5 Reasons Why You Should Attend the Renewable Energy Expo 2017

As India’s largest cleantech conference opens, there are a lot of unanswered questions that everyone wants answers to. Here are 5 important points that everyone will be looking for answers to at the event.

The anti‑dumping case recommendations that will be made by the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping (DGAD) will be one of the most important factors that will dictate the future direction of the market. Recommendations from DGAD could come in a few months or could take up to a year. Accordingly, developers and installers want to know what to expect so they can align their strategies. The talk in the industry right now is that the ‘big’ manufacturers are pushing the government to impose an anti‑dumping tariff. It will be interesting to hear different perspectives on this.

Higher Chinese panel prices have brought tender and auction activity to a standstill in India. Module prices are being kept high by a combination of strong demand in the Chinese domestic market coupled with higher US demand ahead of the Suniva anti-dumping case decision. However, developers cannot stall the procurement of panels forever and we will see real problems if this trend continues into the first quarter of 2018.

DISCOMs looking for developers to match the lowest tariff is another factor that is currently disrupting tender and auction activity. It is worth exploring just how prevalent this trend is and why there such a lack of understanding and clarity among government agencies in regard to this topic.

Based on the above topics, what is the industry’s expectation regarding demand for 2018? Mercom expects demand to decline by at least 15-20% next year based on current market developments. It will be important to gauge participant perception on this topic and understand just how each segment of the market is looking to respond.

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill was recently enacted, but there is still a lot of confusion surrounding the GST for solar systems, creating uncertainty in the solar sector. Every company has its own interpretation. How is GST affecting the sector so far and how are solar companies coping with it is important to understand.

Image credit: By Lujkin8 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons