Manufacturing

US company has entered India’s solar market with creation of R&D center and microinverter supply deal for 1 MW solar installation in Bengaluru in partnership with RenXSOl Ecotech.

Trina Solar may scrap planned Indian PV fab amid tumbling prices driven by solar auctions, reports Bloomberg New Energy Finance during its Shanghai summit. Demand for lithium, meanwhile, poised to reach record high on back of expected EV growth.

“Huge demand” will be created in the Indian solar market in 2018 on the back of the government’s plans to auction off 20 GW worth of projects, says IHS Markit. Companies will only be permitted to take part in the auctions, it says, if they set up manufacturing facilites in the country. Jobs will also be created.

MNRE minister Raj Kumar Singh has announced plans to ramp up India’s domestic renewable energy manufacturing industry via an auction for facilities totaling 20 GW. Bridge to India and IHS Markit have shared their insights on the auctions, which are expected to solely comprise solar. They envisage capital subsidies, and increased interest by foreign manufacturers in setting up solar facilities.

India plans to take action against solar power companies using imported equipment for projects, which were awarded under the country’s domestic content requirement scheme, according to local media.

IESA and IEEMA have together organized a masterclass to develop advanced energy storage manufacturing in India. The event has also witnessed increased government support for the sector as energy storage opportunities in India are expected to attract investment of more than $3 billion in the next three years.

Vikalp Mundra, Joint MD and promoter of Ujaas Energy Ltd, speaks to pv magazine about the solar manufacturing and quality importance for India. The company has installed more than 200 MW of solar at utility-scale, rooftop, and residential. He also defended the Renewable Energy Certificate, but explained its drawbacks.

Indian renewable analyst firm notes that anti-dumping comes at inopportune time with the industry already reeling from a slowdown in new project procurement, extra costs due to GST, import duties and increased module prices. It is expected to come by October 2018 and may affect all stakeholders and projects in the pipeline as well as those awaiting auction.

Gyanesh Chaudhary, the MD, and CEO of Vikram Solar, speaks to pv magazine about the international solar alliance event held in collaboration with MNRE and CII at COP23 in Bonn, Germany and more on the Indian solar manufacturing sector. He is a part of the Indian (CII) delegation to COP23, Bonn Germany.

Maximilian Germann, head of sales at German stringer experts M10 Industries, explains to pv magazine about the benefits of uninterrupted cell production from a cost and quality perspective, and how Indian solar companies are beginning to put long-term opex ahead of short-term capex concerns.