EQ Int'l Magazine Nov'15 Edition

Volume # 7 | Issue # 11 | November 2015 |

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CONTENT

VOLUME 7 Issue # 11

76 Exclusive Interview With

Rajneesh Khattar, UBM India Ltd.

33 Chairman Of Vikram Group Of Industries, Shri Hari Krishna Chaudhary Conferred With Rotary Lifetime Achievement Award

Solar Inverters

74 Namibia’s Largest PV Plant With 4.5 MW Output Uses Delta 50 Kva String Inverters

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Exclusive Interview With William Sheng ZhongliTalesun Solar Co., Ltd.

36 Fetured Article USD Denominated Tariff what to expect ?

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Solar Projects

Vikram Solar Conferred With ‘Leading Renewable Energy Manufacturer – Solar’ Award At The Renewable Energy India Expo

Cultivating Solar Energy On Water

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Global New Installed Energy Storage Systems ForRenewable Energy Integration Power Capacity Is Expected To Reach 12.7 GW In 2025

78 Selection of Materials Critical for Reliable Performance of Solar Panels

DR. Michael Seehuber, PV 4 Life GmbH

JinkoSolar Invited to Sino-UK Energy Dialogue as the Only Chinese PV Delegate

68 PV Manufacturing

Exclusive Interview With

Solar Projects Powering World’s First Airport Running Solely On Solar Energy

14 Sterling And Wilson To Construct 300 MW Of Solar Power Plants In Egypt

12 54 Renwable Energy Dust off the challenges from India’s Solar Energy Dream

46 Renewable Energy On Demand

Solar Energy

China Sunergy Opens Solar Cell Factory In Incheon, Korea

CO NTE N T

Cover Ganges Internationale Private Limited (GIPL) with a group turnover of US$180million is one of the leading manufacturers of fabricated and galvanized structures for solar panel mounting. We provide economic,customized and convenient solar panel mounting solutions that allow for the installation of Ground mount / Roof top size plants in almost any landscape situation. With a highly proactive and experienced team, GIPL is providing meaningful solutions within the framework of set industrial norms and precise customer requirements. The company offers significant competitive and cost advantages since they own high-tech production facilities and galvanizing plants (capacity over 48000 MT per annum) and have the ability to design, fabricate and erect all these struc-

Eq News 8-35

POLICY & REGULATIONS 40 National Offshore Wind Energy Policy 2015

BUSINESS & FINANCE 60

Total Corporate Funding In Solar Sector Up Slightly With $6.2 Billion In Q3 2015 Reports Mercom Capital Group

tures. Ganges Internationale Private Limited (GIPL) is a major player in the Solar field in India having completed 1000 MWp solar farms till date. Ganges Internationale Private Limited (GIPL) has joined forces with Panel Claw USA to bring the best rooftop ballast mounting structure to India, which eliminates the puncturing of roof, reduces labour cost drastically,speedy completion of project and also environment friendly.â&#x20AC;&#x2039;

SOLAR ROOFTOP & OFFGRID 64 Power For All : An Experiment With Microgrids

By Dalmia Group

QUARTER RESULT 80 China Sunergy Announces First Quarter 2015 Financial Results

PRODUCTS 82-84

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BUSINESS FINANCIAL

& Intelligent Energy Announces Milestone

£1.2 Billion Deal To Provide Efficient, Economical And Clean Power To Over

27,400 Telecom Towers In India Intelligent Energy, the global energy technology company, recently announced it will purchase contracts from GTL Limited to supply energymanagement services across more than 27,400 telecom towers in India.

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This landmark deal, which was signed post UK market close on Wednesday 30 September and, represents a major milestone in hydrogen fuel cell development and is expected to have a transformative impact on India’s energy market by creating high efficiencies and cost savings alongside reducing emissions.

The deployment of hydrogen fuel-cell power to Indian telecom towers marks a watershed transformation of the Indian power grid, previously faulted for stifling India’s economic growth due to persistent unreliability. Over 70% of India’s circa 425,000 telecom towers experience power outages of approximately eight hours per day leaving nearly half of the country’s 935 million mobile phone users frequently disconnected for extended periods. Diesel generators are currently the main back-up power source, but as a fuel, diesel is costly, inefficient, and emits high levels of CO2, NOx and harmful carcinogenic particulate emissions. Hydrogen fuel cells are expected to be more efficient and cleaner and can be more economical on a total cost of ownership basis than diesel generators.

This deal demonstrates India’s long-term commitment to fuel-cells and builds on its recently announced deployment of hydrogen fuel cells on telecom towers.Essential Energy, a subsidiary of Intelligent Energy in India, will assume the power management for over 27,400 mobile telecom towers; a figure equivalent to 50 per cent of the U.K.’s telecom towers and 13 per cent of the U.S’. Essential Energy intends to transition around 70 per cent of the managed telecom towers from diesel power to hydrogen fuel cells throughout their contracts’ tenure.Winand added, “Using our technology, India can leapfrog into an information-driven future without assuming the costs and experiencing the difficulties of first implementing a conventional energy grid. This deal sets a significant precedent for shaping India’s energy future.”

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“This transaction delivers contracted revenues of approximately £1.2 billion over ten years, which is a major development for Intelligent Energy and the industry, Our technology will not only help to bring a stable, reliable power supply to these towers, it will also demonstrate the full power of hydrogen fuel cells today, and in the future.”

Henri Winand

CEO, Intelligent Energy Holdings

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SOLAR PV INVERTER

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SMA Solar Technology AG Achieves 1 Gigawatt Of Solar Inverter Sales In India SMA Solar Technology AG has just achieved 1 gigawatt of solar inverter sales in India. SMA opened its sales and service subsidiary in India in 2010 offering a full portfolio of inverters and communication products for photovoltaic installations of all sizes as well as innovative energy management systems.

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Solar inverter

Numerous PV projects have been launched in India in recent years using SMA inverter technology. In addition to grid-tied PV plants of every size, the stand-alone and PV-diesel-hybrid solutions developed by SMA play an important role in providing electricity to remote areas without access to the power distribution grid as well as to industrial enterprises in areas with weak electricity supply.

SMA has invested significant resources in building local presence in India where the Company is represented by a highly experienced local sales and service team providing product solutions tailored to the specific market requirements in India as well as the highest level of sales, service and technical support to key strategic customers.

“India is now the third market in APAC after Australia and Japan where SMA has sold over 1 gigawatt of solar inverters. The strong growth of the Indian photovoltaic market for SMA is mainly driven by the utility segment, This is a growing but extremely competitive market with cut-throat pricing, and SMA has been able to differentiate by proving to our long-term Indian partners, leading developers and EPCs, that there are significant performance and financial benefits for adopting SMA inverters in their large-scale PV power plants”.

