Intersolar India highlights the potential of the rapidly growing Indian solar market and presents technical solutions
Mumbai, India and Pforzheim/Freiburg, Germany, July 11, 2012: India is one of the fastest growing solar markets worldwide. This development is driven by policies introduced by the Indian government which over the coming years wants to turn India into one of the most important “solar states”. This is the environment in which the international solar industry is meeting for the fourth year running at India’s largest exhibition and conference for the solar industry, Intersolar India, from November 6 – 8, 2012. In hall 1 of the Bombay Exhibition Centre (BEC) in the Indian capital of Mumbai, around 350 exhibitors are expected to present their latest products and services from photovoltaics and solar thermal technologies across an exhibition space covering 20,000 square meters. The Intersolar India Conference kicks off one day prior to the exhibition. From November 5-8, 2012, over 700 industry experts are convening at the Leela Kempinski Hotel in Mumbai and the Bombay Exhibition Centre (BEC) to discuss the latest developments across international solar markets.
The Indian solar market is undergoing sweeping developments. While, according to figures published by the Ministry for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), India had a mere 10 megawatts (MW) of installed photovoltaic capacity in 2009, this figure had risen to over 200 MW by the end of 2011. According to MNRE forecasts, the total photovoltaic (PV) output will exceed the two-gigawatt (GW) mark before the end of this year. The Indian government has even more ambitious goals for the future: According to the Jawaharlal Nehru Solar Mission (JNNSM), the target is for 20 GW of capacity to be installed by 2022, making India one of the most promising and fastest growing solar markets in the world. This is the environment in which the international solar industry is meeting for the fourth year running at India’s largest exhibition and conference for the solar industry, Intersolar India, from November 6 – 8, 2012. Around 350 exhibitors are expected to present their latest products and services from photovoltaics and solar thermal technologies across an exhibition space covering 20,000 square meters. Under the motto Connecting Solar Business, the exhibition helps demonstrate existing technological potential and strengthens the business network at an international and local level.
Plentiful amounts of sunshine for the growing electricity demand
According to Debashish Majumdar, Chairman and Director of the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), India’s thirst for energy will double by 2020. The solar industry has the ideal prerequisites to play an eminent role in meeting this demand. According the management consultancy Ernst & Young, 250 to 300 days of sunshine per year and 4 to 7 kilowatt hours of insolation per square meter make India one of the most promising locations for solar energy in the world. In addition, there is no lack of space for solar power plants. Just one percent of the country’s surface area would be enough to fully cover the forecasted electricity demand with PV by 2031.
