyway

Larger PV 5 Projects and Bigger Solar Thermal Plants

The rest of the 620 MW projects are in serious trouble with no major construction happening.The developers might find it profitable to lose their deposit money rather than building the plant.The government will have to potentially bailout these companies if it wants to see its Solar Mission be successful.While the first phase is already in trouble the government is already thinking of auctioning another 296 MW of solar projects in April.Don’t know how that will help as the majority of the First Phase projects are already in trouble

2) Phase II (2013-2017) – Remaining 4 yrs of 12th five yr plan Target of 3000-10000 MW
3) Phase III (2017-2022) – 13th five yr plan 20000 GW overall

Funding of Solar Mission and Role of CERC and NVVN

In order to facilitate grid connected solar power generation in the first phase, a mechanism of “bundling” relatively
expensive solar power with power from the unallocated quota of the Government of India (Ministry of Power) generated
at NTPC coal based stations, which is relatively cheaper, has been proposed by the Mission. This “bundled power”
would be sold to the Distribution Utilities at the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) determined prices.
The Mission also provides for NTPC’s Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd or NVVN to be the designated Nodal Agency for
procuring the solar power by entering into a Power Purchase Agreement or PPA with Solar Power Generation Project
Developers who will be setting up Solar Projects during the next three years, i.e., before March 2013 and are connected
to the grid at a voltage level of 33 kV and above. For each MW of installed capacity of solar power for which a PPA is
signed by NVVN, the Ministry of Power (MoP) shall allocate to NVVN an equivalent amount of MW capacity from the
unallocated quota of NTPC coal based stations and NVVN will supply this “bundled” power to the Distribution Utilities.
This Scheme is referred to as the ‘Bundling Scheme’ in these guidelines. – Source MNRE

EXISTING SOLAR ENERGY FARMS

1)Titan Energy ,KPCL ,3 MW plant ,Yelesandra village near Bangarpet, Kolar district,Karnataka

2) Photon Energy Systems 3 MW plant ,Itnal & Chikodi towns, Belgaum, Karnataka State.

3) Titan Energy, 2 MW plant ,Jamuria, West Bengal

4) Moser Baer ,Thin Film 1 MW , Chandrapur Maharashtra

5) Lanco , 5 MW ,Gujarat.

6) North Delhi Power Ltd (Tata Power) 1 MW , Delhi.

7) Reliance ,1 MW ,Thyagaraj stadium Plant,Delhi

8) Azure Power  2 MW  Awan, Punjab India.

State Level Subsidies and Progress

Note Indian States have also raised objections to the conduct of the First Phase of JNNSM particularly how the migration projects have been given the full subsidy while other projects are being built at much lower costs.80 MW of Solar Projects were awarded the base FIT of Rs 17.91 as they were transferred to the Indian Federal Subsidy from their initial PPAs with individual states.Note these solar project developers who have managed to get transferred will get tariffs which are almost 60% higher than the lowest bidder for the 5 MW Solar Project at Rs 10.95.This will also mean a much large taxpayer outgo to the 16 Project Winners for the 80 MW than for the 150 MW projects.Note the earlier auction of 100-2000 kw also took place at higher FIT of Rs 17.91 and those winners are already flipping their projects selling their licenses for massive profits.Note their is not much difference in costs for a 2 MW project as compared to a 5 MW project so even this part of the Subsidy raises questions.Till now the JNNSM has not proved to be much of a success failing to create a conductive environment for the growth of solar energy in India.However the potential of future growth in India remains immense despite this.

Gujarat

Gujarat has been the biggest promoter of Solar Energy in India amongst all the other states.The State has already implemented a clear and forward looking Renewable Energy Policy with emphasis on Solar Energy.It has signed PPAs with a number of solar project developers under its State Solar Subsidy Scheme.While other states are looking mainly towards the federal subsidy scheme JNNSM to push Solar Energy Generation,Gujarat is looking to push Solar Energy on its own.Gujarat now has reportedly acquired 3000 acres at Charnaka village in Patan District which it will give to solar project developers to install solar panels.In the First Phase of this projects,80 Developers will install 1-45 MW Solar Plants to generate 500 MW capacity.The next phase will feature another 500 MW of capacity.

