Guest Blog Fab & Facilities

PV is increasingly becoming the cheapest energy source and therefore has become the energy source with the highest yearly capacity additions! Even in 2018, after some scepticism right after SNEC 2018, due to the announcement of the Chinese Government to stop supporting PV as intensively as in 2017, more than 100GW (109GW) have been installed worldwide (we actually bet a crate of beer on that!) and 125GW has been forecasted to be installed in 2019.

When we visit conferences and industrial players, we are very often surprised at how many responsible scientists for PERC production have never heard about the severe degradation effects that PERC devices can show – in particular when talking about LeTID (Light and elevated Temperature Induced Degradation) alias Carrier Induced Degradation (CID).

The case for growing a domestic solar manufacturing base to prevent centralising the PV industry to a handful of countries.

Ali Imran Naqvi, Vice President of India-based advisory and engineering firm, Gensol Group, explains why harm stemming from the Indian government's safeguard duty on solar cell and module imports might not be too pronounced nor too long-lived.

Gyanesh Chaudhary, MD and CEO of Indian module manufacturer Vikram Solar, discusses how China's solar policy overhaul impacts India's PV market, how India's domestic manufacturing industry should be supported, and what needs to change in the recent Safeguard Duty announcement.

Jasmeet Khurana analyses MNRE's latest concept notes on domestic PV manufacturing and rooftop solar.

The case put forward for why local manufacturers need to become a critical part of India's 100GW by 2022 solar target.

With India’s solar cell and module manufacturing capacity at about 1,200MW and 5,600MW respectively in April this year, Bridge to India's Jyoti Gulia looks at the plight of domestic manufacturers in the face of China's traditional dominance of the sector.

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has ruled against India's local content rules for solar equipment in its dispute with the US. Jasmeet Khurana, associate director, consulting, Bridge to India explains why the Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) has always been unsustainable and what other policies should be considered to keep Indian solar manufacturers afloat.

The Indian government has sought industry feedback on the concept of establishing a polysilicon manufacturing hub in the country. Matthias Grossman looks at how such a proposal would fare in the currently unsettled global poly market.