Rooftop Solar Panels

We at Greenworldinvestor, have time and again how rooftop solar is gaining traction worldwide. Land being a major constraint in developing economies, rooftop solar is becoming the preferred choice amongst masses. India itself is expecting to install 40 GW of rooftop solar by 2022. To promote rooftop solar in the country, the government has also announced 30% capital subsidy. We have also discussed the problems in installing rooftop solar panels in India. India is gradually becoming a power surplus country, still rural areas stay in darkness. The main issue is connectivity. The extra power generated needs to reach out to people.

Rooftop solar will hence become inevitable in these areas, since constructing transmission lines is costly as well as time consuming. India with its aggressive target has drawn attention from major players not only in India, but also from outside the country. The major indigenous panel suppliers in the country are Vikram Solar, Waaree Solar, Indo Solar, TATA Power Solar, Sukam.

i) Tata Power Solar – Backed by the Tata Group in India, the company is engaged in manufacturing and EPC services. Tata Solar is trying to increase solar awareness in the remote parts of India. The company has commissioned 175 MW of EPC projects, 43 MW of solar rooftop projects, and exported 600 MW of modules till date. Tata Solar has presence in industrial, commercial, both on-grid and off-grid solar projects and residential.

ii) Su-Kam – is the largest solar inverter manufacturer in India. It is India’s largest power solutions company. Su-Kam also has presence in the residential EPC market in India. The company has a global presence in more than 70 countries. Su-Kam was the first sine-wave inverter manufacturer and has launched hybrid solar inverter that is perfect for every home.

iii) Indo Solar – manufactures solar cells and modules, located in Greater Noida Uttar Pradesh. The current manufacturing capacity is 450 MWp, with an average efficiency rating of 17.4%. They manufacture 36 celled polycrystalline silicon panels, with 5 years workmanship warranty

iv) Vikram Solar – Vikram Solar is a manufacturer of PV solar modules. The manufacturing plant has a 500 MW installed capacity in West Bengal. They manufacture polycrystalline modules and are available in six series under the name Eldora. The company also has over 130 MW of EPC projects installed across the country.

v) Waaree Solar – The company has a 250 MW solar panel manufacturing unit in Surat, having presence across the solar power value chain. These are monocrystalline/multicrystalline silicon solar panels. The company has an experience with solar thermal and EPC utility grid projects.

Amongst these Vikram Solar has efficiency levels more than 17%. You can also read Solar panel efficiency Comparison.

The Adani group which is one of the leading business houses in India plans to set up 1200 MW manufacturing capacity to be commissioned this year. With an investment of approximately $2 billion in the project, the Adani group is planning to set up a gigawatt size panel and solar cell manufacturing plant in the country.

India has definitely become a hot solar market driving interest and increased foreign investment too. Leading names like Softbank Corp, Enel Green Power, EDF, Fortum group have expressed their interest to invest in the renewable energy market in India.

Chinese Tier 1 suppliers have flooded the Indian markets and it is easy to buy solar panels from Trina Solar, Jinko Solar, Renesola, Canadian Solar etc. Infact some of the players like Trina Solar are also establishing their manufacturing units in India. The company will soon be opening its solar cell factory in Andhra Pradesh. JA Solar too has plans to set up manufacturing capacity in Andhra Pradesh, however there has been no recent update on the same.

First Solar the global leader of thin film modules has a huge marketshare in India, owing to the hot and humid climate of the country. The company already has a 20 MW solar plant in Telangana India and achieved 1GW of photovoltaic solar capacity shipped to India, as of March this year. It has become the first thin film PV module manufacturer to achieve this milestone in the country. Thin film technology have improved a lot over time and is now competing with the polysilicon modules.