Please share a link to the paper, will go through it. The last I checked cost per watt in China is 9-11 cents. Cost per watt in India for Non-DCR is 17-18 cents It is higher for DCR panels at 20-24 cents. Our installed capacity expansion would have been much quicker in the domstic sector if constraints were not imposed.
Cannot find that research paper in my browsing history anymore, But if I remember correctly it was about India solar panel exports vs chinese panel exports prices, whether India can be competitive against the Chinese.
They took into factor the available technologies PERC, TOPCON and HJT. They recommended India makers to go for Topcon, since it was the easiest in terms of upgrading from current PERC for CAPEX and OPEX. While reliance was the only company in India going for the HJT, since they are starting fresh.
We need exports to get volumes and economies of scale up. For roof top solar, unfortunately in cities lot of people who can afford solar leave in apartments.
We as a country are unable to provide 24x7 reliable power even in Tier 1 cities. These tariff, non tariff barriers, policy flipflops are doing more harm than good.
Unfortunately in Tier 1 cities not having reliable power is due to ESCOMs shoddy maintenance. My street connected to a particular feeder transformer always has power cuts at least 3 times a week, even if its for few minutes. But the street back of mine which is connected to a different transformer, rarely has any power cuts. The power cuts in their street is so rare that no one has invested in inverter. Where as almost everyone in my street has them. This is because the transformer powering my street also powers other areas where the houses are all tiny with lot of power thefts and overhead wires going to those tiny houses.
Our module manufacturing is highly reliant on machines imported from China. They imposed restriction on export of state of art machines a while ago, so I am not sure that the catching up will happen anytime soon. China will reach volume production of IBC (Interdigited Back Contact) moudles by the end of this year. We are yet to reach volume production of TOPCon modules, our manufactureres have just started showcasing 210mm / M10 M12 TOPCon modules at events.
As far as machines, they are easily available and there is no restrictions. Reliance bought the machines recently from China.
My former neighbor is making Solar cells later this year and has ramped up solar module production. So there is no shortage of machines.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com