High-efficiency solar panels and rooftop solar to gain momentum

The Indian government started the ambitious Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission in 2010 to shift away from fossil fuels and toward sustainable and environmentally friendly energy sources while solving India’s energy security problems. This operation’s total installed capacity target was 20 gigatonnes (GW) by 2022. The aim was later revised to 100 GW in 2015, with no change in the schedule. In August 2021, the government raised the objective to 300 GW by 2030, by India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) goal of achieving around 40 percent of cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources.
India has a lot of potential for renewable energy with a lot of emphasis on generating ecologically friendly and sustainable energy.
In the case of floating solar, we anticipate tenders totalling 2 GW by the end of 2023. The industry is now well-versed in FSPV (Floating Solar PV) and its benefits. Hence It has gotten positive feedback from the government and industry professionals.
The increasing significance of solar PV and rooftop “The expanding population wants energy and land space,” says Deepak Ushadevi, CEO & MD, Ciel n Terre India. “Solar plants can be installed traditionally on the ground or rooftop, but installing them on the many available waterbodies transforms them into revenue- and energy-yielding sources, reducing the demand for land space that would be required to set up a traditional solar plant.”
Despite numerous significant challenges, India has emerged as a solar industry hotspot. “People want to install rooftop solar systems, but many are unaware of their full potential and are frequently put off by minor operational difficulties or significant investment decisions.” India’s goal of generating 100 GW of solar energy by 2022 has sparked both interest and scepticism. The even more significant component is that 40 GW of this will be based on rooftop solar installations. “Surprisingly, with the emergence of rooftop solar systems, retail power users are transforming into a dual role: both a consumer and a generator,” says Siddharth Gangal, CEO, of The Solar Labs.
Obtaining maximum efficiency in solar
Many sophisticated and advanced technologies are enabling us to serve the market better. “The more advanced the technology, the easier it is to build and maintain renewable energy plants. Proper training on the use of these technologies, as well as their availability, will come in handy when demand for them increases,” Ushadevi says.
“When lithium-ion batteries were commercially viable, our products became viable. The price of lithium-ion batteries dropped in 2015-2016, and that’s when we were able to start developing our product,” explains Nitasha Badhwar, Co-Founder and Head of Strategy at SunPower Renewables. Furthermore, high-quality lithium-ion batteries have been a crucial enabler for this device, allowing for energy independence. The batteries have a lifespan of 10 years and an efficiency of more than 90 percent. Our innovations are well connected with the other components of a solar plant and the heat management of the unit to allow portability,” Bhadwar remarked.
Products and solutions for efficient practices
Here, Ushadevi explains their Hydrelio® technology; two diverse configurations are possible: 2 in a row and 4 in a row. Both of these configurations provide ease of access during the O and M. Also, the inner array is what requires maintenance. Further, the outer array, which is meant to provide buoyancy to the island, doesn’t demand any maintenance, thereby preventing slips and falls.
Gangal here prefers to explain ways to monitor solar panels’ performance. He says, “By including a solar panel monitoring system into your setup, you can measure how much electricity your panels create on any given day, as well as how much they produce over time.” This allows you to examine how various external circumstances impact your panels’ performance and how well they retain their efficiency over time. The monitoring system will notify you if a panel breaks or malfunctions, allowing you to fix or replace it.

Rooftop solar to lead the momentum
The country’s preference for renewable energy is gradually growing, as are innovations in the industry. Due to the dropping cost of solar modules and the versatility of these systems for various applications such as electricity generation, water heating, and so on, the solar segment is expected to have the greatest market share over the projection period. India has a large solar energy potential.
One of the trends is floating solar panels. These can be installed on water bodies, including irrigation dams, raw water ponds, and water storage ponds. In recent years, industries such as thermal power plants and hot steel plants with ponds inside have opted for floating solar because it has multiple advantages: it helps meet the industry’s power needs. It saves water from evaporation, which can be used for water processing instead of sourcing externally. Several innovative technologies, such as hydro-floating solar hybrid technology and green hydrogen-floating solar technology, are thriving. 2022 will be the year of solar manufacturing, as we will see more developers hop on the manufacturing bandwagon. A new chapter will soon begin towards the journey of making India a solar manufacturing hub and ensuring the nation’s energy security in the long term.
“The more advanced the technology, the easier it is to build and maintain renewable energy plants.”– Deepak Ushadevi, CEO and MD, Ciel n Terre India.
“With the emergence of rooftop solar systems, retail power users are becoming both power generators and consumers.”-  Siddharth Gangal, CEO, The Solar Labs.
“Having high-quality lithium-ion batteries is essential to become energy-independent.”- Nitasha Badhwar, Co- founder & Head-Strategy, SunPower Renewables.