Same will happen with panel / rack / inverter manufacturers...the disparate products are evolving into a SYSTEM. Someday soon a DIY PV system will be purchased at Home Depot or WalMart and the mystery will be over. 3 or 4 'solar brands' will probably survive that have the financing, vision and market savvy to create a brand around 'plug & play' products and drive them through the retail channel. We are 2-3 years from solar systems you can buy in a kit and install in an hour. Perhaps 5-10% of the current players 'get it' and will survive commoditization, and those are the guys who've either gone public and have activist investors pushing them not just for technical innovation, but marketing and sales savvy.

Using solar modules that come from a small manufacturer, or a manufacturer that only assembles and has not made investments in the production chain is a very risky solution.

Furthermore, if a manufacturer has HQ in the Far East, their warranty is based on local laws and if you have a problem you will be chasing them in china, in a Chinese court, in Chinese. Some companies have performance insurance, some have liability insurance and they say it's coverage for the standard warranty .... the story is long. 120KW.

At planning commission level, the states must be encouraged to develop power projects with the local energy resources available and compensate for high cost energy resources with a good percentage mix, which is applicable to all the states (i.e Coal 20%, Hydro 35%, Renewable (minus Nuclear) 35%, Nuclear 1% (no more nuclear), others 9% etc)..... Initially, this can be a different percentage till we really achieve higher Renewable......if a state produces more coal based power, it should pay for Solar PV (after coal trade off adjustment from other states etc), but, through State Budget fund allocation at Planning Commission based on Various energy resource mix based on the kwh consumption, thus, these power exchanges or private players need not LOOT Rs.15/kwh through REC, instead, it can be based on APPC cost with other clear definitions, which will be a pooled and average low cost as it reduces the transportation costs and transmission losses too, due to ONE NATION ONE GRID concept.

For URBAN RICH esp flats and offices, it shall be made mandatory as the 3 days blackout in July 2012, in the Most unsustainable city called GURGAON (NCR) had virtually killed many in hospitals, lifts (food less and with less oxygen for the trapped!!) etc, thus, Roof top pv is a life saving solution with ownership with IT holiday and not FiT instead on APPC costs through excess energy upload through NET METERING.

Kindly take note of my views to INSURE the national assets both during design and plant operation period and request you to make it mandatory for the NSM Solar power projects.

However, the coastal region is prone to high wind, hence, the structures and solar PV panels mounting has to be designed to withstand the STORM WIND and the CYCLONE risks. But, Cyclone prediction is possible only with few days before, hence, when the project is installed, considering the 25 years of Plant life, it shall be made mandatory to INSURE the plant against the "Storm wind and Cyclone risk" !! This insurance must be bought and kept in place and in order by the Project developers or the system owners.

Rooftop solar pv will supplement the grid, stabilizing it and will mean no extra investment for the Utility. Every guy knows that you can build a thermal power plant in 6.5 crore/MW but few know that you need similar amount to reach it to the customer.
If you see the latest news - a utility in US had proposed a Solar Penalty which was thankfully outvoted. While the CEO of another has seen the writing on the wall and accepted solar with open arms, knowing he can compete with it.

If we can't abolish, then, there shall be a provision for the Interest subsidy route in the tariff order with less tariff, so that, interested project developers with International Debt syndicate can bring an economic revolution to develop Solar PV + boost Irrigation + Create First generation Entrepreneurs + Rural Jobs + Increase of Rural GDP while increasing the Tax Collection by abolishing the Accelerated Depreciation !!, while being dedicated to the power generation with innovative ideas / technical solutions.

The total loss of Tax collection due to Solar of less than 2 GW is around Rs. 11,000 Crore (CAG to review) no subsidy considered, no VGF considered in this Rs.11,000 Crore.

If we include the Wind (around 20GW), the NET LOSS OF TAX COLLECTION FROM RICH ENTITIES (for 28GW of Renewable Energy in the last 13 years) might be around a minimum of Rs. 80,000 Crore to the maximum of Rs. 140,000 Crore (without considering Capital subsidy doled out to Biomass, Solar roof top solar pv etc).

Our business model envisages 3 Entrepreneurs per 10 or 20 MW Solar PV power project in every taluka with interest subsidy to have the rupee term interest of 2%. If a FI gives a loan at 8%, government shall pay the remaining 6%. We can seek such funds from International agencies who are committed to Global Climate change etc.

A 15 MW solar pv plant as per our company design, which allows the land below the solar PV panels to grow vegetables or to store food grains etc (i.e for multi purpose) and needs only 2.5 acres/MW (instead of 5 to 6 acre/MW as done in Charanka) and our solar pv project costs around Rs. 135 Cr/ 15 MW i.e Rs. 9 Cr/MW (max). This provides an employment of 200 people or more / Project.

Some recent studies have shown that the critical distance beyond which grid extension isn't feasible when compared to solar micro grids is 18-25 kms. This was based on 11kV distribution lines. If the purpose of these plants is to feed into the grid from remote locations, one would expect the delivered cost of electricity to increase with distance from nearest accessible grid. This increase will be lesser as the delivered peak load increases and hence, the excess cost of laying 11kV distribution lines is distributed over larger generated kWhs. So the commercial feasibility will depend on the tolerance level of higher delivered cost of electricity from remote sources (as high as 25-40 Rs/kWh for remote PV) when compared to grid electricity (2-3 Rs/kWh).

That sounds great but just how many homes have a south facing roof? I really don't understand why people want solar systems on the roof. In order to peak the power production the roof has to be facing at a perfect angle and also the pitch of the roof must be perfect. Then the people that live in the perfect home must have the money to afford the system. Just remember this. I don't care who the power company is they will never pay you the same or more amount per KW as they sell now. That would be very bad for the power company. They will pay less for the power and you, it will take a very long time to recoup the investment.

A lesson can be learned here from the solar systems that are installed in the United States. Only 8% of all the homes have a southern facing roof. Of that only 18% of the roofs are pitched perfect. Now what are the odds that these home owners have the money to invest in solar PV.