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SOLIS SEMINAR, EPISODE 46:

ENSURING DC POLARITY IS CORRECTLY CONNECTED

BACKGROUND

With the advancement of carbon reduction goals and the intensification of the global climate and energy issues, the installed capacity of clean energy is increased sharply. As one of the main forces in the field of clean energy, solar power generation has performed well in the past two years. Capacity has soared and construction volume on site has increased significantly, resulting in a large increase in the proportion of DC polarity reversed faults. This episode of Solis Seminar will share with you the problems related to reverse polarity of DC power and how to prevent it.

Hazards of Reversed DC Polarity

If the PV string polarity is reversed, it may cause equipment damage, energy generation reduction or even fire, so special attention should be paid. Lets look at some examples. 1. In the same channel MPPT, the polarity of a PV string is reversed

As shown in the figure above, for two strings in the same MPPT, one string has the correct polarity, and the other is reversed. This will cause the two strings to be short-circuited directly. In this scenario , the inverter will show that the input voltage of the MPPT is 0V and this condition will not damage the inverter, but the short circuit will damage the PV modules. In the same channel MPPT, the polarities of the two PV strings are reversed

As shown in the figure above, the polarities of the 2PV strings in the same MPPT are reversed. After the DC switch of the inverter is closed, each string forms a short circuit with the IGBT anti-parallel diode of the booster circuit through the DC switch and is turned off. T>he DC switch will be damaged by arcing, and the MPPT of this circuit will not work correctly. Note: In both these instances, the PV string is directly short-circuited. The PV string cannot be turned off by switching off the DC switch, and the DC terminal cannot be directly inserted or pulled out, which will cause arcing and cause electric shock hazard. The operation should only be performed after the PV string voltage reduces. It is recommended to take measures to cover the PV string with cloth or wait for the solar irradiance to decrease (for example at night or after sunset), and when the PV string current drops below 0.5A, turn off the DC switch and remove the PV string connector to correct the polarity. How to prevent DC polarity reversal 1. Do not use one color cable for the positive and negative string. It is recommended to distinguish between the two using different colors. Red is the positive cable, and black is the negative cable. 2. Repeated checking during installation. As shown below, the photovoltaic cable connectors needs to feature two core points: • The connectors on both sides of the same cable must be different; • Taking the inverter side as a reference, the “+” connector of the red cable corresponds to the “+” connector of the inverter's DC interface, and the “-” connector of the black cable corresponds to the “-” connector of the inverter’s DC interface;

3. It is recommended to use a multimeter to measure the connector polarity of the PV string before plugging.

Summary With the rapid increase in installed photovoltaic capacity and the increase in the amount of on-site construction, it is essential to maintain the quality of construction to avoid problems in the later stages of the photovoltaic system. Reverse polarity of the string is one of the most likely problems in the construction process, and it have serious consequences, such as damage to the inverter and other components. Therefore, special attention should be paid to this during installation. RM

PV MODULES: MARkET SCOPE, CHALLENGES & TRENDS

Ratings agency ICRA expects India to add 16.1GW of renewable energy generation capacity in the next fiscal year. The analysts told pv magazine clean energy capacity additions in 2022-23 will be driven by solar, with 12.5GW coming from PV projects. Wind projects are expected to contribute 2.2GW and hybrid plants 1.4GW. ICRA analysts attribute the strong outlook for renewables to a pipeline of more than 55GW of announced projects, close to 40GW of which are solar plants with the balance made up from wind and solar-wind hybrid facilities. The competitive energy price tariffs offered by renewables are another reason for the expected boom in new capacity.

The commitment to climate change goals announced by Narendra Modi at the recent COP26 summit has further strengthened the investment prospects for renewables, according to Gurgaon-based ICRA. Prime Minister Modi announced India’s pledge to increase non-fossil fuel energy capacity to 500GW by 2030 at the climate change summit in Glasgow. The government also wants to increase renewable energy’s share in the power generation mix to half the total this decade. India’s annual solar installations are set to exceed 10 GW in 2020, following a year marked by political uncertainty, module price increases associated with safeguard duties, and a lower number of awarded tenders. The outlook for battery energy storage installations for solar projects is particularly bleak, however, as such combinations in India can cost three to five times more than standalone renewable projects. India’s total solar energy potential is estimated at around 750 GW. Against a near-term target of 100 GW by 2022, the country had installed a total of 31.69 GW of cumulative grid-connected solar capacity as of Oct. 31, 2019. While annual capacity additions have nearly doubled every year since 2014-15, the 2018-19 periods was an exception, with annual capacity additions plunging to 6.5 GW, versus 9.36 GW in 2017-18. Capacity additions hit 5.5 GW in 2016-17 and 3.02 GW in 2015-16, according to statistics that were recently published by Minister of Power Raj Kumar Singh. “PV installations are estimated to have decreased in 2019 compared to 2018 due to political uncertainties, module price increases associated with safeguard duties, and a fewer number of awarded tenders,” said Dharmendra Kumar, senior analyst for IHS Markit. Issues like delays in payments by distribution companies in some states, delays in the adoption of tariffs by state electricity regulators, and the reopening of contracts by the Andhra Pradesh state government have also hurt investor sentiment. But following a period of turbulence, annual installations are set to pick up significantly in 2020 to march well past the 10 GW mark.

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Reasons For Optimism

The safeguard duty for solar cell and module imports, which has already come down to 20%, will further decline to 15% between Jan. 30, 2020, and July 29, 2020. The subsequent decline in module procurement costs will see installations pick up in the Indian market, which has been held back by the high cost of imports. Kumar expects 2020 installations to reach at least 10 GW or even higher for several reasons, including lower module prices. “Firstly, module prices are expected to be below $0.20/W by December 2019, inclusive of safeguard duties for shipment in Q1 and Q2 2020,” Kumar said. “Local suppliers are also offering modules on par with Chinese suppliers in terms of pricing. The expected decrease in module prices will boost installations throughout 2020 as solar becomes more price competitive.” Projects that didn’t come online in 2019 will also completed by the first quarter of 2020, he added. “In addition, 7 GW of projects that were awarded in 2019 will be installed in 2020, along with another 5 GW of tenders that are yet to be awarded,” he said.

Module trends

PERC monocrystalline modules are becoming popular in the Indian market, which has been dominated by lower-priced multicrystalline PV modules thus far. “As PV module prices continue to be a core consideration for determining project economics for PV developers and EPC contractors, multicrystalline PV modules still retain a significant share of the Indian market because of their lower prices,” Kumar said. “However, although the monocrystalline share is still lower than in other markets, we are witnessing a strong growth of PERC monocrystalline modules in the Indian market, in an alignment with the global demand trend towards higher-efficiency monocrystalline modules.” IHS Market expects significant installation growth for bifacial modules from 2020 throughout the world, but India will not be one of the core markets for this technology. However, while bifacial will not be a core part of the market, a recent deal between Indian developer Adani Green Energy and Chinese module manufacturer Longi Solar for the procurement of up to 1.2 GW of Hi MO4 bifacial modules by 2020 signals that India will catch up on this trend over time.

PV & Storage

Energy storage systems for PV projects are still not cost-effective in India, and that’s holding back deployment. “Solar+ storage projects are yet to pick up in India because of the relatively high capital cost of stationary energy storage systems and the price sensitivity of customers in India. Customers have been considering more cost-effective solutions such as hybrid combinations of lead-acid and lithium batteries but the prices are still not cost-effective for solar projects in India,” said Kumar. Bloomberg NEF India analyst Atin Jain told pv magazine that renewables with battery storage will cost three to five times more than standalone renewable projects in India in 2020. “Also, smaller storage systems (storage backup for 25% of generation capacity) generally offer better economics than larger ones (storage backup for 100% of generation capacity),” Jain said. Bloomberg NEF expects peak-hour supply bids in Solar Energy Corp. of India’s (SECI) 1.2 GW renewables+storage auction to be at least twice the offered off-peak hour supply rate. “This could test the appetite of SECI and distribution utilities to buy power from these projects,” said Jain. The SECI tender requires storage to back up at least half of the 1.2 GW of capacity offered in the auction. “We are closely monitoring the development of this tender, as this could be the most meaningful advancement of energy storage contracts in the country’s history,” said Jain. “We are still gauging what the interest from developers will be in this. Indian IPPs have zero to limited experience with energy storage projects, and terms of the tender may be seen as too aggressive by some to participate.” Jain believes the SECI renewables+ storage tender is a first step towards deploying dispatch able renewables in India. In the future, more renewables+ storage tenders will likely be floated, provided the distribution utilities and SECI are comfortable with the tariffs achieved in auctions. Renewable energy (RE) resources have enormous potential and can meet the present world energy demand by using the locally available RE resources. One of the most promising RE technologies is photovoltaic (PV) technology. This paper presents a review of the available literature covering the various types of up and coming PV modules based on generation of solar cell and their applications in terms of electrical as well thermal outputs. The

review covers detailed description and thermal model of PV and hybrid photovoltaic thermal (HPVT) systems, using water and air as the working fluid. Numerical model analysis and qualitative evaluation of thermal and electrical output in terms of an overall thermal energy and exergy has been carried out. Based on the thorough review, it is clear that PVT modules are very promising devices and there exists a lot of scope to further improve their performances particularly if integrated to roof top. Appropriate recommendations are made which will aid PVT systems to improve their overall thermal and electrical efficiency and reducing their cost, making them more competitive in the present market. Energy is out and away the biggest trade within the world. It’s value regarding $7 trillion annually; whereas the world’s total value is regarding $55 trillion. Thus, the energy trade is value over 100 percent of the complete world’s economy. For the last a hundred years, this trade has been dominated by fossil fuels. Our electricity comes preponderantly from coal and fossil fuel, and our transportation fuel comes from hydrocarbon and diesel – all of them are remnants of fossil deposits. The historically exploited fossil fuels are but quick depleting. This means that over consecutive 50-75 years, an outsized a part of the energy economy is replaced by various fuels. One could visualize the dimensions of the transformation that's coming back – a metamorphosis that's doubtless to have an effect on over 100 percent of the complete international economy. This is often the dimensions of the chance that the choice energy trade guarantees. The choice energy revolution has started and is bit by bit discovering speed. Thus a vast transformation goes to require time to urge completed – many decades at the smallest amount – within the short and medium term, there'll be variety of enticing opportunities for entrepreneurs.

What's bothering the domestic Solar industry?

