India’s Vikram Solar commissions 5 GW automated module plant
Vikram Solar says its new 5 GW Vallam facility in Tamil Nadu lifts its module manufacturing capacity to 9.5 GW and is built on tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) technology with future heterojunction upgrades.
Vikram Solar IPO oversubscribed 1.52 times on strong retail demand
Vikram Solar’s initial public offering (IPO) was 1.52 times subscribed on its first day, with strong demand from retail and non-institutional investors, following anchor investments of INR 6.208 billion ($75 million) and support from major mutual funds and global banks.
Vikram Solar to enter solid-state battery manufacturing
Indian PV manufacturer Vikram Solar says it plans to open a 1 GWh fully integrated solid-state cell and battery factory, expandable up to 5 GWh.
Will Indian solar manufacturers go back-contact to the future?
Indian PV manufacturers are looking beyond tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar. Back-contact (BC) devices are an enticing prospect but many feel the technology is not mature enough. Uma Gupta considers the cost, yield, and reliability challenges that BC solar has to overcome.
Weekend Read: Thin prospects
The production of PV ingots and wafers remains the most highly concentrated of all the production stages in the silicon solar supply chain. Yet efforts to re-establish production in Europe and the United States are not for the faint-hearted.
Recipe for expansion
After years of debate, the Indian government made domestic manufacturing a central feature of renewables policy in 2021. The pivot came as the government sought economic growth and self-sufficiency following a border conflict with China. Vinay Rustagi, managing director of Bridge to India, says that trade barriers, subsidies, lower taxes, and demand growth have created the perfect recipe for expansion.
Indian reliance on polycrystalline tech production leaves it trailing China
Polycrystalline PV technology, which is seeing its market share tumble on the global stage, still dominates India’s small solar manufacturing base and is emblematic of the R&D shortfalls in the sector, according to a survey of the state of the industry.
Vikram Solar launches 505 W module
The Indian manufacturer has unveiled new mono-PERC modules in 120, 144, and 156 half-cell versions with claimed efficiency between 18.34% and 21.02%.
Vikram Solar plans 3 GW wafer, cell and module fab in Tamil Nadu
The engineering, procurement and construction services contractor – which has a 1.2 GW module production facility near Kolkata – will establish the factory under a five-year timescale.
Has solar lost its sheen for India’s EV push?
While the nation’s recent Union budget announced steps to create an electric vehicle market, the solar sector still has issues that have not been addressed.
