After an exhausting day and half of flights, a nine and a half hour time difference and welcome lectures by the XIME University, we ventured off to our first company visit to Tata Bp Solar, a solar manufacturing plant. We walked into the building and sat for a few minutes waiting for the university students to clear our visitor passes. A few of us did not wear proper footwear which resulted in wearing mens work shoes that were about 10 sizes too big, a comical image that we all giggled at. They presented us with pink lab coats, hair nets and Bill Nye the Science Guy plastic glasses to shield us in the work areas. We looked like lunch ladies ready for the eleven o’clock rush. Upon entering through the double doors, we discovered a room mixed with man and machine power. We watched as each station had about 3 to 6 workers each doing their specialized task before handing off the panel to the next worker. Yes, to increase production and efficiency, the plant instills an assembly line. The machines help construct the baseboard of each solar panel and the workers double check and test each piece to make sure it can perform at it’s best when it hits the market. It was loud in the production room so it was often difficult to hear every piece of information. But what’s great about the company is that it not only markets strictly within the country, but also globally. The solar panels can be used in households and also as outdoor lighting like we saw along the walkway leading up to the building. It’s an up and coming renewable resource that the world can benefit from immensely. The tour was cut much shorter than expected, however it I think a lot of us needed that extra time to relax and adjust to the time zone.