Rajasthan

The Desert State of Rajasthan has  seen an equal amount of interest by solar investors that Gujarat has.Though the government has not spelled out the Solar Subsidy Policy clearly as of now,it has got hundreds of megawatts in initial proposals from Solar Developers.The government their has given out large tracts of unused,desert land to solar developers in the western districts of Barmer,Jaisalmer which border Pakistan.The Renewable Energy Policy will probably be set out by the end of the year when these large projects can move forward to the next stage.Transparency and clarity in Policy like Gujarat will help Rajasthan go a long way in promoting Solar Energy.

Rajasthan has set up Renewable Energy Corporation Limited (RREC) to promote Solar Power in the state.The state has signed around 1524 MW of Solar Project with 49 Developers.The Solar Policy Draft Proposal is mostly vague with a target of 10-12 GW  in 10-12 years with around 500 MW in the next 2-3 years.There are little specifics with a proposal to invite bids for 100 MW of Solar Power divided equally between Solar Thermal and Solar PV.Besides the state has managed to migrate 66 MW of Solar Projects to the Federal JNNSM scheme

Uttar Pradesh

India’s largest state in terms of population suffers from the worst power cuts in the country with cities like Kanpur,Meerut,Agra facing brownouts of 8-10 hours on a regular basis.Having a diesel generator or a lead acid storage device is a must for households in these states making it a prime demand source for solar energy.The state recently came out with a tender for 100 MW of solar installations at a  electricity tariff of 4.74 rupees ($0.11) a kilowatt-hour.The EOI at the UPPCL website mentions a bundled/standalone rate for the solar power to be supplied.As it is evident no one can make money at this tariff from standalone it would mean bundling of solar with cheaper power sources.Again the EOI is vague and short on details with just 2 paragraphs.

Uttar Pradesh Seeks 100 Megawatts of Solar Power to Meet Target

India’s Uttar Pradesh state is seeking to buy 100 megawatts of power from solar plants to meet government-set clean energy targets.Uttar Pradesh Power Corp., the bulk electricity supplier to the northern state’s five distribution utilities, will pay a maximum of 4.74 rupees ($0.11) a kilowatt-hour, it said in a tender notice in today’s Economic Times.For the financial year starting today, state electricity distribution utilities are required to purchase 5 percent of their power from clean sources, 0.5 percent from solar and the remainder from wind, biomass and others

Maharashtra

The state with the largest installed electricity capacity in the country is lagging far behind in renewable energy generation.It has recently promoted Wind Energy through new incentives and seems set to promote Large Solar Power Plants above 5 MW

State to come up with policy to encourage solar energy

With a view to encourage solar energy projects in Maharashtra, state government is coming up with a policy.”The government is framing the policy to promote solar power plants of 5 MW or more capacity in the state,” Non-Conventional Energy Minister Ganesh Naik informed the Legislative Council in a written reply last week.

Delhi

India’s Capital has come out with a target of 20 MW in 3 years by giving a generous 37c/Kwh Feed in Tariff for residential owners in the capital.The state government has allowed residential owners to get a 19% IRR for putting up solar panels on their roof.

Govt readies plan on rooftop solar panel units

After almost two years of discussion, the Delhi government has come up with a Cabinet note for solar power units on rooftops of households in the Capital.

