India is on the cusp of a solar energy revolution. The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) was instrumental in kick-starting the large scale development of solar power in the country. Phase-1 of the mission focused mainly on grid connected MW scale solar projects and was able to realize a dramatic reduction in solar tariffs from around Rs. 18/kWh to around Rs 7/kWh.

With the drastic fall in solar prices on the one hand, and the high and rising tariffs of certain consumer categories in India on the other, grid?connected solar Rooftop PV (RTPV) systems are becoming increasingly viable economically. RTPV systems can offer substantial benefits in terms of providing peaking supply of power, reducing T&D losses, improving tail end voltages, and creating local jobs. Hence a national policy of ‘net?metering’ to encourage in?situ generation primarily for self consumption, coupled with the provisions of grid inter?connection and energy banking facilities from the local utility is ideally suited for India, since it is socially equitable economically viable and environmentally sustainable.

In addition to promoting RTPV, another objective of the JNNSM is to promote solar manufacturing in the country. A review of the phase-1 of the JNNSM shows that there have been mixed results with regard to this issue due to a variety of reasons including the dynamic nature of the highly globalised solar PV market place.

Considering the importance of these two issues, Prayas Energy Group (PEG) and Pune International Centre (PIC) organized a round table discussion on ‘Promoting Rooftop Solar Electricity Generation and Domestic PV Manufacturing’ on 6th February 2013 at the MCCIA towers in Pune. The presentations made during the roundtable and a summary report can be downloaded below.