Page 219 - Applied Photovoltaics
P. 219

10.7.4 India
                     While most PV being installed in developing countries is in small stand-alone
                     systems, India, although also supporting a large market in small-scale systems, has
                     established a Rural Electrification Supply Technology Mission, aimed at electrifying
                     the 20,000 or so remote villages across India by 2012 using renewable and hybrid
                     energy systems (Chaurey, 2004). This program is backed up by the Electricity Act
                     2003, which includes provision for independent power producers to establish
                     renewable energy based power systems in remote areas and for state based power
                     providers to specify renewable energy content (Ibid.). One of the earliest village
                     systems was a 100 kW p  mini-grid PV system in Kalyanpur, at a cost of US$1.5
                     million (Solar Flare, 1993). It provides electricity for 500 houses, 40 street lights and
                     15 water pumps (Ibid.). Villagers pay a monthly charge, mainly for lighting.
                     Government support has also been provided for grid-connected PV plants, as a means
                     of increasing PV production volume and hence reducing costs. India ranks fifth in the
                     world for grid-connected PV capacity. A BIPV demonstration program is underway
                     and several major BIPV projects have been undertaken on large office and
                     government buildings.
                     By 2003, India was the fifth largest PV module manufacturer in the world, with 60
                     major component manufacturers, and significant research, demonstration and market
                     development programs. In addition to catering for its own growing market, it is
                     moving rapidly into export markets (Chaurey, 2004).
                     10.7.5 China

                     China has a vast unmet demand for electricity (Hirshman, 2003), particularly for
                     village mini-grid systems in the western provinces (Cabraal, 2004; Li, 2004). Some
                     800 village systems were installed in China in 2002–03, using 19 MW p  of PV
                     (Honghua et al., 2004). Systems ranged in size up to 150 kW p . In addition, plans are
                     under way for the installation of 10 MW p  of PV in smaller solar home systems by
                     2005, while PV is also widely used for mobile phone networks, microwave repeater
                     stations, optical fibre links and train signalling (Ibid.). The China Brightness Project
                     aims to install over 100 MW p  of PV in off-grid applications by 2010 (Yi, 2004).
                     For grid-connected PV in China, the ‘Renewable Energy Development & Utilisation
                     Promotion Law’, expected to be implemented in 2005, is likely to mandate renewable
                     energy contributions to the grid. A number of grid systems are also expected to be
                     installed for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
                     To meet the installation targets set, China’s ‘Five Year Plan for New and Recycled
                     Energy’ has set a module production target of 15 MW p , up from 2 MW p  in 2003. The
                     longer term ‘Development Program for New and Recycled Energy’ has a 320 MW p
                     target for 2015 (Yi, 2004).
                     10.7.6 Australia

                     Australia has had a number of renewable energy support programs since the mid
                     1980s, often state-based and usually specific to off-grid applications. A federal
                     government scheme, the ‘Remote Renewable Power Generation Program’, is
                     expected to continue until 2009. It is administered by the states under various




                     206
   214   215   216   217   218   219   220   221   222   223   224