NEW DELHI: India’s National Physical Laboratory (NPL) has proudly unveiled a groundbreaking Solar Cell Calibration facility, designed to ensure exceptional precision in the evaluation of photovoltaic (PV) cells to reduce India’s reliance on overseas four premier institutions.
The facility has brought India’s scientific and technological prowess to the fore.
National Primary Standard for Solar Cell Calibration is a state-of-the-art facility that aims to empower investors with accurate information, fostering well-informed decisions within the burgeoning solar PV sector.
Remarkably, India joins the ranks of an elite group of nations—only the fifth in the world—after the USA, Germany, Japan, and China—to create such a specialised institution.
By establishing the facility, India not only enhances its technological capabilities but also significantly reduces its dependence on foreign institutions, paving the way for a more self-reliant and sustainable future in renewable energy.
The facility, which is a Laser-based Differential Spectral Responsivity Measurement System, has been established by CSIR-National Physical Laboratory (NPL), launched by Union Minister for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh.
Singh welcomed the PV stakeholders to avail the services and contribute to strengthening of PV-Quality Infrastructure.
According to NPL scientists, India’s calibration system is best among all counterparts, as its uncertainty level is the lowest among all institutions.
For instance, China’s Tianjin Institute of Power Sources has an uncertainty of 0.9%, followed by Japan’s 0.6%, and the USA and Germany’s 0.4%.
Meanwhile, India achieved the lowest level at 0.35%, surpassing all other countries. However, it is 0.6% for a 156x156 mm2 industrial solar cell.
It means that, due to the lowest uncertainty level, India’s facility certificate can be valid across the entire country.
It also means that the lowest measurement uncertainty helps estimate the PV product value more accurately, avoiding financial implications across the solar PV value chain.
In simple terms, an uncertainty of 0.1% in efficiency measurement may lead to the ambiguity of Rs 200 crore in the product value (assuming the cost of Rs 2 crore per MW) for solar installations of 100 GW.
It will encourage investors and other stakeholders to make wise decisions and create barriers to the deployment of untested or unverified PV technology.
“Our facility is the best in the world among the five World Photo Voltaic Cell (WPVC) laboratories with the lowest uncertainty,” said Singh while talking to TNIE.