Solar Panels India

Solar street lights are currently the solar product most installed in India. This automatically hints at a local production: there is a plethora of solar street lights manufacturers in India. Indeed, the last decade has seen a rise in the number of solar street light manufacturers in India due to an increase in the solar product market as well as greater use of environmentally-friendly indoor and outdoor applications.

A solar street light price in India ranges from Rs. 15,000 to over 30,000 depending on type, model, brand and features. The number of hours of continuous operation it offers, whether it has an automatic on and off, warranty period of solar panels, LED bulbs and the whole unit all affect the solar street light price in India.

Since this is a product for mass application, solar street lights manufacturers in India find government bodies and companies to be their main customers. The solar street light price in India, therefore, is not as demanding of an issue. The government would, however, greatly benefit from offering incentives to existing solar street light manufactures in India to expand operation and potential solar street light manufacturers in India to set up shop. State governments also tend to offer a discount.

For example, in Haryana, the government offers a 30 percent subsidy on the system cost or Rs. 90 per watt (whichever is less), on a solar street light price in India of just under Rs. 20, 000. Group housing societies, commercial, non-commercial institutions, state panchayats, electricity boards are just some of the organizations that can apply for this subsidy.

One, this would push down solar street light price in India, which could mean greater number of streets lit up through solar lights at night-time. Two, greater local awareness could help in pushing people to buy other solar-powered products. The newly launched National Solar Mission would definitely help solar street lights manufacturers in India get advertised, and may impact the solar street light price in India.

Several upcoming housing complexes in the city and NCR boast of being eco-friendly, with solar street lights and other solar powered products. Solar street lights manufacturers in India are increasingly catering to this type of customer as well.

Solar street light price in India will slowly but steadily keep on falling over the coming years. Both increased competition and a more avid interest in the technology behind street lighting systems are egging companies to invest in their own research and development departments, which will further induce solar street light price in India to fall. The only question is of how quickly this will occur.

India, an emerging economy, is becoming an emerging market for solar power. Though currently producing only 130MW of solar energy, 0.4% compared to other energy resources, a number of manufacturers of solar cells in India are currently producing various photovoltaic cell systems.

At present, the majority of India’s still fledgling solar PV industry is dependent on imported raw materials and apparatus, such as silicon wafers. Currently at 700MW, India’s PV module manufacturing possible capacity is expected to rise in the coming years, with new manufacturers of solar cells in India starting production.

However, India’s ability to create solar cell technology is minimal right now, with inadequate infrastructure, lack of proper incentives (thus low investment from global players).

The present situation is changing, however, regarding solar cell manufacturers in India.

SOLAR CELLS MANUFACTURERS IN INDIA AND THE NSM

For one, the National Solar Mission (NSM), launched in January, presents the perfect opportunity for manufacturers of solar cells in India to expand and for further indigenous solar cell production to occur. Indeed, one of the NSM’s agendas is to promote solar cells manufacturers in India. Over Rs.10 billion is to be spent, part of which will be going to support manufacturers of solar cells in India, through schemes such as reducing solar panels’ customs duty by 5% and exempting excise duty on the same.

So far, there hasn’t been a very large local market for solar cells, with existing solar cells manufacturers in India usually choosing to export the bulk of their output (for example, Tata BP Solar Limited exports more than 70%of its products to Germany, Spain, USA). The limited number of solar cells manufacturers in India provides various kinds of solar modules and systems for rural, remote area and industrial applications. But the NSM has created demand. Another scheme acting as an incentive is the feed-in tariff, going at Rs.18.44/kWh. Feed-in tariffs are picking up momentum in developing nations, creating potential benefit for manufacturers of solar cells in India.