John Susa

SMA Executive Vice President Sales Asia Pacific

DEWA Names Schneider Electric As An Approved PV Inverter Manufacturer For Shams Dubai

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chneider Electric Solar Business, a global leader in solutions for the solar industry, is pleased to announce that they have been listed as an approved PV Inverter Manufacturer for Dubai Electric and Water Authority’s (DEWA) solar rooftop and net metering program, Shams Dubai.This program is one of DEWA’s smart initiatives, which supports government visions of using renewable energy to foster economic growth and to build a clean and sustainable future for Dubai. Shams Dubai encourages homeowners and commercial building owners to produce and consume their own energy through a grid-tie PV system, where excess energy will be fed back to the local grid.

Schneider Electric’s approved list of grid-tie inverters includes Conext RL3000 E, Conext RL4000 E, Conext RL5000 E, Conext CL20000 E, Conext CL25000 E.

“We are excited that Schneider Electric is now part of this smart initiative in Dubai, Anyone will be able to buy, install, and get approval to connect their solar system to the grid using our inverters when installed by a certified solar EPC. In the long run, home and building owners will save on electricity bills, increase the value of their property, reduce their carbon footprint, and collectively contribute to a smarter and cleaner future.”

Xavier Datin

Vice President, Schneider Electric, Solar 12

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ASIA PACIFIC

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China Sunergy Opens Solar Cell Factory In Incheon, Korea China Sunergy Co., Ltd., a specialized solar cell and module manufacturer, recently announced that the Company’s solar cell factory in Incheon, Korea has started formal operation.Located in INCHEON-SI, KOREA, the factory covers an area of approximately 5000 m2 , and has annual production capacity of 200MW.

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he factory started trial production in May 2015, and turned into formal operation recently. According to current plan, once the capacity utilization rate at Korea plant reaches 80% or higher, China Sunergy will consider expanding the total production capacity of solar cells in the Korea plant to 500MW by building additional solar cell production lines . In addition, the Korea plant has begun the cooperation with local solar module manufacturers to produce CSUN-branded solar modules in order to vertically integrate its supply chain.

“We are delighted to see our facilities in Korea start formal operation. As another major step forward in CSUN’s global operations strategy, the Korea plant is able to efficiently serve customers across Eastern Asia and even Asia-Pacific region, where represent growing demands for alternative energy consumption.” Since the inception of our first oversea plant - Turkey plant, our efforts to diversify CSUN’s manufacturing base never stop. The move helps to enhance our global supply chain, gain access to local customers and minimize potential negative impacts from anti-dumping cases in the US, EU, or elsewhere. Looking ahead, we will continue to improve our cost competitiveness and strengthen our global footprint by the combination of moving our existing facilities in mainland China and building new facilities in the countries which have cost and geographic advantages.”

Tingxiu Lu,

Chairman and CEO, China Sunergy

China Tycoons To Invest $5 Billion In Indian Renewable Power Nan Cunhui Chinese tycoons Liang Wengen and Nan Cunhui plan to pour $5 billion into India’s renewable power sector as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks a major expansion of clean energy in one of the world’s biggest polluters.Liang’s Sany Group will install 2,000 megawatts of capacity and generate 1,000 jobs from 2016 to 2020 at a cost of $3 billion, a statement released at a briefing in New Delhi on Thursday showed.

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hint Group Chairman Nan said at the same event that his company will invest $2 billion in solar power and equipment.

Modi’s goal is 175 gigawatts of green energy capacity by 2022, up from about 37 gigawatts, at an estimated cost of $200 billion -- more than the size of Vietnam’s economy. Other billionaires such as SoftBank Group Corp.’s Masayoshi Son and Foxconn Technology Group’s Terry Gou have also outlined plans for substantial investment in clean power in India.The nation remains reliant on coal, which fires about 60 percent of its power generation capacity. Asia’s third-largest economy also needs to find the funds to pay for its green ambitions.

November 2015

Chairman / CEO Chint Group

Dollar Contracts While Modi is trying initiatives such as dollarlinked solar contracts to cut costs and woo investment, India has yet to allow higher distribution charges so electricity utilities can afford more renewable supplies.“There have been billions in commitments made to invest in the Indian renewable sector over the last few years, which the government uses to tout as interest from the private sector,” Raj Prabhu, chief executive officer of Mercom Capital Group, a cleantech communications and research company, said in an e-mailed statement. “However, very little of these commitments turn into a real investment.”

Source: Bloomberg

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AFRICA

Sterling and Wilson, a leading Global Solar EPC with over 400 MW of solar projects operational, 498 MW under-construction and 251 MW order book across the Globe, aims to construct 300 MW Solar Photo-voltaic Projects in Egypt under its Feed-inTariff Program for Renewable Energy initiated by Ministry of Electricity & Renewable Energy.

Sterling And Wilson To Construct 300 MW Of Solar Power Plants In Egypt

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terling and Wilson has recently opened its international office at Cairo, capital of Egypt to capitalize on the current opportunities offered by this Program and provide its customized & cost effective Solar EPC Solutions. Having already won two Solar PV Projects of size 50 MW each, Sterling and Wilson looks forward to building another 200 MW in Egypt. It will be constructed for Consortiums of Solar Project Developers & IPPs qualified under Feed-inTariff program, at Solar Parks being developed

by New & Renewable Energy Authority of Egypt at Ben Ban, Aswan & Zafarana.Sterling and Wilson is already active in Middle East, through a number of its businesses like Solar EPC, MEP & Diesel Generator. It has well established offices in Riyadh, Dubai, and Qatar.

It has been recently awarded Solar EPC Contract of 62.5 MWp in Jordan. The setting up of its local office in Cairo is testament to Sterling and Wilson’s commitment of establishing itself as the numero uno Solar EPC Company in Egypt.

We are confident of reaching our target in Egypt and are delighted that we are engaged with Qualified Companies, many of with whom we are already working in South Africa, Jordan, UAE, India, South East Asia, & Latin America”Sterling and Wilson will commission a single 50 MW Solar Photovoltaic power plant in less than 10 months. In completing Projects of targeted capacity, for most of which, construction will run simultaneously, it would like to utilize its ability of localization and an experience gathered in International arena.

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Speaking on venturing into Egypt and its target of 300 MW, He said, “We at Sterling and Wilson are committed to offering our customized Solar EPC Solutions to internationally renowned Solar Project Developers & IPPs including local Clients.

It gives us immense pleasure to be able to execute solar projects across the globe within tight timeframes and costs which are key indicators of our project execution capabilities.

- Bikesh Ogra

President, Electrical & Solar Business of Sterling & Wilson It believes that Egypt has huge resources and enough Project execution capabilities, to support the timely commissioning of these Solar Power Plants. It also aims to generate a number of employment opportunities locally, involving local talent in Engineering & Project management available in Egypt. It has already engaged Mr. Diaa Eldin Salah Mostafa a Veteran in the Power Generation Industry, as its Country Manager for Egypt. Mr Diaa brings with him rich experience of more than 20 years in Egypt.

