Month: May 2012

BRIDGE TO INDIA is launching the INDIA SOLAR NAVIGATOR.

This online, analytical tool is designed to provide you with up-to-date, in-depth business insight on the Indian solar market. It will cater to international investors, companies and institutions looking to leverage the Indian solar opportunity as part of their long term growth strategy.

Look at the introductory video above to know more. For any specific question, write to us on contact@bridgetoindia.com

BRIDGE TO INDIA is scheduled to exhibit at the world’s largest solar fair – the Intersolar Europeat Munich, Germany between June 13th – 15th 2012. At this fair, which invites more than 80,000 trade visitors, BRIDGE TO INDIA will introduce the INDIA SOLAR NAVIGATOR, the first comprehensive online tool to analyze and monitor the market.

At Intersolar Munich, we will talk about providing our Market Intelligence, Strategic Consulting and Project Development services to investors, companies and institutions who are looking to leverage the Indian solar opportunity.

Meet BRIDGE TO INDIA’s Senior Consultant, Mohit Anand, head of ‘Market Intelligence’. Market Intelligence at BRIDGE TO INDIA provides comprehensive, analytical and up-to-date research on the Indian market to customers through the INDIA SOLAR COMPASS – a quarterly solar market report. We provide in-depth and strategic market insight to large international clients who are looking at the Indian market as part of their long term strategy. In addition, market intelligence at BRIDGE TO INDIA has authored various reports on contract basis for large international agencies including DENA, REN 21, GIZ and Greentech Media.  Meet Mohit to know more at the exhibition.

BRIDGE TO INDIA will be covering the exhibition live through all our social media channels. To track the biggest solar fair in the world, follow our Twitter feed (@BRIDGETOINDIA) or read the latest updates on this blog.

The US Department of Commerce has announced preliminary anti-dumping duties ranging from 31 percent to 250 percent on crystalline silicon solar cells from Chinese manufacturers. This will help India become an alternative manufacturing destination.

The move to protect US manufacturing against Chinese competition is short-sighted

Chinese manufacturers are expected to look for offshore manufacturing opportunities. India could benefit from that

Module prices in India are expected to fall further as China will look to offload its inventory

The US Department of Commerce has announced preliminary anti-dumping duties ranging from 31 percent to 250 percent on crystalline silicon solar cells from Chinese manufacturers, although final ruling from the commerce department is expected only in October. If the final ruling in October goes against Chinese manufacturing, Chinese government will appeal to the World Trade Organization by objecting to the US government findings.

The US unit of Solar World along with the Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing (CASM) had filed a petition for imposing anti-dumping and countervailing duty on Chinese crystalline silicon solar cells. This petition was filed with the US Department of Commerce and the US International Trade Commission (ITC). The petitions demonstrated that Chinese manufacturers are receiving illegal subsidies and are illegally dumping crystalline silicon solar cells into the US market.

To circumvent the US trade barriers, in the short term, many Chinese and other international companies manufacturing in China are also expected to use the tolling services of Taiwan-based suppliers to turn wafers into cells there, and then assemble the modules in China. Module suppliers with manufacturing facilities in south east Asia, India and low-cost manufacturing destinations, who might not be as competitive as the Chinese manufacturers, are also likely benefit from this ruling.

Polysilicon manufacturers in US now fear that China will retaliate with slapping tariff when they announce findings of an investigation into subsidies of solar companies by US states.This is a short-sighted move by the US and is not expected to boost the US solar industry. US might actually end up losing down the stream jobs.

What does this mean for India?

Like many others, the Indian solar manufacturing industry has been unable to adapt to low prices and mass-manufacturing and has seen its export orders dry up as it finds itself unable to compete with global suppliers, leave alone the allegedly subsidized Chinese manufacturers. India has waived off import duties on solar cells and modules to promote solar power generation. Indian solar manufacturers’ only hope of survival right now is the domestic market. They have been lobbying to get basic import duties implemented on imports from China. The government has been rejecting their demands till now, but the US ruling is likely to give more voice to their arguments.

