Saturday, October 05, 2013: In the first year of operation, it is being reported that Indian solar plants that are using silicon-free panels are the best performers. These panels are mostly supplied by First Solar Inc. (FSLR). This was stated in a Bloomberg New Energy Finance report.
The report analysed 33 projects in Gujarat, which is the biggest state for solar installations in India. They found out that the projects using thin-film panels without silicon managed an average capacity utilization factor of 19.6 per cent, in comparison to 18.5 per cent for competing technologies.
Delhi-based solar analyst, Bharat Bhushan Agrawal, BNEF told Bloomberg, “This is consistent with thin-film performing better at high temperatures. Projects that bought equipment from Tempe, Arizona-based First Solar also probably benefited from better advice from U.S. engineers on design and siting.”
In an email response to the site, Bhushan said, “The data shows that worries about inexperienced engineers, poorly designed plants and India’s hot and humid climate were unfounded, BNEF said. Overall, the Gujarat plants recorded an average capacity utilization factor of 18.7 percent, in line with initial estimates by regulators and project developers.”
For those who don’t know, the capacity utilization factor maps how efficiently a plant produces energy, as compared with its highest capacity. While traditional crystalline modules are silicon-based, First Solar develops thin-film panels with cadmium telluride, which is a substitute for silicon.