House owners can either lease out their roof to a developer, who will then set up the unit, or they can pay 30 per cent of the cost of installation. The remaining 70 per cent will be financed through banks.House owners will get to earn Rs 17 per unit of power produced through the solar panels, which will be directly fed into a grid. They can sell the power for 25 years. “The house owner will easily be able to earn about 19 per cent returns on his investment. In nine years, the returns will go further up. There will also be an income tax rebate on this investment,” said a senior official.The cost of setting up a 5-KW unit is around Rs 7.5 lakh and requires 2,000 sq feet of roof space. After signing a Power Purchase Agreement with the discoms, the house owner will pay Rs 3 lakh, on which he will get returns of close to Rs 60,000 per annum.”More than 50 per cent of Delhi residents live in their own homes, and, on an average, an upper-middle class family has this kind of roof space available with them,” added the official.

State of Solar Energy in India – Maharashtra,,UP,Delhi Formulate solar subsidies though far behind Gujarat

Solar Energy in Japan has a long future dating back to 1994 when the government introduced capital subsidies to boost solar energy installations on rooftops.Till 2004,Japan was the largest solar market in the world after which it was overtaken by Germany.After 2004,the growth in the solar industry tapered off as the government reduced the subsidies for solar panels to almost zero.The huge domestic market gave rise to Japanese companies like Sharp,Mitsubishi,Kyocera,Panasonic-Sanyo become top solar panel producers in the world.However the low cost Chinese solar module producers have pushed back most of the Japanese companies.Since the last year,the Japanese government has again started giving generous solar subsidies and feed in tariff to  boost the renewable energy production in the country which remains far off targets.This has led Japan to become the top non-European market after USA and the growth seems set to continue in the future as well.Japan has relatively low installations costs and is much nearer to grid parity.Also lack of  wind energy makes solar energy more attractive as a renewable energy choice.While large scale solar installations in Japan are almsot absent,there remain large numbers of rooftop solar installations.

Top Japanese  Solar Companies

1) Sharp – Sharp,the Japanese Zaibatsu known more for its Electronics Products is also the world’s No 1 Company in terms Solar Module Revenues.Sharp has been the solar world leader since the past 4-5 years despite stiff competition recently  from upcoming Chinese Crystalline Solar (c-Si) players and Thin Film Leader First Solar

Sharp’s c-Si division is not cost competitive with the Chinese and Taiwanese companies as its cost structure is almost 30-40% higher than the cheapest Chinese producers.Though the quality of Sharp’s crystalline silicon modules is considered much better,the cost difference has become too big in a rapidly commoditizing industry

While companies like Masdar are abandoning their Thin Film plans,Sharp has started shipping a-Si modules from its 1 GW capacity  plant in Sakai.With its established distribution strengths and technological abilities in LCD Technology,Sharp is one company that can survive the c-Si onslaught.

2) Sanyo-Panasonic  – Sanyo plans to invest more than  70% of its total investment over the next  3 years in its renewable energy and energy storage segments.Sanyo has never been as successful in the hyper competitive electronics market as other Japanese companies like Sony or Sharp.However its lithium batteries and solar panels possess cutting edge technology.Its solar panels with proprietary HIT technology rival the best  in terms of efficiency and quality.

Panasonic after acquiring Sanyo has completely changed its strategy to become a major Green Player targeting a Major Percentage of Sales in the future to come  from Green Products.Panasonic which is the world’s biggest Plasma TV producer is going to spend $1 Billion on Green Building investments.Panasonic will combine its Green Strengths with Sanyo’s to sell a complete Eco-Friendly Home complete with Solar Power,LED Lighting and Energy Storage and Efficiency capabilities.In Solar where Panasonic  is the No. 3 player in Japan behind Sharp and Kyocera ,it is speeding up the expansion of solar capacity.It will spend more than $500 million aiming to triple its energy solutions business in Europe to 800 Million Euros by 2016.

3) Kyocera – Kyocera is Japan’s second largest solar panel producing company.The company recently won a major contract to build a solar farm in Thailand.Unlike other companies it has been slow off the blocks and unless  it perks up its game,it is likey to become a even smaller company in the global scheme of things.

