India

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. 

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

On the 17^th of June, the Federal Government of India announced a new set of financing guidelines intended for off-grid solar systems under the National Solar Mission. Among other technologies, these new guidelines consider both low and medium temperature solar thermal systems, as well as off-grid PV systems. Photo: MNRE

In June 2010, the Federal Government of India announced a new set of financing guidelines intended for solar hot water systems in the residential, commercial and industrial sector under the National Solar Mission. According to the government, the incentives will be paid so long until the targets of the National Solar Mission are met.

This comprehensive report from 2010 reviews and assesses the building sector policies and regulations in India in the context of solar water heating (SWH) and needs to be seen in the context of the ambitious goal India set to reach 10 million m2 of installed SWH systems by 2012.

Solar air drying increases the competitiveness of India’s agricultural sector: For five years now, farmer Girishbhai Patel has been using a solar air dryer to accelerate the drying of tomatoes. The investment paid off in just four years.
Photos: Malaviya Energy Consultancy

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.

The Sardar Patel Renewable Energy Research Institute (SPRERI) organized a one day workshop on solar thermal drying at the end of March 2010. Its aim was to intensify the efforts of tapping into the national market potential for using solar applications to dry agricultural products.
Photo: Jaideep Malaviya

As could be read in the updated approval note No.3/1/2007-UICA (SE) from 21 April 2010, the Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy decided to continue its national subsidy programme in fiscal year 2010/2011.

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.