India

• India: Solar-heated Ritual Bath at 1,700 m-

  Since February 2012, a solar thermal installation has been operating successfully high up in the mountains in Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost region of India bordering Pakistan. Up to an altitude of 1,700 metres, several different fields totalling 640 m² of collector area have been supplying solar-heated water to the ritual bath at Mata Vaishno Devi, one of the most popular Hindu shrines. The temple attracts close to 9 million pilgrims every year. All of them start hiking the 13 km to the cave temple area from the Katra base station (see photo above).
  Photo: Jaideep Malaviya

• Intersolar India 2012, Mumbai- The international solar industry is meeting at Intersolar India for the fourth time in 2012. From November 6 – 8, 2012, the spotlight in hall 1 of the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai (BEC), India will shine exclusively on solar power. Here, 350 exhibitors are expected to present their latest products and services from photovoltaics and solar thermal technologies to trade visitors across an exhibition space covering 20,000 square meters. Exhibitor numbers are therefore set to rise significantly by over 30% in 2012, building on previous success.
• Renewtech India 2012, Mumbai- Renewtech India 2012 will be held from 6 to 8 November 2012 at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai. The annual event is supported by key industry players and industry associations. The 3-day exhibition and conference will bring together business leaders from public & private sectors, along with senior officers from central and state governments, to address the development of India's Renewable Energy sector.
• SOLARCON India 2012, Bangalore- SOLARCON India 2012 will take place from 3 to 5 September 2012 in Bangalore. The exhibition and conference attracts highly-focused visitors from across the Indian solar manufacturing supply chain. In 2011 the organisers counted 114 exhibiting companies and more than 3,400 visitors and conference delegates. SOLARCON India is supported by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) of the Government of India and the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA).
• Solar Thermal Energy Technologies for Industrial Applications - India’s Experience (2008)-

  Presented by Shirish Garud (The Energy Resources Institute) at the 2008 Global Renewable Energy Forum in Brazil, this presentation outlines the potential of solar thermal technologies for industrial applications in India.

• CSP Feed-in Tariffs Guide (2011)-

  Written to support CSP Today’s 2011 concentrated solar power (CSP) event in Seville, this report provides an overview of the regulatory incentives schemes that exist to support the concentrated solar thermal industry around the world. It summarises the incentives and targets for CSP in nine countries: USA, South Africa, India, Spain, Morocco, Italy, Greece, and Portugal. For each, the feed-in tariffs, tax credits, or subsidies are specified and explained by different industry experts.

  Author: CSP Today

  Year: 2011

• India: Kerala State Subsidy Meets Targets-

  The new subsidy scheme in the southern Indian state of Kerala has almost reached its aims: The programme subsidised 5,000 m² of collector area in the first three months of 2012, according to the Agency for Non-Conventional Energy and Rural Technology (ANERT). As ANERT Scientist Perumpalot Valsaraj explains, the goal was to support 500 m² of solar collector systems for fish drying, as well as 5,000 m² of residential solar water heaters, of which 40 % were to be equipped with vacuum tube collectors. The photo shows Mohanan Vaisakham, one of the solar water heater owners who profited from the ANERT scheme. The incentive is paid additionally to the federal 30 % investment subsidy.
  Photo: Hykon Solar

• India: Two Solar Desalination Pilot Projects by Tinox-Mage-

  One box on three Euro palettes brings the desalination unit to the site: The MiniSal 1000 purifies up to 1,000 litres of sea or brackish water per day like this installation in the town of Al-Hail in Oman. The first two pilot projects in India are already under way.
  Photo: Mage Water Management

• Regulatory Framework for CST Promotion (2010)-

  This presentation was made during the Southern African Regional Workshop on Concentrating Solar Thermal Power that took place in Botswana in May 2010. The event was organised by the Energy Anchor (ETWEN) and the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) and co-sponsored by the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water Resources of the Government of Botswana.

• Concentrating Solar Power: Global Outlook 09-

  This 2009 report looks into the global outlook of concentrating solar power (CSP). The report first looks into the different CSP technologies and makes a comparison based on the advantages and disadvantages. The report also provides an overview of the CSP development by region. For certain countries per region a more detailed assessment is provided. In particular, the potential of the Mediterranean and the MENA region is being assessed.

• India: ESCO Model gives Hope as Market Driver -

  Spanish-headquartered consultancy Mercados Energy Markets India (Mercados EMI) Pvt. Ltd. has carried out a study to establish a clear understanding of the Energy Service Company (ESCO) model for delivering customers with solar hot water. The assessment was conducted in the four cities seen on the map.
  Figure: Mercados EMI

• India: Solar Thermal Manufacturing Industry to Grow Further-

  The dynamic market growth in India has produced an entire row of successful manufacturers of absorber coatings over the last few years, including Bhagyanagar India Ltd and Maharaja Techno Chromes. Both companies use the Nalsun Black Chrome Coating technology and also sell complete absorber fins to collector producers. The photo shows the fin coating process at Maharaja Techno Chromes.
  Photo: Maharaja Techno Chromes

• India: 640 m² Collector Area and 40,000 Litres of Tanks Paid Back in 4 Years -

  Five years ago, French cosmetics giant L’Oreal commissioned one of the largest indirect solar water heating systems in India for its factory in Pune, located in the western part of the country. Each day, the fully automated and pressurised system heats up around 32 m³ of water to 55 OC in order to wash the plant’s process vessels. The total investment amounted to INR 7.5 million (EUR 115,000), which was paid back within four years. Its back-up system consists of a diesel-fired boiler.
  Photo: Racold Solar

• India’s First and Only Solar Thermal e-Newsletter Launched-

  To spread information about the various developments in the country's solar thermal market, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and the Solar Thermal Federation of India (STFI) have started India’s first and only solar thermal e-Newsletter: InSolTherm Times. The monthly publication was formally launched on 1 August 2011 by MNRE Secretary Deepak Gupta. Considering the substantial market growth of the solar water heating sector, there is a great need to share information about the latest trends in technologies and policy.