Late last month, the government had ordered a safeguard duty probe on surging solar cell imports with a view to protect domestic manufacturers. But today, the All India Solar Industries Association (AISIA), the industry body of domestic solar manufacturers, has come out strongly against the imposition of any such blanket import duty, claiming that it will hurt manufacturers operating from SEZs). SEZ units are treated on par with foreign manufacturers and hence any safeguard duty will be detrimental to the domestic solar industry as a whole. Ironically, the probe was ordered after the domestic industry approached the Directorate General of Safeguards last month. A complaint had been filed by the Indian Solar Manufacturer's Association (ISMA) on behalf of five Indian producers-Mundra Solar PV, Indosolar, Jupiter Solar Power, Websol Energy Systems and Helios Photo Voltaic-alleging that their market share has remained stagnant despite rapid expansion in demand for solar cells in the country. Under the World Trade Organization framework, a member country can impose a Safeguard Duty for a certain time-frame if the quantity of imports surpasses domestic production thus damaging the domestic industry. Imports of solar cells-primarily from China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan-increased from 1,275 mw in 2017-18 to 9,331 mw in the last fiscal. On the other hand, domestic production stood at 246 mw in FY15 and is likely to increase to 1,164 mw in the current financial year. The market share of domestic players has steadily diminished in the same period-from 13% to an estimated 7%. In light of the above, ISMA had asked for safeguard duty on "solar cells whether or not assembled in modules or panels" immediately for four years. AISIA has countered that 60% of the country's currently-installed solar capacity are in SEZs. Furthermore, SEZs account for about 45% of the 8,300 mw of solar module manufacturing facilities. "Hence, the indigenous manufactures situated in SEZ will come under the ambit of any blanket duty that will be imposed on solar cells and modules, which will make them uncompetitive," said Chaudhary. The association further said the specific anti-dumping duty on imports from China, which is flooding the domestic market with its cheap solar modules, is making domestic industry unviable. In FY17, estimated demand of solar modules was around 6000 mw, which is expected to go up to 10,000 mw this fiscal. "The purpose of duty should be to protect the domestic industry from dumping. Levying duty on domestic manufacturers can also lead to an increase in the cost of power that will discourage the domestic industry," he added. This, incidentally, is just the sort of protectionism that the US has long been accusing India of. In 2018, Washington complained to the WTO that India's solar program was discriminatory and that US solar exports to India had fallen by 90% since 2018. In 2018, the WTO had found India guilty of violating trade rules by requiring solar power developers to use Indian-made cells and

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modules. The panel also struck down incentive policies such as subsidies provided for domestic solar companies. But, last month, the US triggered a new round of litigation at the WTO, arguing that India had failed to abide by the above ruling. In a statement published by the WTO yesterday, India has countered it has changed its rules to conform to the ruling and that the US claim for punitive trade sanctions are groundless. The Indian statement added that Washington had skipped legal steps, failed to follow the correct WTO procedure, and omitted to mention any specific level of trade sanctions that it proposed to level on India, leaving India "severely prejudiced". In any case, such allegations do not bode well for the solar power sector. According to Quartz India, against the National Solar Mission's yearly target of 15,000 MW for 2017-2018, India commissioned just over 3,000 MW of solar power as of December 2018. That makes the government's target of 100 gw solar capacity by 2022 a bit of a joke, unless things change significantly on the ground. With strong sunshine beating down on rooftops across most of this tropical country, the future of solar power in India is bright indeed. Solar is booming in India, but the country’s solar panel industry could be facing a dimmer future At the end of this year, India will end its “domestic content requirement” for solar projects that are part of its National Solar Mission, a component of the country’s National Action Plan on Climate Change. A World Trade Organization ruling from last year is to blame. India will continue to expand on solar, but nearly all of those panels might soon be imported from other countries. This is a problem because a key part of India’s enthusiasm for solar was tied to the desire to develop a new high-tech industry. Instead, as India expands its solar capacity, it could end up reliant on China, which exports panels at bargain-basement prices, to meet its energy needs. Both Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his predecessor, Manmohan Singh, championed solar as a way to connect the hundreds of millions of Indians who remain without electricity to the country’s rapidly expanding grid. In 2015, Modi announced his intention to add 100 gigawatts of solar by 2022, a goal that was initially seen as lofty but that has been helped along by plummeting solar prices. India hasn’t hit its annual targets each year, but has expanded solar rapidly enough that the 100 gigawatt goal remains within reach. The country is now pondering a new target of 175 gigawatts. (For reference, a single gigawatt is enough energy to power hundreds of thousands of North American homes — and many more in the developing world.). The Indian government’s embrace of solar has helped the country begin to decrease its reliance on coal. That, in turn, has helped international efforts to confront climate change maintain their momentum — even as the US has abandoned the Paris Agreement. The fact that relatively poor, populous and coal-reliant countries like India and China are increasingly turning to renewables despite the US’s refusal to cooperate are encouraging successes in the face of a major setback. As originally conceived by Singh’s and Modi’s governments, India’s solar effort would involve mandates that a percentage of the solar panels come from manufacturers based in India — these mandates were the “domestic content requirements” (DCRs) that the WTO found to be overly protectionist. The plan, under the Solar Mission, was that India’s solar industry would grow to meet the demand created by the DCRs, and would eventually be able to make panels that could compete with the cheap and abundant ones manufactured in China, or the technologically advanced ones manufactured in the US. India’s growing solar industry would then create jobs for Indian workers, and a potential export for the country. But in announcing its intention to build a robust solar industry, India became a target for China and the US, the world’s two dominant producers of solar panels who had for years been lobbing complaints back and forth at one another through the WTO, each trying to slap down the other’s policies aimed at protecting their domestic solar manufacturers from international competition. In 2018, the US government, under pressure from its own domestic solar manufacturers and green tech investors, filed a complaint against India’s DCRs with the WTO. In 2018, the WTO ruled against India. At the time, India’s joint secretary of new and renewable energy told the trade publication PV Tech that the ruling would “not affect the future course of action” — India’s ambitious plans for ramping

up solar generation would move ahead, with or without the DCRs. But when, in December, the DCRs disappear, the country’s domestic solar manufacturers will have to operate for the first time without government protection assuring a certain amount of demand for Indian-produced panels, and some are worried that this could spell the end of the Indian solar industry. A lot of local companies, local solar panel manufacturers are going to die out. The Indian Renewable Energy Ministry is still weighing other policies that could help protect the domestic solar industry but that would not be struck down by the WTO, but they haven’t yet arrived. These Chinese panels are so cheap that they make solar a more affordable option than coal; Indians accuse China of selling solar panels at artificially low prices — prices that are even lower than the cost of producing the panels — in order to maintain its near monopoly on India’s solar market, a practice called dumping. Ultimately, the end of India’s solar protectionism could prove another small step forward for China as it seeks to become a dominant player in providing solutions to climate change — and claims the profits and influence that come along with that dominance. China’s cornering of the solar market is both good and bad news as countries around the world work to meet their commitments under the Paris Agreement. The good news is that China’s solar panels are cheap and abundant, and able to compete with coal in many developing countries. More than any other country, China has been able to turn the fight to avert global catastrophe into an economic opportunity. The bad news: Increasingly, China is enjoying a virtual monopoly on solar in developing countries, with the ability to control the price of panels, the supply of panels, the type of panels manufactured and the rate at which the technologies in those panels improve. India, an enormous market, could become the latest example.

India’s PV Module Manufacturing Sector needs serious attention

India’s manufacturing sector is set to take a giant leap forward, with the govt. announcing a slew of measures to boost domestic manufacturing in recent past. As a result, various CoS are gearing up to expand their production facilities in India. However, Indian manufacturers continue to face a stiff competition with Chinese & other global manufacturers leading them to operate insufficiently. There could be various reasons ranging from the govt.’s existing domestic insufficient content policy to fewer types of subsidies or the interest rates on raw material thus making them to be inadequate in promoting the domestic PV module manufacturing industry. However, the challenges in the current policy regime & steps India might take to better position itself to become a global leader in the PV module manufacturing needs a strong overhaul. Solar power is the strategic need for the country as it can potentially save USD 20 bn in fossil fuel imports annually by 2030 & domestic manufacturing can save USD 42 bn in equipment imports by 2030. “In the absence of manufacturing, India will need to import $42 bn of solar equipment by 2030, corresponding to 100 GW of installed capacity,” warns a report by KPMG, an advisory firm. The report further highlighted that solar manufacturing can also create direct employment for more than 50,000 people in the next five years assuming local manufacturing captures 50% domestic market share & 10% global market share.

Challenges Affecting Module Manufacturing

There are several factors which contribute to the higher cost of Indian modules, including limited or no access to raw materials, lack of economies of scale, & inverted duty structure. According to a research report – ‘State-level Policy Analysis for PV Module Manufacturing in India’- prepared by a Bengaluru based Think Tank, Center for Study of Science, Tech. & Policy, stated, a module manufacturing facility is not very capital intensive; therefore, raising capital cost is not a big challenge to set up such a facility. Govt.s, both at central & state levels, provides incentives to subsidize the capital investment for module manufacturers. However, the research found that these capital subsidies are insufficient to make domestic manufacturing viable, as its impact is outsized by the other factors responsible for high prices. The research outlines three major challenges as under: Raw Material Cost: A sig. share (80-90%) of module manufacturing cost is attributed to raw material alone. Raw material for a module mainly comprises cell, glass, encapsulant, backsheet, interconnect ribbon, sealant, junction box, etc. Among these, cell has the biggest cost share of ~70% whereas the rest have a ~30% share. Also, the falling prices make inventories extremely costly. High Interest Rate: The other challenge for a module manufacturing industry is high interest rate on capital, comprising 12-15% of the total module manufacturing cost. The current interest rates in India are in the range of 12- 15%, which are way higher compared to other countries. This analysis observes that high interest rate on working capital increases manufacturing costs. Access to cheaper working capital loans would help reduce costs. Inventory Management & Capacity Utilization: As mentioned above, Indian module manufacturers are operating at very low capacity utilization; however the capacity is currently sufficient to cater to the demand. The major reason for this is lack of

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demand for domestic PV modules & unavailability & limited access to raw material. Therefore, to at least keep their plants running, raw materials are stored in the warehouse. Also, the finished modules need to be kept in the warehouse because of intermittent demand in the market. Therefore, higher inventory levels for raw materials & finished modules increase the operating cost & puts upward pressure on manufacturing costs. More long term contracts with manufacturers could assist in this regard, allowing firms to procure raw material just in time to meet demand. Access to working capital is important for Indian CoS to compete against the firms from China/ South East Asia, who offer better terms.

Domestic Solar Manufacturing Scenario

Manufacture of solar panels start with polysilicon, which is made from silicon. Polysilicon is made into ingots, which are cut into wafers. Cells are made with wafers & a string of cells is a module. Today, only modules & cells are made in India, with imported material. When it comes to figures, currently, almost 90% of panels & modules in Indian projects are imported, mostly from China, Malaysia & Taiwan, as they are sig.ly cheaper than the ones made locally. According to the MNRE, the country has installed capacity for producing 3.1 GW of cells & 8.8 GW of modules (cells are used to make modules). Modules account for nearly 60% of a solar power project’s total cost. India’s solar power generation capacity has already more than tripled in three years to over 20 GW. Of India’s ambitious target of putting in place 175GW of clean energy capacity by 2022, 100GW is to come from solar projects. Local manufacturing capacity is anyway nowhere near enough to meet the target of 100 GW by 2022, which has been set by the central govt.. At present, the only incentives available for manufacturing these is the Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme, which is available to all electronic goods manufacturers & implemented by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Tech., but there have been few takers for the scheme. MNRE has eventually understood the hard core fact that the cell/ module manufacturing capacity in the country is obsolete. This is why, MNRE plans to revolutionize this sector by introducing slew of measures to support solar manufacturing in India. In Dec, MNRE introduced a concept note’ to build up manufacturing capacity of solar PV modules, cells, wafers/ingots & polysilicon in India. The Ministry speaks of a direct financial support of Rs 11,000 Cr. & a ‘tech. upgradation fund’, for solar manufacturing. However, concept note highlighted even this capacity is not being fully exploited because of obsolete tech. Only 1.5 GW of cell manufacture & 3 GW of module manufacture are used. Govt. has also come up with one good thing in the recent budget where it proposed that duty on solar tempered glass/ solar tempered anti-reflective coated glass for manufacture of solar cells, panels, modules be reduced from 5 per cent to zero.

India’s Ambition in Solar PV Module Market

India is increasing in the clean energy power generation industry, and India holds the third position in the Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index in the global market. Given the global energy crisis, renewable energy is the most reliable source of power generation, and it consolidates optimum utilization of natural resources that benefits the environment and society. The solar power generation market has high growth potential in India. The country aims to expand its power generation market and develop the most extensive clean energy program globally by 2022. With capacities, the solar sector is projected to contribute 100GW of power single-handedly.

