Monsoons and Rural Solar PV in Pakistan: EV World

The monsoons have arrived. For days now it had been hot and muggy (Like southern Indiana in the summer) but on Friday the rains started. Just sprinkles at first but Friday night a big storm came in with lots of thunder and lightning and torrential rain. On Saturday, Faizan’s father Irfan and I went out looking for the thin, tin plated copper ribbon we use to solder the solar cells together to make the PV modules we are building. There was flooding at some of the intersections but it wasn't too bad getting around when we started out.

We went to the Saddar market section of Karachi to check out the rows and rows of electronic market stalls, which sell everything you can imagine in the way of electronic parts - except tin plated copper ribbon, we found out. We splashed through flooded streets in the continuing rain going from stall to stall following directions as to where we might find the ribbon, but never did, there in the electronics area.

However, one of the stalls was selling PV modules and systems so we stopped and talked with them to see just what the photovoltaic market is like in Pakistan. It turns out that there already is a PV module manufacturer in Pakistan making rather good modules using a regular laminating machine and the Certified method of assembly with tempered glass (from Turkey), EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) and a Tedlar backing. The 80 watt module we examined is selling for about $320 or $4 per watt. Most of the rest of his stock was a collection of Chinese made modules that he was buying for around $2.50 per watt. Just since I came, (although I am pretty sure my presence had nothing to do with it) the Pakistani government has put a 25% tariff on the importation of finished PV modules, but has left duty-free the materials needed to manufacture the modules. This will be good for the new Sooraj Solar Company being organized by the people I am teaching, since they are in the process of purchasing an entire pallet of 10,000 Evergreen Solar cells to be air freighted here in the next couple of weeks. The off-spec Evergreen Solar cells are now less than 75 cents per watt in that quantity, and all the other parts (like the glass and transparent vinyl table cloth backing material) are cheaper here than in the US; so the cottage industry can compete with the Chinese imports and still make a decent income. The Solar market proprietor is very interested in carrying the new Soonezla brand of PV modules.

After the nice long discussion in the solar market with glasses of tea (I chose 7-Up after wondering how dirty the cups were), I suggested that we go to the jewelry artisan part of the Saddar, where people work all the time with thin gold, silver and copper sheets. Going around the stalls, Irfan spotted a silversmith he knew (who waded knee deep through the creek that the street had become, to come over and talk with us) and we discussed getting the ribbon made. He said that there would be no problem in making them from copper (although it might not be tin plated) and we settled on the dimensions: 2.5mm wide and 125 to 150 microns thick. In a few days we might have ribbon enough to continue making PV modules. We have already finished ten of the 60 watt ones and one 30 watt module from broken cells cut in half, and are making cell phone chargers while we wait for the ribbon to continue the production of the big modules. On Tuesday the 21st, we begin installing the finished modules and will probably do three installations by the time we finish the course on Friday the 24th. Irfan told me that there is a waiting list of people who have already spoken for 60 modules, so the cottage industry is well under way. However, we are still working on the problem of how to get larger quantities of the liquid silicon encapsulant we use instead of the EVA and the big laminating machine.

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