• India: Uttarakhand State Increases Solar Water Heater Rebate -

  The Uttarakhand Electricity Regulatory Commission (UERC) has increased the rebate for residential Solar Water Heaters (SWHs) in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand to INR 100/month and 100 litres of capacity in May 2011 (see attached pdf). This is already the second increase in the subsidy’s amount: UERC first introduced the rebate in April 2005 with 50 INR/month and 100 litres of capacity and increased it to 75 INR/month and 100 litres in May 2006. The maximum capacity that a residential user can claim a subsidy for is 500 litres. However, UERC has not specified how many years solar water heater owners will actually receive the rebate.
  Photo: Jaideep Malaviya

• Sonnenkraft: “We Have a Responsibility to Innovate and Develop Solar Energy”- With the expansion to the United Kingdom and Switzerland, Sonnenkraft’s network of sales offices now spans across nine countries. When adding the company’s partnerships in other markets, the manufacturer is among the solar thermal businesses with the most extensive market coverage across Europe. Solarthermalworld.org spoke to Magnus Wallin (left), who has been Director of new and emerging markets in Sonnenkraft since 2008, and Torben Sørensen (right), CEO of SolarCAP since 2010 (the Danish holding company of Sonnenkraft – among other companies) who came from a position as CEO of Faber and Benthin Group (subsidiaries of VKR Holding), about the market potential in different European countries and the company’s future growth strategy.
  Photos: Sonnenkraft
• Germany: Solar Thermal Experts Discuss Cost-Cutting Strategies -

  The solar thermal industry is facing major challenges: Costs of storage and collector components have to be reduced even further if large solar plants are to offer investors competitive prices for heating. Hence, 170 industry representatives and scientists from all around the world came together at the international industry conference SMEThermal 2012 in Berlin at the beginning of February 2012 to explore cost-cutting strategies during a round-table discussion.
  Photo: Solarpraxis AG / Therese Aufschlager

• Solar Water Heating Calculator -

• India’s First Reliable Solar Map Coming Soon-

  Until now, there has not been any reliable data on solar radiation levels in India. This is why developers of solar power and solar process heat installations usually refer to NASA and its satellite images when it comes to identifying the locations with the best solar radiation and to forecast the solar yield of a planned system. However, the US space agency’s radiation maps are not as adequate as they might seem to be. Developers of solar power plants have already observed differences between the actual power output and the forecast from satellite data. A new research project supported by the German development agency is now thought to fill the gap. Within the next two years, the SolMap project should be able to offer a solar map of India. The photo shows one of the monitoring stations of the Indian Centre for Wind Energy Technology (C-WET).
  Photo: C-Wet

• Chile: Solar Energy Workshop for Latin America and the Caribbean-

  Amr M. Abdel Hai, Programme Officer for the Energy Branch of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) (left), and Eduardo Noboa, Renewable Energy and Environment Coordinator from the Latin American Energy Organisation (OLADE), organised a two-day workshop with the aim to strengthen the solar water heating markets in Latin America and the Caribbean. A total of 46 solar thermal experts from several countries (Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Ecuador, Chile, Colombia, Nicaragua, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay) exchanged information, knowledge, lessons learned and successful experiences.
  Photo: OLADE

• Users’ Handbook on Solar Water Heaters (2010)-

  This handbook was prepared in the framework of the project ‘Solar Water Heating Market Transformation and Strengthening Initiative’ funded by the UNDP, UNEP, GEF and ICA (International Copper Association). It was done in collaboration with the Indian Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE). The objective of this publication is to provide adequate information and guidance to customers of solar water heater with a view of helping them in selecting the right technology and product for their applications.

• India: New national Helpline for Solar Water Heaters-

  As part of the initiatives of the UNDP/GEF Global Solar Water Heating Project (GSWHP), the Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has started a voice-activated National Helpline on Solar Water Heaters to raise awareness of the technology and answer the questions of consumers. The service, which has been operating since 15 September 2011, is managed by the Solar Thermal Federation of India (STFI). It has a toll-free number (1800 2 33 44 77), with service hours from 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM between Monday and Friday, and 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM on Saturdays. The two employed call centre agents offer help in both Hindi and English.

