EQ Magazine Feb 2019 Edition

Volume #11 | Issue #2 | February 2019 | Rs.5/- | Page-1

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CONT EN T

VOLUME 11 Issue # 02

Disclaimer,Limitations of Liability While every efforts has been made to ensure the high quality and accuracy of EQ international and all our authors research articles with the greatest of care and attention ,we make no warranty concerning its content,and the magazine is provided on an>> as is <<basis.EQ international contains advertising and third –party contents.EQ International is not liable for any third- party content or error,omission or inaccuracy in any advertising material ,nor is it responsible for the availability of external web sites or their contents

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india India to add 10,000MW renewable energy capacity in FY20:Report

38 international Risen Energy’s steadfast expansion to the global solar market

50 Case Study Clear backsheet material withstands nearly two decades of continuous service

45 distributed solar On New Year, Delhi Vidhan Sabha gets solar power

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The data and information presented in this magazine is provided for informational purpose only.neither EQ INTERNATINAL ,Its affiliates,Information providers nor content providers shall have any liability for investment decisions based up on or the results obtained from the information provided. Nothing contained in this magazine should be construed as a recommendation to buy or sale any securities. The facts and opinions stated in this magazine do not constitute an offer on the part of EQ International for the sale or purchase of any securities, nor any such offer intended or implied Restriction on use The material in this magazine is protected by international copyright and trademark laws. You may not modify,copy,reproduce,republish,post,transmit,or distribute any part of the magazine in any way.you may only use material for your personall,NonCommercial use, provided you keep intact all copyright and other proprietary notices. want to use material for any non-personel,non commercial purpose,you need written permission from EQ International.

inverter

Growatt Receives Certification for the BDEW’s Medium Voltage Directive

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22 31 Business & finance

COP 24 Vardhan focuses on India’s solar power, ‘green good deeds’

Reliance Industries to Acquire Renewable Tech Firm Kanoda for ₹75 Crore

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interview

electric vehicle

52 65

Mr. TED SURETTE

Kinetic Green, Tonino Lamborghini form JV for electric & solar

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BHEL and LIBCOIN to Build India’s First Lithium Ion Giga Factory

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electric vehicle Shri Arun Jaitley inaugurates electric vehicle charging station in North Block and hands over electric vehicle to Finance Ministry officials

energy storage

electric vehicle India to receive $300 million in aid from World Bank for EV push

interview Exide Industries to invest up to 30% equity stake in Cleantech at Rs20cr

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EQ NEWS Pg. 07-34 PRODUCTS Pg. 74-76 business & finance Hero Future Energies looks to raise $200 million from PEs for 25% stake

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India to add 10,000MW renewable energy capacity in FY20:Report With the share of renewable energy (RE) in the overall generation mix rising across India, rating agency Icra expects a capacity addition of 10,000 MW in fiscal year 2020, and has maintained a stable outlook for the sector.

The share of renewable energy in the generation mix has increased from 5.6 per cent in FY2015 to 7.8 per cent in FY2018.

“This rise is owing to the large-sized capacity addition in the wind and solar power segments during this period, driven by policy support from central and state governments as well as the significantly improved tariff competitiveness of wind and solar power vis-a-vis conventional power sources,” it said.

Icra group head – corporate ratings Sabyasachi Majumdar said the project awards by the central nodal agencies and state distribution utilities in 2017 and 2018 (year-to- date) provide a reasonably healthy visibility for RE capacity addition in FY2019 and FY2020 with expected addition of about 9,000 MW in FY2019 and about 10,000 MW in FY2020.

“This is expected to increase the share of RE in the all India generation to 10 per cent by FY2020 and further to 13 per cent by FY2022 based on capacity addition forecasts. We have maintained a year-end stable outlook for the domestic renewable energy sector,” he added.

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cra, however, noted that RE sector especially wind and solar segments remain exposed to near-term challenges arising due to cost impact of safeguard duty and rising interest rate, coupled with transmission network availability. The average bid tariffs discovered in the auctions for wind and solar power projects in 2018 has so far remained at Rs 2.6-2.7 per unit, increasing slightly from the low of Rs 2.4 per unit. This uptrend in bid tariffs was partly driven by factors such as cost headwinds arising from rising interest rates, increase in capital costs due to imposition of taxes and duties, rupee depreciation against dollar for imported equipment, and rising equipment costs, it said.

“However, notwithstanding these cost pressures, wind and solar PV (photovoltaic) energy projects are likely to remain cost competitive against conventional power sources,” Icra said.

On the other hand, the viability of bid tariffs for wind and solar IPPs (independent power producers) remains critically dependent upon the capital cost, long tenure debt availability at competitive cost and plant load factor level.

“Amidst the imposition of safeguard duty, the recent order issued by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) approving the GST claims raised by solar power developers is a positive development for the sector. However, a time lag in implementation of such pass-through of cost increases cannot be ruled out, given the resistance shown by the end off-takers in such cases in the past,” it noted.

Source: PTI

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Sweden, India ink pact to bolster renewable energy technologies

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Sweden and India signed two MoUs in the renewable energy sector to enhance the technology and bring in power efficiency. he first memorandun of understanding (MoU) was signed between Swedish firm Spowdi and EMVEE for setting up local manufacturing and assembly unit in Bangalore. The second MoU was inked between Swedish Neutral and Tata Power DDL for setting up pilot for earth fault protection in Delhi, Embassy of Sweden said in a statement. The MoUs were signed on the sidelines of inauguration of the ‘Sustainability by Sweden – Showroom India’ by Swedish Energy, Agency Business Sweden and Embassy of Sweden under the Sweden India nobel memorial programme, it said.

The showroom was inaugurated at Business Sweden here by AK Verma, joint secretary, ministry of power, Josa Karre, counsellor and head of economic affairs, Embassy of Sweden and Josephine Bahr Ljungdell – director of international affairs, Swedish energy agency.

India and Sweden share a long history of collaboration, which is guided by MoUs in the fields of energy, environment, science & technology and sustainable urban planning. To further strengthen the collaboration, this showroom has been set up in India as a next step towards bi-lateral programme – India Sweden innovations accelerator (ISIA), the statement said.

The showroom will present over 20 Swedish innovative technologies, which have been introduced and filtered through the dedicated ISIA programme. It has been recognised as the flagship programme to expand research, innovation and business cooperation on new energy technologies between India and Sweden.

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India is a growing country and equally contributing to the global energy sector.

Going further, there is a need to add renewables and sustainability solutions.

We are looking forward to stronger IndiaSweden association and programs to support innovations and new technologies, AK Verma, said in the statement.

India and Sweden share the common objective on the need for innovation to cater to the growing need of sustainable and green energy. The India-Sweden innovations’ accelerator (ISIA) programme is a part of intergovernmental cooperation between India and Sweden in the area of new and renewable energy technology, Swedish energy agency country head India Ludvig Lindstrom said.

The first exhibition at the showroom was themed as “Sustainability is Everybody’s Business”. It showcased how various innovative Swedish technologies introduced through ISIA programme, fit into the Indian context along with projects setup by Swedish companies in India.

Source: PTI

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Solar Energy Production in the year 2018-19 was 21.365 Fiscal and financial incentives such as Capital Billion Units Subsidy, Viability gap funding (VGF), accelerated Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has reported that the total solar energy production in the year 2018-19 was 21.365 Billion Units (BUs).

The year-wise details of solar energy production since, 2015 are given as under: â&#x20AC;&#x201C; S. NO YEAR

GENERATION FROM SOLAR PROJECTS (BUS)

1.

2015-16

7.448

2.

2016-17

13.499

3.

2017-18

25.871

4.

2018-19

21.365 (as on 31.10.2018)

Government have taken various steps to increase generation of renewable energy. These inter-alia, include the following: Announcement of a target of installing 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by March, 2022; Declaration of trajectory for Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) up to the year 2021-22;

depreciation benefits etc;

Permitting 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) under the automatic route in renewable energy sector; Guidelines for procurement of solar and wind power through tariff based competitive bidding process; Waiving of Inter State Transmission System Charges and losses for inter-state sale of solar and wind power for projects to be commissioned up to March, 2022; Raising funds from bilateral and multilateral finance and development institutions; Implementation of Green Energy Corridor project to facilitate integration of large scale renewable generation capacity addition.

This was informed by Minister of State (I/C) for New and Renewable Energy and Power Shri R. K Singh in a written reply in the Rajya.

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SDMC, SECI ink MoU to develop two solar plants

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he work on the two units is likely to begin in the first half of April next year, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) said.The municipal body for south Delhi signed an agreement with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) for developing two solar plants for generating total power worth 27.5 MW, officials said. The work on the two units is likely to begin in the first half of April next year, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) said. The SDMC inked an MoU with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) for generation of total 27.5 MW power from two separate solar plants, at Ghuman Hera near Najafgarh in Delhi, and a piece of land owned by the SDMC in Faridabad in Haryana, it said in a statement.

The agreement has been signed in continuation with the government of India’s initiative on green energy concept and solar initiative of the SDMC.The SDMC has decided to utilise these vacant land for installation of solar plants. The MoU was exchanged by SDMC Commissioner P K Goel and Director of SECI Shailender Kumar Mishra.

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South Delhi Mayor Narender Chawla said in Haryana, the site has been identified at Ferozpur village.At Ghuman Hera (105 acres) and Ferozpur (9.45 acres) of land is available for setting up the solar plants. After a detailed study, the solar energy plants of estimated capacity 25 MW and 2.5 MW have been planned at Ghuman Hera and Ferozpur. They are expected to be commissioned in 18 months after the start of work, he said.

Chawla said the estimated cost for the projects at Ghuman Hera and Ferozpur are Rs 145 crore and Rs 20 crore respectively. The funds for this project will be generated through public bonds, and action for this has already been initiated.

SDMC’s Standing Committee Chairperson Shikha Rai said the SDMC will save Rs 22.5 crore per annum from the Ghuman Hera project and earn Rs 1.55 crore from exporting energy generated

by Ferozepur plant. She said the commissioning of the two plants is in tune with SDMC’s commitment to minimise consumption of thermal power, conserve natural resources and environment and earn huge savings.

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INDIA

World Bank praises India’s renewable energy success The World Bank praised India’s success in renewable energy auctions that delivered record-setting low prices for solar power and said that the number of countries with strong policy frameworks for sustainable energy more than tripled — from 17 to 59 — in the eight years till 2017.

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any of the world’s largest energy-consuming countries significantly improved their renewable energy regulations since 2010, said the World Bank’s report — Regulatory Indicators for Sustainable Energy (RISE) 2018, charting global progress on sustainable energy policies. The report was released on the sidelines of the 24th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change(COP24). Progress was even more marked in energy efficiency, with the percentage of countries establishing advanced policy frameworks growing more than 10-fold between 2010 and 2017. Among countries with large populations living without electricity, 75 per cent had by 2017 put in place the policies and regulations needed to expand energy access. But there were still significant barriers to global progress on sustainable energy.

While countries continue to be focused on clean energy policies for electricity, policies to decarbonize heating and transportation, which account for 80 per cent of global energy use, continued to be overlooked.

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Senior Director for Energy and Extractives at the World Bank Riccardo Puliti said that the report contained a warning that without accelerated adoption of good policies and strong enforcement, the world’s climate goals and Sustainable Development Goal 7 were at risk.

This momentum was particularly marked in renewable energy. Among the countries covered by RISE, only 37 per cent had a national renewable energy target in 2010. By 2017, that had grown to 93 per cent, the report said. By last year, 84 per cent of countries had a legal framework in place to support renewable energy deployment, while 95 per cent allowed the private sector to own and operate renewable energy projects. Among the four SDG7 target areas — renewable energy, energy efficiency, electricity access and access to clean cooking — the last one continued to be the most overlooked and underfunded by policymakers. There had been a little progress on standard-setting for cookstoves or on consumer and producer incentives to stimulate adoption of clean technologies, the report said.

“How did India structure its renewable energy auctions to deliver record-setting low prices for solar? At the same time, we need urgent action to address critical gaps, such as failing utilities, clean cooking, and the slow progress on decarbonizing heating and transport,” said Puliti.

Source: IANS

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UL Completes First BHEL Solar Module Tests for BIS Certification Programme

Spot power price plunges 40% to Rs 3.59 per unit in November on low demand

Testing enables India’s largest power generation equipment manufacturer to lead the way in building a quality domestic solar industry ecosystem

Average spot power price in November plunged 40 per cent to Rs 3.59 per unit as compared to the previous month, mainly on account of low demand in northern and western states due to onset of winter, Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) said

U

L, a leading global safety science company, has successfully completed the first series of tests for solar panels manufactured by the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) under the mandatory certification programme of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). One of the country’s earliest manufacturers of solar modules, BHEL has a module manufacturing capacity of 226 megawatts (MW) at its state-of-the-art facility in Bengaluru. , UL collaborates with BHEL on various projects and will continue to support the company in the BIS programme.

Over the past three decades, BHEL has led the development of solar manufacturing capacity in India, enhancing sustainability and environmental goals. The ongoing efforts to strengthen the quality of solar modules through the BIS certification is an important development, and BHEL fully subscribes to the programme. UL played an important role in our journey to achieve the highest standards of quality and performance, says Rajababu D., general manager, BHEL. As part of this programme, samples of 4BB and 5BB highefficiency modules of both monocrystalline and polycrystalline varieties between 300 to 340 wattage were tested by UL at their Bengaluru solar photovoltaic laboratory over a period of two months. A battery of over 100 tests, including a damp heat test and thermal cycling test were performed on the samples, as required by BIS certification standards.

UL is the first laboratory in India empanelled by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) for testing various components, such as PV modules, solar inverters, charge controllers and solar lighting systems. The facility is equipped to test these products for national and international certification programmes, including those specified by the International Electrotechnical Commission. The Solar Photovoltaics, Systems, Devices, and Component Goods (Requirement for Compulsory Registration under BIS Act) Order 2017, issued by MNRE in August 2017, has been enforced since Sept. 1, 2018.

Source: webershandwick

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“The average Market Clearing Price (MCP) at Rs 3.59 per unit registered 1.12 per cent increase over Rs 3.55 per unit in the same month last year (November 2017),” IEX said in a statement.

“However, the MCP last month declined 40 per cent from Rs 5.94 per unit in October mainly on account of onset of winter leading to lower demand for power, especially in northern and western states,” it added.

A

s per the statement, the availability of coal with thermal power generators improved during the month under review, and ‘One Nation, One Price’ was realised for 17 days. The day-ahead market (DAM) experienced transmission congestion of 3.3 per cent mainly in the import towards southern region. On daily average basis, 622 participants traded in the market during the month. The DAM saw a trade of 3,404 MU (million units) registering a decline of 3 per cent year-on-year.

On daily average basis, about 113 MU were traded on IEX. The all India peak demand touched 162 GW on November 2, registering an increase of 9 per cent over November 2017 as per NLDC (National Load Dispatch Centre) statistics. The energy supplied at 1,00,547 MU last month saw an increase of 7 per cent over 94,371 MU supplied in the year-ago period. The Term-Ahead Market (TAM) traded 170 MU in November 2018, registering 46 per cent decline over the year-ago period.

The exchange informed that a total of 3,88,213 RECs (renewable energy certificates) were cleared in the REC trading session. The trading session saw decline of 79 per cent yearon-year. Both non-solar and solar RECs saw reversal in REC demand-supply situation with buy bids exceeding the sell bids. Captive users were the major buyers in November 2018 REC trading session followed by distribution companies and open access consumers. So far this fiscal, IEX has cumulatively traded 59.34 lakh RECs over 34.38 lakh traded in the year-ago period, registering an increase of 73 per cent.

Source: PTI

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INDIA

India’s installed renewable capacity reaches 73.35 GW India has already installed 73.35 GW of renewable power generation capacity and projects of 21.5 GW are under various stage of implementation, said a senior official.

Today India is leading the growth in renewable energy on the world map. We have already installed 73.35 GW, projects worth 21.5 GW are under various stages of implementation and projects amounting to another 25 GW are under various stages of bidding, Anand Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, said at SKOTCH Summit here.

The good sign is that the emotional capital is increasing and there is more acceptance and effort towards adopting renewable energy. Renewable energy has brought about disruption in the sector especially in terms of pricing, project sizing, etc,” B P Yadav, Joint Secretary, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy said.

The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy received the SKOCH Award for outstanding performance in the summit.

Commenting on receiving award Kumar said: “On this occasion, when Ministry of New & Renewable Energy has been recognised as one of the major player in power sector, we feel humble. We accept this award with a deep sense of gratitude. India made a commitment to the world that by 2030, 40 per cent of our electric capacity would come from non-fossil fuels and we will install 175 GW of Renewable Capacity by 2022”.

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lectricity demand in the country is rising rapidly and in order to meet this demand, massive capacity addition is required. Emerging innovations and technologies like IoT and Analytics will play a huge role in making the country power-sufficient. The Summit also discussed the significance of innovation in the power sector, digital transformation, cyber security challenges and the future of energy.

Source: PTI

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ECO Niwas Samhita 2018 – an Energy Conservation Building Code for Residential Buildings launched

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Implementation of this Code expected to save 125 Billion Units of electricity per year by 2030, which is equivalent to 100 million ton of CO2 emission 26 industrial units get National Energy Conservation Awards for excellent performance in energy efficiency; 19 school children win National Painting Competition prizes

iving a further fillip to India’s energy conservation efforts, Ministry of Power has launched the ECO Niwas Samhita 2018,an Energy Conservation Building Code for Residential Buildings (ECBC-R).

TheCode was launched on the occasion of National Energy Conservation Day 2018 in the presence of Chief Guest Smt. Sumitra Mahajan, Hon’ble Speaker, Lok Sabha and Shri R.K. Singh, Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy here.The implementation of this Codeis willgive a fillip to energy efficiency in residential sector. It aimstobenefit the occupants and the environment by promoting energy efficiency in design and construction of homes, apartments and townships.

This Code has been prepared after extensive consultations with all stakeholders, consisting of architects & experts including building material suppliers and developers. The parameters listed in the Code have been developed based on large number of parameters using climate and energy related data. Initially, Part-I of the Codehas been launched which prescribesminimum standards for building envelope designswith the purpose of designing energy efficient residential buildings. The Code is expected to assist large number of architects and builders who are involved in design and construction of new residential complexes in different parts of the country. Implementation of this Code will have potential for energy savings to the tune of 125 Billion Units of electricity per year by 2030, which is equivalent to about 100 million ton of Co2 emission.ECBC for commercial buildings was already in place and revised and updated version of ECBC for commercial buildings was launchedin June 2017.

It is estimated that energy demand in the building sector will rise from around 350 billion units in 2018 to approximately 1000 billion units by year 2030.

While launching this ECBC-R, Shri R.K.Singh stated that building sector will have highest growth in energy demand in coming 10-15 years. Government is encouraging all building professionals including architects, builders to generate awareness towards energy conservation while constructing new residential homes.

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National Energy Conservation Awards: National Energy Conservation Day is celebrated every year on 14th December by Ministry of Power in association with Bureau of Energy Efficiency. In order to recognise the efforts of industry and other establishments towards promoting energy efficiency, on this Day, Ministry of Power organizes National Energy Conservation Awards event every year.On this occasion 26 industrial units from various sectors were given awardsfor their excellent performance in energy efficiency.Altogether 333 units and establishments across the country participated in this year’s National Awards Programme and a total saving of 3917 Million units have been reported which is worth Rs.2000 crores.Further, in order to raise the awareness about energy efficiency and energy conservation, the Ministry of Power also organises National Painting Competition. The prize distribution for the winners of this competitionis also organised on this Day. This year, awards for winners for the National Painting Competition have been given to 19 school children. In this Painting Competition approximately 90 lakhs school children from class IV to IX participated from all the States. The final competition was held in Delhi on 12th December 2018.

On this occasion, the Chief Guest Smt. Sumitra Mahajan, Lok Sabha Speaker stated that sustainable development and resource conservation are practised by India for many thousand years. Conservation of energy and use of clean energy resources are the priority area for Government as well as the people of our country.

On the sidelines of NECA function, an exhibition depicting India’s journey on the path of energy efficiency and energy conservation, highlighting various initiatives and their current progress towards contribution to country’s energysecurity, was also organised.

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india

Solar industry demands uniform GST rate of 5 pc The Solar Power Developer Association (SPDA) has demanded the goods and services tax rate be kept uniform at 5 per cent on solar power generating system (SPGS) saying recent recommendations of the GST Council are inconsistent with the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s policy of promoting clean energy.

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he total incidence of tax on the SPGS would increase to 8.9 per cent with implementation of the GST Council recommendations finalised, which would be effective from January 1, 2019. Keeping in line with government endeavour to promote the renewable power sector and considering the specific facts of the solar sector, the entire contract for supply of SPGS should be taxed at the concessional rate of 5 per cent,the SPDA said in a letter to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley last week. The industry body also said, The present recommendations (of the GST Council) would run inconsistent and create a huge gap in the government policy and its implementation. The government has set a target of 175 GW of renewable power by 2022 which includes 100 GW of solar power.In the 31st GST council meeting held on 22 December, 2018, the industry body recommended that in case of contracts for supply of SPGS, 70 per cent of the gross value of the contract would be deemed as the value of supply of goods and attract 5 per cent rate and the remaining portion (30 per cent) of the aggregate value of such EPC (engineering procurement and construction) contract shall be deemed as the value of supply of taxable services attracting standard GST rate.Elaborating further, the SPDA informed that in case of contract for supply of SPGS, the scope of work primarily includes supply of goods.

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It said, It is pertinent to note that services are incidental to the contract and are minimal in the whole scope of work (not being more than 5 per cent of the total contract value). For the purposes of clarification, we have in last 8 months provided the Ministry of Finance with all the necessary evidences including the cost break-up of every single part installed in SPGS and EPC contract documents executed in the industry.

The body pointed out that the SPGS cannot be supplied in isolation without services such as installation and commissioning.It submitted that providing concessional rate of 5 per cent on only 70 per cent of the gross value of the contract for supply of SPGS would result in higher tax rate on supply of SPGS as compared to the erstwhile excise and service tax regime.

The SPDA said, The effective tax rate will be 8.9 per cent, which is considerably high as compared to 1.5 to 2 per cent in pre-GST era.It also said that the GST Council recommendations shall lead to increase in cost of electricity not only for future projects but also for many operating plants wherein the power purchase agreement executed between DISCOMs and solar developers provides pass-through on the GST implication.

The body stressed in the letter that the entire contract for supply of SPGS (including service portion) should qualify as supply of SPGS and should be taxed as supply of SPGS at the concessional rate of per cent.

Source: PTI

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Year End Review 2018 – Ministry of Power 9 States achieve 100 % household electrification under Saubhagya; total 16 states have 100 % household electrification now More than 2 crore electricity connections released under Saubhagya and 100 per cent village electrification achieved under DDUGJY Energy deficit reduced to almost zero and India emerges as net exporter of electricity to Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar 31.68 crore LED bulbs distributed under UJALA scheme and 74.79 lakh LED street lights have been installed India’s rank improved to 24 in 2018 from 137 in 2014 on World Bank’s Ease of doing business – “Getting Electricity” Ranking

a

ccess to reliable and affordable energy supply is an important factor affecting the quality of life and economic development in any country. Therefore, the Government is committed to ensure 24*7 power supply for all by 31st March, 2019. Towards this goal, many important milestones have been achieved and the year 2018 has been historic for electricity reached every village on 28th April, 2018 under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY). Now focus is on electrifying every household under Saubhagya. With 9 states already reaching 100 % household electrification, this target will also be achieved well before its deadline. Several steps have been taken to reform and strengthen the power sector as a whole including power generation, transmission and distribution. These also include not only achievements in capacity addition but also important reforms being undertaken on increasing energy efficiency and increasing accountability and transparency by launching Mobile applications like PRAAPTI, Ash Track etc.

The details of Year-long achievements for Ministry of Power are as below:

SAUBHAGYA Launched for universal electrification in September, 2017 Camps organised at village level. Minimum documentation required Special drive for economically weaker sections under Gram Swaraj Abhiyan Over 2.1 crore households electrified since 11th Oct, 2017 9 States have achieved 100% saturation in household electrification under Saubhagya namely Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Bihar, J&K, Uttarakhand, Mizoram, Sikkim, Telangana and West Bengal.

Thus total 16 States in the country now have 100 % household electrification.

Many more State like Maharashtra, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh etc. are left with small number of un-electrified households and expected to achieve saturation any time.

Nation expected to achieve 100 % household electrification by 31st December, 2018

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Achievement under Saubhagya during January to November 2018 Number of households electrified – more than 2 Crore

Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGKY) 100 per cent village electrification achieved Outlay of Rs. 75,893 crore 2,58,870 km HT and LT lines 4.10.146 distribution transformers

Generation capacity Around 1,07,000 MW Generation Capacity has been added till October 2018 since April 2014.

All India Generation Installed Capacity has increased by 39.2% from 2,48,554 MW as on 31.3.2014 to 3,46,048 MW as on 31.10.2018.

India emerges as net exporter of electricity. 7203 MU supplied to Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar in FY 2017-18 and 4628 MU in current year 2018-19 (Upto October 2018).

Energy deficit reduced from 4.2% in FY 2013-14 to 0.6% in Current FY 2018-19 (Upto October 2018).

Peak Deficitalso reduced from 4.5% in FY 201314 to 0.8% in Current FY 2018-19 (Upto October 2018).

Peak Demand Met has increased by 35.2% to 1,75,528 MW during the current year (April-October 2018) from 1,29,815 MW during same period in 2013-14.

Energy Availability has also increased by 35.2% to 764.627 BU during the current year (April-October 2018) from 565.698 BU during same period in 2013-14.

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india One Grid One Nation (Achievements till Oct, 2018) Expansion of transmission grid by 1,11,433 ckm from 2014-15 to 2018-19 (11,799 ckm added in FY 2018-19) Transformation capacity addition of 3,38,202 MVA from 2014-15 to 2018-19 (41,790 MVA added in FY 201819) 26 projects worth Rs. 48,426 crore awarded through Tariff Based Competitive Bidding from 2014-15 to 2018-19.

Inter-regional transfer capacity addition more than tripled from 16,000 MW in FY 2010-14 to 54,700 MW during FY 2014-15 to 2018-19 (4,200 MW added in FY 2018-19).

Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) Outlay of Rs. 65,424 crore 1378 towns IT enabled 1900 additional towns under progress Installation of 43,449 Km HT and LT lines completed out of the total 1,30,348 Km of awarded quantity Installation of 28,193 distribution transformers completed out of the total 58,145 no. of awarded quantity

UDAY More than Rs.34,000 Crores interest cost saved by DISCOMs under UDAY within two years.

Reduction in AT&C losses in 22 States within two years of operation. AT&C losses have come down to 18.76% in FY18 as compared to 20.77% in FY16.

Revenue gaps bridged by 72 per cent within two years operation of UDAY. The national level ACS-ARR gaps are at 17 paise/unit in FY18 as compared to 60 paise/unit in FY16.

India’s rank improved to 24 in 2018 from 137 in 2014 on World Bank’s Ease of doing business – “Getting Electricity” Ranking.

Focus on North-East region Rs. 9865.75 crore projects in progress for strengthening / development of intra-state transmission & distribution systems in NER (including Sikkim).

Electrification of 6379 villages and intensive electrification of 9822 villages completed.

4376 MW hydel capacity addition (FY 2014-18) Energy Efficiency and Energy Conservaton i. Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LED for All (UJALA) 31.68 crore LED bulbs distributed under UJALA scheme resulting in estimated cost saving of INR 16,457 crore per year, estimated energy savings of 41.14 billion kWh per year with avoided peak demand of 8,237 MW and GHG emission reduction of 33.32 million t CO2 per year.

88 percent reduction in LED bulb procurement cost through demand aggregation ii. Street Lighting National Programme (SLNP) To replace 1.34 crore conventional streetlights with smart and energy efficient LED street lights

by March, 2019.

74.79 lakh LED street lights have been installed resulting in estimated energy savings of 5.02 billion kWh per year with avoided peak demand of 837 MW and GHG emission reduction of 3.46 million t CO2 per year The current progress of implementation of the National LED programme since its launch on 5th January 2015 is as follows: PARAMETERS

UJALA

SLNP

No. of LED bulbs distributed/Streetlights installed

31.68 crore

74.79 lakh

Estimated energy saved per year

41,142 million kWh

5,023 million kWh

Avoided peak demand/avoided capacity

8,237 MW

837 MW

GHG emission CO2 reductions per year

33.32 million t CO2

3.46 million t CO2

iii. Transport Sector National E-Mobility Programme launched to provide an impetus to the entire e-mobility ecosystem including vehicle manufacturers, charging infrastructure companies, fleet operators, service providers, etc.

130 towns IT enabled.

No licence required for charging stations

i. 68.76 lakh LED bulbs distributed under UJALA scheme

Procurement of 10,000 e-cars concluded for Government institutions

ii. 99,895 LED streetlights installed under the SLNP scheme Rs. 9866 crore projects undertaken for strengthening/development of intra-state transmission

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902 e-cars have been deployed/under registration

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india iv. BEE Star Labelling The Chiller Star Labelling Program has been launched by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) to encourage the deployment of Energy Efficient chiller systems. The program envisages providing star rating in terms of its energy performance. Initially, the program is launched on voluntary basis and will be valid upto 31 December 2020.

LED and inverter AC have been notified under mandatory regime. Star labelling program for Variable speed Air Conditioners and LED lamps were notified in mandatory domain during the year 2017.

The implementation of the same has begun w.e.f 1st January, 2018.

Star labelling program saved energy worth INR 22,500 crore during the year 2017-18 v. Industrial Energy Efficiency Energy efficiency measures through PAT in large industries saved energy worth Rs. 9500 crore annually.

Notification of PAT cycle IV for 846 DCs from 13 sectors has been issued vi. Building Energy Efficiency Energy Conservation Guidelines launched for large scale industries to promote equipment efficiency by reducing energy consumption with the help of standardizing the energy performance values of various energy-consuming equipment and systems deployed for the manufacturing process.

Digital initiatives Enabling payments through NPCI platforms such as BHIM, BBPS, Bharat QR etc. More than 24 crore digital transactions in FY 2017-18 for electricity bill payments.

To bring transparency and to disseminate information to public at large following Apps are launched by the Ministry of Power: PRAAPTI: A Web portal and an App namely PRAAPTI (Payment Ratification And Analysis in Power procurement) for bringing Transparency in Invoicing of generators), www.praapti.in, has been officially launched.

Ash Track– linking fly ash users and power plants for better ash utilisation. A Web based monitoring System and a Fly Ash mobile application named ASH TRACK.These platforms will enable better management of the ash produced by thermal power plants by providing an interface between fly ash producers (Thermal Power Plants) and potential ash users such as – road contractors, cement plants etc.

Fighting pollution: Ministry of Power has issued a policy to use 5-10% of biomass pellets along with coal for power generation in thermal power plants.

To promote use of the Biomass pellets, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has written to all Central/ State Utilities, State Governments, Power Equipment Manufacturers/Integrated Power Producers/Generating Companies that all fluidized bed and pulverized coal units of power generating utilities (coal based thermal power plants) except those having ball and tube mill, shall endeavour to use 5-10% blend of Biomass pellets made, primarily, of agro residue along with coal after assessing the technical feasibility, viz., the safety aspects etc.

Reforms In order to encourage Renewable Generation, Ministry of Power extended the waiver of ISTS Transmission charges and losses for Solar and Wind based Projects upto March 2022.

In order to achieve the Renewable target of 1,75,000 MW of Renewable capacity by 2022, MOP issued Long Term Growth trajectory Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) for Solar as well as Non-Solar till the year 2022.

With the aim of promoting renewable generation and reduction of emission, MOP issued a scheme on Flexibility in generation and scheduling of Thermal Power Stations to reduce emissions.

MoP has issued a direction to the CERC under section 107 of the Electricity Act, 2003 on 30th May, 2018 for implementation of new Environmental Norms for Thermal Power Plants suggested by MOEF&CC. In order to reduce the overall cost of generation as well as cost of power to consumer (Company level merit order operation), MOP issued a scheme on Flexibility in generation and scheduling of Thermal Power Stations to reduce cost of power to consumers.

In our endeavor for revival of the stressed assets, a Pilot Scheme was introduced by MOP in April 2018 to facilitate procurement of aggregated power of 2500 MW for 3 (three) years (covered under medium term) from the generating companies having coal based Power Plants which are already commissioned without having a power purchase agreement for the quantum of power the Bidder is willing to bid.

Major reform initiatives are being taken by Ministry of Power which includes addressing various issues being faced by electricity sector through draft amendments proposed in Electricity Act 2003 and Tariff Policy, 2016. Draft amendments to Electricity Act were circulated for stakeholder comments on 7.9.2018 and draft Amendments to Tariff Policy were circulated for Stakeholder comments on 30.5.2018.

Source: pib.nic.in

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Government drops plan to install 12GW solar capacity through NTPC The government has dropped its plan to install 12GW of solar capacity out of total 15 GW envisaged through state-owned NTPC as solar tariff dipped recently, Parliament was informed

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arlier, the government had planned to install 15 GW of solar energy capacity through NTPC, which was to be bundled with thermal power supply to specific states. The power company has already completed auction of 3GW capacity out which 2.75GW is installed and 0.25GW is under construction.

Since the solar power price has fallen recently, it is not proposed to take up Tranche II (5GW) and III (7GW),” said Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

Ministry of New & Renewable Energy had issued the guidelines for selection of 3,000 MW of Solar PV Capacity (i.e. identified quantum of Tranche-I) in March 2015. Under the scheme, it was envisaged that the then costlier solar power will be bundled with cheaper thermal power, so as to supply combined power at an affordable price. The minister told the house that the entire capacity of 3GW Tranche-I (of the NTPC) has been awarded and the capacity of 2.75 GW has already been commissioned and remaining 0.25 GW capacity is under construction. He further said that the government had launched the state specific bundling scheme for implementing 15,000 MW of grid-connected solar PV power plants under National Solar Mission (NSM) in a span of 5 years from 2014-15 to 2018-19 in three tranches, with NTPC as the implementing agency.

Under Tranche I, NTPC had implemented 3GW during 201415 to 2016-17. Under Tranche II, the proposed solar capacity was 5GW during 2015-16 to 2017-18. It was also envisaged to implement 7GW through the NTPC under Tranche III during 2016-17 to 2018-19. An industry experts said that the scheme was planned when solar tariff was high and the government proposed to bundle expensive solar energy with cheaper thermal power to make the clean source a viable business proposition. They further said that now there is no need to do such bundling because solar power tariff has already touched all time low of Rs 2.44 per unit and remains below Rs. 3 per unit mark in most of the auctions these days. According to the NTPC’s records, its average tariff was Rs 3.42 per unit during first half of this fiscal, which is mostly coal based thermal power.

In a separate reply to the house, the minister said: “A total of 37.83 GW of renewable energy capacity has been added in the country during the last four years and the current year (up to October 2018), with an estimated investment of about Rs 1.96 lakh crore” The renewable energy sector has received foreign direct investment of USD 3833.38 million, with Mauritius topping the chart with USD 966.10 million followed by Singapore at USD 741.36 million and Netherlands at USD 617.31 million. He also informed that a total investment of Rs 5,11,614.48 crore is required to have 175GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022, which includes Rs 3,78,437.10 crore for solar energy, Rs 1,25,068.25 crore for wind energy , Rs 3,178.63 crore for biomass and Rs 4,930.50 crore for small hydro (up to 25 MW).

The government has set a target for installing 175 GW of Renewable Energy capacity by the year 2022, which includes 100 GW from solar, 60 GW from wind, 10 GW from Biomass and 5 GW from Small Hydro power, he added.

“A cumulative renewable energy capacity of 73.35 GW has been installed in the country up to October 2018. To achieve the balance target of 101.65 GW, an investment of about Rs 5.12 lakh crore has been estimated as per average current capital cost,” he said in the reply.

Source: PTI

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INDIA

India’s renewable energy performance hailed in new global report India’s performance in the renewable energy sector has been hailed in a new global report on climate change but it cautioned against the country’s move to build new coal-fired power plants, saying that may pose a risk of offsetting positive developments it has made in the field of green energy.

“With comparably good ratings in emissions and renewables Sweden again leads the ranking (Rank 4), followed

by Morocco that significantly increased its share of renewable energy capacity and has an ambitious national climate target,” said the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2019, published by Germanwatch and the New Climate Institute along with the Climate Action Network (CAN).

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ndia moves to rank 11 as a result of an improved performance in renewable energy, comparatively low levels of per capita emissions and a relatively ambitious mitigation target for 2030,” it said. Hailing India’s improved ranking in this year’s CCPI, improving its standing by three places compared to the previous edition, the report says “most notably India improved its performance in the renewable energy category, joining the group of medium performers”. “However, national experts argue that plans to build new coal-fired power plants may pose a risk of offsetting positive developments in the renewable energy sector.

Comparatively low levels of per capita greenhouse gase emissions and a relatively ambitious mitigation target for 2030 give India an overall high rating in the emissions category,” it said.

The report, which shows only a few countries have started to implement strategies to limit global warming below 2 or even 1.5 degree Celsius, was published at the UN Climate Conference COP24 in Katowice. It comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set an ambitious goal that India must start generating 40 per cent of its total power from non-fossil fuels by 2030, thereby placing India at a premium position on the international renewable energy map. According to the government, India has undertaken ambitious mitigation and adaptation actions in the field of clean energy, especially renewable energy, enhancement of energy efficiency, development of less carbon-intensive and resilient urban centres, promotion of waste to wealth, safe, smart and sustainable green transportation network, abatement of pollution and efforts to enhance carbon sink through creation of forest and tree cover. The ambitious goal of generating 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022, and initiatives on smart cities, electric vehicles, energy efficiency initiatives and others have now made India one of the global leaders in climate action. With the achievement of about 72 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2018 out of a targeted 175 GW, India stands at fourth position globally in wind power, sixth in solar power installed capacity, and overall fifth in renewable power. But the report warned that after three consecutive years of stable CO2 emissions, global emissions are rising again. While there is a continued growth and competitiveness of renewable energy, especially in countries that had low shares before, the CCPI shows a lack of political will of most governments to phase out fossil fuels with the necessary speed.

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“Because of that, in most countries the climate policy evaluation by national experts is significantly lower than in earlier years,” it said.

Jan Burck, co-author of the CCPI at Germanwatch, said, “Based on technoeconomic developments in the last years, delay in implementation of low-carbon solutions can hardly be justified. While the G20 summit has shown strong support of 19 countries to support the Paris Agreement, the political will of those governments to set the right frameworks and incentives for its national implementation is not yet reflected in these words”.

Before Paris, the world was heading to 4-5 degrees of global warming. Now we are still on a path to more than 3 degrees, still a catastrophic perspective. The costs of electricity from wind and solar have dropped by roughly a third since then, so all countries can increase ambition and pace”, said Professor Niklas Hohne, coauthor from NewClimate Institute.

In 40 of the 56 analysed countries, the emissions decreased between 2011 and 2016. However, investments in fossil fuel infrastructure led to a high risk of a lock-in into high emissions pathways, it said. The top three ranks of the CCPI 2019 are still unoccupied, because none of the 56 countries or the EU are clearly on a well below 2-degree pathway in their overall performance. In total, the countries’ ambition as well as the level of implementation is not high enough, the report said. It said China climbed to rank 33, being in the group of medium-performing countries for the first time. China performed relatively well regarding its emissions trend from 2014 to 2016, but emissions started to increase again recently. The overall high rating in the climate policy category reflects its government’s progress on regulating industrial emissions and a successful renewable energy support scheme.

“In the group of very low performers we find almost half of the G20 countries – Japan (49), Turkey (50), Russian Federation (52), Canada (54), Australia (55), Korea (57) and – at the bottom of the index – USA (59) and Saudi Arabia (60). The USA again lost several places due to its low to very low-rated performance in the GHG Emissions, Renewable Energy and Energy Use,” the report said.

Source: PTI

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India’s energy subsidies down by 36 percent to Rs 1.51 lakh crore in FY 17 India’s total energy subsidies amounted to Rs 1,51,480 crore in financial year 2017, a 36 per cent decrease since FY14, according to a new report released

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he report released by the International Institute of Sustainable Development (IISD) and the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) said, India’s fossil-fuel subsidies fell sharply by nearly 70 per cent, from Rs 1,73,330 crore in FY14 to Rs 52,980 crore in FY17.Between FY16 and 17, fossil-fuel subsidies declined by Rs 12,270 crore (USD 2 billion).

The decline was driven by lower world oil prices during this period and reforms to subsidies for consumption of petrol, diesel, cooking gas and kerosene, a release issued by IISD and CEEW said.

On the other hand, renewable energy subsidies increased six-fold since 2014, including a mammoth increase of INR 5,770 crore (USD 0.8 billion) from FY16 to 17, it said.

The report is an update of a comprehensive inventory of India’s subsidies released last year.

Vibhuti Garg of IISD said a growing share of subsidies are dedicated to making India’s energy mix cleaner.

Despite this, subsidies to oil, gas and coal were more than three times the value of subsidies to renewables and electric vehicles in India in FY17, she said.

“The government must redirect more subsidies to cleaner energy sources to achieve its goals of cutting greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, as well as to exceed the 175 GW target for renewable power by 2022. In FY17, support for coal alone (Rs 15,990 crore) exceeded that for renewable energy (Rs 15,000 crore),” Garg is quoted as saying the release.

Abhinav Soman of the CEEW said a concerted shift to public transportation, electric mobility and supporting renewable energy application beyond the generation of electricity, would reduce import dependency and the subsidy burden in the long run.

The IISD-CEEW report further found that coal subsidies (mining and power generation) amounted to Rs 15,990 crore (USD 2.4 billion) in FY17, a rise of Rs 1,150 crore (USD 116 million) between FY16 and FY17.While relatively small, the change represented a shift from the previous three years, which had seen stable or declining support for coal.The biggest coal subsidies were tax breaks that reduce the cost of coal to power plants.The electricity sector saw the single largest increase in subsidy support between FY16 and 17 of Rs 20,800 crore (USD 3.3 billion).

These subsidies compensate electricity companies for keeping consumer prices below cost and accounted for half of India’s energy subsidies in FY17 (Rs 72,439 Crore or USD 11.2 billion), the report said.

Source: PTI

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COP 24

‘India on track to achieve climate commitments in renewable energy and carbon emissions’ A former UN official who played a key role in the Paris Climate Agreement negotiations said India was “well on track and will over-achieve” its climate commitments in terms of renewable energy and carbon emissions, pledged under the historic 2015 pact.

Vardhan focuses on India’s solar power, ‘green good deeds’ At the 24th meeting of Conference of Parties (COP-24) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Union Environment Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan reiterated India’s solar and public awareness campaigns like Green Good Deeds.

This year the theme of India Pavilion is ‘One World One Sun One Grid’ as highlighted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the first assembly of the International Solar Alliance in October 2018, Vardhan said at the inauguration of Indian Pavilion in COP-24 in Katowice, Poland. The Minister also stated that Indian leadership resolves to make India plastic-free by 2022. I expect that this movement – Green Good Deeds – will soon involve people not only, in India but across the globe. I am receiving positive feedback from all stakeholders for further strengthening this movement, Vardhan said. He said India is working hard for achieving the 175 GW target for installed Renewable Energy capacity by 2022. The effect of increased use of renewable energy is now visible in India. Resultantly, India stands fourth in wind power, fifth in renewable power and solar power installed, the Minister said adding that the government is also working on biomass, biofuel and bio-energy. Vardhan said that until now, more than 0.26 million Electric Vehicles have been sold, which has led to more than 91 million (in kilogram) CO2 reduction.

