EQ Inverter With Multiple MPP Trackers: Requirements and state Of The Art Solutions
Interview with Mr. Sundeep Gupta, Joint M.D., Jakson Power Solutions
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INTERNATIONAL
Schneider Electric Launches Complete Range Of Best-In-Class Products For The Residential, Commercial And Off-Grid Solar And Battery Backup Market
www.EQMaglive.com Interview with Mr. Ajay Goel, CEO, Tata Power Solar
Airport goes Green- Vikram Solar commissions 100 KW Solar Power Plant at Cochin International Airport:
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EDITORIAL INDIAN States Surprises while the MNRE further Delays JNNSM Phase 2
News from Andhra Pradesh came that 34 Bidders have accepted the Rs.6.49/kWh price offer by APTRANSCO for commissioning 350 MW Solar Projects in the State. The State earlier came out with a Tender for 1 GW of Projects keeping a concept of L1 at each sub-station. However the officials later disappointed the investors by quoting a uniform tariff for all the substations. Andhra Pradesh also decided in favor of buying Solar Power from the Roof-Top solar Projects at Rs.3.5 / kWh thus promotion Roof-Top Installations. Tamil Nadu issues LOI’s to developers for installation of 690 MW at a tariff of Rs.6.48/ kWh with 5% escalation YOY for next 10 Years. There were serious concerns related to Bankability, Timely Payments and Power Evacuation in Tamil Nadu which were seen in responses of only 499 MW out of the 1 GW Tender the state had floated. Lateron, the State undertook a great initiative of offering a 2 layer protection to the investors. SOLAR TRADE WARS
After USA, now its Europe taking Anti-Dumping Measures on Solar Imports from China.Remarks by EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht on the decision “The tariffs come into effect from 6 June for the next 6 months - until the end of the full investigation at the start of December this year. There will be two steps: as of 6 June, a tariff of 11.8% will be imposed on all Chinese solar panel imports. Two months later, as of 6 August, the average tariff will be 47.6%. Overall, the duties will range from 37.2% to 67.9% at that stage. Those Chinese companies which have co-operated will face lower tariffs. Those which have not co-operated will face higher tariffs.This staggered response allows a smooth transition for European markets to adapt – and it is a one-time offer to the Chinese side, providing a very clear incentive to negotiate. It provides a clear window of opportunity for negotiations, but the ball is now in China’s court. It is clear that if China does not provide a solution by August, then the higher tariffs will apply. Europe’s action today is an emergency measure to give life-saving oxygen to a business sector in Europe that is suffering badly from this dumping.It’s clear that the dumping of these Chinese solar panels is clearly harming the European solar panel industry. Chinese companies are dumping their underpriced solar panels on Europe. Europe’s estimate of the fair sale price of a Chinese solar panel would actually be 88% higher than the current price for which they are sold on the European market.This jeopardizes at least 25,000 current jobs.China have captured 80% of EU market share, in a context of a massive overcapacity equalling 150% of total world consumption. In other words, China is producing today one and half times the amount of solar panels the world needs. They are simply producing too much.” China is also considering imposing Anti-Dumping Duty on Polysilicon Imports from EU, USA & Korea.As per IHS, China’s pending move to slap antidumping tariffs on imported solar polysilicon from key countries will generate a surge in pricing for this key raw material in June and July—but the magnitude of the increase will be limited market factors. The likely imposition of the import duties will cause global solar polysilicon pricing to rise to $19.50 per kilogram in June and July, up from $16.50 in May. This represents a major turnaround for a polysilicon market that has seen average pricing decline for seven of the last 10 months. However, the increase will amount to only 18 percent, falling short of the 30 percent indicator that would represent a major market correction. Prices also would remain below the key $20-per-kilogram mark. “IHS believes China is likely to impose antidumping tariffs with rates ranging from 30 to 50 percent on polysilicon imported from the European Union, the United States and South Korea,” said Glenn Gu, senior analyst, photovoltaics, at IHS. “However, the impact of the duties will be mitigated by factors including long-term agreements (LTA) that stabilize pricing as well as efforts by buyers and sellers to bypass the tariffs.” Global Solar PV Markets : Will Japan Lead in 2013 ?
A total of 1.5 gigawatts (GW) worth of PV systems were installed in Japan in the first quarter of 2013, up from 0.4 GW during the same time last year, according to a new report entitled “The Photovoltaic Market in Japan” from information and analytics provider IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS). Japan’s solar installations surged by a stunning 270 percent (in gigawatts (GW)) in the first quarter of 2013, positioning the country to surpass Germany to become the world’s largest photovoltaics (PV) market in terms of revenue this year. Although Japan is forecast to install fewer GW than China (which is forecast to be the largest market in GW installation terms) in 2013, the high prices of PV systems in Japan will drive it to become the world’s largest market in revenue terms. “Following the earthquake and tsunami in 2011 that led to the shutdown of nuclear facilities and a shortage of electricity, Japan has aggressively moved to promote solar energy,” said Sam Wilkinson, solar research manager at IHS. Japan is forecast to install $20 billion worth of PV systems in 2013, up 82 percent from $11 billion in 2012. In contrast, the global market is set for tepid 4 percent growth. The strong revenue performance for Japan this year is partly driven by the high solar prices in the country.
Anand Gupta Editor & CEO
INTERNATIONAL
R.N.I. MPBIL-01760/12/1/2013-TC
FirstSource Energy
SOLAR ENERGY
CONTENTS INTERVIEW
VOLUME 3
Sundeep Gupta
Amit Chheda
12 Interview with Mr. Sundeep Gupta, Joint M.D., Jakson Power Solutions
20 Jurchen Technology India Supplies 1st 1 MWp Industrial Structure.
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Cover Waaree Energies Ltd. is one of India’s most diversified & fastest growing solar energy solutions company, a part of the consortium of Waaree Group established in 1989, India’s premier multi-diverse technology group having its forte in multifarious verticals such as Solar Energy, Industrial Valves, Petroleum Equipment’s & Process Control Instrumentation. Our business verticals include EPC of MW scale Solar Power Plants, Off grid / KW Rooftop Solar Solutions, Solar Thermal systems , Solar Water Pumps and Solar Modules manufacturing with an avant-garde 110 MW automated production facility expanding to 250 MW in July 2013 at Surat(SEZ), for various on-grid and off-grid applications and being exported to more than 68 countries globally.
PV INVERTERS
Dietmar Staudacher
Nitin Bhosale
26 Inverter With Multiple Mpp Trackers: Requirements Andstate Of The Art Solutions
30 REFUdesign – PV Plant Design Tool
PV INVERTERS
PV INVERTERS
CONTENTS
Chanchal Bhatnagar
PV MANUFACTURING
41 Power-One Launches ThreePhase String Inverters Ideal for Residential Market
Sami Sneck 64 Batch ALD For Higher Cell Efficiency And LowerProduction Cost
Eq Business & Financial News 6-10
SOLAR ENERGY 14 Airport goes Green- Vikram Solar commissions 100 KW Solar Power Plant at Cochin International Airport: 16 NEPC Installs 11kwp Off-Grid Solar Power System In St. Patrick’s Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School In Chennai 18 Green Initiatives in Institutes : Solar Power Plant by SPM Energy 19 GreenBrilliance commissions a 20kW system installed in Vadodara 22 On Grid System Installation in a Hospital in Bangalore, Karnataka – A Report
PV INVERTERS 24 Schneider Electric Launches Complete Range Of BestIn-Class Products For The Residential, Commercial And Off-Grid Solar And Battery Backup Market 32 Ingeteam is to showcase its self-consumption solutions and latest PV inverters at INTERSOLAR 36 Energy Revolution For Everyone: KACO New Energy Presents New Products And Integrated Solutions At Intersolar Europe 2013 42 SMA Redefines Residential Solar Market with New Transformerless Inverter....
43 AEG Power Solution : As The Company Plans To Seize The Opportunities Of The Future, 2013 Will Be A Challenging Year.
QUARTER RESULTS 44 Advanced Energy : 2013 Began With A Sound First Quarter And Also The .... 46 Power-One : PV Demand In Europe Greater Than Expected, Particular .... 48 FIRST SOLAR, INC. : Continued Strengthening Of Balance Sheet And Additions That Are In Pipeline .... 50 JA Solar : Shipments Exceeded The Guidance In The First Quarter Due To Higher Sales Particularly .... 52 Yingli Solar : Another Quarter With Higher Than Expected Shipment Volumes And Improved Gross Margin. 56 Canadian Solar : The Strategic Position, Geographic Footprint And Differentiated Business Model Gives Clear.... 58 ReneSola : Expanded The Module Business In Several Key Markets, Including The U.K, Germany, France, .... 60 Hanwha Solar One : Resumed Growth In Revenue And Shipments For The First Quarter 2013
BOOK REVIEW 62 Grid Connected PV System Design and Installation
PV MANUFACTURING 66 DEK Solar Launches Breakthrough Technology For The PV Industry 67 PV-Production Upgrade to PERC Expected Soon –.... 68 Innovative Carbon Research for Solar Energy Applications 70 DragonBack ® - A Dedicated Measurement Solution For High Efficiency Solar Modules
POLICY & REGULATION 72 Open Access - Solution To Many Problems
RESEARCH & ANALYSIS 74-77 PRODUCT REPORT 78-79
& EQBusiness Financial Emmveesigns-off its first airport project of 1 MW. Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL Infrastuctures Ltd) to fly-high with Solar Photovoltaics. Emmvee Photovoltaic Power Pvt Ltd, leading Solar PV module manufacturer and turnkey solution expert for mega watt scale projects, signs-off its first ever airport project of 1 MW for Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL Infrastructures Ltd), in the state of Kerala. The project will be a Rooftop grid connected solar photovoltaic power project of 1 MW capacity. Emmvee will be responsible for end to end execution from designing of the solar power plant, engineering, supply of modules, procurement, installation, testing and commissioning of the 1 MW solar
power plant. Emmvee is also responsible for operations and maintenance of the plant for a period of 10 years. Known for its expertise in this field, Emmvee will install the photovoltaic modules of around 500 kW on the 2 south facing hangers and the remaining will be ground mounted. The plant is expected to be commissioned by 15th August 2013. Expressing his view on the project, Mr. D.V. Manjunatha, founder and Managing Director, Emmvee group, says, “We are honoured to partner with CIAL. Emmvee was selected for this project due to its technical expertise
and designing skills. This is our first airport project in India and It is a great step by CIAL to use renewable energy for power generation. Being an international airport, the project will also promote awareness about solar power generation. We would look forward for the commissioning of this project which also helps us to promote sustainable solar energy with low environmental impact”.
Tata Power’s Commitment To Renewable Energy In India: Generates 49.83 Mus Of Energy From Its Solar And 796 Mus From Its Wind Energy Projects Tata Power, India’s largest integrated power utility as part of its sustainability initiative is committed to generating 20-25% of its total generation capacity from clean energy sources. In line with its philosophy, Tata Power plans to add 30-50 MW of solar power and 150-200 MW of wind energy in India every year. Tata Power’s total investment in solar and wind energy so far is Rs. 2393 crore.The total generation from the solar has touched 49.83 MUs and from wind projects has touched 796 MU’s till 31st March 2013. Tata Power’s generation through clean sources in India such as hydro, wind and solar today stands at 873 MW.The Company is one of the leading solar power companies with a total operational capacity of 28 MW+. This includes 25 MW Mithapur Project, Gujarat, 3 MW at Mulshi, Maharashtra, and some rooftop solar installations. Tata Power’s Mithapur project is one of the largest of its kind in the country and has been developed through its 100% subsidiary, ‘Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited’ that has signed a Power Purchase
Agreement (PPA) with Gujarat UrjaVikas Nigam Limited. The Mithapur solar power plant uses the modular, proven, and widely deployed Crystalline Silicon Photo-Voltaic Technology to maximize power generation. The project helps in reducing an annual average of 37,696 tons of Carbon Dioxide, by producing 39,597 MWh per year (average) equivalent amount of clean energy. The Company is also developing a 28.8 MW of solar plant near Satara in Maharashtra. The Company is also one of the largest wind energy generators in the country with an installed capacity of 397 MW spread across five states viz. Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Rajasthan. The Company has recently commissioned 21 MW wind project in Rajasthan. It has three of its renewable energy projects registered under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) programme of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). These projects include 50.4MW wind power project at Samana, 50.4
MW wind project at Khandke, Maharashtra, and 25MW solar project at Mithapur, Gujarat. Another wind farm project is at an advanced stage of approval with UNFCCC. Speaking on Tata Power’s commitment to clean and green energy, Mr Anil Sardana, Managing Director, Tata Power said, “Our solar and wind energy assets are performing well and we are committed to reducing our carbon footprint through “clean and renewable energy” generation. Our aim is to have 20-25% of our generation portfolio from clean energy.” In the international space, the Company’s renewable energy projects under development are - a 240 MW geothermal project in Indonesia being developed with consortium partners- Origin Energy, Australia and PT Supraco, Indonesia and South Africa JV with Exxaro called Cennergi which has been shortlisted as a preferred bidder for two wind projects of 234 MW - Amakhala 139 MW and Tsitsikamma 95 MW projects.
President Inaugurates 14 Mega Watt Solar Power Project At Deoghar The President of India, ShriPranab Mukherjee inaugurated the 14 MW Solar Power project and laid Foundation Stones for Pilgrim Queue Complex and Deoghar – Basukinath 44 km Solar Street Light Project 6
EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
at Deoghar, Jharkhand on April 30, 2013. Speaking on the occasion the President said that he is hopeful of these initiatives contributing to the overall growth of Deoghar
and helping in setting high standards for pilgrimage management. He also commended the government authorities and local MPs for having taken the initiative to establish the high technology solar lighting project.
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THE NEW ULTRA: DRIVING DOWN LCOE OF PV POWER PLANTS
& EQBusiness Financial Jinkosolar To Supply 5Mw Of Solar Modules To Sunkon Energy In India JinkoSolar Holding Co.Ltd.a leading global
“We have been very selective with our
solar power product manufacturer,recently
partners and have applied the highest industry
announced that it has completed the delivery
standards when selecting the best modules
to a Photovoltaic Solar project of total 5
for this project. Cooperating with JinkoSolar
MW in collaboration with Sunkon Energy
has proven to be a pleasant experience and
(P) Ltd. in Ghespur, Gujarat, India.Sunkon
we are pleased to have achieved objectives
Energy (P) Ltd. has been using JinkoSolar
we set at the beginning. I would like to take
modules since December, 2012 and Jinko
this opportunity to extend my appreciation
PV modules have then successfully been
to the JinkoSolar team for their effective,
generating power at a high performance
efficient, and professional work,” added
ratio. With a total of 17,886 JinkoSolar poly-
Mr. GopalSultania, Managing Director, of
crystalline modules installed, the project was
Sunkon Energy.
completed within 58 days and covers an area of 80,000 square meters. It is expected to produce 8,030 MWH of electricity per year and reduce CO2 emission by 7,882 tons. “I am proud of the great progress we have made so far in India, In only a few months we managed to enter into this promising market reaching a level of 80 MW sales of Jinko PV modules in Solar plants,” commented Mr. Arturo Herrero, Chief Marketing Officer of JinkoSolar. “While we were not among the first companies to enter India’s solar market, we have made our presence well-known rapidly and we managed to establish a firm foothold and good brand recognition. Armed with a highly skilled and devoted team in India, we are ensuring our customers are provided with reliable products, competitive conditions and excellent local services from our professionals in Delhi and Mumbai.”
ADB Supports Hydro and Wind Power Plants in India with Equity Investment The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is investing $30 million equity in NSL Renewable Power Private Ltd. (NRPPL), a leading renewable energy company in India, to support hydropower and wind power projects that will generate 530 gigawatthours every year, and reduce carbon dioxide emission by 400,000 tons annually from 2017 onward. “India will increasingly need renewable energy to drive its development, and the private sector will play a central role in developing the renewable energy sector to help the country achieve green growth,” said Lakshmi Venkatachalam, ADB’s Vice President for Private Sector and Cofinancing Operations.
ADB’s investment will help NRPPL reach its target of 1,000 MW of operational renewable energy assets by 2017. NRPPL will use the investment proceeds to partially finance the construction of the 100-megawatt Tidong run-of-river hydropower project in Himachal Pradesh, and the 75-megawatt Chilarewadi wind project in Maharashtra. This is ADB’s first equity investment in a private sector renewable power generation company in India and ADB’s first private sector assistance to India’s hydropower sector. The investment agreement between ADB and NRPPL was signed today in the run up to ADB’s 46th Annual Meeting in Delhi. India’s economic growth requires energy, yet the availability of indigenous conventional fuels is diminishing, meaning the country has had to import increasing quantities of coal and liquefied natural gas, making it vulnerable to imported fuel price volatility. NRPPL is one of India’s leading renewable power companies. The company belongs to the NSL group, which includes Nuziveedu Seeds Limited, the largest seed company in India. As of end 2012, NRPPL had 185 megawatts of operational projects (including hydro, wind, biomass and solar power projects), with an additional 336 megawatts of renewable power under construction or in advanced development.
IFC Reinvests in India’s NSL Renewable Power, Helps Expand Access to Clean Energy IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is providing $5 million to an independent green energy producer NSL Renewable Power through compulsorily convertible debentures to support the development of wind and hydropower projects, and expand access to clean energy. IFC’s investment will help NSL Renewable Power double its power generation capacity over the next 18 months. Starting 2015, the project is expected to avoid 300,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year. This second round of financing follows a $20 million equity investment that IFC had made in the company in 2011. “IFC’s financial support and expertise in the
8
EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
renewable energy sector will encourage other investors to invest in NSL Renewable Power,” said M PrabhakarRao, Chairman, NSL Group. “IFC’s strategic partnership will help the company transition from being a medium sized market participant to a domestic market leader and, over time, become an investor and developer in other emerging markets.” According to estimates, nearly one-third of India’s population lack access to electricity. The country suffers from serious power shortages, especially during peak hours, with peak gaps at around nine percent. India faces the twin challenges of bridging this energy
gap while dealing with the threat of climate change. “The investment will help partially address power scarcity and contribute to mitigating climate change impacts,” said Thomas Davenport, IFC Director for South Asia. “IFC’s support to NSL Renewable Power will also help the company benchmark its environment and social standards to global best practices.” NSL Renewable Power develops and operates renewable energy projects using biomass, wind, hydro, and solar technologies. The company’s operational capacity is around 185 MW across India.
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& EQBusiness Financial IFC Invests in Early Stage Indian Energy Efficiency Firm, Fosters Innovation IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is investing $1 million in energy efficiency startup Ecolibrium Energy that provides an innovative technology platform to industrial and commercial enterprises to monitor and optimize electricity use for operations, and help mitigate the impact of climate change. This is the first transaction signed under IFC’s Cleantech Innovation Facility jointly funded by IFC and IFC-GEF Earth Fund. The facility will make equity investments totaling up to $60 million in early stage clean technology companies. The investment from IFC will enable Ecolibrium to expand its presence across India. Ecolibrium plans to become the leading player in the demand response market over the long term. Consumers will be able to respond to incentive programs, such as lesser tariffs
for consumption during off-peak hours, offered by utility companies. Ecolibrium is incubated by Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad’s business incubator Center for Innovation, Incubation & Entrepreneurship (CIIE). “Companies operating in the energy efficiency segment are relatively new to the Indian market and raising funds from conventional sources is expected to be challenging for them,” said ChintanSoni, Founder and CEO, Ecolibrium Energy. “This financing from IFC will show the way for other global and domestic investors to follow suit and invest in such technology-enabled scalable businesses.” Besides IFC, CIIE will also invest $500,000 in Ecolibrium in this round of investment on behalf of early stage cleantech fund Infuse Capital. IFC is one of the investors in Infuse Capital. “IFC’s
investment in Ecolibrium supports energy efficiency by giving commercial and small and medium enterprises technologically advanced and innovative solutions that help reduce energy usage,” said Anita George, IFC Regional Director for Infrastructure in Asia. IFC’s investments globally support energy efficiency by giving industrial customers, especially small and medium enterprises, technologically advanced and innovative solutions to reduce energy usage. IFC’s global program regularly invests in projects focused on mitigating climate change in the areas of renewable energy, clean technology, and resource efficiency across emerging markets. Clean energy is a global strategic priority for IFC, which has led several innovative investments in South Asia in recent years.
Proinso Supplies 5Mw To PV Solar Farm In India Established in Port Blair, the capital city, it is the first on-the-grid PV solar project on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.The 5MW delivered by PROINSO for this project add up to the 55MW in PV materials supplied to solar energy projects in India so far.The materials for the solar farm in Port Blair were delivered via Cirus Solar, PROINSO’s
strategic partner for de Indian market. Currently, there are 96 Indian Qualified Installers in PROINSO’s International Network. Last year, the firm set up an office in Mumbai.Holding an agreement for the worldwide distribution of SMA products, PROINSO delivered Sunny Central SC800
CP XT inverters to the solar farm in Port Blair. Developed for use in large PV plants with a homogeneous structure, they are characterised by string monitoring, modular design and the ability to feed into the medium-voltage power grid.
Rs 5-Lakh Cr Investment In Power Generation By FY17: JyotiradityaScindia Confident of resolving woes of the power sector, Union Minister JyotiradityaScindia says that the country’s electricity generation capacity will leapfrog to nearly 315 gigawatts by fiscal year 2016-17 with an estimated investment of about Rs five lakh crore.”Investments are already on stream. All we need to do for meeting this target of power generation is to resolve all the issues faced by the sector. Once these problems are resolved then the investments would be put in place,” Scindia said. Admitting that all the four main areas of the power sector -- generation, transmission, distribution and last-mile solutions -- have their own issues, the Minister told PTI in an interview that he is confident of resolving those problems and the required initiatives are being put in place. “Each of these areas have its own characteristics, its own peculiarities, its own 10
EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
issues for which very customised solutions have to be devised,” said the 42-year-old Scindia who took over as the Power Minister about five months ago.The sector has been in rough weathers for many months, with the generation companies facing major problems like fuel shortage and regulatory hurdles. At the same time, the country is also facing significant power shortages, mainly due to problems in the distribution and lastmile segments.Recalling that the country’s power generation capacity has come a long way from just 1,625 MW at the time of independence in 1947, the minister said the capacity has gone up from 65,000 MW in 1991 to 228,000 MW at the end of the last fiscal, 2012-13. “The target is to take the generation capacity further to 315 gigawatts (315,000 MW) by the end of the 12th Five-Year Plan period ending in fiscal 2016-17.”In the first year
of 12th Plan, that is 2012-13, we recorded the highest capacity addition and generation in the history of India,” he said.”That is the past. In five years of 12th Plan, I plan to add 88 gigawatts, that is roughly about 17 gigawatts per year. Of that, in the first year itself, I have already exceeded 17 gigawatts,” Scindiasaid.Asked about the estimated investment required for such an ambitious expansion target, Scindia said that investments are are already on stream.”For thermal, we need an estimated investment of Rs 5 crore per megawatt, for hydro power it is Rs 8.5 crore and Rs 11 crore for nuclear. Out of 88 gigawatts planned to be added in 12th Plan Period, 67 gigawatts would be thermal, hydro would be about 10 gigawatts and nuclear would be around 5-6 gigawatts,” he said.Together, these investments would total to an estimated amount of about Rs five lakh crore.
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I NT ERV I EW
Interview with
Mr. Sundeep Gupta,
Joint M.D., Jakson Power Solutions EQ : What’s the history of your group and what made your group foray into solar SG : Jakson is almost seven decades old name associated with power sector. Jakson has grown over the years to become one of the largest manufacturer of diesel/ gas generating sets and power distribution products in the country. Today Jakson has distinct focused lines of business which makes us one stop shop for all power solutions Power Generation having entire line of diesel and gas generating sets in association with Cummins, Power distribution Products to cover LT & HT switchgear, Solar Power Solutions to cover IPP, EPC, Solar Invertor substations and now Solar Generators, Electrical Contracting & EPC to cover turnkey solutions including design & engineering. Jakson has international presence in Bangladesh, Nepal and Singapore. We have recently diversified into Hospitality sector and are in process of launching our 3 business hotels in upcoming Industrial towns in India. Jakson have revenues close to 1350 crores and our CAGR over last 10 years has been 15% plus. Jakson has around 1800 employees, 6 manufacturing plants and 75 points of presence in India which includes our network of about fifty dealers.