• India: Rajasthan Subsidises Electricity Bill of Solar Water Heater Users-

  The Indian state of Rajasthan has strongly supported the market for solar thermal technology. Since 2004, the state in the northwest of India has had a comprehensive mandatory law for solar water heaters: Solar energy use has been an essential requirement in setting up new hospitals, sports complexes, swimming pools, hostels, barracks, hotels, industrial buildings in which hot water is needed to process the goods, as well as public buildings and residential buildings with a plot size of 500 m² and above. In 2011, the state government has also granted an indirect subsidy to residential users of Solar Water Heaters (SWH). Having come into force three months ago, the scheme allows every SWH user to receive a rebate on its electricity bill of INR 0.25 INR/kWh of electricity, capped at a maximum of INR 300 per month – independent of the age of the system.
  Photo courtesy: Jaideep Malaviya

• India: CEO Panel Calls for Increased Efforts in R&D -

  The discussion panel of the solar thermal industry was one of the star attractions at the Intersolar India conference, which took place at the Leela Kempinski Hotel in Mumbai in the middle of December. The panel consisted of the CEOs of leading solar water heater manufacturers (from right to left): Davinder Kaushal (Inter Solar Systems), D. V. Manjunatha (Emmvee Solar), Sanjay Jinturkar (Sudarshan Saur), Tarun Kapoor (Joint Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy), Hemant Revankar (Bipin Engineers), Gurminder Singh (Racold Solar), Sankar Dev Kunnath Kalam (Photon Solar) and Thyagamandlu Ananth (Nuetech Solar). The discussion was moderated by Jaideep N. Malaviya (standing on the left), CEO of the Solar Thermal Federation of India (STFI).
  Photo: Intersolar

• India: Revised Technical Specifications for How to Install and Insulate Solar Water Heaters -

  After publishing the Memorandum “Minimum Requirements for Installation of Solar Water Heating Systems in Field” in September 2011, India's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy issued a revised version of the guidelines on 25 November 2011. The Solar Thermal Federation of India (STFI) has successfully intervened against certain of its requirements. The photo shows the tank manufacturing at Indian company Anu Solar.
  Photo: Anu Solar

• India: First Solar Crematorium in Trial Phase-

  A spiritual hermitage in Gujarat state, in the northwest of India, has become the home of the country’s first solar-powered crematorium. At the ecologically conscious Muni Seva Ashram, a 50 m² Scheffler Dish will heat the oven which burns the dead bodies. The project was developed in cooperation with Wolfgang Scheffler (who designed the Scheffler mirrors from Germany) and Ronnie Sabawala (one of the owners of Vadodara-based Himalaya Engineering). The Solar crematorium has been installed near Ashram at the “panchayat land” (land managed by the village council) for field testing and demonstration. Although the target temperature is above 1,000 °C, preliminary tests have proven successful. The photo shows the Scheffler Dish on the left and the chamber, in which the body is placed, on the right.
  Photo: Jaideep Malaviya

• Haryana State, India: Still a Small Market Size, Despite Great Political Efforts-

  The case study on the Northern Indian State of Haryana shows that great efforts will be needed to reach any significant increase in solar thermal market growth.
  Source: HAREDA

• India: MNRE Memorandum Bans Import of Storage Tanks, Manifolds and Mounting Systems -

  Because of a comparably lower price, vacuum tube collectors are becoming more and more popular in India. Based on a capacity of 100 litres of warm water per day, an average thermosiphon system with flat plate collectors is sold at INR 20,000 (EUR 208), whereas a solar water heater with a vacuum tube collector costs on average INR 16,000 (EUR 167). To protect the business of the around 60 flat plate collector manufacturers in India, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) issued a memorandum on 20 October 2011. Its most important sentence says that, “manufacturers shall import no components other than ETCs (Evacuated Tube Collectors)”.

• 6th Renewable Energy India 2012 Expo, Greater Noida- The 6^th Renewable Energy India 2012 will be held from 7 to 9 November 2012 in Greater Noida, India. The Conference and expo cover the topics PV, Solar Heating, Cooling and Drying, Wind Energy, Biomass, Hydro Energy, Geothermal and Energy Efficiency.
• ICORE 2011, Assam- The International Congress on Renewable Energy (ICORE) is a flagship event of the Solar Energy Society of India (SESI). ICORE 2011 will take place from 2 to 4 November 2011 in Assam. Concurrently with the conference an International Renewable Energy Trade Show is also being organized. ICORE 2011 will provide a platform to representatives of the Renewable Energy industry, academics, policy analysts, governments and diplomatic missions, non-governmental organizations, financial institutions, and international organizations including bilateral and multilateral organizations.
• Renewtech India 2011, Mumbai- Renewtech India 2011 will be held from 10 to 12 November 2011 at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai. The annual event is supported by key industry players and industry associations. The 3-day exhibition and conference will bring together business leaders from public & private sectors, along with senior officers from central and state governments, to address the development of India's Renewable Energy sector.
• India: Australian Grant for Developing a Solar Thermal Cooling System-

  The recently held workshop on solar cooling technology in India was a great success: Instead of a target audience of 30 to 40, almost 100 people joined the workshop in Delhi this October. The picture above shows Deepak Gupta, Secretary for the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (right), while speaking at the inauguration session.