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BUSINESS FINANCIAL

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JinkoSolar Invited to Sino-UK Energy Dialogue as the Only Chinese PV Delegate October 19, 2015, JinkoSolar’s Chairman Xiande Li was appointed the Chinese PV manufacturer’s delegate to accompany Premier Xi Jinping’s visit to the UK. Chairman Li will participate in the “Sino-UK Energy Dialogue” in London, organized by Noor Bekri, Head of the Chinese Energy Bureau, and Amber Rood, Minister of British Energy and Climate.

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he “Sino-UK Energy Dialogue” aims to strengthen the UK and China’s renewable energy collaboration in a cost-effective way, while preparing for the upcoming Paris Climate Summit. Chairman Li will deliver a speech about the current situation and future roadmap of China’s photovoltaic technology, and the deployment of the global energy internet. In 2014, the British photovoltaic power generation has increased by 60%, thanks to the continuous technological innovation led by JinkoSolar and other Tier 1 Chinese PV manufacturers. The rapid decrease in cost per watt and installation has made photovoltaics Britain’s first choice in the renewable energy roadmap.

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“The biggest challenge in thelarge-scale development of solar energy is the cost. How can thePV industry shape mature business model, while subsidies are being reduced or even cancelled in the future? How do we get more investment into the PV industry?

As a leading PV manufacturer, JinkoSolar continues to increase investments in R&D, to reach higher power output, reliability, power generation and lower costs. We will maintain our competitiveness in the global PV market.”

Xiande Li, Chairman, JinkoSolar While addressing topics such as the development of China’s PV market application, global energy internet and smart energy grid, Chairman Xiande Li commented:” “China’s future technological innovation and development strategies in the application level will include the continuous improvement of power transmission capacity, configuration capacity, economy and acceleratingthe smart energy grid advancement. These innovations include UHV transmission technology, smart control technology, superconducting transmission technology, micro-grid technology and the operation and control technology of large-scale power system etc. Alternatively, the combination of internet and internet of things (IoT) can facilitate the development trend of national, territorial and global electricity network, connecting all electricity networks to reach grid parity and configuration optimization. Furthermore, toThis promotes the technological combination of photovoltaic, smart home, clean energy transportation, green building and smart city, changing the way people use energy. The last wave of photovoltaic research in China has allowed for an economic scale of application .,Chinese PV manufacturers will lead the world’s energy development. We have built the foundation for the global energy internet, effectively resolving long term, global energy and environmental issues”.

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RESEARCH ANALYSIS

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Global New Installed Energy Storage Systems For Renewable Energy Integration Power Capacity Is Expected To Reach 12.7 GW In 2025 A new report from Navigant Research examines the market for energy storage systems for renewable energy integration (ESRI), including global market forecasts for capacity and revenue, broken out by application, technology, and region, through 2025.

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ariable renewable energy, or renewable energy sources that are non-dispatchable due to a fluctuating nature like wind power and solar photovoltaics (PV) continues to proliferate, creating challenges to the electrical grid, which was designed using a centralized model with predictable power flows. As these challenges increase, so does the market for energy storage systems (ESSs) designed specifically to facilitate the integration of renewable energy generation.

Click to tweet: According to a new report from Navigant Research, new installed ESRI power capacity is expected to grow from 196.2 MW in 2015 to 12.7 GW in 2025.

“It’s expected that the compensation schemes for variable generation will drive the market for ESRI, and markets with compensation structures that favor dispatchability and self-consumption of wind and solar electricity will lead the market, With few exceptions, islands and isolated grids are expected to lead the market in near-term due to higher renewables penetration and little to no interconnections with neighboring grid systems to balance instability.”

Anissa Dehamna

Principal Research Analyst With Navigant Research

One of the primary drivers of the grid-tied ESS market is the decreasing cost of advanced batteries, according to the report. While system costs are still one of the biggest barriers to the industry’s growth, declining prices and a flood of new systems integrators are opening up new use cases and geographic markets.

The report, Energy Storage for Renewables Integration, analyzes the global ESRI market, focusing on four primary applications: commercial ESRI, residential ESRI, utility-scale solar integration, and utility-scale wind integration. These four applications include a variety of different functions for an ESS to perform that can facilitate a seamless integration of variable renewable energy generation. The study provides an analysis of the market issues, including business cases, opportunities, and challenges, associated with ESRI. Global market forecasts for capacity and revenue, broken out by application, technology, and region, extend through 2025.

The report also examines the key technologies related to ESRI, as well as the competitive landscape.

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INDIA

Welspun Renewables’ Receives 617 Million USD Infusion For Its Green Energy Business Welspun Renewables, India’s leading renewable energy generator has received another round of funding of USD 617 million.

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he investment has been through a combination of debt and equity infusion by the promoters, existing and new investors. With this, we move one step closer towards delivering on our Honourable Prime Minister’s green energy vision and help India take pole position globally in the renewable energy space.

The organization is committed to setting up 5 GW capacities and of this 1 GW will be commissioned well within this financial year.

At present the organization’s solar and wind projects are spread across 8 different states in the country. Till date through its clean energy projects Welspun Renewables has generated over 1.375 billion units of clean energy and mitigated 1.2 million tons of CO2 emissions.

“WREPL’s power plants are among the highest generating projects in the country and have been built ahead of committed timelines – thanks to our superior EPC capabilities. Being the leaders in this space, we have been setting benchmarks for the entire industry to follow. These deals continue to prove that renewable energy sector is a preferred investment choice and global players are willing to commit to help grow the industry. Just last year, two of the biggest international names – The Asian Development Bank and General Electric made significant investments in our operations. We are grateful for the support”.

Vineet Mittal

Vice Chairman, Welspun Renewables

PTC India Ties Up With Solar Energy Corporation

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TC India Ltd has signed a memorandum of understanding with Solar Energy Corporation of India for the sale and purchase of power generated from 3,000 MW of solar projects.The power from these projects will be sold onward on a long term basis for 25 years from the commercial operation date of each project to the state electricity distribution utilities.

“Under the said arrangement, SECI will facilitate development of 3,000 MW of solar projects at various locations on behalf of central public sector units or any other government/private agency. PTC will purchase solar power offered by SECI/project developers for onward sale to state utilities at tariffs to be determined by SECI through reverse auction process or any other competitive route,” a statement from PTC India Ltd said.

