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India: 2 GW telecom tower market

Bridge to India has released the April 2012 edition of their quarterly market analysis report - The India Solar Compass. According to the latest issue, the telecom tower is a viable option for developers in the Indian solar market.

The telecom tower segment presents a significant opportunity for developers.

Flickr/Ashu Mittal

The latest edition of Bridge to India's India Solar Compass (April 2012) report seeks to answer a key question about the viability telecom tower market for solar power in India. According to the latest research, the telecom tower segment presents a significant opportunity for developers. The market is projected to be a two gigawatt (GW) opportunity in the coming five years till 2016. According to the analysis by Bridge to India, this segment is emerging as a front-runner among diesel-parity based market segments for photovoltaic solutions.

In addition, brand new research has shown that this segment is a lucrative option for players who want to take advantage of large megawatt-scale opportunities that this segment offers. Bridge to India analysis further highlights that in the past, the sale of complete solar system solutions for telecom towers, failed to take off as a business model in this space since it burdened the tower company with the capital expenditure as well as the cost of operating and maintaining these systems.

However, owing to the recent economic cost-reduction of solar and in view of certain regulatory changes in India, Bridge to India believes there is now traction in the market, leading to the emergence of a new model of operations, the Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO) model. The RESCO business model is described in greater detail in the latest edition of the India Solar Compass.

In addition, the report details the commercial opportunity, as well as market potential associated with the telecom tower solar opportunity. The analysis also highlights the key factors that impact the maximum cash demand, profitability and project life-cycle involvement and therefore the overall financial viability of the RESCO business model. 

"Given the vast market potential for PV solutions in the telecom industry, there exists an immediate business opportunity for solar solution providers," says Bridge to India managing director, Tobias F. Engelmeier.