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ecure, timely and cost effective The key elements in the solar energy user/developer does not land up with non-
supply of raw materials is the back- supply chain framework consists of raw performing or low-performing assets, it is
bone of any industry, it not only material/component suppliers to solar crucial that plan for standards to enable
increases the efficiency of the production photovoltaic module and solar thermal control on quality is established.
process but rationalizes raw material in- system manufacturing, balance of system
ventory and finally overall product cost. which includes inverters, connecting wires, Cell Manufacturing
The current solar energy manufac- trackers etc. and the integration of the dif- Similar to module manufacturing, PV cell
turing base in India comprises primarily ferent components. manufacturing is also dependent on nearly
PV cell and module manufacturing with 100% imports of all the raw materials and
1100 MW of cells and 1800 MW of solar Supply of Raw Material / gases. There is also the need to substitute
modules with very limited and disparate ComponentsSolar PV costly raw materials with alternate raw
fabrication and assembly capacities for Module BOM materials.
solar thermal products and accessories. By Presently, in module manufacturing, 90% Dependence on imports has resulted
and large, Indian solar industry has been value of materials is imported. in a significantly high cost at cell level for
dependent on imports of critical raw ma- The goal of the National Solar Mission Indian manufacturers as compared to the
terials such as EVA, back-sheet, reflective for local component will be truly achieved competition from Chinese and other Asian
glass, balance of system (BOS) for Solar only when the materials like EVA, Back- countries.
Thermal and PV as also core machinery. sheet, Junction Box, Low Iron tempered As is evident from the above men-
With regard to PV industry, till recently, by Glass, Aluminum Frame are available in- tioned statistics, capacity addition in India
and large it has exported major part of its digenously with competitive quality and has been stagnant over past few years,
finished products to developed western cost advantage. Import of these materials with China and Taiwan accounting for
markets. is an impediment for the growth of the 59% of the cell manufacturing capacity in
There is clearly tremendous scope for module manufacturing industry in India 2010.
development of domestic production base as this makes local module costing highly
for some of the key inputs to secure and unattractive compared to that from other Wafer Manufacturing
strengthen the supply chain to reduce the Chinese and other Asian countries. The challenge here is the processing of
foreign exchange outflow and create di- To ensure material offered from Asian waste slurries. The government can look at
rect and indirect long term employment in countries meets pre-defined standards encouraging technology transfer to install
the solar industry. and specifications which will ensure that common facilities.