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INDIA

G.O.I And KFW Sign Loan Agreements Worth Euro 125 Millions For KFW Assisted Himachal And AP Green Energy Corridors’ Projects

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overnment of India and KFW signed here recently two loan agreements worth Euro 125 Millions for financing two projects under the Green Energy Projects (GEC) programme- Himachal Pradesh (Euro 57 million) and Andhra Pradesh (Euro 68 million). Loan agreements were signed by Mr. S. Selvakumar, Joint Secretary (Bilateral Cooperation), Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance on behalf of the Government of India and Mr. Roland Sillar, Member, KFW Board Management, from German side. Project agreements were also signed by Mr. S.L. Sharma, MD, HPPTCL and Mr. P. Satyamoorty, Director (Finance), Andhra Pradesh TRANSCO relating to their respective State(s).

With the Green Energy Corridors, the intra-State network will feed the renewable energy to the respective State grids and the high capacity transmission corridors and inter-State network will connect major renewable energy pockets with the national grid.Renewable Energy is one of the key areas of Indo-German partnership mentioned in the Joint Statement of Hannover in April 2015 and with financing of the transmission infrastructure of Renewable Energy projects, the Central and State grids will be strengthened to evacuate more green energy.

AKSHAYA SOLAR POWER (INDIA) PRIVATE LIMITED We Manufacture Solar Panels from 10W-300W •

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Mono & Polycrystalline - Warranty as per MNRE Specifications Plant Capacity 20MW Per Annum

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Rooftop Solar Photo Voltaic (SPV) Net Metering System.

Solar Water Pumping System 3HP/5HP

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Our Solar Panels are IEC 61215, IEC 61701, IEC 617301, IEC 61730-2 – Certified by UL ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company MNRE Channel Partner NREDCAP Registered Supplier TNREDC Registered Supplier

We are also undertaking Our Credentials • • • •

Manufacturing Unit & Head Office:

Plot No 60/C/E, Phase-1, Jeedimetla, Hyderabad 500055, Telangana, India Email:raju@akshayasolar.com Contact: Mobile – 098480 37227 Landline 040-40064524 Website: www.akshayasolar.com 22 EQ November 2015 Our Branches:

Pune: Mr. Kalyan Desai, mail:sales_west@akshayasolar.com, Mobile: 09421872170 Delhi: Mr. Mukesh Kaushik, mail:sales_delhi@akshayasolar.com, Mobile: 09910383424

The US-INDIA Energy Partnership Summit At Washington NSEFI Chief Pranav Mehta Emphasizes Technology Partnership, Energy Transition Taking Place Throughout The World And The Role Of Renewable Energy In Poverty Alleviation At The US INDIA Energy Partnership Summit At Washington.

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merican Council of Renewable Energy (ACORE) and TERI North America organized a very interesting Event “US India Energy Partnership Summit” which was attended by high officials of US Government led by US DOE Secretary Dr. Ernest Moniz and India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and CEOs and high dignitaries of renewable energy sector.Speaking at the Event as a Lead Discussant on Renewable Energy Pranav R Mehta, NSEFI Chairman dwelt on length on Energy Evolution from the Fossil Fuel Era to the new era of Renewable and Clean Energy the so called “Energy Wende” or Energy Transition.

Further, he stated that renewable energy can greatly help in empowering people and poverty alleviation. Whilst pointing out large potential for renewable energy partnership opportunities between the two largest democracies of the world, Shri Mehta emphasized in particular high opportunities for partnership in the field of Technology and Finance.

He also suggested that US manufacturing sector should invest in India based facilities and benefit from the “Make in India” program of the Govt. of India.Further elaborating on technology partnership, he specifically mentioned the potential for commercialization of the MIT patented and licensed CSP technology with storage. He also stated that whereas MNRE has shown willingness to share 50% of the cost for the technology demonstration project of this CSP technology, the balance 50% can possibly come from the US Government and other Agencies, possibly through the PACE-D program or through USAID.The above Event was attended by notable personalities in the field of Energy both from USA and India.

Prominent amongst the persons present were US DOE Secretary Dr. Ernest Moniz, Ambassador of India to the United States (TC) Arun Singh, Ms. Anita George, Senior Director, World Bank, Mr. Reid Detchon of United Nations Foundation, Mr. Robert Ichord and Mr. Amos Hochstein, US Department of State, Ambassador Ajai Malhotra, Distinguished Fellow, TERI, Mr. Nitin Pandit of World Resouces Institute, Mr. Jake Schmidt of NRDC, Mr. Tarun Kapoor from MNRE and Pranav Mehta of NSEFI.Earlier, whilst attending the Clean Energy Finance Event organized by the CII and American Council for Renewable Energy (ACORE), NSEFI Chief Pranav Mehta emphasized that the Finance available for Clean Energy should be “Affordable Finance” with long tenure and the need for Global Hedge Fund to facilitate low cost and affordable financing of RE projects.India Minister for Power, Coal and Renewable Energy was the Chief Guest at this Clean Energy Finance Event organized by CII and ACORE at Washington DC on 20 September, 2015.

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INDIA

R-Power Wraps Up 1st Phase Of Rs 50k-Cr Capex In Record Time Anil Ambani-led Reliance Power has completed its first phase of its Rs 50,000-crore capital expenditure programme in a record time and will also be participating in upcoming solar auction in different states.

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he company has “completed phase I of Rs 50,000 crore capex (capital expenditure) programme in record time”, Reliance Power (R-Power) Chairman Anil Ambani told shareholders at its AGM recently.The board will consider making the maiden dividend payment this year.

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Expressing commitment to clean and green renewable power, he said the company has signed a pact with Bangladesh to set up a gasbased power project and proposed “relocating capital equipment from 2,250-MW Samalkot project”.

With an eye on 100-GW solar capacity addition target of the government, the company is also getting ready for the upcoming solar auction in various states.The company was “awarded LoI (Letter of Intent) for 960 MW Jangi Thopan Powari hydro power project in Himachal Pradesh through competitive bidding” and has signed an MoU with Rajasthan for solar parks.”As far as its resources business is concerned, Reliance would focus on India and is evaluating exiting Indonesian Coal concessions,” Ambani further said.

Source: PTI

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Vikram Solar Conferred With ‘Leading Renewable Energy Manufacturer – Solar’ Award At The Renewable Energy India Expo Vikram Solar, the globally recognized leading solar energy solutions provider was awarded the ‘Leading Renewable Energy Manufacturer Solar’ award at the Renewable Energy India Expo 2015 (REI). The 9th edition of the Expo was held at the India Expo Center, Greater Noida between 23rd and 25th September.

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he only tier 1 module manufacturer from India (Bloomberg rating) was recognized by key industry professionals as the winner in the Solar Manufacturing category.REI is the world’s 2nd largest event in the Renewable Energy Space. REI Expo 2015 was able to attract investors from various states & countries and crossed 22,000 plus visitors over the 3 days and by that created a record. With multiple country participation, the event witnessed showcase of best of technology, cost effective solutions, participation of industry leaders and a content rich conference.

