Global Technology Trends in

Solar PV Power : R&D and

Dr. B. Bhargava
Commercial

5th November, 2012

Solar Photovoltaic Energy

Solar Cells : Technology

Options
Crystalline Silicon solar cells

Single, Multi, Ribbon

Thin Film solar cells

Silicon, a-Si, m-Si, CdTe, CIGS

Concentrating solar cells

Si, GaAs

Dye, Organic, nano materials & other emerging

solar cells

Solar Cell Best Efficiencies: World

HIGHEST SOLAR CELL

EFFICIENCIES (WORLD)
TECHNOLOGY

Si SINGLE CRYSTAL
Si MULTI CRYSTAL
a-Si SINGLE JUNCTION
a-Si TRIPLE JUNCTION
a-Si/c-Si(nc-Si)
CdTe
CIGS
Si FILMS
University

AREA

EFF.
SQ. CM.

GROUP
%

4.00
24.7
1.00
20.3
1.00
12.7
0.27
13.5
1.20
10.1
1.00 17.3
1.00 19.6
4.01 16.6

UNSW
FhG-ISE
SANYO
USSC
Kaneka
First Solar
NREL
Stuttgart

DYE
1.00 11.0
Sharp
Organic
1.0
10.0
Mitsubishi
GaAs (500 x)
0.4
40.7
SPECTROLAB
Si/GaAs (20 x)
0.4
42.8
Delaware
Univ,

Solar Cell Best Efficiencies: India

TECHNOLOGY

AREA
EFF.
Group
SQ. CM.
%
SINGLE CRYSTAL
64.00
19.7
CEL
MULTI CRYSTAL
100.00
16.8 Tata BP
a-Si SINGLE JUNCTION
1.00
12.0 IACS
a-Si MULTI JUNCTION
1.00
11.5 IACS
a-Si/c-Si(nc-Si)
1.00
9.0 IACS
CdTe
1.00
12.0
NPL
CIGS
0.41
13.0
IISC
Si FILMS
0.98
8.7
Jadavpur
Dye Sensitized
1.00
9.5
Amrita
Organic cells
1.00
6.2
NPL

Crystalline Silicon Solar Module

Efficiency
TYPICAL IN PRODUCTION
INDIAN
SINGLE CRYSTAL

14 17 %

MULTI CRYSTAL

13 16%

INTERNATIONAL
15 20.4 %

13 16%

World PV Production
Growth

GW

World PV Market and

Production: 2011

World Top 10 PV
Manufacturers: 2011
LDK

Sharp

2.8

Suntech

2.4

First Solar

2.3

JA Solar

2.2

Canadian

Trina

1.9

Yangli

GW

1.7

Hanwah

1.5

Jinko

1.5

0.5

1.5

2.5

3.5

World: 2011 PV Equipment

Suppliers

World Top 10 PV Plants: 2011

Location
Perovo. Ukraine
Sarnia, Canada
Montalto di Castro,
Italy
Finsterwalde,
Germany
Ohotnikovo, Ukraine
Senftenberg, Germany
Lieberose, Germany
Rovigo, Italy
Olmedilla de Alarcn,
Spain
Boulder City, USA

Capacity
MWp
100
92

Technolog
y
c-si
CdTe

84

c-Si

83
80
78
71
70

c-Si
c-Si
c-Si
CdTe
c-Si

60
55

c-Si
CdTe

Major PV Markets : 2010 &

2011

Solar for India

Most parts of India receive

good solar radiation 4- 7

kWh/sq. m/day

Possible to meet growing

energy demands and

cover deficit areas

Can substantially reduce

consumption of kerosene
and diesel for lighting and
power generation

Provide access and

empowerment at grass
root level

Jawaharlal Nehru National

Solar Mission
Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission is one of the

major global initiatives in promotion of solar energy

technologies, announced by the Government of India
under National Action Plan on Climate Change.
Mission aims to achieve grid tariff parity by
2022 through
- Large scale utilization and rapid diffusion and
deployment of solar technologies across the
country at a scale which leads to cost reduction
- R&D
- Local manufacturing and support infrastructure

15

JNNSM Road Map

Application segment

Target for Cumulative

Phase I Target for
(2010-13)
Phase 2
(2013-17)

Cumulative
Target for
Phase 3
(2017-22)

Grid solar power

incl. roof top &
distribution grid
connected plants
Off-grid solar
applications

1,000 MW

4,000 MW
10,000 MW

20,000 MW

1,000 MW

2,000 MW

Solar collectors

100 MW
200 MW

7 million

15 million
20 million sq
sq
sq
meters
meters
meters
16

JNNSM Strategy
Graduated deployment to nucleate critical mass till costs
come down and thereafter rapid scale up
Consultative process to finalize the guidelines
Enabling policy and regulatory frame work
Supporting Utility scale power generation
Expanding off-grid applications
Accelerating Research and Development
Enhancing Domestic manufacturing base

17

Fiscal Incentives
100% Foreign Direct Investment
Zero Customs & Excise Duties on solar cells, modules

and many raw materials and grid power projects

5% Customs and Excise duty on many other raw
materials, components
Tax - holiday for (i) setting up units in backward and
specified areas; and (ii) grid power projects
80% accelerated depreciation in the first year for
certain capital investments
Grant for carrying out research and development and
technology validation projects

Growth in Indian PV Production

Production in MW

700
Solar
Cell

600

600

PV
Module

500
400
300

300

240 240

200
100
0

320

20 20

22 23

25 36

32 45

37

65

45

80

110

135

175

2001-02
2003-04
2005-06
2007-08
2009-10
2002-03
2004-05
2006-07
2008-09
2010-11

Year

Indian PV Industry
More than 80 companies, with installed capacity of over 1.8

GW make PV modules (As of March, 2012)

- 15 companies manufacture solar cells (> 700 MW installed

capacity)
Manufacturing of various raw materials, components,

devices and systems is coming up/expanding (Poly silicon,

wafers, glass, EVA, back sheet, grid inverters, off-grid
BoS, structures etc.)