Green Good Deeds is a campaign initiated by Vardhan that encourages people towards the environment by planting trees, power saving, transport and household that can improve the deteriorating environmental conditions.

Source: IANS

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Christiana Figueres also laid emphasis on bringing about social intolerance for air pollution, reducing price of electric two-wheeler and not importing oil when there is an alternative. She noted air pollution is an “absolutely unacceptable crisis” in India.

Christiana Figueres was appointed as the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by then SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon in 2010, and was reappointed for a second three-year term in July 2013. She has been involved in climate change negotiations since 1995 — initially a member of the Costa Rican negotiating team. Figueres, who is in India, said the country could lead the world in manufacturing batteries for energy storage as it has the technological skills and the expertise with solar and wind power.

“It is pretty well publicly known that India is well on track and will over-achieve its Paris contribution in renewable energy.

(It) seems to be on track to meet and exceed its energy intensity or carbon intensity and is not on track on the third piece which is land use,” she said during a media roundtable here.

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head of the climate change summit in Paris, India had pledged to curb its greenhouse gas emissions by up to 35 per cent from the 2005 level. In its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) submitted to the UNFCCC, India had also pledged that it aims at achieving around 40 per cent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030.

She said India is in a “privileged” position because it is meeting and exceeding its first two targets and is in a good position to come to the table in 2020 and update its aspirations. She noted 10 out of 13 most polluted cities in the world are in India, while science has already proven living in Delhi reduces life expectancy by six years due to pollution.

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COP 24

There is a growing popular sense of outrage about the fact… in 2018, 9 out 10 people around the world are living in polluted air, she said. She referred to an event she attended on where doctors from across the country came together to say that they cannot see their patients die because of air pollution. I am fully confident that this social intolerance for air pollution, diminishing price of electric two-wheeler, and federal recognition that it does not make sense to use expensive foreign currency to import oil when you have an alternative, all of those three things will combine at some point to really switch, she said. Speaking about focussing on two-wheelers in India as maximum people use it, she said it “did not make sense” to continue to import oil for transportation, when one can move to electrification in particular to a country which has not reached its potential in renewable energy into the grid.

The predictability of price of fuel is a huge factor in making decisions in a country that needs to be careful where it uses its foreign currency, she said, adding consumer behaviour makes a huge shift. “The moment the benefit of a clean twowheeler is felt, that is going to contribute to a shift. India is an absolute international leader in a new business model in two-wheelers that separates the two wheels from battery.

That is ingenious. “The most expensive part of two wheeler is the battery. The moment you can buy the two-wheeler with frame and rent the battery, it brings the cost of the two wheeler down. I think, very soon the electric two-wheeler will be cheaper than fossil fuel two-wheeler. Further more, have we thought about the noise pollution that is going to be avoided,” she said. On the US announcing its exit from the Paris agreement, she said if it leaves, its economy will be the worst hit as it will be decreasing their competitiveness in the global market given the fact that the world is moving to noncarbon intensive goods and services. “Because, if the world moves as it is into electric transportation, as every single major car manufacture has announced that they are either moving all their models to electric or at least some of them…. that’s the trajectory. “That is not going to change. If the US continues to produce goods and services which are carbon intensive, who is going to buy that. They are decreasing their competitiveness in the global market,” she added.

Source: PTI

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INDIA BUSINESS & FINANCE

Cleantech startup ZunRoof raises angel funding ZunRoof CEO Pranesh Chaudhary said that the funds would be used to scale their tech offerings and expand the team

G Exide Industries to invest up to 30% equity stake in Cleantech at Rs20cr The projects will be set up with the Company as captive user and Cleantech as the power producer, the company said in the BSE filing.

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xide Industries to invest up to 30% equity stake in Cleantech aggregating to Rs20.05cr for setting up captive solar power projects for various manufacturing facilities. The company made announcement after market hours.

“The company has agreed to invest upto 30% of total equity share capital in each of the three special purpose vehicle(s) viz., “CSE Solar Sunpark Haryana Private Limited”, “CSE Solar Sunpark Maharashtra Private Limited” and “Greenyana Solar Private Limited” (hereinafter collectively called as Cleantech) aggregating upto Rs20cr for setting up captive solar power projects for various manufacturing facilities of the Company,” as per BSE filing.

The projects will be set up with the Company as captive user and Cleantech as the power producer, the company said in the BSE filing. This arrangement is expected to reduce the overall cost of production. Shares of Exide Industries Ltd ended at Rs263 up by Rs4.5 or 1.74% from its previous closing of Rs258.50 on the BSE. The scrip opened at Rs260 and touched a high and low of Rs266.85 and Rs259.85 respectively.

Source: indiainfoline

urgaon headquartered cleantech startup ZunRoof said that it had raised an undisclosed amount in angel funding from Livspace founder Ramakant Sharma and Arun Diaz of IntelleGrow, along with lead investors of previous rounds, including Pradeep Tharakan, Gaurav Gupta, Vismay Sharma, and others.

Pranesh Chaudhary, CEO, Zunroof said that the funds would be used to scale their tech offerings and expand the team. “We have a very potent and unique mix of VR, ML and Image Processing backing our operations which has led us to already the highest number of solar rooftops in India and we aim to build on this lead further.”

ZunRoof is a cleantech company, using unutilized rooftops for solar power. Gaurav Gupta, Partner & Asia Director, Dalberg Advisors, said, “In a crowded market, the key for investors was to see a team with really strong execution capability. ZunRoof had a track record for not just having strong tech skills, but quickly bringing them to market and thereby staying way ahead of the competition” Chaudhary said that the company would be looking at hiring experienced IoT engineers and data scientists for its tech team. “We will deepen our operations in North India. We are now present in over 30 cities and aim to double this in 2019,” he said. The company has already opened offices in Lucknow and Chandigarh this month.

Ajith Pai, Partner, Paypal Ventures, said, “ZunRoof today has used technology in VR and image processing to break down the usual barriers to adoption of Roof Top Solar. I continue to be impressed with what they achieved in the short period of time since invested back in April 2018.

My repeat investment in the second round of funding is an affirmation of my belief in their tech prowess, their business plan, their company and their team. I have no doubt that this is one investment that will pay off.”

Source: tech.economictimes.indiatimes

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BUSINESS & FINANCE

New Initiative to Mitigate Risk for Global Solar Scale-up The World Bank and Agence Française de Développement (AFD) are developing a joint Global Solar Risk Mitigation Initiative (SRMI), an integrated approach to tackle policy, technical and financial issues associated with scaling up solar energy deployment, especially in some of the world’s poorest countries.

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nitiated in Delhi at the first International Solar Alliance (ISA) summit in March 2018, the initiative will support the ISA’s goal to reduce costs and mobilize $1,000 billion in public and private investments to finance 1,000 GW of global solar capacity by 2030.

The World Bank, in partnership with AFD, remains committed to the International Solar Alliance’s goals and to global efforts to fight climate change. Through this new, integrated approach, we hope to further scale up solar energy use by reducing the cost of financing for solar projects and de-risking them, especially in low-income countries, said Riccardo Puliti, Senior Director of Energy and Extractives at the World Bank.

As the costs for solar power have fallen steadily, solar power is increasingly viewed as a key component in the fight against climate change. However, solar deployment has been slow in some emerging markets, particularly Africa, due to layers of risks perceived by the private sector in financing solar projects. The SRMI aims to change that.

This partnership with ISA and the World Bank is another step towards achieving the objective of the Paris Agreement of redirecting financial flows in favor of low carbon and resilient development pathways. AFD is glad to join forces with these partners to deliver on the commitments made at COP21, to bring solutions to de-risk potential solar investments and mobilize the private sector to invest in sustainable development said Rémy RIOUX, CEO of AFD.

The SRMI’s integrated approach will include: Support for the development of an enabling policy environment in targeted countries A new digital procurement (e-tendering) platform to facilitate and streamline solar auctions

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Targeting relatively small (under 20 MW) solar projects, offering a more comprehensive risk mitigation package of support to a wider range of investors and financiers to promote scale up at later stages.

The financial risk mitigation package offered by SRMI will be supported by technical assistance and concerted engagement on planning, resource mapping and power sector reforms to ensure the creditworthiness of utilities in these countries.

Mitigating the residual project’s risks through adequate risk mitigation financial instruments for both on and off-grid projects.

The governments of India and France launched the ISA, an international organization as part of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015 to scale up solar energy resources, reduce the cost of financing for solar projects around the world and ultimately help reach the Sustainable Development Goal on energy (SDG7) of providing access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy to all. To date, 71 countries have signed the constituting treaty of the ISA, and 48 have ratified it.

The SRMI is supported by the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) and AFD. With 189 member countries, staff from more than 170 countries and offices in over 130 locations, the World Bank Group is a unique global partnership: five institutions working for sustainable solutions that reduce poverty and build shared prosperity in developing countries. AFD is France’s inclusive public development bank. It commits financing and technical assistance to projects that genuinely improve everyday life, both in developing and emerging countries and in the French overseas territories. Our action is fully in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through its network of 85 agencies, AFD operates in 110 countries, where it is currently financing, supervising and supporting over 3,600 development projects.

Source: worldbank.org

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INDIA BUSINESS & FINANCE

Nabard signs $100 mn agreement with Green Climate Fund to boost solar power The agreement with GCF was signed at an event held on the sidelines of ongoing COP24 in Katowice, Poland

PE firms eye stake in Edelweiss unit; I Squared setting up renewables platform Private equity firms Blackstone, TPG, KKR, Carlyle, Apax Partners, and others are in talks with Edelweiss to buy 20-25% stake in its franchise and advisory businesses, persons in the know told The Economic Times.

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he business called Edelweiss Global Wealth and Asset Management is being valued at Rs 12,000-15,000 crore, the people mentioned above said. A deal is expected in January, the report added. Edelweiss’ wealth management business is one of the fastest growing in the industry, clocking a compound annual rate of 62% since 2011-12. The business has Rs 96,000 crore worth of assets under management. The financial services sector garnered the highest share of private equity and venture capital investments in the first half of 2018, with $4.2 billion invested across 74 deals, the highest-ever half-yearly private equity and venture capital investment in the sector, according to the latest EY-IVCA report.

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Meanwhile, British infrastructure investor I Squared Capital is setting up another renewable assets platform, two persons in the know told Mint. The new platform will focus on utility-scale large projects, the report said.

I Squared Capital’s existing renewables platform, Amplus Energy Solutions, focuses on rooftop solar installations. In another development, private equity firm Blackstone Group LP is in discussions with Adani Realty to buy its 10-storey office project at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) for around ₹1,900 crore, two people in the know told Mint. The development comes after VCCircle reported in November that Shapoorji Pallonji Investment Advisors Pvt. Ltd had decided not to buy the BKC Inspire building. The deal is likely to close before the end of this financial year. In March, VCCircle had reported that Blackstone is buying 50% stake in two subsidiaries of listed developer Indiabulls Real Estate Ltd in one of the biggest private equity deals in Indian real estate.The Mumbaiheadquartered real estate firm said in a disclosure to the stock exchanges that it had divested 50% stake each in Indiabulls Properties Pvt. Ltd and Indiabulls Real Estate Company at an enterprise value of Rs 9,500 crore (around $1.46 billion).In July, VCCircle reported that Blackstone has agreed to buy a commercial property in Chennai from Indiabulls Real Estate Ltd for Rs 850 crore ($123 million).

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) signed an agreement with Green Climate Fund (GCF) to infuse USD 100 million into the project designed to unlock private sector initiatives for creation of rooftop solar power capacity across India. The USD 250 million project, to be executed by Tata Cleantech Capital Ltd, will receive the GCF support through Nabard, which is the National Implementing Entity (NIE) for the UNFCC-promoted Fund that supports the efforts of developing countries to respond to the challenge of climate change, the bank said in a statement.

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he agreement with GCF was signed at an event held on the sidelines of ongoing COP24 in Katowice, Poland, it said.

Notably, India, which hosts International Solar Alliance, has an ambitious vision of creating 100 gw solar power capacity it said, adding Nabard has been financing solar power projects and installations in various other programmes as well. Apart from GCF, Nabard is the NIE for Adaptation Fund of UNFCC and National Adaption Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC). These funding mechanisms are being used to aid the interventions of several state governments in the areas of water, irrigation, fisheries, dairy farming, renewables in agriculture, coastal ecosystem, etc.

Source: PTI

Source: vcircle

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BUSINESS & FINANCE

d.light Raises US$41 Million to Finance Its Rapidly Growing Solar and Appliance Business The new equity funding, energy expertise and strong network of the Consortium, led by Inspired Evolution, will enable d.light to expand and accelerate its already impressive growth rate as well as provide energy access to millions of people in Africa

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eading distributed solar provider d.light announced that it had raised US$41 million in equity financing from a Consortium led by Inspired Evolution, an Africa-focused investment advisory firm that specializes in the energy sector. Consortium partners include the Dutch Development Bank FMO, as well as government-sponsored investment funds Swedfund and Norfund. This latest funding, which enables expansion of the company’s solar and Pay-Go consumer finance business in Africa, brings the total amount of equity and debt that d.light has raised in the past two years to over US$100 million. The funding round also enabled some of the company’s earliest investors to achieve an exit.

We are thrilled to have Inspired Evolution as the newest funding partner in the d.light family,said d.light co-founder and CEO Ned Tozun.Their energy expertise and strong network add significant value to the work of d.light, allowing us to expand our product line, launch in new markets, and reach more customers.

With a commanding market share in emerging markets in both Africa and Asia, the company’s revenue and profitability continue to accelerate at an impressive growth rate. This investment combined with solid debt financing and receivables funding solutions will put the company on an even steeper growth trajectory.

Wayne Keast, Managing Partner, at Inspired Evolution said, We are excited to partner with d.light, the market leader in the portable solar product and off-grid solar home system market, to support the expansion of their Pay-Go solar business throughout Africa which will help address the needs of more than 600 million people that do not have access to electricity.

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Since its founding in 2007, d.light has provided solar energy to more than 88 million people in 62 countries. Their extensive product line ranges from extremely affordable portable solar lanterns to solar home systems that can power multiple lights, mobile phones, and small appliances, including a flatscreen television. d.light’s solar solutions have won multiple international.

Awards for their innovation and design and are sold through more than 30,000 outlets around the world—the largest existing distribution network for these types of products.With a strong emphasis on product quality and customer service since its earliest days, d.light has built up a loyal customer base in emerging markets. d.light continues to profitably sell hundreds of thousands of units per month, while maintaining excellent quality at scale. Its pay-go financing system has among the lowest delinquency rates in the industry.

The company is led by a strong team of deeply experienced, internationally recognized leaders and highly committed, talented local staff Mr. Tozun and Mr. Goldman established an ambitious goal for d.light at its founding: to impact 100 million people by 2020. The company expects to achieve this audacious goal ahead of schedule, and this latest equity funding from Inspired Evolution and other partners will undoubtedly accelerate those efforts.

Source: value360india

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Hero Future Energies looks to raise $200 million from PEs for 25% stake

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The company is eyeing a valuation of $800 million, once the money is raised against 25% equity. ero Future Energies, the renewable energy firm of the Pawan Munjal-led Hero group, is looking to raise $200 million in fresh funding from private equity investors, according to a market source. The company, founded only six years ago, is eyeing a valuation of $800 million, once the money is raised against 25 percent equity. The focused on running power plants based on renewable sources like solar and wind.

“The company is talking to a set of private equity investors and looking at a valuation of $700 million-$800 million on the expanded capital base. Given the size, it is possible more than one investor may come in,” the source said.

The company currently has a portfolio of 1,200 MW and plans to take it to 2,700 MW by 2020 and over 3,500 MW by 2022. It implements both grid connected and rooftop solar projects and is currently running capacities in 12 states.This is not the first time the company is looking to raise private equity. The company had in January 2017 raised $125 million from International Finance Corporation — the private sector investment arm of the World Bank — and the IFC Global Infrastructure Fund — to fuel its growth plans. -

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Hero Future Energies is run by Rahul Munjal as its Chairman and Managing Director. Rahul is the son of late Raman Kant Munjal, son of Hero group founder, late Brijmohan Lal Munjal. After the big push of the Narendra Modi government when it came to power in 2014, the going hasn’t entirely been smooth for the country’s renewable energy sector in the last two years, partly owing to (solar) tariffs falling to unreasonably low levels. The strains in the sector were also reflected in Hero Future’s competitors like ReNewPower and Sembcorp Energy India delaying their plans to float initial public offerings after they received lukewarm response from anchor investors.ReNew Power’s IPO size at Rs 2,600 crore was also found to be too big for market appetite. Any public listing seems possible only after the April-May general elections next year. The Narendra Modi government has a target of achieving 175 GW in renewable power capacity by 2022 — 100 GW from solar, 60 MW from wind, 10 GW from bio energy and 5 GW from small hydro plants of less than 25 MW capacity each.

Source: moneycontrol

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BUSINESS & FINANCE

Oakridge raises India’s first residential solar rooftop LC from Impact lender Maanaveeya Oakridge Energy, one of North Indias leading residential rooftop solar companies, has raised a first line of credit from the Indian arm of Dutch social impact investor Oikocredit for financing a pilot of residential solar rooftop installations it intends to install Oakridge.

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ikocredit is among the world’s leading social impact investors with total assets of about 1.3 billion euros, over 693 partners and presence across 13 countries. Manaveeya Development and Finance Pvt Ltd is the Indian arm of Oikocredit..

Oakridge would be offering payment plans for residential home owners to install solar rooftop systems and provide easy repayment structures over 3-5 years, a company release said.

In addition, Oakridge would also be installing solar panels on the rooftops of residential societies under a scheme to be launched by the Delhi Government under the World Bank Suprabha-technical assistance programme.

Engie will do $1 Billion investment in Indian Solar Industry The Indian energy manufacturing companies are experiencing quick revolution and attain its ambitious renewable energy goal of 175 GW by 2022.

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ngie is one of the biggest overseas financiers in India’s solar energy space, is undertaking better bounds by strengthening its promise to reorganized renewable energy structures for rural India.

The firm presently has about 800 MW of effectiveness scale solar schemes (nearby 330MW in creation) and 280MW of efficacy scale wind. List of the Engie’s plans in India: Mirzapur solar energy plant, Uttar Pradesh, authorized in March 2018, 25-year energy buying contract through Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI).

Shravan Sampath, CEO, Oakridge Energy said: Residential solar rooftop is a fast-growing sector with an aggregate addressable demand of over 5000 MW over the next 5 years. There are not many players who have a presence in this market.

Oakridge, with its extensive experience in the residential market, standardised mounting structures and implementation process, is growing to capture this market. Oakridge is pleased to obtain this line of credit from Manaveeya, he added.

Kadapa energy plant Andhra Pradesh, 25-year power purchasing contract through the National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC).

Bhadla solar energy plant, Rajasthan, ordered in June 2017.

A 30MW wind project in Gujarat presently in production, authorizing estimated in June 2019 and a 25-year power acquisition contract done the Gujarat state distribution company, GUVNL.

Maanaveeya Managing Director Gouri Sankar, said: Maanaveeya is a nonbanking financial company and engaged in lending to micro finance institutions, Development projects in agriculture value chains, Micro small medium enterprises (MSME) and Renewal Energy projects in India.

A 50MW wind plan in the state of Tamil Nadu arranged to be commissioned by 2019.

Under the Renewable energy segment, we focus on funding access to energy companies and see huge potential in the roof top segment. We found a like-minded partner in Oakridge and glad to partner with Oakridge Roof Tops for piloting a Roof top project and based on the learnings, we expect to do more such deals in the Solar Roof Top space. We hope this transaction will open a niche market and a new asset class for impact investors in partnering with developers to support residential roof top segment in rural market, he said.

Source: IANS

The company takes step toward the investment deeds in India to express revolution towards green energy.

In 2017 the firm said its strategy to spend a minimum of $1bn in the Indian solar energy industry in the next 5 years period of time. Engie has been vigorously aggregating its funds and contributions to upkeep renewable energy initiative in India.

Source: Equity Bulls Source: goingsolarr

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Rays Power Infra Private Limited closes INR 200 crore mezzanine funding from DMI Finance Private Limited Rays Power Infra Private Limited (Rays), one of India’s major solar EPC players, has successfully closed its first round of INR 200 crores mezzanine funding from DMI Finance Private Limited (“DMI”).

t Shell acquires stake in Asia-focused Cleantech Solar Royal Dutch Shell has agreed to acquire a 49 percent stake in Asia-focused firm Cleantech Solar, the energy giant’s second investment in solar power this year.

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he Anglo-Dutch company will have an option to increase its holding in Cleantech after 2021. The deal is expected to close in January 2019.

Cleantech Solar develops, owns and operates commercial and industrial solar energy systems in Southeast Asia and India that have generated over 100 million megawatt hour units of electricity, it said in a statement.

In January, Shell acquired acquired a stake in U.S. solar company Silicon Ranch Corporation.

Source: Reuters

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he current funding highlights Rays capabilities to raise funds and bolster its lucrative co-development business model of solar asset development in India.With this investment Rays also plans to grow its co-development business model (“Co-Dev”), a bespoke model that Rays has pioneered in the Indian Solar Industry. The Co-Dev model is primarily a develop-and-sell model where the Company develops the asset and pre-commissions its sale to generate higher returns and efficiently utilize the capital invested.