• International Congress on Renewable Energy (ICORE) 2008, Chennai- ICORE happens to be a flagship event of Solar Energy of India (SESI) since last few years with an unfailing commitment to continue with it year after year. This year ICORE is being organised by SESI at Hotel Le-Royal Meridien Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India during 16/17th October 2008. With Renewable Energy making waves all across the globe, ICORE 2008 is expected to be a mega event with a lot of opportunities to present, deliberate and showcase renewable energies in all its forms.
• IEA Study "Solar Heat Worldwide": Global Market Growth of 22 % in 2006-

  2006 was an extremely satisfying year for the global solar thermal industry. According to the new study “Solar Heat Worldwide. Markets and contribution to the Energy Supply 2006” on behalf of IEA Solar Heating & Cooling Programme the new installations grew 22 % in 2006. The authors from the Austrian research institute AEE Intec surveyed 48 countries and added up the newly installed collector area to 18.3 GWth (26.1 million m2).

• 25 Years of Different Subsidies in India: an Overview-

  Under the new national subsidy scheme of the government of India some more solar cities like Magarpatta in Pune, Maharashtra State, will be realised. The solar thermal market in India has seen a lot of different subsidy models over the years.
  Photo: Magapatta City

• India: A Centre of Excellence for Solar Energy Research-

  The Solar Energy Centre (SEC) in Haryana State is a research institution, whose building design alone is a demonstration of how to use solar energy effectively. Soon, it will also receive a testing facility for solar thermal power.
  Photo: SEC
  

• India: High Competition makes Borosil shelve Vacuum Tube Production-

  Gujarat Borosil is the only solar glass manufacturing company in India with a furnace to manufacture end-to-end low iron patterned solar glass. In 2008, the company was to launch the first vacuum tube collector with glass tubes from its own production, to be sold under the brand name Borosolar (see news: http://www.solarthermalworld.org/node/276).  However, after being questioned about the issue, Borosil has now confirmed that it has never really started the serial production of its glass tubes for vacuum tube collectors. The company rather imported some tubes and sold collectors under its brand.
  Photo: Jaideep Malaviya

• India: NABARD to offer Subsidy for Solar Water Heaters-

  In its Circular No.147 /ICD- 36 /2011  dated 3 August 2011, the Indian National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has included solar water heating systems as an eligible technology for subsidy and low-interest loans if they do not exceed a capacity of 400 litres. The circular is addressed to all commercial banks and regional/rural banks involved. An earlier circular - No.110 dated 27 May 2011 - had already announced the Capital Subsidy-cum-Refinance Scheme for decentralised solar PV installations.

• Poland: Sunex to go public by September -

  Becoming a publicly traded company by September: the first step of Sunex' strategy to enter new markets and invest in a factory outside the country. The solar collector manufacturer will be listed on New Connect, the Warsaw stock market for small enterprises. In August, Sunex already sold 0.76 % of its stocks to investors through private offers, gaining about PLN 0.55 million (EUR 0.13 million). “We have decided to enter New Connect to let the market give us a valuation of our company before we get listed on the main trading floor of the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE),” the company’s President, Romuald Kalyciok (see photo), explains. Further share sales are planned for 2012.
  Photo: Puls Biznesu

• India: Innovative Solar Cooling System at Solar Energy Centre-

  The Solar Energy Centre in Haryana State can now score with a new and innovative solar air conditioning demonstration system: Developed by Thermax, one of India’s leading waste heat recovery and cooling manufacturers, the system with a 100 kW cooling capacity has an integrated triple-effect Vapour Absorption Chiller (VAC) and solar parabolic concentrators. Both components were developed locally through a 15-month cooperative application research by the Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) - both from India -, and the German ISE Fraunhofer Institute.
  Photo: Jaideep Malaviya

• Solar Cooling Market to experience big Changes-

  According to Dr Uli Jakob, Vice President of the “Green Chiller - Association for Sorption Cooling”, the solar cooling sector may soon experience a shift from small series production of a niche market to considerable manufacturing quantities. Jakob points out two signs supporting such a development: First, the approval of the IEA-SHC task 48, “Quality Assurance and Support Measures for Solar Cooling“; second, the recent market entry of big players, such as Stiebel Eltron (Germany) and Hitachi (Japan).
  Photo: Bärbel Epp

• India: Call for low-cost Solar Water Heaters in Himalayan Region-

  The current use of Solar Water Heaters (SWHs) in India's Himalayan region remains rather limited, if not scarce. Including Jharkhand, the region's total installed collector area has been estimated at around 33,000 m² until the end of 2010, which is less than 1% of the total installed SWH capacity in the country. Most of the existing systems are part of commercial and institutional buildings, whereas the domestic sector makes very little use of SWHs. These are some of the results of the study “Market assessment of solar water heating systems in the Himalayan Region” carried out by Greentech Knowledge Solutions on behalf of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
  Figure: Greentech Knowledge Solutions

• India: Solar City Rajkot introduces Property Tax Rebates -

  A satisfying record: The Indian city of Rajkot in Gujarat state, Western India, has seen the installation of more than 16,000 residential systems and over 700 commercial solar water heating systems since the Municipal Corporation implemented a solar building bye-law in March 2004.
  Photo: Jaideep Malaviya

• Emerging Technology Option for Clean Power Generation - Concentrated Solar Power (2009)-

  This 2009 paper underlines the overall benefits of solar power especially when considered as part of a country or region's energy generation options mix. In addition to listing the available technologies, the document also looks into the economics of solar thermal and provides a summary comparison among parabolic through, central receiver and parabolic dish technologies.

