Business Opportunities with PV Sector

Indian economy is clearly following the typical trend of any growing economy. In such a scenario the Renewable Energy sector isn’t behind. The demand right now remains unprecedented and the future can get only sunnier

• Component Manufacturing - Module, Cells and Wafers
• Product Manufacturing - Electronics, Luminaries, allied materials
• Solar Farming - Generation of captive and grid electricity using PV techniques

PV Business verticals in detail

Each of these businesses has varying levels of investment, gestation period and financial returns.

• Manufacture of Modules
  • Module is a bank of solar cells mounted on a substrate and connected together to generate electricity
  • Assembly of Modules involves capability of skilled electronic and mechanical manufacturing
  • Labor intensive operations using basic skilled manpower
  • Low investment and gestation period with a relatively low returns
  • Direct access to end market that has a huge requirement



• Manufacture of Products
  • These products support the deployment of PV technology
  • Allied power devices such as Inverters using batteries or direct grid connect types, batteries, tracking controllers, tracking mechanisms, charging controllers and others
  • Module frames, EVA substrates, safety cover glass, junction boxes, busbars for the solar modules and others
  • Products that use PV technology such as solar street lights, emergency lights, traffic signals, luminaries and others
  • Labour intensive operation using basic skilled manpower
  • Medium investment with low gestation period resulting in medium returns
  • Direct marketing of products to end users as well as retail sales



• Manufacture of Wafers
  • This is the basic silicon material that is used to make solar cells
  • Wide application
  • High investment with high returns
  • Needs clean high technology facilities
  • Assured markets
  • Needs skilled manpower
  • Medium gestation period
  • Energy intensive operations and need of uninterrupted power supply



• Manufacturing of Cells
  • Solar cells has an easy captive market
  • High investment and high technology
  • Longer gestation period but with highest returns
  • Energy intensive needs with reliable no-break power supply
  • Needs skilled manpower



• Solar Power generation or Solar Farming
  • Utilizing vast tracts of wasteland
  • Relatively maintenance free after installation
  • The generated power can be used for captive use or sold to the electricity grid
  • The peak output of the solar farm coincides with the peak period of electricity demand
  • Medium investment with medium returns
  • Needs less number of skilled manpower
  • Low gestation period



• Financing
  • An evolving sector is based around the vast finance needed by the burgeoning solar sector
  • Assured business and steady returns
  • High profitability
  • Better return on investment than several other avenues