Solar history of Jakson Jakson was early to acknowledge the fact that India would need a significant contribution from renewable sector to meet its long term power requirement . Solar was relatively an unexplored field
12
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in India and the focus which was being brought by Country’s Solar Mission, we were absolutely convinced that of all renewable sources, Solar offered the best potential to grow for at least next 15-20 years and hence we decided to get into solar field in beginning of 2012 . Jakson has forayed into multiple streams in Solar and we play various roles. Jakson is an IPP player and has recently commissioned 20 MW Solar Power Plant at BAP near Jodhpur in Rajasthan. We are solar EPC Contractor and have executed various third party contracts for both land based and roof top Solar projects . Jakson has to its credit turnkey execution of 1 MW land based Solar Power Plant for a third party in short span of 90 days from Concept to Commissioning. We recently commisioned a 100 MW Roof top Solar power plant for Airport Authority of India, Raipur which was inagurated by Hon’ble President of India. In Oct’12 Jakson in association with Schneider launched a very innovative product called Solar Inverter SubStation . The response of this launch was overwhelming and we could book a business of 35 MW in a short span of 3 weeks from various EPC players who have appreciated this plug & play solution. Looking at the response, we decided to invest in a plant in Greater Noida dedicated only on Solar Substations and Solar Products. We have also developed prototype of a
innovative product called Solar Generator which we intent to launch soon. Very recently we have signed agreement with BARC and we plan to launch Solar Water purifier within 2013. These innovative products & others in the pipeline would perhaps be the best answer to power & water issues being faced by this Country, particularly in remote places & villages.
EQ :
Please tell us the policy under which your project is built and tariff got for your project
SG : Our 20 MW power plant comprising of 2 plants of 10 MWp capacity each are part of phase 2 of Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM). We have signed 25 years PPA with NVVN which is a SPV of NTPC to promote Solar power and the tariff for the same averages to around 8.60 per unit.
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EQ : What were the challenges in securing the finance for your project and who are the bankers & investors behind it. SG : One of the major bottlenecks being faced today is financing of Power Projects. Jakson has been a debt-free company and we were able to get finance from one of our bankers M/s Standard Chartered Bank in form of an ECB loan. The financing has been done on debt : equity ratio of 70 : 30
EQ : What were the challenges in choosing & securing land, permits, grid interconnection etc. SG : The major challenges were around land conversion, getting permits and grid
EQ : Who was your EPC Contractor and rationale behind selecting them SG : Jakson Engineers Limited (JEL), promoter and parent company of Jakson Power Private Limited who owns the 20 MW IPP were the EPC contractors. Parent Company JEL has been into power business since years and has had experience of executing projects ranging from 10 MW to 30 MW in the past. JEL has proven track record of its design, engineering and execution capabilities and in just past 2 years has executed EPC & Electrical Contracts for various customers like Vedanta, Balco, Abhijeet & AIIMS, to name a few which made us decide to award EPC Contract to the parent company. Jakson is also a MNRE Channel partner for system Integration.
inter connection which was time consuming process. There has been cooperation from local and State authorities but we as a Country need to have systems for faster approval of such fast track projects.
EQ : Briefly describe the challenges of working with available met data from NASA and others regarding irradiation, GHI etc. SG : METRONOM, NASA and the actual site data for GHI and Irradiation was not matching in totality. We had to do simulations and hence arrive at expected generation data. This is a challenge and something should be done to improve on the accuracy of solar mapping in India which will significantly help in improving the confidence of power producers & financers
EQ : Please enlighten us on the selection procedure of equipment & technology (c-si vs. Thin Film, Fixed structures vs. Tracking, String vs.Central Inverter ec..etc…) Whats the ideal solution for India and why SG : Being our first foray into the Solar Energy Jakson did not wanted to experiment and as such went in for tried and trusted technology and products which have successful history of performance. As such, we selected C-SI modules, fixed structures and central inverters. India should focus on best technologies available in the world to harness the true potential of this segment.
EQ : Briefly describe the components used and the rationale behind Modules, Inverters, Monitoring System & Scada, Mounting Structures, BOS, Cables, Transformer etc. SG : As mentioned before tried and trusted technology and no experimentation was the mool mantra behind selection of various technologies & components India is on take-off stage and has immense potential and hence its very important that Jakson exercises all caution to ensure success and be on a proven track record path. For our 20 MW plant, we have gone in for string level monitoring through the SCADA system. Jakson do intents to focus on technological improvements as we believe lot of innovation continues to happen in this field which should improve efficiency further
EQ : Please share the planned and actual generation, performance ratio, availability of plant & grid. Kindly provide graphs SG : The 20 MW Plants has been running and producing power since Feb 2013 and the results have been extremely encouraging . Jakson is confident of achieving Plant Load Factor close to 21%.
EQ : What’s your view on the Indian Policy Framework and one piece of advise you would like to give to the government and regulators
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SG : It is quite progressive on some aspects but the speed of framing policies to account for changing scenario and their implementation / enforcement ( with regards to RPO obligations of SEBs ) leaves a lot to be desired. The Government / Regulators need to enforce the declared policies and be ahead of the curve in formulating policies. Jakson also strongly feels that we should not restrict promotion of technological advancements & products available globally which will not only ensure faster achievement of grid power parity but would also boost investment sentiment of power production companies.
EQ : What’s an ideal financial model for the Solar PV Project in India to optimize the IRR SG : Generation based incentive financial model seems to be the best since it ensures that the capital invested is gainfully employed to generate electricity. Capital based subsidy may not be the best answer as it may not incentivise power producer to invest in best of the product and technologies. The 25 years PPA signed by NVVN or State Governments is a good incentive for Power Producers to invest in Solar field.
EQ : Kindly describe your Top 5 experiences with building your Solar PV plant in India SG : Statutory clearances at site like Land Conversion, PCB Clearance has been an issue. Project based financing was a constraint - there should be concessional Rate of Interest for Solar Power Projects Getting ROW for transmission line was a hurdle perhaps assistance by Govt on this can be a big positive for promoting Solar Power NVVN has been absolutely Cooperative in guidance throughout project execution which is appreciated. While we should push Made in India products but not at the cost of quality or technology.
EQ : What are the future plans in India and other countries? SG : Jakson plans to build a capacity of 100 MW in next 3 to 4 years . We are exploring opportunities both within India and also in Middle East to build up this portfolio of 100 MW. n
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SO L A R ENERGY
Airport goes Green- Vikram Solar commissions 100 KW Solar Power Plant at Cochin International Airport: Vikram Solar Pvt Ltd
ochin International Airport Ltd’s
C
After the award of the project it was
load. Since maximum power consumption on
(CIAL)green initiative to utilise solar
a detailed and meticulous plan which was
Air-Conditioning happens during the midday
power has taken off successfully.
the first part of the exercise. The most
and sunny hours, this concept is an ideal
With the commissioning of the 100
challenging task was the selection of the
utilization of utilizing peak solar energy and
KWsolar power plant on its rooftop, CIAL
exact location for installation of the solar
reduces the dependency of utility grid during
would be among India’s first international
photovoltaic modules and related structures
the corresponding period.
airports to use solar energy for its power
which will be roof mounted. The electrical
requirements.
sub-station roof of the Air-Conditioning
CIAL is a leading international airport catering to a large clientele particularly from the Middle East. Thus, not only best of the world class facility is provided; sustainability and energy conservation are also of paramount importance. With this noble objective in mind CIAL wanted to go for the best of technology and invited tenders from leading solar
Building was chosen as the location. The structural erection, particularly on the sloping
One of the most interesting features
penetrative and at the same time matching
of this project is that the performance of
the overall aesthetics of the area.
the power station can be monitored from
The 100 KW solar power plant consists of about 400 solar modules each having 250 Watt peak capacity, mounted on galvanized structures. The modules have been manufactured and deliveredfrom Vikram Solar’s state-of-the–art manufacturing
implementation partner primarily due to its
facility located in Falta SEZ, West Bengal.
capability of providing end to end service
The Inverter, which converts the DC power
right from modules manufacturing and supply,
generated from solar modules into AC voltage,
delivery, installation, commissioning and trial
was supplied by Refusol, a globally renowned
run of the system. Vikram Solar shall also be
manufacturer. The AC energy generated
responsible for operation and maintenance of
shall be fed to the mini grid of CIAL which
the system for a period of 10 years.
shall cater to primarily the Air-conditioning
EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
upon the prevailing solar irradiation.
roof was a challenge as it required to be non-
developers. Vikram Solar was chosen as the
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The system is expected to generate about 400 units of electricity per day depending
anywhere through a Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition System (SCADA). Advanced features of SCADA installed by Vikram Solar help all the stakeholders to measure and monitor the output of the solar plant on daily and even hourly basis. The generation can also be compared to the available solar irradiation available at any point of time since the output is highly dependent on the availability and duration of sunlight.
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SO L A R ENERGY
NEPC Installs 11kwp OffGrid Solar Power System In St. Patrick’s Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School In Chennai Achal - NEPC India Ltd
l Due to the power shortages and escalating electricity bills, St. Patrick’s Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School decided to install a Solar Power System in the School. l NEPC INDIA LTD has agreed to install a Solar Power System to provide power to the School building to take care of the power requirement of the School during Board Examinations to enable students write their examinations without any disruption. NEPC INDIA LTD prepared the Detailed Project Proposal. l NEPC INDIA LTD received 1st Order for complete installation and function of 7 KW Solar System on 22nd February, 2013 and completed the entire installation process before 26th February, 2013, thereby delivering a fully satisfactory service. Impressed by the Company’s performance, the management of the School placed further Order for 4 KW Solar System on 27th February, 2013, which the Company successfully executed before 4th March,2013. l The Solar Power System installed in the School building shall deliver far reaching benefits to the School 16
EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
in terms of relief from power cuts, savings in power bills and contribution to environmental sustainability, thereby maintaining the School’s image as an exemplary institution.
Scalable: The System is scalable for future growth, as it includes the highest rated inverter (15kw) to support the entire building load and further expansion is possible in panels / battery. Green Power: Reduces the School’s carbon foot-print and projects its image as an exemplary and responsible institution.
SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS Sl.No.
Components
Capacity
1.
PV Module
Solar Module 24V, 250 Wp (Poly Crystalline)-44 No.’s
2.
Power Conditioning Solar PCU (15 KW) Unit Inbuilt MPPT Solar Charge Controller
3.
Battery Bank
Solar Battery (C10 Rating- Exide)
BENEFITS OF THE SYSTEM No Power Cuts :The School Building shall have power for lights, fans and computers, even when there is a power cut. Non Polluting: The alternative to providing power during power cuts would have been a Diesel Generator which is polluting and expensive to maintain.
The Solar Future: Solar Energy is going to play a larger role in the nation’s energy mix. The recently announced Tamil Nadu Solar Energy Policy mandates 6% of energy consumption to be sourced from Solar for most institutions by 2014. St. Patrick’s Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School would lead the way.
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The right solution for Photovoltaic Power Systems. More than 500 MW PV projects already equipped with Bonfiglioli Inverters in India.
Courtesy Welspun Energy Limited, 30 MW Solar Plant, Gujarat
As one of the world’s leading players in clean energy today, Bonfiglioli has an innovative know-how and technical capability to bring utility and large-scale PV power plants to life. w} Ê6iVÌÀ Ê i ÌiÀÊ Ê iÀ > ÞÊ`ià } ÃÊEÊ > Õv>VÌÕÀiÃÊ>ÊÜ `iÊ À> }iÊ vÊ } ivwV i VÞÊ«À `ÕVÌÃÊv ÀÊi iÀ}ÞÊV ÛiÀà ÊvÀ ÊÎäÊ 7Ê Ì ÊÎÊ 7°Ê/ ÃÊ i ÌÀiÊ vÊ ÝVi i ViÊv ÀÊ* Ì Û Ì> VÊ iÀ}Þ]Êi ÃÕÀiÃÊ > Ê «Ì > ÊÀiÌÕÀ Ê vÊ ÛiÃÌ i Ì°Ê7 Ì Ê ÛiÀÊ£ÓÊÞi>ÀÃÊiÝ«iÀ i ViÊ ÊÌ iÊ India and its 17 branches spread across the country catering to sales > `Ê >vÌiÀ Ã> iÃÊ ÃiÀÛ Vi]Ê w} Ê ÃÊ iÊ vÊ Ì iÊ i>`iÀÃÊ `À Û }Ê Ì iÊ green revolution in India. / iÊvÕÌÕÀiÊ ÃÊLÀ } ÌÊÜ Ì Ê w} t
For details please contact:
Bonfiglioli Transmissions (Pvt) Ltd, Business unit-RePV, Survey No. 528/1, Perambakkam High Road, Mannur Village, Sriperambudur Taluk, Chennai - 602 105, India * \ʳ £Ê{{ÊÈÇ£äÎnääÊUÊ >Ý\ʳ £Ê{{ÊÈÇ£äÎ ÊUÊ«Û° ` >JL w} °V www.bonfiglioli.com
Visit us in Booth No.B85 in
SO L A R ENERGY
50kWp SOLAR POWER PLANT DEVELOPED AT RAM-EESH INSTITUTIONS,GR. NOIDA:
Green Initiatives in Institutes : Solar Power Plant by SPM Energy Umang Mathur - SPM Energy Pvt. Ltd.
S
PM Energy’s recent achievement has been the commissioning of 50 kWp Solar Power Plant in RamEesh Institutions, Greater Noida. The solar power plant uses Poly Crystalline Modules to generate power and the plant is connected at LT level (0.433 kV) in parallel with the existing electrical grid of the institute. The Solar Power Plant caters to partial electrical requirement of the organization during the day. The entire generation from the Solar Power Plant is self-consumed by the institute and hence batteries are not required for storage purposes. Additional requirement of power during the day is met by the supply from Electrical Grid or Diesel Generator (DG). It is envisaged that the Solar Power Plant shall save over 25% of institute’s annual expenses on electrical bills and diesel consumption.
ensure that the solar power plant meets the expected life of over 25 years. The details of major equipment used are as follows:
Eesh Institution is pleased to see the results and the team of SPM Energy is proud to be a part of another success story.
Over the past few months, the commissioned solar power plant is generating above the estimated figures (as shown in the chart). Dr. R.K. Sharma, Chairman, Ram-
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The solar PV Plant has been designed to meet international standards and as per guidelines laid out by MNRE. Further, the quality of materials has been selected to EQUIPMENTS
MAKE
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Solar PV Modules (PolyCrystalline Technology)
Schueco, India
Capacity range for each module: 240Wp (-0%/+5%) All modules confirm to international standards such as IEC-61215, IEC-61730 and other relevant standards.
Solar Power Conditioning Units
Schueco SMA
Multi-MPPT inverters with higher productivity and higher fault immunity capable to delivered efficiency up to 98.6% meeting relevant international IEC standards.
Solar Mounting Structure
Aluminium material
Designed as light weight and for Wind Speed of up to 200km/hr.
DC Solar Cables and Connectors
Schueco, India
Electron Beam crossed linked XLPO insulated and sheathed up to 120˚C which are specially designed for solar applications weather and UV resistant, fire protected Confirm to international standards such as IEC-60288, IEC-607541-1/EN 50268-2, ES 50395, UL-4703 and CE Certification.
Combiner Boxes
Hensel
Weather, water proof & fire resist Confirm to rating of IP-65 and other relevant UL listed standards.
AC Cables
Havells
Confirm to National & international standards such as BS-5467, 6004, 6231; IEC-60502-1, 60227; IS-1554-I,II and CE Certification.
Surge Protection, Lighting Arrestors
DEHN
Confirm to International Standards such as IEC-60312-7-764, BSEN 50539-11, EN-61643-11.
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SO L A R ENERGY
GreenBrilliance commissions a 20kW system installed in Vadodara Sumit Bhatnagar, Managing Partner - GreenBrilliance
G
r e e n B rilli a n c e, a l e a d i n g manufacturer of globally certified photovoltaic solar modules based out of Gujarat, India proudly announces the successful installation and commissioning of a state-of-art remotely monitored rooftop solar power plant in Vadodara. This rooftop solar power plant utilizes high performance Poly-crystalline modules manufactured by GreenBrilliance at their world class ISO certified manufacturing facility in Vadodara. Designing, engineering, and commissioning of this project in its entirety were handled by the highly qualified GreenBrilliance team. GreenBrilliance, apart from its manufacturing capabilities boasts of
an impressive portfolio of hundreds of rooftop systems all over India and Worldwide.
ensures a higher monitored production than the projected values.
The commissioned grid tied system is designed for a renowned corporate house in Vadodara. The custom engineered system is designed to optimize production and roof space by an in-house custom made staggered mounting structure. The system not only optimizes the production through GreenBrilliance Engineering finesse but also optimizes space usage. The space used for installation is approximately 30% lower than that required by standard monitoring equipment and ensures zero loss of production due to shading. The combination of right design, engineering, and precise installation
“Solar market is on the rise in India and it is very heartwarming for us at Greenbrilliance to see our unique services being utilized by the people of Gujarat specifically Vadodara as we are based locally,” says Mr. Vineet Jain, Managing Director, GreenBrilliance. “Engineering and now remote monitoring of this power plant has been challenging and exciting for the GreenBrilliance team,” added Shantanu Jain, Engineering team, greenbrilliance.
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SO L A R ENERGY
Jurchen Technology India Supplies 1st 1 MWp Industrial Structure. Amit Chheda, Jurchen Technology (I) Pvt. Ltd.
J
urchen Technology (I) Pvt. Ltd. Mumbai, a subsidiary of Jurchen Technology GmbH, has set up its manufacturing unit in the state of Maharashtra. Jurchen Technology GmbH was founded in 2008 and is based out of Helmstadt, Germany. The company produces and delivers various mounting and wiring systems and components for photovoltaic power plants; including module clips, plugs and sockets, cables, small parts, cable splices, roof fasteners, switchgear, and substructures for free field and roof-mounted, mounting and wiring system.
1 MW Roof Installation in Coimbatore The proposed project was a 1MW Solar PV installation on top of an Industrial roof for a textile industry in Tamil Nadu. It was a typical Industrial tin roof with a trapezoidal profile and roof inclination of 11 degrees. The mounting of 4266 nos 60 cell crystalline modules was a big challenge where the weight of mounting structure had to be optimized to minimize the load on existing roof structure. After studying all the factors, we came with a solution which was not only price
competitive but had reduced structure load and installation time. The other bottleneck was manufacturing, supplying the structure for first order of MW scale in weeks. The installation and commissioning had to be done within strict project deadline. Jurchen Technologyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Trapeze Bridge System which we supplied is a special mounting system designed for 0.7mm or above thick Industrial Trapezodial Sheet and is manufactured considering other factors like profile of roofing sheet, static properties of structure, inclination of roof etc.
Site Installation Photo: 1 MW Trapeze Bridge System for Industrial Roof in Tamil Nadu.
20Â
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This customized product for framed modules can save the cost of sub-structure and reduce overall structure weight and installation time, in comparison to Full Rail System. The major factor considered in Trapeze bridge system structure weight ensures it will not harm the structural integrity of the existing structure post installation of the modules. It has also considered the factor of water proof quality and wind speed.
Sloped Roof Installations
Advantages: Trapeze Bridge •
Cost effective solution
•
Rapid on-site assembly
•
No rail system is necessary
•
Extremely flexible to match roof requirement
Concrete Flat Roof installations Few things that worry owners of flat roofs regarding solar PV installation are drilling,
additional concreting and the static load due to system installation. Majority of industrial roofs are unsuitable for solar installations due to their structural properties. Looking at these concerns, Jurchen technology introduced its PlanTec installation for flat roofs, which reduces the structural load to a minimum, avoid any concreting and is therefore suitable for installation onto such industrial and commercial buildings. The system provides the long-awaited solution for low-ballast installation of solar panels on large flat and industrial roofs. It allows space saving installation and yield-optimized use of existing roof space. The patented design creates a down thrust by specially designed air channels that hold the PV system securely on the roof even in stormy conditions. The frameless thin-film modules are elevated at a 5° incline to prevent serious pollution of the module surfaces. With an east/west alignment or south facing alignment, the sun can shine evenly on all module fields from sunrise to sunset. The PlanTec aluminum and stainless steel installation frame is built to accommodate aerodynamic effects. This ensures greatest stability of the system at low weight and even protects against corrosion damage. To top it off, the installation leaves the roof cladding perfectly intact. n
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SO L A R ENERGY
On Grid System Installation in a Hospital in Bangalore, Karnataka – A Report Ratnadip Bhattacharjee, CEO - ArrayTech Technologies Pvt. Ltd
A
rrayTech Technologies Pvt. Ltd. is a Solar Integration company delivering quality and innovative Solar Products and Application with emphasis on understanding customer requirement,scientific & accurate load calculation and professional installation to enable clients to reduce grid dependence and encourage solar usage. 1. On Grid Solar installation in RMV Hospital in Bangalore, Karnataka
Phase I – 5 KW installed – July 2012
Phase II – 10 KW installed – Feb 2013
Total: 15 KW ON GRID SYSTEM INSTALLATION After detailed load and civil site analysis, 15kW On Grid System was suggested to the client, who was convinced with the working of Solar PV On Grid System after seeing the company’s PV Syst simulation results, and wanted to install in two phases. Since client had online ups for Hospital sensitive loads and they were aware of the Battery maintenance issues, they wanted a Battery Less System. SOLAR PV GRID TIRD/ON GRID SYSTEM: For Captive Consumption
Working Principle
:
l The solar modules when exposed to sunlight generate DC electricity. The DC power goes through a solar inverter 22
EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
which is a critical component in a solar PV Grid Tied system l Solar Grid Tied Inverter performs the conversion of the variable DC output of the PV modules into a clean sinusoidal AC power l This inverter needs a synchronizing power which will be either the Grid or DG l The Solar Current will be given lead angle in synchronization process and it will be forcefully injected into the bus bar of Loads l The Loads will be supplied with Solar Power as a prime source of energy and Grid and DG power will supply remaining part of requirement l The consumption of Solar Power directly make difference in monthly Electricity
Bill thereby Saving money and using Green Energy
SYNCHRONISATION: The inverter measures grid (voltage, frequency, phasing) and uses this information to synchronize the internal regulation. It means the inverter starts up with an open grid contactor and with a grid independent frequency. Then the controller changes the internal frequency, voltage and phasing so long as this is absolute identical to the given values from the grid. Now the electronic will close a soft start contactor to pre-magnetise the internal transformer. Few parts of a second later the main grid contactor will close and the inverter will feed in. If the grid values are changed during the inverter feeds
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in the grid, monitoring will detect it and the controller will adjust the internal regulation so that the inverter is synchronal to the grid the entire time.
Shadow free Area Available : meters
200
Sq
North to South : 12 Meters East to West : 16Meters
Protections :
Type of Roof : Tilt Roof
l DC Side modules are given with SPD, DC Dis-connector Switch which will protect the Solar System
Electrical Survey: Sources of Energy :El e c t ri ci t y B o a r d: Connection Type : LT3(I)
l For all kinds of faults the Solar Inverter will react first and ISOLATE itself from the system in microseconds of time
Contract Demand: 18Hp+60kVA; Peak Load 13kW+ 45kW
Advantages :
Diesel Generator : Rating 120Kva
l Simple and Safe system which gives Direct Savings in Electricity Bill
Life : More than 5Years
As per the site survey details it is confirmed that “ALL THE SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER GENERATED WITH 15KW PLANT WILL BE CONSUMED CAPTIVELY FROM THE RMV HOSPITAL LOADS ONLY.”
Client Discussion: A 15kW 3 Phase On Grid proposal was given to the client. Since client wanted to check the feasibility of the system, they asked to split the system and install in two phases. Again system was redesigned with 5kW, 1 Phase On Grid system which can be installed in 3 steps for each phase of the load.
Load and Consumption Details :
l Load Independent system
Load type : 3 Phase
l Most Efficient System, Very Least Losses & Maintenance Free System
Comments:
Type of Loads : All Medical Instruments
l 25 years of Guaranteed Generation with Payback Period of around 5 years
Operating Hours : 24 x 7 Hours working (Please mention if load works in 2 or 3 Shifts)
l Soiling Losses were higher than anticipated in the Qtr between October & December due to construction work nearby.
l 1kW of Solar Power Plant Generates 5.5Units of Electricity per day, i.e. Rs 44 per day at present tariff (8 Rs/unit) 1stJuly 2012 to 31stJan 2013 – Rs. 52,378 is savings (approx) for 5 KW
Weekly Holidays : No Holiday
l Grid Failure During Sun Shine Time considered : ~1%
Consumption : 1300 Units/ Month (Average of last six months)
Rs. 1,57,132is the savings (approx) for 15 KW
l Accelerated Investment
Depreciation
on
Limitations : l No Back up will be given from the system, since solar power directly utilized l Needs a Synchronizing Power for feeding, i.e when power goes off (Grid or DG) Inverter will isolate from the system, stop feeding and Solar Power will go waste. l If Load is less, than Solar Power generated will start feeding back to the grid, but normal meters will rotate in the same direction even power flow is reverse, and feed power will be charged, so detailed load analysis is necessary. Site Survey Details: It helps in designing the system at its optimum, without wasting solar energy and keep the operations of load safe utilizing the Solar PV Energy.