Commenting on the closure of this transaction, Ketan Mehta, Founder and MD, Rays Power Infra said, Rays Power Infra in its 7 years of existence has had an incredible journey starting as a solar power policy & advisory consultancy, moving to PPA advisory and bidding, design, EPC. In the last 3 years, the Company has entered the project development stage for providing our clients with integrated solutions. As co-developer partner, we are involved in financial closure and equity investment for development of project prior to sale. We intend to utilize the funds in pursuing development of further assets on co-development basis.

Anshuman Malur, Portfolio Manager, DMI Management Services Pvt. Ltd. commented on the transaction saying We have been impressed by Rays’ ability to be nimble, while remaining disciplined, in capital allocation. It has grown rapidly and delivered excellent return on equity mainly due to the management’s ability to identify and execute on a unique business strategy. This transaction is consistent with DMI’s philosophy of providing flexible growth capital to good companies with superior management.

Going forward, Rays is aggressively pursuing opportunities in distributed generation, rooftop solar assets and entering the retail sector with e-mobility solar solutions targeting retail consumers. The current funding will be a boost to these business initiatives.Currently, Rays has built a solar portfolio of 64 MW and has an EPC track record of delivering [500+] MW of solar assets. The Company will use majority of the proceeds from this capital raise to strengthen their presence in the country and develop ground mounted solar power projects.

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BUSINESS & FINANCE

Reliance Industries to Acquire Renewable Tech Firm Kanoda for ₹75 Crore Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings Limited (‘RIIHL’), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd, has agreed to pick up a controlling stake of 88% in Ahmedabad-based renewable energy services firm Kanoda Energy Systems Pvt. Ltd for ₹ 75 crore (about $10.7 million), in an all-cash deal.

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ccording to a stock-exchange filing by RIL, the said investment upon completion will translate into 88% equity stake in KESL on a fully diluted basis. The total investment is likely to be completed by March 2020.The acquisition will assist RIIHL’s initiatives to use Kanoda’s renewable energy sources.Founded in 2009,

by Dr. Kinjal Jani, Kanoda is a technology and innovation-driven renewable energy solution provider company, which offers services in solar advisory, product design and technology validation, and recently, it forayed into engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and operation and maintenance (O&M) of solar photovoltaic systems.Interestingly, Kanoda Energy was a 2004 incubation project by Research Scholars at Georgia Institute of Technology, USA. with the necessary capital infusion via Tipsons Group, the company then started designing and developing solar photovoltaic plants. The company had a turnover of ₹ 10.54 crore, ₹ 1.63 crore and Nil and Net Profit (Loss) of ₹ 81.38 lakhs, ₹ 16.54 lakhs and ₹ (0.51) lakhs in FY 2018, FY 2017 and FY 2016 respectively.This acquisition of Kanoda comes only a month after RIIHL has picked up a controlling stake in New Emerging World of Journalism (NEWJ), a Mumbai-based digital media startup, with an initial invest-

-ment of over ₹ 1 crore.Last week, Reliance Industries has also acquired 5.56% equity stakein VAKT Holdings Limited, a London-based technology startup, for $5 million (around ₹ 35 crore). VAKT uses Blockchain technology for oil & energy trading. And, Reliance has interests in the downstream oil business, with its arm Reliance Petroleum as one of the leading petroleum companies in the world.

Major Renewable Energy Acitivies 2018 This month, Jaipur headquartered solar power developer and EPC player, Rays Power Infra, had raised ₹ 200 crore from DMI Finance, in this month only.In October, Azure Power, which is India’s largest independent solar power producers, had raised around $185 million primary capital from Canada-based Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ).In June, Gurgaon-based ZunRoof, a rooftop focused solar startup, had raised ₹ 1.66 crore from i3N (led by Pradeep Tharakan, Sr. Energy Specialist at ADB and Vismay Sharma, MD, L’Oreal, UK & Ireland), Paipal Ventures’ Ajith Pai, Gaurav Gupta, Asia Director, Dalbergr and a bunch of IIT Kharagpur alumni based in US.In the same month, Hyderabad-based solar energy solution startup Fourth Partner Energy raised $70 million in Series B funding from The Rise Fund, a global impact investment fund managed by TPG Growth.In April, Gurgaon headquartered clean energy company ReNew Power acquired of Ostro Energy for $1.5 billion to create India’s largest clean energy firm by installed capacity. The acquisition becomes biggest ever deal in the Indian renewable energy sector to date.

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Vikram Solar signs agreement with NTPC for 140 MW Solar Project Vikram Solar, one of India’s leading module manufacturers and a comprehensive EPC solutions & rooftop solar provider, claimed a 140 MW solar plant project from National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC). The location selected for the project is Bilhaur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India.

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700 acre area has been allotted for the project, and the solar plant is expected to successfully satisfy the electricity demand of the area. NTPC has plans to install 225 MW solar plant in UP and Vikram Solar has been selected to commission the first allotment of 140 MW project. The project is expected to be completed by September 2020 (as per tender guidelines).

Tata Cleantech Capital raises Rs 180 crore via maiden green bond

Mr. Kuldeep Jain, COO- EPC, Vikram Solar, shared on the occasion, Vikram Solar has had a long standing business relation with NTPC. Previously, we have handled 50 MW solar plant project in Mandsaur, MP and 130 MW solar project in Bhadla, Rajasthan for NTPC. And, I am very glad to say that Vikram’s focus towards innovation, quality, performance, customer centricity and execution has help us to win this project.

Tata Cleantech Capital (TCCL), a joint venture between Tata Capital and the International Finance CorporationNSE 0.00 % (IFC), said it has raised Rs 180 crore through its maiden five-year green bond from Netherlandsbased development bank, FMO. The proceeds of the bond will be used to financeNSE -1.51 % eligible green projects, the company said in a release.

He also added, Claiming LOI for this 140 MW project is a triumph for Vikram Solar, and we feel honoured to yet again have the opportunity to support NTPC in contributing to Indian solar revolution through green energy adoption. On behalf of team Vikram, I express my admiration towards NTPC’S consistent effort towards solar growth, and I am hopeful that our partnership will continue to support India in providing Power for all.

Vikram Solar currently has approximately 800 MW (commissioned+under execution) EPC portfolio in India. And has served clients like- NTPC, WBSDCL, GIPCL, BEL, BHEL, ISRO, IOCL, SBI, APGENCO, IMFA, Century Ply, KBL ETC. Source: conceptpr

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The green bond market plays a key role in funding projects that contribute to environmental sustainability.

Our maiden green bond issue will finance eligible green projects in the renewable energy space, TCCL’s managing director Manish Chourasia said.

The company has a strong renewable energy portfolio and thus the funds raised through green bonds can be appropriately utilised to confirm with the green bond principles, it said.FMO is the Dutch development bank and has been supporting sustainable private sector growth in developing countries and emerging markets With a committed portfolio of USD 10.5 billion spanning over 92 countries, FMO is one of the larger bilateral private sector developments banks globally.

Source: PTI

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PV MANUFACTURING

Meyer Burger awarded first large-scale contract for 600 MW Heterojunction and SmartWire technologies for CHF 74 million Meyer Burger Technology Ltd (SIX Swiss Exchange: MBTN) signed a major strategic contract for its Heterojunction (HJT) and SmartWire Connection Technology (SWCT™).

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leading nonChinese solar company has ordered core equipment for a 600 MW Heterojunction and SWCT™ integrated production line. With this order, the customer has chosen today’s most advanced industrialized PV manufacturing platform in order to achieve solar modules with leading-edge Watt performance.

Initial delivery will begin in the first quarter of 2019 with the start of cell and module production planned in the second half of 2019. The total manufacturing capacity is scheduled to be in full production by the first quarter of 2020. In total, the contract is worth around CHF 74 million For Hans Brändle, CEO of Meyer Burger, this agreement is gamechanging: “This strategically important order from a well-established and highly respected cell module manufacturer is a real breakthrough.

It not only confirms our technology leadership but also substantially strengthens the market acceptance and credibility for our Heterojunction and SmartWire technologies.”

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Cutting edge technologies for solar cell production Heterojunction (HJT) cell technology combines the benefits of crystalline silicon solar cells with those of thin film technologies. It enables solar cells to achieve markedly higher efficiencies.

Due to the superior light yield and outstanding passivation properties of amorphous silicon, cell efficiencies in excess of 24% can be attained. Further benefits arise from the relatively simple and economically attractive lowtemperature manufacturing concept which requires fewer production steps and reduces energy consumption. The high cell efficiency and lower temperature coefficient also contribute to the significantly increased electricity yield of HJT modules compared to modules with conventional silicon solar cells.

SmartWire cell connection technology (SWCT™) maximizes the energy yield of HJT solar modules and is the perfect combination for an industrialised, highly efficient PV mass production line.

The SmartWire method of connecting cells employs an innovative foil-wire electrode which reduces the amount of silver used for each heterojunction solar module by more than 50%, for PV module manufacturers.

With its dense wire contact matrix, SWCT™ modules easily satisfy the increased demands for energy generation placed on today’s highefficiency Heterojunction solar cells.

Business update Overall the market for PV equipment remains challenging, and margin pressure seen for standard PV business solutions underscores the importance of the transformation programme which was announced on 16 October 2018, and makes an increased outsourcing of Meyer Burger’s manufacturing capacity to China all the more important. For the fiscal year 2018 Meyer Burger confirms net sales within its published guidance range of CHF 400 to 440 million.

EBITDA including restructuring costs is expected to be in the higher single digit percentage range (earlier EBITDA guidance 2018 around 10%).

Meyer Burger confirms its previous expectation that once the transformation program is completed, the breakeven level at net earnings can be reached with a net sales volume of about CHF 250 million (as of FY 2021).

Source: meyerburger

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international

Why Africa is the next renewables powerhouse It is increasingly clear that Africa has the potential to lead the world in scaling-up and generating renewable energy.

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he potential was made clear by delegates and speakers at Energy Day, on the African Development Bank pavilion at COP24 in Poland.Sessions such as ‘Unlocking Commercial Finance for SmallScale Renewable Energy in Africa’ covered the African Development Bank’s “Facility for Energy Inclusion” (FEI) – a $500 million debt platform for small-scale renewables that aims to provide senior and mezzanine debt financing to small-scale projects and off-grid solutions, whilst a panel of speakers shared news about the ‘Desert to Power’ initiative, which seeks to harness the sun of the Sahel region across 11 countries in one of the biggest solar projects in the world.A later session drew lessons on energy efficiency in Africa; despite the huge renewable generation potential, this is still a critical element in the sustainable future for the region.Africa has an almost unlimited potential of solar capacity (10 TW), abundant hydro (350 GW), wind (110 GW), and geothermal energy sources (15 GW). The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) estimates that renewable energy capacity in Africa could reach 310 GW by 2030; which would put the continent at the forefront of renewable energy generation globally.There is huge scope for Africa to build a climate-resilient and low-carbon continent, with attractive investment opportunities in climateresilient infrastructure, climate-smart agriculture, and the sustainable management of natural resources.

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Case study: Morocco – largest concentrated solar park in world The Ouarzazate solar complex in Morocco is one of the largest concentrated solar plants in the world. It has produced and delivered over 814 GWh of clean energy through the national electric grid since 2016. Last year, the solar plant saved 217,000 tons of CO2.For Morocco, which until recently sourced 95% of its energy needs from external sources, this project is part of a drive to diversify sources of production and generate value from renewable energy sources.

It is hoped that the country will increase its share of renewable energy to the total energy consumption to 42% by 2020.The Ouarzazate solar complex project uses an innovative financing structure, which pools the capacities of independent power producers, who then sell the generated power back to the government in a public-private partnership.The project’s financing support mechanism will reduce the capital

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international cost of solar power to levels comparable with traditional technologies and the wholesale cost of power in Morocco. Africa needs a renewable energy revolution: the continent holds 15% of the world’s population, yet may have to pay nearly 50%of the estimated global climate change adaptation costs.These costs will cut expenditure on health, water supply, agriculture, and forestry, despite the continent’s minimal contribution to global emissions.And that’s not to mention the energy deficit that continues: most of the 600 million people without access to electricity live in Sub-Saharan Africa. This energy poverty across the continent holds back African economic development, and is estimated to cost the continent between 2% and 4 % of GDP annually.

Speaking about the ‘Desert to Power’ project in the Sahel region, Magdalena J. Seol, the African Development Bank’s representative for Speaking about the ‘Desert to Power’ project in the Sahel region, Magdalena J. Seol, the African Development Bank’s representative for the initiative, has noted that: Without energy, it’s impossible to imagine economic growth. A lack of energy has been one of the key factors that has hindered the economic development of the region. the initiative, has noted that: “Without energy, it’s impossible to imagine economic growth. A lack of energy has been one of the key factors that has hindered the economic development of the region.

Joao Duarte Cunha, Manager for Energy Initiatives and Partnerships at the African Development Bank said, We provide support along the entire project development continuum, providing resources from seed capital to technical assistance, debt finance and investments in private equity funds to build a renewable energy pipeline for Africa.

We also work closely with governments to understand and tackle policy issues to create the right enabling conditions for this sector to thrive.

In a final closing statement in the Unlocking Commercial Finance for SmallScale Renewable Energy in Africa’ session Dean Cooper – Energy Sector Market Development Manager at SNV, a non-profit international development organization founded in the Netherlands –

said: Energy… makes things happen – we need to always keep this in mind.

Thought of the day from COP on Energy Day As Energy Day at COP24 comes to a close, it is clear that every country around the world must play its part in securing a safe and sustainable future.If Africa can achieve its renewable energy potential – and find the funds to do so – the continent could make a significant contribution to securing a safe and sustainable future – not just for itself, but for every other region and country in the world.

In order to catalyse the transition to renewable energy, the African Development Bank has placed energy at the top of its High 5 priorities and launched the New Deal on Energy for Africa with an overarching goal of universal energy access in Africa by 2025.This will be achieved through expanding grid power by 160 GW, and connecting 130 million people to the grid. Additionally, the Bank aims to connect 75 million people to offgrid systems and provide 150 million households with access to clean cooking energy.The African Development Bank is also working with African countries to transform their energy utility sectors and attract investment in new energy markets.

Source: afdb.org

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The First Large-scale Ground-mounted PV Plant in Saudi Arabia with Huawei 1500V Smart PV Solution ACWA Power, a leading developer, owner and operator of power generation and water desalination plants, will use Huawei, as the sole supplier of inverters to integrate FusionSolar 1500V Smart PV Solution, including the SUN2000-90KTL string inverter and cutting edge FusionSolar Smart PV Management System in Saudi Arabia’s first large-scale ground-mounted PV plant.

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CWA Power won the bid in February 2018 for the Sakaka 300 MW project in Al Jouf, North Saudi Arabia at 2.3417 US cents/kWh as the lowest price ever recorded at a global level. Launched as part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 strategy, the project marks the beginning of the country’s transformation from traditional fossil fuels to clean energy. The plant is expected to be completed in October 2019. The Sakaka project is located in northern Saudi Arabia, where the flat terrain, sunshine, low vegetation coverage, and heavy dust, present high demands on protection levels, stability and energy yield of the plant. Huawei FusionSolar 1500V Smart PV Solution with multi-MPPT string inverters minimizes PV string mismatch and increases the energy yield by 1.5%–2%. The IP65 protection limits the damage by wind and sand erosion. Furthermore, power loss is greatly reduced by an increase in the system voltage and a decrease in current.

Consequently, the workload in transportation, installation, and maintenance drops, which reduces human resource and system investment costs.

Huawei FusionSolar Smart PV Solution offers higher energy yield, same CAPEX, efficient O&M, and lower OPEX, which leads to lower LCOE and makes the solution most competitive.

Mohammad Abunayyan, Chairman of ACWA Power, said: “We are immensely proud to take part in the first clean energy project in Saudi Arabia that contributes to the sustainable transition of the Kingdom. We look forward to working with Huawei to utilize our collective expertise gained from renewable projects across the globe to develop and advance the capabilities of the renewable energy sector in the Kingdom. In line with the objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030 and the directions of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, we are encouraging active participation of the sector and creating employment opportunities to Saudi nationals while cultivating a knowledge-base for the future of renewables within the country.”

It is estimated to generate enough clean energy that will be sufficient to power 45,000 households in Al Jouf region while offsetting over 430,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. Additionally, the project will create new employment opportunities across sectors including construction and operations.

Hoymiles supplies largest microinverter project in South Africa Chinese manufacturer Hoymiles has supplied the largest project in South Africa to depend on microinverters.

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he 158kW rooftop system, on a commercial building in Johannesburg, uses the company’s MI-600 inverters with module level maximum power point tracking and monitoring.

Source: wmglobal

I was delighted to be able to work with Hoymiles on the Johannesburg project, which is the largest of its kind in South Africa so far, said Ari Salkow, group head of PV solar at Ellies, Hoymiles’ local distributor. “In the future, we will continue our close cooperation with Hoymiles to develop ways to help users safely build and operate higheryielding PV power stations. What we and Hoymiles have achieved here represents an excellent start in the South African market,” added Salkow.

Ellies also assisted with the system design. Hoymiles said the project could now be expanded to 200kW. According to the manufacturer, microinverters are gaining traction in South Africa because of a focus on the levelized cost of electricity for any given install rather than a capex-dominated procurement process. The project is dwarfed by the 3.6MW installation that Hoymiles supplied in China, which it claimed to be the largest in the country.

Source: Hoymiles’ HQ

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international

GCL System Integration Awarded First Global CSR+ Reinsurance Certificate GCL System Integration (002506.SZ) (GCL-SI) has passed Swiss Reinsurance Company’s CSR+ Reliability Testing Programme and has been awarded the first global reinsurance certificate issued under the CSR+ standard by Swiss Reinsurance (Swiss Re).

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SR+, an extrastringent testing standard for assessing solar panel quality and power performance, is far more rigorous than the testing requirements of the current IEC61215 and IEC61730 standards. The first enterprise in the world to pass the extra-stringent testing, GCL-SI has amply proven that its panels have excellent performance and reliable quality. Swiss Re, with a history of more than 150 years, and with branches and affiliates in major cities around the world, is one of the world’s largest reinsurance companies. At the beginning of 2018, the company issued the Solar Panel Code of Practice: International Guideline on the Risk Management and Sustainability of Solar Panel Warranty Insurance (SPCoP). The core content of the SPCoP, CSR+ sets the reliability testing standards for quality and power performance of solar panels.

The testing comprises the panel composite reliability testing programme as well as a comprehensive factory audit for all production plants.

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GCL-SI’s Vice President He Deyong said, CSR+ is one of the most advanced testing standards in the world. The fact that the company was able to successfully pass the extra-stringent testing demonstrates the reliability of its products. Meanwhile, direct underwriting by specialist energy insurance provider Alltrust Insurance Company, together with reinsurance support from Swiss Re, offers robust insurance protection, strongly underpinning GCL-SI’s market development plans on a worldwide basis. GCL-SI hopes to cooperate further with Swiss Re in the areas of finance, insurance and manufacturing, and build a technical exchange platform to help accelerate growth in the alternative energy industry.

The CSR+ standard is the latest reliability testing standard and is far more rigorous than that required by current IEC61215 and IEC61730 certifications. Swiss Re has always adhered to the philosophy of value investing and supports as well as carries out long-term partnerships with customers that have sustainable competitiveness. As the first enterprise in the world to pass Swiss Re’s CSR+ reliability testing programme, GCL-SI will receive insurance provided by Alltrust Insurance Company as well as reinsurance from Swiss Re for the panels it produces during the period of validity of the certificate. This alliance underscores the excellent performance and reliable quality of GCL-SI’s panels. Reinsurance support from Swiss Re is a strong endorsement of the quality of GCL-SI’s panels and provides a strong guarantee for panel sales. Meanwhile, Swiss Re’s insurance solutions and many decades of experience can further help its customers lower their financial and financing costs. As a Tier 1 panel manufacturer, GCLSI regards product quality as a priority and has gained the trust of customers around the globe on the basis of its stability and reliable product quality. GCL-SI consistently emphasizes that lowering costs and increasing innovation should be at the center of responding to grid parity. GCL-SI aims to provide greater value to customers with high quality and low price-performance ratios.

Source: GCL-SI

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Risen Energy’s steadfast expansion to the global solar market Brazilian market research firm Greener recently released the results of a report on the strategic markets for solar PV power generation during the second half of 2018. Over a one-month period, Greener conducted an extensive survey of PV solution providers of all sizes around the world, with 768 system integrators responding.

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ne item of note within the report was that Chinese solar-panel maker Risen Energy was the integrator that came in third in terms of penetration in the Brazilian market, with a 24.6% score as an index of market reach within the country. The report further pointed out that module quality is the major consideration during a customer’s selection process of a brand with 9.79% of Brazilian suppliers viewing Risen Energy as their preferred supplier.

In other positive news, Risen Energy inked a 50MW module supply contract with Vietnamese firm PNPHANOI on January 7, in line with and with the support of the Chinese government’s One Belt, One Road initiative and the Vietnamese government’s Two Corridors and One Economic Circle plan. Risen Energy will provide PNPHANOI with 50 MW modules for the Long Thanh 1 Solar Power Plant project. Risen Energy is just one of the many Chinese PV solution makers that have been paying increasing attention to expansion outside of their home market for years. The fast-growing South American market, with Brazil serving as a representative example, is an area with huge potential, coupled with, it goes without saying, fierce competition.

Zhao Zelin, vice president of sales at Risen Energy, said: “To get a better understanding of the expectations of the Brazilian market, in August 2018, we brought a collection of high-precision modules including 72 polycrystalline, 72 monocrystalline PERC and 72 off-grid monocrystalline PERC modules to the 5th Enersolar + Brasil – International Fair of Technologies for Solar Energy and showcased them to customers. We have enhanced our brand awareness via a series of promotional events and campaigns, paving a solid foundation for subsequent partnerships. Based on a shipment target of over 100MW to Brazil for 2018 and orders on hand, we aim to provide the PV facilities across the country with more than 260 MW of modules this year, with an anticipated market share in the 1520 percent range.”

