Tremendous growth in rooftop solar to be seen

With a 10 percent rise in the budgetary allocation amounting to ₹ 2,150 crore, we are looking forward to more and more solar projects being installed at utility scale.
Ashok Kewat, Managing Director, Ashone Technologiies Pvt Ltd

More solar projects to be installed on utility-scale basis
Ashok Kewat Managing Director Ashone Technologiies Pvt Ltd talks about how the budget will affect the solar sector, and the reasons for the decreasing trend in investments in the sector. He also discusses the range of solutions the company provides for EPC companies.

Please elaborate on the solutions that your company provides.
Our company provides quality and affordable maintenance solutions to EPC companies. We provide premium maintenance services to utility scale project ranging from 1 MW to 500 MW. We use high-end technology to monitor plant performance through online monitoring and provide weekly/monthly analysis reports. We also use night vision camera to identify micro damage to PV cells.

How do you think will the recent budget announcements impact the solar sector?
With a 10 percent rise in the budgetary allocation amounting to ₹ 2,150 crore, we are looking forward to more and more solar projects being installed at utility scale. We are also looking forward to a tremendous growth in the rooftop solar segment.

What are the challenges faced by EPC companies?
There is no clarity on the subsidy part for EPC companies, and the net metering issue in Maharashtra for rooftop solar is a major dampener which needs to be resolved urgently. Little awareness and less priority on maintenance of solar plants are decreasing the performance of the plants.

We are creating awareness amongst the rooftop solar segment, and people are happy to see the improvement in their saving due to proper maintenance.

What is the current status of investments in the solar sector? How does it affect your business?
The investment in the solar sector is in decreasing trend due to reduction in profit margin and heavy capital investment. Due to the recent attempt by the government to revise the long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) to reduce the per unit rate, it has created insecurity in the minds of investor.