“We are proud to receive this acknowledgement from REI, which is one of the leading platforms on energy in the world. I believe that India is at the crossroads of an energy revolution and we remain committed to contribute to India’s solar energy mission through our world-class manufacturing capability and high-reliability solar PV modules.”

Gyanesh Chaudhary

CEO & Managing Director Vikram Solar 24

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Vikram Solar is on its course to contribute significantly to the 100 GW solar targets in the coming years. With the company’s module manufacturing capacity ramped up to 500 MW in September 2015; it is projected to reach 1.2 GW by end of 2018.

“Solar module manufacturers are at a critical position within the industry as they get to determine cost benchmarks vis-à-vis quality, which eventually defines the future of India’s solar projects. As the Indian solar industry expands rapidly and technology evolves, it will be important to increase focus on module quality like never before. With 60% of project cost attributed to modules, needless to say the module needs to be of highest international standards.”

Ivan Saha

President & Chief Technology Officer, Vikram Solar Vikram Solar’s products offer highest standards of quality, reliability and performance; and the manufacturing facility has the finest machinery and equipment imported from leading global equipment manufacturers. The company’s in-house research and development efforts help in being ahead of the curve in the ever evolving solar technology space. Vikram Solar also conducts research study programmes with leading laboratories across the globe.

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The Aditya Birla Group Partners With The Abraaj Group To Invest In Solar Power In India The Aditya Birla Group, a US$ 41 billion multinational conglomerate, has recently announced a partnership with The Abraaj Group , a leading investor operating in global growth markets, to build a large scale renewable energy platform focused on developing utility-scale solar power plants in India.

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he Aditya Birla Group will invest in the platform through Aditya Birla Nuvo Limited and Abraaj will invest through one of its affiliates.ABNL has entered into a definitive Share Subscription and Shareholders Agreement with an affiliate of Abraaj. In accordance with the SSA, subject to the customary closing conditions and subject to the requisite approvals, ABNL and the Abraaj affiliate will hold 51% and 49% of the paid up share capital respectively, in Aditya Birla Renewables Limited, currently a wholly owned subsidiary of ABNL.Aditya Birla Renewables Limited, the solar power platform, will bid for projects tendered at national and state auctions, with the intent to develop and operate utilityscale solar power plants that can provide clean and cost-effective electricity to the national grids across several key states in India.

The partnership comes at an opportune time in the growth of the Indian renewable energy sector. The demand for power in India is rising as a result of the country’s growing population, rapid urbanization and increasing economic activities. At the same time, the Indian government has created favorable regulatory policies to foster the use of renewable energy, including setting an explicit target to achieve 100 GW of solar power capacity by 2022 compared to the current installed capacity of approximately 4 GW. Together, these factors create a compelling investment opportunity for the private sector, which can help meet this significant demand for renewable energy.

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Commenting on the partnership, Dev Bhattacharya, Business Head - Group Corporate Strategy, Solar Power & E-Commerce, Aditya Birla Group, said, “The Aditya Birla Group supports the Government of India’s initiative for a greater share of renewables in the energy mix, essential for sustained economic and industrial growth. This cooperation will give a fillip to the Aditya Birla Group’s renewable energy initiatives and contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of India as a whole.”

Sev Vettivetpillai

Partner & Global Head Abraaj’s Thematic Funds Business “The gap in energy infrastructure in growth markets translates into a long-term and sustainable i nve s t m e nt o p p o r t u n i t y.

Renewable energy is set for explosive growth, thanks to technological advances, favorable policies and pricing structures, that make it a competitive alternative to conventional power generation. At Abraaj, we see significant opportunity in India, one of the world’s biggest energy consumption markets. We look forward to working closely with the Aditya Birla Group to provide clean energy to Indian businesses, communities and consumers.”

Sev Vettivetpillai

Partner & Global Head Abraaj’s Thematic Funds Business “The renewable energy sector in India offers vast potential for growth and can play a transformative role in reducing dependency on fossil fuels and enhancing India’s long-term energy security. We are delighted to partner in this rapidly growing sector with one of India’s leading entrepreneurial groups and, together, bring our capital and expertise to bear in creating a landmark investment that can address the demands for clean energy infrastructure in the country.”

Mustafa Abdel-Wadood

Partner & Global Head Abraaj’s Thematic Funds Business The Abraaj Group has comprehensive investment experience across the energy value chain and has invested c. US$ 1 billion in 10 investments in global growth markets.The Aditya Birla Group was advised on the transaction by Greenstone Energy Advisors.

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SkyPower Announces 2 GW Of Solar Energy Projects In Bangladesh

“SkyPower is proud to help Bangladesh achieve its sustainable development goals. The investment in Bangladesh will help increase grid connectivity, ease energy poverty and create new green energy jobs.”

Kerry Adler

President and Chief Executive Officer, SkyPower

SkyPower has a long history of working closely with local communities to produce hundreds of millions of kilowatt hours (kWh) of clean electricity every year, while ensuring that those closest to the developments reap the rewards of new jobs, education, skills training and accessible energy.

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uring the 70th United Nations General Assembly in New York, SkyPower, the world’s largest developer and owner of utility-scale solar projects, made a historic announcement with Prime Minister Hasina, unveiling its plans to build 2 GW of utility-scale solar energy over the next five years in Bangladesh, representing an investment of US $4.3 billion.As part of this historic moment for Bangladesh, SkyPower also announced it will be gifting 1.5 million SkyPower Home solar kits to people of Bangladesh over the course of the next five years.

The SkyPower Home solar kits consist of a solar panel, battery, LED lights, fan, radio, and USB port to charge mobile phones designed to allow families to harness the power of the sun. The high quality home solar kits are durable, portable and IEC certified.

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”SkyPower’s $4.3 billion USD investment will create more than 42,000 total job years in Bangladesh and will include 500 MW of fabrication and assembly facilities.”

Charles Cohen, CCO, SkyPower “ The new development agenda makes it clear that all our actions need to be underpinned by our strong commitment to protect and preserve our planet, our biodiversity and our climate. We have only a small window of opportunity and we must succeed to set the world on a safer, greener, and more prosperous path,” at the 70th UN General Assembly.

Sheikh Hasina

Prime Minister, Bangladesh

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Germany Promises 1 Billion Euros For India’s Solar Projects Giving a thrust on clean energy, Germany recently pledged about one billion euros (Rs 7,300 crore) assistance for India’s solar projects as part of the bilateral cooperation in energy sector.

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he joint statement issued after the meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel said both the countries will continue to intensify their cooperation in developing climate-friendly and sustainable solutions for India’s expanding energy needs.The implementation of Green Energy Corridors Partnership, with an overall

German commitment of 1.15 billion euros in the last two years, is progressing well, it said.”Both countries welcomed the MoU on an Indo-German solar energy partnership based on concessional loans in the range of one billion euros over the next 5 years,” the statement said. India and Germany recognise that renewable energy and the efficient use of energy are most effective approaches to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in both the countries, it added.

