Key Facts

Key highlights of the YEIDA Solar CoE:

• Location: YEIDA industrial corridor near the upcoming Noida International Airport at Jewar, Uttar Pradesh.
• German Technology Collaboration: Direct partnership with Centrotherm International AG, a pioneer in semiconductor and photovoltaic cell engineering.
• Core Focus Areas: Advanced silicon wafer processing, TOPCon (Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact) solar cells, tandem perovskite research, and local supply chain optimization.
• National Alignment: Directly reinforces the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for High Efficiency Solar PV Modules and India's target of 500 GW non-fossil power capacity by 2030.

GK Context

• India currently ranks fourth globally in total installed renewable energy capacity and solar power capacity.
• However, Indian module assemblers have historically depended heavily on imported solar cells, wafers, and ingots, primarily from China.

Static GK

• The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is an intergovernmental treaty-based organization launched jointly by India and France in November 2015 at COP21 in Paris.
• ISA is headquartered at Gurugram, Haryana, India, aiming to mobilize over $1 trillion of investment into solar energy deployment by 2030 under the motto 'One Sun, One World, One Grid' (OSOWOG).

UPSC Mains Framework

GS Paper III (Infrastructure: Energy & Science and Technology): Analyze the strategic necessity of transitioning from solar module assembly to upstream silicon ingot and wafer manufacturing in India to achieve true energy sovereignty.