The long-term vision for our company’s presence in the US is to establish Gautam Solar as a trusted and reputable brand of solar panels. We want not only to export our panels from India, but also our brand which is synonymous with high-quality solar panels.
Bringing India made Solar Panels to the US Market
Q&A with Gautam Mohanka, CEO | Gautam Solar
Tell us about yourself and your role with Gautam Solar.
I am Gautam Mohanka, CEO of Gautam Solar. I have been working in the solar industry for 22+ years now, and hold Patents & IPs in solar for innovations. I have a long term vision for the company to be a contributor to solutions for the climate change and achieve net zero targets.
Can you provide an overview of your company and its journey in the solar industry thus far?
Certainly! Gautam Solar is among Leading Indian Solar Module manufacturers, with 27+ years of experience in the Solar industry. It was started by Mr. B.K. Mohanka, Ex-Professor and Engineering graduate from NIT Patna, one of the leading Engineering Colleges in India.
We started as a manufacturer of solar components, but moved to manufacturing of solar modules and have grown from strength to strength with exponential growth over the years. We are in capacity expansion mode with 2 GW target by the end of 2024 and 5 GW by FY25-26.
The company is looking to start exporting to the US. What opportunities and challenges does Gautam Solar foresee in the international market?
We’re looking to export our high-efficiency N-type TOPCon and Mono PERC Solar panels to the US. In this journey, we recognized the importance of certifications as a critical factor for success. Leveraging our cutting-edge Automatic Robotic Production Line and stringent quality control measures, we obtained certification as per UL & IEC standards. This proactive step underscores our commitment to manufacturing excellence and positions us strongly in the market. Now, we’re channeling our efforts towards logistic side of things and establishing distributor partnerships across US.
The opportunity is huge for Indian make panels to fill the vacuum in the US created due to the imposition of anti-dumping duty on Chinese solar modules and American solar manufacturing not quite being ready for the huge demand of solar.
What are the unique features of your solar modules, in terms of quality and efficiency?
Our Solar modules are available in 3 cell ranges – 144 cells, 120 cells and 108 cells. Our TOPCon Modules boast power outputs of up to 585 Wp, achieving efficiencies of 22.65%. On the other hand, our Mono PERC Modules offer power outputs upto 555 Wp and their maximum efficiency is 21.48%.The smaller modules are ideal for rooftop installations, both for residential and C&I applications. On, the other hand the larger solar modules are ideal for utility scale and community solar projects. Our modules are designed to not only withstand extreme weather but also provide good performance.
What role do you see Indian Manufacturers like Gautam Solar playing as the US seeks to transition away from Chinese Solar Modules?
The US government introduced Anti-dumping/Countervailing duty against imported solar cells and modules from Chinese manufacturers. This has caused apprehensions among Solar Project Developers and Distributors as the major supply of modules come from Chinese manufacturers and not only is the domestic industry’s supply not sufficient to meet the demand but also an American-made panel is 166% more expensive than a Chinese panel. India, currently third in terms of solar module manufacturing in the world, is forecasted to become the second largest manufacturer and stands firmly positioned to help navigate US solar through this transition.
With the Inflation Reduction Act introduced to spur investment in domestic manufacturing to build capacity, we are also planning to establish our own production in the US.
What are some of the benefits of working with an India based company like Gautam Solar over another company?
The benefits of working with an India based company like Gautam Solar over another company is that not only do we provide solar panels compliant to international standards, we do so at prices that can be best described as “value-for-money”. Apart from this, another advantage that an Indian company like ours have over a Chinese company is that Indians and Americans have a long history of cultural inter-mingling with a large Indian-American population in the US and shared values with India being World’s largest democracy and US being World’s oldest democracy, so the threat of supply chain disruptions due to bans or high tariffs are low.
Additionally, partnering with an Indian company like ours gives our future American partners the access and understanding of the Indian market. With the Indian government promoting the adoption of Solar Power through schemes and subsidies, many American Developers are also setting up projects in India. Hence, our partnership with American Project Developers will provide mutually beneficial expansion opportunities.
What is your long-term vision for your company's presence and impact in the US solar industry?
The long-term vision for our company’s presence in the US is to establish Gautam Solar as a .png)
trusted and reputable brand of solar panels. We want not only to export our panels from India, but also our brand which is synonymous with high-quality solar panels.
Once we have built a strong customer base, we envision expanding our operations to include a local manufacturing facility in the US, in order to serve the market more efficiently.
Apart from the business side of things, we also hope to serve the environment and society by creating a strong push towards renewable energy and reducing the carbon emissions in the US.
About Gautam Solar
Gautam Solar (www.gautamsolar.com) is a leading Indian Solar Module Manufacturer with 27+ years of solar industry experience. It has 4 factories in Haridwar, India and its corporate office in New Delhi, India. The company is in process of expanding its solar module capacity to 2 GWp this calendar year. Using the latest machines and technology, Gautam Solar's solar panels are manufactured using First-hand top line machines. It has multiple Patents & IPs registered in its name and is known for its technically superior and innovative solar modules.
The content & opinions in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of AltEnergyMag
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