State of Solar Industry
Dr. KRS Murthy
I admire the energy of solar enthusiasts, much more than the Sun's light energy converted into electricity by solar panels. Journalists write on solar industries, some of them on some recent claims by PV scientists and technologists, and most importantly academicians, who claim to change the world of solar industry by their recent laboratory results.
The journalists do not understand technology, not surely the business and industry politics, coupled with international tug of war, that has together created the current bust in the solar industry.
Only polymath / polyglot experts can explain the conundrum. Energy efficiency of GaAs cells have always been about 2.5 times higher than other next best technology of mono silicon solar cells. I have developed solar modules, that could be arrayed by tiling larger rectangular or square solar panels, that produce 5000 times the electricity per square centimeter PV cell area of the next best technology.
While the work quoted is a good "research", it will not make a dent in the global solar industry, and surely nothing in India. India's problem is not technology, but idiotic underbidding of the PPA rates by companies. About 200 plus companies did play the foolish game of bid and under bid on PPA tenders in many states, with Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh as examples. This had nothing to do with technology nor the scale of production by Indian companies. The "bribe industry" in which India is ranked Number 1 in the world is the really slayer of all opportunities, and thus the demons deserved to be slayed in the upcoming DeepavaLi Festival, the Indian Festival of Lights. Deepa = Light; AavaLi = Array, Chain, Pattern or Display Configuration) Narakasura (means the Demon Emperor of Hell) should issue free immigration visa and Permanent Citizenship to these "bribe industry mafia" zealots to his Naraka (The Hell), and surely NOT Dual Citizenship of both Naraka (Hell) and India.
NOTES: The Festival of Lights in celebrated based Lunar Calendar, generally in the month of November, when the families, temples and social organizations light candles in front of their houses and buildings. The lamps are generally made of clay, filled with oil or ghee (clarified butter) with a one or multiple wicks. The festival starts on the New Moon Day, the darkest day of the month, continues on the the first few days of the month. The festival is generally called Diwali (pronounced DeevaaLi) in the northern states of India, while it is called DeepavaLi (pronounced DeepaaVaLi) in the southern states of India. Narakasura (pronounced Narakaasura), the Demon Emperor of the Hell was slayed by Lord Krishna on that day.
China Inc. (meaning the country of China) created over 200 solar cell and panel manufacturing companies, first creating a glut of solar panels in the solar industry, followed by dumping these panels in EU, USA and worldwide. The EU, USA and others filed a law suit against China Inc charging them with anti-dumping. Long story short, all these things created political stalemate, excess inventory waiting for the international lawsuits to be cleared, and the final result of only two solar panel companies left in China, with all 200 less 2 companies quietly disappearing with very little open morning, nor any visibility in the media, as there is not even an M&A market within China.
There have been numerous Chapter XX bankrupt closures in USA and EU. Companies with 100 plus patents, lot of equipment assets, cell and panel manufacturing infrastructure, millions of acre factory facilities all evaporated in auctions.
I have the full list of such bankruptcy dissipation totaling to few billions.
I will be glad to discuss the details and advise in strategy, to Indian companies with money.
Another industry with high potential for India in composites. I recently delivered an invited talk on "Designer Composites" in an international composites conferences, with industry leaders from companies like Boeing, Airbus, Dupont, GE, Lamborghini, Rolls Royce, Jaguar, Mercedes, NASA, Formula 1 Race Car manufacturers. Any large company in India interested in my connections and technology prowess are welcome.
KRS Murthy Dr.Sri.Murthy@Gmail.Com