4) Mitsubishi – Mistubishi is another old time Japanese solar company which has a low profile solar module and system business.The company is known for its high quality panels and has a decent presence in USA and Japan.However like Kyocera it has not been aggressive enough leading to loss in marketshare.

5) Mitsui – Mitsui Engineering and Shipping,one of Japan’s huge zaibatsus is planning a foray into the solar energy market as well.The Company is being supported in its initiative by METI which will collaborate with the Tunisian government in setting up a combined gas solar hybrid plant.A 5 MW Solar CSP plant will be set up by 2013 to demonstrate the technology.The company also owns a solar system business in the US after acquiring Sunwize

6) Toshiba – Toshiba the Japanese Giant known for its Global Leadership in Nuclear Power Equipment,Electronics and Memory Businesses has decided to become a big player in  the Solar EPC business.This strategy is quite different from the other global conglomerates entering the Solar Energy Field.South Korean Players like Samsung,LG,Hanwha and Hyundai are all building Crystalline Silicon Modules.Toshiba wants to enter the Smart Grid business by leveraging its experiece of the Solar EPC business.It is already in the process of building a 10 MW plant in Bulgaria and plans to generate around  $2 Billion Dollars annually from US and Europe by 2015

7) Honda – Honda,the Japanese auto giant has also joined the Solar Energy Race by selling Thin Film Modules based on CIGs technology.Japan’s conglomerates like Sharp,Kyocera,Mitsubishi and Panasonic already have big solar manufacturing operations with Sharp being the largest Solar Company in the World.Honda which has a small presence in the Solar Energy through its subsidiary Honda Soltec is expanding its lines of modules for the domestic market.

8 ) Solar Frontier – Solar Frontier is a subsidiary of Showa Shell Sekiyu and is listed on the Japanese Stock Exchange.The Company has big plans for the Solar Energy Market planning to increase its capacity by more than 10 times in 2011 to around 1 Gw in total.All its 3 plants are located in Miyazaki in Japan and uses previous plasma plant of Hitachi.Solar Frontier claims 11.5% efficiency for its CIS modules which are expected to go upto 14% by 2014It has signed a distribution deal with GE to sells its Copper Indium Selenide (CIS) Panels in USA

Summary

Japan has a large electricity market and it needs to really ramp up renewable energy in order to meet Kyoto Protocol targets.With solar costs declining at a rapid pace and a strong domestic industry,Solar Energy in Japan is set for  good growth in the future.The government and METI also seem to have again shifted their focus towards solar energy after 5 yeaers of hibernation.Investing in  Green Industry has become the main strategy for most of the Japanese Zaibatsus and Solar Energy is arguably the most important Green Sector.

Other Greenworldinvestor Articles you may be intrested in

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  2. Sharp becomes an Independent Power Producer (IPP) through JV with Enel to build utility scale solar plants
  3. Will Sharp be Decimated like the Europeans by Chinese Solar Panel Companies
  4. List of Top MNC Conglomerates (Toshiba,LG,TSMC,GE) getting into Solar Energy- Growing Continuously
  5. Japanese Trading House Marubeni sets its sight on becoming a Top 10 Global Water Company
  6. The Real Reason Behind Japan’s WTO Challenge of Ontario’s Green Energy Subsidy Local Contect Requirements

Wind Energy in India is the biggest Green Industry currently with around 1 GW of Wind Power Capacity being installed in a year on average.The Growth in Wind Industry has been driven by states like Tamil Nadu who have heavily subsidized and promoted Wind Energy.India’s installed capacity at around 13 GW of Wind Power the world’s 5th largest Wind Energy Producer.However India remains far behind China in terms of Wind Energy Growth .Last Year China installed nearly 13 GW of Wind Energy which is more than India’s total installed capacity of Wind Energy.With a target of around 230 GW by 2020,China is on track to install 20 GW of Wind Capacity a Year in the next 10 years which would make India a Pygmy.Also two of the largest Wind Turbine Producers Sinovel and Goldwind are from China.India despite producing a world class company Suzlon in the early states of Wind Industry Development is struggling.Suzlon has fallen on very hard times running big losses while other Wind Companies  are of hardly any decent size.

