Solar water heaters in India: Market assessment studies and surveys for different sectors and demand segments by Greentech Knowledge Solutions

It has attempted to piece together a segment-wise picture. According to the study, there has been a demand upsurge for SWH in recent years in the Indian market. While there is overall satisfaction with product experience, concerns are being voiced over after-sale support. The development of rural market warrants large, fresh work in terms of product-development, demonstration, policy and promotion of supply chain.

It identifies the parameters driving demand and builds three scenarios for demand projection - realistic or most likely; optimistic and pessimistic which are both considered less likely. It also compares the demand projections under the realistic scenario with the targets set for solar water heating in the recently announced Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) and finds a considerable gap between the two. 

To conclude, the study identifies ten key action points for the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-Global Environment Facility (GEF) project:

• Selection of high-potential districts for implementation
• Implementation through Electricity Distribution Companies
• Implementation oriented mandatory regulations
• Strategy for multi-storied buildings
• Targeted and variable incentives package
• Rural market development
• Strategy to strengthen SWH supply chain
• Developing a database of SWH installations
• Sector and region specific market assessment studies
• Promoting Energy Service Company (ESCO) based models

Download the study here: