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Cut to the Chase – Solar energy viable

The recently-concluded bidding process for supplying solar power under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (Phase 1, Batch 2) has seen aggressive bids as low as Rs 7.5 per unit, bringing the long-anticipated ‘grid parity' — matching the cost of solar power to conventional power costs — much closer than even the most optimistic projections two years ago. The sharp drop in prices of photo-voltaic (PV) modules, by as much as 50 per cent in the last one year, and anticipation of a further drop in PV prices, has been the key driver for this unprecedented development.

PV MODULES

The drop in price of PV modules is triggered by the European financial mess, forcing Germany, Spain and some other European countries to withdraw fiscal concessions for the solar industry. Germany accounted for more than 50 per cent of new capacity addition in 2010, and the rest of Europe a further 30 per cent; the anticipated slowdown in this key market was the immediate reason for the drop in price.

Huge capacity additions in China and some other Asian countries for solar-grade poly-silicon refining, coupled with European slowdown, has led to sharp drop in prices — from USD 450 per kg in 2008, to as low as USD 40 per kg now — with a target of reaching USD 20 per kg in 2012 by major Chinese manufacturers. A similar capacity addition in the solar cell manufacturing, again led by China, has resulted in the crash of PV module wholesale prices from more than USD 3.5 / Watt in 2008 to USD 1.2 / Watt currently, with a further
Source - http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/features/mentor/article2687033.ece?homepage=true&ref=wl_home

Floating solar plants to bridge energy deficit?

India is estimated to have over 2,000 natural lakes and more than 65,000 manmade lakes that hold the potential to be platforms to set up floating solar power producing plants.

Indian entrepreneurs are slowly moving into this sphere, using expertise from abroad, with central and several state governments giving subsidies to set up plants to tap the abundant renewable power source.

“There is tremendous potential for floating solar PV (photovoltaic) projects in India. Certain estimates of water bodies in India indicate there are 2,167 natural lakes (wetlands) and 65,253 man-made lakes in India,” Uma Rajarathnam, associate vice president (Clean Energy and Environment Projects) of Bangalore-based Enzen Global Solutions, told IANS in an interview.

Enzen signed a memorandum of understanding with French company Ciel-et-Terre in Bangalore Nov 15 to set up floating solar power plants in various states generating power up to 50 MW.

The French firm’s team was part of the 19 delegates from various European firms who visited Bangalore Nov 14-18 to sell their knowhow in water and waste water treatment, biomass refining, setting up floating photovoltaic systems on water bodies, automated waste collection and restoring lakes and rivers.

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