Offshore Wind Energy is the next frontier in Wind Energy Expansion and  Chinese companies like Ming Yang Wind Power, A-Power are aggressively investing to gain an initial advantage.Indian Companies on the other hand lack resources and ambition to become big players.With the entry of South Korean Shipbuilders and companies like Northrop Gruman,India will soon face massive competition.Wind Energy Industry in India looks to have a bleak future and will mainly become a technology buyer with small production bases established by foreign firms.Here is a list of Wind Energy Companies in India.

List of Domestic Wind Electric Generators (WEG) Suppliers.

1) Suzlon EnergySuzlon Energy is the biggest Wind Energy Company by far with 4-5 Gigawatts of WTG Capacity per year.Its subsidiaries Hansen Transmission and RePower are also big players in the Wind Energy in Europe.The Company has seen its revenues and profits take a huge hit in recent times but has been recovering slowly.

2) RRB Energy – The company has a long history and manufactures Wind Turbines at its plants in Tamil Nadu.The Company has a capacity of 300 MW which it is expanding to 700 MW.The Company makes only 2 models with power rating of 600 Kw and 1.8 MW.Merill Lynch has made a small investment in this company.

3) NEPC India – This company was one of the wind energy heavyweights and a stock market darling earlier.However It no longer remains an active player in the Indian market .Heavy Debt and Bad Management drove to this company to the ground despite being a pioneer in the Indian Wind Power Market.

4) Auro Mira Energy – The company is more of a Green Utility rather than a full fledged WEG manufacturer.It has made plans to manufacture Wind Turbines in the future.It has attracted funds from Baring and IFC to push forward its Green Plans.

5) Regen Powertech – It is a small scale WTG Supplier like RRB Energy which recently set up a small 300 MW manufacturing facility in Tada,Andhra Pradesh recently.The company licenses technology from Vensys to manufacture 1.5 MW gearless Wind Turbines.The company has managed to supply both big and small wind farms over the last 2 years.The company is supported by the PE arm of Future Group.

6) WinWind – The company is not exactly a domestic company rather one with a Finnish Origin.It is owned by the Abu Dhabi Masdar ,Siva Group and the government of Finland.It has recently estalished a 1000 MW capacity in Venga,Tamil Nadu and also has a 500 MW plant in Finland as well.The company plans to producer 3 MW Turbines at its Indian plant as well.

7) Pioneer Wincon – The company is a JV between the Pioneer Group and Wincon of Denmark.It makes small 250 KW Turbines and is a bit player with 30 years of operations in India.The Company remains a small static player in the Wind Energy Market of India.

8) Chiranjeevi Wind Energy – A Small bit player like Pioneer Wincon which engages mostly in the sale of small 250 KW Wind Turbines.Like Pioneer Wincon it has sold a number of these Turbines to small companies mainly in the Southern Part of India.

9) Lietnar Shriram Limited – The company is a 50:50 JV betwen the Shriram Group of India and Lietnar of Italy.The company makes gearless turbines of 1.5 MW capacity and has supplied to small farms in Maharashtra.The company has a major inhouse customer in the form of Orient Green Power which is building a 300 MW farm in Tamil Nadu using Lietnar Shriram Wind Turbines.

10) Kenersys – The company is part of the Baba Kalyani Group which is a major forgings manufacturer in India.It was bought over in 2007,when the Kalyani Group and PE firm First Reserve bought over the German company RSB Consult.The Company mainly  makes 2 and 2.5 MW turbines and has production facilities both in India and Germany.It has wind design capabilities between 1-3.6 MW and with a powerful parent, it could become a success in the future.Amongst the newer wind energy companies like Lietnar,RRB Energy,Regen and WinWind,it looks like the one with most potential.