Current Challenges to PV Module Market

India's estimated power demand will be 817 GW by 2030. Out of which, clean energy will contribute to more than half of it and solar energy for approximately 280 GW solely. But it is necessary to concentrate on other aspects of the market. The solar market in India still encounters significant obstacles that need to be addressed. 1. High Prices: The solar PV Module industry is capital intensive, limiting its benefits to urban and large-scale companies. Hence, it needs to be economically feasible, enabling access to remote areas and small-scale companies. 2. Research Areas: It is mandatory to conduct thorough research while manufacturing the product. The products should undergo well-recognized laboratory and field tests before and after installation. 3. Modern Technology: With many innovative technologies introduced in the market. The manufacturer must design their products that meet the current technological trends. 4. Expertise & Know-How: The new entrant PV players don’t necessarily understand the Knitty-gritty as the Industry is at a nascent stage, so awareness of the overall process and functionality provides better confidence PV Module Technology: Our Solution The fundamental aspects that a customer must consider when selecting a PV module include its risk-mitigation capacity, durability, and secure operation, among others. At Mitsui Chemicals

India, we prioritize customer satisfaction while maintaining the highest level of quality in our solutions. Our solar module technologies are subjected to extensive and specialized testing. We design our solutions to meet the following important requirements: 1. Increasing Efficiency: We conduct on and off-field research and tests of our solar modules. This ascertains efficient product performance. PV Laboratory Testing helps in PV module authentication for optimum durability and functionality. 2. Cost-Effective: India has abundant solar energy. It makes the PV Module facility a feasible alternative for power generation purposes. Furthermore, investment in highly durable solutions benefits customers. 3. Sustainability: Adopting an eco-friendly power generation technology contributes to sustainable development. The testing and recognized certifications make the product viable in environmental safety. 4. Risk assessment: Performing tests and evaluations are necessary for product standardization of the solutions. It provides safety assurance for the entire lifespan of the solution. 5. Consultancy/Advisory Services: The necessity to bridge the gap between Developer needs and Manufacturer production requires supplier audits, and field inspection to ensure the quality and correctness of BoM from Factory to Field. Thereby, we initiated our Solar PV Technical Advisory services in collaboration with PI Berlin, a global leader in technical advisor services. The NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) has certified and standardized it in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025 international standards as well as recognized by BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards). It upgrades performance and provides quality and safety assurance of the PV module.

Survival through Sustainability

The environment becomes vulnerable when we overlook the paucity of our natural resources. The technological developments have indeed made it simple and viable to engage ecological resources that help reduce environmental load. Renewable sources of energy are an unparalleled means for electricity generation purposes. It does not emit any harmful gases that happen when burning fossil fuels. With India holding the third position in renewable energy attractiveness, it gets important for businesses to provide considerable support and commitment. RM

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GREEN ENERGY: MARkET TRENDS, OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

Revolution in green energy in India

Green energy is any energy type that is generated from natural resources, such as sunlight, wind or water. It often comes from renewable energy sources although there are some differences between renewable and green energy, which we will explore, below. The key with these energy resources are that they don’t harm the environment through factors such as releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

How does it Work?

As a source of energy, green energy often comes from renewable energy technologies such as solar energy, wind power, geothermal energy, biomass and hydroelectric power. Each of these technologies works in different ways, whether that is by taking power from the sun, as with solar panels, or using wind turbines or the flow of water to generate energy.

What does it mean?

In order to be deemed green energy, a resource cannot produce pollution, such as is found with fossil fuels. This means that not all sources used by the renewable energy industry are green. For example, power generation that burns organic material from sustainable forests may be renewable, but it is not necessarily green, due to the CO2 produced by the burning process itself. Green energy sources are usually naturally replenished, as opposed to fossil fuel sources like natural gas or coal, which can take millions of years to develop. Green sources also often avoid mining or drilling operations that can be damaging to eco-systems.

Types

The main sources are wind energy, solar power and hydroelectric power (including tidal energy, which uses ocean energy from the tides in the sea). Solar and wind power are able to be produced on a small scale at people’s homes or alternatively, they can be generated on a larger, industrial scale. The six most common forms are as follows: 1. Solar Power This common type of renewable energy is usually produced using photovoltaic cells that capture sunlight and turn it

into electricity. Solar power is also used to heat buildings and for hot water as well as for cooking and lighting. Solar power has now become affordable enough to be used for domestic purposes including garden lighting, although it is also used on a larger scale to power entire neighborhoods. 2. Wind Power Particularly suited to offshore and higher altitude sites, wind energy uses the power of the flow of air around the world to push turbines that then generate electricity. 3. Hydropower Also known as hydroelectric power, this type of green energy uses the flow of water in rivers, streams, dams or elsewhere to produce electricity. Hydropower can even work on a small scale using the flow of water through pipes in the home or can come from evaporation, rainfall or the tides in the oceans. Exactly how ‘green’ the following three types of green energy are is dependent on how they are created… 4. Geothermal Energy This type of green power uses thermal energy that has been stored just under the earth’s crust. While this resource requires drilling to access, thereby calling the environmental impact into question, it is a huge resource once tapped into. Geothermal energy has been used for bathing in hot springs for thousands of years and this same resource can be used for steam to turn turbines and generate electricity. The energy stored under the United States alone is enough to produce 10 times as much electricity as coal currently can. While some nations, such as Iceland, have easy-to-access geothermal resources, it is a resource that is reliant on location for ease of use, and to be fully ‘green’ the drilling procedures need to be closely monitored. 5. Biomass This renewable resource also needs to be carefully managed in order to be truly labelled as a ‘green energy’ source. Biomass power plants use wood waste, sawdust and combustible organic agricultural waste to create energy. While the burning of these materials releases greenhouse gas these emissions are still far lower than those from petroleum-based fuels. 6. Biofuels Rather than burning biomass as mentioned above, these organic materials can be transformed into fuel such as ethanol and biodiesel. Having supplied just 2.7% of the world’s fuel for transport in 2010, the biofuels are estimated to have the capacity to meet over 25% of global transportation fuel demand by 2050.

Why It Is Important?

Green energy is important for the environment as it replaces the negative effects of fossil fuels with more environmentallyfriendly alternatives. Derived from natural resources, green energy is also often renewable and clean, meaning that they emit no or few greenhouse gases and are often readily available. Even when the full life cycle of a green energy source is taken into consideration, they release far less greenhouse gases than fossil fuels, as well as few or low levels of air pollutants. This is not just good for the planet but is also better for the health

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of people and animals that have to breathe the air. Green energy can also lead to stable energy prices as these sources are often produced locally and are not as affected by geopolitical crisis, price spikes or supply chain disruptions. The economic benefits also include job creation in building the facilities that often serve the communities where the workers are employed. Renewable energy saw the creation of 11 million jobs worldwide in 2018, with this number set to grow as we strive to meet targets such as net zero. Due to the local nature of energy production through sources like solar and wind power, the energy infrastructure is more flexible and less dependent on centralised sources that can lead to disruption as well as being less resilient to weather related climate change. Green energy also represents a low cost solution for the energy needs of many parts of the world. This will only improve as costs continue to fall, further increasing the accessibility of green energy, especially in the developing world.

Examples

There are plenty of examples of green energy in use today, from energy production through to thermal heating for buildings, off-highway and transport. Many industries are investigating green solutions and here are a few examples: 1. Heating and Cooling in Buildings Green energy solutions are being used for buildings ranging from large office blocks to people’s homes. These include solar water heaters, biomass fuelled boilers and direct heat from geothermal, as well as cooling systems powered by renewable sources. 2. Industrial Processes Renewable heat for industrial processes can be run using biomass or renewable electricity. Hydrogen is now a large provider of renewable energy for the cement, iron, steel and chemical industries. 3. Transport Sustainable biofuels and renewable electricity are growing in use for transportation across multiple industry sectors. Automotive is an obvious example as electrification advances to replace fossil fuels, but aerospace and construction are other areas that are actively investigating electrification.

Can It Replace Fossil Fuels?

Green energy has the capacity to replace fossil fuels in the future, however it may require varied production from different means to achieve this. Geothermal, for example, is particularly effective in places where this resource is easy to tap into, while wind energy or solar power may be better suited to other geographic locations. However, by bringing together multiple green energy sources to meet our needs, and with the advancements that are being made with regards to production and development of these resources, there is every reason to believe that fossil fuels could be phased out. We are still some years away from this happening, but the fact remains that this is necessary to reduce climate change, improve the environment and move to a more sustainable future.

Can It Be Economically Viable?

Understanding the economic viability of green energy requires a comparison with fossil fuels. The fact is that as easily-reached fossil resources begin to run out, the cost of this type of energy will only increase with scarcity. At the same time as fossil fuels become more expensive, the cost of greener energy sources is falling. Other factors also work in favour of green energy, such as the ability to produce relatively inexpensive localised energy solutions, such as solar farms. The interest, investment and development of green energy solutions is bringing costs down as we continue to build up our knowledge and are able to build on past breakthroughs. As a result, green energy can not only become economically viable but also the preferred option.

Which Type Is The Most Efficient?

Efficiency in green energy is slightly dependent on location as, if you have the right conditions, such as frequent and strong sunlight, it is easy to create a fast and efficient energy solution. However, to truly compare different energy types it is necessary to analyse the full life cycle of an energy source. This includes assessing the energy used to create the green energy resource, working out how much energy can be translated into electricity and any environmental clearing that was required to create the energy solution. Of course, environmental damage would prevent a source truly being ‘green,’ but when all of these factors are combined it creates what is known as a ‘Levelised Energy Cost’ (LEC). Currently, wind farms are seen as the most efficient source of green energy as it requires less refining and processing than the production of, for example, solar panels. An advance in composites technology and testing has helped improve the life-span and therefore the LEC of wind turbines. However, the same can be said of solar panels, which are also seeing a great deal of development. Green energy solutions also have the benefit of not needing much additional energy expenditure after they have been built, since they tend to use a readily renewable source of power, such as the wind. In fact, the total efficiency of usable energy for coal is just 29% of its original energy value, while wind power offers a 1164% return on its original energy input. Renewable energy sources are currently ranked as follows in efficiency (although this may change as developments continue): • Wind Power • Geothermal • Hydropower • Nuclear • Solar Power

How Can it Help the Environment?

Green energy provides real benefits for the environment since the power comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind and water. Constantly replenished, these energy sources are the direct opposite of the unsustainable, carbon emitting fossil fuels that have powered us for over a century. Creating energy with a zero carbon footprint is a great stride to a more environmentally friendly future. If we can use it to meet our power, industrial and transportation needs, we will be able to greatly reduce our impact on the environment.

Green Energy vs Clean Energy vs Renewable Energy – What is the Difference?

As we touched upon earlier, there is a difference between green, clean and renewable energy. This is slightly confused by people often using these terms interchangeably, but while a resource can be all of these things at once, it may also be, for example, renewable but not green or clean (such as with some forms of biomass energy). Green energy is that which comes from natural sources, such as the sun. Clean energy are those types which do not release pollutants into the air, and renewable energy comes from sources that are constantly being replenished, such as hydropower, wind power or solar energy. Renewable energy is often seen as being the same, but there is still some debate around this. For example, can a hydroelectric dam which may divert waterways and impact the local environment really be called ‘green?’ However, a source such as wind power is renewable, green and clean – since it comes from an environmentally-friendly, self-replenishing and non-polluting source.

Hydrogen: Sunrise Sector

Hydrogen is seen as a sunrise technology for achieving net-zero emission targets as it does not emit GHG upon combustion. Its inherent chemical characteristics, multiple end-uses, and harmony with other fuel and energy carriers make it a strong contender of the clean energy transition apart from electrification, battery storage systems, carbon, capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), bioenergy, etc.

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At present, hydrogen is being primarily produced with the help of fossil fuels for use in the chemical, steel, and refinery industry. Today, it is possible to produce hydrogen with the help of renewable energy-based electricity. The ‘net-zeroness’ of hydrogen depends on the method of production. Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) incurs a measurable amount of emissions when used for producing hydrogen (Hydrogen produced with such process is called gray hydrogen). Green hydrogen (made from water and green electricity using electrolyzer) is considered the next big movement toward sustainable development. It has found relevance in today’s energy policy narrative, given its ability to decarbonize ‘hard-to-abate’ industries. Hard-to-abate sectors (like the steel industry) require a significant investment of green technology than existing carbon-based technologies. Countries with net-zero emission targets have been exploring ways to augment the usage of green hydrogen in their economy for decades due to the absence of technological dominance by single or group of countries and broader geographical availability of primary resources such as renewable energy, water contrary to the fossil fuels are concentrated in the specific geographic area. The reduction in the cost of renewable electricity has fueled the ‘green hydrogen hope.’ Interestingly, this is not the first time hydrogen is being projected to solve contemporary energy issues. Historically, hydrogen was first included as a part of energy policy in the 1970s after the oil embargo, but new discoveries of oil reserves damped out the efforts in subsequent decades. Although it was perceived as a solution to climate change on two separate occasions; once in the 1990s and again in the 2000s, the low oil prices, economic and financial crisis, and popularity of alternative renewable technologies like solar PV and wind affected the concrete financial support required for its development. Today, high technology costs, lack of adequate international supply chain, and lack of awareness impact the commercialization, infrastructure development, and demand creation of hydrogen-based technology.

