India to set up the National Institute for Solar Energy

(Nanowerk News) On Tuesday, India's Union Government approved the establishment of a new central center for solar energy research and development and related activities.
"The National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) is to be set up immediately by converting the Solar Energy Centre (SEC), Gurgaon, with a long term vision to develop it as a world class institute," said a new and renewable energy ministry statement.
A first step will be the formulation of a Review-cum-Strategy Formulation Committee with representatives from industry, the scientific community and financial institutions to create a roadmap for the institute. Government states that this will involve looking at various models both domestically and internationally.
“Solar energy technologies are evolving continuously and the proposal to set up the NISE is an innovative idea which will accelerate the process to support induction of the latest technologies to ensure maximum cost benefit and lead to early commercialization,” notes the Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). “Solar power project developers will be motivated to use more efficient and optimized solar components.”
MNRE notes that the setting up of a national center for solar energy is a goal of the National Solar Mission. The government has not specified which solar technologies the center will focus on, but has stated that NISE will look at different aspects of solar technologies.
Source: MNRE