Civil Survey: Lo c a tio n : L a tit u d e Longitude77.6oE
1 3 oN
and
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EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
23
PV INVERTERS
Schneider Electric Launches Complete Range Of Best-In-Class Products For The Residential, Commercial And Off-Grid Solar And Battery Backup Market Solar Business Unit - Schneider Electric
S
chneider Electric Solar Business, a global leader in solutions for solar power conversion chain, is launching a complete range of products for residential, small commercial and off-grid solar and backup power in the Indian market. These new product launches reiterate Schneider Electric’s commitment to the solar industry. “Solar PV technologies have the potential to fundamentally transform the electricity landscape in India and play an important role in meeting India’s growing electricity needs. Schneider Electric is fully committed to play a leading role in this transformation. We are accelerating our investment by transferring global technology to India, increasing our local R&D capabilities and manufacturing locally in our world class facilities. The launch of new range of inverters to support off-grid & rooftop market to complement existing successfully launched offers for large solar farms (central inverters & complete Balance of system) further reinforces our commitment to Indian market, said Anurag Garg, Vice President – Solar Business, Schneider Electric, India. New solutions for residential, small commercial, carports and decentralized PV plants Conext RL inverter – The Conext RL is a flexible and efficient residential single-phase transformerless solar inverter available in 3, 4 and 5 kW power ratings. The Conext RL has industry leading peak conversion efficiency of 97.5% and is specially designed to maximize yields for a wide range of rooftops of detached houses and multiple dwellings. The Conext RL will be available in June 2013. Conext TL inverter – Schneider Electric has expanded the popular Conext TL line of inverters to include 8 and 10kW power levels 24
EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
– the full product portfolio is now available in 8, 10, 15 and 20 kW models. The Conext TL transformerless grid-tie solar inverter is the ideal solution for commercial buildings, carports and decentralized power plants up to the MW range. It has peak efficiency greater than 98% with a wide voltage range (350 - 850 V) to maximize the ROI. The new Conext TL 8 and 10kW will be available in May 2013. Conext Monitor 20 – The Conext Monitor 20 is a compact and simple remote monitoring and control solution for small PV plants up to 20 kW. The easy to configure Conext Monitor 20 allows PV plant owners to monitor the operating performance of the inverter using a web portal regardless of the location. The Conext Monitor 20 will be available inMay 2013. Conext Designer – The Conext Designer is a PV system design tool that supports installers in optimizing their system designs. The tool allows installers to select Conext range of inverters, wide variety of panels and roof orientation in order to build designs aimed at maximizing energy harvest. The Conext Designer will be available in May 2013. New solutions for off-grid solar and backup power Conext SW inverter/charger–The Conext SW inverter/charger delivers new value and a new price point to the off-grid solar and backup power marketplace in 2013. The Conext SW inverter/charger is available in 2.5 and 4 kW power ratings, and is a pure sine wave, inverter/charger system with switchable 50/60 Hz functionality available for both 120/240 VAC or 230 VAC models. The Conext SW will be available in May 2013. Conext ComBox communication device – Operators of Conext XW & SW
systems can now remotely monitor yield performance using devices of their choice, such as personal computers, tablet devices, or building management systems using the new Conext ComBox. Installers can change the settings of Conext devices during commissioning and react 24/7 to system alerts remotely. A Modbus interface links Conext devices with sophisticated third party software packages and building management systems. Conext ComBox is compatible with Xanbus protocol devices. The Conext ComBox will be available in June 2013. Conext XW inverter/charger – Adaptable and scaleable, the Conext XW inverter/charger is the one solution for global grid-interactive and off-grid, residential and commercial, solar and backup power applications. Already a market leader for off-grid solar and backup power in the United States, Schneider Electric is now launching the Conext XW in Europe and Asia. The Conext XW inverter/charger has been available to order since the beginning of the year in 4, 4.5 and 6 kW power ratings. These products have been successfully installed in various residential and commercial battery based Solar systems in India.
The expertise of a trusted supplier Schneider Electric provides bankable photovoltaic solutions for any size installation. Together with local support from a global organization with presence in over 100 countries, 175 years of experience, and bestin-class manufacturing, we can provide real bankability to our customers worldwide.
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PV INVERTERS
Inverter With Multiple Mpp Trackers:
Requirements And state Of The Art Solutions Dietmar Staudacher- FRONIUS International GmbH For most people inverters with multiple MPP Trackers (MPPT) seem to be more flexible compared to inverters with a single MPPT. At first glance this assumption appears to be correct, however, the devil is in the detail. The purpose of this project is to show that not everyinverter with multiple MPPT’s is automatically usable for each application. There are high requirements on such an inverter which must be fulfilled to be as flexible as always assumed.
I
nverters with multiple MPP Trackers should be usable for different applications. Firstly, perfect system configuration must be possible. That means each number of PV modules – which results from different system sizes – must be configurable. Secondly, to minimize energy losses, further applications are: shaded PV systems and PV systems with different module orientation. These are in principle the main applications for inverters with multiple MPP Trackers and the crucial question is: “Are inverters with multiple MPP Trackers suitable for all of these applications”?
2
Multistring
The requirements of an inverter with two MPP Trackers are explained in the following text. Figure 1 indicates a simplified block diagram: each string has its own DC/ DC converter with a separate MPPT for operating the respective string or string bundle at its maximum power.
Figure 1: Block diagram of an inverter with two MPPT’s
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The key factor for such an inverter to that should be originally minimized with an be useful for the mentioned applications inverter with two MPP Trackers. in chapter 1 is the DC DC power capability – MPPT1 power capability of each MPPT. As shown in Figure 2, the DC power capability on the main input (MPPT1) must be 100% over an appropriate MPP voltage range – the same as it is for a normal string inverter. If the maximum DC power capability on MPPT1 would be Figure 2: Required DC power capability of MPPT1 lower than 100% then the installer could be forced to mix up PV DC power capability – MPPT2 modules on the second input (MPPT2) which are not exposed to the same conditions. For example, a maximum provided DC power capability of 70% on MPPT1 in a PV system in which 10% of PV modules are shaded would result in energy losses. However, Figure 3: Required DC power capability of MPPT2
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As can be seen in Figure 3, for MPPT2 a maximum DC power capability of 50% is sufficient – also in that case the MPP voltage range must be wide enough. 50% DC power capability is required, for example, in an East/ West orientated PV system with a 1:1 power separation - 50% DC power on the east roof and 50% DC power on the west roof. Additionally, for both MPP Trackers an extended MPP voltage range with decreasing DC power capability is required to get more flexibility in system configuration and a better performance for shaded systems or systems with different module orientation. With such a design the inverter would be useful for each application but has the disadvantage of high costs due to oversizing.
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voltage (VMPP/MIN) is specified at a lower DC power capability than PMAX which can cause misunderstanding or wrong VMPP calculations. Therefore VMPP/MIN should be specified at PMAX as the arrow shows in Figure 4. In comparison, in Figure 5 the required DC power capability of MPPT1 (100%) over an appropriate input voltage range is shown. As can be seen, the difference between the required DC power capability and the actual one is significant.
DC power capability – MPPT1
State of the Art Solutions
4
Perfect System Configuration
For perfect system configuration a maximal DC power capability of 67% on the main input (MPPT1) and 50% on the second input (MPPT2) is at least necessary. These are the minimum requirements for the installation of even and uneven strings to the inverter. 67% on MPPT1 is demanded for the installation of three strings – two strings on MPPT1 and one string on MPPT2. In the case of even strings the maximum DC power capability necessary on MPPT2 is 50%. Moreover, parallel operation of MPPT1 and MPPT2 must be possible for the installation of 1-string PV systems.
As shown in Table I, the required 67% DC power capability cannot be achieved by any inverter which results in restrictions Figure 5: Required DC power capability of MPPT1 with the appropriate MPP voltage range compared to the provided DC concerning the system power capability configuration. First of all, there are Additional to that example, Table I shows restrictions with standard crystalline PV some more inverters with two MPP Trackers modules – that means that modules with An example of an inverter with two that are available on the market. As can be common 5- and 6-inch solar cells are partly MPPT’s is shown in Figure 4. As can be seen, seen, all four inverters have the same DC not configurable. And secondly, the system both MPP Trackers - MPPT1 and MPPT2 power capability on both inputs. The minimum design with three strings is mainly not possible - have the same DC power capability of requirement of 50% DC power capability – as mentioned above, for three strings a 58% over a certain MPP voltage range. on MPPT2 is fulfilled by every inverter. maximal DC power capability of 67% on any This means that the requirements on the However, MPPT1 is always undersized which input is required. A comparison between an inverters’ DC power capability aren’t fulfilled. have consequences regarding the mentioned inverter with two MPPT’s (inverter B – see 58% is in fact sufficient for MPPT2 but applications: perfect system configuration, chapter 3, Table I) and an inverter with a insufficient for MPPT1. What consequences shaded or different orientated PV system single MPPT is shown in Table II. this has is explained later in chapter 4 and respectively. Furthermore, MPPT2 is mainly In that example the system configurations chapter 5. Moreover, the minimal MPP oversized with the exception of inverter D. were carried out with a standard crystalline Table I: Examples PV module with an MPP current of 7.48A DC power capability – MPPT1, MPPT2 of inverters with two at STC conditions. Both inverters had the MPPT’s - Percentage same nominal AC power of 10kW and since of the maximum DC the installation of the PV modules shall be power capability of flexible a system dimensioning from -5% each MPPT to +20% with regard to PDC/MAX (PDC/ MAX = PAC/Efficiency of the inverter) was also considered – from the system dimensioning, results the different number of PV modules. First of all, there are some inverters with multiple MPPT’s available on the market, which closely meet the requirements explained in the previous chapter. Those inverters have in principle no significant problems concerning the applications mentioned in chapter 1. But there are also some inverters with multiple MPPT’s currently available which do not fulfil the requirements.
Figure 4: DC power capability of MPPT1 and MPPT2 of an inverter with two MPPT’s
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As can be seen, the number of possible system configurations
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using the inverter with two MPPT’s does not meet the expectations. For both inverter types five different number of PV modules can be installed. Hence, there is no advantage for the inverter with two MPPT’s regarding system configuration compared to the inverter with a single MPPT. At that point it should also be noted that the inverter with two MPPT’s is just partly applicable for the other applications, in fact in three cases only. This will be handled in greater detail in the next chapter. Table II: Comparison between the inverter with two MPPT’s – that maximum DC power capability is 58% for each MPP Tracker - and the inverter with a single MPPT regarding system configuration. Five numbers of PV modules can be installed with each inverter. Separated strings can be installed to the inverter with two MPPT’s with just three numbers of PV modules. The number of strings is higher at the inverter with a single MPPT due to higher open circuit voltage.
multiple MPPT’s are shaded PV systems and PV systems with differing module orientation. The requirements to be useful for these applications are even higher compared to those explained in the previous chapter. The DC power capability on MPPT1 must be 100% - on MPPT2 50% DC power capability is adequate. All four inverters shown in Table I (see chapter 3) do not fulfil the requirements. Therefore these inverters can be used only to a limited extent for shaded PV systems or systems with differing orientations. An example with inverter C is shown in Table III. The following factors were considered to calculate possible system configurations: IMPP/STC of the PV module = 8.5A; AC power of the inverter = 10kW; system dimensioning from -5% to +15% with regard to PDC/MAX (PDC/MAX = PAC/Efficiency of the inverter). As can be seen, four different numbers of PV modules can be installed.Since MPPT1 is undersized, the following restrictions are obvious concerning shaded PV systems and different orientated PV systems: Firstly, the usage of the inverter in a shaded PV system or PV systems with different module orientation is only possible in just two cases with 46 PV modules and with 48 PV modules. Secondly, the inverter with two MPPT’s is not as flexible as expected because a 3:1, 3:2 or 4:1 string separation is not possible. Moreover, with the shown system design for 46 PV modules and 48 PV modules mismatching losses can occur if just one string or a few PV modules are shaded or of differing orientation. Table III: Possible system configurations using inverter C with two MPPT’s
In summary it can be concluded, that an inverter with a single MPP Tracker and with a well suited MPP voltage range has no disadvantages compared to an inverter with two MPPT’s which DC power capabilities do not meet the explained requirements.
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PV-Systems and PV-Systems with different Module Orientation Further applications for inverters with
system configurations with a 10kW AC inverter with a single MPPT are shown – the factors used for the system configurations were similar to those before. As can be seen, the numbers of PV modules which can be installed are similar compared to the inverter with two MPPT’s. Of course, a string separation is not possible but this is not always necessary. The installation of inverters with single MPP Tracker in eastwest orientated PV systems is a good option and can provide an attractive alternative compared to inverters with multiple MPPT’s [1][2]. Table IV: Possible system configurations with an inverter with single MPPT
6
Conclusion
The findings of several analyses of inverters with multiple MPP Trackers are briefly summarized in the following paragraphs. Investigated state of the art solutions have shown that inverters with multiple MPP Trackers have restrictions regarding: n n n
Perfect system configuration Shaded PV systems PV systems with different module orientations
Inverters with a single MPPT have often no disadvantages regarding system configuration compared to inverters with multiple MPPT’s. Inverters with multiple MPP Trackers must fulfil high requirements. Misleading datasheet information could lead to poor system configurations.
Consequently, the last two chapters have shown that not every inverter with two MPP Trackers is automatically useful for every application as is always assumed.
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In comparison, in Table IV the possible
In conclusion, many inverters with multiple MPPT’s do not keep their promises regarding system configuration, shaded PV systems and PV systems with different module orientations.
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PV INVERTERS
Nitin Bhosale - VP - Sales & Marketing REFU Solar Electronics Pvt. Ltd
Keertika Singh
REFUdesign – PV Plant Design Tool D
esign plays a pivotal role for any PV plant. A good design can lead to high revenue generating solar plants whereas an improper sizing of the system could lead to a non-profitable investment. A designer should be able foresee and optimize the configuration & sizing in such a manner that the design turns out to be a green signal for the investor. REFUsol has come up with a solution which will provide a complete string sizing to the customers. We have launched an online string sizing tool – REFUdesign – being our first web application. The aim of this application is to provide our customers (solar power professionals, plant designers and solar plant installers) the possibility to design their PV plants with REFUsol inverters to finally find the optimum configuration for their plant to be built. The application will provide a userfriendly interface providing possibilities to technically check the different components of the plant. It will also contain a database for nearly all available modules but also allows the customer to enter and customize modules which are not yet available in the database. 30
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The first version of the REFUdesign application will only provide basic functionality but of course the application supports worldwide locations. After a configuration has been finalized end customers will have the possibility to request an offer from REFUsol for the inverters chosen in the configuration. Solar plant installers can also use this feature to prepare and write offers to their customers. The KEY FUNCTIONS of the tool are:
Online Web Application The user needs an internet connection and log on to www.refudesign.com The following domains have already been acquired by us : www.refudesign.net www.refudesign.eu www.refudesign.de www.refudesign.info www.refudesign.org
Available in 5 languages (de, en, it, es, fr) German English (UK, U.S.) Italian
Spanish French
Support of imperial and metric units Login with REFUlog user data It is possible for REFUlog users to use their credentials also for the REFUdesign application therefore the users and database table in REFUlog database should be used for the REFUdesign application. Newly created users in REFUdesign will also be stored in the corresponding REFUlog database table. On the Register page a message is displayed informing the user that he can use his REFUlog credentials for REFUdesign. It is possible that many different users log in to and use the application at the same time. Authentication for users is needed but will be adapted from REFUlog. User and account management, registering, user validation and logging in will also be adapted from REFUlog. Customization with company logo or photo* The registered user can upload a picture of the company or the site to make the design look more realistic and easily identifiable.
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Comprehensive online module database Input of missing panels* Extension of module database
Project list for saving PV systems* The details of all the projects designed will be stored as a list in the database which can be filtered and sorted with the help of various columns. This feature will be active for registered users only. The Save* button will help the user create a list in the database.
PDF report for PV systems* As mentioned earlier, after a configuration has been finalized end customers will have the possibility to request an offer from REFUsol for the inverters chosen in the configuration. Solar plant installers can also
use this feature to prepare and write offers to their customers.
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String Sizing
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Optimal combination of Inverters
This feature is accessible to registered users only.
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Defining alternative system configuration for comparison
On clicking the PDF button, the data entered on the main page will be converted into a pdf and a download dialog is opened and file can be read with the help of a PDF reader.
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Creating the module database, if the desired product is not found.
Online quotation request The Get a Quote* button will be used for this feature . Once clicked it will generate a PDF and attached to a mail, it will be sent to REFUsol contact person. Therefore, REFUdesign not only enables online designing of PV systems but provides an elucidated justification for:
Being the first web tool for REFUsol, it is launched with all the basic features a designer needs to verify before the finalization of the project. The advanced version will be released very soon with enhanced features offering detailed parametric calculations which will not only provide better understanding to the client but also help in finalization of the best possible design. n
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PV INVERTERS
Ingeteam is to showcase its self-consumption solutions and latest PV inverters at INTERSOLAR Ingeteam Power Technology S.A. n
The Ingeteam stand is to host two presentations a day of the INGETEAM SMART HOUSE, with the system actually connected in a real life situation.
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Visitors will also have the opportunity to see inside our new 15 foot PowerStation, and get a closer look at our latest PV inverters.
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Intersolar Stand B4.340 The INGETEAM SMART HOUSE platform, to be showcased at the Intersolar fair, reflects Ingeteam’s firm commitment to the development of self-consumption solutions. Visitors to our stand will be offered the opportunity to attend two demonstrations a day in English and German, showing this system connected up in a real life situation, with a number of electrical loads fed by INGECON grid-tie inverters and a battery bank coupled to the system. This innovative self-consumption system is controlled by the INGECON® EMS Manager (EMS: Energy Management Solutions), making it possible to manage energy production and storage, by controlling the operation of the power inverters (the grid-tie inverters and the battery inverters). Furthermore, the Manager also controls energy consumption through the programmed connection and disconnection of loads. Ingeteam is also to showcase its innovative 1 MW central inverter. This new INGECON SUN Power Max provides a maximum AC power output of 1,019 kW up to an ambient temperature of 45 ºC, with a maximum efficiency of 98.8%. This inverter will be on show inside the new 15 foot long INGECON SUN Power Station SHELTER. This medium voltage turnkey solution features a functional enclosure housing all the devices required to convert the energy from the PV array and deliver it to the medium voltage grid. All the Power Station products are customisable to suit the demands of each and every user, with units ranging from 315 kW to 2,100 kW. Visitors to the stand will also be able to get a closer look at the small single phase and three phase inverter range, INGECON® SUN 1Play and 3Play, with a specially designed casing for outdoor applications and a power output range from 2.5 to 40 kW. The transformerless models feature two MPPT inputs, ensuring greater power outputs, whilst the transformer version of the INGECON® SUN 1Play single phase inverter is equipped with high frequency technology, making it more lightweight and allowing it to achieve greater effiency. The Ingeteam range of energy management solutions is completed with the INGECON® EMS Home, 2.4 to 6 kW single phase inverters for batteries, designed for domestic applications and available with and without a transformer. This equipment will also be on show, operating in a real life situation, connected to a battery bank, as part of the Ingeteam Smart House. Finally, Ingeteam is also firmly committed to electric mobility, as a way towards a cleaner world. In this respect, the various INGEREV charging stations will also be present on the stand: slow charging in AC mode, fast charging in DC mode, home chargers, urban charging stations, etc. To date, Ingeteam has supplied more than 3 GWp to its customers, confirming its position as one of the world’s leading inverter manufacturers.
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PV INVERTERS
Rakesh Khanna, Managing Director , SMA India
Bernd Gessner, Head of Technical Consulting and Projects SMA Solar Technology AG
Sun Saves Fuel
The Combination Of Fossil-Fueled Generator Sets And Photovoltaic Systems Ensures An Attractive And Reliable Energy Supply For Large Industrial Consumers. Photovoltaic Helps Minimizing Fuel Costs And CO2-Emissions.
I
ndustries in remote areas with weak grid or even no grid infrastructure typically use fossil-fueled generators (generator sets = gensets) for their energy supply. Nowadays in India, over 20 gigawatts of diesel gensets are producing the energy for industries such as raw material processing, agricultural companies and textiles. For those industries, low power generation costs, quick operational readiness, maximum reliability and availability are fundamental, so the gensets often run continuously because of unreliable power supply from the grid and sporadic grid failures for several hours. Besides high operational costs for the genset operators, this is causing severe CO2-emissions and global climate change. As the Indian demand for fossil fuel will rise in case of economic growth and increasing population, harmful carbon dioxide emissions will rise, too. Industries with a high amount 34
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of energy consumption need to reduce their carbon footprint to reach the climate goals set by the United Nations. Apart from climate policy, there is another reason for the need of alternative energy supply: fossil energy reserves will last for approximately 150 years. Those who rely solely on diesel gensets to generate power must be prepared for the high operating costs tied to price increases and constant fuel consumption. In many regions, the price for one liter of Diesel fuel has already exceeded one US dollar. In addition, if the fuel has to be transported to remote regions, effective costs increase even more as a result of the required fuel transportation and storage onsite. This often can double or even triple the price for a liter of diesel compared to spot market prices. Diesel-powered systems thus reach their economical limits very quickly. And if the production is powered by gensets
or grid, producing the needed amount of energy is also very expensive, because every increase of fuel costs has to be covered by the earnings of the producer or leads to a higher product raw price. This is causing problems with competitors that have access to a cheaper energy source. Running a PV system in such a case means the earnings and the product prices are secured against rising energy costs.
Economical, environmentally friendly and efficient “Alternative energy solutions are in high demand to combat the increase in prices and effects of global warming,” says Rakesh Khanna, Managing Director SMA India. “To meet this demand, SMA has developed a technology that is able to reduce fuel costs
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reducing fuel costs and CO2- costs and CO2-emissions for the operator. emissions. “Where adequate space and solar irradiation Proven technology in abound, the combination the field of PV and diesel gensets is SMA has been developing scalable the perfect economical and ecological energy solution”, hybrid solutions for the electrification of says Rakesh Khanna. “PV off-grid regions for more than 30 years and systems do not cause any has comprehensive experience as a system emissions, they require low technology supplier also for large-scale PV maintenance and operating power plants in the triple-digit megawatt costs, they have a modular range. SMA offers customized solutions The SMA Fuel Save Solution is the key enabler for leveraging your full saving potential at any location and, therefore, optimizing your overall power generation cost. Through design, are scalable and optimized for the customers’ specific genset a short payback time it is particularly attractive for investors and makes project financing much simpler. can be adjusted according configuration and load profile. The first SMA and CO2-emissions in industrial applications to current energy demands. Fuel Save Solution in the megawatt range significantly. The SMA Fuel Save Solution Despite the initial system costs, PV systems was installed in November 2012 in the South combines diesel and photovoltaics into a pay off in just three to five years in sunny African province Limpopo. For his chrome hybrid system and minimizes the dependence regions.” And how does this work in the mine in Thabazimbi the genset operator on fuel. It is economically extremely viable field? “Depending on for Genset operators.” the system design, we use either the SMA With an average solar irradiation of 1500 inverter Sunny Tripower kWh per kWp and up to 300 days of sunshine or Sunny Central. For India is very well qualified for photovoltaics. decentralized system “In sunny regions, photovoltaic has already structure Sunny Tripower become the most viable way to generate is the ideal solution, power from an economical perspective, even while Sunny Central is without subsidies. Prices for PV system designed specifically to technology have dropped by more than 50 be used in large central percent within the last three years alone,” PV power plants and describes Bernd Gessner, Head of Technical ground mounted systems,” Consulting and Projects for Hybrid Energy explains Bernd Gessner. Solutions. With more than 100 gigawatt “The interface between PV Electricity Generation Costs Today Are Already Lower Than Genset Power (GW) PV systems installed worldwide, it the gensets, the PV system Production Costs. is a proven and reliable technology from and the loads is the SMA which more and more industrial companies Fuel Save Controller. In the interest of the added a 1 MW PV system to his diesel are profiting. diesel gensets, it manages PV feed-in while gensets. With approximately 1,8 GWh of PV the diesel gensets remain unaffected. By power per year, an overall saving potential of Customized solution for this means the SMA Fuel Save Solution can up to 450.000 liters of diesel fuel is feasible. stable and safe energy achieve 60 percent of PV capacity compared “Hybrid solutions are extremely attractive supply to the installed genset capacity, so 600 kW for all industries that depend on a reliable, of PV power can be installed with each economical and environmentally friendly PV-Diesel hybrid systems help reaching megawatt of operating genset power,” he energy supply,” Rakesh Khanna says. “At the established governmental policies that adds. In addition, an optional storage battery the moment we are implementing the first support an increase in the percentage of can raise the proportion of PV power in the projects in India. It is an extremely upcoming renewable energy in the energy mix and system. This means additional savings of fuel topic for Indian companies.”