• Solar Energy for Food Security in West Africa (2009)-

  This document compiles different posters that were presented during the International Solar Food Processing Conference that took place in India in January 2009. The posters refer the importance of using renewable energy sources, notably solar, for sustainable local economic development purposes, by demonstrating the efficiency of such systems in different areas: food processing, dying, cooking and preservation. Different case studies are presented in Burkina Faso, Portugal, Chile and India.

   

• Concentrating Solar Power and its Prospect in Bangladesh (2009)-

  This article from the University of Science and Technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh explores the potential of building a concentrating solar power plant (CSP) in Bangladesh, to overcome the crisis in the power sector. Bangladesh has an average annual solar radiation of nearly 1,900kWh/m2, which is sufficient to operate a CSP plant. Studies foreseen that by 2015 the capital costs of the plant would become $3,800/kWe.

• India: First Solar Water Heater CDM project -

  India's first Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project with solar thermal technology was formally registered on 12 November 2010 by the CDM Executive Board of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Germany. The CDM project, which bundles 15,000 small-size solar water heaters such as the one on the photo, was submitted by Indian developer G.K. Energy Marketers Pvt Ltd. Nearly 15 months passed between submission and registration.
  Photo: Jaideep Malaviya

• Solar Water Heating as a Climate Protection Strategy: The Role for Carbon Finance- In January 2005 (revised in November 2005), a US non profit Green Market International released this study on the possible role of solar water heatering in international efforts to reduce GHG emissions for developing nations. The Kyoto protocol's Clean Developing Mechnisms (CDM) provides the opportunity for carbon trading to support environmental protection and economic development? Markets of Solar water heating is described in 6 developing countries, namely Barbados Brazil China India Mexico and South Africa.
• USA: Chromasun’s Concentrating Flat Plate Collectors supply Santa Clara University -

  60 Chromasun MCT collectors have been generating heat for the dining service at the Benson Memorial Center of Santa Clara University since 12 April 2011. Californian industrial rooftop solar solution company Chromasun manufactured the concentrating flat plate collector panels, California-based solar system integrator SunWater Solar was responsible for the installation. According to Chromasun, the system is the largest solar thermal project completed under the California Solar Initiative – Thermal (CSI-T) programme to date.
  Photo: Chromasun

• Solar thermal based Air-Conditioning System proves itself in India-

  Showcase: These parabolic dishes supply a solar air-conditioning plant of a hospital in Gujarat state in western India and replace 1 ton of wood consumption every day. Photo: Gadhia Solar Energy Systems

• ISH 2011: Solar Trends in the Heating Industry -

  The ISH is becoming increasingly international. At the beginning of this March, the world´s largest trade fair for bathroom, building, energy and climate technology in Frankfurt, Germany, has counted significantly more international visitors than ever before. 35 % of the 204,000 trade visitors came from abroad (2009: 29 %), whereas the total number of visitors almost stagnated (+1.5 %). The ISH is the trade fair of the European heating industry. The five largest corporations - Bosch Thermotechnik, Vaillant, Viessmann from Germany, BDR Thermea, Netherlands, and Ariston from Italy - dominated Hall 8 with huge stands. Solarthermalworld.org presents some of the trends it discovered in the solar thermal product portfolio of Europe's heating business.
  Photo: ISH 2011
  
  

• Absorber Coating: a Rising Industry in India-

  India's coating industry has shown impressive growth rates over the last ten years. Just one manufacturer of selective coating dominated the industry a decade ago: Solchrome, who had obtained the technology from Canada. Today, 8 manufacturers are using the Nalsun technology developed by the NAL.
  Source: own research

• Delhi: Solar Water Heaters Save Electricity -

  Reducing the burden of the electricity load: a solar water heater in the city of Delhi. Photo: Koto Trade & Service
  

• India: First Coating for Aluminium Fins-

  First of its kind in India: Bengaluru-based Maharaja Techno Chromes, one of the largest solar coating companies in India, uses the Nalsun technology to coat aluminium fins in black chrome.
  Photo: Maharaja Techno Chromes

• India: Sufficient Raw Materials for strong Market Growth - Aluminium fins by Indian company Maharaja Techno Chromes: According to the manufacturer, the laser-welded fins are nearly 60 % less expensive than copper ones and market acceptance is satisfying. Efficiency is certainly still a bit lower.
  Photo: Jaideep Malaviya
  
  
• Solar Water Heaters in India: Market Assessment Studies and Surveys for Different Sectors and Demand Segments (2010)-

  This report was submitted by Greentech Knowledge Solutions to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and it is the result of the work carried out by the New Delhi consortium. Other members of the consortium are located at Pondicherry, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneshwar and Kolkata. The objective of the report is to understand the solar water heating market, make projection for the expected demand until 2022 and generate policy inputs to help authorities tackle the possible obstacles.

