India

Scientists in India have simulated a perovskite cell based on methylammonium tin iodide which they claim may achieve a short circuit current density of 25.97 mA per square centimeter, an open-circuit voltage of 1.203 V, and a fill factor of 87.79%. The cell is composed of a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate, a titanium oxide layer, a methylammonium tin iodide perovskite film, a copper oxide hole transport layer (HTL), and a layer made of gold (Au).

A pandemic-related sales slump has dealt another blow to domestic panel makers already faced with rising input costs and an expected surge in imports due to the scheduled wind down of safeguarding duties on foreign products from late July.

Indian steelmaker Godawari Power & Ispat Ltd. Has announced plans to build a 250 MW solar plant to support one of its factories in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh.

Solar installations surged in the first quarter of 2021, with developers completing their delayed projects from last year.

The global off-grid solar appliance market began an uneven recovery from the worst ravages of the global pandemic in the second half of last year, according to market body GOGLA, but more finance and policy support must be made available to have any chance of achieving universal electricity access this decade.

Companies can apply for incentives to set up gigawatt-scale solar factories in India. Applications can be submitted until June 30 and the list of successful recipients will be announced on July 26, with letters of award to be issued four days later.

Researchers led by the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi have projected the waste expected from end-of-life solar panels and related components. They assumed 347.5 GW of total installed solar generation capacity would be reached this decade. The academics said the waste would include critical metals worth around $645 trillion, 70% of which could be recovered.

India’s Aegeus Technologies has developed an autonomous, water-free cleaning bot for rooftop solar installations. The bot weighs 5 kg (with battery) and can be operated remotely through a web-based app. It uses an air wash technology to clean the panels, ensuring no need for water or any harmful chemicals.

Poor and piecemeal implementation of net metering policies is a major roadblock for the uptake of rooftop solar system in India, according to a new report by Asian Development Bank.

India achieved the highest score of 62.7 for solar in the latest edition of Ernst & Young’s renewables attractiveness index. It ranked third for overall renewable energy investment.