A mine operator in South Africa minimizes fuel costs and CO2-emissions by implementing a PV-Diesel-hybrid system
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EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
35
PV INVERTERS
Energy Revolution For Everyone: KACO New Energy Presents New Products And Integrated Solutions At Intersolar Europe 2013 KACO new energy GmbH
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ith solutions from KACO new energy, operators of photovoltaic systems can do their part in the energy revolution: at this year’s Intersolar Europe in Munich, the Neckarsulm-based inverter manufacturer will present products and solutions in this spirit. Innovations include the Powadorgridsave and the Powador-gridsave eco, two flexible energy storage and management systems for new and existing solar power systems. For the flagship project “Quartierspeicher Weinsberg” (Weinsberg local storage), which the company is presenting in-depth at the expo, KACO new energy has for the first time developed the entire electrical and thermal power management system. Three 3-phase inverters with AC outputs from 5 to 7.5 kVA round out the proven TL3 series with equipment for use in the residential sector. Two new units in the 500 kW class offer innovative technology for large solar power plants; each is available as an outdoor model and as an integrated power 36
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station in combination with transformers and separators. In addition, KACO new energy is announcing a new brand name in 2014 for its inverters: blueplanet. The Powador-gridsave system is a fully integrated, turnkey energy storage and management system from KACO new energy: it combines batteries, control unit and inverter in a compact stand-alone housing. The system uses long-life lithiumion batteries with a high depth of discharge. The batteries collect the solar energy during the day and feed the home power grid on a delayed basis so that the owner benefits from maximum power consumption. The battery capacity is variable: up to five modules, each with 1.35 kWh, can be incorporated in the housing as 19” plug-in units. The DC coupling makes the Powadorgridsave ideal for integration in new photovoltaic systems. The Powador-gridsave eco is AC-coupled and is therefore the solution for upgrades
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of existing phot ovolt aic systems. The efficient control technology acts as a go-between for the inverter of the photovoltaic system, the battery and the public power grid. This bidirectional power manager thus ensures that the entire system operates with the highest level of efficiency. The capacity of the lead-acid batteries can be selected to meet your needs. With this modular approach, the Powadorgridsave eco provides maximum flexibility. A special highlight is the capacity to switch virtually without interruption to backup power in the event that the public grid fails. All activities can be viewed on a PC, and you can conveniently upgrade functions via remote access or USB stick.
An integrated web server, graphical display, update function via USB and a multilingual menu provide convenient operation and global applications.
T h e Powador 6.0 TL3, 7.8 TL3 and 9.0 TL3 round out the existing quartet of Powador 10.0 TL3 to 18.0 TL3 units. The AC outputs are 5 kVA, 6.5 kVA and 7.5 kVA. This allows the benefits of these 3-phase inverters to now be applied to smaller roof systems: the new units also have a wide input voltage range from 200 to 800 V, as well as two MPP trackers that are each able to process virtually all of the AC output. This allows users to overcome difficult configurations such as an east-west roof.
a very flexible configuration of the devices. The peak efficiency is an extremely high 98.7 percent. These characteristics were behind the decision to use the Powador XP550-HV TL outdoor for the world’s largest communal solar power plant with 400 MW output in San Antonio, Texas. Together with external transformers and separators on the DC and AC side, two XPs are mounted on a base plate to create a functional unit, the IPS (integrated power station).
The Powador XP500-HV TL outdoor and the XP550-HV TL outdoor are transformerless central inverters for PV generators up to 600 kW or 660 kW. Based on their IP54 protection class, they can be used outdoors. The no-load voltage of 1,100 V allows for
Under the name “Quartierspeicher Weinsberg” (Weinsberg local storage) a model settlement will go live in September 2013, in which photovoltaic systems will almost entirely cover the electricity demand and significantly contribute to the heat supply. To enable rapid charging and discharging
of the central lithiumion batteries, a newly developed bi-directional inverter with 120 kW from KACO new energy will be used. In addition, the company has for the first time implemented the entire power management solution for both electrical and thermal requirements. The project in Weinsberg provides the blueprint for a stand-alone solar energy supply, which could be used by other large consumers, such as hotels and industrial operations. It also sees KACO new energy at
the beginning of a road toward implementing complex, highly integrated solutions for its customers. Goodbye to Powador, blueplanet is coming: visitors to the KACO new energy booth at the expo are likely to be particularly keen for a preview of the new inverters for 2014. In the process of successful internationalisation, the company is rebranding its inverters so that they have a standard name globally: blueplanet. This name is already in use in North America – and it matches the company logo that is reminiscent of our blue planet as well. With the introduction of the new blueplanet brand name, KACO new energy will also name the inverters based on their AC output. New products that the company will be presenting with the new nomenclature at Intersolar Europe include single-phase, transformerless inverters for the residential sector up to 4.6 kVA AC output as well as a 3-phase, transformerless unit with 60 kVA. The booth staff will be happy to inform visitors about further innovations and new products that revolve around the blueplanet. Look for KACO new energy at Intersolar Europe in Munich from June 19-21, 2013 at stand B5.310. The company will present its storage solutions directly next door at stand B5.410.
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EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
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I NT ERV I EW
Interview with
Mr. Ajay Goel, CEO,
Tata Power Solar EQ : Please enlighten us on the history of your Group, Group Strengths, Vision and Strategy for India etc. AG : Tata Power Solar (TPS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Power, is India’s first and leading provider of integrated solar solutions. The company was initially founded in 1989 as a joint venture between Tata Group and British Petroleum Solar (BP Solar). As part of the prestigious TATA group, we stand for quality, excellence and total commitment towards our work, and believe in nurturing long-term relationships with our 1000+ dealer network. Our vision is to be the leading solar solutions provider in the country, delivering meaningful and sustainable results to our clients. We are committed to enabling solar everywhere and bringing the power of the sun to people in the most efficient and cost effective ways. We are betting big on our rooftop and EPC business to generate strategic growth and sustained leadership. Our endeavor is to provide cleaner, greener energy solutions to meet India’s growing energy deficit.
EQ : Your Group has made significant footstep by winning several EPC contracts in India. What is the role of your group in India and the roadmap, challenges in executing these projects? What was the differentiating factor which led your co win these projects? AG : Tata Power solar has commissioned 38
EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
19 projects of mega-watt scale in the last 2.5 years, which comes to approx. 68MW. Executing such projects requires a clear understanding of the scope and an ability to achieve the end result within budget and on schedule. Various factors like geography, political influence, inadequate funds, manpower, etc. pose a major challenge in executing EPC projects. Our ability to identify these challenges and risks beforehand helps us avoid any roadblocks in successful execution of the projects. Presence of a knowledge bank of customized processes and solutions for project-related challenges, coupled with a robust in-house R&D focus helps us in achieving our desired result effectively and on time. For example, while executing our 17MW solar PV plant in Mithapur, our team faced a major challenge in terms of the plant location, which was next to an airstrip. The reflection of sunlight from conventional solar panels
posed a significant risk to flight operations in the region and it required clearance from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. We designed a unique panel coated with ARC that kept light reflections from other panel glasses in check. This convinced the DGCA to approve our project.
EQ : How India has to evolve in terms on financing of grid connected solar projects and the lessons India must learn from Germany & Europe and other advanced & matured PV Markets. AG : Financing plays a key role in improving the execution of solar energy projects in India. Currently, the government of India is promoting the use of solar energy through various schemes. In the latest Union Budget, the government announced benefits like:
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Low cost finance viable renewable energy projects
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1,840 crore for construction of power transmission system from Srinagar to Leh
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226 crore to be allocated this financial year
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1,000 crore allocated for eastern states - green revolution and Tax holiday for power plants extended to March 2014
In India, the issue is not about the availability of funds, it is the counterparty’s risk - which will pay for the energy, which usually drives the financing. Banks say that the current structure of Power-Purchase Agreement (PPA) with state distribution companies (discoms) is not bankable, since they are not credible and often delay and default on payments. Due to issues related to frequent delays and defaults, most banks treat Power-Purchase Agreement (PPA) with state distribution companies (discoms) low on credibility. Banks and other financiers still consider investment in solar energy as a risky and expensive option, despite of the support from state and central governments. Such are the challenges associated with financing in India. Matured PV markets like Germany have benefitted by introducing Feed-in-Tariffs, where long-term contracts are provided to renewable energy producers. India can also adopt this scheme to accelerate investment in solar sector. India’s reverse bidding process, awards projects to the lowest bidder regardless of their past experience of developing projects, which impact energy generation in the long run.
EQ : Please enlighten us on the projects executed and in pipeline worldwide, and India. AG : In 2011-12, we commissioned about 60 MW projects in EPC. Several other projects including a 10 MW solar power plant in Karnataka, a 2 MW project at Tamil Nadu and others of similar magnitude are being executed across the country. We cannot disclose the names due to internal company policy. Our strategic partnerships with government, suppliers, customers and financiers help us commission high profile projects across sectors.
EQ : What is your view on the Indian Policy Framework and one piece of advice you would
like to give to the government and regulators? AG : Though the Indian government has come up with various policies and framework for the development of the domestic solar industry, there is a lack of a level playing field. The Indian solar market has the potential for unprecedented growth but is threatened by global overproduction and widespread dumping. Unless this situation is corrected, there would be serious impact on the continuity of the Indian solar manufacturing capacities. We strongly recommend tough antidumping laws, which can put a check on cheap Chinese imports and provide the required boost to the domestic solar manufacturing industry. Another preferred long-term solution to support Indian industry and promote energy security is mandating Domestic Content Requirement (DCR). The need is for a more comprehensive DCR that doesn’t leave any loopholes to be exploited (e.g., Thin-film) and extends the policy to state level and not just centre.
EQ : How has the falling modules prices affected the EPC Business in positive and negative manner. Is the industry expecting further drop in modules price? What impact is it likely to have on the solar industry and your business? AG : Module prices have seen a lot of changes in the last one and half years. While low-cost imports might help developers bring down the overall cost of a project, the long-term viability of the project is severely compromised. This is because, either the low cost panels do not have the same level of warranty as Indian manufacturer, or there is a risk of the warranty not being honored. Though an anti-dumping investigation against these low-cost imports is currently in progress, the government needs to issue a preliminary tariff ruling by June, at the latest, to provide desperately-needed relief to the ailing manufacturing industry. If the government fails to put a check on these rising imports, the entire manufacturing industry might have to face as severe repercussions as becoming dependent on imports in the long run, thus, risking our energy security.
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EQ : Can you please enlighten us on the way you implement a project and what specific or unique things are followed which makes you different from other EPC Players. What are the unique parameters which differentiates projects executed by your company? AG : At Tata Power Solar we are committed to help the country bridge its energy deficit. Being a pioneer in the industry, we implement the ideology of enabling green power innovatively, in a cost effective way. We have touched over 17 million lives, displaced over 5 million tons of CO2, electrified hundreds of villages, commissioned approx. 68 MW of large-scale solar projects and completed over 1,000 PV installations. TPS is in the process of consolidating its leadership position in the EPC segment. As an EPC solutions provider, the company’s track record covers 19 projects of mega-watt scale across the past two and half years. Our expertise and bandwidth in handling some of the most complex and challenging projects has helped us embark on the megawatt journey. Our design objective is to provide the lowest life time cost of energy (LCOE). This reflects on the quality and reliability of the critical equipment chosen for the project, the workmanship involved in installation and the efficient operation/ maintenance activity we undertake for all our EPC projects. We have designed and engineered megawattscale grid-connected solar power plants over the past ten years. We have trained a workforce that undertakes efficient operation and maintenance initiatives for various solar projects. We are also amongst the few in the country with valued experience in metering and monitoring of project performance.
EQ : What are the future plans in India? AG : According to a recent statistics, about 400 million people in India are living without electricity. Since most of these people live in remote and underdeveloped parts of the country, the infrastructure to produce electricity using alternative energy is non-existent. We envisage bridging this gap, by harnessing solar energy in the most effective ways. We want to make India a power rich country by providing cleaner electricity, and lowering the carbon emission produced from other non-renewable sources. EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
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In most rural and some urban locations, where there’s significant electricity deficit, we work towards empowering people with solar-powered products, which are customized for their needs. We expect EPC and Rooftop markets will continue to grow at an accelerated pace. We therefore will focus on catering these markets with world-class products and solutions. As part of the TATA group, which embodies trust and excellence, we believe in attaining leadership by serving our customers better and sustaining growth.
EQ : Kindly describe your Top 4-5 experiences with Solar PV Industry in India AG : We have had a remarkable 24 year old journey in India, with, numerous notable examples/projects, some of which include: •
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Transformed hundreds of lives in the remote villages of Ladakh by providing 14,000 built-to-last solar lighting systems; also installed nine solar plants for various institutions in Leh Installed a 17 MW power plant in Mithapur with ingenious solutions to meet the challenges faced during the process. We came up with unique elements like seasonal tilt system, epoxy coated foundations and anti-reflective coated module glass designs to increase productivity and yield In Chattisgarh, we have played a major role in the village electrification programme of CREDA (Chhattisgarh Renewable Energy Development Agency) in the initial period and have electrified more than 500 villages by setting up SPPs ranging from 1 KWp to 6 KWp. We have solar powered more than 200 villages with solar home and street light systems and installed more 200 solar water pumping systems in Chhattisgarh. We have also installed more than 20 nos of 100KWp in last two years under offgrid scheme of MNRE for Ultratech cement and engineering colleges, installed large systems in prominent buildings like SBI zonal office (50KW), SBI regional offices (25KW X 7), IAS administrative building, central jail, cultural department building, PWD office and about 7 motels In Tamil Nadu, we have successfully executed a project of solarizing over
EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
25000 houses and 1500 street lights (phase 1) and empowered about 2280 villages •
The 10MW project for Hiriyur (Karnataka) and Charanka (Gujarat), 5 MW power plants at Naini(UP) and Panandhro (Gujarat, ),3 MW solar power plant for Tata Power at Mulshi and 1 MW solar power plant for New Delhi Power Limited (NDPL) at New Delhi are amongst the other successfully commissioned projects by TPS
EQ : Please enlighten us on the experience of working with different technologies (c-si vs. Thin Film, Fixed vs. Tracking, String vs. Central Inverter ec... etc…) What’s the ideal solution for India and why. AG : Crystalline silicon (c-Si) technology is the most popular cell technology, adopted by almost 80% of the market, globally. c-Si represents a time tested technology which yields stable solar cells with 15% efficiency, as compared to thin film, which yields between 8-10% efficiency. Thin films consume more space and require a higher Balance of System (BOS) to produce the same amount of energy as compared to crystalline silicon. It has been observed that while thin films is largely being used because of subsidized financing than c-Si, we feel that c-Si meets the Indian requirements better. Module mounting structures deployed in India have mostly been of the fixed or seasonal tilt type. The idea is to keep low overall capex. Use of single axis tracker system will boost the energy output by 15% to 20%, but, this also comes with an additional capex and maintenance charge. The business case rests in the ROI of the tracker against a diminishing FIT that the additional energy can fetch. Inverter selection primarily depends on the land profile and capacity. While Central inverters are used extensively for large projects, Strings inverters are popular for rooftop applications.
EQ : Module Prices have been significantly dropping while the BOS of a solar project has not seen much change….What change or breakthrough do you foresee in the BOS in terms of price and technology in the BOS.
AG : Module Prices have been dropping over the last couple of years due to excess production and widespread dumping. When it comes to BOS, the major cost drivers include: inverters, structure & foundation and power evacuation. Increasing competition has helped reduce the price of solar inverters. Design improvements like higher inverter ratings (1000kW), thermal performance up grade, packaging in metal containers etc have been implemented to reduce the power evacuation cost. Increasing business volumes, faster means of civil works like ramming foundation, pre-engineered buildings and containerized solution are also critical for reduction in construction cost.
EQ : Thin Film is theoretically supposed to perform better than c-si in Indian Climatic Conditions. What is your view on this? AG : Crystalline Silicon technology has been around for a while and has already proved its mettle. Thin film, mainly Cadmium Telluride based, is relatively new, and has gained popularity in India primarily because of subsidies being offered by certain vendors. There are several other factors which we need to evaluate while deciding the technologies: Climate conditions: Solar technology is dependent on the sun and the intensity of heat. Crystalline silicon solar cells have higher heat tolerance and tend to perform better at high temperatures, which is not the case in CdTel based thin film technology. Efficiency: Crystalline silicon technology is a time-tested technology that yields stable solar cells with 15-17% efficiency, whereas mainstream thin film yields between 8-10% Land and installation: Thin film based projects consume more land and require a higher Balance of System (BOS) cost to yield the same amount of energy as compared to crystalline silicon. Maintenance: Dusty and dirty solar panels will decrease the output of electricity and the larger the number of modules installed per MW, the more is the maintenance required.
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PV INVERTERS
Power-One Launches ThreePhase String Inverters Ideal for Residential Market Chanchal Bhatnagar -National Manager- Business Development Power One Renewable Energy Solutions (I) Pvt Ltd 5.8, 7.5 and 8.5kW inverters complete broad line of popular AURORA TRIO products
sensor input without requiring any external components. The system infactcan be extended by an optional expansion card, including an Ethernet datalogger which allows monitoring parameters both locally (via the integrated webserver) or remotely (via the AURORA vision portal), using a LAN connection (Modulbus/TCP supported). Furthermore, the PMU expansion card option offers smart grid functionalities and external sensor inputs for monitoring environmental conditions as well as an additional RS-485 communication.
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ower-One, Inc. (Nasdaq:PWER), a leading global manufacturer of renewable energy and energyefficient power conversion and management solutions, today announced its new threephase string inverters, which have been designed for the residential market: the AURORA TRIO-5.8-TL-OUTD, AURORA TRIO-7.5-TL-OUTD, and AURORA TRIO8.5-TL-OUTD.With an output of 5.8, 7.5, and 8.5kW respectively, the products are Power-One’s smallest three-phase string inverters rounding out the broad line of popular AURORA TRIO products. “The power rating of our new AURORA TRIO series is well-suited forfulfilling the energy demand in residential applicationswith threephase grid feedof the majority of European countries. With these new products we are offering home owners and landlords highly efficient inverters, which benefit from our proven AURORA TRIO technology. At the same time, the new inverters complete our popular and broad three-phase string-inverter family – now ranging from 5.8kW up to 27.6kW”, saidPaolo Casini, Vice President, Marketingat Power-One. “By closing the gap within its residential product portfolio Power-One now ensuresthe availability of excellent, high performing AURORA TRIO inverter solutions from small residential to large commercialrooftop installations.” The compact, transformerless AURORA
TRIOinverters benefit from a redesigned topology used in the AURORA TRIO 20.0-TLOUTD and AURORA TRIO 27.6-TL-OUTD models, thereby ensuring high conversion efficiencies across a wide input voltage range. A precise high-speed Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) algorithm allows for real time power tracking as well as improved energy harvesting. Featuring a double MPPT,the AURORA TRIO-7.5 and AURORA TRIO-8.5 can harvest energy from two sub-arrays with different orientations giving maximum flexibility for optimal energy production. Moreover, the new generation of inverters can offer integrated power control and monitoring functionalitiesas well as environmental
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Like all members of the AURORA TRIO string inverter family, the new products are popular withinstallers because of their high performance due to efficiency ratings of up to 98 percent. Installers also like these products because of their ease of installation and maintenance. With a maximum weight of 28 kilograms, the inverters are equipped with a sliding front panel with captive screws giving easy access to the connection and configuration area without requiring the complete removal of the cover or fumbling with loose screws. A graphic display allows for quick connection parameter setting and functional control. The mechanical construction of the new AURORA TRIO inverters uses natural convection cooling mechanisms, which qualify at IP65 environmental protection level for external use thereby allowing for unrestricted use and assuring maximum reliability.
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PV INVERTERS
SMA Redefines Residential Solar Market with New Transformerless Inverter Innovative Solution Offers Groundbreaking Design, Performance and Safety Features SMA Solar Technology AG
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fter much anticipation, SMA is now taking orders for its new transformerless inverters designed specifically for the North American market. SMA’s Sunny Boy 3000TL-US/4000TLUS/5000TL-US inverters are an innovative residential solution featuring maximum energy production, flexible design, simple installation, and advanced communication and monitoring control. The inverter’s Secure Power Supply function is also an industry first, providing daytime power in the event of a grid outage. The transformerless design of the new Sunny Boy ensures high efficiency and reduced weight, and a simplified DC wiring concept allows the DC disconnect to be used as a wire raceway, saving labor and material. It is tested to UL 1741 and 1699B standards and has integrated AFCI, meeting NEC 2011 690.11 arc fault requirements. “The features available with this inverter are unlike any we’ve seen for the residential market,” said Henry Dziuba, president and general manager of SMA America and president of SMA Canada. “From easy installation to improved power production to extensive monitoring and control capabilities,
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this energy solution is taking residential inverters to a new level.” One of the most notable characteristics of the Sunny Boy 3000TL-US/4000TLUS/5000TL-US is its Secure Power Supply functionality, a groundbreaking feature that addresses the needs of gridtied system owners during power outages. Secure Power Supply makes it possible for the inverter to provide up to 1,500 W of daytime standby power in the event of a grid outage for charging laptops, cell phones and more, without the need of additional, costly batteries.
from Sunny Portal, and a large graphic display. Communications via Zigbee® is also available, laying the groundwork for integration with future home energy management systems. The Sunny Boy 3000TL-US/4000TLUS/5000TL-US will be available through SMA’s new, recently announced North American distribution program. To locate an authorized SMA distributor, solar professionals can visit SMA America’s website and click “Where to Buy” to learn more about each distribution partner.
With leading CEC efficiencies, a wide input voltage and extended operating temperature ranges from -40 to 140 F, the TL-US series offers maximum power production under a variety of conditions. A higher total power output results from the inverter’s shade tolerate OptiTrac™ Global Peak maximum power point (MPP) tracking algorithm, and two MPP trackers to manage multiple orientations. It also provides easy monitoring and control features, including an optional plug-and-play Webconnect data module for easy system monitoring and direct data transmission
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PV INVERTERS
AEG Power Solution : As The Company Plans To Seize The Opportunities Of The Future, 2013 Will Be A Challenging Year. Saumya Bansal Gupta - EQ International 3W Power SA, the holding company of AEG Power Solutions B.V., a leading global provider of power electronic systems and solutions for industrial power supplies and renewable energies, announced results for Q1 2013. Order intake in Q1 2013 was €57.9 million, down 34.2% year-on-year (Q1 2012: €87.9 million) and down 47.9% compared to the prior quarter (Q4 2012: €111.0 million). Order backlog in Q1 2013 was €90.9 million, down 43.5% year-on-year (Q1 2012: €160.9 million) and down 28.4% compared to the prior quarter (Q4 2012: €126.9 million). The drop in orders is the result of the ongoing weakness in POC and delays in large solar project orders. Revenue in Q1 2013 was €91.9 million, up 15.1% compared to Q1 2012 (€79.9 million), primarily driven by Solar revenue but down 18.9% compared to the prior quarter (Q4 2012: €113.4 million) due to a seasonally strong Q4 2012. Normalized EBITDA in Q1 2013 was €8.5 million, which excludes one-time expenses of €0.1 million. This corresponds to Normalized EBITDA of €0.0 million in Q1 2012 and €7.4 million in Q4 2012. The increase in EBITDA was due to strong Solar EBITDA as large Solar orders were fulfilled and a reduction of €1.1 million (including one-time restructuring expenses of €0.1 million) in shared costs. At the end of Q1 2013, the cash position of the Company was €33.1 million, down €9.8 million from €42.9 million at the end of Q4 2012. This was mainly due to operating cash outflow of €6.9 million which relates in essence to first quarter EBITDA offset by a reduction in advance customer payments (deferred income) and paid provisions. In addition, there was a €3.8 million cash outflow as a result of income taxes paid. The Company’s major Solar customer, with whom the Company experienced payment delays exacerbated by the banking situation in Cyprus, in April re-started their payment cycle and initiated large payments to the Company.
At the end of April, 2013 the Company’s cash balance increased to €43.3 million and its gross accounts receivable balance with the customer was down to €37.8 million. Furthermore, the customer is fully current on outstanding amounts owed.
million). EBITDA has improved due to an exceptionally strong Q4 that spilled over into Q1 2013 as large Solar orders were fulfilled.
