Centers of Excellence

• IIT Bombay: Research and education in the area of photovoltaics (2009-10)

• IIT Rajasthan: Research and education in the area of solar thermal (2011-12)

• IIM Ahmedabad: Technology incubation and development of entrepreneurship (2010-11)

• CEPT University, Ahmedabad:  Solar passive architecture and green building technologies (2010-11)

• Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Cochin: Integrated nano-material based Photo Voltaic-storage devices (2010-11)

• IISc. Bangalore: Proposal is under consideration for decentralized solar thermal power applications

Research Infrastructure Augmentation (Universities/ R&D institutions)

• R&D Policy is in place to support R&D projects in Universities, academic institutions, research laboratories and in industries

• Type of projects covered under the policy include

– Centres of excellence in thematic areas of research

– Applied research

– Technology validation and field evaluation

– Capacity building

• Currently, 18 projects in photovoltaics and 17 in solar thermal areas are under implementation

Research Infrastructure Augmentation (Universities/ R&D institutions)

• Implementing institutions include

– IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Kanpur, IIT Rajasthan

– CSIR laboratories, NPL, NCL, Indian Inst of Chemical Tech

– Universities: Delhi, Pune, BESU, KIIT, Jain University, Cochin University of S&T,

– IACS, Indian Institute of Petroleum, TERI

– Industries : Moser Baer, Maharishi Solar, Sunborne, ATE Pune, Clique Dev, Thermax, Megawatt Solutions,

– Others: WRST; DST Lakshadweep.

Specific R&D Thrusts

CPV

– One proposal from IIT Kanpur is under consideration aiming at development of Si solar cell

Development of high temperature photovoltaics

– Ga As is usually used

– Cooling mechanisms are usually applied.

Heat Cycles for solar thermal with air as heat sink

– Being tried out in solar tower project by Sunborne

– Covered in the scope of work at IIT Rajasthan project

– Pilot project is also being planned

Materials and Components

Receiver for Parabolic Trough Technology: Challenges

– Glass to Metal seals

– Vacuum Receiver

– High temperature and low emittance selective coating

Advanced power converter modules for PV

– Covered under BESU and IIT Bombay Projects

• Self cleaning reflector surfaces

• Receiver Modules for central tower

– Covered under Sunborne Project

New Photovoltaic Materials

• Organic solar cells using organic-inorganic semiconductor hybrid absorber – IIT Delhi

• Dye Sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC) – IICT, Hyderbad

• Novel Doped 3-D Nanoporous Oxides for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells – IIPM, Dehradun

• Salmon DNA-Conducting Polymer (P3HT) – Quantum Dot (CdSe) – Carbon Nanotube (SWNT) – University of Delhi

• Titania nano-structured thin film based for developing DSSC – Amrita University, Cochin

• Design and Development of Organic Solar Cell Sub-Modules – IIT Kanpur

Pilot CSP Projects

Planned with NCEF and ADB support

• Air/ hybrid cooling

• Large thermal storage

• Base load capacity solar stand alone plant

• Advanced technology with operating temperature over 500 deg C

Proposed to be taken up

• Hybridization with natural gas

• Solar – biomass hybrid plant

• Solar Augmentation of the existing coal thermal power plant

• Solar dish Stirling engine

Infra-structure for Solar Energy

Capacity for silicon production

– 50 MWp capacity vertically integrated plant by Lanco at Chhattisgarh

– A project by Maharishi Solar for development of solar grade Silicon

– Some capacities are likely under SIPS by Ministry of IT