Source: Risen Energy Co., Ltd

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JinkoSolar Wins Most Globalized PV Module Enterprise Award

JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. (“JinkoSolar” or “Company”), (NYSE: JKS), a reputable solar module manufacturer in the world, announced that it was named most globalized enterprise at South Korea’s first Future Enterprise Conference held at the Korea Press Center in Seoul on December 18.

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ndustry Award Korea is sponsor of the annual award, which is given to the world’s most future-oriented enterprises. In addition to JinkoSolar, Schneider Electric SE, Siemens AG, Hilscher Gesellshaft fur Systemautomation mbH, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, LG Electronics Inc. and Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. won honorable mentions at the conference.Gener Miao, Vice President of Sales & Marketing of JinkoSolar was jubilant in receiving the prestigious award.

This affirms JinkoSolar’s iconic position in the global PV industry, Mr. Miao said. We are honored to be recognized among such a gallery of the world’s solar companies. Like them, we are dedicated to a future energy economy in which renewable energy plays a leading role.

NTPC Awarded by CBIP as Best Performing Power Utility

NTPC has been awarded as the Best Performing Utility of the Country in Thermal Power Sector by Central Board of Irrigation and Power (CBIP) at a function held in New Delhi.

Shri R.K. Singh, Minister of State I/C for Power and New & Renewable energy, GOI presented the award to Shri Gurdeep Singh CMD NTPC. Shri Saptarshi Roy, Director (HR) and Shri A. K. Gupta, Director (Commercial) NTPC were also present.Shri A. K. Bhalla, Secretary (Power); Shri U.P. Singh , Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation; Shri S. Masood Husain, President, CBIP & Chairman, Central Water Commission and Shri P.S. Mhaske, Vice President, CBIP & Chairperson, CEA were present on the occasion.

Source: ntpc.co.in

Prominent South Korean congressmen attended the ceremony, including Representative Woo Won-shik, a member of the Minjoo Party, and seven other members of the National Assembly.

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featured

Sungrow Named International Brand Development Honoree by PR Newswire Sungrow, the global leading inverter solution supplier for renewables, has announced recently that PR Newswire, a leading source of news and industry communications for professionals across the globe, has named Sungrow as an International Brand Development Honoree in its latest Innovative Communication Awards 2018.

The award represents a holistic branding assessment, with a datadriven analysis of the award’s contenders.

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otably, Sungrow is the only inverter company ranked as the international branding honoree. “The companies in the list are the organizations that best succeed across the parameters.

They embrace the challenges of outsizing business complexity with the agility and creation to stay on step ahead of constant change,” said Chen Yujie, President of PR Newswire APAC Region.Sungrow is one of the fastest growing companies in the clean energy industry.

The company’s undeviating heavy investment in R&D and technology development is yielding high return according to customer satisfaction and recent external and internal performance metrics.The company is making enhanced efforts to significantly improve deployment of technology internationally with more than 20 subsidiaries across six continents. A wider range of product lineup was introduced at global solar exhibitions showcasing the accelerated pace of Sungrow’s ability to meet the ongoing demands.

Its global inverter shipments have reached an astonishing 68 GW, and it has joined over 650 energy storage projects as of June 2018. Sungrow plays a pivotal role in emerging solar markets such as Vietnam and Latin America with its standout product solution and services. Another remarkable landmark is its first non-China based manufacturing hub launched in India with an annual capacity of 3 GW, enhancing its delivery capability, targeting the Indian and US solar markets in bringing the company to an unmatched position in the global PV industry.

We’re thrilled to be named as the honoree regarding international communication by PR Newswire. Sungrow has been dedicated to clean power for 21 years, and the reason for our success lies in never-fading passion for innovation. We will continue advocating renewable adoption on the international stage in a responsible voice from entire communication channels, said Jack Gu, President of Sungrow PV & Energy Storage Division.

How Blockchain, AI Can Boost India's Renewable Energy the Indian Government has set itself the ambitious objective of generating 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022 and 275 GW by 2027.

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ndia may achieve approximately 76 percent of the target of 175 gigawatts of renewable energy generation capacity by 2022, as it faces myriad challenges per Wood Mackenzie. Renewable sources are expected to contribute to 40% of India’s energy needs by 2030.There is an imperative need of developing new strategies and models for meeting the swelling demand of electricity in India. Decentralized, clean energy can contribute 10 - 15 percent of India’s energy supply, making it easier for those in need to access energy.Indian government is developing a policy that would focus on Industrial Revolution 4.0 and would attach great importance to new technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, robotics, deep learning and internet of things. The Government has set up a committee to implement a national AI program including robotics and data analysis. Under the AI programme, the government is likely to provide incentives for start - ups and venture funds conducting application-oriented AI research in different key sectors.

The application of smart ledgers and smart contracts based on Blockchain will be important in the distributed energy production and consumption and in peer - to peer communication. As historical records cannot be changed and the system becomes more transparent, energy intermediaries would be eliminated and thus the transaction costs would be reduced which further reduced energy prices. Using smart meters, a record of electricity produced and consumed by each user in the grid can be kept on a blockchain with credits / currency allocated to the user for excess power supply and electricity consumption credits. In order to meet 40 percent of renewable and clean energy demand, many private companies in India have opened their doors in this area and are exploring advanced technologies to reduce renewable energy costs. Utilities in Gujarat, Karnataka, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh are already working on pilot projects with startups. Also, NITI Aayog has put up a roadmap on national Artificial Intelligence programme. As always, the future is uncertain, but one thing is certain – the way we store and exchange information is changing and the energy market is unlikely to look the same in the coming decades.

Source: Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd

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CSR of Sungrow: Building futures for India’s Young Generation As part of the journey to attract talent and empower the young generation, Sungrow, the global leading inverter supplier for renewables, conducted a series of “Solar Inverter Technical” CSR workshops in India, which are aimed to provide a platform for the students to share creative insights towards PV system solutions, and increased their employability in the renewable energy industry.

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ith the share of renewable energy in the overall generation mix rising across India, there are 300,000 job openings in the solar sector for achieving its target of commissioning 175GW of renewable energy by 2020. However, the lack of employees’ trained with techniques and skills is an existing gap and ongoing challenge within India’s workforce. This gap is increasingly recognized as a barrier to realize the country’s renewable energy target. Knowledge sharing and talent development are among the verticals of Sungrow’s CSR program. The main objective of this technical workshop is to enhance the employability of the college students by giving them a complete overview of all trends, developments and technology innovations of renewable energy, and impart our latest inverter technologies through a comprehensive curriculum comprising theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience in solar industry. For over two decades, Sungrow has committed to ensuring the highest standards of social responsibility by building PV power plants, libraries and providing scholarships to a collection of schools, which brings a positive change in society and drives sustained benefit for the Company’s business.

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We are pleased with the enthusiasm and interest from the students and see this as a way of help them to gain the knowledge and skills to contribute professionally to renewable-energy industry.” commented Yukun Hu, Country Manager of Sungrow India.

“Sungrow will continuously fulfill corporate social responsibility to achieve a clean energy sustainable future for India.

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First 5MWSKY Project—Contributed by TATA Power & GoodWe SuryashaktiKisan Yojana project (SKY project) which was launched by Gujarat governmentin early 2018 brought tremendous attentions as Gujarat is poised to become the first state in the country to roll out a scheme where farmers can utilize solar to generate electricity for farming and irrigation as well as selling the surplus to the electric grid to obtain additional income.

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ATA Power Solar is currentlyinstalling the first 5 MW pilot project site by site from the end of 2018. They particularly selected GoodWe solar invertersfor this demandingproject thanks to itsextraordinary adaptability for various grid situations and outstanding efficiency during extreme weathers such as non-degradation under 50°C extreme hot climate.

A wide range of products were chosen for this pilot project, capacity covers 5-60KW.

Such government projects must have higher requirements for quality and service, which secures investment payback and guarantees longevity of solar system, which would differentiate us from many other players on the market. EPC and developer giants tend to pay increasing attentionon the overall strengths of a supplier, instead of just looking at the price said James Hou, Sales Manager for Asia Pacific. “Like TATA Power, after a very rigorous product selection process, long-term testing and practical use, GoodWe was finally shortlisted as their major inverter partner and has supplied TATA Power Solar with more than 100MW inverters up until now. Cooperation again in this remarkable government program, with a 7-year warranty provided by GoodWe, enhances mutual trust in our partnership.”

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GoodWe alsooffers an unparalleled pan-India after-sales service with a local team of 10 people.

Oneof the engineers is based in Gujarat 24/7 to support the construction and commissioning of the SKY project. It is a revolutionary and symbolic step towards empowering farmers to generate their own electricity using solar energy and helps double their income.GoodWe is committed to providing high quality and efficientsolar solutions in terms of development and construction activities and make its own contribution to a renewable and sustainable future in India and as well as all around the world.

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CleanMax Solar to install rooftop unit for AP Secretariat CleanMax Solar is set to install a 842 kWp rooftop solar power unit at the Andhra Pradesh Secretariat in the upcoming Greenfiled capital city of Amaravati.

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he project is being installed in partnership with the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA). The solar project is the first Power Purchase Agreement signed as a part of the tender awarded by New & Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Ltd. (NREDCAP) to CleanMax Solar. The plant will be spread across seven buildings , including the Chief Minister’s Office Building and AP Assembly, among others.The project is based on the Resco (renewable service company) and Opex (Operational expense) model.The unit is expected to generate 12.4 lakh units per annum, with estimated saving on electricity bills to be Rs 42 lakh per annum for the next 25 years. The plant will abate 1026 tonnes of CO2 emission annually, equivalent to planting 24,360 trees.

Andrew Hines, Co-founder, CleanMax Solar in a statement said, Amaravati has been envisioned as a truly global city, and we are part of making it a sustainable city as well. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has laid special emphasis on driving sustainability by sourcing a large portion of its energy requirement from renewable energy.

Solar panels to light up 1000 more educational institutions The West Bengal government will bring 1000 educational institutions under solar electrification programme in near future, state minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay has said.

A total of 21 megawatt power is now being produced via solar panels for use of those educational institutions, he said. Chattopadhyay said his department was also setting up two pumped storage projects of 1000 mw 900 mw, harnessing hydel power, in different parts of Ayodhya Hills in Purulia district. When the Mamata Banerjee government came to power in 2011, there were only 85 lakh households using non-conventional electricity, which has now reached 1.85 crore, he said.

CleanMax Solar will equip the city with one of its first solar projects, to meet 25% of AP Secretariat’s power requirement through sustainable solar power, he said.

It recently installed a 2MWp solar plant for Hindustan Shipyard Ltd in Andhra Pradesh. Once the Secretariat project is operational, the company projects will be abating 6168 tonnes of CO2 annually, via 4.3 MW of rooftop solar projects across 5 locations in Andhra Pradesh.

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Orb Energy installs rooftop solar unit at Adwaith Textiles

Mumbai Metro commissions solar power generator atop Metro Depot

Coimbatore-based Adwaith Textiles has tied up with Bengaluru’s Orb Energy for the installation of a 1 MW rooftop solar system.

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he system, which was commissioned recently is expected to generate 15 lakh units of clean energy a year. Adwaith Textiles expects to save over ₹65 lakh a year on electricity bills.

Damian Miller, CEO, Orb, said the company offers collateral-free solar loans to SMEs as many of them cannot afford rooftop solar systems without finance. The term matches the payback period, after which the power from solar is effectively free.

A total of 2,000 rooftop solar panels have been installed on the Metro Depot along with associated supporting and cabling works.

Reliance Infrastructure Ltd promoted Mumbai Metro One has installed and commissioned a 612 KWp capacity roof-top solar power plant atop the Metro Depot in D.N. Nagar, Andheri west, an official said.

Since inception in 2006, we’ve sold more than 1.6 lakh solar systems with cumulative installations of more than 40 MW,Miller said.

The Metro Depot solar project has been set up on Renewable Energy Service Co model with a power purchase agreement for 25 years, besides operations and maintenance for the entire period, said the official.

Ravi Sam, Managing Director, Adwaith Textiles, said, Thanks to Orb, we expect to produce around 4,500 units of solar power a day.

Adwaith Textiles has invested with a payback of three years, Sam said.

Source: thehindubusinessline

This is in addition to 2.30MW solar power capacity installed at all the 12 metro stations since April 2017. The 612 KWp rooftop plant will fulfill 25 percent of the auxiliary energy requirements of the Metro Depot’s campus.

Source: thehindubusinessline

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Mumbai Metro Commissions 612 kW Rooftop Solar at its Andheri West Depot

On New Year, Delhi Vidhan Sabha gets solar power

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The total installed capacity of Mumbai Metro One is around 3 MW umbai Metro One, promoted

by Reliance Infrastructure, has commissioned a 612 kW rooftop solar power installation at its D.N. Nagar depot, located in Andheri West.According to IANS, the installation, consisting of 2,000 rooftop solar panels, is expected to generate 0.9 million units of energy annually. This will fulfill 25 percent of the auxiliary energy demand of the depot and save approximately ₹5 million (~$71,000) per annum.The installation, set up under the Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO) model, has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with vendors for a period of 25 years. The developer will also be responsible for its operations and maintenance (O&M) services for the entire period.

We are committed to our ‘go green, go clean initiative’. After successful installation and commissioning of solar panels on 12 metro stations, we are happy to install a new solar project at our metro depot. In the long run, we wish to gradually increase our use of green energy, an MMOPL spokesperson, told IANS.

The total installed capacity of Mumbai Metro One including all 12 stations and depot campus is around 3 MW to date.This month, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) also tendered 2 MW of rooftop solar projects to be developed atop Mumbai monorail stations and sites.Mumbai has seen an increasing number of rooftop solar installations in the past with Mercom consistently reporting on them. Just a few weeks prior, St Xavier’s High School in Mumbai installed a 35 kW grid-connected rooftop solar project in its premises. The project has been commissioned by MYSUN, a rooftop solar solutions and services company.Then in August 2018, Tata Power Solar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Power, commissioned a 820.8 kW solar rooftop system at the Cricket Club of India (CCI), located in Mumbai. This is the world’s largest rooftop installation atop a cricket stadium, as announced by the company.

A 100 KW solar photo voltaic panel installed atop the Delhi Legislative Assembly building was inaugurated by power minister Satyendar Jain.

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he solar panel, installed at a cost of Rs 7.35 lakh, will help save Rs 10 lakh per annum of the Assembly’s power bill. The solar plant has a lifespan of 25 years.Speaker of the House, Ram Niwas Goel, and MLAs were present on the occasion.Jain also inaugurated a rain water harvesting system in the Assembly complex. The project has cost Rs 36 lakh.

The Ram Niwas Goel said the second phase 100 KW solar panel will be installed in Delhi Vidhan Sabha premises soon.

Source: PTI

Source: IANS

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Sunshot kickstarts two rooftop solar power plants Sunshot Technologies, a rooftop solar company, has recently commissioned 90 kWp and 102 kWp capacity rooftop solar power plant at the Mold-Tek Group and ESPI Industries & Chemicals in Hyderabad respectively.

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CMRL commissions another 380 KWp Solar PV Power Plant at 3 Metro Stations CMRL (Chennai Metro Rail Ltd) commissioned another 380 KWp Solar PV Power Plant in the premises of two and four wheeler Parking Roof Sheds at 3 Metro Stations namely Anna Nagar East, Pachiappas College and Nehru Park and Ground area inside the Metro Rail depot, according to a release.

More Information: It is expected to generate around 45600 units per month and saves around Rs.11,92,896 per year, the release said.

These Solar Plant Projects were executed under Zero Capital Investment by CMRL and based on RESCO Model under Solar energy Corporation of India (SECI ) Scheme, on monthly Tariff basis payment, it said.

This method of Generated Solar Power will be utilized for technical demands, it said.

The release said, now the installed capacity of Roof Top Solar Power by CMRL is 3.76 MW in total.

Another 4.2 MW Roof Top Solar Power installation is under progress which is expected to be completed by the month of February 2019, it said.

CMRL being very much committed to achieve energy security, to reduce carbon emission and Green energy concept by generating renewable energy by installing Roof Top Solar PV Power System, it said.

Source: railanalysis.in

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e state-of-the-art power plant at Mold-Tek will generate around 1.38 Lakh units annually and the one at ESPI is set to generate 1.55 Lakh units every year. These two power plants collectively will help the city of Hyderabad save 240 tonnesof CO2 emissions annually.

At the launch, Rahul Dasari, CEO & Co-founder of Sunshot Technologies said Rooftop solar power generation at commercial & industrial infrastructure is a commercially viable opportunity. Such initiatives are a great way of embracing sustainability among the corporates and should be adopted by all industrial and commercial entities.”Both the power plants comprise of high efficiency modules and inverters and have been designed to withstand high intensity winds and harsh climatic days.

The modules installed at ESPI are manufactured with PERC (Passive Emitter Rear Cell) technology which lends a higher module efficiency (19 per cent) and increases the gross generation by 14 per cent over standard modules used in the market. This technology helps in generating electricity in low light conditions.A total 292 of these modules are installed for the project along with two inverters of 36 kW capacity with 4 MPPT. These IP65 class inverters can perform 8 strings intelligent monitoring and fast troubleshooting of the solar modules.Both the power plants at ESPI and Mold-Tek are installed under ‘Net Metering’ scheme of TSSPDCL. Net Metering allows customer to put excess generated solar power into the power grid and get ‘Set-off’ benefit in the electricity bill for grid power consumed when solar power is not available. Sunshot has installed its state-of-the-art Cloud-based IoT Platform which helps to do data driven operation &maintenance.

Source: IANS

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MYSUN helps St Xavier’s High School Go Solar on its Iconic Building in Mumbai

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Develops Custom Rooftop Solar Solutions for Schools and Colleges across India YSUN, India’s largest online rooftop solar platform providing end-to-end solar solutions has successfully commissioned a grid-connected rooftop solar plant at St Xavier’s School in Mumbai.

It was inaugurated by Mr Adi Godrej, Chairman of the Godrej Group and Mr Nadir Godrej, Managing Director of Godrej Industries, both being illustrious alumni of the school.

The rooftop solar system is a part of the larger go green initiative taken by the institute as it celebrates its 150th year anniversary.

Made up of high-efficiency 350Wp solar panels using the latest half-cut cell technology, the solar system sits beautifully on the roof of the school’s iconic building, helping the school save close to INR 7 lakhs every year on their electricity bill. The solar solution is akin to planting 850 trees. Moreover, on the weekends and school holidays, the solar energy generated would be exported back to the grid through net-metering so as to maximise the benefits of solar for the school. The initiative has been hailed by academicians, students and other stakeholders as a welcome move, considering solar energy is the most feasible way to ensure a clean and green environment.

Commenting on the initiative, Mr. Gagan Vermani, Founder and CEO, MYSUN, said, I would like to extend my sincerest congratulations to St. Xavier’s High School on going the solar way. This will help the school to address the problems of sustainability while simultaneously saving substantially on power consumption. The prestigious academic institution has set a great example for its students by installing "the solar-powered system.

FR (DR) Francis Swamy S.J., Manager/CEO, St. Xavier’s High School, commented, We believe in change and to commemorate St. Xavier’s High School’s 150th anniversary, the school management decided to undertake this initiative to bring a significant change to the institution. Adopting solar energy will certainly help the school achieve greater economic sustainability by reducing our consumption of and dependence on state supplied electricity.

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Ms. Sharmila Sunny, Principal, St. Xavier’s High School, beaming with pride added, This is a remarkable achievement for all of us at St. Xavier’s High School, and I hope more schools follow the new age trend and go solar. Not just saving, the solar system will be an inspiration to our students and teachers who read and study about solar systems as a part of their curriculum. They will be able to see the system up close and we are sure will be the best ambassadors of the go green movement.

As India’s largest online rooftop solar platform, MYSUN has been leading the charge in helping industrial, commercial, institutional, and residential customers go solar.

Source: value360india

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Inverter

Growatt Receives Certification for the BDEW’s Medium Voltage Directive Growatt has become one of the few Asian inverter brands to receive the certification in accordance with Medium Voltage Directive of the German Federal Association for Energy and Water (Bundesverband der Energie- und Wasserwirtschaft in German, BDEW).

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ew Asian inverter brands have got the expertise and capability to comply with the BDEW directive, which requires high standard of functionalities of all generating units. This awarded certification marks a solid step by Growatt for business development of the medium and large scale application in Europe.

Additionally, the reactive power should increase at a specific slope curve. The voltage deviation should be ±1% for its over/ under voltage test and frequency deviation ±0.01Hz for its over/ under frequency test. And the trip time deviation should be ±100ms. The total testing conditions reach over 16 types and the testing period takes more than three times of VDE0126.

With the continuous efforts of engineers and the excellent performance of MAX, once and for all Growatt MAX products were successfully tested and certified according to the BDEW’s technical guidelines. Growatt MAX comes with a powerful quad-core architecture, which greatly enhances its capability to process the information or instructions more quickly and handle all kinds of tasks more efficiently including monitoring, protection, smart diagnosis etc.

As photovoltaic plants develop, more and more electricity producers connect their system to the grid and the ability of production unit to adapt to the grid fluctuations becomes increasingly imperative. Formulated

by BDEW, the Directive requires lots of functionalities of the inverter including limitation of the fed-in active power in case of overload, active power reduction in case of overfrequency, dynamic grid support in case of LVRT(Low-Voltage Ride-Through), reactive power capability etc. Based on the measurements of power generating unit characteristics, a group of Growatt engineers set out on their own and has successfully built a simulation model to certify the power generating unit, in this case Growatt MAX, complies with the BDEW directive’s requirements. BDEW has strict requirements of the PQ capability of inverter and it is mandatory for the inverter to operate at full output with 0.95-1.1U, which has great impact on heat dissipation performance of the inverter and thus requires a higher standard of it. That is one of the reasons why few Asian brand inverters could succeed in passing the test. BDEW requires PF deviation to stay within ±0.005 when the inverter is doing the reactive power control, which is a much higher standard than CEI’s ±0.01 requirement.

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PV systems installed with Growatt MAX will be able to contribute to voltage stability and ride-through capability of the grid. “Growatt is one of the very few Asian inverter brands that has the technological capability to attain the certification and meet the guidelines of the BDEW’s Medium Voltage Directive. We are very proud of our engineers and their expertise in driving Growatt to lead in the medium voltage sector,” says Frank Qiao, Growatt Co-founder and Sales Director.

“The Directive sets forth a very comprehensive range of requirements for medium-voltage PV networks. And meeting these extremely complex technical guidelines means that Growatt is reliable with regards to grid stability management. For countries where the grid standard level is not that high, using Growatt inverters will provide clients with advantages for their on-grid PV systems in case the grid standard is changed or raised to a higher level,” Qiao continues to elaborate. It’s very reasonable that as solar develops across other countries and the stricter grid management requirements become imminent, higher grid standard will apply and clients who chose Growatt will enjoy better security of their investments.

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Case Study

The Donjon’s frameless glass panels with clear Tedlar®-based backsheets allow light to pass through.

‘The Donjon’ Amsterdam Clear backsheet material withstands nearly two decades of continuous service DuPont™ Tedlar® PVF backsheet film lends transparency—and performance—to Amsterdam solar installation

Summary The backsheet plays a vital role in the performance and longevity of photovoltaic modules, serving as an electrical insulator and protecting inner components from ambient stresses. Backsheets made of DuPont™ Tedlar® PVF have been in service for more than 35 years in some of the world’s harshest climates, with a minimum of defects.

Tedlar® backsheet films are typically white (opaque), but DuPont has also produced a clear (transparent) version of its Tedlar® film for two decades. With clear backsheet materials receiving considerable attention in recent years as interest grows in bifacial solar modules, it raises the question: How does clear Tedlar® film perform over time?

A recent inspection of a nearly 20-year solar installation in Amsterdam provided some answers.

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Challenge Solar installations typically are built with functional, not aesthetic, considerations in mind. However, when he was drafting plans for his “Donjon” project in Amsterdam, sustainability-minded architect Tjerk Rejeinka decided he wanted to show how solar power generation could be integrated into the building itself as an architectural feature. A former principal at BEAR Architecten in Gouda and founder of BEAR-iD Sustainable Urban Planners + Architects in Rotterdam, Rejeinka has decades of expertise in eco-design— from green walls to the integration of photovoltaic systems into buildings.

“I wanted to show that you have a lot of freedom in the application of PV systems,” said Rejeinka of his Donjon project.

“The easy way, of course, is to put tilted modules on the flat roof. Instead, by adding the glass cover on the edge of the building, I made it part of the overall architectural design.”

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Solution

Rejeinka specified transparent panels for his Donjon installation for their ability to let light pass through. The custom-made panels were sourced from CreaGlas, a German firm. The panels were frameless and featured a glass topside and a clear Tedlar®based backsheet. Rejeinka designed the 6.2 kW installation to cover the perimeter of the building’s roof line, leaving the flat roof entirely available for potential future power-production capacity.

In operation since 2000, the installation caters to the electricity needs of the building, with surplus electricity produced fed back into the grid. “The low tilt of 9° on each orientation showed that you can still get a good output in the Netherlands because of the amount of diffuse light,” Rejeinka said.

Detailed inspection in November 2018 revealed that, after nearly 20 years in service, the Donjon installation was still producing power reliably and according to expectations. In their report, inspectors noted the installation’s “very good health considering the time of exposure and the fact that it features transparent panels.” While the modules did show very slight signs of aging, including a degree of delamination of the cells’ anti-reflective coating, EVA yellowing and yellowing of the insert, they showed no signs of other expected age-related defects, including backsheet delamination, corrosion and cell cracking.

The solar installation features building-applied PV panels.

Location: Amsterdam

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First year of operation

2000

Date of inspection

November 2018

Number of modules

51 full size panels

Output

6.228kWp

Inverter type

Fronius Sunrise Midi

Mounting style

BAPV

Racking

Metallic Structure

Module technology

Polycrystalline

Backsheet material

Clear DuPont tm Tedlar

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

In Exclusive Talk With Mr.TED SURETTE

EQ: What is the most important thing that policymakers should keep in mind when it comes to managing energy transition?

Head of KPMG's Global Power & Utility Sector EQ: What is the biggest opportunity for India in the energy sector?

TS : Power utilities are going through an enormous digital transformation with the adoption of smart meters, battery storage, and renewables, etc. There is an opportunity to bring integrated energy policy and climate change policy together.

We need to bring greater clarity to our policies and responses so that we have a durable, scalable and flexible energy policy that can help us reduce our carbon emissions in the long run. India has a huge opportunity to leverage rooftop solar in terms of having potential subsidies and tariffs. It has to be affordable and costeffective. In Australia, we have got a very high penetration of rooftop solar.

EQ: How should a modern energy ecosystem like that of India function with complexities of managing multiple energy sources?

TS: The whole ecosystem of players has to work in a more cohesive manner and understand things across the whole energy demand and supply. There are decisions made in silos. We need a common platform where the entire outlook of the energy landscape can be discussed.

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TS: Demand management is not well understood in some countries and it is going to play a very important role in the energy sector. The issues are with the rapid flow of renewables coming up with firming capacities. A few years back counties were only aiming to push renewables into the grid. The network supervisors today are closely monitoring how the rise in renewable energy is directly impacting the grid. There is a lot more focus to connect to the network and all the ecosystem of the assets.

EQ: What do you think will be the role of next-generation discoms in this transition?

TS: They will have to manage more assets and they will have to provide more flexibility. They have to be much more consumer focussed and leverage technology in a much bigger way that will help them to deal with a range of assets on the network. Technologies like blockchain, IoT, AI, robotics, analytics will be used for offering better value prepositions to the consumers.

EQ: How do you see the role of technology evolving in the energy sector? Are people worried about technological disruption?

TS: I do not see people around the world being worried about getting disrupted by the evolving role of technology as they see the potential of digitization across various sectors. We are in a world where there could be more climatic events and technology is going to be used for preventive maintenance of several renewable energy assets. Technologies like Blockchain can be used to monitor all the assets on the grid, it helps in allocating the provenance origination of renewable energy. There are businesses and consumers who want to make sure that if they are drawing green energy then that source should be a true source.

EQ: Achieving climate goals and having more renewables into the grid is a challenge when it comes to utilizing legacy power infrastructure.

How are other economies dealing with such stranded assets?

TS: All the economies are today talking about transition challenges.

Developed nations including Germany have gone through the same issues of stressed assets when they moved to renewable energy. Brazil has a large dominance of hydropower and they have faced issues of drought earlier. They are diversifying into the wind and now they are gradually getting into solar. Canada has got a large number of renewables. It has phased out its coal-fired power plants.

It has also got nuclear power. Like India, Australia is heavily dominated by coal-fired generation and is now strongly pushing towards renewables.

The situation with respect to stranded assets varies from country to country.

There is a multitude of factors that led to that situation. All countries are working on how we are going to manage through the energy transition and deal with the affordability, energy security and sustainability challenges.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Demand management is not well understood in some countries and it is going to play a very important role in the energy sector. The issues are with the rapid flow of renewables coming up with firming capacitiesâ&#x20AC;?

Developed nations like Germany, Australia that used to dominate in the coal-fired energy generation are now quickly diversifying into renewables. Ted Surette, Global Head of Power & Utilities and National Industry Leader, Energy & Natural Resources, KPMG talks to Ankush Kumar of ETEnergyWorld on the importance of demand management in the energy sector and opportunity for India in the rooftop solar segment.

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Party is over for dirt-cheap solar panels, says China executive The global solar power industry is about to lose a major competitive windfall as prices of Chinese-made solar panels begin to recover after a collapse last year, the leader of one of the world’s top manufacturers said “The party if definitely over,” said Eric Luo, president of China’s GCL System Integration Technology Co, a top-10 maker of solar panels, feeding the fastest-growing renewable power sector. Solar panel prices tumbled around 30 percent last year after China, the world’s largest producer, cut subsidies to shrink its bloated solar industry, pushing smaller manufacturers to the brink of collapse. To raise cash and stay afloat, manufacturers cleared inventory and diverted sales offshore, sending prices into a downward spiral – offering up a windfall for solar power generators and investors in solar farms. Luo, speaking to Reuters at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos this week, said GCL’s vertically integrated business model cushioned it from the downturn in prices as its solar farms benefited from cheaper panels. The pain will mostly be felt by smaller Chinese producers, which lack international supply chains, triggering industry consolidation or forcing them to close, he added. Luo said solar panel prices were already stabilizing and he expected them to rebound by 10 to 15 percent as the Chinese industry consolidates over the next year or two.

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iven panels represent close to half of a solar farm’s installation costs, that threatens to eat into the returns of investors. China is home to almost a third of the world’s cumulative installed solar capacity and its manufacturers dominate the industry, despite being slapped with anti-dumping tariffs and getting caught up more recently in the U.S.-China trade war. In September, the European Union ended restrictions on the sale of Chinese solar panels but Washington continues to impose an anti-dumping duty. They are also subject to President Donald Trump’s more recent hike to general tariffs on Chinese imports. GCL still counts the United States as a major market but is expanding rapidly in other markets, following in the wake of Beijing’s huge Belt and Road international development program, Luo said, adding that overseas business would account for 75 percent of GCL’s solar panel shipments this year.

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At home, Luo said China was rapidly nearing the point where the solar industry could operate without any form of subsidy. He said northwest China, where sun was more plentiful and land less expensive, had already reached that milestone. Most of the rest of the country would follow this year, before the age of subsidies ends completely in 2020, he said.

“If you need subsidies (at that point), you just stop.”

Source: reuters

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Kinetic Green, Tonino Lamborghini form JV for electric & solar City-based Kinetic group company, Kinetic Green, announced forming a joint venture with Italian luxury accessories maker Tonino Lamborghini SpA to design and manufacture premium segment electric and solar golf carts for the global market.

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he JV is eyeing Rs 500 crore revenue over the next four to five years, besides garnering a 2.5 per cent of the total global market pie, an official release said. Kinetic group will hold 75 per cent stake in the JV through its electric vehicle specialist company, Kinetic Green Energy and Power Solutions (KGEPSL), while the Lamborghini family will own the remaining 25 per cent through Tonino Lamborghini SpA, according to the release.

Kinetic Green is keenly looking to tap the global market with high end golf carts and off-road electric vehicles along with our JV partner, the Lamborghini family, said Sulajja Firodia Motwani, founder and chief executive officer, KGEPSL.

“As a first step, we have set a reasonable goal to build a top line of Rs 500 crore in the JV in the next four to five years, that will represent just 2.5 per cent of the global market,” she added.

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The JV will leverage Kinetic Green’s existing R&D as well as manufacturing facilities in Ahmednagar, which produces various electric vehicles, including electric three wheelers, according to the release. The golf cart sector has a global market size of USD 2 billion and is increasing at a compound annual growth rate of 8-10 per cent. Currently, North America and Europe account for over 45 per cent market share. The Asian market is also one of the fastest growing and it will represent a growing part of the global market, the release said. Both the companies will leverage their existing network and marketing channels to promote and market the joint venture products in India and globally, the release said.

We are very proud to announce the JV with Kinetic Green. In the following weeks, all the aspects will be defined in order to jointly put all our values into the project to soon participate to this change,” said Ferruccio Lamborghini, chief executive and vice-president of Tonino Lamborghini SpA. Ferruccio will also represent the interests of Tonino Lamborghini SpA on the JV board, the release said.

Source: PTI

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Kia pushes for electric mobility in Andhra Pradesh Kia Motors India has signed an MoU with the Andhra Pradesh state government, with an aim to support Andhra Pradesh’s vision of offering clean and sustainable mobility.

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s part of this MoU, the company has set up an EV charging station equipped with two regular chargers on the premises of the Secretariat at Vijayawada. The brand has also donated three electrified vehicles – the Kia Niro in its petrol-hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full electric form – to the state to run as a pilot programme. The Kia Niro EV has an over450km driving range and can be charged to 80 percent of its capacity by a DC fast charger in one hour. On the other hand, the Niro hybrid comes equipped with a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol motor mated to a dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Andhra Pradesh will see the partnership reinforce its vision of setting up 14 smart cities in the state; as well as give a fillip to EV sales in the state. “It’s a remarkable day for us as we embark on the road to future mobility in India. We are providing the government with three of our world-class electrified cars, and Andhra Pradesh is taking progressive steps by giving incentives to both automakers and customers; and also installing charging stations in the state, building a green ecosystem,” said Kookyum Shim, managing director and CEO, Kia Motors India. “We will provide a range of futuristic technologies under our ACE (Autonomous, Connected and Electric) strategy and we will work with the Andhra Pradesh government to improve the quality of life of its citizens.”

At the MoU-signing ceremony, N Chandrababu Naidu, chief minister, Andhra Pradesh, said, We are very happy receiving the support of Kia Motors and I am confident that the upcoming plant would be a worldclass facility as well. “We are looking at radically transforming the mobility scenario in the state of Andhra Pradesh. We want to totally convert all vehicles in the state to full electrics and we are starting by purchasing over 7,500 e-three-wheelers for garbage collection by end of January 2019.”

“We are also installing charging stations ourselves, and also providing necessary approvals, incentives and instant clearances for people who want to install charging stations,” Naidu announced. We want 50 percent green cover and total green energy by tapping renewable energy such as solar energy in a big way. India has surplus sunlight and prices of solar power are set to become very cheap at Rs 2 per unit,” he added.

Kia Motors is looking at sustainable mobility in a big way. The brand aims to have 16 electrified global models by 2025 including hybrids, plug-in hybrids, batterypowered electrics and a fuel-cell vehicle as well. The company says that it will remain agnostic to technology and will wait and watch the government policies pan out in India before deciding upon its electrified model strategy in the country.

Source: autocarindia

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES

DNV GL forecasts rapid growth of electric vehicles: 50% of all new cars sold globally by 2033 to be electric By 2033 half of all new cars sold globally will be electric. This growth will follow an S-shaped curve of innovation, with Electric Vehicle (EV) sales increasing from less than 10% to more than 90% within a 10-year period, resembling the fast transition seen with technologies such as digital cameras. These are the findings of DNV GL’s annual Energy Transition Outlook, which provides a forecast of the global energy landscape up to 2050.

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tatistics from the World Economic Forum reveal that several countries, including Germany, Norway, Netherlands, UK, France and India have already set out targets to phase-out or ban petrol and diesel cars in the years to come. The forecasts in DNV GL’s Energy Transition Outlook reveal that these targets are achievable. However, there are challenges facing the uptake of EVs, including cost, range anxiety and concerns about infrastructure. With a mission to shift the industry from being policy-driven to market-driven and support its our customers to overcome these challenges, DNV GL has outlined its ambitions for the growing sector.

Based on 10 years of experience working with stakeholders across the EV value-chain, including automotive OEMs, charge point operators, network operators, utilities and governments, DNV GL has identified four clear areas of expertise; safety, communication and control, flexibility and emerging technologies.With a focus on these four areas, DNV GL will support its customers to adopt new technologies, implement policy and make decisions that adapt current technological, economical, and regulatory business models to take advantage of this rapidly growing market. As part of its strategic focus on the EV market, DNV GL has appointed Jeremy Parkes as global business lead for EVs. Jeremy has 20 years’ experience in the automotive and renewable energy industries, at Rolls Royce, Garrad Hassan and Belltown Power.

He has a proven ability to deliver strategic insight and achieve substantial growth in new business areas and will be responsible for defining and developing DNV GL’s services in the EV sector, to cement the company’s role as a leader in this fastdeveloping field.

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Speaking about his appointment, Jeremy Parkes commented: “The EV revolution is the start of a huge transition in the automotive industry, which has been dominated by the internal combustion engine for more than a century. I am excited to have joined DNV GL to help accelerate this transition through projects that drive down the overall cost of ownership, improve vehicle range and efficiently integrate charging infrastructure. The combination of electric vehicles, substantial growth in renewable energy generation and the expansion of smart grid solutions will be key enablers of the clean and flexible energy systems of the future.”

Ditlev Engel, CEO, DNV GL – Energy commented: “The growth of EVs signals real progress in reducing our carbon emissions globally. To overcome the challenges facing the industry, the development of EVs and associated infrastructure will need to go from being only policydriven to also being market-driven. I’m excited to announce our ambitions for the industry and pleased to welcome Jeremy to the team.

Through this new commitment and the breadth and depth of our knowledge, we will help existing and future customers navigate the EV revolution and make the most of its opportunities.”

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Magenta Power in association with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) sets up EV Charging Station at HPCL Staff Colony, (Chembur) Mumbai Magenta Power, a pioneer in Renewable energy solutions and EV charging infrastructure space in India, adds another feather in its cap by installing EV Charging station “ChargeGrid” at the HPCL staff colony (HP Nagar East Housing Complex) in Chembur, Mumbai.

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P Nagar East Housing Complex in Chembur, Mumbai is a Platinum rated residential complex and is the first PSU Colony across the nation to be certified as a green colony by Indian Green Building Council (IGBC). The colony has undertaken various sustainability development initiatives like Rooftop Solar Power Plant, Solar Water Heaters, Rain Water Harvesting, Organic Waste Converter, Energy Efficient Lighting etc. As a further commitment towards the Go Green and zero emission initiative, the colony has installed EV charging station within its premises in collaboration with Magenta Power. The charging station shall be connected and operated via Magenta’s ‘ChargeGrid App’ which shall allow cashless transactions and remote monitoring for the EV users. ChargeGrid App provides an integrated platform for viewing network of charging stations.

The charger installed by Magenta Power shall have the ability to charge up to 3 electric vehicles at a time. It comes with an easy to use built-in touchscreen feature so the users can conveniently charge without much hassle. The idea is to make charging experience as seamless as possible.

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Speaking on the new installation, Mr. Maxson Lewis, Director – Magenta Power says, “At Magenta, we are fully committed to power our future in an environmentally sustainable way. We are elated to be associated with an integrated Oil & Gas company like HPCL for promoting the e-mobility initiative.

This association will help us to scale our EV infrastructure on pan India basis as well as provide our customers with value added services in the e-mobility space. We envision this as a stepping stone to encourage users to opt for EV Vehicles in a hassle free manner and do their bit for Mother earth”.

Charge Grid shall be open to all the HPCL colony residents, who can charge their electric cars anytime safely & conveniently using the ChargeGrid chargers. The chargers shall also be used in the colony for charging the Mahindra e-supro passenger vehicles which the colony has recently acquired for using as shuttle service for their residents. Going forward, Magenta is partnering with HPCL to establish suitable charging infrastructure for EVs at various other locations in India.

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Inauguration of REIL Built Electronic Vehicle Charging Infrastructure at MNIT Jaipur Under the ‘FAME ‘Scheme of Department of Heavy Industry, Government of India to promote e-mobility and facilitate charging of Electric Vehicle, Prof. Udaykumar R Yaragatti, Director, Malviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT), Jaipur, and Shri A.K. Jain Managing Director, Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments Limited (REIL) Jaipur inaugurated the Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure (AC Smart Charger) at MNIT, Jaipur installed by REIL.

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he inauguration of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure (AC Smart Charger) was done in the presence MNIT Alumni came across the Globe during ‘MNIT-Global Aluminize Meet 2018’. On this occasion Shri A. K. Jain, Managing Director, REIL, shared the efforts made by the REIL to encourage e-mobility and apprised the details of the charging stations being set up by REIL in Delhi, Jaipur and Chandigarh under the FAME Scheme.

Five charging stations have been installed by REIL at MNIT premises at different locations. The Company has so far set up 173 charging stations and the remaining work is in progress which shall be completed soon. All installed 200 chargers will be connected to the app-based Central Monitoring System, which will provide online information of the availability and performance / operational parameters of each charger. Shri Jain said that, in this technology, joint efforts should be made together by the Technical Institute. In this direction, a team of R&D professional of MNIT & REIL should make efforts to improve this technology so that, the capacity of Battery-Charger which is restricted 120 kilometres is increased up to 300 kilometres approximately, which would be a real effort under the Make-in-India Mission.

While appreciating the efforts of the REIL, Prof.

Udaykumar R Yaragatti said that the charging infrastructure established by REIL will facilitate in the promotion and dissemination of e-mobility in the country, and joint efforts of MNIT & REIL shall definitely meet out the remotest objectives.

Shri Jain reiterated the commitment of ‘Shaping India Through Electronics, Renewable Energy and IT Solutions’ and said that the innovation is given importance by the Company. REIL is working in the direction of growth and development of the Indian economy and society, and is bring technology to the rural mass by aligning with the various missions of the Government of India such as National Dairy Plan, Solar Mission, Make in India, Digital India, Clean India Mission and Doubling Farmers Income. REIL is also covering the urban area through technology.

Source: psuconnect.in

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Shri Arun Jaitley inaugurates electric vehicle charging station in North Block and hands over electric vehicle to Finance Ministry officials The Department of Expenditure has issued an office memorandum for all Government offices in Delhi/NCR to switch to electric vehicles

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arking the adoption of e-mobility, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India has signed an agreement with Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), an entity under Ministry of Power for deployment of 15 Electric Vehicles for their officers. Also, 28 charging points (24 Slow charging points, 4 Fast Charging Points) have been installed at North Block for charging these vehicles. With these 15 EVs, Department of Economic Affairs is expected to save over 36,000 litres of fuel every year and will also lead to a reduction of over 440 tonnes of CO2 annually.

Speaking on the occasion, the Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley, said, “Electric mobility, is an attractive, sustainable and profitable solution to mitigate the climate change and to reduce the risk posed by vehicular emission to public health. EVs have the potential to support India’s growth by enhancing manufacturing, job creation, and technical capabilities. We are glad to be a part of India’s mission of rapid adoption of e-mobility.”

Union Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Shri R K Singh said, “The Indian Government is committed to usher in an era of clean, green and future-oriented technologies in the country. We have achieved yet another milestone in that direction. The Government is promoting e-mobility by taking a lead in changing the fleet of cars used for official purposes with electric cars and at the same time creating the right policy framework enabling this ecosystem and to support its adoption.”

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With this development, the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance begins its transition towards a reduced carbon footprint and a more environmentally sustainable future. It also marks its participation in India’s e-mobility goal. Several stakeholders across the nation are already implementing many initiatives to support electric mobility with more expected to join the effort. The Department of Expenditure has also issued an office memorandum for all the government offices in Delhi/NCR to switch to electric vehicles. Adoption of electric vehicles will reduce dependence on oil imports and promote power capacity addition in India thereby enhancing energy security of the country. It will further reduce GHG emissions from the transport sector and also reduce the impact of pollution level in the cities.

EESL has received an encouraging response from Central Government departments and across states.

So far, Agreements and MoUs have been signed with Central and State Government departments in Delhi, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar Administration and Telangana. EESL is in advanced negotiations with other state governments across India. The recent guidelines on charging infrastructure provide a thrust to private & public charging stations ensuring access & availability for consumers. Further, the inclusion of CCS & CHAdeMO under charging infra standards is set to encourage automakers to offer higher range EVs. This will remove barriers like range and build confidence for EV consumers. Towards enabling the Indian government’s e-mobility vision, EESL first plans to replace the government’s 5,00,000 conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) cars with electric variants. EESL has also established charging infrastructure across all states where EVs are being deployed.

The signing ceremony took place in the august presence of Shri Arun Jaitley, Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs; Shri R.K. Singh, Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy; Shri Ajay Bhushan Pandey, Secretary, Department of Revenue; Shri Ajay Narayan Jha, Finance Secretary & Secretary (Expenditure); Shri Subhash Chandra Garg, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs; and Shri Ajay Bhalla, Secretary, Ministry of Power.

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Exclusive | India to receive $300 million in aid from World Bank for EV push The government has taken cognisance of the plaint that the lack of indigenous manufacturing of components has led to higher cost of ownership, pushing electric vehicles “beyond the purchase preference of potential buyers”

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he World Bank has committed to provide India funds worth $300 million to aid its energy efficiency programme, sources told Moneycontrol. The move will help the government set up the requisite infrastructure to push forward its ambition of expanding electric mobility in the country. In a meeting held in December 2018, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) informed the Committee of Secretaries that the World Bank would route the aid to India through Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL), a government-owned public sector unit, people aware of the development said. EESL did not respond to Moneycontrol’s request for comment at the time of publishing. The story will be updated as and when a response is received. The proposal was announced at a meeting attended

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES

-by officials including cabinet secretary PK Sinha, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change CK Mishra, and the Secretary the of Department of Heavy Industries AR Singh, among others. The aid received from the World Bank will supplement the funds that the Centre proposes to raise by levying a one-time fee from conventional fuel based vehicle buyers in a bid to provide financial assistance to the e-mobility programme.

“The MNRE proposed during the meeting to charge a nominal (one-time) fee of around Rs 500 from twowheeler buyers, Rs 1,000 from three-wheeler buyers and Rs 12,000 from four-wheeler buyers, to generate an extra-budgetary fund of Rs 7,500 crore per annum,” a source said.

While, over 40 million passenger cars were manufactured in 2017-18, over 2.41 crore two and three wheelers were manufactured during the same period. Apart from this, the meeting of Committee of Secretaries also decided to slash the existing tax rate on the raw material required for the manufacture of electric vehicles.

“The Department of Revenue (Finance Ministry) has been asked to consider lowering the tax rate and duties on raw material required for manufacturing of electric vehicles,” said another source aware of the matter.

Moneycontrol had earlier reported that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had proposed to lower the cess on hybrid cars in a bid to promote the sale of fuelefficient cars. According to the minutes of a previous interministerial meeting, the transport ministry had proposed to reduce cess on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) to 25 percent, taking the effective tax rate (inclusive of GST) to 35 percent. The move would help to build a “positive environment” for electric vehicles, the minutes read.

At present, hybrid cars are taxed at 43 percent (including cess) as compared to electric cars that are taxed at 12 percent. Incumbent internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles also come under the 43 percent tax bracket. High taxation rates were seen as a big deterrent in the field of hybrid cars, which were being taxed at 30.3 percent before GST was implemented. According to sources, the government has noted that due to the lack of proper infrastructure and higher cost incidence, electric vehicles are “beyond the purchase preference of potential buyers”.

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Latest calculations by the government have also projected a mere 5 percent penetration of electric vehicles in India over the next five year. This will create significant gap between the government’s doubledigit target and the actual number of electric vehicles on Indian roads. India plans to convert approximately 30 to 40 percent of its vehicular count into electric by 2030.

“In its last meeting, the Committee also decided to focus on indigenous manufacturing of electric vehicles. It will lay the impetus on sourcing developing an indigenous supply chain that includes giga-factories and also facilities where lithium-ion batteries can be recycled,” sources said.

The term ‘gigafactory’ was first coined by EV pioneer Elon Musk, who owns Tesla, the world’s biggest carmaker which has a portfolio of only EVs. ‘Gigafactory,’ a term popularised by Musk, refers to a huge battery manufacturing centre where the Li-ion batteries that go under the hoods of EVs are crafted.

The PMO first mooted the idea of manufacturing EVs domestically, so that they would be outside the ambit of import duties, thereby, significantly lowering their price tags. The Centre noted that the need of the hour was to reduce the cost of EVs, rather than “simply provide subsidies to manufacturers”. While all of this is being planned for the passenger segment, the Committee decided to promote electric buses through operating expenditure (OPEX) model. “The leasing of electric buses should be done on OPEX model only in public-private partnership. There was also a proposal of implying accelerated depreciation on EVs,” sources said. The OPEX model uses operating expenditures as a parameter to decide on the payment mechanism. Sources said that government has decided to give subsidies to electric buses under the OPEX model. It is expected to spread the cash payout over a period of time, thereby avoiding a situation where large sums of money would be offloaded to e-bus owners upfront. India has seen a major shift towards electric vehicles over the last few years. Policy makers have shown strong intent in formulating various policies to push electric mobility in the country.

Source: moneycontrol

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BNEF: Corporate clean energy buying surged to new record in 2018 Corporations bought a record amount of clean energy through power purchase agreements, or PPAs, in 2018, shattering the previous record set in 2017.Highlights included a wave of smaller corporate energy buyers aggregating their purchases, and the firstcorporate clean energy power purchase agreementsin markets such as Poland.

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loombergNEF (BNEF) finds in its1H 2019Corporate Energy Market Outlook, published, that some13.4GW of clean energy contracts were signed by121 corporations in 21 different countries in 2018. This was up from 6.1GW in 2017, and positions companies alongside utilities as the biggest buyers of clean energy globally.

More than 60% of theglobal activity in 2018 occurred in the U.S., where companies signed PPAs to purchase 8.5GW of clean energy, nearly triple the amount signed in 2017. Facebook spearheaded a contingent of experienced U.S. corporate energy buyers, purchasing over 2.6GW of renewables globally in 2018, primarily with utilities in regulated U.S. markets through programs known as green tariffs. This was three times that of the next biggest corporate energy buyer, AT&T.

Jonas Rooze, head of corporate sustainability for BNEF, said: “Corporations have signed contracts to purchase over 32GW of clean power since 2008, an amount comparable to the generation capacity of the Netherlands, with 86% of this activity coming since 2015 and more than 40% in 2018 alone.”

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RESEARCH & ANALYSIS ExxonMobil became the first oil major to sign a clean energy PPA for its own operations, purchasing 575MW of solar and wind in Texas. Mexico and Brazil also saw growth in corporate procurement, rounding out the 9.1GW of clean energy purchased by companies in the Americas region in 2018. In the U.S. a major feature was the emergence of smaller, first-time corporate clean energy buyers. In 2018,some 34 new companies signed their first clean energy PPAs, making up 31% of total activity in the U.S. These firmsare aggregating their electricity demand to reap the economies of scale from larger solar and wind projects. In many cases, they benefit from partnering with a bigger, more experienced buyer – known as an anchor tenant – who can offer a stronger balance sheet and expertise on accounting and legal nuances when signing a PPA.

Kyle Harrison, a corporate sustainability analyst for BNEF and lead author of the report, said: “The aggregation model has heralded in a new generation of corporate clean energy buyers. These companies no longer need to tackle the complexities of clean energy procurement alone. They can share risks associated with credit and energy market volatility with their peers.”

In the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, corporations also purchased record volumes of clean energy, inking deals for 2.3GW and doubling the 1.1GW signed in 2017. The Nordics were once again the hot spot for activity, with companies attracted to strong wind resources and credit support from government bodies. Aluminiumproducers Norsk Hydro and Alcoa Corp purchased the most clean energy in Europe in 2018, but the region also saw activity from multinational technology companies such as Facebook, Amazon and Alphabet subsidiary Google. Several European countries that saw little or no corporate procurement activity in 2017 enjoyed a rise in interest in 2018. Companies signed PPAs for the first time in Poland, and just the second time in Denmark and Finland.There were also new deals signed in the U.K., following a lull after the expiration of a national subsidy program. Several requests for proposals and changes in policy suggest burgeoning new markets in Germany and France as well.

Demand still far outstrips supply in the rest of APAC, although recent changes in several markets suggests a major spike in activity is on the horizon. Offsite corporate PPA mechanisms are now available in nine provinces in China, and the imminent passing of a renewable portfolio standard will give over 30,000 large commercial and industrial companies renewable electricity targets. In Japan, the country’s third non-fossil certificate auction saw corporations purchase 21TWh, tripling the combined activity in the first two auctions. Thirteen companies in Japan have also established 100 renewable electricity targets, more than the rest of APAC combined. The healthiest signal of continued growth in the global corporate procurement space is the growing alliance of companies establishing clean energy and sustainability commitments. One such campaign, known as the RE100 – consisting of nearly 160 signatories at the end of 2018 that have established 100% renewable electricity targets – has companies domiciled in 23 different markets.

Cumulatively, these companies consumed an estimated 189TWh of electricity in 2017, equivalent to Egypt’s electricity consumption.BNEF estimates these companies will need to purchase an additional 190TWh of clean electricity in 2030 to meet their RE100 targets. Should this shortfall be met with offsite solar and wind PPAs, it would catalyse an estimated 102GW of new solar and wind build globally, greater than the size of the U.K.’s power generation fleet in 2017 (see Figure 2 below).

Rooze said: “For companies that think seriously about sustainable growth, establishing clean energy and decarbonization targets lines up naturally with overall corporate strategies. At the same time, these initiatives have created an entire new universe of opportunity for utilities, clean energy developers and investors.”

In the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, still a nascent market for corporate procurement, companies signed a record 2GW of clean energy PPAs, more than the previous two years combined. Nearly all of this activity occurred in India and Australia, with roughly 1.3GW and 0.7GW of clean energy purchased, respectively. Both markets allow companies to buy clean energy at a large scale through offsite PPAs, making them rarities for the region.

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Source: BloombergNEF

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TECHNOLOGY

LONGi Solar sets new bifacial mono-PERC solar cell world record at 24.06 percent LONGi Solar has announced that it has achieved a new monocrystalline silicon PERC world record conversion efficiency using commercial wafer (M2) dimensions that exceeds 24 percent for the first time, according to tests carried out by the National Center of Supervision and Inspection on Solar Photovoltaic Product Quality (CPVT) in China.

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ONGi Solar’s latest breakthrough bifacial PERC solar cells tested by CPVT achieved a conversion efficiency of 24.06%. CPVT tested monocrystalline silicon PERC cell in standard wafer dimension (156.75×156.75mm2) (M2) provided

by LONGi Solar. The sample cells were measured under standard test conditions for currentvoltage characteristics as a function of load.

LONGi Solar has made great strides in setting world record PERC solar cell conversion efficiencies as we demonstrate the continuing ability to provide high-efficiency products to the global solar market,” stated Li Wenxue, President of LONGi Solar. “Our latest record solar cell conversion efficiencies also endorse the success of our R&D investments, which have set the benchmark for the industry in recent years In April 2017, based on selective emitter technology, which has been widely used in practical mass production, LONGi Solar reported a monocrystalline silicon PERC cell conversion efficiency of 22.17% (tested by CPVT), which effectively supported the supply requirements of the Phase 3 requirements of China’s ‘Top Runner’ solar installation program. In October 2017, LONGi Solar broke the world-record efficiency of monocrystalline silicon PERC cell in commercial dimensions with 22.71%, while the original record was broken by Fraunhofer-ISE with 22.61%. In the same month, in accordance with the MBB technology, the cell conversion efficiency was increased to 23.26% and tested by CPVT, which was the first to breakthrough the 23% efficiency barrier. In August 2018, LONGI Solar achieved the highest efficiency of P-type mono-PERC bifacial solar cells in China with a conversion efficiency of 23.11%.

This is the first time that the efficiency of monocrystalline PERC solar cells in commercial dimensions have exceeded 24%, remarked Dr. Li Hua, LONGi Solar, Vice President of Cell R&D. “In the last three consecutive years LONGi Solar has developed three generations of ‘Hi-MO’ products based on PERC technology, which are setting the efficiency and reliability benchmark of high-efficiency PERC technology within the industry.

Source: LONGi Solar

Jinko Solar Large-Area N-Type TOPCon Monocrystalline Silicon Solar Cell Reaches Record High Efficiency of 24.2% JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. (JinkoSolar” or the “Company”) (NYSE: JKS), a reputable solar module manufacturer, today announced a record high efficiency of 24.2% was achieve by its large-area N-type TOPCon monocrystalline silicon solar cell. Testing was conducted by the Photovoltaic and Wind Power Systems Quality Test Center at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

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he large-area N-Type cell features JinkoSolar’s HOT cell design, which is based on tunnel oxide passivating contact technology. JinkoSolar’s high quality N-type wafer, selective doping technology, and advanced fineline printing technology allow the Company to achieve 24.2% cell efficiency across its entire product chain. The world PV module power record of 387.6W for N-type half-cell module (60P) was fabricated using JinkoSolar’s HOT cell design. N-type HOT technology is a key R&D milestone for JinkoSolar and is opening up a new path towards developing high efficiency industrial products. N-type HOT technology also demonstrates the competitiveness of JinkoSolar products when compared to current HIT and IBC technologies. JinkoSoalr is establishing a strategic global research collaboration network that is able to rapidly innovating new technologies. JinkoSolar is jointly working with several globally-respected institutions on their advanced technologies including the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore’s mono-poly technology, University of New South Wales’ advanced hydrogenation technology and The Australian National University’s passivating contact technology. By consistently upgrading its technology, JinkoSolar will provide higher efficiency and better quality products to its customers.

Source: jinkosolar

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Energy storage

BHEL and LIBCOIN to Build India’s First Lithium Ion Giga Factory Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and Libcoin are in dialogue to form a world class consortium to initially build 1GWh lithium ion battery plant in India.

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ts capacity will be scaled up to 30GWh in due course. With this, India has finally taken steps into its energy security and clean energy commitment to the world. BHEL will be sending a team of senior officers for study of the facilities, R&D infrastructure and other techno-commercial issues soon. Based upon the evaluation and recommendations of the team, further process towards formation of Joint Venture will be carried forward.

This project will bring energy independence by replacing oil imports with abundant renewable. This project also includes “Made by India, for India”, with focus on core-cost components manufactured domestically. It will also create

integrated manufacturing ecosystem resulting in self-reliance and lower cost. A holistic view of the supply chain in combination with cutting edge digital technologies to replace high CAPEX and high OPEX processes will be the highlight of this project in India. Various Indian cities including Delhi have been struggling to cut down their pollution level for last several years and electric transportation has been considered as one of the viable approaches to cut down emission.

The number of electric cars in the world already hit million-mark last year and the International Energy Agency has projected almost 140 million electric cars globally by 2030, if countries meet Paris climate accord targets, in which India has already committed to actively participate.

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research

Power Sector Distortions Cost India Billions In India, about 178 million people still lacked access to power in 2017. Connecting all of India’s population to reliable electricity would dramatically increase the income of rural households and prevent nearly $23 billion a year in business losses.

Story Highlights India has inefficiencies in its power sector that undermines its efforts to end poverty and increase shared prosperity.

A new World Bank report, In the Dark, examines India’s entire supply chain from upstream fuel supply to electricity generation and distribution, and consumers. To boost and sustain its energy supply, India needs urgent investments and reforms to target inefficiencies in the entire electricity supply chain.

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ndia has made great strides in expanding access to electricity in recent years, as more than 130 million people joined the power grid since 2013. However, 178 million people in India still lacked access to grid electricity in 2017, and power cuts harm economic production and consumer wellbeing. The 2018 Global Competitiveness Report ranked India 80th among 137 economies in the reliability of electricity supply.

With electricity demand predicted to triple by 2040, India’s reliance on coal poses a major pollution problem. According to the Health Effects Institute, exposure to fine particulate matter from coal-powered plants contributed to 82,900 deaths in 2015. A new World Bank report titled, “In the Dark: How Much Do Power Sector Distortions Cost South Asia,” says India’s power sector has an “efficiency” gap that costs the Indian economy about four percent of GDP a year, equivalent to $86 billion in fiscal year 2016. The report goes beyond earlier studies by analyzing the overall societal costs

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— instead of just the fiscal costs — of subsidies, blackouts and other distortions in the power sector. It also uses a broader definition of the power sector than past studies, examining the entire supply chain from upstream fuel supply to electricity generation and distribution to downstream access and reliability. Connecting all of India’s population to the grid and expanding the power supply to 24 hours a day would increase the income of rural households by $9.4 billion a year, while eliminating power shortages would prevent an estimated $22.7 billion a year in business losses, the report finds. According to the report, problems begin upstream in the electricity supply chain. Despite having the world’s fourth-largest coal reserves, India fell 14 percent short of meeting coal demand in fiscal year 2016.

Power sector reforms should be a top priority, as few other reforms could quickly yield economic gains of a similar magnitude. If well designed, reforms will directly benefit the poor by increasing access, improving reliability and reducing cost and emissions.

Fan Zhang

Senior Economist at the World Bank

Only one of 10 underground coal mines in India is mechanized, and the average output per labor shift at Coal India’s underground mines was less than one ton in fiscal year 2016 — compared to 25 tons in the United States. Electricity subsidies and inefficient power generation, transmission, and distribution also are factors in power shortages, the report shows.

More than 20 percent of electricity was lost in transmission and distribution in fiscal year 2016 — a much higher loss rate than elsewhere in the world. State government-owned power plants used 16 percent more coal per unit of electricity produced than independent power producers during fiscal year 2000–2012, while power sector cross-subsidies from industry to households and farmers make industrial electricity tariffs less affordable and undermine export competitiveness. Cheap electricity for agriculture made India the world’s largest user of groundwater — a non-renewable resource — with consumption increasing 700 percent from 1950 to 2014.

It recommends reforms to restore market pricing and improve efficiency in the power sector. This will complement traditional investments to increase power supply and expand access to reliable electricity. Reliable access to electricity also leads to lower use of kerosene lamps and captive power generation, which would improve health and environmental outcomes and contribute to greater gender equality by increasing women’s employment and girls’ study time. The report emphasizes avoiding a narrow focus on liberalizing the price of energy, because in the absence of other reforms, inefficiencies in the system would lead to an excessively high cost of electricity, causing distress for the poor and vulnerable. Reforms should focus on prioritizing efficient coal allocation and delivery, promoting competition in coal and electricity supply, rationalizing energy prices to reflect cost of supply, using incentives to promote more efficient power generation and delivery, and targeting social assistance to help people cope with higher energy prices.

Source: worldbank.org

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research

Global solar PV installations in 2019 forecast to rise 18 percent and reach 123 GW Highlights Annual global solar photovoltaic (PV) installations in 2019 are forecast to rise 18 percent, reaching 123 gigawatts (GW) in 2019.

Two-thirds of the installed global PV generation capacity will come from outside China, with several new or revived country markets raising totals.

Argentina, Egypt, South Africa, Spain and Vietnam together represent 7 percent of total installations in 2019, and 7 GW of total demand growth.

PV is becoming more distributed geographically, with annual PV installations growing by more than 20 percent in 45 country markets.

Our analysis IHS Markit anticipates limited capacity announcements across the supply chain, which should contribute to higher average utilization rates across all nodes in 2019 and an improvement in the overcapacity situation faced by the PV manufacturing industry in the second half of 2018. As anticipated, module prices collapsed in the second half of 2018, but existing strong demand outside of China â&#x20AC;&#x201C; especially in Mexico, Vietnam, Spain â&#x20AC;&#x201C; has slowed down price erosion for shipments in the first half of 2019. Many international developers have advanced their procurement, fearing that the upcoming new solar policy in China could affect module availability from tier-one players in the international market.

PV installations in the United States are projected to grow by 28 percent year-on-year, as developers seek to complete a share of their project pipelines before the December 2019 deadline for the 30 percent investment tax credit (ITC). An even larger share of the pipeline will only be partially initiated through module shipments in order to meet the safe harbor requirements that extend the 30 percent ITC if at least 5 percent of the components have been procured.

