Research and Development in Renewable Energy Sector

The Government is taking the following major steps to foster growth of solar energy producing companies in the country: i. Fiscal and financial incentives in the form of accelerated depreciation, concessional/nil customs and excise duties, preferential tariffs and generation based incentives are being provided to improve viability of solar power generation units. ii. Scheme for setting up grid-connected solar PV power projects with mechanisms like 'Bundling unallocated coal based thermal power' and Viability Gap Funding from National clean Energy Funds' are being implemented. iii. Capital subsidy is being provided for off-grid/decentralized solar power generation systems. iv. An enabling policy and regulatory environment is being created through measures like solar specific RPOs under National Tariff Policy {0.25% in Phase 1 (2013) to increase to 3% by 2022}, State Specific Solar Policies and RPO targets, and REC mechanism. Efforts are being made to ensure compliance by DISCOMs and obligated entities with this solar energy producing companies to get a long term market. v. The R&D with private sector is also being encouraged. Ministry provides upto 100% financial support to Government/non-profit research organizations/NGOs and 50% to industry/civil society organizations. This was stated by Shri. Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (I/C) for Power, Coal & New and Renewable Energy in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today. The Minister further said that Polysilicon is not being manufactured in India at present. However, under R&D Policy, there is provision to promote the R&D projects on development and synthesis of polysilicon innovations in the field of solar energy. Ministry has no proposal to set up new R&D centre directly under the Ministry. However, in R&D various established institutions are being supported. Collaborations in R&D projects in various areas of renewable energy have been taken up involving, amongst others institutions like Fraunhofer ISE Germany, The Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) Germany, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), USA etc. with our institutions like NISE, the Minister added. ND/RS- USQ3090 - LS

Research and Development in Renewable Energy Sector

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