Solar Panels India

Solar water heating is one of the most widely used solar technologies in the world today. The number of solar water heater installations is going up, impacting solar water heater price.

Solar water heater price varies in different parts of the world. Warmer climates, like in India, do not need to depend on added anti-freeze technology; thus the basic passive type of model is the most cost-effective. Using larger solar water heating systems is cheaper, and there are also DIY kits that lower the solar water heater price. Government subsidies can also lower the solar water heater price, like in Belgium, where there is a 50% discount, or in the UK, where there is a 10% subsidy.

Like all solar products, a solar water heater is also expensive, but the solar water heater price of annual operation is much less than for a standard heater and it also guarantees a return on investment which the conventional one does not.

There are two types of solar water heaters: active and passive. Essentially, active ones employ a pump to circulate the water, whereas passive ones rely on gravity for flow. A passive solar water heater price is lower than an active one.

SOLAR WATER HEATER PRICE IN INDIA

Coming specifically to the subcontinent, the solar water heater price in India varies according to type and model. Since solar water heating can also be used industrially, bulk orders can range anywhere from $100-$2000. A single unit can cost between Rs.13,000-25,000, depending on capacity.

To get a clearer idea, let’s compare solar water heater price in India to solar water heater price in other countries: in the US, with a subsidy of 35%, the effective cost is $3500; in Brazil, a solar water heater costs 2500 Reals; in China, a basic model starts at 1500 Yuan ($190). The solar water heater price in India is somewhere in the middle – not as expensive as in the western world, and not as cheap as in China. Considering out all of new installations in 2007, only 1.1% were in India (80% in China), there is a definite potential for India’s solar water heater market to go up and solar water heater price in India to come down.

With 1.1% of market in 2005 and 1.7% in 2010, consumers in India are growing surer of solar water heaters. Only some states offer rebates, bringing down the solar water heater price paid by the consumer. The government also offers 100% depreciation claim during the first year for commercial use, but the solar water heater price in India is yet not as competitive as traditional heaters.

Another key factor which determines solar water heater price in India is accessibility, which is currently low as compared to, say, China.

There is a potential for the solar water heater price in India to decrease in the coming years, but demand needs to pick up to give developers an incentive to place more units in the market and lower their price.

Solar cells are the way to the future, powering homes and industries through solar energy. But what is the technology used in solar cells.

Basically, a solar cell is a device that has a semiconductor which absorbs the photons present in sunlight, converts them into electrons and allows the generated electrons to flow in an external circuit to produce a direct current.

Over the years, the technology used in solar cells has changed vastly from the manufacturing process used to create the first solar cell in 1954 in Bell Laboratories. What is more, continuing solar cell research and development ensure that solar cell technology is never static but a dynamic process continually ensuring greater efficiency and productivity.

Having said that, solar cells technology can be divided broadly into three categories which are first generation, second generation and third generation.

FIRST GENERATION SOLAR CELLS TECHNOLOGY

Developed in the 1970s, the first generation solar cell technology still retains the majority of the solar power market, with over 80 percent market share. It uses crystalline silicon (c-Si) as the semiconductor. While a poor absorber of light, crystalline silicon has nevertheless proved its worth due to its high efficiency turnover.

This particular type of technology used in solar cells either uses monocrystalline or polycrystalline silicon wafers (i.e. in bulk), though the latter is more favoured because of its lower cost of production, though the first is more efficient. This particular solar cell technology produces rigid, inflexible panels.

SECOND GENERATION SOLAR CELLS TECHNOLOGY

The solar cell technology used in second generation solar cells, developed in the 1980s, is called thin-film. They are significantly cheaper to manufacture, but conversely less efficient. Yet there is greater scope of technological advancement in field: expected to grow at over a rate well over 20% since last year, it is widely believed second generation technology used in solar cells will surpass the earlier generation in the near future.

Another advantage of the thin-film solar cells technology is the resulting flexibility since they limit the amount of material necessary to produce a solar cell (they use thin strips of a semiconductor instead of using bulk material). More aesthetically pleasing products such as solar shingles can grace residential areas, pending more proficient solar cell technology in thin-film solar cells.

