CleanMax is a solar developer, and we have in-house capabilities for engineering, execution, operation and maintenance, and financing of our projects says Andrew Hines, Head South India Business Development, CleanMax Solar
How would evaluate the current status of Solar power industry in India?
India is one of the world’s most promising solar markets today, but much is needed from the private sector and government. To achieve this ambitious goals the Government of India has set, the potential to increase the availability and reliability of power in India, in a cost-effective way, while also dramatically reduces the pollution and carbon emission which would occur from a large capacity growth based on coal-based generation.
I think the next couple of years will be a key juncture which will establish whether the NSM goals can be achieved or not. Particularly in rooftop solar, the industry has a long way to go in achieving the 40 GW target, and even in demonstrating that it is achievable. Direct and indirect support from central and state governments will be required to enable the private sector to build such large rooftop solar capacities. Governments will need to create supportive policies where required, for example by creating sensible net metering policies, without arbitrary constraints on capacity, and following through by ensuring permissions are readily given.
What are major projects with CleanMax Solar both in India as well as in the global context?
CleanMax Solar is India’s largest provider of onsite solar power, with more than 30 MWp of onsite solar power plants for mostly corporate customers.
•CleanMax can claim many achievements in rooftop solar, including:
•Largest player in the rooftop on-site PPA segment with a market share of 28% (Ranked by Bridge to India)
•Commissioning the largest rooftop solar plants in several states, including Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka, for large automotive manufacturers
•Commissioning the two largest rooftop solar plants for private universities, at Manipal University in Karnataka and Manipal University Jaipur, at approximately 1 MW each
•Commissioning the largest onsite solar plant on a build-own-operate basis in India, at 3.5 MWp in Pune
•CleanMax has also recently commissioned the first solar park as part of Karnataka’s state policy, which has a capacity of 30 MWp, and also has a large pipeline of future capacity. CleanMax has also entered into Asia’s largest private-sector solar PPA, for an Open Access project in Tamil Nadu
What do you contemplate as the major challenges for the Indian PV manufacturers?
Indian manufacturers are currently quite far from manufacturing at the scale required to compete with Chinese Tier 1 players. There is a possibility that large-scale manufacturers will set up manufacturing capacity in India several years down the road, but this will depend largely on their assessment of manufacturing costs in China vs India (and other countries) several years down the road. I do not believe that government support for domestically manufacturers of cells and modules will be what drives this decision, unless the government decides to the kind of huge push that China did, and this is unlikely. In any case, the solar power industry can thrive in India whether or not the modules are being manufactured here. The largest benefits from solar power is to consumers and residents of India who can achieve clean, affordable and reliable power. The importance of local manufacturing of modules should not be overstated.
What is the extent of vertical integration achieved by CleanMax Solar and how do you plan to expand in the near future?
CleanMax is a solar developer, and we have in-house capabilities for engineering, execution, operation and maintenance, and financing of our projects. We do not manufacture and do not have any intention to do so as there would be no real benefit to our business.
What are the latest technological trends in PV industry?
Tracker systems have a significant potential for the Indian market, although there are not too many in India. CleanMax has recently commissioned our first tracker-based system, in North India, and we are very pleased with the results so far.
What is your view on the MSIPS policy and how beneficial has this been for the Indian manufacturers?
As we are not a manufacturer, we don’t have a view on this
What is CleanMax Solar targeting in terms MW of Solar EPC for 2016-2017?
I would expect us to install approximately 30-40 MW of rooftop solar projects, and another 60-80 MW of solar farm projects for Open Access
How does CleanMax Solar ensure lowest cost of ownership to its customers?
As a developer, achieving the lowest cost of energy in the market is essential to us. The key elements of this are
a) Lowest cost of financing
b)Reducing installation cost without compromising quality
c)Maximizing generation, though equipment selection, plant design, O&M, monitoring
We focus very intently on continually improving on all of these elements to remain the most competitive in the market
How is CleanMax Solar faring in the global markets? Which are the markets which you find to be more attractive?
We are currently not participating in markets outside India. The Indian market is growing fast enough to occupy our entire attention at the moment.
Solar power is expected to rival offshore wind turbines as there are currently many projects developing floating solar panels. How active is CleanMax Solar in this segment?
We are not active in this segment. Unlike in wind power, availability of land with good generation is not really a constraint in solar today. So floating solar projects are really a niche segment that has more to do with other benefits such as reducing evaporation in reservoirs. I do not expect this to make up a significant share of the solar market.
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