With reference to solar power production in India, consider the following statements:India is the th

Question

With reference to solar power production in India, consider the following statements:India is the third largest in the world in the manufacture of silicon wafers used in photovoltaic units.The solar power tariffs are determined by the Solar Energy Corporation of India.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Accepted Answer

Statement 1 is not correct. Manufacture of solar panels (also called modules) starts with polysilicon, which is made from silicon. Polysilicon is made into ingots, which are cut into wafers. Cells are made with wafers and a string of cells is a module. Today, only modules and cells are made in India, with imported material. At present, the only incentives available for manufacturing these is the Modified-Special Incentive Package Scheme, which is available to all electronic goods manufacturers and implemented by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, but there have been few takers for the scheme.Statement 2 is not correct. Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd (SECI) is a CPSU under the administrative control of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). It aims to become the leader in the development of large-scale solar installations, solar plants, and solar parks and to promote and commercialize the use of solar energy to reach the remotest corner of India. It also explores new technologies and their deployment to harness solar energy. Solar Power tariffs are determined either through the regulations of the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission/State Electricity Regulatory Commission or through competitive bidding.