It further said that Germany welcomes India’s intention to transform its energy sector by increasing the share of renewable energy, particularly solar, in electricity generation, consistent with its goal of 175 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2022.

The two sides expressed their readiness to work together to reach an ambitious and universal climate agreement under the Convention, it said.”They reaffirm that the protocol, another legal instrument or agreed outcome with legal force under the Convention applicable to all parties shall address in a balanced manner, inter alia, mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology development and transfer, and capacitybuilding, and transparency of action and support,” the statement said. India and Germany also recognise that science, technology and innovation play a crucial

role for the development of affordable, accessible and adaptable solutions in the areas of low carbon development and renewable energy generation, it added.

The statement further said that the IndoGerman Climate and Renewables Alliance shall intensify cooperation on climate and energy technology issues, including within the already existing fora established for this purpose.”It shall foster stronger integration of all actors concerned with bilateral cooperation on climate and energy technology issues, and for this purpose will encompass progressive public and private sector entities from both countries,” it added. Both countries, it said, will intensify their ongoing cooperation on climate and renewables technology under the new Indo-German Climate and Renewables Alliance, including on next generation solar technology, renewable energy storage, super-efficient appliances and buildings, energy-efficient rail and water infrastructure and off shore wind.Both countries affirm that several already established bilateral dialogue structures, such as the IndoGerman Energy Forum and the IndoGerman High-Technology Partnership Group are already doing important work for the transition to low-carbon economies.

Source: PTI

SkyPower Signs Power Purchase Agreement To Deliver 150 Megawatts Of Solar Power To The Indian State Of M.P. SkyPower has entered into a long-term power purchase agreement with the Government of Madhya Pradesh to provide 150 megawatts AC of utility-scale solar power to the Indian state.

SkyPower is committed to making a powerful contribution to India’s goal of generating 100 GW’s of solar power by 2022, India is leading the world in deploying solar, not only with its significant targets but by its very actions, and the people of Madhya Pradesh will benefit from clean, reliable and affordable energy as a result of the vision and leadership of this great state.

Kerry Adler

President & CEO, SkyPower Renewable energy is a big focus for the State of Madhya Pradesh and signing this power purchase agreement with SkyPower highlights our commitment.

Sanjay Kumar Shukla

IAS, Managing Director M.P. Power Management Company Ltd. 28

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kyPower is a globally renowned company and we are sure that our partnership will pave the way for a wave of solar energy projects to support India’s renewable energy mission.” The PPAs were signed with Dr. Navin Kumar Kohli, Addl. General Manager (IPC), MPPMCL.

The SkyPower team’s vast experience and unique ability to leverage its global purchasing power permit us to provide solar power in India at truly market competitive rates whilst ensuring the highest quality construction and world-class execution.

The SkyPower team’s vast global experience coupled with its proprietary development platform when combined permit us to provide solar power in India at truly market competitive rates whilst ensuring the highest quality construction and worldclass execution using our global purchasing power and highly advanced systems and processes that have been developed by the SkyPower team over the past 12 years.

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Highest standards for maximum productivity Over 750 MW installed in India served by Bonfiglioli inverters

As one of the world's leading players in clean energy today, Bonfiglioli has the innovative know-how and technical capacity to bring medium-large and utility-scale PV installations to life.

Bonfiglioli designs and manufactures a wide range of hi-tech power conversion systems up to 3 MW turnkey solutions inside the Bonfiglioli Vectron center of excellence in Germany, ensuring an optimal return of investment.

In-depth understanding of markets dynamics, 21 commercial subsidiaries, four photovoltaic production centers on three continents and a wide range of inverters, make Bonfiglioli a long-standing and riskless industry player for photovoltaic field developments anywhere in the world.

The future is bright with Bonfiglioli!

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ADB To Double Annual Climate Financing To USD 6 Bn

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By 2020, ADB spending on tackling climate change will rise to around 30 per cent of its overall financing, it added.ADB a nnua l l ending a nd assistance totalled USD 22.9 billion last year.

he Asian Development Bank is to double its annual lending for climate change adaptation to USD 6 billion by 2020, the Philippines-based lender said.The initiative comes as world leaders adopted yesterday an ambitious set of 17 global goals, including combating climate change and its impacts.

Under the 2020 lending plan, ADB is to dedicate USD 4 billion each year to climate change mitigation by boosting support for renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable transport, and building smart cities.The other USD 2 billion will be for adaptation through more resilient infrastructure, climate-smart agriculture, and better preparation for climate-related disasters, the Manila-based bank said.

Statement sent to AFP”Now here is tackling climate change more critical than in Asia and the Pacific, where rising sea levels, melting glaciers, and weather extremes like floods and droughts are damaging livelihoods and taking far too many lives,”

Takehiko Nakao President ADB

Source: PTI

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Hon’ble Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal & Hon’ble Shri Bikram Singh Majithia Inaugurate Welspun Renewables’ Power Plant, State’s Largest Solar Project Welspun Renewables, India’s largest solar energy generator, recently inaugurated Punjab’s largest solar photovoltaic power project.

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pread across 140 acre in Bathinda district, the 32 MW (AC) green energy project was dedicated to the nation

by Sardarni Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Hon’ble Union Cabinet Minister of Food Processing, Government of India and Sardar Bikram Singh Majithia Hon’ble Minister for New & Renewable Energy, Government of Punjab.

Like all its projects before, Welspun Renewables had commissioned this project ahead of committed timelines.

“Renewable energy is a high priority sector. Our future development is intrinsically tied in with the development of this industry. Punjab has taken a lead in meeting a significant percentage of its energy deficit with solar projects. I congratulate the state and its people for aggressively embracing this change.

Our government is committed to helping the state develop through all possible avenues of development.”

Harsimrat Kaur Badal

Hon’ble Union Cabinet Minister Of Food Processing, Government Of INDIA

“We are committed to developing Punjab as a fully sustainable state. Ensuring the state’s upward development trend is important and therefore energy security is critical. We have opted to take an aggressive step by turning to solar energy for fueling energy needs of our industries and farmers. Through projects like these we are ensuring that our immediate future as well as that of ourcoming generations will be more secure and avert an otherwise polluted future.”

Bikram Singh Majithia

Hon’ble Minister For Renewable Energy Government Of Punjab

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“Our 32 MW (AC) project strengthened our partnership with the state of Punjab and advancement of the state’s utilityscale solar industry. I am grateful that Honorable Sardarni Harsimrat Kaur Badalji and Honorable Sardar Bikram Singh Majithiaji have taken precious time out of his schedule to inaugurate our project. This project is a testament of our commitment to renewable energy. Our engineering expertise will ensure optimum generation from this project. While powering the state’s industries, we will also be working with our neighboring communities towards sustainable living.”

