Solar Markets : An Indian Perspective

I agree with Mr. Ramanathan Menon. There is a play among the Installers, Banks, EDA(Energy Development Agency of state). If you invest money without subsidy, the installer will quote less but, on completion, he will get the subsidy share from the EDA. If you install on subsidy, then the quote will be high & the vendor list is also supplied to you for procurement. He will, obviously, sell at higher rate.

Lack of interconnectivity between govt depts, clear understanding, clarity in thought, laziness and corruption are the main reasons that are not just affecting renewable energy industry, but also affecting the future growth of the country. Having technologically integrated policy infrastructure, and UID with sincere beaurocratic efforts would to some extent give a permanent solution to the root causes of the problems that we are facing.

I feel that independent markets are good rather than subsidy grown markets, as the markets are very much imperfect especially in countries like India where policy level scams are coming out, such incentives to large projects could mean inapproporiate misutilization of funds.

The brighter side of the coin is that with out subsidies or encouragement the markets cannot be grown. especially in these times where awareness and information matters a lot in determining the weight on demand side.

In solar Industry in India there are both the situations prevailing, there are places where subsidy is being claimed to have a solar system and the electricity is generated through generators or bypassed from grid(A case I over heard in the industry) and sold to Govt at incentivised price, that means the beneficiary of solar power plant is buying grid power for Rs 5 or 6 and selling the same to government as renewable energy for Rs15 or 18 what ever may be the incentive.There are some other cases where there are systems installed in the name of places that do not exist at all and the subsidy is claimed, which is shared both by the concerned parties involved, thus making dark spots in the green and clean industry. 

The practicality on brighter side could be a night mare to the market players but a thing to note as the bueraucrats contribution to those who dwell in darkness after the sunset. There are places in Chhattisgarh where no grid power is available, solar power plants have become the means of lighting homes almost four hours in the evening and four hours in morning, that means a ray of hope to rural India which have no idea what it is like having electricity or a light at the night time.

Though the times are for the fittest to survive, govt. efforts to increase awareness in the markets regarding renewable and most sustainable future energy sources(Especially Solar) are highly laudable.