Outlook
Solar orders were €11.8 million in Q1 2013, down 45.1% year-on-year (Q1 2012: €21.5 million) and down 82.3% compared to the prior quarter (Q4 2012: €66.7 million), mainly due to delays in large Solar project orders and strong order intake in Q4 2012. Solar order backlog was €13.6 million in Q1 2013, down 28.4% year-on-year (Q1 2012: €19.0 million) and down 68.2% compared to the prior quarter (Q4 2012: €42.7 million).
“Looking at 2013, the Company is fortunate to have such well-diversified businesses – both geographically and across industries and markets. When combined with our talented people and sound strategic direction, we are positioning ourselves to seize the opportunities of the future”, states Bruce A. Brock, CEO of 3W Power and AEG Power Solutions. “Nonetheless, 2013 will be a challenging year.”
Solar revenue was €40.6 million in Q1 2013, an increase of 250.6% year-on-year (Q1 2012: €11.6 million), driven by a large contract for 240 MW of photovoltaic utility scale equipment and services, for which the Company provided complete electrical systems for nine photovoltaic power plants in Eastern Europe. Solar revenue was down 21.1% compared to the prior quarter (Q4 2012: €51.5 million) due to a seasonally strong Q4 2012. Solar EBITDA was €9.1 million in Q1 2013, up both from a negative EBITDA a year ago (Q1 2012: -€2.4 million) and from the prior quarter (Q4 2012: €3.4
AEG Power Solutions’ Solar business is less exposed to the challenging Western European markets than many of its competitors. The Solar business has a strong footprint in growth regions around the world. The Company continues to drive growth in key Solar end-markets of Asia, Africa, the U.S., South America and Eastern Europe. While the Solar business has continued to grow and the Company has maintained healthy margins, the growth has also required a sizeable investment in working capital. Much of this working capital is tied to large projects in Eastern Europe.
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EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
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QUA RT ER RESUL T S
Advanced Energy : 2013 Began With A Sound First Quarter And Also The Recent Acquisition Of REFUsol Saumya Bansal Gupta - EQ International
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Revenue of $112 million
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GAAP EPS of $0.17 per diluted share
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Non-GAAP EPS of $0.29 per diluted share
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Ended first quarter with $182 million in cash
Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2013. The company reported first quarter sales of $111.8 million compared to $113.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2012 and $105.8 million in the first quarter of 2012. Income from continuing operations was $6.8 million or $0.17 per diluted share. On a non-GAAP basis, income from continuing operations was $11.7 million or $0.29 per diluted share. The non-GAAP measures exclude, on an after tax basis, $2.0 million of intangible amortization, $1.8 million of stock-based compensation and $1.0 million of acquisition related costs. A reconciliation of non-GAAP income from continuing operations and earnings per share is provided in the tables below. The company ended the quarter with $182.3 million in cash and marketable securities, having grown cash by $10 million during the quarter. “We began 2013 with a sound first quarter,” said Garry Rogerson, CEO. “Having successfully established a highly efficient global distribution model, with localized R&D and streamlined manufacturing, we have laid the foundation for future growth. The recent acquisition of REFUsol positions our Solar 44
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Energy business for significant growth over the next two years by enhancing our product line, applications and geographic reach. While we expect this acquisition to be accretive in the next 12 months, we anticipate it to negatively impact earnings over the next 6 months. Together with the improving outlook for our Thin Films business, we are poised to achieve our aspirational goals.”
Thin Films Thin Films sales were $61.8 million in the first quarter of 2013, a 15.8% increase from $53.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2012, and a 2.3% increase from $60.4 million in the first quarter of 2012. The increase was driven primarily by improvement in our semiconductor applications and healthy growth in flat panel display, along with increases across most of our other applications with the exception of thin film renewables.
Solar Energy Solar Energy sales were $50.0 million in the first quarter of 2013, a decrease of 16.1% from $59.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2012, and an increase of 10.1% from $45.4 million in the first quarter of 2012. In addition to first quarter seasonality, revenue from commercial applications was slower than anticipated due to some financing and permitting delays. Income from Continuing Operations
Income from continuing operations for the first quarter was $6.8 million or $0.17 per diluted share, compared to income from continuing operations of $4.9 million or $0.13 per diluted share in the fourth quarter of 2012, and income from continuing operations of $0.8 million or $0.02 per diluted share in the same period last year. On a non-GAAP basis, excluding the impact of the items mentioned above, income from continuing operations was $11.7 million or $0.29 per diluted share, up from $8.9 million or $0.23 per diluted share in the fourth quarter of 2012.
Restructuring Activities With the recent acquisition of REFUsol, the company is undertaking a major restructuring to take advantage of additional cost saving opportunities. These activities will include the consolidation of certain facilities, product rationalization and further centralization of manufacturing. As a result, the company anticipates a second quarter restructuring charge of approximately $23 to $26 million, of which $20 to $23 million will be non-cash in nature. The total planned charges for this new initiative incurred over the next 9 months will be in the range of $30 to $35 million, of which $22 to $27 million will be non-cash in nature. We expect this restructuring to provide additional cost savings in the range of $18 to $20 million annually, including approximately $14 million of cash savings. The cost savings activities, along with those previously announced
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are expected to deliver annual savings of approximately $70 to $75 million by 2014. Completion of these activities will position us well to achieve our aspirational goals.
Second Quarter 2013 Guidance The company anticipates second quarter 2013 results from continuing operations to be within the following ranges: •
Sales of $132 million to $145 million
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Earnings per share of $0.10 to $0.20, excluding restructuring charges
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Non-GAAP earnings per share of $0.18 to $0.28 n
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Power-One : PV Demand In Europe Greater Than Expected, Particular Strength In Italy, The U.K. And France Saumya Bansal Gupta - EQ International •
Quarterly revenue of $205 million
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765 megawatts of inverters shipped in the quarter
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Reports first quarter net loss per share of $0.06, includes a $0.04 net loss on litigation charge
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Operating cash flow of $36 million in the quarter
America,” continued Mr. Thompson. “While revenue from ULTRA in North America for the first quarter was modest, bookings were strong, giving us confidence that we are beginning to gain traction on this important new product.”
the quarter, Power-One shipped 765 MW of inverters, up 22% from the fourth quarter of 2012. Dr. Alex Levran, President of PowerOne’s renewable energy business commented, “We are pleased with the progress we are making with our ULTRA product family, where to date, we have received purchase
First Quarter Financial Highlights
Power-One, a leading provider of renewable energy and energy-efficient power conversion and power management solutions, announced financial results for the first quarter of 2013. For the quarter ended March 31, 2013, Power-One recorded net sales of $205 million, with Renewable Energy Solutions contributing $146 million and Power Solutions posting $58 million. Net loss attributable to common stockholders for the first quarter was $7 million, or $0.06 per diluted share. Gross margins improved sequentially in the first quarter as the result of cost reduction actions in both SBU’s and improved factory cost absorption on the higher volumes in Renewable Energy Solutions. “In the first quarter of 2013, Power-One was able to exceed its revenue guidance forecast as a result of higher demand for commercial inverters in Europe,” said Richard Thompson, Chief Executive Officer of Power-One. “We experienced a sequential increase in inverter revenue in most of our major markets in Europe, with particular strength in Italy, the U.K. and France.” “In addition to the upturn in demand in Europe, our new liquid-cooled ULTRA central inverters are being well received in North 46
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Renewable Energy Solutions
orders from customers for 140 MW in North America and nearly 250 MW globally.
In the first quarter of 2013, Renewable Energy Solutions generated sales of $146 million and an operating margin of 4.0%. Sales increased by 19% sequentially. In
Additionally, we successfully launched our microinverter product in the first quarter and were encouraged by early shipments and incoming order rates.”
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At March 31, 2013, Power-One had cash and short term investments of $290 million, as compared with $266 million at December 30, 2012. The Company generated $36 million in operating cash flow during the first quarter of 2013 on strong working capital management, as accounts receivable and inventory were reduced despite sequentially higher revenue.
Pending Acquisition
Power Solutions
On April 22, 2013, Power-One and ABB announced that their boards of directors have agreed to a transaction in which ABB will acquire Power-One for $6.35 per share in cash or $1,028 million equity value. The transaction is structured as a merger and is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including approval of Power One’s shareholders at a special meeting and receipt of customary regulatory approvals. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2013.
Business Outlook In the second quarter, Power-One expects stronger demand in the United States and seasonal improvement in the Power Solutions business, offset by uncertainties related to incentive programs in Italy and Germany, and the potential impact on demand of the European Commission’s anti-dumping investigation against Chinese solar panel manufacturers. Accordingly, Power-One forecasts revenue of $215 million to $230 million in the second quarter of 2013.
Power Solutions recorded sales of $58 million and an operating margin of 2.6% for the first quarter of 2013. Revenues declined by 14% sequentially, reflecting seasonality along with general market weakness in the Network Power Systems and Industrial product segments.
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QUA RT ER RESUL T S
FIRST SOLAR, INC. : Continued Strengthening Of Balance Sheet And Additions That Are In Pipeline During The First Quarter Saumya Bansal Gupta - EQ International •
Net sales of $755 million
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Non-GAAP EPS of $0.69 per fully diluted share
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GAAP EPS of $0.66 per fully diluted share
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Cash and Marketable Securities of $1 billion
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Maint ains guidance
full-year
2013
First Solar, Inc. announced financial results for the first quarter of 2013. Net sales were $755 million in the quarter, a decrease of $320 million from the fourth quarter of 2012 and an increase of $258 million from the first quarter of 2012. The decrease in net sales from the fourth quarter of 2012 was primarily due to less revenue recognition
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from our systems business projects primarily related to the Topaz project, while the increase over the first quarter of 2012 was primarily due to higher sales volumes for third-party module sales and an increase in revenue from systems projects. The Company reported first quarter net income per fully diluted share of $0.66, compared to $1.74 in the fourth quarter of 2012 and a loss of $5.20 in the first quarter of 2012, which included $444 million in pre-tax restructuring charges and costs in excess of normal warranty. The first quarter of 2013 was impacted by pre-tax restructuring charges of $2 million (reducing EPS by $0.03), compared to $25 million (reducing EPS by $0.30) in the fourth quarter of 2012. In both cases the pre-tax
charges related to previously announced restructuring actions. The sequential decrease in earnings was primarily due to higher revenue recognition for Topaz in the fourth quarter of 2012, temporary construction delays at the AVSR project, and previously planned lower manufacturing utilization as the Company accelerated efforts to upgrade production lines, which is expected to enable the Company to achieve near term targets on its module cost and efficiency improvement roadmaps. Cash and Marketable Securities at the end of the first quarter were approximately $1 billion, essentially unchanged compared to the end of the fourth quarter of 2012, and an increase of $262 million over the first quarter of 2012. Cash flows from operations were
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$66 million in the first quarter, compared to $328 million for the fourth quarter of 2012. “We demonstrated progress on several fronts during the first quarter, including continued strengthening of our balance sheet and additions to our pipeline,” said Jim Hughes, CEO of First Solar. “We remain on track for the year and reaffirm our fullyear 2013 financial guidance and are focused on achieving our goal of new bookings to shipments ratio of one-to-one.”
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QUA RT ER RESUL T S
JA Solar : Shipments Exceeded The Guidance In The First Quarter Due To Higher Sales Particularly In Regions With Higher Asps. Saumya Bansal Gupta - EQ International
First Quarter 2013 Highlights •
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•
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Shipments were 442.7 MW, consisting of 248.0 MW of modules, 189.5 MW of cells, and 5.2 MW of module and cell tolling, exceeding the high end of the Company’s previous guidance of 430 MW and representing a decrease of 11.5% from the fourth quarter of 2012. The sequential decline in shipment volumes was primarily due to seasonality Net revenue was RMB 1.7 billion ($270.0 million), compared to RMB 1.7 billion ($268.9 million) in the fourth quarter of 2012.The slight sequential increase in net revenue despite the decline in shipment volumes was primarily the result of the Company’s shift in focus to markets with higher average selling price Gross profit in the first quarter of 2013 was RMB 99.9 million ($16.1 million), compared with a gross loss of RMB 77.1 million ($12.4 million) in the fourth quarter of 2012 and gross profit of RMB 33.2 million ($5.4 million) in the first quarter of 2012
EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
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Gross margin was positive 6.0%, compared to gross margin of negative 4.6% in the fourth quarter of 2012
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Loss per diluted ADS was RMB 5.29 ($0.85), compared to loss per diluted ADS of RMB 15.06 ($2.42) in the fourth quarter of 2012
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Operating loss was RMB 85.2 million ($13.7 million), compared to operating loss of RMB 493.9 million ($79.5 million) in the fourth quarter of 2012
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Operating margin was negative 5.1% in the first quarter of 2013, compared with negative 29.6% in the fourth quarter of 2012 and negative 9.9% in the first quarter of 2012
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the quarter were RMB 2.8 billion ($454.9 million), compared to RMB 3.0 billion ($488.1 million) at the end of the fourth quarter of 2012
•
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Research and development expenses in the first quarter of 2013 were RMB 21.4 million ($3.4 million), an increase from RMB 9.4 million ($1.5 million) in the fourth quarter of 2012. The sequential increase in research and development expenses was primarily related to various initiatives implemented to further improve the efficiency and quality of the Company’s products Net loss was RMB 206.5 million ($33.3 million), of which net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders was RMB 204.3 million ($32.9 million)
Mr. Baofang Jin, executive chairman and CEO of JA Solar, commented, “Shipments exceeded the high end of guidance in the first quarter thanks to solid sales across our key markets, particularly in regions with higher ASPs, resulting in improved gross margins and a significant reduction in net loss.” Mr. Jin continued, “We performed especially well in Japan, a high-ASP market, which accounted for a record 38% of our module shipments in the quarter, while module sales to China declined from last quarter due to seasonality and our shift in focus to markets with more attractive margins. We also made further inroads into emerging markets, including in the Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa.” “While conditions remain challenging, we are confident that our strength across key markets will continue to drive solid performance, and our emphasis on stringent
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management of cash and our balance sheet should ensure the long-term success of our business,” Mr. Jin added. “Having successfully repaid $119 million of our convertible notes in May, we are continuously evaluating our financing options to ensure we have the cash needed to solidify our market-leading position, while maintaining a healthy balance sheet. Going forward, JA Solar’s combination of superior product offerings and prudent financial management will continue to help us further expand our global footprint and customer base.”
RMB 2.8 billion ($451.4 million) were due in one year. The total face value of the Company’s outstanding convertible bonds due 2013 was RMB 724.2 million ($116.6 million) at March 31, 2013. The Company repaid at maturity its convertible notes on May 15, 2013. Stock Chart
Liquidity As of March 31, 2013, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of RMB 2.8 billion ($454.9 million), and total working capital of RMB 278.4 million ($44.8 million). Total short-term bank borrowings were RMB 946.6 million ($152.4 million). Total long-term bank borrowings were RMB 3.9 billion ($623.2 million), among which
Time Frame 5 year Monthly
Business Outlook For the second quarter of 2013, the Company expects total shipments to be between 410 MW and 430 MW. The Company’s full year guidance of 1.7 GW to 1.9 GW remains unchanged.
QUA RT ER RESUL T S
Yingli Solar : Another Quarter With Higher Than Expected Shipment Volumes And Improved Gross Margin. Saumya Bansal Gupta - EQ International •
Total net revenues were RMB 2,679.3 million (US$431.4 million).
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PV module shipment decreased by 6.4% from the fourth quarter of 2012.
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Overall gross profit was RMB 110.9 million (US$17.8 million), representing a gross margin of 4.1%. Gross margin for PV modules was 5.0%.
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Operating loss was RMB 324.7 million (US$52.3 million), representing an operating margin of negative 12.1%.
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Net loss was RMB 611.8 million (US$98.5 million) and loss per ordinary share and per American depositary share (“ADS”) was RMB 3.91 (US$0.63). On an adjusted non-GAAP basis, net loss was RMB 607.1 million (US$97.7 million) and loss per ordinary share and per ADS was RMB 3.88 (US$0.62).
“We are pleased to conclude another quarter with higher than expected shipment volumes and improved gross margin, which we believe further strengthened our leadership position in the global PV market,” commented Mr. Liansheng Miao, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Yingli Green Energy.
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EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
“Our strong shipment was primarily supported by the strong European and the U.S. markets and the rapid growth of demand in new markets such as Japan. Europe remained strong as a result of the pull-in demand in the first quarter and we continue to see firm demand in Europe in the second
quarter. The first quarter of 2013 in the U.S. was our second best quarter ever in terms of shipment volumes and we are going to consolidate our position in all segments of the U.S. market. In this quarter, our shipment to Japan increased significantly due to the vigorous demand before the subsidy
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adjustment in April. We expect that returns on investments will remain attractive, which will continuously drive demand in Japan.” “The first quarter has historically been slow in China due to seasonality. However, demand picks up quickly as the construction of utility-scale projects accelerates. In addition, we are also actively positioning ourselves for the upcoming opportunities in the distributed generation segment in
China. Furthermore, we have achieved important milestones in other new markets and will put more efforts in diversifying our sales geographies. Based on current market conditions and forecasted customer demand, we are confident to accomplish our full year shipment guidance of 3.2 to 3.3 GW.”
Gross profit was RMB 110.9 million (US$17.8 million) in the first quarter of 2013, compared to gross loss of RMB 247.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2012 and gross profit of RMB 245.2 million in the first quarter of 2012.
attributable to the slightly improved average selling price in this quarter, the Company’s continuous efforts in reducing processing cost and a decline in the prices of raw materials.
Overall gross margin was 4.1% in the first quarter of 2013, compared to overall gross margin of negative 8.5% in the fourth quarter of 2012 and overall gross margin
Operating Expenses
of 7.8% in the first quarter of 2012.The sequential increase in gross margin in the first quarter of 2013 was primarily
“In addition to expanding our market share and solidifying our market position, we stay committed to improving our profitability through strategically allocating more products to markets where prices are higher and tirelessly pursue further cost savings. At the same time, as our operating cash flow position is on track to gain improvement, we expect to continuously optimize our balance sheet,” Mr. Miao concluded.
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Operating expenses as a percentage of total net revenues was 16.3% in the first quarter of 2013. Excluding the impairment of long-lived assets, the provision for bad debts, and the loss of disposal of certain equipment mentioned above, operating expenses as a percentage of total net revenues was 17.9% in the fourth quarter of 2012. Operating
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First Quarter 2013 Financial Results Total net revenues were RMB 2,679.3 million (US$431.4 million) in the first quarter of 2013, compared to RMB 2,902.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2012 and RMB 3,148.5 million in the first quarter of 2012. PV module shipments in the first quarter of 2013 decreased by 6.4% from the fourth quarter of 2012. The sequential decrease in net revenues was mainly due to the decreased PV module shipments, which was partially offset by the slightly improved average selling price of PV modules in this quarter.
Operating expenses were RMB 435.6 million (US$70.1 million) in the first quarter of 2013, compared to RMB 518.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2012 adjusted to exclude an impairment of long-lived assets, a provision for bad debts and a loss of disposal of certain equipment. Operating expenses were RMB 380.0 million in the first quarter of 2012. The sequential decrease in operating expenses was primarily attributable to the Company’s effective cost control efforts.
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expenses as a percentage of total net revenues was 12.1% in the first quarter of 2012. Operating loss was RMB 324.7 million (US$52.3 million) in the first quarter of 2013, compared to RMB 1,130.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2012 and RMB 134.7 million in the first quarter of 2012. Operating margin was negative 12.1% in the first quarter of 2013, compared to negative 38.9% in the fourth quarter of 2012 and negative 4.3% in the first quarter of 2012.
Interest Expense Interest expense was RMB 221.9 million (US$35.7 million) in the first quarter of 2013, compared to RMB 209.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2012 and RMB 202.4 million in the first quarter of 2012. As of March 31, 2013, the Company had an aggregate of RMB 15.5 billion (US$2.5 billion) of bank borrowings and mediumterm notes, compared to RMB 15.5 billion as of December 31, 2012. The weighted average interest rate was 6.34% in the first quarter of 2013, which slightly increased from 6.22% in the fourth quarter of 2012. The increase in interest expense was mainly due to increased weighted average interest rate in this quarter.
Net Loss
1. Signed US$165 Million Loan Agreements with China Development Bank •
Net loss was RMB 611.8 million (US$98.5 million) in the first quarter of 2013, compared to RMB 1,249.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2012 and RMB 283.2 million in the first quarter of 2012. Loss per ordinary share and per ADS was RMB 3.91 (US$0.63) in the first quarter of 2013, compared to RMB 7.98 in the fourth quarter of 2012 and RMB 1.82 in the first quarter of 2012. On an adjusted non-GAAP basis, net loss was RMB 607.1 million (US$97.7 million) in the first quarter of 2013, compared to RMB 908.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2012 and RMB 239.5 million in the first quarter of 2012. Adjusted non-GAAP loss per ordinary share and per ADS was RMB 3.88 (US$0.62) in the first quarter of 2013, compared to RMB 5.80 in the fourth quarter of 2012 and RMB 1.54 in the first quarter of 2012.
CDB provides Yingli China with a oneyear loan of US$110 million and a three-year loan of US$55 million to complement its working capital needs and support the procurement of raw materials.
2. To Supply 10.269 MW Modules for The Largest Single Site PV Power Plant in Malaysia •
Spanning an area of approximately 34 acres, the Project will utilize around 41076 pieces of YGE 60 Cell Series multicrystalline module with peak power of 250 watt.
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The PV power plant is estimated to generate approximately 13.6 million kWh of clean electricity per annum.
Business Outlook for Full Year 2013 Based on current market and operating conditions, estimated production capacity and forecasted customer demand, the Company reiterates its PV module shipment target to be in the estimated range of 3.2 GW to 3.3 GW for fiscal year 2013, which represents an increase of 39.4% to 43.7% compared to fiscal year 2012.
Balance Sheet Analysis Foreign Currency Exchange Loss (Gain)
Recent Business Updates
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n
n
Foreign currency exchange loss was RMB 92.4 million (US$14.9 million) in the first quarter of 2013, compared to foreign currency exchange gain of RMB 26.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2012 and RMB 26.3 million in the first quarter of 2012. Given that the Company had a net Euro-denominated asset position, the foreign currency exchange loss was mainly due to the depreciation of the Euro against the RMB in this quarter. Income Tax Expense (Benefit) Income tax expense was RMB 9.8 million (US$1.6 million) in the first quarter of 2013, compared to income tax expense of RMB 5.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2012 and income tax benefit of RMB 11.4 million in the first quarter of 2012. The income tax expense in the first quarter of 2013 mainly resulted from a valuation allowance of deferred income tax assets. 54
EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
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QUA RT ER RESUL T S
Canadian Solar : The Strategic Position, Geographic Footprint And Differentiated Business Model Gives Clear Competitive Advantage. Saumya Bansal Gupta - EQ International
First Quarter 2013 Highlights
restricted cash, compared to $564.3 million as of December 31, 2012.
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Solar module shipments were 340 MW, compared to 404 MW in the fourth quarter of 2012.
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Solar module shipments to Japan were up 75.9% from the fourth quarter of 2012, representing 24.5% of total shipments.
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Net revenue was $263.6 million, compared to $294.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2012.
Accounts receivable balance, net of allowance for doubtful accounts, at the end of the first quarter of 2013 was $225.7 million compared to $254.9 million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2012. Accounts receivable turnover was 102 days in the first quarter of 2013 compared to 92 days in the fourth quarter of 2012.
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Revenue derived from the Company’s total solutions business represented 19.2% of total revenue, compared to 12.8% in the fourth quarter of 2012.
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Gross margin was 9.7%, compared to 5.0% in the fourth quarter of 2012.
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Diluted loss per share was $0.10, compared to diluted loss per share of $2.43 in the fourth quarter of 2012.
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Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash balances at the end of the quarter were $606.1 million, compared to $564.3 million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2012.
Inventories at the end of the first quarter of 2013 were $291.3 million, compared to $274.5 million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2012. Inventory turnover was 117 days in the first quarter of 2013 compared to 106 days in the fourth quarter of 2012. Accounts and notes payable at the end of the first quarter of 2013 were $483.7
million, compared to $461.6 million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2012. Accounts payable turnover in the first quarter of 2013 was 180 days compared to 150 days in the fourth quarter of 2012. Short-term borrowings at the end of the first quarter of 2013 totaled $966.3 million, compared to $858.9 million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2012. Long-term debt at the end of the first quarter of 2013 was $205.3 million, compared to $214.6 million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2012. Short-term borrowings and long-term debt directly related to utility-scale solar power projects by the end of first quarter of 2013 totaled $285.8 million. Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Solar, remarked: “We are pleased with our first
Financial Condition As of March 31, 2013, the Company had $606.1 million of cash, cash equivalents and 56
EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
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quarter results and our progress in the execution of our strategy. Our shipments of 340 MW exceeded our initial guidance of 290 MW to 310 MW, while gross margin came in at the high-end of our guidance. During the quarter, we also continued the successful transformation of our business model from a leading module supplier into a leading solar power solutions company with a solid and growing utility-scale project pipeline in Canada, the U.S., China and Japan, as well as a profitable and growing residential solar system kits business in Japan. Our total solutions business represented 19.2% of our revenue in the first quarter, compared to 12.8% in the fourth quarter of 2012. We are also pleased with our results in Japan where our investment and market development efforts since 2009 are beginning to pay off. We have a differentiated position in this important growth market with a strong brand name as opposed to being a private label manufacturer like many of our competitors. We are well positioned in the high-margin and long-term sustainable residential rooftop kits business as well as the high-volume commercial project market. Our strong market position is also helping us to develop our own utility project pipeline, which we expect, will become a meaningful part of our business in the quarters ahead. Meanwhile we have maintained our strong position in the South East Asia market including India and Thailand.”
