Rahimafrooz Renewable Energy Ltd is set to assemble solar panels to grab the domestic market for solar home systems that are on an upward curve on the back of the government policy support to help off-grid people get electricity.

The demand for solar appliances is soaring in the city, thanks to daily power cuts.

According to the 16 solar appliance manufacturers-cum-retailers in Calcutta, their sales have increased at least 30 to 40 per cent compared with last year. Solar fans are the most popular items, followed by solar lights.

General Electric's Energy Financial Services is working on thousands of megawatts of renewable energy projects, but is not likely to move forward until the U.S. government decides on rules for new grants, an executive in the company's energy business said on Tuesday.

Former scientific advisor to the Defence Minister V S Arunachalam on Tuesday said, although there is talk about utilisation of solar energy, but very little is done in the country.

Leslie D'Monte / New Delhi June 23, 2009, 0:16 IST

Indian solar power companies now want to light up the domestic market, with a little help from the government, of course.

T. Ramakrishnan

CHENNAI: Udangudi in Tuticorin district may be the site for a 100-megawatt solar thermal power plant. This was mooted during a meeting between Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah and Electricity Minister Arcot N. Veeraswami here on Saturday.

The government has decided to set up 20 new plants with a generation capacity of 3,551 megawatt electricity by 2014 to meet the growing demand in the country.

As per the decision, 20 power plants would be built under short-term and long-term plans in both public and private sectors.

Amutha Kannan

POWER-SAVING INNOVATION: The team from Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham with its innovation (seen right) - a solar-powered vapour absorption ice maker.

Bijoy Ghosh

Like all rural Bangladeshis, Saidul Islam knows the hardships of summer, when his tin-roofed house turns into a furnace with not enough electricity to power even a fan.

For the 100 million Bangladeshis -- most of them farmers -- who live in the countryside, the notion of electricity supply is little more than an empty promise bandied about by politicians at election time.