The Indian Story

India’s endeavor in hydrogen technologies dates back to 1976, when the Department of Science and Technology sponsored hydrogen projects in universities and technical institutes. At present, India produces around 6.7 Mt of hydrogen annually. A report published by The Energy and Resources Institute anticipates the demand to reach 23 Mt in 2050. The current price of hydrogen in the country ranges from INR 340 to 400 per kg. (USD 4.5 to 5.3 per kg). The cost parity is expected to be achieved when green hydrogen is produced at INR 150 per kg (USD 2 per kg). Refineries, fertilizer, and the steel industry are major consumers of hydrogen in the country. Apart from industries, active research, development, and demonstration is being carried out in the area of electricity production, hydrogen storage, and mobility (fuel cell powered cars, rail, truck, bus, ships). High technology cost, risk of undesirable sunk cost, absence of dedicated government policy, and lack of public awareness have been significant barriers in front of India’s hydrogen economy. However, the recent policy developments portray India’s serious intentions in transitioning towards green hydrogen in the long term. India’s government has proposed spending INR 800 Cr by 2024 in its Union budget for FY 2021-22. It mentions pilot projects, infrastructure and supply chain, research and development, and regulations and public outreach as core focus areas. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is planning to launch a policy document for the national hydrogen energy mission, which will act as a primer for the development of the hydrogen ecosystem in the country, and the rationale of the government to be aggressive in green hydrogen development seems to be prudent.

Opportunities and Challenges

It is quite challenging to integrate renewables in the electric grid beyond a point without technological intervention. Higher penetration might result in the duck curve phenomenon, first observed in California, USA. In the duck curve phenomenon, renewable electricity production and peak demand are displaced by hours on a daily load curve. Green hydrogen, in conjunction with grid-scale battery storage, can act as a solution to this problem. Such a solution will reduce renewable energy curtailment, allow maximum utilization of renewable energy sources, entrust and protect RE investments against loss of revenue due to curtailment, provide power system operation flexibility, and allow additional capacity for more renewable plants in the electric grid. India has discovered one of the lowest solar PV generation costs globally through a reverse auction mechanism. While the country’s lowest cost of solar PV generation stands at INR 1.99 per kWh, most of the projects are being installed in the range of INR 2.5 to 4 per kWh. According to International Renewable Energy Agency’s report, reducing the cost of renewable-based electricity by half can halve the Levelized cost of green hydrogen if other cost components (capital cost, annual load factor of electrolyzer) remain unchanged. India has the potential to bring down the cost of green hydrogen by using low-cost renewable generating plants and cost-curtailment experience gained through solar and wind reverse auctions. Huge market potential, owing to the young demography and thriving economy, will be a long-term benefit for the government while pushing the application of hydrogen-based technologies. Hydrogen needs to be considered as complementary to its alternatives rather than contemplating it as an ultimate and stand-alone solution as it comes with its own constraints. The present storage and transportation technologies are expected to be mature and cost-effective by 2030. Hence, the production and near-real-time utilization of hydrogen at the same location can be promoted to safeguard investments against undesirable sunk costs. Production of green hydrogen requires water and green electricity as input to the electrolyzer. Each kg of hydrogen uses around 8.92 liters of demineralized water. The availability of sufficient water streams is critical as it is a valuable and limited resource having multiple application areas. Desalination plants can be set up to process wastewater or seawater for electrolysis to avoid

possible water usage conflicts. Freshwater from such desalination plants can also be provided to the local population if the plants are set up in water scares regions. Green hydrogen as an energy sector can become a reality in India if the large availability of renewable and water resources are used optimally. The Indian renewable energy market is expected to register a CAGR of more than 10% during the forecast period of 2022-2027. The COVID-19 outbreak, in 2020, had led to a decrease in the consumption of bioenergy and other renewable energy sources when compared to the previous year. Furthermore, COVID-19 impact constituted a risk to investments made by individuals and small to medium-sized enterprises in the Indian renewable energy market. Factors such as supportive government policies, rising environmental concerns, incentives, and tax benefits for solar panel installations are expected to drive the market during the forecast period. However, the lack of grid infrastructure in rural areas is likely to hinder the market growth during the forecast period.

Key Highlights

• The solar energy segment is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period, owing to increasing investment opportunities across the country. • Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has set a target to achieve 450 GW of renewable energy installed capacity by 2030. This is expected to create an opportunity for the market to grow in the future. • The market is also propelled by supportive government policies, particularly the plans formulated by the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) during the forecast period.

Key Market Trends

Solar Segment to Witness a Significant Growth • The solar segment is likely to have the largest market share during the forecast period, owing to declining costs of solar modules and the versatility of these systems for various applications, like electricity generation, water heating, etc. • India is endowed with vast solar energy potential. About 5,000 trillion kWh per year of energy is incident over India's land area with most parts receiving 4-7 kWh per square meter per day. There has been a visible impact of solar energy in the Indian energy sector during the last few years. • According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), the installed solar energy installed capacity in India was around 40.1 GW in 2020-2021, up from 34.6 GW in 2019-2020, recording a growth of around 16% during the year. This growth is the result of huge investments in the upcoming solar energy projects in India. • In December 2021, MNRE invited applications for the Expression of Interest in conducting the evaluation study of Phase-II of the Grid Connected Rooftop Solar Program. The program is a part of the National Solar Mission, which aims at installing 40 GW capacity of grid-connected solar rooftop installation systems by 2022.

• Furthermore, in February 2021, Amara Raja Batteries Ltd (ARBL) announced plans to set up a 50 MW solar power plant in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh with a total investment of INR 220 crore over the next 18 months. • In August 2021, ArcelorMittal S.A. announced plans to set up a 4.5 GW solar park in Rajasthan with an investment of INR 19,000 crore. It also plans to invest in Gujarat's solar energy. • In January 2022, Azure Power has commissioned a 600 MW solar power project in Bikaner, Rajasthan. The power generated from the project, will be supplied to Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited(SECI) at a tariff of Rs 2.53 per kWh for 25 years. • Hence, increasing investments in the solar energy sector is expected to aid the growth in India during the forecast period.

Supportive Government Policies and Programs Driving the Market Demand

• The Indian government has introduced numerous supportive policies to increase the renewable energy installed capacity to 450 GW by 2030. These policies are set to achieve the targets during the forecast period. • As part of the Paris Climate Agreement, India has committed to install 40% of its electricity generation capacity from non-fossil fuels by 2030. For achieving this goal, India has set an ambitious target of setting up 1,75,000 MW of renewable energy capacity, including, 1,00,000 MW of solar power, by 2022. Further, a target of 4,50,000 MW installed

RE capacity by 2030 has also been fixed. • February 2022, the Indian government has allocated an additional INR 19,500 crore to support solar PV module manufacturing under the production linked incentive (PLI) scheme. • The scheme has various provisions for supporting the set up of integrated manufacturing units of high-efficiency solar

PV modules by offering Production Linked Incentive (PLI) on sales of such solar PV modules. It aims at attaining the ambitious goal of 280 GW of installed solar capacity by 2030. • In September 2021, the Indian government has announced plans to provide viability gap funding (VGF) or grants for offshore wind and storage projects. The new scheme will help discoms carry out renovation and modernization of substations. The government has set a target of adding 30GW of offshore wind energy projects by 2030. • Some other schemes implemented by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) in the last three years are the Solar Park Scheme, the 300 MW defense Scheme, and the 500 MW of VGF (Viability Gap Funding) Scheme. In

January 2020, India made an ambitious target of having 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030. The announcement was made by the central government, which is already working on the project of installing around 100 GW of solar energy by 2022.

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• In December 2020, the Gujarat government implemented "the Surya Urja Rooftop Yojana" scheme to install solar rooftops for 8 lakh residential consumers by March 2022. Under this scheme, 40% of state subsidy will be provided on installing systems up to 3 kW and 20% subsidy for 3 kW-10 kW systems. • Therefore, numerous supportive polices by central and state governments are expected to drive the India renewable energy market during the forecast period.

The Way Forward

Renewables have been torchbearers of the green initiative since the beginning of the 21 st century. Hydrogen can play the same role by the mid-century as the goalpost of going green shifts from merely reducing GHG emissions to achieving net-zero emissions. The success of government initiatives lies in administering the right mix of intra and inter-sectoral policies. It is undoubtedly clear that policymakers’ decisions today will have a long-lasting impact on the country’s energy story. The wish and will by the government, in conjunction with stable and sustained policies instead of stop-go policies, ensure an expedited as well as smooth transition towards the green hydrogen ecosystem. India’s immediate policy announcements will set the context for the role of hydrogen in its energy transition amid ongoing hype and hope around it.

Conclusion

Green energy looks set to be part of the future of the world, offering a cleaner alternative to many of today’s energy sources. Readily replenished, these energy sources are not just good for the environment, but are also leading to job creation and look set to become economically viable as developments continue. The fact is that fossil fuels need to become a thing of the past as they do not provide a sustainable solution to our energy needs. By developing a variety of green energy solutions we can create a totally sustainable future for our energy provision, without damaging the world we all live on. TWI has been working on different green energy projects for decades and has built up expertise in these areas, finding solutions for our Industrial Members ranging from electrification for the automotive industry to the latest developments in renewable energy. India is witnessing an unprecedented rise in fuel prices since June 2021. This has brought the matter of energy security back on the discussion table. The discussion’s central theme has been ever-increasing fuel demand and dependency on imported crude oil for domestic needs. India’s annual energy import cost is in excess of USD 123 billion in 2019. More than 82% of this cost is consumed in importing crude oil and natural gas. Solar PV and wind have revolutionized India’s green energy story in the past decade. Once struggling to meet the peak electricity demand, the country now has a surplus power scenario. Indian Energy Exchange reported that the availability of sell-bids for the day-ahead market in its system is twice that of demand. Diversification of electricity sources by integrating renewable energy in its grid is helping India in achieving the Paris agreement targets. The country has pledged to achieve 40% installed capacity from renewable energy sources by 2030 and reduce emissions intensity by 33-35% below 2005 levels in its nationally determined commitments to the 2015 Paris agreement. While renewable energy is undoubtedly a better option than present fossil fuel-based energy, it is not a one-stop solution for all our energy problems. Renewable technology is recommended but not a sufficient measure to achieve goals as envisaged in the Paris Agreement. Moreover, electricity comprises only around 16.5% of the final energy consumption at the national level. Additional efforts are required to reduce greenhouse gasses (GHG) emitted by the remaining 83.5% energy sector. The goal post of environment-friendly development has changed from merely reducing GHG emissions to achieving net-zero emissions. Net-zero energy systems are emerging as a sustainable solution to topical energy problems. At least 12 countries have already legislated net-zero emission targets, and 41 more countries are in the process of doing the same. Over the past few years, green hydrogen has emerged as a ‘game-changer (at least theoretically) and become the latest buzzword in the area among net-zero energy experts. RM

SMART CITIES IN INDIA: OPPORTUNITIES & CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTATION

Introduction

Indian renewable energy sector is the fourth most attractive renewable energy market in the world1. India was ranked fourth in wind power, fifth in solar power and fourth in renewable power installed capacity, as of 2020. Installed renewable power generation capacity has gained pace over the past few years, posting a CAGR of 17.33% between FY20-21. With the increased support of Government and improved economics, the sector has become attractive from investors perspective. As India looks to meet its energy demand on its own, which is expected to reach 15,820 TWh by 2040, renewable energy is set to play an important role. The government is aiming to achieve 227 GW of renewable energy capacity (including 114 GW of solar capacity addition and 67 GW of wind power capacity) by 2022, more than its 175 GW target as per the Paris Agreement. The government plans to establish renewable energy capacity of 523 GW (including 73 GW from Hydro) by 2030.