Utility Scale Project Pipeline Update The Company estimates that the resale value of its Ontario project pipeline, once built into grid-connected solar power plants and sold to investors, will exceed C$1.5 billion ($1.5 billion). The Company previously indicated that it was evaluating the possibility of recognizing revenue for some of its owned solar power projects in Canada under the percentage of completion method. After further evaluation, the Company now expects to recognize revenue for most projects in Canada after construction and testing is completed and the sale of the project is final, under the full accrual method. The Company expects that it can use percentage of completion method to recognize revenue for only four projects from its Ontario pipeline, two of which began construction in the second quarter of 2013.
In addition to its own projects, the Company is currently in the process of building three solar power plants in Ontario, Canada, totaling 29 MWdc as Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractor. The Company expects to complete these projects in the second half of 2013. In the U.S. market, Canadian Solar’s utility-scale project pipeline totals approximately 255 MW (dc). During the first quarter, the Company completed a 6.5 MW solar power plant in North Carolina in partnership with Strata Solar. Subsequently, the Company announced the completion of two 1 MW AC solar power plants in Sterling, Massachusetts with INDU, a strategic partnership between Duke Energy Renewables and Integrys Energy Services. Currently four solar power plants totaling approximately 23.5 MW are under construction, and the Company expects to complete construction of solar power plants totaling 100 MW (dc) in the U.S. in fiscal 2013. The Company expects to use percentage of completion accounting for all U.S. projects. In Japan, Canadian Solar’s utility-scale solar power project pipeline is approximately 125 MW, including, approximately 50 MW of self-developed projects, and 75 MW through co-development or acquisitions. The Company is making feasibility assessments for approximately 400 MW of additional utility-scale solar power projects in early stages of development. The Company hopes to obtain final approval for some of its Japanese utility-scale solar power projects during 2013 and begin construction of its first solar power project in Japan in late 2013 to early 2014.
Business Outlook The Company’s business outlook is based on management’s current views with respect to operating and market conditions, its current order book, and the challenging global financing environment, which continues to result in customer demand uncertainty. Management’s views and estimates are subject to change without notice. For the second quarter of 2013, module shipments are expected to be in the range of approximately 380 MW to 420 MW. Gross margin for the quarter is expected to be between 9% and 11%. For the full year 2013, the Company expects module shipments to be in the range of approximately 1.6 GW to 1.8 GW. The Company expects shipments to Japan to account for approximately 35%-40% of total module shipments in the second quarter. In addition, it also expects to make further inroad into key emerging markets in South East Asia. The Company has been shipping modules to European customers from its factory in Guelph, Ontario therefore avoiding the risk of retroactive anti-dumping tariffs on solar products manufactured in China. The made-in-Canada label also reinforces Canadian Solar’s brand and lets European customers resonate with the Company’s Canadian roots.
In China the Company is building a 30 MW solar power project that is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2013 or early in 2014. The end buyer is identified and the Company expects to use the full accrual method to recognize revenue.
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EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
57
QUA RT ER RESUL T S
ReneSola : Expanded The Module Business In Several Key Markets, Including The U.K, Germany, France, The U.S, Australia, India And Japan Saumya Bansal Gupta - EQ International
Financial and Operating Highlights: •
Total solar wafer and module shipments in Q1 2013 were 662.1 megawatts (“MW”), in line with the Company’s guidance and representing a decrease of 7.2% from 713.2 MW in Q4 2012.
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Q1 2013 net revenues were US$284.2 million, exceeding Company guidance and representing a decrease of 7.3% from US$306.5 million in Q4 2012.
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Q1 2013 gross loss was US$5.6 million with a gross margin of negative 2.0%, compared to a gross profit of US$10.3 million with a gross margin of 3.3% in Q4 2012.
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Q1 2013 operating loss was US$33.4 million with an operating margin of negative 11.8%, compared to an operating loss of US$23.8 million with an operating margin of negative 7.8% in Q4 2012.
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Q1 2013 net loss was US$39.0 million, representing basic and diluted loss per share of US$0.23 and basic and diluted loss per American deposit ar y share (“ADS”) of US$0.45.
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Cash and cash equivalents plus restricted cash were $442.7 million as of the end of Q1 2013, an increase from US$268.1 million as of the end of Q4 2012.
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Q1 2013 net cash inflow from operating activities was US$4.2 million, compared to net cash inflow of US$25.8 million in Q4 2012.
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EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
“Over the past year, we have worked hard to transform our company into a leading global solar brand and technology leader,” said Mr. Xianshou Li, ReneSola’s chief executive officer. “With vigorous sales and marketing efforts, we have expanded our module business in several key markets, including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the United States, Australia, India
and Japan. Additionally, we continue to push our R&D with downstream products like our AC module and small-scale storage system, and we plan to offer residential PV solutions soon. Although we are seeing the solar market stabilize, a persistent demandsupply imbalance, coupled with competitive pricing, continues to impact our business and the overall industry. Despite this challenging
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macro environment, we will continue to invest in technologies that help reduce cost and improve efficiency in order to grow our business and gain new global market share.”
following its participation at the World Future Energy Summit (“WFES”) in Abu Dhabi earlier in the year, a range of its PV modules had been accredited by TUV NORD. •
Research and Development ReneSola continued to invest in R&D in Q1 2013 to improve the technology behind its brand, products and manufacturing processes. With regard to solar wafers, the Company’s next generation Virtus A+++ wafer, with an average efficiency of 0.15% to 0.20% higher than that of Virtus A++, will begin mass production in Q2 2013. With regard to solar modules, the Company’s 210 W monocrystalline and 260 W multicrystalline modules are now in full production. The Company’s full line of solar module products has achieved potential induced degradation (“PID”) free status, further substantiating their reliability. Recently, the Company’s solar modules have been accredited by TUV NORD, a leading German industry-certification body, demonstrating that ReneSola products can withstand difficult desert-like and dusty conditions.
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In April 2013, ReneSola announced it had agreed to provide Enerparc AG, an internationally oriented and dynamically growing provider of solar power plant installation and operation services, with 43.6 MW of solar modules, 35 MW of which will be delivered through original equipment manufacturers in Poland and India. In April 2013, ReneSola announced it had signed a sales contract to supply 2 MW of its highest-efficiency polysilicon module, 260 W Virtus II, to a mega solar project in Uenohara-shi, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan.
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In April 2013, ReneSola announced it had been contracted to provide 7,200 of its 250 W high-efficiency polycrystalline solar PV modules for a solar project to be built by S&C Electric Company, a Chicago-based provider of equipment and services for electric power systems, in Roswell, New Mexico in 2013.
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In April 2013, ReneSola announced it had agreed to provide more than 108,000 of its 300 W high-efficiency Virtus II 72-cell polycrystalline solar modules to Strata Solar, LLC, one of the top solar developers and EPCs in
ReneSola is developing a proprietary, second-generation Micro Replusmicroinverter, which will reduce the cost to customers by 20% compared to the first generation model. ReneSola is also developing an AC module that combines a solar module with Micro Replus. At the same time, a specialized, small-scale storage research team has been established to develop a series of systems that would largely increase the efficiency of ReneSola’s products.
the United States, for use in five 6.5 MW solar farms in North Carolina. •
In March 2013, ReneSola announced it had signed a RMB320 million (approximately US$50.9 million) 15-year loan agreement with China Development Bank.
•
In March 2013, ReneSola announced it had been contracted to provide 460 kilowatts (“kW”) of its high-efficiency solar modules to Cummings Properties, one of the most prominent full-service commercial real estate development and property management organizations in Massachusetts.
Outlook For Q2 2013, the Company expects total solar wafer and module shipments to be in the range of 700 MW to 720 MW, with solar module shipments expected to be in the range of 400 MW to 420 MW. Revenues are expected to be in the range of US$310 million to US$330 million and gross margin is expected to be in the range of 3% to 5%. Operating cash flow is expected to exceed US$40 million. For the full year 2013, the Company expects total solar wafer and module shipments to be in the range of 2.7 GW to 2.9 GW, with solar module shipments expected to be in the range of 1.4 GW to 1.6 GW.
Recent Business Developments •
In May 2013, ReneSola announced it had provided solar modules to solar tracker manufacturer and project developer AllEarth Renewables, Inc. for use in three community-scale solar power projects in Vermont.
•
In April 2013, ReneSola announced its 125-square monocrystalline module had been listed by the Japan Photovoltaic Expansion Center (“JPEC”) as qualified for the Japan market.
•
In April 2013, ReneSola announced that
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QUA RT ER RESUL T S
Hanwha Solar One : Resumed Growth In Revenue And Shipments For The First Quarter 2013 Saumya Bansal Gupta - EQ International
Highlights: •
Resumed growth in revenue and shipments
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Improved average selling prices
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A return to gross profitability
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Substantial reduction in negative operating income and operating cash flow
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Penetrating of new growth markets e.g. Japan & South Africa
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Introduction of next-generation module products
Total net revenues were RMB1,112.9 million (US$179.2 million), an increase of 33.0% from RMB836.7 million in 4Q12, and an increase of 38.4% from RMB803.9 million in 1Q12. The increase in total net revenues in 1Q13 compared with 4Q12 was primarily due to higher shipments and increased
quarter saw relatively new and potentially attractive markets come to the forefront with sizeable contributions from the UK (5%) and Portugal (4%), as well as South Africa. Historically strong markets accounted for a smaller proportion of shipments as a result of the aforementioned; however shipments to Germany rebounded. The Company shipped PV modules to 23 countries during 1Q13. Average selling price (“ASP”), excluding module processing services, increased to RMB4.12 per watt (US$0.66) from RMB3.75 per watt in 4Q12 and from RMB5.30 per watt in 1Q12.
PV module shipments, including module processing services, were 289.1 MW, an increase from 198.9 MW in 4Q12, and an increase from 160.7 MW in 1Q12. Module shipments to Japan, a market that values quality and brand, grew to 33% in 1Q13 at a good pricing level. Shipments to South Africa commenced this quarter, representing 21% of revenues. The US market remained solid for the Company and increased to 9% of module shipments in 1Q13. The dispersion of shipments this 60
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Gross profit for 1Q13 was RMB28.9 million (US$4.7 million), compared with a gross loss of RMB261.8 million in 4Q12 and a gross loss of RMB75.2 million in 1Q12. Gross margin was positive 2.6%,
compared with negative 31.3% in 4Q12. Gross loss in 4Q12 included non-cash charges from inventory write-down and provisions for advanced payments associated with long-term supply contracts. Gross margin excluding the aforementioned provisions was negative 2.6% in 4Q12. The improvement in gross margin was primarily due to higher ASP and decreased idle capacity loss. Gross margin in 1Q12 was negative 9.4%. The blended cost of goods sold (“COGS”) per watt, excluding module processing services, was US$0.65, representing a 1.6% increase from US$0.64 in 4Q12, which excluded non-cash charges. The blended COGS takes into account the production cost (silicon and non-silicon) using internally sourced wafers, purchase costs and additional processing costs of externally sourced wafers and cells. Operating loss of 1Q13 was RMB128.2 million (US$20.6 million), compared with an operating loss of RMB625.8 million in 4Q12 and an operating loss of RMB220.9 million in 1Q12. Operating margin increased to negative 11.5% from negative 74.8% in 4Q12, compared to negative 27.5% in 1Q12. Operating expenses
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for the 4Q12 included $22.1 million in non-cash provisions.Operating expenses as a percentage of total net revenues were 14.1% in 1Q13, compared with 43.5% in 4Q12 and 18.1% in 1Q12.Interest expense was RMB75.8 million (US$12.2 million), compared with RMB73.9 million in 4Q12 and RMB69.1 million in 1Q12. The Company recorded a net loss of RMB23.8 million (US$3.8 million), which included a foreign exchange loss with a gain from the change in fair value of derivatives. The Company recorded a net gain of RMB19.0 million in 4Q12 and a net gain of RMB11.4 million in 1Q12 for the foreign exchange gain and the loss/gain from change in fair value of derivatives.Gain from the change in fair value of the conversion feature of the Company’s convertible bonds was RMB2.1 million (US$0.3 million), compared with RMB1.4 million in 4Q12 and a loss of RMB9.5 million in 1Q12. The fluctuations resulting from the adoption of ASC 815-40 on January 1, 2009, were primarily due to changes in the Company’s ADS price during the quarter. This line item has fluctuated, and is expected to continue to fluctuate quarterto-quarter. The Company has no direct control over the fluctuations.
shareholders on a GAAP basis was RMB225.9 million (US$36.4 million), compared with net loss attributable to shareholders of RMB670.4 million in 4Q12 and net loss attributable to shareholders of RMB303.7 million in 1Q12.Net loss per basic ADS on a GAAP basis was RMB2.67 (US$0.43), compared with net loss per basic ADS of RMB7.93 in 4Q12 and net loss per basic ADS of RMB3.60 in 1Q12.
CAPACITY EXPANSION
Annualized ROE on a non-GAAP basis was negative 36.2% in 1Q13, compared with negative 97.6% in 4Q12 and negative 29.4% in 1Q12.Annualized ROE on a GAAP basis was negative 34.3% in 1Q13, compared with negative 87.0% in 4Q12 and negative 29.2% in 1Q12.
• •
As of March 31, 2013, the Company had production capacities of 800 MW for ingot and wafer, 1.3 GW for cell and 1.5 GW for module. The Company currently has no near-term plan to add additional capacities. Management will review expansion needs in the future in line with changes in overall market demand.
BUSINESS OUTLOOK •
•
•
The Company provides the following guidance based on current operating trends and market conditions. For the second quarter 2013 the Company expects: Module shipments of 330- 350MW. For the full year 2013, the Company expects: Module shipments between 1.3-1.5GW of which about 30-35% will be for PV module processing services. Capital expenditures of $50 million depending on demand and other market conditions.
Income tax expense in 1Q13 was RMB0.5 million (US$0.1 million), compared with an income tax benefit of RMB9.1 million in 4Q12 and RMB37.7 million in 1Q12. Net loss attributable to shareholders on a non-GAAP basis was RMB202.9 million (US$32.7 million), compared with a net loss attributable to shareholders of RMB650.6 million in 4Q12 and a net loss attributable to shareholders of RMB269.9 million in 1Q12.Net loss per basic ADS on a nonGAAP[1] basis was RMB2.40 (US$0.39), compared with net loss per basic ADS on a non-GAAP basis of RMB7.70 in 4Q12 and net loss per basic ADS on a non-GAAP basis of RMB3.20 in 1Q12.Net loss attributable to
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BO O K REV I EW
Grid Connected PV System Design and Installation
Dwipen Boruah- Managing Director GSES India Sustainable Energy Pvt. Ltd.
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lobal Sustainability Energy Solutions (GSES),an internationally recognised engineering consultancy, education and training provider in the Renewable Energy (RE) Innovation and Technology sectorhas published the first Indian edition of ‘Grid Connected PV System Design and Installation’ as a part of its clean energy education programme in India. The publication is a comprehensive handbook that contains detailed information on designing grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems. It provides methodical approach of designing and installation of grid connected PV systems. The book covers fundamentals of solar PV system, descriptions of the different components, sizing a system and matching different components. It also includes information on conducting site surveys of potential installations, system installation, troubleshooting, maintenance and the economics of grid-connected PV systems. This publication has been written around relevant Indian and international standards relating to grid connected solar systems.This extensive publication is also used as the information base for the GSES India online training program for Grid Connected PV Systems: Design & Installation.
Complete Book Review: The book begins with a chapter on occupational health & safety issues and 62
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potential health hazard related to grid connected solar PV system, required safety
equipment and explains how to carry out on-site risk assessment before installation
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of a PV system. The next fourchapters of the book cover electrical basics,solar radiation, PV module integration, and characteristics of solar cells. These chapters are extremely helpful for the beginners to understand about solar irradiation and peak sun hours, sun path diagram, position of the sun, solar altitude, geometric effects, tilting solar modules, electrical integration of PV modules and method of combining the modules to configure an array etc. Types and characteristics of solar cells including power characteristics, performance, electrical protection and reliability issues are discussed in details which provides essential engineering and scientific knowledge to the designers. Chapters 6-8 cover details about inverters, mounting system and balance of systems for a grid connected PV system. Apart from basic understanding of purpose of inverter, types, grid-connected inverters vs. stand-alone inverters, types of gridconnected inverters the book providesdetailed explanation about efficiency, inverter protection systems, power quality, monitoring and selection of inverters. The highly illustrative chapter on mounting structure covers different types of mounting systems suitable for different type of roofs and ground, PV array row spacing calculating wind loading for solar array for different regions of India. The balance of system equipment, i.e. the other components and enabling equipment, must be selected and installed correctly. If not, the system may have performance and reliability problems, premature faults etc.It can also lead to system failure. The book explains the methodology and technical requirement for designing and selection of all key balance of system components includingall DC and AC cablings, protection and disconnect switches – fuses, isolators and/or circuit breakers, lightning protection, PV array DC isolator and inverter AC isolator, metering and system monitoring. Energy efficiency measures help in reducing energy consumption, saves in terms of energy cost paid to the utility and also contributes substantially in reducing renewable energy system size which will have direct impact on investment in renewable energy systems. Energy conservation and energy efficiency are given first preference
before installing a renewable energy project. Considering this, the book includesa separate chapter on energy efficiency where different energy efficiency measures and passive solar design principles have been discussed. The book contains step by step methodology to undertake site assessment to determine energy efficient initiatives, occupational health and safety (OHS) risks when working on that particular site, solar radiation and shading analysis, how the PV modules will be mounted, positioning of inverter and cable layout planning. The design of a grid-connected PV system depends on the local operating conditions for the system’s equipment. Thisprocess is intended to ensure that the array and the inverter are matched for those conditions. In general, the designerneeds to ensure that these components match in terms of voltage, current and power. The book outlines the calculations required working out if the array and inverter are matched in terms of performanceand safety in Chapter Eleven. System protection in a grid-connected system is designed to serve as protection for both the cabling in the system andthe photovoltaic modules. The book elaborately covers the forms of protection used within a photovoltaic array, the method of determining whether fault current protection is required and the sizing of fault current protection. A well designed photovoltaic system may have all the components sized appropriately and installed in safe environments,but the system will still only operate correctly if the cables are correctly selected. The designer will learn from the book the basic rules to follow for sizing and selection of DC and AC cable to ensure better performance of PV system. There are a number of unavoidable losses or de-rating factors which causes loss in power generation from a PV system. The book discusses and explains methodology and steps to evaluate energy yield and performance ratio of a PV system considering lossesfrom different factors like temperature, soiling, shading, manufacturer’s tolerance, voltage drop through AC and DC cabling, inverter, tilt and orientation of the solar modules. The book has one dedicated chapter for designing large grid connected PV systems,highlighting the additional issues
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that need to be considered when designing a larger system. The book provides sample system documentation, system installation and pre commissioning checklist and test sheets for commissioning of individual components and complete system as per general procedural and electrical compliances. The book also covers a brief section on maintenance and troubleshooting for a grid-connected PV system. The information in this chapter outlines how to streamline maintenance procedures. The last two chapters of the book cover economics of PV system and fundamentals of smart grid. The book covers approach for developing basic financial models that can be considered when determining the economic viability of a grid-connectedsolar system. The smart grid chapter provide basic knowledge of smart grid concept, smart meters and how it can improve the reliability, efficiency, economics and sustainability of the production and distribution ofelectricity within the power industry. All designers and installers of grid connected PV system must follow the rules and standards applicable as per electricity regulation for safety and quality purpose. The book covers all applicable standards and regulation followed in India and internationally for best practice design and installation.
Conclusion: ‘Grid Connected PV System Design and Installation’ is an extensive reference book relevant to solar PV professionals and experts as well as students specializing in this field. The book provides a structured approach to studying the design and installation of grid connected photovoltaic systems.The book is presented in sections; starting with the knowledge that is fundamental to understanding how solar systems work, then discussing the components of a system, and finally the design, installation and maintenance of a solar system.To make the most of this book we suggest thatone works through the chapters in order, starting with the basics and building up his/her understanding of the material.
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Batch ALD For Higher Cell Efficiency And Lower Production Cost D
uring the challenging market situation in the PV industry, the strongest companies are working hard to develop high efficiency solar cells. The ones successful in surviving the current downturn and developing new high efficiency cells will be tomorrow’s winners in the c-Si PV market. There are several options for high efficiency, but the most common solution is going to be the PERC cell. The most important improvement In the PERC cell structure is the passivation on the rear surface of the cell. There are several alternative materials and methods available for rear surface passivation. The best results have been achieved with aluminum oxide (Al2O3), which is the strongest material candidate for PERC cells. The advantage of Al2O3 is the negative charge that is created on the interface between silicon and aluminum oxide. This negative charge helps in increasing the efficiency of PERC cells.
Sami Sneck-Director, Technical Sales , Beneq Oy
This technology is Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) – a method that has already been in use for decades in the display and semiconductor industries. ALD is especially suitable for deposition of Al2O3 and provides the highest quality film of all thin film techniques. So, it is not surprising that the best results of rear surface passivation are achieved with ALD Al2O3. Implementation of ALD technology into c-Si solar cell manufacturing requires a new approach both from solar cell manufacturers and ALD equipment suppliers. There have been two major challenges for ALD
technology introduction into PV industry; low enough cost and single-sided coating. ALD typically has a tendency for “wrap-around”, i.e., coating extending from the rear surface to the front side. Because of this, Beneq has developed a solution that eliminates the issue, which has been a major showstopper for cell manufacturers. The other challenge, low cost, Beneq has solved by using a batch process that brings the costs down. Beneq uses an industry proven P800 equipment platform for batch processing. The advantage of using this platform is industry-proven uncompromised reliability, which has accrued from decades of display production. With these innovations, ALD is now a very competitive technology for rear surface passivation of PERC and other high efficiency cells of the future. The Beneq P800, a robust and reliable equipment platform for industrial Batch ALD.
While established technologies in PV industry, such as PECVD, APCVD and sputtering, are capable of depositing Al2O3, they are facing strong competition from a technology A c-Si solar cell with ALD deposited Al2O3 surface passivation on the rear side and no wrap-around on the that is new to c-Si manufacturing. front side. Cell processed by Beneq. 64
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The current selection of technology alternatives offered to solar cell manufacturers may be overwhelming. Not only are all the established players extending their offering to include rear
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surface of the cell. This layer deposition is naturally controlled by the surface itself, due to saturating surface reactions. The surfacecontrolled growth mechanism is the key factor that makes ALD films generally more dense, pin-hole free and higher quality films than any other thin films available. Because of the unique growth mechanism, ALD also covers rough surfaces and particles with a uniform and completely conformal film.
