National centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education (NCPRE)

Provides R&D and educational support for India's ambitional 100GW solar mission. Founded by Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, Gol

Profile : 

The National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education (NCPRE) at IIT Bombay was launched in 2010 with funding from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) of the Government of India. The 5-year Phase I of NCPRE lasted from 2010 to 2015. Phase II started in 2016, and funding has now been extended till 2021.

The broad objectives of NCPRE are to provide R&D and education support for India’s ambitious 100 GW solar mission. NCPRE has 39 faculty members and over 120 research staff across 8 Departments at IIT Bombay working on various aspects of PV. Excellent laboratory facilities have been set up which are accessible to all NCPRE researchers. NCPRE conducts periodic short-term courses about the latest developments in the field of photovoltaics, for working engineers in industry as well as faculty and students from academic institutions.

The Centre is involved in both basic and applied research activities. These research activities include silicon solar cell fabrication and characterization, new materials for PV devices, energy storage and batteries for PV, development of power electronic interfaces for solar PV systems, and module characterization and reliability.

NCPRE has a strong programme of industry outreach. It has a successful Industry Affiliate Program (IAP), and undertakes projects and consultancy in its areas of expertise. It also provides services for characterization and measurement where available. NCPRE also explores the technology basis of solar energy policy, and brings out relevant reports in this area.

NCPRE is headed by Principal Investigators (PIs) Prof. Baylon G. Fernandes and Prof. Chetan Singh Solanki, and co-PIs Prof. Sagar Mitra and 
Prof. Anil Kottantharayil.

Vision : 

The vision of NCPRE is to contribute to India’s solar energy mission through research, development, industry interaction and education, and to establish itself a leading international academic photovoltaics centre.

IIT Bombay : 

NCPRE is located at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay), one of India’s leading educational institutions. IIT Bombay was set up by a special Act of Parliament, and a 500-acre campus was established in 1958 at Powai, a suburb of Mumbai. The picturesque campus is on the shores of Powai and Vihar lakes, and also adjoins the Sanjay Gandhi National Park.

TIIT Bombay has 15 academic Department and 12 major Centres, and a strong tradition of inter-disciplinary research. IIT Bombay has a two decade old history of running programs in Energy, Semiconductors, and Power Electronics in various Departments. The Department of Energy Science and Engineering (DESE) was set up at IIT Bombay in 2007, the first full-fledged Department to focus on energy at any major academic institution in India. 

IT Bombay has 11000 students, of whom about 6500 are post-graduate students. 2600 students (about 25% of the total population) are currently pursuing the Ph.D. degree at IIT Bombay.