Solar Energy Research Institute for India and US (SERIIUS) was launched in Mumbai today. It is the largest of the three Joint Clean Energy Research and Development Centres (JCERDC). SERIIUS is jointly funded by Govt of india, dept of science and technology and US department of energy.
It is funded over a five-year period starting October, 2012 with funding of 25 mn dollars for 5 years with 50-50 split between india and US.
The lead institutes for SERIIUS are Indian Institute of Science in India and National Renewable Energy Laboratory in US.
The consortium is also supported by cost sharing from its members, which number more than 30 partners from india and US, and who have given $25 million.
The main objective of SERIIUS is to accelerate development of solar electric technology by lowering cost per watt of photovoltaics and concentrated solar power. Research and development will be done and industry commissioned projects undertaken by it. Indian partners include IIT Bombay, wipro and thermax among others.