The Beneq P800, a robust and reliable equipment platform for industrial Batch ALD.
surface passivation, new companies with new technologies are also offering their solutions. In this complex situation, solar cell manufacturers are faced with the need to make wise decisions for the future. Many cell manufacturers are tempted by an easy upgrade of their current PECVD line. But in this case, cell manufacturers need to see the bigger picture and realize that the lowcost path of mere upgrading may turn out to be very expensive in the long run, when more lines will be using the same technology that was originally chosen for low entry cost. The production technology choice is a very important decision and should be made based on long-term planning. ALD technology, e.g., offers much lower operating cost than PECVD, and the ones who choose ALD will benefit greatly from this decision in the coming years. And, to be precise, ALD technology is coming to the PV industry in two very distinct variants. On the one hand is traditional and robust Batch ALD technology, with a proven and impressive track record from demanding mass production in the display and semiconductor industries. On the other hand is so called Spatial ALD or Fast ALD, which is really a new technology and has not been used in any production yet. Both technologies are called ALD, which can be extremely confusing to solar cells manufacturers who usually do not have any previous experience of ALD technology. The common feature of both technologies is that, during deposition, the cell is exposed to two precursor chemicals in the gas phase, but only one precursor at a time. During each precursor exposure, a very thin layer of material is deposited on the
In a Batch ALD process, the solar cells are stationary during the processing and subjected to a gas flow with sequentially changing gas composition (Pulse A – Purge – Pulse B – Purge – Pulse A and so on). The duration of each precursor exposure, or pulse as it is called, is in the range of one second, giving the precursor chemical sufficient time to diffuse to the surface and make the perfectly conformal coating. Since the process is relatively slow, a large number of cells are coated simultaneously in order to achieve the necessary throughput. In Spatial ALD, the solar cell is quickly moved through multiple zones of two precursor chemicals and the typical ALD pulse sequence is hence achieved (Pulse A – Purge – Pulse B – Purge – Pulse A and so on). The benefit of this faster process is that the required throughput can be reached with one wafer processing at a time and an in-line system can be realized. This can simplify the automation need and lower the CAPEX cost. Also the wrap around can be controlled. The drawbacks of Spatial ALD, however, are high operating cost and inferior film quality. The main reason for higher operating cost of Spatial ALD, when compared to Batch ALD, is the high consumption of high purity nitrogen used in the process. The difference in film quality is due to the difference in process principle. In Spatial ALD (or “fast ALD”) the precursor exposure time is in the range of tens of milliseconds only – which is but a few percent of the time allowed for precursor exposure in Batch ALD. The lack of time for the precursor to fully saturate the surface leads to a decrease in film quality. In practice, this is seen as lower film density, higher pinhole density and ultimately, lower cell efficiency. This is the key difference between Batch ALD and Spatial ALD. It is already quite widely accepted that, in principle, the best passivation and best cell efficiency is achieved with a batch-type ALD Al2O3 process. The main question, however, is whether or not batch ALD can be a cost efficient solution in production. The Batch
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ALD approach has some cost advantages and disadvantages compared to the competing PECVD process, which is already widely used in the PV industry. These fundamental differences are generally not yet well understood and recognized by many solar cell manufacturers. One major advantage ALD has is that since the film quality is so superior, the required film thickness is much less compared to PECVD. This directly translates into significant savings in precursor consumption, as both processes use the same chemical (trimethyl aluminum, TMA) for Al2O3 deposition. In addition, ALD can utilize the precursor far more efficiently, so you need less TMA to deposit the same film thickness when if compared to PECVD. This again adds to the difference in the operating cost. As TMA is already used in large quantities by the polymer industry, the cost of TMA cannot be expected to drop, not even with the high volume consumption of the entire PV industry – so the cost advantage with ALD is permanent. Another major cost item is the consumption of electricity, where ALD needs significantly less power since the process runs at lower temperatures and does not require power for plasma sources. The aforementioned savings are significant, and as the price of electricity is not expected to decrease in near future, this cost advantage too is a permanent one. Regarding the cost of investment, PECVD is currently slightly lower than ALD. This difference, however, is not significant and certainly not permanent. The price of ALD systems can be lowered significantly through an increased demand from PV industry, whereas PECVD system prices are already at a more stable level. As a summary, the total cost of operation (CoO) for Batch ALD is actually very competitive. Cost (EUR/
PECVD
cell)
Spatial
Batch
ALD
ALD
CAPEX
0.01
0.01
0.01
OPEX
0.02
0.02
0.01
Total CoO
0.03
0.03
0.02
Beneq strongly believes in the inherent advantages that Batch ALD offers rear surface passivation of c-Si solar cells and is currently working hard with its partners to bring this technology to mass production level. Combination of higher efficiency and lower cost is exactly what the solar cell manufacturers and the whole PV industry needs in order to be successful in the years to come. We at Beneq believe that ALD can and will have a prominent role in this path of development. EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
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DEK Solar Launches Breakthrough Technology For The PV Industry DEK Solar
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EK Solar was delighted to launch the break through Fine Line Stencil™at this year’s Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNEC) Photovoltaic Power Expo in China, which took place from the 14th-16th of May. Having worked extensively with PV manufacturers to understand their print process needs, DEK Solar developed this brand new enabling technology for ultra fine line solar cell metallisation. Through lowering manufacturing costs and by increasing solar cell efficiency, Fine Line Stencil™ is expected to make a major impact on the PV industry. Reducing screen printed line width helps reduce shadowing losses, but can also lead to higher line resistance. However, DEKSolar’s Fine Line Stencil™ ensures superb printed line height uniformity.This givesexcellent line conductivity with almost no wasted silver,thereby enablingsub-40µm line widths with no increase in line resistance. Recently published results indicate that a cell efficiency improvement combined with a 40% reduction in front side paste consumption is a realistic prospect for many cell manufacturers. When used in the dual print process, the Fine Line Stencil™ creates the win-win scenario of higher efficiencies and lower silver consumption by firstly printing the busbars with a fine mesh screen, and then separately printing the conductors with the Fine Line Stencil™.This allows an optimised paste to be used for each print process which not only gives precise control over the relative print height of the busbars and the fine lines, thereby saving silver, but also allows a noncontacting busbar paste to increase Voc and therefore cell efficiency. Brian Lau, Director of DEK Solar
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Apollo offers a product throughput of 1500 wafers per hour, with guaranteed production at 10 microns. The performance of the Apollo platform is qualifiedby an independent software toolensuring that the platform is operating to these specifications.
and Process Support Products, explained: “DEK Solar leads the market in developing advanced technologies and processes that simplify manufacturing challenges. Working with partners and agencies across the world, the Dual Print process is yet another example of pioneering innovation in helping our customers reduce costs and optimise cell efficiency.” With its many advantages for the PV industry, DEK Solar was keen to unveil the Fine Line Stencil™ at SNEC. Visitors to the Expo in Shanghai this month witnessed first-hand a demonstration of the technology and the benefits it brings to production. DEK Solar experts were available to offer uniquely tailored advice to business representatives at SNEC, and illustrated the wide range of solutions DEK Solar can provide for PV manufacturers.
DEK Solar also showcased its award winning Eclipse, a highly flexible platform that offers a rapid throughput complete metallisation solution for commercial solar cell production. The modular design concept of the Eclipse provides a series of process units that can be retrofitted to suit printing needs. Offering scalable production with a top speed capability of between 3,600 to 4,000 wafers per hour, Eclipse sets the standard in high speed precision printing. Finally, DEKSolar’sindustry acclaimed PV1200+, a full metallisation solution for high volume printing processes, also featured at SNEC. The line is perfectly balanced for optimal throughput in the production of highquality and energy-efficient solar cells, whilst also maintaining a small footprint on the factory floor. The PV1200+ has been one of the most popular platforms in DEKSolar’s history and is expected to continue to play a role in the upturn of the market.
Print Process Experts Confident New Technologies Will Ensure Industry Is Ready For Upturn In Solar Market During SNEC demonstrations of DEKSolar’s Apollo fine line printing platform, which represents the next generation of integrated cell manufacturing and metallisation platforms, will took place.
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PV-Production Upgrade to PERC Expected Soon – SCHMID Anticipates Strong Incoming Ordersfor APCVD SCHMID GmbH n
APCVD is success factor for implementation of new cell concepts
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Already two systems sold to cell manufacturer and research institute in 2013
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he SCHMID Group (Freudenstadt, Germany) expects several orders in 2013 for its APCVD system for industrial mass production of high efficiency cells on p-type as well as n-type Cz base material. The sales of two machines at the beginning of the year to a cell manufacturer and to an institute prove the growing interest of a broad industry and research market in APCVD production technology. The two machines are used in developing PERC , n-type PERL and PERT cell concepts. Since years nearly one hundred APCVDs of SCHMID Thermal Inc. (Watsonville, USA) are successfully in the field, e.g. for manufacturing doped glasses in the semiconductors industry or for the fabrication of high efficiency solar cells.
with a complete process and the necessary equipment out of one hand.” SCHMID’s PERC portfolio comprises all steps from wet chemical rear side cleaning over APCVD deposition up to rear side laser opening.All systems are easy to integrate into existing production lines and offer the lowest cost of ownership at the market. According to SCHMID calculations the deposition of aluminum oxide and capping layers with APCVD saves about 40-50% costs compared to alternative ALD processes or PECVD processes.
Dr. Christian Buchner, head of SCHMID’s PV-division, explains the optimistic outlook: “If demand for solar cells is rising in the mid-term globally and explosively as industry experts predict, cell manufacturers cannot come up with technology from the year 2011. The right time for upgrading production lines for the fabrication of PERC cells is basically now. When companies decide on equipment, SCHMID is ahead as it is the only PV supplier
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PERC cells are made out of crystalline silicon. Rear side passivation requires the deposition of an aluminum oxide layer and two capping layers onto the base material. The cells reach an efficiency of at least 20% with the SCHMID process. SCHMID’s APCVD is capable not only of passivation but also of high quality and low cost deposition of PSG and BSG for doping. BSG is interesting for manufacturing n-type cells which show no light induced degradation and have the potential for high efficiencies.
Illustration: Schematic cross section of a PERC cell EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
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Innovative Carbon Research for Solar Energy Applications Sanjay K. Behura, Sasmita Nayak, Indrajit Mukhopadhyay, Omkar Jani and T. Harinarayana GERMI Gandhinagar, Gujarat
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everal Solar Scientis t s are investigating how carbon can harness the sunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s light. In order to replace the more expensive and toxic materials used in conventional photovoltaic technologies, a team at Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute (GERMI), Gandhinagar in collaboration with researchers from Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU), Gandhinagar and CSIR-Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology, Bhubaneswar has recently investigated on two important carbon nano-materials such as: graphene and carbon nanotubes and their polymer composites. They have demonstrated both theoretically and experimentally the use of
these materials as transparent and current spreading electrode in thin film solar cells. The scientists published their findings in a special issue of Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology [1, 2]. One of the material systems under investigation is graphene. This is a new form of carbon, which is a 2-dimensional planar sheet. It is very thin with a thickness of just one carbon atom, providing free-standing atomic crystals with extraordinary physical properties. For example: graphene is many times stronger than steel, a better conductor of heat and electricity than copper, and is almost transparent to light. Graphene
therefore has many potential applications, from ultra-thin displays and touch screens, to transistors and solar panels. The other material system under investigation by the team is carbon nanotube (CNT). This is another form of carbon, configurationally equivalent to two dimensional graphene sheet rolled into a tube. It has extraordinary electrical and mechanical properties suitable for device applications. For many years, thin film solar cells are being pursued as viable alternatives to silicon solar cells. A critical aspect of these solar cells is the current conduction
Figures: (Left) Single-Layer Graphene and (Right) Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube
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across the illuminated side of the device, namely transparent conducting film (TCF). This illuminated side (electrode) should be transparent with good conductance. The conventional TCF materials are ITO, FTO, ZnO, thin metal films, metal gratings, Ag nanowire networks etc. Among various TCFs, indium tin oxide (ITO) is the most widely used material. But it possesses some serious drawbacks relating to cost and material related properties. The high transparency accompanied with better conductivity favors graphene as a very suitable material for TCF in thin film solar cell applications. In a recent work, we have fabricated bi-layer graphene (BLG) using micromechanical exfoliation of highly-ordered pyrolytic graphite [1]. This technique is very simple and cost effective, and relies on the mechanical peeling of graphene layers from graphite. The graphite generally consists of stacked layers of graphene. The structural, electrical and optical properties of BLG are systematically characterized. We have theoretically demonstrated its use as TCF in InGaN-based thin film solar cell. Consecutively modeling is carried out with TCAD-Silvaco 2D software and we have simulated the InGaN/ GaN p-i-n junction solar cell using the structural, electrical and optical properties of as-produced exfoliated bi-layer graphene as TCF. An efficiency of 15.24 % is found in the bi-layer graphene/ p-GaN/ n-InGaN/ n-GaN/ GaN/ Al2O3 system compared to 13.63 % for ITO/ p-GaN/ n-InGaN/ n-GaN/ GaN/ Al2O3 system. This
Figures: I-V characteristics of MWCNTs-polymer composite with ransmittance spectra and digital image of samples on the top.
study gives a good direction towards the use of carbon-based materials for solar cell applications. In another work, multiwall CNTs (MWCNTs)-polymer composite TCF [2] was fabricated and its optical and electrical properties are characterized for possible replacement of ITO in thin film solar cells. The transparency of 85% at the wavelength of 550 nm with electrical conductivity of 10-4 S/cm has been achieved. This is a good signature of using the material as
TCF. These properties can be improved further for betterment. The Current-Voltage (I-V) characteristics show linear behavior, thus confirming the Ohmic nature of nanocomposites and metal contact. Moreover, this carbon-polymer composite is reported for the first time and has posseses unique potential for applications in optoelectronic devices. The advantage of the above research works are in realization of carbon-based solar cells for manufacturing by the industry in the near future.
Figures: (Left) InGaN-based thin film solar cell with BLG as TCF. (Top Right) AFM image with line scan thickness measurement in the inset. (Top Bottom) J-V and P-V characteristics of the simulated InGaN-based thin film solar cell.
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EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
69Â
P V M A N UFA CT URI N G
DragonBack ® - A Dedicated Measurement Solution For High Efficiency Solar Modules Meyer Burger Technology
T
he DragonBack® measurement method for high efficiency solar modules, developed by Pasan SA, the competence centre for measurement technologies within the Meyer Burger Technology Group, sets new standards in PV measurement and has now been successfully approved by the PhotovoltaikInstitut Berlin AG. Advanced PV technologies that attain the highest efficiency commonly exhibit high internal capacitance. Due to the slow response time, the electrical performance of such HiCap technologies necessitates modified measurement solutions. The traditional laboratory measurement solution consists of a multiple-pulse measurement that allows a longer sweeping time (up to 300 to 500 ms). However, a time-consuming measurement of this sort is not suitable for production. On the other hand, steady state or “long-pulse” light sources are not workable due to the higher Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and CapEx, poor light quality and temperature effect resulting in low measurement accuracy. The ground-breaking DragonBack® technology, developed by Pasan in cooperation with the SUPSI-ISAAC- Swiss PV Module Test Centre, is a completely new measurement method which combines extremely precise and repeatable measurements with the throughput required in a modern production environment to measure the performance of high efficiency and high capacity modules such as those produced using heterojunction cell technology. The DragonBack® measurement 70
EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
method exceeds industry requirements of maximum measurement reliability, low takt time, low TCO and ease-of-use. It is based ona dynamic approach that models the voltage ramp with a series of steps and overshoots according to the real internal capacitance of the module under test.As a result, the current voltage characteristics of highly efficient modules can be accurately determined using a pulse of 10 ms with an A+A+A+ light source illumination. Pmax accuracy is within < 0.5 % compared to a reference multi-flash measurement. The DragonBack® measurement method is available on Pasan’s new HighLIGHT solar simulator. Manufacturers using a Pasan SunSim platform can upgrade to the HighLIGHT with a simple upgrade of the electronic load. The extremely accurate and cost effective DragonBack® technology wasbeen awarded the Solar Industry Award 2012. Now, the PhotovoltaikInstitut Berlin AG approved the DragonBack® method for the measurement of high capacitive modules after a study involving 8 different types of high efficiency modules where all measurement tests were carried out using a Pasan HighLIGHT module tester. The PI-Berlin validated the robustness and reliability of the DragonBack® method which demonstrated its best suitability for a high volume production environment. With the DragonBack® technology, Meyer Burger sets a further standard in the measurement of high efficiency solar modules.
Recently major challenge for the PV market and industry is to reduce the cost of PV electricity while maintaining a high level of quality. In order to achieve this goal, efforts are underway that involve the conversion efficiency on the one hand and the TCO on the other hand. This translates into the development of new PV materials with increased efficiency which must then be adapted to industry-oriented solutions for mass production at low cost. New-generation PV materials with higher efficiencies commonly exhibit a highly capacitive effect that disturbs performance measurements using the conventional method. Such solar modules require a new solution for accurately assessing their electrical performance in production environments. The DragonBack® method introduced by Pasan is a solution that allows efficient determination of the performance of highly efficient modules using an economical, highquality pulsed light source. The commercial value of a PV module is linked to its maximum power value (Pmax) measured under standard testing conditions (STC). To determine this value, a solar simulator is used at the end of each module production line to test each individual module. The accuracy of this measurement directly affects the price for which the module can be sold and thus the manufacturer’s profit. The common way to assess a PV device’s electrical performance is to continuously sweep the voltage applied to the device during illumination and record the corresponding
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current. Until now, the parasitic capacitance exhibited by any PV device due to electrical charges inside the semiconductor junction was considered negligible, and performance measurements based on a flash light source lasting some milliseconds (ms) were very conventional. However, with the trend in PV technology towards high-efficiency materials, this parasitic capacitance has increased dramatically and is therefore no longer negligible for performance measurements of a few ms. When sweeping from 0 V towards Voc, the available current at the terminals is the PV current generated by the module, minus the current needed to charge the parasitic capacitance. When sweeping in the reverse direction, the current is the PV current plus the discharge current of the parasitic capacitance. Consequently, Pmax is either underestimated or overestimated (see Figure A). In order to avoid such a measurement artefact, a time period up to 500 ms or even more should be considered in order to obtain the correct power value. However, a long illumination time of this sort is not feasible with flasher equipment, which must first ensure a high level of light quality (spectrum, uniformity) and stability.
Figure A: Forward and reverse IV curves measured on a HiCap module with a linear sweep in a single 10 ms flash (blue) compared to multi-flash measurement on the same module.
Until now, the methods available for measuring PV modules with high internal capacitance (so-called “HiCap” materials including Heterojunction (HJT) devices) did not provide a satisfactory solution in terms of cost-effectiveness and accuracy. Due to the long response time of HiCap materials, the use of a pulsed solar simulator requires a multi-flash measurement process in order to reduce the voltage ramp slope. Although this solution is the method of choice for accredited reference laboratories, which have the benefit of a high quality, light source, it does not suit the requirements of production lines, especially regarding the cycle time. On the other hand, steady-state testers would allow slow measurement, but this advantage is rendered unfeasible by several drawbacks of such machines: high cost, high energy
consumption, low lifespan of the light source, poor light quality, and temperature effect impacting the measurement accuracy. Other proposed solutions include “long” pulse equipment of up to 100 to 120 ms, which is, however, not long enough to accurately measure HiCap modules which typically require 200 to 500 ms. Mean direct and reverse measurements have also been shown to lead to incorrect Pmax estimations. Finally, the main drawback of the newly proposed LED-based testers is their very poor spectrum quality, which in turn impacts the measurement accuracy. The DragonBack®measurement methodology for highly efficient modules proposed by Pasan provides an answer for module producers seeking a reliable, accurate and cost-effective solution for the measurement of advanced PV technologies. The most notable characteristic of this method is the combination of a highly accurate and highly repeatable measurement process for HiCap modules with industry requirements including cycle time, low TCO and ease of use. Until now, the various proposed approaches for testing such materials were never able to satisfy the two main aspects: measurement accuracy and solution cost. In addition, this solution allows upgrading of existing Pasan HighLIGHT tester equipment with the new measurement process in order to measure future high-performance technologies. The DragonBack® measurement method allows accurate determination of the electrical performance (Pmax, Isc, Voc) of HiCap PV modules in a production environment using a 10 ms single pulse solar simulator. It is based on a dynamic sweep methodology that takes into account the specific capacitance of a given material. This adapted measurement method overcomes the long stabilisation time required by HiCap technologies. Instead of applying a continuously increasing (linear) voltage ramp to the device, the DragonBack® method applies a proper voltage profile, which consists of steps and adapted overshoots (see Figure B). This results in faster charging of the internal capacitance and consequently diminishes the stabilisation time. Accurate values for the current-voltage curve can thus be measured during a short illumination period. The distribution of the steps as well as the specific shape of the step and overshoot is adapted to each type of module based
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Figure B: Typical DragonBack® voltage ramp including steps and overshoots.
on a prior measurement that determined the capacitance profile on a representative module. Figure C shows the resulting stabilised IV curve points obtained with the DragonBack® method applied on a commercial Heterojunction module. This measurement is compared with the reference IV measurement obtained using the multiflash (MF) method. The DragonBack® measured points are then fitted with a polynomial function in the region of Pmax and linear regression is used to extract Isc and Voc. As a result, the obtained values for the key parameters (Pmax, Isc, Voc) are well
Figure C: Comparison of the IV curves obtained with the DragonBack® method (red squares) and the reference multiflash measurement (blue line) measured on a commercial Heterojunction module.
within the 0.5% criterion as compared to the MF reference values. Similar results have been obtained for different kinds of HiCap materials with various capacitance values. In conclusion, the DragonBack®solution introduced by Pasan fulfils the need for an industry-oriented and cost-effective solution to measure the power of highly efficient modules, taking into account production tact-time, low TCO and measurement accuracy. Accuracy within < 0.5% compared to reference multi-flash measurement has been demonstrated for several capacitive modules made from various technologies when measured under a commercial A+A+A+ Pasan 10 ms light source with a 30 s cycle time. This has been successfully validated by PI Berlin. EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
71
P O L I CY & REGUL A T I O N
Open Access - Solution To Many Problems Alok Tripathi, Director, Power Plus Consultants - Co-founder Indian Power Sector is going through a rough patch now days. Would it be able to recover from it in near future?
U
navailability of coal, poor financial condition of the Distribution companies, frequent shut down of generating stations due to damages of turbines are some of the major reasons behind the increasing demand supply gap. Presently the power supply deficit is 8.7% and peak deficit reached up to 9% in March 2013 (Source CEA March 2013 report). But the worst problem is faced by Southern region grid where the demand supply deficit is 15.5% and the peak deficit is 16.1%. Average power cut in India is around 4hrs/day. Indian Industrial sector is facing a lot of heat due to this power deficit; and due to non-availability of electricity industrial consumers are forced to run their industries on diesel gen sets which cost them around INR 12-13/unit against the average power supply cost of around INR 4/unit. Indian Electricity act 2003 made an attempt with a vision of making the market competitive, to provide a solution to power consumers with a contract demand of 1MVA or above or even less than 1 MVA where ever feasible. The term Open Access is introduced in the electricity act which enables the industrial consumer to buy power from the open market at competitive prices. However this sounds a fairy tale if we look at the current scenario. Although Open Access was introduced in 2003, but till 2008 out of the total electricity generated only 0.43% of electricity was traded though power exchanges and only 4.84% was traded 72
EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
though bilateral transactions in India.Since the inception of the Open Access concept a decade has passed, but Power Exchanges still share merely 2.94% of market share, this reflects a growth of merely 2.51% in last 5 years. Also the bilateral transaction has increased by 0.46% to 5.30 % only (Source CERC monthly marketing report). Now the question in front of everyone is that if distribution companies are not able to buy power to supply to its industrial consumers why don’t the consumers shift to the option of buying power directly through Bilateral Transactions or through Power Exchanges i.e. IEX and PXIL in India.
Given below are the various challenges in the implementation of Open Access: •
•
Discom Approvals: First and the most important challenge in front of industrial consumersare to get the various approvals of the distribution companies. As industrial consumers are the highly paying consumers of Discom (Distribution Company) so none of the Discoms would want to lose their high income sources, as the financial health of most of the Discomsis already in poor condition. So they don’t allow its consumers to buy power directly through open market. High cost of standby power from distribution companies: If the power is not cleared by Load Dispatch Centre
due to unavailability of transmission corridor or any other reason, the state Discom charge a 1.5 times higher tariff then the normal tariff of the industrial consumers. •
High Cross Subsidy Surcharge: Even when the industrial consumers opt for open access, still they have to pay cross subsidy surcharge to the distribution companies on the electricity unit purchase through open market. Cross Subsidy surcharge range from as high as Rs 2.37/unit to as low as 0 Rs/unit.
Given below is a graphic representation of CSS of different states in India • Availability of Transmission Corridor: Various short term transactions get curtailed in India due to the nonavailability of transmission corridor. In order to boost our power sector it is very important to strengthen our transmission system. •
High Wheeling and Transmission Losses: Due to the poor condition of distribution and transmission infrastructure, a consumer has to bear high transmission and distribution charges and losses.These charges are paid to the distribution and transmission companies by the open access consumers in order to use their infrastructure for buying the power through third party.
•
High Initial Cost: In order to purchase power through open access, a consumer
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The opportunities are immense, and the industry should come forward and claim that is rightfully theirs. We should make the process clean and transparent, and make the industry understand that they will not only be saving on electricity bills but also shall be getting a more consistent and reliable supply of electricity. The power market should open up, and it’s high time; we should now start treating electricity as a market instrument rather than a social instrument. has to install ABT (Availability Based Tariff) meter costing about INR 2,50,000 and should have an independent feeder. In some states like Rajasthan consumer has to buy main meter, check meter and stand by meter which are very costly.
shown in below given graph. •
Given Below are the various Opportunities favouring Open Access: •
Cheaper Power: If any consumer buys power through Power Exchange or Bilateral Transactions then he can save around 15-20% of his electricity bills. Last year average tariff for electricity at IEX was Rs 3.17/unit.
