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Semiconductor India
players have a subsidiary operating out of
India such as SunTechnics Energy, a
subsidiary of Germany’s SunTechnics
Gmbh, which has a manufacturing plant in
Bangalore and is planning to expand it.
Meanwhile companies such as Signet Solar,
which operates a plant in Germany and in
the process of scaling up its production
conducts R&D in Germany and India to
drive down costs though product innovation.
It has produced the industry’s largest thin
film PV module Gen 8.5 (5.7 m2) at its
factory in Dresden. “ The critical issue in
this industry is using innovation to reduce
the cost. We are committed to India because
we see a huge potential in this market and
polysilicon, the conversion efficiency ratio located anywhere in India. Wind is only in we are in the process of replicating our
is roughly around 15 -17 per cent while thin some places and typically wind is on top of Dresden factory, but on a much bigger
film is 6-9 percent and the latter costs mountains, so not accessible and connection scale, in Chennai, a southern port city in
relatively less to enter the market. But to the grid is also difficult. So additional India,” Keshav Prasad, VP, Business
today, it is $3.5 million for polysilicon investment is also required to harness the Development Signet Solar Inc.
while for the thin film technology is $2 wind energy and solar you can put up a
million. plant near the grid.” Similarly Solar Semiconductor had signed a
multi-year agreement with Q-Cells AG of
Says SandalWood’s Kondamoori, who had And, when entrepreneurs see such high Germany to buy $170 million of 156 mm
invested in SemIndia, which had come out profitability along with government mono and multi crystalline cells. These cells
with the first ever proposal of $3 billion for subsidies, more players are trooping in. “We would be used for high quality module
a chip manufacturing facility in India and is are the largest manufacturers of solar water production in Solar Semiconductor’s new
now venturing into the photovoltaic space, heaters in India and we realised there are highly automated solar PV module
“Polysilicon prices are dropping and it numerous opportunities if we can do manufacturing plant in India.
could become $ 2million per MW because backward integration and get into Meanwhile, U.S. based Cypress
conversion efficiencies are becoming better manufacturing. Moreover, our group is also Semiconductor is also reportedly mulling a
since new chemicals and experiments are into infrastructure and real estate $50 million facility to manufacture solar
being conducted. All of a sudden at $2 development and we have a landbank of cells and wafers, most likely through
million MW it is now only twice as 2000 acres. So when we develop it, we can SunPower Corp.
expensive as coal, raw material costs are use solar energy along with the
zero and there is a 22 per cent internal rate conventional sources of energy so that in No doubt that Kondamoori and Surana
of return (IRR). So, with the IRRs coming the end it is not only cost effective but also along with the Reliances and the Moser
to equal the wind generation, and the a clean technology” notes Surana. Baers of India are on the solar trail. But
government offering a much higher buyback how and where the trail leads to, would be
price when compared to wind energy, the Says Suneel Parasnis, country director, New something that one has to watch out for.
market is taking off like a rocket. And that Ventures India, “ Global technology Increase in rural electrification, decrease in
is why you see everyone investing in solar. deployment is the key. You have to look at energy generation costs, creation of new
And the economics are great all of a the new emerging technologies worldwide technologies customised for India and
sudden. And people feel great about it and begin to use them in India too.” export of solar panels; these signposts
because solar gets more carbon credit than Several of the Indian companies have ties leading to the success of the photovoltaic
wind. Solar energy generating plants can be with overseas partners or large global industry in India.
Summer 2008 | www.semiconductor-india.com 21
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