Mr. Rajat Shrivastava, GM – Sales & Marketing, ICON Solar    

“Our R&D direction is therefore very clear: more efficiency, more reliability and more energy from every square metre. We are continuously working on N-type technologies, higher-power modules, advanced cell formats, bifacial performance, module architecture and material optimisation. At the same time, we are very conscious that innovation should not remain inside a laboratory.”

1. Icon Solar has expanded its portfolio with N-type TOPCon and bifacial modules. What advantages do these technologies offer customers in terms of efficiency and energy yield?

For us, technology has value only when it creates value for our customer.

That is exactly how we look at N-type TOPCon and bifacial technology. Customers today are not simply looking for a higher wattage module; they want more generation from the same available space and consistent performance for the next 25–30 years.

Our high-wattage N-type TOPCon portfolio, including our latest G12R platform, is developed with this objective. Higher efficiency, better temperature behaviour, lower degradation and the additional generation potential of bifacial technology can together improve the lifetime energy yield of a project.

Ultimately, we want an Icon Solar customer to look beyond the initial ₹/Wp and evaluate how much energy and value the module will generate over its complete life.

2. What areas of R&D and product innovation is Icon Solar currently focusing on to keep pace with rapidly evolving module technology?

Solar is one industry where you cannot afford to become comfortable with today’s technology.

Our R&D direction is therefore very clear: more efficiency, more reliability and more energy from every square metre.

We are continuously working on N-type technologies, higher-power modules, advanced cell formats, bifacial performance, module architecture and material optimisation. At the same time, we are very conscious that innovation should not remain inside a laboratory.

A new technology has to work on a factory floor, perform reliably at a customer’s project and make commercial sense.

That is the balance we want to maintain at Icon Solar. We don’t want to chase technology for headlines; we want to adopt technology that genuinely improves our customer’s project economics.

3. How is Icon Solar addressing the performance challenges posed by India’s diverse climatic conditions, from high temperatures to humidity and dust?

India is probably one of the best testing grounds for a solar module.

A module may face extreme heat and dust in Rajasthan, humidity in coastal regions, heavy monsoons elsewhere and considerable temperature variation across central and northern India.

So, for us, quality cannot simply mean that a module passes inspection at the factory.

It begins with the right BOM and material selection, continues through automated manufacturing and process controls, and is supported by EL, IV and other quality checks along with product traceability. Our modules also undergo the applicable reliability and certification testing required for demanding operating environments.

We have supplied more than 3 GW of modules, and that field experience is equally important because every project teaches us something.

Our philosophy is straightforward: we don’t manufacture a panel for the day it is dispatched; we manufacture it for the decades it will spend generating power.

4. With C&I customers increasingly focused on energy savings and sustainability, how is Icon Solar developing customised solutions for industrial and commercial applications?

The C&I customer has changed considerably.

Earlier, much of the conversation started and ended with module price. Today, customers ask much better questions: How much will I generate? How much roof or land will I require? What will be my savings? How reliable is the product? What happens to my ROI over the project life?

We welcome this change.

Icon Solar has a broad product portfolio across Mono PERC, N-type TOPCon, monofacial and bifacial technologies and different power classes. This allows us to recommend products according to the actual project requirement rather than trying to fit every customer into one standard solution.

We also work closely with EPC companies, developers and end customers on technical requirements.

Our intention is not just to sell MW. We want the MW we sell to perform well and make money for our customer. If our customer succeeds with an Icon Solar project, that is the strongest branding we can ever create.

5. What role do higher-efficiency modules and advanced cell technologies play in reducing LCOE for large-scale solar projects?

For large projects, I believe the industry needs to gradually move beyond simply asking, “What is the module price per watt?”

The more important question is, “What will be the cost of the electricity this asset produces over its lifetime?”

Higher-efficiency modules allow developers to install more capacity within available land and can help optimise several balance-of-system elements. When you combine this with better energy yield and long-term performance, the impact becomes significant.

A fraction of improvement may look small on one module. Multiply it across 50 MW, 100 MW or several hundred MW and then across 25–30 years, and it becomes a very different calculation.

That is why we see advanced cell technologies as an economic development, not merely a technological development.

Ultimately, LCOE is won over the lifetime of the plant—not on the day the module purchase order is signed.

6. Beyond module manufacturing, does Icon Solar see opportunities in areas such as integrated solar solutions, energy storage or other clean-energy technologies?

Definitely.

We started our journey in 2014 as a solar module manufacturer, and manufacturing will continue to be at the heart of Icon Solar. But we also understand where the energy industry is heading.

The future will not be solar in isolation. It will increasingly be about solar plus storage, smarter energy management and reliable clean power availability.

Battery Energy Storage Systems are particularly interesting because as India’s renewable capacity grows, storage will become increasingly important for balancing renewable generation and supporting reliable power availability. This is also reflected in India’s policy direction: the Government’s energy-storage framework explicitly targets renewable round-the-clock power and greater grid stability.

We are therefore studying opportunities in storage and other integrated clean-energy solutions very seriously.

However, our approach will be measured. We will expand where we can bring genuine capability and value.

In the long run, I would like Icon Solar to be known not only as a solar module company, but as an Indian clean-energy technology company.

7. Looking towards 2030, what will define the next generation of Icon Solar products, and how does the company plan to contribute to India’s 500 GW renewable energy vision?

2030 is extremely important—not only for Icon Solar, but for the entire Indian renewable-energy industry.

India is working towards 500 GW of non-fossil-fuel capacity by 2030, and the transformation is already happening at remarkable speed.

For Icon Solar, our journey started in 2014. Since then, we have supplied more than 3 GW of solar modules, expanded our technology portfolio and built relationships with customers across India.

But I still see this as the beginning.

The next generation of Icon Solar products will be defined by higher efficiency, N-type and future cell technologies, lower degradation, improved reliability, intelligent manufacturing and products designed around lifetime energy generation.

At the same time, our ambition is bigger than manufacturing capacity alone.

By 2030, we want Icon Solar to stand among India’s most trusted and preferred solar brands—a company known equally for technology, quality, customer commitment and execution.

India’s renewable-energy transition is creating an opportunity for Indian manufacturers to build brands that can eventually compete at a global level. We want Icon Solar to be one of them.

For me, success in 2030 will not simply be how many GW we manufacture. It will be how many GW of reliable clean energy carry the Icon Solar name—and how much trust that name commands in the market.