We wish to educate the consumers, and in our continuous effort for industry education, we are coming up with a free for all detailed market report on Open Access in India.
Load Shedding: Due to large demandsupply gap, distribution companies are forced to cut the power supply of the industrial consumers. Due to which industrial consumers are forced to run on diesel which will cost them around Rs 13/unit.
In some states like Andhra Pradesh there is power cut of around 4 days a week while in other states load shedding is around 3-4hrs per day. Due to this high load shedding industrial consumers are going for alternatives like Open Access. •
High Industrial Tariff:Industries are facing a very high industrial tariff. In order to compensate the reduced tariff of domestic and agricultural consumers most of the distribution companies are charging higher tariff from the industrial consumers. In some states like Maharashtra tariff for industrial consumers is as high as Rs 7.01/unit, in Punjab tariff for industrial consumers is Rs 6.33/unit.
Although a simple law governing any market will state that a bulk consumer should be given better prices, however since electricity is treated more as a social service rather than a tradable commodity, the bulk consumer always ends up paying the high prices. A brief of industrial consumer’s tariff is
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EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
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& EQBusiness Financial Accrediated Projects & Trading Statistics of REC Mechanism Projects as on 07.06.2013 State
RE Generator
(MW)
State
RE Generator
Tamil Nadu
SATHY SILKS PRIVATE LIMITED
1
Rajasthan
K C India Limited ( Unit Sukhlal Solaire Power) 3
Tamil Nadu
GAJAANANDA JEWELLERY MART INDIA 1 PRIVATE LIMITED
Rajasthan
Raj Overseas
1
Rajasthan
chandram solar power private limited
1
Rajasthan
Rajasthan Patrika Private Limited
2
Rajasthan
Navkar Woollens Private Limited
1
Rajasthan
Viney Corporation Private Limited
1
Tamil Nadu
Alpine Knits India (P) Ltd
1
Rajasthan
Aman Home Appliances Private Limited
1
Rajasthan
CEPCO Industries Pvt. Ltd.
1
Andhra Pradesh
THE KCP LIMITED
5.75
Rajasthan
Manidhari Gums and Chemicals ( Unit MGC 1 Power)
Rajasthan
Chartered Gold Financial Services Pvt. Ltd.
0.9
Rajasthan
Dindayal Commodities Pvt. Ltd.
1
Rajasthan
Lahoti Overseas Limited
2
Rajasthan
D J Malpani
13
Madhya Pradesh
OMEGA RENK BEARINGS PVT. LTD.
0.695
Madhya Pradesh
Pearl Green Energy Pvt Ltd.
1
Madhya Pradesh
Banco Construction Pvt. Ltd
1
Madhya Pradesh
BANSAL and COMPANY
1
Maharashtra
Giriraj Enterprises
6.65
Odisha
MBPS Control & Power system limited
1
Rajasthan
Hasya Enterprises Private Limited
0.1
Rajasthan
BMD PVT LTD
5
Rajasthan
Giriraj Enterprises
3
Rajasthan
Giriraj Enterpries
19
Rajasthan
Giriraj Enterprises
11
Madhya Pradesh
Agarwal Jewellers
0.5
Madhya Pradesh
KRBL Limited
2.5
Rajasthan
Impact Solar Power Private Limited
1.5
Madhya Pradesh
Saboo Sodium Chloro Limited
1
Madhya Pradesh
Tuhina Enterprises
1
Madhya Pradesh
Saboo Industries
0.5
Chhattisgarh
Amvensys Technologies Private Limted
2
Odisha
OCL India Limited
2.5
Madhya Pradesh
Star Delta Transformers Limited
0.5
Madhya Pradesh
Deepak Spinners Limited
1
Rajasthan
R. H. Prasad & Company Private Limited
0.25
Maharashtra
Enrich Energy Pvt. Ltd
1
Maharashtra
Jaibalaji Business Corporation Pvt. Ltd.
1
Madhya Pradesh
OMEGA RENK BEARINGS PVT. LTD
0.105
Rajasthan
Shri Giriraj Energy Private Limited
1
Rajasthan
Kishan Gopal Rungta Private Limited
1
Rajasthan
sanjiv prakashan
2
Madhya Pradesh
Friends Salt Works & Allied Industries
2.5
Maharashtra
Hotel Golden Emerald
1
Maharashtra
Nav Gases and Chemicals
1
Madhya Pradesh
Bonaterra Green Houses LLP
0.63
Madhya Pradesh
Gautam Freight Pvt. Ltd.
1.25
Maharashtra
Navalakha Translines
1
Maharashtra
Medilink Services
1
Madhya Pradesh
Centex Fabrics - Export Unit
1.25
Maharashtra
Accesset Ventures
2
Madhya Pradesh
HIndustan Platinum Pvt. Ltd.
1.25
Madhya Pradesh
Gupta Sons
1.25
Madhya Pradesh
Active Solar LLP
1.25
Madhya Pradesh
Rsquare Shri Sai Baba Hospitality Pvt. Ltd.
0.5
Maharashtra
M/s J.M. Industries
1
Madhya Pradesh
Aditya Marine Limited
0.63
Maharashtra
TS Wind Power Developers
1
Madhya Pradesh
Atul Sharma
1
Madhya Pradesh
Eastman International
2
Madhya Pradesh
Systematic Enterprises Pvt. Ltd.
0.63
Madhya Pradesh
FR IENDS S ALT INDUSTRIES
WOR KS
&
ALL IED 5 0.63
(MW)
Madhya Pradesh
SRS Engineers
Madhya Pradesh
FR IENDS S ALT INDUSTRIES
Madhya Pradesh
OMEGA RENK BEARINGS PVT. LTD.
0.655
Madhya Pradesh
M/s Gupta Sons
0.5
Maharashtra
Patel Wood Syndicate
1
Rajasthan
Kanoria Chemicals & Industries Limited
5
Maharashtra
Katare Spinning Mills Ltd
1
Tamil Nadu
Swelect Energy Systems Limited
1.055
Maharashtra
The Gujarat Tea Traders Pvt. Ltd.
1
Madhya Pradesh
M AND B Switchgears Limited
2
Maharashtra
Dr. D. H. Patel
1
Maharashtra
Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd.,
8.5
Maharashtra
New Patel Saw Mill
1
WOR KS
&
ALL IED 2.5
Solar REC Inventory as per REC Registry
74Â
EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
Month, Year
Opening Balance
REC REC Issued Redeemed
Closing Balance
May, 2012 June, 2012 July, 2012 August, 2012 September, 2012 October, 2012 November, 2012 December, 2012 January, 2013 February, 2013 March, 2013 April, 2013 May, 2013
0 239 221 370 181
249 324 328 190 1443
10 342 179 379 1160
239 221 370 181 464
464 85 469 253 1251 899 633 860
1412 1603 992 3306 1882 2917 2444 3973
1791 1219 1208 2308 2234 3183 2217 1703
85 469 253 1251 899 633 860 3130
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& EQBusiness Financial Solar REC Trading Statistics in 2012 - 13 on PXIL Jan-12 Feb-12 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Jul-12 Aug-12 Sep-12 Oct-12 Nov-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 Feb-13 Mar-13 Apr-13 May-13
Solar REC Price Discovered in 2012 - 13 on PXIL
Solar REC Trading Statistics in 2012 - 13 on IEX
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Jan-12 Feb-12 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Jul-12 Aug-12 Sep-12 Oct-12 Nov-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 Feb-13 Mar-13 Apr-13 May-13
Jan-12 Feb-12 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Jul-12 Aug-12 Sep-12 Oct-12 Nov-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 Feb-13 Mar-13 Apr-13 May-13
Buy B i d Sell Bid MCV (No. of (No. o f (No. of certificate) certificates) certificates) Qty (MWH)
MCP (Rs. / Certificate)
0 1007 3319 225 5 130 200 603 525 2100 1120 583 2107 2203 2372 1528 1137
0 0 0 0 13000 12506 12800 12850 12900 12500 12100 12100 12500 13000 13000 12000 10990
0 0 0 0 100 22 130 250 527 1012 930 484 203 310 624 1609 2720
0 0 0 0 5 6 86 250 425 971 486 277 203 310 551 1212 1034
MCP (Rs. / Certificate)
Forbearance Price Floor Price
0 0 0 0 13000 12506 12800 12850 12900 12500 12100 12100 12500 13000 13000 12000 10990
13400 13400 13400 13400 13400 13400 13400 13400 13400 13400 13400 13400 13400 13400 13400 13400 13400
Buy Bids (REC)
2,635 582 5,782 289 1,637 9,489 8,554 1,728 1,317 1,263 1,458 1,608 40,138 4,574 5,238 1,994 862
Sell Bids (REC)
0 0 0 0 149 541 419 310 1,094 864 758 977 3,356 2,416 3,192 1,468 2,113
9300 9300 9300 9300 9300 9300 9300 9300 9300 9300 9300 9300 9300 9300 9300 9300 9300
Cleared Cleared Volume (REC) Price(Rs/REC)
0 0 0 0 5 336 93 129 735 820 733 931 2,105 1,924 2,632 1,005 669
0 0 0 0 13,000 12,750 12,800 12,850 12,500 12,680 12,720 12,620 12,500 12,500 13,400 12,206 11,490
EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
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& EQBusiness Financial Solar REC Price Discovered in 2012 - 13 on IEX
Non Solar REC Price Discovered in 2012 - 13 on PXIL
76Â
EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
Jan-12 Feb-12 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Jul-12 Aug-12 Sep-12 Oct-12 Nov-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 Feb-13 Mar-13 Apr-13 May-13
Cleared Price(Rs/ FORBEARANCE REC) PRICE
0 0 0 0 13,000 12,750 12,800 12,850 12,500 12,680 12,720 12,620 12,500 12,500 13,400 12,206 11,490
FLOOR PRICE
13400 13400 13400 13400 13400 13400 13400 13400 13400 13400 13400 13400 13400 13400 13400 13400 13400
9300 9300 9300 9300 9300 9300 9300 9300 9300 9300 9300 9300 9300 9300 9300 9300 9300
Month, Year
Opening Balance
REC Issued
REC Closing Redeemed Balance
March, 2011 April, 2011 May, 2011 June, 2011 July, 2011 August, 2011 September, 11 October, 2011 November, 11 December, 11 January, 2012 February, 2012 March, 2012 April, 2012 May, 2012 June, 2012 July, 2012 August, 2012 September, 12 October, 2012 November, 12 December, 12 January, 2013 February, 2013 March, 2013 April, 2013 May, 2013
0 108 4351 14119 24824 36480 43197 71447 102487 132657 109091 39915 34463 38545 89688 151461 173777 397941 598642 902320 1294098 1554231 1662978 1773879 1935844 1776296 1991136
532 4503 28270 27090 30224 31813 74612 126544 135697 88055 102348 200736 203819 122369 230448 258801 382384 474594 568124 619946 392485 382391 304238 314917 268323 259299 249343
424 260 18502 16385 18568 25096 46362 95504 105527 111621 171524 206188 199737 71226 168675 236485 158220 273893 264446 222700 132352 273644 193337 152952 427871 44459 52968
Jan-12 Feb-12 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Jul-12 Aug-12 Sep-12 Oct-12 Nov-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 Feb-13 Mar-13 Apr-13 May-13
MCP (Rs. / Certificate)
3051 3051 3100 2201 2150 2460 2202 1555 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500
Forbearance Price
3300 3300 3300 3300 3300 3300 3300 3300 3300 3300 3300 3300 3300 3300 3300 3300 3300
108 4351 14119 24824 36480 43197 71447 102487 132657 109091 39915 34463 38545 89688 151461 173777 397941 598642 902320 1294098 1554231 1662978 1773879 1935844 1776296 1991110 2187511
Floor Price
1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500
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& EQBusiness Financial Non Solar REC Price Discovered in 2012 - 13 on IEX
Jan-12 Feb-12 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Jul-12 Aug-12 Sep-12 Oct-12 Nov-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 Feb-13 Mar-13 Apr-13 May-13
Non Solar REC Trading Statistics in 2012 -13 on PXIL Jan-12 Feb-12 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Jul-12 Aug-12 Sep-12 Oct-12 Nov-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 Feb-13 Mar-13 Apr-13 May-13
Non Solar REC Trading Statistics in 2012 - 13 on IEX
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Jan-12 Feb-12 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Jul-12 Aug-12 Sep-12 Oct-12 Nov-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 Feb-13 Mar-13 Apr-13 May-13
Cleared Price(Rs/REC)
FORBEARABCE PRICE FLOOR PRICE
3,051 3,066 2,900 2,201 2,402 2,402 2,000 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500
3300 3300 3300 3300 3300 3300 3300 3300 3300 3300 3300 3300 3300 3300 3300 3300 3300
1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500
Buy Bid (No. of Sell Bid (No. of certificates) certificates)
MCV (No. of certificate) MCP (Rs. / Qty (MWH) Certificate)
18113 28933 51401 26813 25449 35475 11400 35150 25082 90469 77376 100000 2462 104859 120611 33789 34425
6064 15706 7383 8949 15550 13321 10851 25725 25082 90469 77376 100000 2462 104859 120611 33789 34425
6072 19045 7405 26842 28728 30320 32194 59213 46530 161483 308685 597842 370389 216307 611388 663365 812485
3051 3051 3100 2201 2150 2460 2202 1555 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500
Buy Bids (REC)
Sell Bids (REC)
Cleared Volume Cleared (REC) Price(Rs/REC)
414,387 360,330 272,366 237,100 339,882 313,973 149,628 248,168 239,364 132,231 54,976 173,644 190,875 48,093 307,260 10,670 18,543
186,610 215,157 223,907 105,844 246,501 330,371 435,348 568,097 664,641 851,177 921,376 855,784 1,371,503 1,526,114 1,308,044 1,221,579 1,280,605
165,460 190,482 192,354 62,277 153,125 223,164 147,369 248,168 239,364 132,231 54,976 173,644 190,875 48,093 307,260 10,670 18,543
3,051 3,066 2,900 2,201 2,402 2,402 2,000 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500
EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
77Â
PRODUCTS China Sunergy to Introduce New 1500V Module at SNEC 7th PV Power Expo At the SNEC Expo, China Sunergy holded a new product launching event to introduce the new 1500V module on May 15 at the company booth, N1-006. Designed for highvoltage systems, the new 1500V module will reduce power losses in electrical transformers; enable less cable usage for
power transmission, and most importantly, is PID (potential induced degradation) free. In addition to the new 1500V module, the Company also exhibited its QSAR II270-60M module, Waratah 260-60P poly module and double glass Poly module.
Save time and money with NEPC Solar’s revolutionary Flat Roof Mounting Structure!!
NEPC’s SOLAR DIVISION offers all types of systems for Flat Roof, Ground Mount and other special applications as per customer requirements. The company also does suitable engineering and provide customers with most economic solutions. NEPC SOLAR has developed its own Module Mounting Structure which is very much cost effective and quick to install. The product is designed after extensive research and development and capable of withstanding extreme conditions. NEPC provides PV mounting solutions, a leader in the PV mounting industry for quality designs, durability and a variety of designs for ground, rooftop, and structure mounting systems to accommodate the needs of any type of solar array installation. Engineered for flat roof mounting applications, NEPC Roof Mount is an economic solution that can be installed at a rate of 2-3kW per man hour, making it one 78
EQ INTERNATIONAL - May 2013
thought through MMS support system can be used for a wide range of different solar modules both crystalline and thin film with frame or without frame. Some of the advantages of NEPC SOLAR’s Module Mounting Structure are as under:
of the fastest, easiest and most cost-effective solutions on the market today. The Structure for flat roof solar systems is carefully designed for making installation process easy. MMS is a compact product for flat roof areas. The array can withstand high wind loads with tilt up to 30 Degree and can be secure on the floor with SS Anchor Bolts. Through its unique aerodynamic design each MMS is manufactured from 100% aluminium and stainless steel components, and will support the system as long as the solar modules last. The simple and well
n
Maximum flexibility- Flush, high-profile or low profile configurations, roof or ground mount, Pitched or flat roof
n
Easy to Install-can be installed with 1 socket wrench and is made of economical aluminium components and stainless steel fasteners.
n
Impressively Innovative- Both in terms of Value and Quality
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Engineered Smart-Assemble, Don’t Build- No field fabrication required
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Strength- Bigger, Fewer, Better Faster and flexible Components and compatible with off-shelf wire management.
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PRODUCTS Hanwha SolarOne Exhibits HSL Series at SNEC Power PV Expo 2013 Latest generation modules with new, industry-leading features enhance Hanwha SolarOne’s existing product offerings Hanwha SolarOne Co. Ltd. (Hanwha SolarOne), a top-10 global photovoltaic manufacturer of high-quality, costcompetitive solar modules, showcased modules from its newest generation HSL Series at the SNEC PV Power Expo 2013 — the HSL 72 Poly, HSL 60 Poly, HSL 60 Poly Smart Module, HSL 60 Poly Black Diamond and HSL 72 Poly Anti-salt. With game-changing design and technological innovations, these modules mark a significant milestone in the evolution of Hanwha Solar’s innovative product offerings, and demonstrate its commitment to delivering best-in-class solar solutions.
“At Hanwha SolarOne, we are dedicated to strengthening and diversifying our solar solutions to meet the evolving needs of our customers,” said Hanwha SolarOne President Min-Su Kim. “As stronger, smaller and lighter modules with anti-PID technology and enhanced energy efficiency, the HSL Series is a testament to Hanwha SolarOne’s continuous innovation and ability to create value for our customers.” Built for utility, commercial and residential applications, HSL Series modules are approximately 2 percent smaller than the previous generation, and therefore yield an average 2 percent higher module efficiency. They can also withstand a snow load of up to 7000pa and a wind load of up to 4000pa. Additionally, at 1.5kg lighter than the previous generation, the new HSL Series is easier and more cost-effective to pack, transport and install. HSL60 Poly and HSL72 Poly modules have passed the stringent TUV Rheinland PID test. Backed by a 25-year linear power warranty and 12year workmanship warranty, these modules also have enhanced quality assurance with
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International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and Underwriters Laboratories (UL) certification. In addition to the features offered by the HSL 60 Poly and HSL 72 Poly, the Antisalt, Smart Module and Black Diamond models offer enhanced technologies to meet the specific needs of customers around the world, further broadening Hanwha SolarOne’s product portfolio. Ideal for seaside locations, the HSL 72 Poly Anti-salt has passed extreme environmental testing at double the salt mist concentration and duration of the IEC 61701; it also features a special aluminum frame and non-coating glass, both of which reduce the risk of salt corrosion. The HSL Poly 60 Smart Module enables owners of PV projects to increase energy production while presenting new levels of intelligence, active manageability and enhanced safety; and the HSL 60 Black Diamond’s sleek ebony appearance makes it an aesthetically-pleasing choice for commercial and residential purposes.
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Renewable Energy World Europe 2013 Date: 04-06Jun-2013 Place: Austria Organiser: Pennwell Tel.: +44 1992 656608 Email: tomm@pennwell.com Web.: www.renewableenergyworld-europe.com
POWER-GEN Europe 2013
Date: 04-06Jun-2013 Place: Vienna, Austria Organiser: Penn well Tel.: +44 1992 656637 Email: claudetteh@pennwell.com Web.: www.powergeneurope.com
Solar Taiwan 2013
6th Annual Conference on Solar Power in India
Date: 18-20Jun-2013 Place: Taipei, Taiwan Organiser: PIDA Tel.: +886 2 23514026 Email: judy@mail.pida.org.tw Web.: www.optotaiwan.com
Date: 1-2July-2013 Place: New Delhi, India Organiser: indiainfrastructure Tel.: +91 111 446560423 Email: conferencecell@indiainfrastructure.com Web.: www.indiainfrastructure.com
2013 Indonesia solar and renewable and new energy exhibition
Intersolar Europe 2013 Date: 17-21Jun-2013 Place: Munich, Germany Organiser: Â Intersolar Tel.: +49 7231 58598-213 Email: goll@intersolar.de Web.: www.intersolar.de
Date: 3-5July-2013 Place: Jakarta Organiser: Beijing International Business Exhibi-
tion Co., Ltd Tel.: +86 10 52489755 Email: 1812247731@qq.com Web.: www.expo-china.com
SolarTech Expo Brazil 2013
Date: 06-07Jun-2013 Place: Sao Paulo, Brazil Organiser: Green World Conferences Tel.: +44 78 46486980 Email: dm@greenworldconferences.com Web.: greenworldconferences.com
ESEP 2013
Date: 05-07Jun-2013 Place: Jiaxing, China Organiser: Jiaxing Economic and Information Tech-
nology Commission Tel.: +86 573 82095700 Email: jxjnhbzlh@163.com Web.: www.esepexpo.com
Intersolar North America 2013 39th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference
Date: 16-21Jun-2013 Place: Tampa, Florida, USA Organiser: Cherry, and International Committees Tel.: +1 413 7830473 Email: ConferenceChair@ieee-pvsc.org Web.: www.ieee-pvsc.org/PVSC39
10th REFF-Wall Street
Date: 25-26Jun-2013 Place: New York, USA Organiser: Euromoneyplc Tel.: +1 212 9013828 Email: energyevents@euromoneyplc.com Web.: www.reffwallstreet.com
Date: 8-11July-2013 Place: San Francisco, California, USA Organiser: Intersolar Tel.: +49 7231 58598-215 Email: koch@intersolar.us Web.: www.intersolar.us
EF/?sSubSystem=Prospec...
Solar Argentina 2013
Date: 10-12July-2013 Place: Buenos Aires, Argentina Organiser: Artenergy Publishing Srl Tel.: +39 02 66306866 Email: info@enersolar.biz Web.: www.solar-argentina.com
SolarTech Expo India 2013 Renewable Energy Asia 2013
Date: 05-08Jun-2013 Place: Bangkok, Thailand Organiser: UBM Asia Tel.: +86 10 65262861-616 Email: jamesli@annexhibition.com Web.: www.csptoday.com/menasol/index.php
IRENEC 2013
Date: 27-29Jun-2013 Place: Istanbul, Turkey Organiser: IRENEC Tel.: +90 532 7744525 Email: info@irenec2013.com Web.: www.irenec2013.com
Date: 22-23July-2013 Place: New Delhi, India Organiser: Green World Conferences Tel.: +44 78 46486980 Email: dm@greenworldconferences.com Web.: www. greenworldconferences.com
For Listing of your Event : Conference and events are listed free-of-charge, so please feel free to get in touch to tell us about your event. We would also be happy to provide you with free copies of magazine for distribution at your events.(while stock last). Please send your conference information to : Mr. Gourav Garg at gourav.garg@EQmag.net
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EQ International Magazine Editorial Advisory Board
K Subramanyam Former CEO Tata BP Solar
Thomas wittek Managing Director & CEO Refu Solar Electronics Pvt. Ltd.
Rabindra Kumar Satpathy President Reliance Solar
Shaji John Chief Solar Initiatives, L&T
Rajesh Bhat - Managing Director juwi India Renewable Energies Pvt Ltd
G. Kalyan Varma Country Head TUV Rheinland (India) Pvt. Ltd.
Gyanesh Chaudhary Managing Director Vikram Solar Private Limited
Gaurav Sood Managing Director Solairedirect Energy India Pvt Ltd
Ravi Khanna - CEO Solar Power Business Aditya Birla Group
Shivanand Nimbargi MD & CEO Green Infra Limited
Sunil Jain Chief Exe. Off. & Exe. Director Hero Future Energies Pvt Ltd.
Pashupathy Gopalan Managing Director MEMC-SunEdison
Inderpreet Wadhwa CEO Azure Power
Paulo Soares CFO & Director Inspira Martifer Solar Ltd
Come and see us at InterSolar Mumbai - India 14-16 December 2011 Stand 1361 Hall 1
PV Protection Expertise Where You Need It Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PV market is a competitive business where productivity is king and uptime is critical. Such demands mean you need a partner that can help you where it matters most â&#x20AC;&#x201C; on the ground. From design to manufacture, installation to commissioning, Cooper Bussmann is on hand to make sure you get the protection your PV system deserves. The new Cooper Bussmann smart combiner box offers greater capability, including overcurrent and overvoltage protection, Modbus-enabled monitoring and PV array switching in one neat, custom-built solution. Configurable for systems up to 1000Vdc, and up to 24 strings. Each combiner box is manufactured locally to your requirement. Contact your local Cooper Bussmann representative for details: Cooper Bussmann, India, Pvt. Ltd 2, EVR Street, Sedarpet Indl. Estate, Pondicherry - 605 111, India Tel: +91 413 267 2015 E-mail: ieccombinerbox@cooperindustries.com
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