Vineet Mittal

Vice Chairman, Welspun Renewables

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The Bathinda 32 MW (AC) solar project will annually be feeding 48 million units of clean & emission free energy into the Punjab state grid, for next 25 years.

Approximately 1,331,525 tones of CO2 emissions will be mitigated within next 25 years by the power plant. Welspun Renewables has been aggressively working to bring a difference to the country’s energy landscape. At present the company’s footprint is spread across 8 different states in India. In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 175 GW renewable energy vision, the organization is committed to setting up 11 GW of renewable capacities. Towards this goal, in next few years we will be setting up 5 GW capacities, and of this 1 GW will be commissioned well within 2015-16. The company hopes to work closely with the Government of Punjab for the State becoming ‘energy secure’.

Welspun Renewables has also signed an MoU for setting up an additional 151 MW solar capacity in the State of Punjab.

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BUSINESS FINANCIAL

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EIB Sets New

35%

Target For Climate Lending In Developing Countries The European Investment Bank (EIB), the world’s largest lender for climate related projects, will increase the proportion of its lending in support of climate related investment in developing countries from 25% to 35%.Speaking at a meeting of finance Ministers and multilateral financial institutions at the IMF - World Bank annual meetings in Lima, Werner Hoyer confirmed that the European Investment Bank will increase climate lending in countries identified by the UNFCCC and the OECD as being especially vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change.

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onfirmation of the expected increase in EIB lending for climate investment comes weeks after the EIB adopted a new strategy to guide its climate lending around the world, setting a minimum of 25% of all EIB lending in support of climate.“Our new climate strategy focuses on enhancing the impact of climate funding, increasing financing for adaptation to climate change, unlocking new support from private capital, and ensuring that every project we help finance minimises emissions and is as resilient as possible to climatic uncertainties”, added Hoyer.The Lima meeting provided an opportunity for governments and institutions involved in international climate finance to identify opportunities for scaling-up their efforts in the run up to COP 21 meeting in Paris at the end of the year.The EIB is the world’s largest multilateral lender for climate related projects. In 2014 it provided loans totalling USD 25.4 billion for initiatives directly beneficial to climate change mitigation or adaptation across Europe and around the world.

“The EU Bank will provide well over USD 110 billion for climate action projects around the world over the next 5 years. We must do all we can to unlock new investment in countries especially vulnerable to climate change, including those with low-lying coastal areas and regions exposed to desertification, drought, and flooding. The EIB now expects its lending for climate projects to represent over a third of its support in those countries.”

Werner Hoyer,

President, European Investment Bank Group

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Chairman Of Vikram Group Of Industries, Shri Hari Krishna Chaudhary Conferred With Rotary Lifetime Achievement Award

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“I feel deeply honoured to receive this award.

I have always believed that education is the weapon to fight socio-economic challenges that our society is facing. I graciously accept this recognition, but not as a personal achievementthis is also a success for all those who helped me in my vision of an educated India.”

Shri Hari Krishna Chaudhary

Chairman Of Vikram Group Of Industries

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hri Hari Krishna Chaudhary, Chairman of Vikram Group of Industries was felicitated with the prestigious Rotary International Lifetime Achievement award at ‘Shreshtha Samman 2015’. The ceremony, held at Chowringhee’s Rotary Sadan, was graced by the Hon’ble Governor of West Bengal, Shri Keshari Nath Tripathi as the Chief Guest, besides eminent presence of Retd. Justice Ashok K Ganguly, Sharbani Das Roy and Utpal Chatterjee.A successful businessman, renowned philanthropist and above all a selfless humanitarian, Shri Hari Krishna Chaudhary has been devotedly working towards upliftment of the society for the past four decades. He has touched and changed the lives of millions through his efforts and contributions in the field of education and poverty alleviation. He firmly believes that in order to realise the full potential of today’s youth, access to education is of the utmost importance. It not only transforms an individual’s life and future but that of the country too.

With an aim to fulfil his dream of an empowered India, Shri Chaudhary established BRHD Charitable Trust in 1977. Today, the BRHD Charitable Trust stands tall as the manifestation of a bold dream to enable transformation and build a country that will encourage and provide support to its youth to realise their potential.

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Jinchen Machinery Co., Ltd.

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BUSINESS FINANCIAL

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Major Banks Launch ‘Positive Impact Manifesto’ For Transition To Inclusive Green Economy

A group of 10 banks, comprised of BMCE Bank, ING Bank, Nedbank, Piraeus Bank, Société Générale, SEB, Standard Bank, Triodos Bank, Westpac and YES Bank issued recently the ‘Positive Impact Manifesto’, which calls for an impact-based approach to banking, offering a bold and innovative vision of the banking sector’s central role in achieving sustainable development.

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he transition to a green, inclusive economy requires considerable finance. Research by an American non governmental organization, CERES, estimates that a “clean trillion” dollars of additional investment is needed annually up to 2030 to enable new infrastructure to be made green. At the same time, Trucost puts the annual cost in natural capital degradation and negative environment externalities at US$7.3 trillion a year.

Significant efforts are already underway to promote and enable the financial sector’s participation in funding the transition to green economy. A report released last week by UNEP’s Inquiry into the Design of a Sustainable Financial System highlights policymakers’ and regulators’ steps to integrate sustainable development considerations into financial systems to make them fit for the 21st century.Yet, despite these efforts, the availability of private finance for clean, inclusive investments remains limited. Indeed, a persisting core obstacle to shifting to a greener and inclusive development pathway is the elusiveness of the commercial viability and “bankability” of many of the products, activities and services that define the new economy.It is precisely this challenge that the group of banks – members of the UNEP Finance Initiative (a partnership between UNEP and over 200 financial institutions worldwide) – are pledging to take on in the Manifesto. Collectively holding in excess of 4 trillion USD in financial assets, the banks launched the Manifesto today at the UNEP FI’s 2015 Annual General Meeting.

November 2015

“Banks are uniquely positioned between the real economy and capital markets.

Holding the largest pool of assets - estimated at US $139 trillion - they are critical to catalyzing the transition to an inclusive green economy.

This Manifesto is a clear and welcome call for the active participation of the banking sector to play their part in addressing the $5-7 trillion annual financing needed to achieve the Global Goals.”

Achim Steiner

Executive Director, UNEP Over the next couple of years the UNEP FI’s Positive Impact Working Group, currently made up of the 10 banks, will be working with peers, clients, and other stakeholders to deliver a set of Positive Impact Principles that will guide providers of financial services in their efforts to increase their positive impact on the economy, society and the broader environment.The Group also aims to establish a Positive Impact Incubator where new business models and financing approaches can be tested by financiers and corporates to improve the bankability of positive impact transactions.

