Dr Eicke R. Weber, a doctorate from Cologne University in
defects in deformed silicon, has dedicated over four decades in silicon
research and solar energy panels. He has been a professor in the University of
California and Berkley for over twenty years and earned name in the field of
silicon defects and III-V semiconductors. He mainly researched how
metallurgical silicon with a certain amount of impurities could be used to
produce high-efficiency solar cells.
Presently the Vice President of International Solar Energy
Society, Dr Weber was also the Director of the Fraunhofer Institute of Solar
Energy—a world-renowned Solar Energy research institute. As a Director of the
prestigious institute, he intensified networking between the University and
with corporate world involved in the solar business. He was also involved in
setting up a new Sustainability Center Freiburg between Fraunhofer and the
University for Solar Energy promotion. Dr Weber spoke to Vijay Thakur, Special
Representative the Statesman, on the future of solar energy and its necessity.
Excerpts of the Interview:
Question
What you think is the main challenge before the global solar
industry. And how do you these challenges can be it can be tackled?.
Answer.
Though there are many challenges before the industry. But we
know it is the future and will soon have some solutions. Among all challenges,
the biggest challenge is global solar cell production is mostly in the hands of
one country that is China. In the coming years, it can create global imbalance,
which is not strategically good for any country.
Today China is probably the only country which is catering to
most of the global PV cell demands. Their rate per watt is very low and frankly
speaking there is hardly any country which can match Chinese price. And this is
the problem strategically speaking is it advisable to give full business to
China. So far we have not taken it seriously, but time has come to prevent the
entire marketing getting dominated by one country only.
Today total annual solar installation around the world is around
500 GegaWatt, which would cross 3,000 to 5,000 GWatt by 2030 which means 10
times increase. By 2050 demand of solar panels would touch 50,000 Gwatt. By a
simple calculations, solar panel demand would increase 100 times incoming
thirty years.
It is time for our global political leaders to see if we can
give the entire business to only one country. Strategically I would call it a
blunder, and request big countries mainly India to venture out in solar cell
productions. If this trend is not reversed, it would bring imbalance in the
solar market, which is going to be the main source of energy in future.
Question:
How do you think we can meet this
challenge?
Answer:
It is time for countries like
India, USA and Germany to come forward and produce large scale solar cells at a very affordable price to meet China price. If we do not do now than we will
miss the bus. Solar cells production is fully mechanized, and within a couple of
years, we can meet the Chinese price in Germany as well as in India. Our
leadership should show their will power in this direction, and that is the only
solution.
Question:
India has set a great target for the use of solar energy. It is
encouraging and subsidizing the solar industry. How do you see the future of the Indian
solar industry and its role in the International solar market?
Answer:
No doubt India has done a great job in promoting the solar industry
during the past couple of years. India has not only promoted the domestic solar
industry, but It is also providing services to third world countries. Certainly
India has a very important role to play in the global transformation process in
renewable energy. After China, India has the biggest growing solar energy
demand in the world. It has very ambitious targets to bring down CO2 emissions.
Solar energy appears to be the only source for the whole of India. It can be
harvested anywhere in the country at and at a very reasonable and affordable
price. Solar energy production has come down as low as two to four cents a
unit.
Now coming to India’s role in the international market, we must
admit that India is going to lead the International market. I will not be
surprised if I see India covering a solar market of developed countries.
Question:
One of the main problems in promoting the solar industry is that it
cannot be stored and the present cost of storage cost is very high. You think when
this problem would be over or when power storage would become pricewise
competitive in India and abroad.
Answer.
To a great extent, the present storage cost is high. But it is
coming down year by year. At present, lithium-ion batteries are around USD 100 a
KiloWatt Hour. We are expecting its prices to go down like PhotoVoltaic cells
in a couple of years. If we see 20 years ago, PV cells were not a choice for a
country like India, but today the prices have reduced several times. Today in
India solar power from solar has become the cheapest source of energy.
Similarly in the coming years, we will see prices of battery storage solutions
to go down like PV cells. But at the same time, there are other ways of energy
solutions. The excess electricity produced from the solar system can be used to
separate hydrogen from water, which can be stored for a long time. We see the storage of solar energy by generating hydrogen.
Having said all that, we strongly believe that in the coming
five years, prices of solar energy storage would come down to a level where a
common man can afford it. But we will have to wait for a time when solar energy
generation and storage would become cheaper than the existing grid system. I
would not be surprised if the solar storage would become cheaper than the
transmission and distribution cost and its losses.
Question:
International Solar Alliance (ISA), an alliance of 121
countries blessed with solar energy is headquartered in Gurgaon India. Indian
leadership has shown its commitment to help third world countries to promote
and install solar power projects. Do you think ISA would help India to emerge a
global leader in developing countries?
Ans:
Yes, India has a real opportunity to be a leader in the global
solar energy industry of the developing countries. ISA would, directly and indirectly, help India become a global leader. It can provide services to all
developing countries particularly the continent like Africa. India can offer
decentralized power supply to developing countries by designing mini-grids for
off-grid solar solutions at a very affordable rate. African countries are
really looking forward to India for affordable solar business solutions. India
can train technicians of developing counties and provide them with utility items
of the solar industry.
Question:
Now Electric Vehicles are coming in a big way in India. It is
likely to penetrate deep into Indian cities and rural areas. You think the introduction of EVs would help the Indian solar industry?
Answer:
Certainly, I have very high hope from Electric Vehicles. The
spread of electric vehicles would revolutionize the solar industry. It appears
strange but true, electric vehicles and the solar industry have a very close link.
One, we can now charge electric vehicles directly using PVs which would bring
down carbon emission level and reduce dependence on fossil fuel. Since EV would
be an organized industry, it would manufacture Lithium-Ion batteries in volume
and ultimately bring down the prices good quality batteries for off-grid
solutions.
And lastly, the average life of EV batteries is five years.
After five years, its power rate becomes as low as 80% and cannot be used for
electric vehicles. But for a home solar system, these batteries can be run for
another five years. EVs would open a new market of used LiOn batteries for
domestic usage. As a result, the cost of electric vehicles would come down as
the used batteries will be used for home solar systems giving them a second
life. Since its prices would be much less, those who cannot afford costly solar
batteries would opt for second life LiOn battery. This way EV would not only
promote solar power but would also bring down the storage system.
Vijay Thakur, The Statesman.
Ends.
