In India domestic solar manufacturers are up in arms over the government's decision to supply its National Solar Mission with imported solar cells and modules from other countries.
The government says adding imported solar equipment into the equation, along with domestic manufacturing, will allow for faster commissioning of projects. The National Solar Mission aims to install 20,000-megawatts of solar energy in India by 2020.
India's solar manufacturers argue that this decision will open the door for cheaper and sub-standard equipment to be imported from China.
With the size of the the National Solar Mission, domestic companies were hoping the government would institute a parameters which called for local sourcing of materials. Industry officials believe such a move would boost investment and development of solar technology in India, as well as be a boon for the economy.
As Ajay Prakash Shrivastava, president of Maharishi Solar Technology explains, "India has ample capacities to fulfill the objectives of the Mission with best quality products and therefore, there is no need to allow the import of solar photovoltaic products from outside."
Read the full story at The Economic Times: Cos jittery as govt plans import of solar ower tools
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Nathanael Baker is the Managing Editor of EnergyBoom. He has researched and reported on the issues of renewable energy, sustainability, and climate change for over two years. He has provided research to the New York Times and The Economist, as well as being published on different media outlets including, The Energy Collective.
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