Market Size

As of October 2021, India’s renewable energy capacity stood at 1.49 GW representing ~38.27% of the overall installed power capacity and providing a great opportunity for the expansion of green data centres. In October 2021, India’s renewable energy capacity increased by 1,522.35 MW (megawatt). As of September 2021, India had 101.53 GW of renewable energy capacity and represents ~38% of the overall installed power capacity. The country is targeting about 450 Gigawatt (GW) of installed renewable energy capacity by 2030 – about 280 GW (over 60%) is expected from solar. As of September 2021, India had 101.53 GW of renewable energy capacity and represents ~38% of the overall installed power capacity. By December 2019, 15,100 megawatts (MW) of wind power projects were issued, of which, projects of 12,162.50 MW capacity have already been awarded2. Power generation from renewable energy sources in India reached 127.01 billion units (BU) in FY20. With a potential capacity of 363 GW and with policies focused on the renewable energy sector, Northern India is expected to become the hub for renewable energy in India.

Is Solar Power the Future for Smart Cities?

It may have started with sensible cars and sensible homes, however as

technology advances, the "smart" trend is taking on entire cities. Across the country and therefore the world, cities of all sizes area unit reworking their infrastructure, systems, and operations to maximize new technologies and integrate connected solutions into the terribly cloth of however they operate and look after their voters. Through advances in information assortment and analytics, they will anticipate and reply to daily challenges like traffic flow and potential emergencies like severe storms. But these new sensible cities are not simply forward-thinking once it involves the most effective ways that to serve the general public — several of them also are pioneering efforts to include property and energy potency into developing sensible town solutions. Integration of solar energy and alternative renewable energy sources is quickly changing into a trademark of sensible urban planning. Here's a glance at a number of the innovative ways that sensible town initiatives and school leaders area unit harnessing solar energy in their quest to make the cities of the longer term. Federal Government focuses on sensible and Property Development Last year, the Obama Administration proclaimed a $160 million investment into sensible town development. The initiative required a stress on solutions to manage the economic process, crime rates, and — apparently — global climate change. While the property hasn't traditionally been a high priority in urban planning, the present state of the setting is quickly ever-changing that trend. Innovators and school mogul’s area unit specializing in energy potency and their environmental impact over ever before. Sensible resolution suppliers area unit following suit, providing hi-tech infrastructure choices which will facilitate town governments save on energy prices at the same time as they cut back their carbon output. this is often Associate in the Nursing particularly sensible pairing as a result of it permits municipalities to consolidate efforts to enhance the quality of life and property below one umbrella initiative, instead of in multiple separate solutions. Department of Transportation Makes DC star a Partner for sensible town Challenge. Other government department’s area unit pushing smaller initiatives f o r

property sensible town development, too. The sensible town Challenge, for example — a contest instigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) — offered up to $40 million to town that came up with the most effective "smart city" set up. The challenge inspired cities to become totally integrated and connected victimization sensible technology and property energy to form however individuals and product get from one place to a different.

DC star partnered with the U.S. DOT, giving mobile star generators and electric vehicle chargers price $1.5 million to winning town Columbus, Ohio. Additionally, the corporate pledged to figure with the opposite six competition cities to adopt mobile star technology and incorporate the use of electric cars into town infrastructure. DC star also will facilitate the cities convert diesel off-grid power generators to star.

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IBM Predicts Weather Patterns to maximize solar energy

The movement toward adopting renewable energy to power sensible cities is not while not its hurdles. Solar energy is nice as long because the sun is shining, however cloudy days will minimize the energy output star arrays will manufacture. One grid-tied home losing star potency is not an enormous downside, however, once a city-wide infrastructure is tied to solar energy production, having the ability to set up around periods of low potency is crucial. In a trial to mitigate the impact of overcast weather, school big IBM is staring at ways that to accurately predict bad weather. As a part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Sun Shot Initiative, IBM has conducted analysis that they claim produces weather predictions that area unit half-hour a lot of correct than the National Weather Service. Increased accuracy can facilitate town governments and utility firms recognize beforehand what quantity sun a star plant can receive at any given time, permitting them to raised set up their power masses. With the correct response, this foresight has the potential to save lots of cash and cut back reliance on coal and gas power plants that usually got to obtain the slack once clouds appear. These examples area unit simply the tip of the iceberg once it involves sensible town initiatives. Due to solar energy efforts and alternative renewable energy sources, the town of the longer term goes to be a lot of economical, a lot of connections, and a lot of property. Creating cities smarter and greener can amendment the manner municipalities operate and facilitate voters maximize

their potential as accountable, property members of a world community?

Azure power to put in top star comes on government buildings

Independent solar energy producer Azure Power these days proclaimed it's bagged a contract to put in two power unit capability top star comes for Udaipur sensible town restricted (USCL). As per the contract, the company’s subsidiary Azure Roof Power can style, supply, install, commission and operate the grid-connected top star Photo-Voltaic (PV) comes for twenty-five years at multiple government buildings in Udaipur. The project is calculable to save lots of twenty-five per cent of USCL’s existing electricity price. “Rooftop star forms a necessary a part of the sensible cities development and is remedies to the growing infrastructural issues of the Asian nation to create a better and a lot of property future. In 2013, we have a tendency to designed the primary MW-scale top project in Gandhinagar below the sensible town initiative and recently we've got worked on many sensible towns comes in Bhubaneshwar and Cuttack,” same Inderpreet Wadhwa, Founder, Chairman and Chief officer of Azure Power. Azure Roof Power offers top solar energy solutions for industrial and industrial customers in cities across the Asian nation to lower their energy bill and meet their greenhouse emission (GHG) emission reduction targets. The corporate has over one hundred fifty Mw of in operation and committed star assets in twenty states with government-backed entities accounting for a bulk of the client base

Azure’s customers embrace industrial property firms, a sequence of premium hotels, distribution firms in sensible cities, warehouses, urban Centre railway Rail Corporation (DMRC), Indian Railways, a water utility company in the urban Centre and government ministries.

Alternative energy solutions for sensible cities

The vision of a contemporary Asian nation encapsulates the conception of 'smart cities' to deal with the phenomenally speedy urbanization of our nation. The govt. has proclaimed plans to form 100 sensible cities to satisfy the challenge of the longer term, because it has been calculable that by 2050 India's urban community’s square measure expected to rise to a thumping fifty per cent of the population. Significantly, regarding sixty six per cent of the world's population would then be living in urban areas. Cities worldwide would consume simple fraction of worldwide energy and contribute up to eighty per cent of worldwide greenhouse emission. At present, regarding three hundred million of our countrymen live sans electricity. Therefore, we've protracted thanks to go as way as our endeavors to administer basic wants and quality of life to voter’s square measure involved. This, indeed, could be a warning sign. The vision of a contemporary Asian nation encapsulates the conception of 'smart cities' to deal with the phenomenally speedy urbanization of our nation. The govt. has proclaimed plans to form 100 sensible cities to satisfy the challenge of the longer term, because it has been calculable that by 2050 India's urban community’s square measure expected to rise to a thumping fifty per cent of the population. Significantly, regarding sixty six per cent of the world's population would then be living in urban areas. Cities worldwide would consume simple fraction of worldwide energy and contribute up to eighty per cent of worldwide greenhouse emission. At present, regarding three hundred million of our countrymen live sans electricity. Therefore, we've protracted thanks to go as way as our endeavors to administer basic wants and quality of life to voter’s square measure involved. This, indeed, could be a warning sign. However, Asian nation would positively return up with answers for such challenges of the twenty first century supported its civilization's knowledge and attribute. Indians square measure conservative naturally, however precocious with such qualities as resilience, ability and frugalness - these square measure our strengths. For instance, even those that will afford to pay the next electricity bill can have solely such lights switched on as square measure essential. Most homes have one house that's unbroken cool within the summer or warm up in winter. Entire homes square measure rarely climate-controlled. If one were to require a glance at rural Asian nation, a revolution of kinds has taken place within the past few years. Light-emitting diode lamps have replaced traditional electrical bulbs all over, thereby saving an enormous quantity of electricity. It is calculable that by 2030, India's energy demand can increase by virtually two hundred per cent. in line with AN analysis allotted by the ministry of recent and renewable energy, at AN doable and conservative gross domestic product increase of half-dozen.5 per cent, our energy would like would bit 7,55,719 MW. This was capably exhorted by the prime minister at the COP twenty one summits in Paris - "We ought to guarantee, within the spirit of climate justice, that the lifetime of some doesn't force out the opportunities for the various still on the initial steps of the event ladder". whereas coal is probably going to be our dominant energy supply for the close to and mid-term future, we have a tendency to square measure doubtless to ascertain larger use of other, carbon-free sources of energy like gas, hydro, nuclear and a bunch of alternative renewable sources. We have no alternative however to travel sure less and fewer fossil fuels and step by step enhance dependence on nature-based clean and renewable energy sources and reach planned targets in an exceedingly time-bound manner. What’s additional vital is that we've to reinforce investments in research project and develop technologies to maximise the assembly, storage and loss-free distribution of unpolluted energy. Besides that, new technology would want to be exploited to evolve energy-saving and energy-efficient techniques and build the entire initiative property as an integrated 'smart energy system'. India, as an accountable international player, has set for itself formidable targets of, firstly, cutting carbon emissions intensity of its gross domestic product by thirty five per cent from 2005 levels by 2030 with forty per cent of its energy returning from 'non-fossil fuels'. Secondly, it aims at making a hundred seventy five GW of renewable energy by 2022, of that a hundred GW would be made from alternative energy. The International star Alliance was launched throughout the COP twenty one summit in Paris by Narendra Modi and therefore the French president, François Hollande. The latter not solely praised India's initiative however conjointly assured handsome support by France. This step would possibly well become another pillar of the strategic partnership between the 2 countries. The importance of alternative energy as another power supply has so been globally enshrined. The conception of sensible cities is so a visionary, innovative and timely plan. Though there's no universally accepted definition of a wise town, there's convergence on vital options that frame one. primarily, a wise town should offer '21st century standard' quality of life supported innovative info and communication technology in order that the voters square measure able to sleep in a secure, peaceful, productive and arranged setting with assured amenities, together with public transportation, and services that square measure efficient, integrated, wired and property. The