Source: ihsmarkit

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Energy storage

Energy Storage Systems: Its role today will guide the future tomorrow!

Energy Storage System (ESS) has been known to mankind since few years now. However in the decade, aconsiderable amount of money has been spent in upgrading existing and/or developing newsystems. This is partly because of the fact that such systems are poised to double six times only in the next 15 years i.e. from 2016 to 2030 reaching almost up to 125GW/305GWh (Figure 1). ESS is simple terms means any system/technology which is capable of storing excess energy and releasing it when required. The types of ESS available in the market are of electrical, mechanical, thermal, chemical, etc. in nature. The storage type today with maximum market penetration are batteries. While we informed you on the technicalities of battery storage in our previous blog “Importance & Reliability of storage”, we thought it was important to educate our readers on what actually would be the role of ESS (and how would they help such plants) with reference to renewable energy power plants. Additionally with various Indian states drafting the Deviation settlement mechanism regulation this year, it can be easily assumed that ESS would be of prime importance to all the renewable energy generators for various reasons. This blog hence aims to educate its readers on role of ESS and its importance to the national grid.

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energy storage ESS as we mentioned above is of great importance to both Solar Photovoltaic (PV) and Wind energy generating plants. A main reason that is attributed to this is that both these generating sources are intermittent in nature. ESS thus helps such sources in following ways: 1) Ramp rate control& Output smoothening: A ramp may be defined as an event in which there is a change in power in a fixed time frame. If the change in power is positive, this event is known as ramp-up event. Similarly if the change in power is negative, it is known as rampdown event. The rate at which this ramp event occurs is known as ramp rate, which is usually considered for a minute and hence its unit MW/minute. The conventional power producers (due to their ability to control input fuel) have a considerable control over their ramp rates. However the renewable energy sources due to uncontrollable factor such as cloud cover, sudden change in weather conditions may have significant effect on its power output.

It is seen that close to 30 – 80% of power output in a minute may be lost in such cases. Ramp rate are usually of prime interest to grid operators, as they are the ones who ensure that the demand and supply ratio is maintained at almost all the times. In case of sudden spike or surge in power, congestion in electric conductors may damage the grid. The ESS in such case can release or absorb energy thus reducing the speed of variation at the injection point.

Also as evident Figure 2, the ESS also helps to smoothen the power output i.e. it compensates of spikes and sags so that the generation remains within the scheduled range.

2) Peak Shaving:India has had a typical power consumption curve with a peak consumption (which is normally much higher than base demand) almost between 8 am to 12 pm and from 6 pm to 10 pm. This means that the grid operators/ generators need to produce extra power to keep the demand within limits. While few (generating) plants can provide such extra power (like hydro power) instantaneously, other plants need adequate time to start their extra generating assets. Few plants also have spinning reserves up running continuously to provide extra power as and when needed. Renewable plants now in order to supply (almost) constant source of power have (generally) battery or any other form of ESS. This helps renewable energy plants to mitigate the extra load. Known as Peak Shaving,

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- it also helps the end consumermeet its demand from the ESSwhile curbing the need of purchasing energy at higher tariffs. This enables that the customers who install on-site generating and ESS equipment receive power at reduced rates year round.

3) Frequency and Power-factor Regulation: Both frequency and power factorare important grid indicator. While frequency indicates the exact match between demand and supply, power factor indicates the quality of power flowing through the grid. ESS ensures stability in grid by dispatching or absorbing active power as and when required. This ensures that the share of renewable energy in the entire energy mix of country is increased to a substantial amount.

The operation of ESS however here are dependent on the number and frequency of variations in the grid power.

These variations are typically of short duration which ensures ESS regulates the grid power by maintaining it within permissible limits.

With almost major power consumer and renewable energy producer states (like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu) drafted out the Deviation settlement mechanism for renewable energy generators, the usage of ESS has become mandate. This regulation shall applicable to both existing and upcoming plants within these state. In these regulations, the generator has to give a day ahead and three days ahead schedule each day. Such forecast could only be changed 8 times & 16 times (For Gujarat – number may vary state-wise) for solar & wind energy generators in 96 time blocks (15 minutes each) per day. Above such revisions and/or if a generator generates more/ less energy than they have forecasted, they would be charged with a fixed penalty. While there are software’s and models available which could predict the expected generation but not with expected confidence limits.

This sets the path of ESS which would be of prime importance once these regulation are in full effect across the country.

Author Mr. Sunil Rathi

Director- Sales and Marketing Waaree Energies ltd

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Policy & Regulations

CERC Draft Regulations FY19-FY24 – Favourable for Generators Draft Guidelines to Favour Generators: India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) opines that the draft Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) guidelines for the FY19-FY24 block period are favourable for power generators, as the regulator has maintained the status quo on most of the parameters as against Ind-Ra’s expectation of a lower return on equity (RoE) and change in debt:equity (D:E) ratio in favour of debt. Ind-Ra estimates the annual fixed cost to decline by 1.4%, as per the new guidelines, largely driven by the changes in the working capital norms. CERC has tightened the working capital norms by lowering the normative inventory and receivable period allowed by 10 days and 15 days, respectively. Moreover, the regulator has changed the rate of interest on working capital to one year MCLR+350bp as against the earlier guideline of SBI base rate +350bp. Both the factors combined are likely to lower the interest on the working capital component. Additionally, CERC has lowered the arbitrage available to generators on the late payment surcharge (LPSC) by lowering the LPSC rate to 1.25% from 1.5%. However, there will be an increase in the billable energy charge rate (ECR), driven by i) an increase in normative auxiliary energy consumption ii) an allowance of additional 85kcal/kg GCV loss on account of variations during storage at generating stations and iii) an increase in the normative allowance in transit losses. Ind-Ra expects the ECR to increase by 6 paisa/kWh under the new tariff guidelines.

Reduction in Normative Availability, Declaration Made Quarterly: In the proposed norms, CERC has reduced the normative availability to 83% from 85%, which would improve fixed cost recovery. However the basis of declaration has been changed to quarterly from annually. As per the guidelines, under-recoveries in a quarter cannot be recovered in the later part of the year.

No Change in Leverage Profile: As against earlier expectations of an increase in the leverage ratio of generators on account of an expected decline in RoE, EBITDA and increase in D:E ratio, Ind-Ra expects no major impact on the leverage profile as the overall impact on EBITDA remains neutral with no change in the proposed D:E ratio. Ind-Ra believes that any decline in aggregate revenue requirement due to working capital changes is likely to be offset by higher energy charges as allowed under the new guidelines.

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RoE Remains Unchanged - A Big Relief: CERC has kept RoE unchanged at 15.5% contrary to Ind-Ra’s expectation of a decline. Ind-Ra believes this is a big relief to thermal power generators, as this would protect their cash flows. Ind-Ra’s view on the possibility of a lower RoE was based on the demand by distribution utilities to reduce tariffs, disincentivise capacity addition given the surplus capacity prevalent in the system and the overall reduction in the risk-free rate in the economy. However in the current regulations, the regulator has not allowed the additional return of 0.5% which the FY14-FY19 regulations had allowed if the project was commissioned within the timelines.

Debt: Equity Remains Unchanged- A Prudential Move: CERC has also left the D:E ratio unchanged at 70:30. This is because a higher D:E allowance would have resulted in higher net leverage (debt/EBITDA) and lower interest coverage. There was a belief that to lower the tariff for distribution utilities, the D:E ratio might be altered to 80:20 so as to lower the equity component which provides a higher return at 15.5% than debt which has a lower cost of 9%-12%.

Change in Depreciable Value of the Asset – To increase Tariffs Marginally: The draft guidelines have lowered the salvage value of the asset to 5% from 10%. Thus, power generators would now be able to recover 95% of the asset value through depreciation charge, as against the earlier allowance for only 90% recovery of the asset value. Moreover, the regulator has kept the depreciation rates unchanged. For thermal power generators, the overall depreciation on the plant and machinery would be 5.28% and for civil structures it would be 3.34%. Other things equal, a lower salvage value is likely to result in a marginal increase in the levelised tariff for power generators.

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policy & Regulations

Reduction in Normative Plant Availability Beneficial to Generators: The guidelines have also lowered the normative plant availability factor to 83% from 85%, triggered by the shortage of coal and uncertainty of assured coal supply. The same was highlighted by CERC in the tariff regulations for FY14-FY19. Ind-Ra believes this would improve fixed cost recovery as plants were unable to reach 85% normative plant availability for the want of coal. The regulator has also proposed the declaration of normative availability on quarterly basis, compared to annual in the earlier regulations. Ind-Ra views this as a credit negative for generators because under-recoveries in a quarter cannot be recovered in the later part of the year. Thus, if a plant were to undergo a major maintenance for above 15 days, there would be loss of plant availability which cannot be recovered in subsequent quarters, leading to fixed cost under-recoveries.

Change in Basis of Capacity Charge Recovery: The commission has proposed a change in the basis of capacity charge recovery, by segregating the recovery in two parts, namely capacity charge during peak hours and capacity charge during non-peak hours. Though it is not immediately clear, if the same is likely to result in any disallowance, the recovery of capacity charge has been made more granular and the basis of calculation has been changed to quarterly from yearly. Ind-Ra believes this move would ensure even distribution of capacity charge declaration and capacity is available during the peak hours. The capacity charge rate for the peak hours has been proposed at 25% more than that of the off-peak hours. The number of peak hours and off-peak hours would be declared by the regional load dispatch centre on a monthly basis in advance, and the peak hours would not be less than four hours in a day. Additionally, the incentive structure has been segregated into peak and non-peak incentives, with energy supplied above the normative plant load factor during the peak hours getting 65 paisa/kWh while non-peak hours getting 50 paisa/kWh, compared to the earlier flat incentive of 50 paisa/kWh.

Change in Late Payment Surcharge: CERC has proposed to reduce the LPSC to 15% per annum (1.25% per month) from 18% per annum (1.5% per month). This change would correct a long pending demand of distribution utilities as borrowing rates for most generators were much lower at 9%-12% while they were being paid at 18% by the utilities for delays in bill payments.

Tightening of Working Capital Norms: The regulator has proposed to tighten the working capital norms by reducing the inventory and receivable days by 10 and 15 days, respectively, thus lowering the normative working capital requirement. Additionally, the interest rate is linked to SBI MCLR compared to SBI base rate. This is likely to result in a more dynamic change in interest rates.

Ind-Ra believes the above two changes would result in a 1.4% decline in annual fixed cost (AFC).

Gain Sharing Norms Made Unfavourable for Generators: The proposed regulations have lowered the percentage share of gains between generators and beneficiaries to 50:50 from 60:40 in favour of the beneficiaries on operational norms in terms of station heat rate, auxiliary consumption and secondary fuel consumption. However, the benefits of debt refinancing, loan restructuring or changes in interest rate on the loans which were earlier shared between generators and beneficiaries in 1:2 ratio will now be shared equally, resulting in additional savings to the generators thus incentivising them to lower the interest rates through refinancing of loans.

Balanced Approach on Operational Parameters: The regulator has tightened some norms while relaxing the ones on the operational front. The gross station heat rate has been lowered to 2,410kcal/kWh form 2,450kcal/ kWh for the plants with unit capacities from 200-250MW while has been kept same for other unit capacities.

Ind-Ra opines the same would reduce ECR by around 3 paise/unit, assuming a coal cost of INR3,000/tonne (GCV: 4,000kcal/kg). If the plants are unable to lower the station heat rate to the desired levels, the same would result in an under-recovery on energy charges. Although the auxiliary energy consumption remains the same for units of 200MW, CERC has relaxed the norms for the units above 300MW to 5.75% from 5.25%. The draft guidelines also propose a higher coal transit loss at 1.2% from 0.8% earlier for the transportation distances longer than 1,000km from mines.

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electric vehicle

A brief about EVs In the last write-up, we talked about the growing popularity of EVs, their impact on the grid and the importance of solar PV technology as a supporting source of power. This time we will go through some basic info about EVs.

Hybrid Electric Vehicles:

Battery Electric Vehicles:

HEVs are powered by a combination of electricity and petrol. While the electricity is generated by the car’s braking system to recharge the battery, also called ‘regenerative braking’, this powers the electric motor which helps in the initial start off and then the petrol engine takes over as the speed or load increases. Hybrids are designed to ensure the best economy in various driving conditions by controlling both the motors (petrol and electric) by an internal computer.

Unlike any of the above two hybrids, a Battery Electric Vehicle is exclusively powered by electricity which is sourced from a rechargeable battery. An EV is solely powered by an electric motor instead of an ICE (Internal Combustion Engine). It gets power from a controller which regulates the amount of power based on the use of the accelerator pedal by the driver. EVs have minimum parts, have no fuel tank, or a petrol engine or an exhaust pipe and are totally emission free. EVs can also charge their batteries through ‘regenerative braking’ like hybrids.

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles: Also called Extended Range Electric Vehicles (EREVs), they are also powered by both, electricity and petrol. A PHEV’s battery can be charged by ‘regenerative braking’ as well as by plugging in an external power charging outlet. The petrol engine also acts as an extension by recharging the battery as it gets low. Thus, unlike conventional hybrids, PHEVS can be plugged-in and recharged from an outlet, allowing them to drive extended distances using just electricity. In these kinds of hybrids, the choice of the primary source of energy lies with the end user as some car makers favour petrol and some favour electricity.

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here are mainly three types of EVs classified by the amount of electricity they use for their power source. They are: Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs), Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) and Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs).

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When an EV’s batteries are depleted, they can be charged either at your home or at a dedicated ‘EV charging station’. It is very much similar to charging your mobile phone. Due to their sustainability and cheap running costs, EVs are the way to the future and they are set to make an entry into the market with a stealth which is going to catch every one unawares.

Article courtesy – Goldi Solar Pvt Ltd

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Jolywood Launches Groundbreaking High Efficiency PV Modules to Drive Distributed Power Generation Jolywood (Suzhou) Sunwatt Co. Ltd. (Jolywood), the world’s leading supplier of N-type high efficiency bifacial solar cells and modules, unveiled two groundbreaking PV modules

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he new products, the JW-HT&HD Series Ultra High Efficiency Paving Module and JW-HF Series Ultra Light Flexible High Efficiency Module, shine on the industry with several highlights. The high efficiency bifacial paving module boasts a front power of 430W, efficiency of 20.5%, integrated power of 530W with efficiency of 25.4%, as well as a rear power gain of 30%. The flexible high efficiency module weighs a mere 3.75kg per sqm. The two high efficiency modules are designed for distributed PV power generation systems. Supported by innovation, the two new additions will drive the development of the distributed power generation, said President of Jolywood Lin Jianwei at the product launching ceremony. Zhou Yuan, secretary-general of China Business Alliance, together with the management team of Jolywood attended the ceremony.

The N-type monocrystalline high efficiency bifacial paving module developed by Jolywood uses flat ribbons to link up each cell, which is an innovative solution to avoid cells being covered by ribbons and narrows the distance between cells. The result, according to Dr.Liu Zhifeng, co-COO of Jolywood (Taizhou) Solar Technology Co. Ltd, is an increase in conversion efficiency and a reduction in the levelized cost of energy (LCOE).

Compared to modules with the same cells, the N-type monocrystalline high efficiency bifacial paving module enjoys a power gain of 15W to 20W, increasing the conversion efficiency by 1.5%. In addition, the combination of the paving technology and the N-type TOPcon technology leads to a range of advantages for bifacial modules. Compared to monofacial modules, bifacial modules can generate an additional 10% to 30%. There is no potential induced degradation (PID) and zero light induced degradation (LID); the weak light response is better, said Liu.

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Due to the advanced composite encapsulation materials, as well as cutting-edge technologies, the JW-HF Series Ultra Light Flexible High Efficiency Module has flexibility that is a perfect match for curved modules. It also weighs 70% less than products of its kind. Light and flexible, it can be used in a variety of situations, such as a rooftop with low loadbearing capacity or the exterior of a building. Additionally, it is convenient to install.

“During the past year,” said Lin, “Jolywood has put a lot of effort into R&D and innovation for distributed power generation systems and there are some accomplishments especially in installation. The light and flexible modules will allow quick and easy installation that saves materials and reduces the cost of labor. Regarding this, Jolywood is applying for a patent for the innovative installation system, which makes distributed power generation widely accessible. Integrating advanced technologies and equipment, and based on high efficiency modules, Jolywood aims to provide quality and cost-effective products and solutions to the industry.”

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Sanelite Solar: A brief about the company's current product/ service/ technology portfolio mix Sanelite Solar, a green initiative from Sanelite Group, is a pivotal company in the area of renewable energy providing end-to-end solar PV solutions from manufacturing solar PV modules to solar EPC installations. The company carries with it many years of experience in solar industry and a strong financial background from Sanelite Group.

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anelite Solar is a leading manufacturer of high-quality PV modules of capacity 40Wp to 335Wp. The state-of-the art production line is carefully designed ultra-modern line with high efficiency automatic laminator and auto-tabber& stringer machines. The company also offers end-to-end solar EPC solutions, grid-connected solar PV systems, off-grid solar PV systems, solar power plants, rooftop solar PV systems as well as integrated PV systems. Being a channel partner of GEDA and MNRE and with growing market of domestic solar rooftop in the state of Gujarat, the company channelized the efforts through one-of-its-kind franchisee network. Over past 2 years, Sanelite has grown its franchisee network in Gujarat to more than 25 in numbers, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still growing. In a similar way, for channelizing the sale of PV modules and other products, the company is expanding its dealership network to reach the farthest corners of the country. The dealer network shall be utilized for the sale of some innovative products like Solar DIY kits for Solar Rooftops and Solar Pumps in addition to our high-efficiency PV modules.

Featured Product:Half-cut Cell PV Modules In a technological advancement, the company has recently launched the Half-Cut Cell PV Modules. Exceeding all trade standards and certifications, our Hal-Cut Cell panels square measure out there in white (higher power) and all-black (sleeker aesthetic) PV back sheet variants. It comes with a standard quality & 25-years of warranty, which guarantees maximum performance throughout the lifetime of the PV system. Features of Our HalfCut Cell Modules are:

Increased Efficiency with reduced electrical losses.

Exceptional performance under shadows and low-light conditions.

Superior aesthetics and hot-spots free structure with automated stringing.

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a. Product Introduction As demand for PV products continue to flow, solar module manufacturers have continued innovating their offerings. From smart PV solutions to PassivatedEmitted Rear Cell (PERC) modules, these new products provide more options for end users to optimize their solar PV systems and expedite return on investment. Recent development in the evolution of PV technology has been the introduction of PV modules with half-cut cell. These innovative new options for solar PV systems have the potential to further boost power output and reduce overall costs.We actually tested similar product earlier last year for some of our solar pump installations where there was a need for higher voltage, and it had received a very good response.

B. Technology Specifications Half-Cut Cell Modules have a fresh layout with better performance under the sun and when there is no or little sun. These modules are made from half-cut cells increase the modules efficiency by reducing resistance through the module, exposing more cell area to sunlight and increasing the amount of light absorbed.

c. Technology Advancements A solar cell when cut in half will produce half as much current and one fourth as much resistance. This lower resistance reduces electrical losses and improves panel efficiency. The decreased electrical losses can increase the output of a panel by up to 3% over what it would be with full size cells.

d. Targeted/ Benefitted Customer Segment The innovation offers a lot to its beneficiaries. With a little increase in cost, this product can save the day for any EPC player. Especially for the projects where shadows are unavoidable or where there are space constraints, introducing these modules can help increase overall efficiency of the plant. In fact it can also help overcome glitches in real-time project execution for normal projects.

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Hoymiles MI-1200 microinverter is first single-phase microinverter designed for 4 solar panels MI-1200 is adapted to both 60-cells & 72-cells PV modules (200~380Wp), also works with of thin film PV modules (50200W) for residential rooftop, commercial rooftop, ground plant & BIPV projects.

Product Outline Hoymiles 4-in-1 microinverter MI-1200 is said to be the world’s first single-phase microinverter designed for 4 solar panels, with wide DC input operating voltage range (16-60V) & low start-up voltage (22V only). It makes significant improvement of cost performance based on existing microinverters and the three-phase wiring is also easy to be configured.

Problem Traditional centralized inverters & string-level inverters cannot meet comprehensive demands of 100% safety, affordable cost & installation flexibility while pursuing higher power generation. Concern centers on the potential of electric shock & drawing arc caused by high DC input voltage (600-1500V).

Solution The MI-1200 offers module-level in-parallel solution, integrated with extremely low DC input voltage (16-60V, compliant with NEC 2017 for module-level rapid shutdown), modulelevel monitoring & dual module-level MPPT, which 100% ensures safety of both installers & end users. The company says that 10-30% more power generation is achievable, creating lower LCOE during 25-30year’s lifetime of a solar system.

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Applications MI-1200 is adapted to both 60-cells & 72-cells PV modules (200~380Wp), also works with of thin film PV modules (50200W) for residential rooftop, commercial rooftop, ground plant & BIPV projects.

Platform The MI-1200 comes in a light weight 3.75kg configuration, including 2m AC cable (integrated DC & AC cables & 3-phase wiring). Up to 60V DC input voltage (natural rapid shutdown) to guarantee no electric shock & fire risk. The MI-1200 comes with a 6000V surge protection, MTBF (mean time between failure) > 550years, yearly failure rate < 0.18%. MI-1200 is not only designed to residential rooftop, but also to large scale roof & ground based commercial solar projects, even its last version MI-600 has already been successfully applied to large commercial projects.

Availability Certified for Europe, North America, LATAM, South Africa, Turkey, Sri Lanka & Chinese market, coming soon for Australia, Brazil, India & California, US (Reactive Power Control version).

Source: Hoymiles’ HQ

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