• India: Emmvee Moves into New Collector and Tank Factory-

  New enamelling factory of Emmvee Solar in India: The plant is part of the new factory and office complex near the city of Bangalore. 
  Photo: Emmvee

• India: Best Practise Applications for Hotels- Profiting from cost-effective solar thermal technology: The JP Siddhartha Hotel in the city of Gurgaon, Haryana, runs a 56 m² collector system supplying solar energy for the domestic hot water demand of the hotel. The investment of INR 490,000 will pay off in less than 2 years.
• 1,000 Solar Keymark Licenses for Collectors: among them 7 % from China -

  Solar Keymark is a very broadly accepted label on the European solar thermal market. More than 1,000 collector certificates have been issued since the introduction of the certification system in 2003.
  Source: www.solarkeymark.org

• India: Financial support for Solar Energy in India's Union Budget 2010-2011 -

  “Harnessing renewable energy sources to reduce dependency on fossil fuels is recognised as a credible strategy for combating global warming and climate change,” Indian Financial Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in his speech about the Union Budget 2010-2011 at the end of February.

• India: Cross Checking the Size of the Solar Thermal Market-

  The solar thermal market in India could do better than it has done so far. Everybody agrees on that, but the size of the annual market remains unclear. For example, you will find reliable sources for the year 2007 that talk about 256,000 m², an equivalent of 180 MW_th (Solar Heat Worldwide 2008), or about 650,000 m², an equivalent of 455 MW_th (Study of the Swiss bank Sarasin). The truth lies probably in the middle.

• MTS: International Player from Italy- Solar thermal factory in Italy: Flat-plate collectors for the MTS Group’s business are produced at this new site in central Italy. Photo: MTS Group
  

• India: Official Launch of the New Solar Thermal Federation of India (STFI)-

  The picture above shows the board of the newly founded Solar Thermal Federation of India (STFI): STFI Chairman Krishnappa Subramanya (CEO of TATA-BP Solar), STFI President Jaideep Malaviya (consultant and journalist) and Vice-Chairman Hemant Revankar (Managing Director of Bipin Engineers).
  Photo: Solar Thermal Federation of India

• India: First Solar Hot Water Distribution Management System -

  The differences in hot water demand between families living in the same solar-supplied multi-storey house has always been a source of complaints and disputes in India. A solution was found with the creation of a new hot water management system by Indian company Akson's Solar.
  Photo: Akson's

• India: Gujarat State announces Tariff for Solar Thermal Power-

  At the end of January 2010, the government of the western Indian state of Gujarat made a generous announcement: In promotion of grid-connected solar energy within the state's territory, a capacity of 716 MW of solar power is going to be distributed to 34 national and international project developers. The share of solar photovoltaics and Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plants is said to be 365 MW and 351 MW, respectively.

• India: Maharishi Partners with Abengoa Solar to Offer High-temperature Solar Applications-

  Manufacturer of solar thermal technology: So far, Maharishi Solar has been producing flat plate collectors and photovoltaic panels. The company now wants to extend its portfolio by including concentration solar systems to generate steam utilized in industrial production. Photo: Maharishi

• Status of Solar Thermal Technologies and Markets in India and Europe -

  The focus of the document is mainly on the solar water heating systems as it is the most commercialised technology in India as well as in Europe and the objective of this study is to identify areas of co-operation between India and Europe. The status of other solar thermal technologies is provided in the annex I of the document.

  Download document here or read it below

• The Rising Sun. Point of View on Solar Energy Sector in India (2011)-

  This report, published by KPMG, an Indian research company, passes in review the Indian solar market in terms of technologies and applications (PV, solar power, solar water and heating, etc), barriers and drivers, grid issues, legislation and tax incentives.

• Intersolar Speakers present latest figures of key Solar Thermal Markets-

  Several well-known speakers shared their market figures from key solar thermal markets worldwide with the audience of the Global Solar Thermal Markets session at the Intersolar Conference at the beginning of June. Whereas India and Brazil maintain high growth rates, the European solar heating and cooling sector has to again cope with a decline of now 13 % in 2010 compared to the previous year. The chart shows the developments of markets with a volume of 200,000 and 500,000 m². It is part of the 16-page brochure “Solar Thermal Markets in Europe”, which the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation (ESTIF) presented at the Intersolar.
  Figure: ESTIF

• Launch of ISOL Navigator: Asia moves up, while Europe lags behind -

  The ISOL Navigator has been launched at the Intersolar Europe in Munich at the 8th of June. The international study presents the current and future market development in 16 key solar heating and cooling countries. The ISOL Navigator is based on the “ISOL Index”, an international business climate index developed by German agency solrico at the beginning of 2010. This ISOL index is a point-based indicator (ranging from 0 to 100 points) showing the satisfaction of solar thermal manufacturers and system suppliers with current and expected market development. Company values are averaged to obtain country and regional indices.
  Figure: solrico

• Making Solar Thermal Power Generation in India a Reality (2007)-

  This is a document provided by Mr. Shirish Garud and Dr. Ishan Purohit, research associates within the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi, India, which proposes an economic and environment evaluation of India’s solar thermal potential. After a brief presentation of India’s power scenarios, the authors pass in review some solar thermal power generation technologies, like parabolic trough system, power tower system or parabolic dish systems.

• Capacity Building for Solar Thermal Energy in India (2010)-

  This presentation provided by Rangan Banerjee, from the Department of Energy Science and Engineering of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Bombay, draws a panorama of solar thermal energy and storage technologies. After a brief presentation of various green energies and several end uses and technologies, the author focuses on solar thermal energy, especially on passive solar.