Foreign Wind Turbine Manufacturers in India

Besides the Domestic players,all the Major Global Wind Heavywieghts l have  Turbine Production Facilities in India such as Vestas, Enercon, Gamesa, Siemens, GE .You can also find information about Wind Energy in India from the following links:

1) Wikipedia

2) IWTMA

3) INWEA

4) Wind Power in India

Summary

The Indian Wind Energy Companies are more of Pretenders than World Beaters.The Older WEG Companies like Suzlon,NEPC,Pioneer Wincon have become a shadow of their former selves or have completely shutdown.The newer entrants into the Wind Turbine Manufacturing scene don’t seem to have the resources or technology to become big.WinWind and Kenersys are the two Wind Energy Companies with the most potential.Suzlon Energy despite its recent travails remains the best bet to become a World Beater once again however its debt load and management don’t inspire much confidence.

Solar PanelUpdated on 12th June, 2012

What are Solar Panels

Solar Panels are in general Silicon made Rectangular Shaped Glass Covered Products which Produce Electricity when exposed to the Sun.These Panels produce Direct Current (DC) Electricity which has to be converted by a  Solar Inverter to Alternating Current (AC) Electricity to be used by Consumers .Note Solar  Electricity can also be supplied to the Electricity Grid if allowed by your Utility.However in India,the industry is still immature and interconnections are not given to ordinary consumers in general.So you can use an Energy Storage Device to store Electricity.However Energy Storage Products like Chemical Batteries are quite expensive.Solar Panel produced Electricity usually costs between Rs 15-18 /KwH (much higher than the Rs 3-6/unit paid normally) which makes it uneconomical except in special cases like off grid applications.Replacing expensive Diesel powered Telecom Towers with Solar Panels is also an option.Sharply falling Solar Panel costs should make it competitive with your electricity in 2-3 years.In places like Italy,Solar Electricity is already competitive due to high prices of electricity.

 

Why Use Solar Panels?

Solar Energy in India represents one of the Biggest Opportunities in the Energy Sector.The Government has recognized India’s massive potential in Solar Energy and has planned a huge subsidy scheme through the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM).While currently the Support is mainly targeted towards big commercial plants,its only a matter of time before distributed residential systems become widespread.Some states like Gujarat and Rajasthan are also independently supporting solar energy through subsidies and grants.

How much does one Solar Panel Typically Cost ?

Note Solar Panels prices differ widely depending on the technology,power,brand and quality.Thin Film Panels in general cost lower than crystalline silicon panels.Higher Power Panels have a higher price as they generate more electricity.Good Brands also have a higher price tag while cheap imported Chinese panels cost less.Solar Panel prices have decreased by almost 50% in the last 2-3 years  and now sell for around Rs 1800-2500 ($400-$550) per panel internationally and should fall to around Rs 1000 in the next 3-4 years . However for small installations ,panels can only be bought from  distributors which is more expensive and can cost you almost 50% more.Note Solar Panels form only a part of the total Solar System Cost.The total cost of installation,equipment and wiring can cost upto Rs 300,000($6500)/Kilowatt.

What are the Major Steps in Making a Solar Panel

A Crystalline Silicon Solar Panel usually goes through  5 major steps before being produced.These 5 intermediary stages can all be done by the same company or different companies.First Polysilicon is cast into Ingots ,then Sliced into Wafers.These Very Thin Wafers are then Made into Solar Cells.These Solar Cells are Energy Units which actually convert Solar Energy into Electricity.Solar Cells are then Joined Together to Form a Solar Panel.The Panel is then put into a Frame and enclosed in Glass.Note there are different costs and processes associate with each step.The most technologically challenging step is the making of the cells.However equipment for making these intermediate products is widely and easily available.