MANUFACTURERS OF SOLAR CELLS IN INDIA AND THIN FILM TECHNOLOGY

Secondly, earlier this year, HHV Solar became the first company out of all the manufacturers of solar cells in India to enter the international stage with first time production of PV cells using thin film technology. This has opened the floodgate for several other solar cell manufacturers in India to duplicate the cheaper technology. Cases in point: KSK Surya Photovoltaic Venture Private Limited and Moser Baer Photovoltaic, both setting up solar cell plants in Hyderabad and Noida, respectively, to produce thin film solar cells and to create and package semiconductor units, respectively.

A point to notice is that manufacturers of solar cells in India have primarily focused on crystalline silicon technology, i.e. first generation solar cells. But now, because of greater technology transfer and growing technical expertise in the field, solar cells manufacturers in India are reaching out towards thin film technology as well.

At this time, second generation solar cells would be a niche market and the major focus of manufacturers of solar cells in India would be the growth of thin film solar cells.

MANUFACTURERS OF SOLAR CELLS IN INDIA AND FUTURE COSTS

Thirdly, existing and potential solar cells manufacturers in India should be attracted by the fact that coal-based electricity generation costs are to rise in the coming years but capital costs of solar PV are to fall.

Not to mention, of course, that solar cells – whether of crystalline silicon or of thin film nature – are a proven technology, and economically viable in all markets across the globe. Manufacturers of solar cells in India should be welcome, now more than ever, when there is growing impetus to join the solar cell industry.

SOLAR CELL MANUFACTURE SCENE IN INDIA

Solar cells manufacturers in India right now include the likes of Tata BP Solar Limited – which has recently added a new production line of 32MW of solar PV cells to its existing 52MW capacity; Moser Baer Solar Limited – which is involved in multicrystalline cells and modules and thin film (amorphous silicon) solar cells; Neotech Solutions; Headway Solar and so on. A number of companies, like Bajaj Electricals in Mumbai are waiting to join the ranks of existing manufacturers of solar cells in India.

Looking at solar products manufacturers in India state-wise, there are a number of solar power consultants and solar applications installers running shop, but only a few of them form part of the pie reserved solely for solar cells manufacturers in India. West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, New Delhi, Haryana, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh are the states where solar cell manufacturers in India feature most prominently. Of the lists of global solar cell manufacturers complied by Solarbuzz, less than 0.01% are manufacturers of solar cells in India – though all of them are as of now involved in the production and export of first generation PV cells; a greater percentage represents companies in China and USA.

Which leads to the fact that apart from low investment and interest till recently, other obstacles are also being faced by solar cells manufacturers in India. Custom duties on essential raw materials, for one, which add to solar cells costs. Financial viability is another problem – while over 25 project proposals have been received under the Special Incentive Package Scheme, only six have shown capital closure. The credit crunch has hurt potential manufacturers of solar cells in India.

Technology transfer to various local solar cells manufacturers in India is also still a hurdle. The government in Tamil Nadu has been wanting to put up solar power plants since 2008; the main hindrance was the lack of a cost-effective solar cell technology, which in turn dampened the list of adequate manufacturers of solar cells in India. From less than 0.01%, solar cells manufacturers in India need to capture a greater share of the global solar industry as well as to expand India’s own solar market. Solar cells manufacturers in India need to play a decisive role, act as a leader to produce low on cost but high in efficiency solar cells and products for India to become a key global player.

As solar energy becomes increasingly popular in all parts of the world, all kinds of solar powered products are flooding the renewable energy market. One of them is the solar panel battery charger, the environment-friendly equivalent to a conventional battery charger. It converts light into a direct current, using solar cell modules – i.e. a solar panel – of varying volts for different uses.

USE OF SOLAR PANEL BATTERY CHARGERS

Rechargeable batteries are one step ahead of disposable ones; a solar panel battery charger another rung up. Solar panel battery charger manufacturers provide both one-sized and multi-sized solar panel battery chargers, depending on size of batteries to be recharged. Anything from AA to 9V batteries can be recharged.

Solar panel battery chargers can also be used to directly charge small electric applications like mobiles, ipods and laptops through adaptors. Usually, solar panel battery chargers are portable, though they can also be mounted and fixed. The fixed mount ones are often connected to the electric grid, whereas the portable solar panel battery chargers are off-grid.

