Solar and India.

Solar and India

India's National Solar Mission or the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, a key National Mission falling under India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).

NAPCC was launched on 30th June 2008 which identified development of solar energy technologies in the country as a National Mission. On January 11, 2010 Government of India approved National Solar Mission.

The objective is to establish India as a global leader in solar energy, by creating the policy conditions for its diffusion across the country as quickly as possible.

The Mission adopts a 3-phase approach as below:

1. spanning first year of the 12th Plan (up to 2012-13) – Phase 1,

2. the remaining 4 years of the 12th Plan (2013-17) – Phase 2 &

3. the 13th Plan (2017-22) – Phase 3

The immediate aim of the Mission is to focus on setting up an enabling environment for solar technology penetration in the country both at a centralized and decentralized level.

Also, the Mission anticipates achieving grid parity by 2022 and parity with coal-based thermal power by 2030.

The Next Target:

To create an enabling policy framework for the deployment of 20,000 MW of solar power by 2022.

To promote programs

for off grid applications, reaching 2000 MW by 2022.

To achieve 20 million sq. meters solar thermal collector area by 2022.

To deploy 20 million solar lighting systems for rural areas by 2022.

Manufacturing Solar in India:

One of the Mission objectives is to take a global leadership role in solar manufacturing (across the value chain) of leading-edge solar technologies

and target a 4-5 GW equivalent of installed capacity by end of year 2020, including setting up of dedicated manufacturing capacities for poly silicon material to annually make about 2 GW capacity of solar cells.

All firms interested will be paying Zero import duty on capital equipment, raw materials and excise duty i.e. they are exempted as well as Low interest rate loans, priority sector lending will be provided.

This rapid and large-scale diffusion of Solar Energy seeing the huge energy demand and shortage of conventional sources, will require an increase in technically qualified manpower.

Though some capacity already exists in India, but precise number need to be established.

An estimation says that Solar industry will employ at least 100,000 trained and specialized personnel across the Industry.