Common Mistakes to Avoid When Designing a Solar PV Module Manufacturing Plant

The solar panel industry in India has evolved drastically in the past few years since the launch of the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for High Efficiency Solar PV Modules in 2021 by the Indian Government. This makes setting up a solar manufacturing plant a very profitable business.
 

Businesses often face challenges due to not hiring solar PV module manufacturing plant design services in India. Let’s take a look at the most common mistakes that you might face when setting up a solar manufacturing plant in India.

Not Considering Approval Time
One of the most common mistakes that businesses make is not considering the time it takes for their project to get approved. PLI conditions, EC, factory licensing, BIS certification, ALMM enlistment, and EPC execution take more time than most people assume.

Choosing the Wrong Technology
Another frequent mistake most businesses make is choosing PERC technology just because it has a lower initial cost. PERC is an outdated technology. Currently, TOPCon and HJT are the standard technologies used for solar manufacturing. PERC technology is inefficient and is declining in demand.
 

Poor Site Selection
Selecting the right site is the most important stage of setting up any manufacturing plant. If you select a site that is cheap but does not have easy access to utilities, water, logistics, raw materials, and skilled labour, then your routine operations will become inefficient, and your production timeline will stretch.
 

Buying Equipment without Validation
Businesses do the same thing with equipment as well: they buy components from different vendors without validation because it is cheaper. This leads to production lines that work perfectly as individual stations but do not perform at par at the line level. As a result, the production capacity and quality suffer in the long run.
 

Not Creating a Proper Budget
Solar PV module manufacturing requires substantial capital investment for raw material storage, long production cycles, and finished PV module storage. If a business's operating model focuses only on CapEx while overlooking operational expenses, it may face budget constraints during production. Working with experienced industrial engineering consultants during the planning stage helps businesses prepare realistic budgets, optimise resource allocation, and avoid costly financial and operational challenges throughout the project lifecycle.
 

Conclusion
The entire manufacturing process of solar panels is complex and requires high-tech machinery and robotics for precision and reliable quality. A minor error can lead to highly hazardous situations. If you are looking to set up your manufacturing facility, you can contact VMS Consultants. They are one of the leading industrial engineering consultants with an experience of over 60 years in this industry.