India can make solar the backbone of its economy:Elasser

“India Can Make Solar the Backbone of Its Economy by 2050” - Mr. Markus Elsasser, MD, Solar Promotion International GmbH

Delhi, September 2012: Intersolar India’s “Opportunities in the Indian Solar Market” media roundtable was recently held in Delhi by Messe Munich International India, Solar Promotion International GmbH & FMMI Freiburg Management and Marketing International GmbH, the promoters of Intersolar India 2012. The media roundtable was organized to facilitate an understanding of India’s position in the Solar Market and also engage the media in valuable information exchange & to position Intersolar India which is India’s largest Exhibition and Conference for the Solar Industry till now.

Prominent speakers were, Mr. Markus Elsasser, MD, Solar Promotion International, GmbH, Mr. Venkateshwara Rao, General Manager, Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited, Mr. Vivek Saxena, Group President - Marketing, PCI Group, Mr. Rohit Dhar, Vice President C&S Electric, Mr. Oliver Herzog, Director, Bridge to India Energy Pvt. Ltd., Mr. Darryl Dasilva– CEO, MMI India

Mr. Markus Elsasser, MD, Solar Promotion International GmbH said, “India has huge potential for solar power generation. As the nation is facing an increasing demand - supply gap in energy, it is important to tap the solar potential to meet the energy needs. The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (also known as the National Solar Mission) is a major initiative by the Government of India to promote ecologically sustainable growth while addressing India’s energy needs. With Intersolar India, we play a key role in contributing to the amount of knowledge in this field and also continue to recognize those projects through Intersolar award that helps move the industry forward in this direction.”

The Indian solar market is undergoing sweeping developments. While, according to figures published by the Ministry for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), India had merely 10 megawatts (MW) of installed photovoltaic capacity in 2009, this figure has risen to over 20000 MW by the end of 2011. India can make renewable resources such as solar the backbone of its economy by 2050, reining in its long-term carbon emissions without compromising its economic & ecological growth potential.”

Mr. Tarun Kapoor, Joint Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, shared his key insights and said, “India requires Euro 30 billion investment to develop 20000 MW of grid connected solar power by 2012. Indian policies in renewable energy are welcoming for investors, lenders and financial institutions in India and abroad. As a growing economy with a surging middle class energy resources are much essential. When a wide scope of such a renewable energy source exists, we should utilize it to the maximum.”

Industry Perspective:

“From 1994, the Indian Government is trying to push the development of solar and solar power but due to high investment cost as well as lack of expertise, the project couldn’t take off. But now, the scenario is different, overall cost to such project is reduced because of development of national and international players in the solar market and the various government subsidies towards this industry”, said Mr. Venkateshwara Rao, General Manager - Projects, Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited.

The spokespersons from PCI Group and L& T Construction gave an insight into to the various projects & breakthroughs made in the India Solar Projects division, elaborating on the various grid systems and techniques under experiment across India.

Mr. Shaji John, Chief Solar, Division, L& T Construction, highlighted some of L&T’s experiences in constructing and managing the Rooftop Solar PV system which they had successfully tested in their Chennai campus. He said our primary goals towards this project were “Taking positive steps create and alternative and a reliable source of back-up power for meeting emergency. Most commercial units depend on DG set and diesel oil. Our outlook was aimed at moving towards smart micro grids, energy savings and an initiative to make environment more clean and peaceful.

The speakers during the media roundtable, also stressed on the need of the hour contribution of not just the government but also the corporate companies in India, towards promotion of solar power as a whole, at a urban, state & national level as well as providing impetus & encouragement to the individual home to home basis.

Mr. Vikas Saxena, Group President, PCI Group said, India is facing a perfect storm of factors that will drive solar photovoltaic (PV) adoption at a "furious pace over the next five years and beyond". The falling prices of PV panels, mostly from China but also from the U.S., have coincided with the growing cost of grid power in India. Government support and ample solar resources have also helped to increase solar adoption across many business verticals.”

According to the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), the target is for 20 GW of capacity to be installed by 2022, making India one of the most promising and fastest growing solar markets in the world.

The State of Karnataka, for example, 60 MW were awarded recently as part of a tender and a further 25 MW in Orissa 200 MW in Madhya Pradesh 250 MW are up for tender in Rajasthan while the federal state of Tamil Nadu is planning to have 3 GW installed in the coming three years. With the launch of such ambitious projects, the states have also encouraged small villages to include the power needs based via solar roof top projects, which would be an answer to the overwhelming problem of power shortage across the country. The eventual aim of the government and the various players involved is to make India independent for its power needs in the years to come and shine forth as the beacon of successful Solar Project implementations.

Intersolar India 2012 takes place at the Bombay Exhibition Centre (BEC) in Mumbai from November 6–8.

Intersolar's storied history of international exhibitions and conferences spans more than 20 years. Taking place in addition to Intersolar India in Mumbai are Intersolar North America in San Francisco and Intersolar China in Beijing, which was launched in December 2011. The world’s largest exhibition for the solar industry is Intersolar Europe in Munich.

For further information, please visit www.intersolar.in

About Intersolar

With over 3,100 exhibitors and 100,000 visitors spanning three continents, Intersolar is the world’s leading exhibition series for the solar industry. Intersolar India is India’s largest exhibition and conference for the solar industry and, as a leading industry platform, focuses on photovoltaic plates and solar thermal technologies. In 2011, a total of 264 companies from 18 countries attended the exhibition. Intersolar India supports the development of the Indian solar market and promotes cooperation between key players from industry, commerce, service providers and politics.

For more information on Intersolar India please visit:  http://www.intersolar.in/