The increasing environmental pollution and depleting natural resources have compelled many countries to focus on alternative sources of energy, and a significant majority have chosen solar energy. Of the countries that have already started accelerating their solar PV installation targets, India and China have taken the boldest steps.

Per the International Energy Agency (IEA), global energy demand for electricity generation will increase 37% by 2040. Half of the demand will come from renewable energy primarily from solar PV installations, which will overtake coal as the leading source of electricity.

Furthermore, according to Bloomberg, global solar and wind energy project installations in 2015 are likely to increase to 52,000 megawatts (MW) and 60,000 MW, respectively. Of this, a significant portion is expected to be in emerging countries.

India and China — Asia’s biggest economies and most populous countries — are expected to lead PV installation over the next several years as the governments of both countries have prioritized solar power. Over the past couple of years, both the countries have accelerated their solar PV goals in order to fulfill domestic energy demand which is becoming a challenge.

Solar Power in China: China, the world’s prime manufacturer of solar panels, is emerging as the leading market for solar PV to meet the growing need for clean energy. The Chinese government announced new policies to encourage local governments to go for solar installations on residential and business rooftops and set up ground mounted plants of up to 20 MW.

Although the Chinese National Energy Administration (NEA) had earlier set a target of installing 14 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity in 2014, the country could only achieve 10.6 GW. Nevertheless, the NEA has now set an ambitious goal of installing 17.8 GW of solar capacity in 2015, about 18.7% higher than the previous 15 GW proposal announced in February. The NEA has called on local governments of all regions to focus on distributed generation.

China has set a target of installing 100 GW of solar PVs by 2020. China has also pledged to attain peak carbon emissions by 2030 or earlier if possible. The country has set a daunting task of boosting the share of non-fossil fuels to 20% of its energy mix by 2030.

Solar Power in India: Taking a giant step toward accelerating solar PV installations, the Indian Government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recently raised the country’s solar target to 100 GW to be achieved by 2022, a five-fold increase over the earlier target of 20 GW.

For the current fiscal year -- 2015-16 -- the government has planned to install nearly 4.5 GW capacity of renewable energy.

The successful accomplishment of the target will put India among the world’s largest green energy producers while providing long-term energy security for Indian citizens. Moreover, it will reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuels which put pressure on foreign reserves while creating ecological imbalances.

The solar target set by the Indian government includes residential rooftops and large-scale solar projects. Of the 100 GW solar PV installations, 40 GW is anticipated to be installed on building rooftops, while the remaining will be generated under larger, grid-connected projects, such as solar farms.

According to Indian consultancy firm, Bridge to India, currently the country has approximately 4.5 GW of installed solar capacity, which is anticipated to reach 31 GW by 2019. Even then, the country will be roughly 70 GW short of its target three years before the deadline.

Installation will likely not be so easy as the government has to overcome a number of obstacles including land acquisition, and grid infrastructure and financing to achieve the target. During yesterday’s announcement, the government stated that approximately $100 billion is required to fund the objective.

India: The Land of Opportunity

Given the ambitious goals set by the two Asian nations, over 200 GW solar PV will be installed in the next 5 to 7 years which will have a huge impact on the solar manufacturing industry. However, the opportunities for solar manufacturing companies in the two countries are different.

The Chinese solar market is mainly dominated by domestic manufacturers like Trina Solar Limited (TSL - Snapshot Report), Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. (YGE - Snapshot Report) and JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. (JASO - Analyst Report). These companies enjoy scale advantage due to the sheer size of China's solar market, thereby making their panels more cost effective than their European and American competitors. Therefore, there are relatively limited growth opportunities for foreign players in the country.

On the contrary, the Indian government, given its eagerness to achieve its solar objectives, has made it easier for global solar players to enter the country’s solar market. The government has announced small capital subsidies which will help to speed up adoption in the early phases. It is also planning to attract foreign players with dollar denominated supply contracts to protect that will protect them from currency fluctuations.

There is a huge demand/supply gap in the country’s power sector that provides significant opportunities for global solar players to capitalize on. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious “Make in India” strategy will further fuel demand.

A cheaper manufacturing destination like India will facilitate foreign players in achieving cost effectiveness once mass production starts. This will gradually neutralize the cost advantages enjoyed by Chinese manufacturers.

Additionally, the geographical location of India makes it one of the most suitable solar climates in the world, as it is very near to the equator.

These projections have put India on the radar of various U.S.-based solar power companies such as SunEdison Inc. (SUNE - Analyst Report) and First Solar, Inc. (FSLR - Analyst Report) which have already started channeling funds to the region.

In fact, in early June, SunEdison announced its intention to expand its Indian base by investing approximately $15 billion through 2022. The company plans to develop 15 GW solar and wind projects in the country.

It is worth mentioning that in January, SunEdison entered into a strategic alliance with Indian conglomerate, Adani Enterprises, to expand its base in India. Under the agreement, the companies will invest approximately $4 billion to develop solar photovoltaic projects in Gujarat.

The partnership would help SunEdison to produce solar panels that will produce electricity at lower cost and reduce the loss of electricity during transmission.

Conclusion

It is evident that the demand for renewable energy is strengthening at a rapid pace. Moreover, the gradual widening of the solar markets will bode well for all global players and instill investors’ confidence in the industry over the long term.

Considering the ambitious targets set by India along with the added advantages, we believe that the companies which make early foray in the country will be able to capture a larger market share with greater cost advantages.