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stress ought to get on greening the town therefore on scale back the carbon signature and on the utilization of economical and renewable energy systems. All this can't be achieved while not the institutionalized participation of the voters. The sensible cities of the longer term ought to have none of the ills and therefore the urban chaos that almost all of our contemporary cities and metros suffer from. As way as Asian nation worries, plans for brand spanking new sensible cities have to be compelled to be enforced efficiently. Moreover, our metros and tier 2 cities would before long become all chaotic and unlivable unless they're modernized and 'retrofitted' on the lines of sensible cities. President John F. Kennedy had capably expressed, "We can neglect our cities to our peril, for in neglecting them we have a tendency to neglect the state." A recent study by IIT Kanpur, highlight the first causes of pollution in metropolis, disclosed that besides others, traffic at the solon International airfield, with over 800 air movements per day, and therefore the use of wood and coal primarily based tandoors in nine,000 odd restaurants and eateries are important polluters and contributors to greenhouse gases and particulate. Astonishingly these square measure hardly taken into thought. However, it might be incorrect to hold the impression that nothing is being done to ameliorate the case. for instance, additionally to Chandigarh, metropolis has conjointly taken a formidable leap and "carved for itself a distinct segment among trendy and world category cities of Asian nation... in terms of roads, sanitation system, waste management system, energy conservation etc". In another initiative, the govt has pop out with a replacement policy that has provisions for 'time of the day metering', inexperienced power purchase, and 24x7 powers provide to any or all by 2022 besides alternative options. In a number of India's states like state, new homes don't seem to be approved unless top side star panels for heating of water are incorporated. The programme for building Amravati, the planned capital town of state, has been shrunken to Singapore, the town state better-known for impeccable governance. It’s hoped that this is able to fructify into a collector's item 'smart state capital' of a contemporary Asian nation. In view of rigorous climate management protocols, in Kyoto and recently in Paris, Asian nation has committed to bring down 'emissions by thirty five % of 2005 levels and forty % of its put in capability are from non-fossil fuels'. Further, the prime minister has given AN assurance that the 'balance between ecology and economy' would be reconditioned and conjointly that 'between our inheritance and obligation to the future'. However, it might be unreasonable to expect the govt. alone up-to-date the value of such an enormous transformation within the manner urban Asian nation lives. Resorting to public-private partnerships, encouraging the non-public sector and voters by giving grants, subsidies and concessions and adopting the simplest practices of developed countries would be the manner forward during this endeavor. Productive models of public-private partnerships worldwide ought to be studied, fitly changed, and incorporated to suit our culture and manner of life. In the close to term, whereas we have a tendency to specialise in new and various sources for power, we'd primarily ought to rely upon fuel and gas-based energy. Yet, efforts should be created to realize cleaner power and to lower the carbon footprints of existing power plants. The choice suggests that comprise nuclear, hydro, solar, wind, geothermal, solid bio-mass, biogas, biofuel and energy created from waste. significantly, for our sensible cities, we'd like to crank in these 'almost carbon-free' and environment-friendly energy therefore at the origin stage itself so on guarantee uninterrupted and stable power provide once the cities develop. These cities should have integrated and networked grids that will not solely lower the consumption of power however conjointly build it efficient. Urban Asian nation produces over forty per cent of carbon emissions on account of business activity, transportation, and construction, renovation of infrastructure, assets, and handling and disposal of solid waste. Sensible cities conceive of the utilization of inexperienced and renewable energy with newer technologies that, hopefully, square measure doubtless to be shared by the advanced countries on the idea of real international partnerships. In a country like ours, wherever there's abundance of daylight, alternative energy has the potential to satisfy a serious a part of our future energy wants. The govt. has consequently created a formidable decide to reach a target of a 100,000 MW from alternative energy throughout subsequent six years close to. Besides harnessing this renewable and clean energy in giant star plants and desegregation the facility made with the national power system, sensible cities would have integrated roof-top star harvest all told major buildings, railway and railroad line stations, schools, hospitals and even residential complexes, thereby creating economical use of house. The suburbanized alternative energy so made would be meshed with sensible grids to serve the native communities. To realize this, we'd have to be compelled to have in situ progressive transmission and distribution systems for power that are planned with the assistance of geographic info systems. Driving on the throughway the Mohave Desert, one is actually hypnotized by what seems to be

an enormous lake with its surface shimmering within the sun and some brightly lit towers among it. Amazingly, unfolded over some kilometers, it's the 392 MW Ivanpah solar-thermal power project, the most important of its kind within the world. We’d like star parks of this type. Impetus should be provided to construct energy-efficient inexperienced buildings with intelligent metering devices to control power, gas and installation and be joined to a wise town grid. The sensible grid would be the in group or the backbone of the 'e-governance' set up of the town and can connect the administration with every district, infrastructure project, industry, piece of ground, public facility or sweetness, residential advanced and colony. This may facilitate industrial growth that will be globally competitive and make jobs. This new approach to manage cities can have high dependence on digital technology. The Indian railways has plans to provide an enormous quantity of solar energy by having panels on its platforms and enormous railway yards as conjointly to run locomotives on solar energy. Similarly, the metropolis railroad line has plans to travel 'completely solar'. India is that the world's fifth largest producer of wind energy. To create it to the highest, the govt. has planned to extend wind-power generation to 60,000 MW by 2028. This is able to imply that roughly 5,300 MW would be extra each year, and for that tidy tax incentives are proclaimed. The advantage of alternative energy is that such plants might be unfolded everywhere the country supported surveys of wind conditions and so be able to feed electricity on to the closest town or city grid. This set-up would be fairly efficient as transmission losses would be reduced. The other renewable energy sources square measure biomass and tiny hydro comes, that are targeted to achieve up to 10,000 MW and 5,000 MW, severally, by 2022. Pulp co-generation is pegged at a pair of waste to power at 107 MW presently, though plans square measure afoot to reinforce energy production from these clean sources. These facilities might be set getting ready to sensible cities and metros. The electricity generated by these sources would be integrated within the urban power grids and enhance the handiness of electricity. Biogas made from organic material like municipal waste, sewage, food and plant waste includes regarding sixty five per cent of gas and therefore the rest is greenhouse emission. It is wont to generate electricity and, once compressed as fuel, for conveyance in role of CNG. Sub-Himalayan states like Arunachal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh square measure putting in several mini electricity plants within the remote square measure as; a number of them in locations wherever roads are nevertheless to achieve. Apparently, the primary tiny hydro-power plant in Asia was established by British in 1897 at Sidrapong regarding twelve kilometres from Darjeeling. This visionary project had 2 electricity sets manufacturing sixty five kW every, that was adequate to satisfy the energy wants of Darjeeling at that point. In addition, new technologies with an enormous potential square measure rising. Among them square measure 'geothermal'- a viable various supply of unpolluted and renewable energy whereby the warmth in geothermic zones below the surface of the planet is getting used to provide electricity in several elements of the globe (at gift this can be at a aborning stage in India) - and

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'hydricity'- solely an idea at the instant, wherever alternative energy isn't solely wont to generate electricity, however conjointly for manufacturing and storing H from superheated water; the H, later, getting used to provide electricity employing a turbinebased hydrogen-power cycle. As a viable various to standard and coal or gas primarily based power generation, Asian nation has conjointly planned to supply a serious portion of its energy from atomic energy plants having the most recent technology and larger safeguards. "Energy independence is India's 1st and highest priority", aforementioned India's former president, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, a soul of repute. Further, he declared that the state has "to get in for atomic energy generation in exceedingly massive manner victimization thorium-based reactors". The govt has planned to reinforce the assembly of atomic energy therefore on fulfil twenty five per cent of the national energy necessities by 2050. Within the developing world, Asian nation is among the front runners within the field of atomic energy. At present, 5,780 MW of electricity is generated from seven atomic energy plants. That approximates to regarding a pair of.2 per cent of India's energy production. There square measure plans to require it up to 20,000 MW within the next few years. On the opposite hand, France generates seventy five per cent of its energy necessities from atomic energy plants and could be a web bourgeois of power price 3 billion Euros each year. Asian nation has similar aspirations of changing into a 'world leader in nuclear technology thanks to its experience in quick reactors and the fuel cycle'. As an accountable, Asian nation would honour its commitment to considerably scale back carbon emissions by 2030. India, that is presently the fourth highest producer of greenhouse gases, has embarked upon a journey to step by step scale back its dependence on fossil-fuel primarily based energy. Therefore, to satisfy its energy demand, it's immersion on various, cleaner, renewable as conjointly unconventional sources of energy and introduces this energy design into the plans of sensible cities. This strategy of 100 sensible cities with sensible and economical energy populous by 'smart citizens' would be a serious step to deal with the challenges of a speedily urbanizing Asian nation. At an equivalent time, we have a tendency to should ruminate and act on the sagacious words of Plato spoken 2 millennia ago: "Any town, but tiny, is indeed divided into 2, one the town of the poor, the opposite of the wealthy. This Square Measure it's imperative that we have a tendency to forestall such a war.

Road Ahead

The Government is committed to increased use of clean energy sources and is already undertaking various large-scale sustainable power projects and promoting green energy heavily. In addition, renewable energy has the potential to create many employment opportunities at all levels, especially in rural areas. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has set an ambitious target to set up renewable energy capacities to the tune of 227 GW by 2022, of which about 114 GW is planned for solar, 67 GW for wind and other for hydro and bio among other. India’s renewable energy sector is expected to attract investment worth US$ 80 billion in the next four years. About 5,000 Compressed Biogas plants will be set up across India by 2023. It is expected that by 2040, around 49% of the total electricity will be generated by renewable energy as more efficient batteries will be used to store electricity, which will further cut the solar energy cost by 66% as compared to the current cost. *Use of renewables in place of coal will save India Rs. 54,000 crore (US$ 8.43 billion) annually3. Renewable energy will account for 55% of the total installed power capacity by 2030. As per the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) estimates, by 2029-30, the share of renewable energy generation would increase from 18% to 44%, while that of thermal is expected to reduce from 78% to 52%. According to the year-end review (2020) by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, another 49.59 GW of renewable energy capacity is under installation and an additional 27.41 GW of capacity has been tendered. This puts the total capacity of renewable energy projects (already commissioned or in the pipeline) at ~167 GW. The Government of India wants to develop a ‘green city’ in every state of the country, powered by renewable energy. The ‘green city’ will mainstream environment-friendly power through solar rooftop systems on all its houses, solar parks on the city’s outskirts, waste to energy plants and electric mobility-enabled public transport systems. India has 40 cities with more than a million people, 397 cities with between 100,000 and 1 million people, and 2500 cities with between 10,000 and 100,000 people. (Source: World Population Review) and is projected to add 300 million urban residents by the year 2050 as per the first 'World Cities Report 2016 – Urbanisation and Development: Emerging Futures' report by UN Habitat. In view of the fact that the existing urban infrastructure and services in Indian cities are already under pressure, the Indian government announced the Smart Cities Mission in June 2015. 100 cities have been taken up for development as smart cities and will be financed with a combination of government funding under this mission, convergence with funding under other schemes, multilateral/bilateral support, internal revenue mobilisation, value capture financing, municipal bond issue and public private partnerships. A total investment of INR 203,979 crore is proposed to be undertaken for the development of 4500 projects across 99 cities. The objective of the Mission is to promote cities that provide core infrastructure, provide a decent quality of life and a clean and sustainable environment to its citizens through application of 'Smart' Solutions. The focus of Smart Cities is on sustainable and inclusive development and the idea is to look at compact areas to create a replicable model which will act like a light house to other aspiring cities. The Smart Cities Mission is meant to set examples that can be replicated both within and outside the Smart City, catalysing the creation of similar Smart Cities in various regions and parts of the country. The intent has been to leverage these 100 smart cities to

catalyse further investments and improvements in Indian urban infrastructure.

Present Status of Implementation of Smart City projects in India

The smart cities mission has come up for significant criticism on account of delayed implementation and lack of ‘tangible progress on the ground’ over the last three years. In this article, I have attempted to look at the long-term opportunity that smart cities represent particularly for technology/smart solution providers, challenges that they could face, ways in which these could be resolved and also the reasons why this sector represents a long-term business opportunity and must be viewed as such. Smart solutions/technologies will be required across a variety of urban sectors to improve liveability of cities and reduce the increasing pressure on urban infrastructure and civic services. The Command and Control Centre (CCC) will constitute the backbone of each Smart city, where information from various departments and various applications will be collected, processed and analysed for better planning and delivery of civic services/ infrastructure.The CCC therefore aims to achieve the following: • Single source of information for all civic functions. • Platform with the ability to receive, intelligently correlate and share information with stakeholders who are into city operations and planning to better predict outcomes. • Act as the city’s emergency and disaster management platform. Since Command and Control Centres constitute the heart of any Smart City, they are being operationalised on priority.

