Solar Companies in Sri Lanka have achieved significant progress in the past few years. Sri Lankans are now more aware about the benefits of Solar PV solutions. Therefore, they now consider it as an effective means of meeting energy needs. However, the solar PV industry as a whole is rather new. Therefore, there are a number of challenges that it faces in a global scale.

It is important for consumers of solar energy to be aware of these challenges. As a solar company in Sri Lanka with over a half a decade of experience, we believe in taking such information to our consumers.

1. Efficiency

The efficiency of the photovoltaic cells is an important determinant of energy efficiency. According to sciencing.com a single square meter of solar panels receive the equivalent of more than 6 kilowatt-hours of energy per day (in an area with high levels of solar exposure).

However, the panel cannot convert this entire amount to electricity.

Therefore, the efficiency of a solar panel determines how much of that power is usable.

Currently, the energy efficiency of modules varies between 13 and 20 percent. According to Green, a world renowned figure in photovoltaic research, the future could hold efficiencies of up to 40 percent. However, this would only be possible with sufficient investments going into R&D.

2. Reliability

This is a major challenge faced by both manufacturers and distributors of solar PV. Material characteristics like lightfastness and moisture resistance need to be evaluated in order to meet the typical 20 – 30 year lifetime warranty of a PV product.

As a Solar Company in Sri Lanka, this becomes even more important due to local weather conditions. With the impacts of climate change on weather patterns, it is going to be vital to manufacture products that are resilient and reliable.

3. Environmental Impacts

Solar PV energy is known to be a low impact energy solution. While solar generation is emission-free, the manufacturing of solar panels and technologies can involve environmentally unfriendly substances. For a Solar Company in Sri Lanka, this becomes extremely critical due to the fast-paced environmental degradation the country is experiencing at present. Therefore, it’s important to encourage R&D in order to make the industry safe and sustainable.

4. Manufacturability

This refers to the availability of raw materials at affordable costs for the mass production of PV panels and other equipment. The expensive nature of these materials makes it difficult to manufacture them in developing countries where adequate funds are not dedicated to energy demands. Bridging this gap is only possible if fair subsidies are allocated for the manufacturing of PV technology.

Sri Lankan Status

While the above challenges are been addressed on a global scale, local efforts are also been taken towards the progress of the industry. For Solar Companies in Sri Lanka, these changes will mark important milestones.

• For instance, plans have been implemented to set up a Solar Park in Hambantota. This project is expected to receive aid from Japan and Korea and take place under the Ministry of Power and Energy.
• Soorya Bala Sangramaya (Battle for Solar Energy) is another program implemented for the progress of the Solar Industry. It is expected to add 200 MW of solar electricity to the national grid by 2020.

Want to install a solar PV system in your home or business? Here are the steps to follow

• Visit our website and find out more about the solutions we offer
• Get an estimate or request for a site visit
• request for a site visit
• Confirm project and timeline