• India: Huge Effect of Print Media Publicity on Market Development -

  The last 5 years have seen a strong growth in India's solar thermal market. While adverts in television, the radio, as well as the print media are all very popular forms of raising public awareness in India, thanks to the growing literacy rate, newspaper advertisement was found to be the most effective channel to disseminate information about the solar thermal sector. Some states, such as Maharashtra, put up advert hoardings at prominent places in large cities. The poster seen in the photo lists the registered manufacturers, including their contact number.
  Photo: Jaideep Malaviya

• India: First Training Programme for Plumbers of ICPCI-

  It turned out that the fast-growing market for solar water heating systems in India required more installers who could fulfil its particular requirements than had been available. Bearing this in mind, the International Copper Promotion Council of India (ICPCI) organised its first training programme for installers in Pune in the last week of March 2011. The 24 trainees expressed their satisfaction with the 6-day course and offered manufacturers their first installations just a few weeks later.
  Photo: Jaideep Malaviya
  
  

• India: Credit Rating allows for privileged Application Process-

  To expand the solar thermal market and minimise the application time for subsidies and soft loans, the Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has devised a new application method for its national subsidy scheme: Since 1 April, it has offered Channel Partners (CP) to directly submit their project proposals to MNRE.

• India: Glass for Solar Collectors misses Customs Duty Exemption-

  In the Union Budget for financial year 2011-2012, which began at the first of April, Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee granted full exemption from basic customs duty to importers of raw glass and toughened glass used in the photovoltaic industry. Some of the solar collector manufacturers found this unequal treatment difficult to accept, because PV modules and solar collectors use the same low iron glass, only in different sizes and thicknesses.
  Photo: Borosil Glass Works

• Indian-Chinese Joint-Venture produces Polymer Tanks in India -

  Indian collector manufacturer Nuetech Solar Pvt Ltd and Chinese solar system manufacturer Himin Solar Co. Ltd have signed a purchase agreement for polymers tanks, called NANO, on 18 February (from right to left): Surendra Kumar, Managing Director of Nuetech Solar, David Zhang, International Business Development Manager at Himin, Tygamundlu Anant, CEO of Nuetech Solar and Li Qianjin, Regional Manager, International Business Department at Himin.
  Photo: Nuetech

• Germany: T*Sol simulates Air Collector Systems -

  Air collector systems of Grammer can now be simulated and planned with the new version 5.0 of T*SOL Pro, the dynamic simulation programme for the design and planning of solar thermal systems, developed by German company Valentin Software. The programme is the result of a close collaboration with German air collector manufacturer Grammer Solar.
  Figure: Valentin

• Solar Thermal Technology Research and Development (2010)-

  This is a presentation from Dr Ashvini Kumar, Director of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy of India. It provides an overview about main market applications of solar thermal energy: solar heating, solar cooking, cooling, drying, industrial process heat, etc. The presentation also touches upon issues such as R&D policies and the main pillars of the Indian government’ strategy on this regard. Lastly the presentation refers some projects involving these technologies which are under implementation in Bombay, Bangalore, Udaipur and New Delhi.

• SOLARCON INDIA 2011, Hyderabad- SOLARCON India 2011 will take place from 9 to 11 November 2011 in Hyderabad. The exhibition and conference attracts highly-focused visitors from across the Indian solar manufacturing supply chain. In 2010 the organisers counted more than 4,200 visitors and conference delegates from 32 countries. SOLARCON India is supported by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) of the Government of India and the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA).
• Intersolar India 2011, Mumbai- Intersolar India will take place from December 14 to 16, 2011 at Bombay Exhibition Centre (BEC), Mumbai. The exhibition and conference for the photovoltaics and solar thermal industries brings together industry professionals from the entire Solar eco-system. These areas included: materials, equipment, PV cell and module manufacturers and distributors; inverter and balance of systems suppliers; mounting and tracking systems suppliers; solar thermal manufacturers and distributors, project developers, service companies; the finance and banking community; and policy makers.
• Maharashtra: Second most important Solar Thermal State in India-

  Mangal Akole intends to turn solar thermal into a mass market in the Western Indian state of Maharashtra. The Managing Director of Indian solar thermal manufacturer Akson’s Solar and pioneer of Indian's solar thermal sector was elected President of the Maharashtra Solar Manufacturers' Association (MASMA).
  Photo: MASMA

• India: Commercially available low-cost Tunnel Dryer by SPRERI -

  After more than a decade of research, the Kalyan Solar Tunnel Dryer by the Sardar Patel Renewable Energy Research Institute (SPRERI) has now been commercially available. According to SPRERI, the first dryers were sold two years ago. Since then, the number has increased to currently 14 units in operation. The photo shows a unit at the National Research Centre for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in the city of Anand, Gurajat.
  Photo: SPRERI

• India: Ideal Frame Conditions for Solar Heating and Cooling Sector -

  More than 200 participants attended the side-event dedicated to the solar heating and cooling sector during the Delhi International Renewable Energy Conference (DIREC) 2010 in New Delhi, India, at the end of October. International thought leaders highlighted the global development of low-temperature solar applications and the possibilities for widespread distribution of this technology.
  Photo: Jaideep Malaviya

• Solar Power – Thermal Route Issues and Challenges for India (2009)-

  This presentation was created by the Indian National Academy of Engineering. It provides information on the engineering issues associated with deploying solar thermal technology for widespread use in India.

