Distribution is the Biggest Challenge to spread of Solar Products in India

One of the biggest growth markets for solar products is India due to the fact that it has

a) One of the biggest energy deficits in the world with one of the lowest per capita energy consumption

b) Millons of citizens don’t have access to Electricity and the Power Grid

A number of Solar Companies in India have come out with innovative products like solar lamps and lanterns which combine a solar panel with a battery and a LED light to sell in rural areas. Note many of the villages are dark after night without any access  to power.  With more than half of the population living on less than $2 a day,people can’t afford expensive solar lighting products as well. So many companies have come out with low cost products like D.Light, Duron,O rb Energy and others.

However distribution into the millions of villages remains the biggest hurdle even if the people there can afford the products.T here are no good roads and the smaller solar companies lack the marketing muscle of say a big MNC like Hindustan Lever and ITC.People have tried to sell solar products using the microfinance companies but have not had much success as of now.India’s government has also pushed some small subsidy schemes but the red tape and the off and on nature has meant failure.

Solar Lamps or Solar Lanterns have seen astounding growth in India driven mainly by the lack of access to electricity and the high costs of Kerosene or gas lamps.Note Solar Lamps have been so successful in India mainly due to their economic utility rather than their Green Characteristics.Note 100,000 Indian villages do not yet have electricity which means that the productivity comes to a complete stop in the dark.Poor schoolchildren cannot study in the dark and people cannot work in the night either.Note Kerosene a dirty oil refined product is the main source of energy for millions of Indian citizens.Kerosene is a health hazard resulting in accidental fires and causing a lot of smoke which can lead to various respiratory diseases.Note Kerosene is subsidized by the Indian government and distributed through the Public Distribution System (PDS) which is a massively corrupt and inefficient system.The Kerosene is given in limited quantities and is not sufficient to Light the Darkness for a month or more.The advent of Solar LED Lamps has been a godsend solution to this problem.

Read on how to Buy Solar Panels in India