India has been a land of revolution witnessing the life changing revolutions like the Green Revolution and the White Revolution. Now it's on the verge of next big revolution hidden behind the clouds of non-acceptance, unawareness & expensive financing. The newly set target of 40 GW Solar Rooftop PV (SRPV) deployments by 2022 will change the position of India on the map of solar powered nations across the world. The country has around 337 million houses as per the census 2011. A 1 kW system per house could add up to 337 GW of installed capacity; commercial and industrial rooftop space being additional avenue for generation which signifies that the 40 GW target is very much achievable and not over ambitious. The commencements of “Make in India” and “Housing for all by 2022” missions are other elements which can accelerate the transition. China already has plans to set up a manufacturing unit in India; Sun Edison has signed a MoU to build the largest solar manufacturing capacity in India and many others are following suit.
The advent of new target has opened many business opportunities along the Solar Value Chain both in Manufacturing and Services sectors. The market research firm expects the nation’s solar photovoltaic (PV) market to grow at a CAGR of 43.2% over the period 2013–2018 due to its huge technical potential of around 5000 trillion kWh per year and minimum operating costs. Before venturing into the market, an analysis of various segments of the SRPV Chain is required with an assessment of competition, ROI and the risks involved. Value chain analysis is therefore proposed to be presented for the benefit of all the stakeholders including foreign investors. The paper also attempts to bring out awareness among the citizens resolving apprehensions in their mind for solar deployment in India sequel to an on-line survey conducted.
SRPV is a decentralised technology, which is being encouraged due to its low land footprint and ability to reduce T&D losses. After analysing the Policy & Regulatory Mechanism of Solar Rooftop PV in India and the markets in other solar matured Nations of the world, paper attempts to outline the Financial Scheme which can make SRPV projects viable for the potential investors and owners in India.