• India: Largest Solar Thermal Process Heat Application- Solar process heat is becoming more and more popular in India: The photo shows the 240 collectors of an installation at the stapler and hole-punch manufacturer Kanin India. These panels heat a 60,000 litre electroplating bath in the city of Ludhiana, in the northernmost region of India. The temperature of the electroplating bath is to be maintained at 55 to 60 °C for 12 hours a day.
  Photo: Intersolar Systems
  
  
• India: US-India Business Council creates Solar Task Force -

  Chairwoman of the newly founded Solar Power Task Force in India: Aparna Doshi, Chief Operating Officer of India-headquartered Astonfield, a renewable energy facilitator. She shares the post with Bryan Ashley, Chief Marketing Officer at US-based photovoltaic manufacturer Suniva.
  Photo: Energy Independence & Global Warming
  
  

• India: NAL develops new sputtered Absorber Coating-

  The Surface Engineering Division of the Bengaluru-based Indian National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) has developed a new sputtered absorber coating, which could be applied to 6" stainless steel tubes of Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plants once the technology has passed the laboratory stage. A Magnetron sputtering process is used to cover the surface with the TiAlN/TiAlON/Si3N4 tandem coating.
  Photo: NAL

• India: Solar Hot Water in all newly constructed Ginger Hotels-

  Solar accommodation: The Ginger hotel chain, which is part of Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), takes its commitment to energy-efficiency very seriously. In the future, all chain hotels are going to have a solar water heater installed on their roof.
  Photo: Malaviya Energy Consultancy

• India: Exclusive Distribution Agreement for Canadian Air Collectors-

  CEO Tygamundlu Anant (left) and Managing Director Surendra Kumar (centre), both from Nuetech Solar, India, signed an exclusive agreement with Christian Vachon, President of Enerconcept Technologies, Canada, about introducing the solar air heating collector Lubi in India.
  Photo: Nuetech Solar

• India: Collective Applications for national Subsidies-

  The Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has just released the application procedure for claiming incentives under the recently launched national subsidy programme, which is part of the National Solar Mission.
  

• ICORE-2010, Chandigarh- International Congress on Renewable Energy (ICORE) is a flagship event of the Solar Energy Society of India (SESI). ICORE-2010 will take place on 1-2 December, 2010 in Chandigarh. Concurrently with the conference an International Renewable Energy Trade Show is also being organized from 1-3 December. ICORE-2010 will provide a platform to representatives of the Renewable Energy industry, academics, policy analysts, governments and diplomatic missions, non-governmental organizations, financial institutions, and international organizations including bilateral and multilateral organizations.
• Intersolar India 2010, Mumbai- Intersolar India will take place from December 14 to 16, 2010 at Bombay Exhibition Centre (BEC), Mumbai. The exhibition and conference for the photovoltaics and solar thermal industries brings together industry professionals from the entire Solar eco-system. These areas included: materials, equipment, PV cell and module manufacturers and distributors; inverter and balance of systems suppliers; mounting and tracking systems suppliers; solar thermal manufacturers and distributors, project developers, service companies; the finance and banking community; and policy makers.
• Renewtech India 2011, Mumbai- Renewtech India 2011 will be held from 17^th to 19^th February 2011 at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai. The annual event is supported by key industry players and industry associations. The 3-day conference will bring together business leaders from public & private sectors, along with senior officers from central and state governments, to address the development of India's Renewable Energy sector.
• DIREC 2010, New Dehli- The 4^th International Renewable Energy Conference in 2010 will be held from 27^th to 29^th October, 2010 in New Delhi, India. The Delhi International Renewable Energy Conference (DIREC 2010) is the fourth in the series of the International Renewable Energy Conferences, which followed from the initiative taken at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, acknowledging the significance of renewable energies for sustainable development – especially for combating poverty and for environmental and climate protection.
• South Korea: Improved Machinery Equipment for automated Solutions-

  Brazing, soldering and welding specialist Dr Shin from South Korea: The Managing Director of Korean machinery equipment supplier SK Brazing presented several improved products for the manufacturing of tanks and collectors at the Intersolar North America in San Francisco in July 2010.
  Photo: Bärbel Epp

• New Zealand: Solar Heat Specialists merge-

  Collector manufacturer Solar City New Zealand Ltd and system integrator Solar Technology Systems Ltd have merged to form one of New Zealand´s largest solar businesses. 

• Combined Solar Power and Desalination Plants: Update on the MED-CSD Project (2009)-

  This presentation from 2009 provides an update of the MED-CSD project. The main aim of this project is the assessment of the technico-economic potential of CSP for electricity and desalination in the Mediterranean region. The presentation first gives a global overview by linking the regions suffering from water scarcity with the global potential for concentrating solar power.

• Thematic Review of GEF-Financed Solar Thermal Projects (2001)-

  This paper reports the developments of four projects financed by the UN Global Environment Facility (GEF) in India, Morocco, Mexico and Egypt. The GEF chose those countries to develop solar thermal power technology as it has shown to be one of the most cost efficient options for renewable bulk power production, besides being the most cost-effective way of producing electricity from solar radiation.

• Seizing the Solar Solution: Combating Climate Change through Accelerated Deployment (2009)-

  This report was published on December 2009, parallel to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) summit taking place in Copenhagen, to bring authorities' attention to solar energy and the relevant contribution it can provide to reducing GHG emissions.