Moser Baer commissions first of its kind 1 MW Thin Film solar farm in Maharashtra

New Delhi, April 07, 2010: As part of its solar energy thrust, Moser Baer announces successful commissioning of its largest Thin Film solar farm with an installed capacity of 1 MW at Chandrapur in Maharashtra. It has been set up using amorphous silicon Thin Film technology which is best suited for the Indian climatic conditions and is connected to the 33 KVA local grid. The project will give much better returns (Rs/kWh) to the investors as compared to other technologies available in the country.

This project was awarded by Mahagenco, a Government of Maharashtra power generation company, on the basis of a global bid. The Solar farm at Chandrapur reflects the focus of the state utility companies in the country in introducing clean sources of renewable energy to feed into the grid.

Moser Baer has provided a complete turn-key solution including Design, Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Commissioning, Power Evacuation and Testing in successful commissioning of the project. Further more, the company will also provide Operations & Maintenance services for the project. Moser Baer has signed a consortium agreement with a Germany based company SunEnergy Europe for this project.

Speaking about the major achievement, Ratul Puri, Executive Director, Moser Baer, said: “Even though this project was conceptualised before the announcement of the country’s National Solar Mission, the commissioning of this 1 MW Thin Film solar farm at Chandrapur is a significant step in using ‘clean’ and ‘renewable energy’ and lends a major boost to the National Solar Mission.” He further added “We are sure that this will usher into a “solar movement” which will place India squarely on the global solar map.”

According to Dr. Rajiv Arya, CEO of MBPV, “This solar farm showcases our EPC capabilities and epitomises our abilities in designing and developing solar farms that match the global standards and meets the specific local requirements. It also underlines the suitability how Amorphous Silicon Thin Film panels are best suited in ramping up grid connected solar farms in high ambient temperature region like India. The modules in the facility are performing well, demonstrating an outstanding combination of high-quality manufacturing and high-efficiency solar technology.”

Mahagenco is engaged in the process of creating large additional generation capacity in Maharashtra in the next few years to meet the state’s growing energy needs. India's solar PV market has matured over the last three years.

About MBPV:

Moser Baer Photo Voltaic Limited (MBPV) and PV Technologies India Limited (PVTIL) are subsidiaries of Moser Baer India Limited and were launched between 2005 and 2007. The primary objective of the entities is to manufacture world-class solar modules and design an EPC for effective deployment of PV Systems. Our PV Systems business has rapidly grown to a market leadership position in solar farms, roof-tops and off-grid applications. The strategy is to straddle multiple technology platforms and to drive scale in a cost effective manner.

The current production capacity of MBPV stands at 90 MW Crystalline Cells, 90 MW Crystalline Modules, and 50 MW Thin Films. We also have an initial capacity of a few megawatts in Concentration PV, which is being rapidly developed for the market and has great cost reduction potential. We have a strong commitment to R&D and innovation and our products meet international standards including UL, IEC, ETL, CE. MBPV is the first Indian company to be awarded the prestigious 5 Star rating by TÜV Rheinland for maintaining highest standards of quality.

Website: www.moserbaer.com