Status of development of Command and Control Centres for Smart Cities

The CCC will depend upon real time as well as recorded inputs from various civic departments and these will be available through smart technological solutions implemented in each of these departments. I have listed some of the areas where smart solutions would be required across various sectors in the following graphic: Although the business opportunity for technology providers is huge, the significantly delayed implementation of various projects under the Smart Cities Mission (SCM) has led to valid concerns among this community. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Urban Development has reported that no more than 1.8 per cent of the funds released for Smart Cities Mission (SCM) have been utilised since its launch in 2015. While the Committee cited shortage of urban planners as one key reason for the delays, the author by virtue of his experience in Smart Cities from conceptualisation to implementation has attempted to identify reasons underlying delayed implementation of Smart City projects at each stage of the project cycle in a more comprehensive manner: During stage 1 of the Smart cities challenge: Many Urban Local bodies were not in a position to comply with various requirements (e.g., Online grievance redressal system, recovery of O&M charges for water supply, coverage of toilets, etc), required for shortlisting under stage 1. An effort was however made to shortlist the requisite number of cities per state based on the number allotted to it (the particular state). During preparation of smart city proposals (SCPs): Appointment of consultants for preparation of SCPs was mostly on a least cost basis. This factor coupled with the fact that barely four months were given for preparation of SCPs led to compromises in the quality of SCPs. Projects were often included without adequate consideration given to technical and financial feasibility. Interlinkages between projects to be taken up across sectors were not taken into account. Cities which were not selected in the initial rounds continued facing quality issues in subsequent rounds leading to multiple rounds of SCP preparation. Selection of Project Management Consultants (PMC): After selection of cities in various rounds of SCPs, there were often delays in selection of Project management consultants (PMCs). Previous rounds of selection through competitive bidding were scrapped and a fresh round taken up when there were changes of government at the state level. Delays in mobilisation of team: PMCs faced considerable challenges in mobilising teams with the requisite experience particularly when the cities in question did not have direct air connectivity to the metros where most experienced consultants are based. There were delays in mobilising the team, ensuring the team's continued commitment to the particular smart city (teams continued to be stretched thin with experts shuffling between projects) and ensuring continuity of the respective team member given that these were often changed at regular intervals. In case of cities where PMCs had quoted aggressively, there were challenges in getting the required experts on board at a competitive price given the demand for skilled urban professionals in recent times. Unrealistic timelines for project implementation: The timelines given for the implementation were unrealistic in my view to start out with. This was coupled with constant monitoring and reporting at the local, state and central level which led to further compromises in the quality of deliverables. RFPs for selection of contractors were often issued without a judicious estimation of project costs and feasibility.

Pressure from the media: Delays in project implementation led to the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) as well as the PMCs being taken to task by the local media which was in turn instigated by vested interests. Solutions under smart cities are often initially expensive but with a reduced life cycle cost. This comparison is often not understood by laypersons as well as the media which raises allegations. Responding to media articles has led to a further reduction in time given to the PMC for actual work and delivering projects on the ground. Challenges at the level of the SPV: SPVs are often inadequately staffed with appointment of the necessary staff taking much longer

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than prudent and often delayed due to external interference. In some states, the funds provided by the Centre and the state have not been released to the SPV. In many cases, the challenge is prudently utilising the funds made available. An analysis of the above reasons makes it clear that the reasons for the delays in project implementation so far have been on account of issues that typically occur when taking up any first of its kind initiative. The cities are now higher up the learning curve in the implementation of Smart City projects. There have been no issues with regard to provision of smart solutions per se. There are no reasons underlying the delay that will impact the long-term business potential of Smart city projects. Therefore, from a technology providers’ perspective as long as payment related aspects are protected through a robust contractual structure, the following reasons continue to render Smart Cities as a key business opportunity going forward: The opportunity inherent in providing smart solutions across various urban sub-sectors across numerous cities is intact given the growing urbanisation, pressure on urban infrastructure and increasing aspiration levels. The opportunity to conceptualise innovative solutions to address urban issues which can be showcased elsewhere. Adequate funding is available for these projects. Unlike core infrastructure which requires significant investment and which will be funded largely through convergence with other schemes, smart technological interventions will be largely funded through government funding. Many of these projects are structured as an EPC prior to completion with an additional O&M contract for the operations stage. The supplier therefore does not bear the revenue risk associated with collection of user charges. Provisions such as escrow accounts are being incorporated to provide the necessary comfort to the private sector. Possibility of scaling up the solutions developed in other parts of the same city given that the SCM has started out with only one area within each city for being smartened up under the Area based development. Possibility of replicating smart solutions across other cities since there is a likelihood of other cities being developed as Smart cities in addition to the first 99. Specific states are exploring the possibility of smart cities at the state level in addition to those identified under the SCM. Extending smart solutions to other private sector clients given that private developers looking at large area based developments such as integrated townships are also exploring the possibility of smart solutions to enhance overall quality of life. Smart solutions in areas such as healthcare and education where there is a significant presence of the private sector can also lend themselves to being marketed to private players.

RM

State Overview andhra pradeSh

(As on 31.07.2022)

INSTALLED CAPACITY (IN MW) OF POWER UTILITIES IN THE STATES/UTS LOCATED IN SOUTHERN REGION INCLUDING ALLOCATED SHARES IN JOINT & CENTRAL SECTOR UTILITIES

State Ownership/ Sector Mode wise breakup Thermal Coal Lignite Gas Diesel Total Nuclear Renewable Hydro RES*(MNRE) Total Grand Total

Andhra Pradesh State 5010.00 0.00 235.40 0.00 5245.40 0.00 1673.60 56.18 1729.78 6975.18 Private 3873.88 0.00 3831.32 36.80 7742.00 0.00 0.00 9000.80 9000.80 16742.81 Central 1546.83 180.23 0.00 0.00 1727.06 127.27 0.00 250.00 250.00 2104.33 Sub-Total 10430.71 180.23 4066.72 36.80 14714.46 127.27 1673.60 9306.98 10980.58 25822.31

With an immense potential to produce renewable energy and export the power to outside the State, the State government is giving high priority to promotion of renewable energy projects and has formulated a comprehensive policy to attract investments for establishing wind, solar and hybrid projects on a massive scale.

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Addressing a meeting on collaboration between the Government of Andhra Pradesh and the Government of Western Australia at Visakhapatnam on Saturday, that the Andhra Pradesh renewable export policy 2020 has been announced to promote investments in renewable energy sector to attract investors by establishing wind-solar hybrid projects which would not only strengthen the energy sector in the State but also be helpful to generate revenue, create local employment, improve people’s standard of living and boost the industrial and economic development. Besides, pumped hydro storage projects (PSP) with capacity of 33 GW had been planned both on river and off river sites by NREDCAP. This would help to convert variable renewable energy sources into round-the-clock power and attract large-scale investments into the State. As part of policy framework to promote renewable energy in Andhra Pradesh, the government had decided to facilitate potential land lease of around 5 lakh acres to renewable energy export project developers, attract investments, equipment manufacturing facilities and generate additional revenue. The government through a land aggregating agency would procure and aggregate government and private lands at potential locations for allotment to project developers. As part of solar power policy, the State had set a target of minimum 5 GW solar capacity additions in the next five years, develop solar parks with utility infrastructure facilities, promote distributed generation, deploy solar powered agriculture pump sets and promote local manufacturing facilities. Under wind power policy, the State would promote wind power generation to meet the growing energy demand, attract investments for large wind power projects and to promote investments for setting up manufacturing facilities. Similarly, under wind-solar hybrid power policy, the State would promote large grid-connected wind-solar PV systems, optimal utilisation of transmission infrastructure, encourage new and other emerging technologies like energy storage systems In India, the increasing addition of renewable energy sources to the power mix, and the imminent advent of electric mobility has driven the market to look at grid-scale energy storage solutions. Grid-scale energy storage would support the sustainable growth of renewable integration and aid grid balancing efforts increasing energy security and reliability. Most global efforts towards climate change adaptation have happened in the form of renewable energy additions to the power sector. Development of the storage sector was imminent, and unsurprisingly, the global market in 2018 was estimated at 12 Gigawatt Hour (GWh). The International Renewable Energy Agency predicts the global energy storage capacity to triple by 2030. The United States has led from the front, with serious discussions around mandated storage; California has set itself a target of 1.3 Gigawatt (GW) of storage by 2020, while New York will install another 3 GW by 2030. Development of the energy storage sector is vital if India is to meet its 2022 target of 175 GW. The first tender was released in 2015, and since then, the frequency of tenders with battery energy storage systems (BESS) have steadily increased, highlighting India’s motivations. Several tenders for solar plants with storage were released by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), Neyveli Lignite Corporation, and Rajasthan Electronics & Instruments Limited (REIL), some of which are given below: 1. In March 2018, NLC issued 20 MW (8 MWh) solar PV with BESS power plant tender in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. 2. In August 2018, SECI issued a 160 MW Solar-Wind Hybrid plant with BESS in Andhra Pradesh and 2 MW (1MWh) Solar PV with BESS in Himachal Pradesh. 3. In February 2019, SECI issued a tender for a 1.2 GW inter-state transmission system across India, which was oversubscribed by 0.9 GW. 4. In March 2019, SECI issued a 14 MW (42 MWh) solar PV plant in Leh & Kargil. In April 2019, REIL issued a tender for a 1.7 MW (1 MWh) solar PV plant in Andaman & Nicobar. 5. In May 2019, SECI issued a 20 MW (60 MWh) floating Solar PV plant with BESS in Lakshadweep. The introduction of the National Energy Storage Mission announced in 2018 was a commendable effort too. However, the current storage market seems restricted to battery energy storage systems. For a grid-scale storage, cost incurred per unit energy stored is heavily dependent on ramping time, efficiency and life of storage. Technologies like Pumped Hydro (PHES), Compresses Air (CAES) and Gravity storage (GS) are sound alternatives to battery storage. Hence, to involve the entire basket of possibilities, the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) in August 2018, amended the Solar-Wind Hybrid Policy to include storage and not just BESS. Of these, PHES and CAES are tested and proven technologies globally. According to the International Electrochemical Commission, global installation of PHES is at 135 GW and that of CAES at 440 MW. PHES facilities are operational in places like Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh, Purlia in West Bengal and others, net amounting to 4,785.60 MW as on January 2019, according to the Central Electricity Authority. Gravity Storage (GS), a relatively newer find, is steadily gaining traction too. A pilot installation of 4 MW (35 MWh) is already in process by Tata Power, with support from Energy Vault. Following which, the MNRE released an invitation for proposals for GS projects. GS works on the principle of elevating up a solid mass to a height while charging or storing energy and elevating down the same mass while discharging or using the stored energy. GS is independent of the geographic location it is installed in

unlike PHES, wherein water is used as mass, hence making it location-specific. The Indian government’s vision of greening the power sector will require large scale adoption of storage technologies. Unfortunately, it is being met by a host of hurdles — relatively high cost of technology and a lack of sector experience. India will have to capitalise on the developments in the global market, where increasing competition is reducing costs and improving quality. The penetration of renewable energy in India is highly variable across states. The share of solar and wind in India’s 10 renewable-rich states — Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Punjab and Kerala — is significantly higher than the national average of 8.2 per cent. Solar and wind account for around 29 per cent of annual electricity generation in Karnataka. It is 20 per cent in Rajasthan; 18 per cent in Tamil Nadu; and 14 per cent in Gujarat in financial year 2020-21. India’s renewable energy-rich states already have a higher share of variable renewable energy (VRE) than most countries. As a result, many states are already facing system integration challenges. The blog addresses the demand-side flexibility, power plant flexibility, storage (pumped-storage hydro and batteries) and grid flexibility, as well as policy, market and regulatory solutions for the short to medium term.

Growing renewables challenge power system

In the coming decade, the Indian power system is due to undergo an even more profound transformation. The Union government is planning to increase renewable generating capacity from to 450 GW in 2030 from 175 GW in 2022. Some state leaders have expressed concerns that they will face excess VRE generation and will need to: • Export significantly more power to other states • Allow renewables to displace some coal power plants locally or • Curtail more solar and wind to ensure system security Recent trends underlying the main renewables integration challenges include the increasing variability of hourly demand, the need to ramp up requirements due to the impact of solar on net demand, short-term frequency variations and local voltage issues. Power system transformation in India can be supported by the transformation of electricity demand from passive consumption to more proactive participation by demand sectors. Agricultural users already play an important role in balancing power supply and demand through involuntary irrigation load shifting. The existing agricultural demand shift — from high to low demand hours — already provide a significant source of low-cost power system flexibility in India and has assisted some states in reaching high levels of solar and wind penetration without major system events. This shift has been largely enabled by the availability and use of existing distribution networks dedicated to agricultural users in certain states, which allow the system operator to control irrigation loads without impacting other grid users. Time-of-day (or time-of-use) tariffs for the industry are offered

in most states as the basis of the existing industrial demand response incentive. In the medium to longer term, a shift towards time-of-use tariffs as the default option is recommended, following the rollout of advanced metering infrastructure, for the activation of demand response potential from buildings and transport (such as cooling and electric vehicle smart charging).