Production capacity of 3-5 GWp likely by 2020

20

Pumps
14
Off grid Plants
62

Lights in India
Status of PV
90
Int Projects
1000
Grid Plants
1044
Others
270
Telecom
65

Railways
55

2600 MW : 53,00,000 SYSTEMS

30/09/2012

Grid Solar PV Power Plants in

India

1044 MW capacity new Grid Solar Power projects

commissioned by September,
2012 in 16 States
Karnataka
14

T. N.
15

Jharkhand
16

Maharashtra
20

Others
80

A. P.
22

Rajasthan
199

Gujarat
680

22

PV Capital Cost & CERC Tariff

Trends

Proposed Cost Goal for PV : 2017

PV Module

: < Rs. 30 per Wp

BoS

: < Rs. 25 per Wp

Cost of Electricity

: ~ Rs. 4 - 6 per kWh

24

Projection for Grid Parity in

India

R&D Strategy

Research at Academic/ Research Institutions on

materials and devices with long-term perspective

Applied Research on existing processes and developing

new technologies

Technology Validation aimed at field evaluation of

materials, components and systems

Development of Centers of Excellence on different

aspects of Solar Energy in research and education &

Testing and Characterization

Support for Incubation and Innovation

International collaborations institutional/industrial
26

R&D in PV
Focus on development of materials, devices and BOS including
storage materials and methods
- Identify research goals and thrust areas of research
- Support research across the entire value chain
- Involve industry in research and technology validation projects
- The outcome of the research should lead to (i) improvements
in the efficiencies, (ii) reduction in the material and energy
consumption in manufacturing, (iii) improving the reliability,
quality and life expectancy of the balance of system
components.
This will lead to achieving grid tariff parity during 2015 - 2017
-

Recent Initiatives in PV R&D

Development of poly silicon material (Maharishi Solar)
20 -22% efficiency single crystal silicon cells (IIT-

Mumbai)
10 12% efficiency nano crystalline thin film modules
(IACS-Kolkata, HHV-Bangalore, NPL-New Delhi, BES
University,-Howrah)
12- 15% efficiency CIGS cells (Moser Baer. NPL, KIIT
University)
10- 12 % efficiency Dye sensitized cells (Amrita Nano
Centre, IIT-Kanpur)
6% efficiency organic-inorganic hetero junction cells
(IIT-Delhi, Delhi University)

Recent Initiatives in PV R&D

Long term performance evaluation and training facility for

Grid Solar PV Power at KPCL, Bangalore

Long term performance evaluation and testing of solar

lights at TERI University, New Delhi

Long term performance evaluation of PV modules at SEC

Development of batteries (CECRI-SEC)
Development of inverters (IIT-B, BES University)

Solar Energy Centre

Solar Energy Centre (SEC) near New Delhi under the Ministry is

the lead Centre for testing and training in solar energy in the
country

SEC has NABL accredited testing facilities for PV module

qualification as per Indian and International standards

SEC is imparting training in solar energy at various levels

SEC is regularly conducting international training programmes

in solar energy

Demonstration of several solar PV and thermal applications

including setting up of 1 MW capacity solar thermal simulation

and validation facility at SEC is under progress
30

Solar PV outdoor test bed at SEC

Type of Solar cell Present Status

Production
(R&D)

Conversion efficiency target(%)

2012

2017

2022

18 (20)

22(24)

24 (26)

17

20(22)

22 (24)

Single Crystal
silicon solar cell

15 17%
(19.7%)

Multi Crystal
silicon solar cell

14.5 16.5%
(16.8%)

Thin-film a-Si
solar cell
(Single/multi jn)

5 7%
(9 12%)

8 (13)

10 (14)

12 (15)

Thin-film aSi/mc Si or nc
tandem solar cell

(11%)

9(12)

13 (16)

16 (20)

Polycrystalline
solar cell

Cd Te (12%)
CIGS (13%)

(15)

13 (16)
15(20)

18 (22)
20(25)

Type of Solar cell Present Status

Production
(R&D)
Dye/ organic
nano based solar
cell
Multi junction
Conc solar cell
GaAS group

(3-9.5%)

Conversion efficiency target(%)

2012

(5 -12)

--

Conc Cells Si

Module Life
in years

25

25

2017

2022

7-9 (15)

12-15 (20)

35(40)

40 (43)

25 (28)

27 (30)

> 30

> 35

Conclusions
Indian policies have created investment

friendly environment in the country for

entire range of activities announced under
the Mission
India centric R&D and local manufacturing
necessary to reduce the cost to achieve
grid parity preferably by 2015-17
Partnerships necessary with global
stakeholders
India to be a major global player in PV
technology

Thank You
bhargavabh@gmail.com