Which Companies make Solar Panels in India

There are a number of Companies manufacturing Solar Panels in India and the domestic content requirements of JNNSM will give a further impetus to indigenous solar production in India.While upstream solar products like polysilicon and wafers are made outside of India,downstream solar products like cells and modules are made by some companies in India.Note most of the solar panels made in India is done through mainstream crystalline silicon manufacturing while a very small amount of production by Moser Baer is done through Thin Film amorphous Silicon (a-Si) Technology.The costs of the Indian manufacturers are higher than integrated Chinese companies like Trina Solar,LDK which make raw materials in-house.Due to low costs of transportation it might be cheaper for consumers to import solar panels from outside of India.

What are the Different Types of Solar Panels

Size

Solar Panels come in all sorts of sizes,colors and power.Solar Panels of 20-40 Watts are typically used for applications like a Solar Lamp,Lantern and products using small amounts of power.For Putting Solar Panels on the Roof for Generation of Electricity,sizes vary from 150 Watts to 300 Watts.

Type and Color

There are also 2 different types of Crystalline Silicon Panels – a) Monocrystalline b) Multicrystalline Panels.In general Monocrystalline Panels give higher amounts of power and cost more.Solar Panels generally come in blue color though black color can also be found.

Thin Film Panels

Thin Film Panels are generally used for Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) applications where the Panels are integrated as a part of the Building Structure.This is in not prevalent in India as of now but will become quite pervasive in the future.

List of Major Solar Panel Companies

1) Tata BP Solar – Tata BP Solar is a Joint Venture between Tata Power Company and BP Solar. This Tata Company has one of the biggest and oldest solar panel manufacturing operations in the country. The company’s 84 MW Solar Cell manufacturing facility is capable of processing mono and multi crystalline wafers of 125mm2 and 156mm2. The company’s 125 MW module manufacturing facility is one of the largest in Asia. Their products include customized solar illumination solutions. Tata BP Solar is perhaps the best solar lighting provider in India given the brandname and inhouse manufacturing of solar components.It has a range of Solar Lighting Solutions based on LED and non LED lights. The company has huge plans in wind,solar and geothermal energy

2) Moser Baer – is one of India’s leading technology companies, established in 1983. Moser Baer’s flagship company, Moser Baer India Limited (MBIL) is the world’s second largest manufacturer of optical storage media. Moser Baer Solar Limited is a subsidiary of MBIL. The Group’s photovoltaic manufacturing business was established between 2005 and 2007 with the primary objective of providing solar power as competitive & reliable source of energy. Its products include Multicrystalline cells & modules and Thin Film modules. This is primarily a Solar Panel Production Company which has recently made a big bet to get into the Power Production Space as well. Moser Baer Projects Private in which the Blackstone Group made a $300 million bet  has plans of a 20:80 mix of Green and Dirty Power.

3) Solar Semiconductor – is an international organization that offers  PV solutions, products and services to worldwide markets including the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa. It manufactures its own PV modules and cells. Solar Semiconductor currently has a 195 MW manufacturing capacity and various Systems Integration projects around the world. It offers a comprehensive range of products including complete system kits and PV modules for grid connected as well off-grid applications. A Producer of Solar Power Modules and Cells, it renders services in Solar Installation as well. It also has a small capacity to produce silicon based solar cells or solar panels or both.

4) IndoSolar – is the leading Indian manufacturer of solar photovoltaic cells. Its manufacturing capacity is 360 MWp. The company has capacity to produce both multi and mono crystalline cells.

5) Topsun Solar – is one of the leading solar power solution manufacturers in India & International market. The company has vast experience in Renewable specific to SPV technology & solutions. The Company’s strongest areas are solar Telecom power system, KW to MW SPV Power Plant, Village electrification & Home lighting system. Its manufacturing unit is established with latest technology with their own R&D facilities for future development in solar solutions.

6) Titan Energy – is a major competitor in the distributed, renewable, and alternative energy industries and a leader in development and support for new energy-related technology.

7) PLG Power – is a vertically integrated company operating in the PV sector since 2008. The company is a part of a big, well-established Indian Group, PLG Group, which is almost 100 years old company diversified into numerous businesses in Asia and Middle-East.