On the residential side, shifting towards advanced digital metering, automation and smart home appliances is a prerequisite, while ensuring cybersecurity and avoiding proprietary standards that could limit interoperability and consumer choice.

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Rooftop solar systems need monitoring

State system operators and discoms are concerned about the rise of rooftop solar systems, due to their impact on discom financial stability (from revenue loss), distribution system issues (from reactive power, voltage impacts and reverse power flows) and demand forecast uncertainty. A joint report by NITI Aayog and International Energy Agency (IEA) highlighted international experiences, illustrating how these can become system-friendly assets and support the low-voltage network with voltage stability and reactive power. To improve the visibility of rooftop solar assets in India, connection codes need to stipulate the registration of individual systems, with state- and national-level registers of these assets. The rooftop solar database should first be built-in in states. Later, a national-level standardized interface and data model can bring more efficiency and transparency. Requiring all rooftop solar customers to be on time-of-use tariffs can help mitigate the revenue loss suffered by DISCOMs while also balancing the shift in costs between consumers with rooftop solar and consumers without it. Regularly revisiting time-of-use timeslots will be required as rooftop solar additions and demand response reshape the state demand curves.

New policy frameworks to meet stricter emission standards

Most states are concerned about the future role of existing coal-fired power plants. Coal plants are expected to operate less as renewable technologies supply more generation, which leads to reduced revenues. At the same time, to operate flexibly and meet stricter emissions standards, some coal plants may also require further investment. Such investment needs to be weighed against investment in flexibility sources in other parts of the system (storage, demand and grids) and emission reduction targets. In the Stated Policies Scenario (STEPS) of the International Energy Agency (IEA) World Energy Outlook (WEO), coal capacity in the Indian power system will increase to 269 GW by 2030 compared to 235 GW in 2019. The analytical results of the IEA India Regional Power System Model show that the use of coal power plants in India will change dramatically by 2030. The use will shift from typically steady baseload operation to frequent operation near minimum and maximum output levels. Coal plants in some states have the potential to better support the integration of high shares of VRE with increased flexibility,

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such as faster ramp rates, lower technical minimum levels and shorter start-up times. Retrofitting hydropower plants to allow operation in pumpedstorage mode seems to be the preferred storage solution in many states in India. However, batteries are also likely to play an important role in India. An analysis by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory suggests that battery storage coupled with solar farms can be a more cost-effective solution than pumped-storage hydro retrofits for morning peaks or evening ramps requiring storage duration of less than six hours. The optimal sizing and location of battery storage will differ by region and will require detailed studies in each state.

Removing barriers to inter-state trade

The current regulatory and market frameworks present significant gaps and barriers for power system flexibility resources, including demand response, batteries, pumped-storage hydro and power plant flexibility. India’s wholesale power trade achieved important milestones in 2020, with improved trading across Indian states and the introduction of real-time markets and green markets. Since 2020, the real-time market has filled an important gap by providing corrections an hour ahead of the timeframe for variable and uncertain generation such as solar and wind. The newly established green market enables clients such as the discoms to fulfill the states’ renewable purchase obligations through market purchases. Analysis based on the IEA India Regional Power System Model suggests that additional power trading across states is an effective renewables integration solution that could reduce curtailment by around 2.5 per cent in the STEPS in 2030. However, significant barriers remain to reach this potential. These include: • Lack of transmission capacity available for interstate trade • Low level of liquidity in wholesale markets • Inflexible existing contractual structures, namely long-term physical purchase power agreements (PPA) between the DISCOMs and generators. Some level of curtailment is present in most systems with high solar and wind penetration, typically up to 3 per cent of annual solar and wind output. While renewables have must-run status in India, renewable generators can be curtailed due to system security considerations. Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, for example, have seen solar and wind curtailment in recent years. Increasing solar and wind generation curtailment and lack of related mitigation policies are major concerns, particularly for investors. Power sector investment in India fell by $10 billion to $39 billion in 2020, including a decline in solar and wind investment due to the impacts of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Improving investor confidence will be important in the coming years as India aspires to attract greater power system investment. To better address curtailment risk, discussions on the future of the must-run status of solar and wind must continue. Formulating practical contractual structures and policies related to compensation for curtailment will be critical. Increasing power system flexibility enables the integration of higher shares of solar and wind generation. As a result, for a given amount of solar and wind capacity, a larger share of renewables can be utilised. Lower curtailment also brings about the benefits of reduced system operating costs and lower carbon dioxide emissions. Renewable energy sources and technologies have potential to provide solutions to the long-standing energy problems being faced by the developing countries. The renewable energy sources like wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, ocean energy, biomass energy and fuel cell technology can be used to overcome energy shortage in India. To meet the energy requirement for such a fast growing economy, India will require an assured supply of 3–4 times more energy than the total energy consumed today. The renewable energy is one of the options to meet this requirement. Renewable account for about 33% of India's primary energy consumptions. India is increasingly adopting responsible renewable energy techniques and taking positive steps towards carbon emissions, cleaning the air and ensuring a more sustainable future. In India, from the last two and half decades there has been a vigorous pursuit of activities relating to research, development, demonstration, production and application of a variety of renewable energy technologies for use in different sectors. In this paper, efforts have been made to summarize the availability, current status, major achievements and future potentials of renewable energy options in India. This paper also assesses specific policy interventions for overcoming the barriers and enhancing deployment of renewables for the future. The state has added 106 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy units in the first four months of the financial year 2021-22 (FY22) to its generation capacity, according to the latest report by New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation (NREDCAP) Ltd. The latest addition takes the state’s cumulative renewable capacity to 8,800 MW. According to the report by the NREDCAP, 103 MW of the 106 MW added this fiscal account for solar power and the remaining a small hydro generation unit. A total of six units have been commissioned since April 1, 2021, of which five are ground-

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mounted solar plants and one is a small hydro unit. Month-wise, the state saw 76.5 MW capacity (solar) plants being commissioned in April, 3 MW (small hydro) in May, 23.5 MW (solar) in June, and 3 MW (solar) in July. Two of the five solar units commissioned are a part of Anantapur Ultra Mega Solar Park-I. AP is a renewable energy-rich state with wind power occupying the largest share of 4,083.57 MW in the total renewable capacity followed by solar energy at 4,121 MW. Small hydro projects account for 105.6 MW, biomass for 171.25 MW, biomass energy co-generation for 65.45 MW, co-generation with bagasse for 207 MW, municipal solid waste for 6.15 MW, and industrial waste for 40.01 MW.

Conclusion

Solar energy is a clean, pollution free and renewable source of energy. Development of this source of energy requires an accurate detailed long-term knowledge of the potential taking into account seasonal variations. The region of the earth between the latitudes of 401N and 401S is generally known as the solar belt and this region is supposed to be with an abundant amount of solar radiation. Karnataka being located between latitudes 111400N and 181270N has a geographic position that favours the harvesting and development of solar energy. Karnataka receives global solar radiation in the range of 3.8–6.4kWh/m2. Global solar radiation during monsoon is less compared to summer and winter because of the dense cloud cover. The study identifies that coastal parts of Karnataka with the higher global solar radiation are ideally suited for harvesting solar energy. Wind speed less than 5 m/s is not of much relevance to wind energy applications. Chikkodi, Horti, Kahanderayanahalli, Kamkarhatti, Raichur and Bidar have wind velocity greater than 5 m/s during most of the months, i.e., wind energy potential is high in these locations. Hence, these locations are recommended for construction of wind farms. Small hydropower development is one of the thrust areas of power generation from renewables in the Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources (MNES). Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources is encouraging development of small hydroprojects in the State sector as well as through private sector participation in various States. The potential sources of small hydropower are at the base of existing irrigation dams, anicuts,canal drops and hill streams. The State government has so far accorded permission to private developers to establish small hydroprojects in more than 79 locations amounting to 465MW. RM

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24 - 25 Aug 2022

NDMC Convention Centre, New Delhi www.wretc.in

The World Renewable Energy Technology Congress & Expo an International Annual Conference & Exhibition. The WRETC & Expo aims to deliberate upon the challenges and opportunities faced by Energy sector in the wake of volatile energy markets and environmental concerns, the requisite strategies and approach to ensure fullest exploitation of potential of renewable energy to the energy mix of the country for the energy security of India in particular and the energy security of other nations in general.

24-25 Nov 2022

BOMBAY EXHIBITION CENTRE, GOREGAON(E) https://www.oshindia.com/mumbai/ South Asia’s largest occupational safety & health event, OSH India Expo brings together internationally renowned exhibitors, consultants, business experts and key government officials on an industry platform. The show facilitates exchanges of global best practices and seeks solutions for challenges in upholding workplace safety and health. The show witness safety professionals from across India.

28 - 30 Sept 2022 India Expo Centre, Greater Noida www.worldutilitiescongress.com Renewable Energy India Expo celebrated 14 glorious years of Global entrepreneurship and unparalleled industry collaborations during September 2021. Renewable Energy India Expo popularly known as REI offers an all-inclusive platform to domestic and international manufacturers, traders, buyers and professionals from across the renewable energy domain. REI is recognized as Asia’s Leading b2b expo focusing on Solar Energy, Wind Energy, Bio-Energy, Energy Storage and Electric Vehicles and charging infra.

1st-3rd December 2022 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi

https://www.ifsec.events/india/

Over 40 years of experience and innovation, IFSEC Global has become the pre-eminent authority on the global security and fire industry. Its relationship and collaboration with leading industry associations, government bodies, research partners, training providers and education specialists allows UBM to create a series of events and an online community that caters for the entire security and fire buying chain.

25- 27 Nov, 2022

Myanmar Expo, Yangon, Myanmar http://greenpowermyanmar.org/ GREENPOWER MYANMAR 2022 is the biggest international business-to-business event for renewable energy production in Myanmar, and will be held at Myanmar Expo Hall from 25-27 November 2022. GREENPOWER MYANMAR 2022 will feature the latest products covering Biomass, Solar, Wind and Geothermal Energy Production. Make a date with GREENPOWER MYANMAR 2022 – your one-stop platform to stay ahead and benefit from the many new business opportunities in Myanmar’s green energy industry. For more information, please contact Ms. Phyo at phyoyadanar@ambtarsus.com.

7th–9th December, 2022 Gandhinagar, Gujarat

https://www.thesmartere.in/en/intersolar-india

Intersolar is the world’s leading exhibition & conference series for the solar industry. As part of this event series, Intersolar India in Gujarat is India’s most pioneering exhibition and conference for India’s solar industry. It takes place annually and has a focus on the areas of photovoltaics, PV production and solar thermal technologies. Since 2019, Intersolar India is held under the umbrella of The smarter E India – India’s innovation hub for the new energy world.

20-22 January 2023

Chennai Trade Centre, Nandambakkam, Chennai https://www.renewableenergyexpo.biz/ The scope of exhibition is to stimulate the growth of renewable in the region through collaboration of technology and product sharing. This event will be bringing together businesses, sustainable energy industry trade associations, government agencies, and energy policy research organizations to showcase the status and potential of the cross-section of renewable energy industry. The expo is proclaimed at the right time when there is a paradigm shift in the global trend towards massive deployment of solar power and other renewable along with investments worth billions of dollars in technology and green energy.

27-29 March, 2023 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi

https://www.smartcitiesindia.com/ The Smart Cities India expo is a reflection of India’s emerging modernization and development landscape. The expo is the ultimate platform to accelerate nation building, open key discourses on the growth of India’s digital economy and enable entrepreneurship as a driving force for socio-economic development. The event attracts a large turnout of qualified visitors & delegates from government departments as well as private organisations. 28-29 April, 2023 HITEX, Hyderabad

https://www.renewx.in/ RenewX is a platform built to accelerate the growth of the South Indian Renewable Energy and Electric Vehicle Market, thus, contributing to the region’s sustainable economic development. This 6th edition of RenewX aims to bring together renewable energy and sustainable mobility professionals under one roof and to set a growth trajectory for the sector to network, collaborate and learn from industry experts & thought leaders

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