Given their mobile nature, the greatest use of a solar panel battery charger is in the outside world – anything ranging from fold-out models used to keep the car battery full to marine use; from camping to RV solar panels: out in the environment where electricity is not assured but the presence of sun is. Using a GPS device, operating flashlights and torches, keeping cell-phones charged and cameras powered up – all such actions are easily enabled through use of a solar panel battery charger. The production of cheaper and lightweight models today by solar panel battery charger manufacturers makes these chargers accessible, financially and otherwise.

COST OF SOLAR PANEL BATTERY CHARGERS

Depending on type, make and size of solar panel used in the solar battery charger, prices can range anywhere from $20 to over $500. DIY solar panel battery charger kits are also readily available as are online instructions on how to make one, which like other DIY solar system, help lower consumer costs.

SOLAR PANEL BATTERY CHARGER DESIGN

Talking of the design of solar panel battery chargers, solar panel battery charger manufacturers use thin film second generation technology to create these devices. This is to take advantage of the flexible nature of this kind of solar cell technology. Solar battery chargers used on boats and on water can be found in waterproof prototypes. Solar panels used to capture and convert energy from the sun into electrons are offered in various volts gradations; a solar panel battery charger is available from 2 watt to 30 watt range.

Talking more technically, solar panel battery charger manufacturers can either construct the charger with internal rechargeable batteries or make them into small, portable, ‘rollable’ models.

Solar panel battery chargers in the first category soak up energy from the sun when not connected, and when replete, are connected to the device. These kinds can be used anywhere, anytime, since the internal solar batteries have stored up power.

Those in the second category can be used to power up larger electronics, such as coolers, radios, laptops and small TVs. This is because this kind of solar panel battery charger, apart from being lighter, is also more efficient in its working, thus the greater power potential allows recharging of bigger appliances.

While the presence of the sun is necessary for the functioning of a solar charger, some solar panel battery charger manufacturers have come up with versions that can work in less efficient conditions as well.

Size, cost, practicality and type of usage are a few key factor solar panel battery charger manufacturers keep in mind, so as to be able to provide a range of items that can be chosen according to individual specifications.

It is unfortunate that solar panel battery charger manufacturers in India do not at the moment have the luxury of exploring the market as do those in China, Germany and Japan for example.

SOLAR BATTERY CHARGERS IN INDIA

First and foremost, it must be acknowledged that solar panel battery charger manufacturers in India do not have the same grasp of the solar battery charger market as solar panel battery charger manufacturers do in other countries.

There do exist a few solar panel battery charger manufacturers in India. The solar panel battery charger manufacturers are scattered all over the country, from Karnataka to Delhi, Uttar Pradesh to Maharashtra.

Solar panel battery charger manufacturers in India offer models at varying prices (depending on the use of the solar charger and the make). A simple solar panel battery charger can cost just over Rs. 1000; a solar laptop charger (14.8V) costs over Rs. 12,000.

A number of factors are hindering current and potential solar panel battery charger manufacturers in India from expanding this particular segment of the solar photovoltaic market, not the least of which is a much needed financial blueprint. Training, development of human resource, intra-industry cooperation, focused R&D, closer industry-government cooperation are other elements that need to be addressed for solar panel battery charger manufacturers in India to maintain a market. All this will stimulate enough demand to encourage further supply.

Thus there remains a domestic supply-demand gap that needs to be corrected for solar panel battery charger manufacturers to be able to thrive and grow in a prospective market and for consumers (households and industries) to be able to reap the benefits of solar panel battery chargers. At present, solar panel battery charger manufacturers in India do not provide the range of products available abroad; indeed, much of what is manufactured in India is exported.

The solar PV market is expected to outgrow any other renewable energy sector. These expectations need to be realized through a focused agenda for solar products like solar battery chargers to make any significant impact.