8 ) Maharishi Solar – has a vertically Integrated manufacturing facility to produce multi-crystalline silicon ingots, Multi Crystalline wafers, Multi/Mono Solar cells, SPV modules and SPV systems in Andhra Pradesh. Maharishi Solar also designs, engineers and manufactures a wide range of Solar Panels, Solar Water Heaters, Solar Air Conditioning Systems, Swimming Pool Heating etc. for various Residential, Commercial & Industrial projects.

9) Kotak Urja Pvt. Ltd. – is one of the pioneering companies in India dedicated to the promotion of eco-friendly and environmentally safe renewable energy technologies. The company has forayed into solar PV technologies by establishing at that time an advanced PV module manufacturing facility. Over the years, Kotak Urja has developed expertise in Design, Engineering, Manufacturing, Integration & Installation of a broad range of solar thermal & solar photovoltaic systems and aspires to achieve a dominant position in the growing PV market in both India & globally.

10)Photon Energy Systems – established in 1995, is a leading manufacturer of Solar PV Modules, PV Systems and Solar Thermal Systems in India.

Note there are some other solar module producers as well.Note most of these companies import solar cells which are the main technology differentiators as there is very little addition in solar module production part of the supply chain.

How to Buy Low Cost Panels

If you are a large consumer then the best way to buy low cost panels is to import them from China or Taiwan.There are many high quality companies existing in these countries like Suntech,Trina Solar,Yingli Green Energy etc.In fact a number of these companies supply panels to high priced European and American companies.However if you are a small buyer then you have to look for a distributor/wholesaler who can sell you a good quality brand at low costs.Typically you have to pay 30-40% more for panels from these suppliers than directly buying from the companies themselves.

Where to Buy Solar Panels – List of Solar Panel Distributors and Wholesalers

Besides Solar Panel Producers,there are a number of wholesalers and distributors who sell solar panels to small customers.You can find different lists of these distributors from different sources which are given below.Note you have to do your own due diligence in finding distributors who give you good quality solar panels at low cost.

1) ENF Database

2) Alibaba

3) TradeIndia

4) Solar Power in India – JNNSM,Technology,Solar Power Manufacturers

Indian Solar Industry

India has a massive potential in Solar Energy with at least 20 GW of  Solar Power to be installed by 2022 according to the JNNSM Plan. This is a conservative target with more Solar Power in India to be installed as state government and falling prices of solar energy lead to much higher numbers. The list of solar companies in India has kept growing with a number of startups and established larger companies entering the solar industry. Foreign solar power companies too have increasingly started to set up base in India.

However, lately solar companies around the world are facing hard times with bankruptcies galore. Not only hundreds of small installers, erstwhile behemoths like Q-Cells have defaulted on debt and declared bankruptcy. The biggest and oldest Indian solar panel companies like Moser Baer and Tata BP Solar are facing survival questions. These companies have seen departure of top executives and are looking for CDR resolutions . Moser Baer which had invested hundreds of millions in investments into crystalline silicon and thin film solar is having difficulty in paying back its debt. Other companies like Indosolar are also looking like a write-off. Indian Solar Panel Companies are asking for protection from cheap imports from China and other countries. Note the prices of solar panels have fallen by 60% in 2011 due to a number of reasons such as cheap raw material polysilicon prices,high competition between major module manufacturers, dropping processing costs. The biggest reason for the solar panel price crash has been the support of the Chinese and other Asian government to their respective domestic solar industries.

It is a fact that many of the major solar module companies would be bankrupt right now without government support. LDK is the prime example of a zombie company flourishing on the back of Chinese government support. Indian solar panel makers have got some protection with the federal subsidy policy JNNSM mandating that cell and modules be made in India. However thin film solar panel technology is exempt which means that they are not fully protected. Besides state government solar polices do not protect them at all. The consequence has been that most of the solar panel companies are running at 0 to 20% utilization as orders dry up.