Here, instead of silicon, single or multiple layers of other photovoltaic materials are deposited onto either glass or stainless steel. The three widely used materials are amorphous silicon (a-Si), cadmium telluride (CdTe) and copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS). While CIGS has very strong light absorption and thus the highest efficiency among thin film materials, it is a-Si that is the best developed out of the three. Used widely in solar calculators for quite a few years now, this technology used in solar cells only uses 1 percent of the silicon needed to make a typical c-Si cell.

Second generation solar cell technology is currently more catered towards low power (<50W) appliances and consumer electronics.

THIRD GENERATION SOLAR CELLS TECHNOLOGY

Third generation solar cell technology is the newest kind of technology used in solar cells, though still at research stage. The advantage of this kind of photovoltaic cell, also known as an organic cell in this specific case, lies not only in its lowered cost of production (lower temperatures, cheaper raw materials) but also with its expected faster return on investment.

Here, various chemicals and at times non-semiconductor materials are used to harness solar energy. Polymer cells, nanocrystalline cells, quantum dot, solar thermal technologies are a few of the technologies used. Dye-sensitized solar cell technology, another third generation method, uses liquid light absorbing components instead of a solid-state layer. The simplicity of the procedure (not to mention the low cost) could easily enable dye sensitization to become a technology used in solar cells in the future.

Again, there is an expected market shift in the future to third generation technology as well. Nanotechnology comes into play in a big way in third generation solar cells technology.

Production of third generation photovoltaic cells will change the way solar products are produced and sold. For example, nanosolar cells can be tucked away in paint or window.

OTHER SOLAR CELLS TECHNOLOGY IN DEVELOPMENT

To optimize solar cell functioning, various other techniques and approaches are making appearances in solar cells. Concentrated photovoltaics is a technology used in solar cells to concentrate sunlight on specific solar cells. Axis tracking, another method, allows concentrator systems to follow the sun’s path during the day. Though not currently in use in typical solar cell technology, they have potential to be so.

SOLAR CELLS TECHNOLOGY EFFICIENCY

The need of the hour, apart from technical development, is to balance solar cell cost with solar cell effectiveness ie its conversion rate.

First generation solar cell technology easily boasts of the highest efficiency rates, in the tune of 15-20% on average. While manufacturers are trying to chalk up efficiency percentages, production costs remain high, due to use of pure silicon.

Second generation solar cell technology is much cheaper, as mentioned above. It is also quicker to produce. Yet efficiency rates are about 10%, with an occasional peak at 15.

Third generation cells are still to be commercially produced and conversion rates fall much below even 10%.

SOLAR CELLS TECHNOLOGY – THE FUTURE

Many companies have invested heavily in solar cells technology, because of its potential advantages over fossil fuels. Grid-based solar cell technology would be the ultimate answer, but that would only be possible if technology used in solar cells placed in a grid became efficient enough to produce energy equivalent to a fossil fuel setup.

In fact, solar cells technology using Concentrated Photovoltaics (CPV; sunlight convergence method) is expected to reach this grid parity in 2011, with record conversion rate of over 41% being achieved last year.

New solar cells are also beginning to have multiple layers, to better catch different light wavelengths. This kind of technology used in solar cells will greatly increase sunlight absorption quantity and thus electricity produced.

The technology used in solar cells will continue to evolve, so as to lower solar cell cost and increase efficiency of solar powered products.

Solar energy products are increasing by leaps and bounds in the global market for solar power. Nothing could be better news – the sun provides a renewable source of free energy, environmentally clean and economical in the long-run.

Solar energy production is increasing every year, with countries like Germany, Japan, Spain, China clambering to the top of the lists with increasing investment in solar power and solar energy products.

Ranging from active (thermal, photovoltaic market) to passive (architecture design), solar technologies keep advancing with each passing year to produce ameliorating solar energy products.

And India? Solar energy production in India is still wavering at minimal levels, given the huge potential for the solar power market. Solar energy products in India do exist, with solar water heaters and solar lights as majority, yet there is a telling gap.

