The Hindu Business Line : Solar Semiconductors upbeat on market for photovoltaic modules

Plans ahead
Solar Semiconductors has been allotted 100 acres in the proposed Fab City by the Andhra Pradesh Government.
First phase of the manufacturing unit likely to be functional by March 2008.

M. Somasekhar

Hyderabad, Sep. 14 With orders worth nearly Rs 700 crore under its belt, Solar Semiconductors, the manufacturer of photovoltaic (PV) modules, is upbeat on the renewable energy market.

The company is in the process of establishing a large, independent, solar PV module manufacturing unit (both crystalline and thin film PV) in the upcoming Fab City on the outskirts of Hyderabad with initial investments of up to $40 million.

The company signed a contract with Italy-based P-Energy for the purchase of a module manufacturing line. Initially, it will have a new module assembly line with an annual capacity of approximately 50 MW. Solar Semiconductors also has an option to double the capacity with an additional line within a year of the installation of the first line.

Promoted by a group of alumni of the Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) and the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Warangal, Solar Semiconductors has been allotted 100 acres in the proposed Fab City, close to the international airport, by the Andhra Pradesh Government.

The idea is to get the first phase of the manufacturing unit functional by March 2008. “We will have a large solar PV module unit to cater to domestic and export demands in the coming years. Renewable energy, especially solar is on the rise globally,” explained Mr Hari Surapaneni, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and lead promoter.

At present, it is importing the solar cells, making the modules and supplying small numbers from temporary, leased facilities in Gundla Pochampally, on the outskirts, he added.

Growing demand

While the installed capacity of solar PV in 2006 globally was 1.7 giga watt (GW), industry estimates (Photon Consulting) project the demand to grow to 14 GW by 2010. On the conservative side, the European Photovoltaic Industry Association puts the demand at 5.9 GW.

The global demand for solar PV products and services is expected to grow from the present $14 b to over $100 b by 2015. The average CAGR is also about 35 per cent and the growth hotspots are expected to be India, China, Australia and Africa, with Germany, Japan and the US already on fast track, Mr Hari, told Business Line.

Explaining the technologies, Mr Hari said, in crystalline PV, the most popular at present, the conversion (Sun energy into electricity) efficiency levels are between 15-17 per cent with a price of approximately $4 per watt. On the other hand, in thin film PV, the efficiency is just around 8-10 per cent, but per watt price is $3.