With the US protectionism, the price of solar is expected to increase in the US, but in an already oversupplied international market, Chinese manufacturer will look to offload their inventory in other markets like India. Indian developers might benefit from the lower prices in the short term. Overall, like all other trade barriers, this will also create price anomalies across markets.

India also has the advantage of low cost manufacturing and an additional benefit of domestic content requirement for the National Solar Mission (NSM). Manufacturing in India as compared to China, will not only help companies avoid US tariffs, it will also help them get a large share of the Indian market. This might push India as an alternate manufacturing destination. It will not be easy though. The government will need to give a clear and long term strategy on promoting solar manufacturing in India.

What does it mean for the solar industry?

At the time when solar power is starting to become competitive with conventional power in several locations across the world and when the solar industry is expected to unite to improve technology and aim for affordability, the solar community is divided and embarking on a trade war. This trade war will find some companies and even countries winning and some losing in the short-term, but in the long-term, if we focus on restrictions and look away from the real challenge of trying to free solar of subsidies, the whole world will stand to lose.

BRIDGE TO INDIA attended the 3rd Indo-German Energy Forum (IGEF) on “Cities & Energy”, held on 2nd & 3rd May, 2012 at New Delhi, India.

The IGEF aims to facilitate conversation between German technology providers and the Indian government through a series of meetings

The topic of this meeting was “Solar & Cities” and looked at rooftop PV, solar thermal applications and financing

The IGEF succeeds in bringing together two natural partners that are now beginning to understand each other and ultimately put that trust and understanding in doing business together

May 3rd 2012: I have just attended the Indo-German Energy Forum in New Delhi, organized by Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). Like all events of this nature, it was held in a vast, nondescript, air-conditioned hall in a hotel. Today’s session started with a very interesting discussion on solar thermal applications. It was chaired by Additional Secretary, MNRE, Mr. Tarun Kapoor (soon to head the Solar Energy Corporation of India). Topics discussed where solar cooling, hybrid-solar thermal applications for industrial process heat and the benefits of fresnel technology. The session was followed by an equally interesting one on financing options in the Indian solar market.

Over and above the content of the presentations and discussions, the Indo-German Energy Forum creates a genuinely valuable platform for the exchange of knowledge, information and ideas. On the one hand, there is the immense Indian market, its challenges, its complex web of policies and programs, and the many, pressing needs of power consumers. On the other are the deep and innovative German technology clusters which offer many relevant solutions and have years of experience in implementing sustainability and renewable energy technologies.

However, putting together a German academic with a strong, almost incomprehensible accent, elaborating on intricate details of a specific technology with an Indian government official outlining the various programs on offer in power point presentations of seemingly endless bullet-points, does not yet produce a solution. That this is just the beginning of a long road is understood by participants and organizers. Thus, the Indo-German Energy Forum is designed as an ongoing series of relevant encounters, in which two natural partners slowly learn to understand each other, build trust, share information and – ultimately – do business with each other. The Forum is flanked by working groups in which specific Indian energy challenges are worked on in detail, producing first, tangible results in India.

In the end, German companies will not be able to succeed in India by selling expensive components that were built in and for a developed, sustainability-conscious market. Also, they will not be able to add value with products that are simple and standardized, where they are not cost-competitive. Quality and life-cycle-costs are not strong arguments in a very cash-driven economy like India’s. German companies will need to put their minds to work on developing integrated solutions for India. High-tech will need to be combined with low-cost, locally available value components. Going into execution, taking entrepreneurial risks and providing financing ideas are essential. The key strength that German sustainability companies have, is their tradition and experience in systemic thinking. In order to apply that to India, they need to become very local in execution. The game, therefore, changes from India being a difficult market for German products to Indians becoming great partners to German companies in jointly creating value. The Indo-German Energy Forum can facilitate this, not so much in the cool underbelly of a five-star hotel, but in India’s smoldering hot cities and countryside.

BRIDGE TO INDIA supports GIZ in making the forum a success.