But first, a broad outlook on solar energy production in the world.

THE GLABAL SOLAR ENERGY PRODUCT MARKET

Solar technologies commenced appearing during the latter half of the 19^th century, when fear of coal depletion prodded scientists and inventors to develop solar energy products. Due to easing of fossil fuel woes during early 20^th century, the solar energy product market sadly stagnated, and since then followed the ups and downs of the oil market.

Having said that, environmental concerns and future oil expectations have nevertheless made governments pay attention and take to renewable energy sources in the past years; indeed, there has been a solar energy product growth spurt since 1999. 2007 saw a 50% increase in solar cell production; at present, global solar energy production through installation of photovoltaics is increasing year by year (83% in 2009). Solar energy production is India is a dismal 0.4% as compared to other energy sources.

The various applications of solar power have led to an extensive assortment of solar energy products. Architecture and urban planning allows for passive solar energy production as well as active devices such as solar pumps and fans. The agriculture and horticulture segment can boast of greenhouses and solar irrigation pumps. Solar lights are a favorite solar energy product, one which has found much favor in India particularly.

The solar thermal and solar photovoltaic (PV) sector can boast of a relatively broad solar energy product range, from water heating solar units like the very popular solar water heater to water cooling ones; from ventilation items, for example the solar air conditioner, to common commodities such as calculators and torches. Large solar PV fields like the biggest one Sarnia Photovoltaic Plant in Canada are involved in direct electricity generation. (Solar PV industry is expected to take the place of fossil fuels and even nuclear energy.)

There has also been experimentation with solar energy products to power chemical processes such as electrolysis. There is even a Sandia’s Sunshine to Petrol methodology that uses sun to break down CO₂ into CO (and oxygen) which can be used for fossil fuel synthesis.

Yet another solar energy product is the solar car. Boats and hot-air balloons are already in the running as well to become solar-powered. Annual solar car races in various parts of the world (one in India occurred two years ago) attest to the fervor attached to at least construction of an environment-friendly car.

SOLAR ENERGY PRODUCTION IN INDIA

Coming specifically to the land of much sun, heat and humidity as well as persistent power shortages, overdependence on coal (52%) and huge oil and gas imports, solar energy production in India remains appallingly low.

This is made evident by the minimal range of solar energy products in India. Solar lighting (solar lamps, street lights),  rural electrification, solar water heaters, solar cookers and PV pumps sum up the measly range of solar energy products in India. Given the fact that there are only ten solar cell manufacturers in the country, it’s hardly surprising

Whether the fault is on the demand side or the suppliers’, it bears little consequence since they each feed the other. In the current situation, both need to come forward for solar energy products in India to reach anywhere near the variety abroad. For example, second generation solar cells have only now made an appearance in India, though still in labs at the moment; Reliance finally added solar ACs in its product brochure a mere two years ago.

It is hoped solar energy production will rise and solar energy products in the market will increase through government incentives (e.g. feed-in tariffs); bank loan schemes with interest-subsidies; training and development of solar energy product engineers; goal-driven R&D; and build-up of consumer awareness among other things.

Much has been said and conjectured about the availability and ideal nature of the Thar Desert to host its own photovoltaic plant. No concrete steps seem to have taken place yet. However, the biggest and boldest step so far to increase solar energy production in India has been taken through the launch of the National Solar Mission, which vows production of 20GW of solar power by 2020. This will invariably also increase the number of solar energy products in India and raise India as a world solar power producer.

Considering over 450 million people are still not connected to the electricity grid, solar energy production in India could – and should – be further exploited, given its independent nature. Given that 70% of India is still agriculturally inclined, solar energy products in India could easily be driven towards irrigation pumps and generators. India also has no substantive crude oil reserves; all existing ones are projected to be exhausted in the next coming decade. And irradiation figures clearly show that a meager 0.5% of India’s land under solar power could fully fulfill India’s energy demands in 2030.

These are only a few examples which demonstrate the perfect eligibility of solar energy production in India.

Already a leader in wind power generation, India would do well to step up its solar energy production, not only to feed its power hungry population but also to put into place a sustainable development infrastructure.