Ultimately, the Group expects a series of pilot projects to deliver a vibrant market place where needs, solutions and financing can be matched effectively.

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BUSINESS FINANCIAL

& “The Positive Impact Manifesto launched today is a real milestone which will help us make decisive progress towards sustainable development goals and shows the willingness of the banks to engage in order to address the challenges of evolving towards a more inclusive and greener economy.”The Manifesto invites banks and other financial sector players to think more holistically about their role in the economy, society and the broader environment, and proposes a “Roadmap” to establishing a new, impact-based and market-driven paradigm: positive impact finance.It defines Positive Impact finance as “that which verifiably produces a positive impact on the economy, society or the environment once any potential negative impacts have been duly identified and mitigated”.

Société Générale

Deputy Chief Executive Officer Séverin Cabanne Hérvé Guez, Head of SRI Research at Mirova and Board Member of the UNEP FI Investment Commission, expressed strong support for the banks’ initiative, which he described as “placing ambitions at the level of the critical challenge we face today in trying to reconcile market forces and sustainability imperatives. As investors we welcome the banks’ initiative to develop the market for sustainable investments, for which there is a growing appetite.

“Clearly an approach that enables us to be systematic in evaluating positive impacts as well assessing negative impacts holds a lot of promise in terms of new business opportunities, whilst continuing to help in countering a build-up of environmental and social risk across the financial sector.”

Christopher Bray

Head of Environmental Risk at Barclays and Co-Chair of the Banking Commission Board

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Our impact resistant, maintenance-free fiberglass enclosures are designed to protect against the toughest elements in the most harsh environments. Call us today to learn more about our enclosure solutions.

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FEATURED ARTICLE

USD Denominated Tariff

what to expect ?

Lalit Jain | Group Chief Commercial Officer & CEO (Wind) Hindustan Powerprojects Private Limited India currently has an installed capacity of 4 GWp of solar power plants, which is only 5% of the solar installed capacity in Western Europe. This is despite the fact that India is blessed with higher solar radiation with more than 300 sunny days every year and therefore, in India, we can generate 50-70% more energy per MWp of installed capacity as compared to similar projects in Western Europe.

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overnment of India has rightly identified renewable energy as an area of thrust and has committed to implement 100 GWp of solar power by the year 2022. As a result of large reduction in project cost, based on the current interest rates, solar power can now be generated at cost of Rs. 5.0 to 6.0/kWh as against levelized tariff of around Rs 5.50/ kWh for coal powered thermal power plant. Possibility of such large reduction on an on-going basis in project cost is limited. As solar has higher transmission cost, there is a need to further lower solar tariff.

Cost of generation of electricity in a solar power plant is significantly impacted by the cost of financing & this is where we in India lose out. In India, loan tenure for solar projects is typically of 12-15 year duration at interest rate of 11.5% to 12.5% p.a. whereas 17-18 year loan tenure financing is available in Europe at interest rate of 3-4% p.a. This cost of financing should reduce post reduction in interest rates by RBI but it would still be very high as compared to advanced economies. Use of foreign capital is limited for projects in India due to high forex hedging cost and swap costs for floating to fixed interest rates. In this context, several ideas including inclusion of renewable energy in priority sector lending, YieldCo, development of bond market, etc. have been discussed.

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Power Minister has also suggested USD denominated tariff.

It will allow Indian solar projects to access foreign capital at interest rate of 4-5% p.a. and eliminate the hedging cost. From a macroeconomic perspective, all recent numbers indicate that Indian economy is poised for higher growth, lower inflation & interest rates and thus, a comparatively stronger rupee. However, this has not yet reflected in forex hedging rates which are driven by several other factors like demand-supply and depth in long term market. Thus,prima facie, this suggestion of Power Minister will eliminate need for foreign exchange hedging and thus, it is expected to reduce solar power tariff and will also allow solar industry to attract foreign capital to Indian markets. But, we need to have realistic expectations in terms of likely reduction in tariff.

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Cost savings would arise only on account of actual rupee depreciation versus current hedging rates as the swap costs for floating to fixed interest rates would still need to be paid. It is for this reason that the belief that over long term levelised USD based tariff can be approximately 30% lower than rupee based tariff seems to be misplaced. Further, even these savings come with a risk that in case rupee depreciates more than the current hedging rates then actual tariff may turn out to be more than rupee based solar tariff. Actual savings or higher costs shall be known only after few years.

On the whole â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this suggestion is a good deal for consumers, project owners, utilities, environment, banks & other sectors of the economy but while, we embark on this, let us make sure that we are aware of the risks & we expose our countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s balance sheet to such risks only to a limited extent.

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INTERVIEW

Interview with

William Sheng Q.

Whats the current production capacity of your company?

WS : Currently, we have 2.8 GW module and 1.8 GW cell production capacity, with which 800 MW cell and module capacity is from Talesun Thailand factory.

What is the unique adva ntage in being a vertically integrated manufacturer?

WS : a) High quality produ cts We are listed in the BNEF tier one PV module manufacturers. b) Professional service to better serve our custo mers, we have global sales team all over the wo rld. c) Very experienced Talesun has cumulatively developed nearly 3 GW PV projects all over the world at the end of this yea r.

Q.

How much has been the sale to India and what does the future look like

WS : In 2015, more than 200MW Talesun modules have been shipped to India market. As we are very aggressive about India market, we are very confident that we will make greater achievement in the future.

Q.

Which are the top 10 markets for your co and approx shipment to these markets

WS : In 2015, top 5 markets are: China, India, UK, Japan, Germany. Shipment percentage is roughly: China 50%, India 25%, UK 10%, Japan10% and Germany is 5%.

Q.

you forsee a further drop in the prices of PV and to what extent

WS : The price will be stabilized, because the demand and supply is roughly in banlance.

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INTERVIEW

Global VP of Marketing & Sales At ZhongliTalesun Solar Co., Ltd.

Q.

Please enlighten us on the thin film vs. c-si debate (explain with market share, performance etc..in detail). Market share of thin film makers such as CDTE, CIGS, CIS, a-Si have been steadily increasing and their performance in hotter climates such as India is reportedly better than c-Si. please comment and clarify on this.

WS : a) Thin film is a minority PV technology, market share have always been very low. b) The efficiency is much lower than C-Si technology, and most PV R&Ds are focused on C-Si technology.

Q.

What changes have your experienced in selling PV in last 5 years

Q.

What s the roadmap for production rampup for your co and further growth in terms of technology, output of your products

WS : The PV market is very complicated, with anti-dumping by EU and US, the manufacturers suffered a lot from that. Now the spring is coming.

WS : The trend is that the high-efficiency products will lave the market.

Q.

Present and explain the recent trends in your sales, shipments, share prices etc…

WS : For overseas sales, India is now Talesun’stargeted market, over 200MW modules has been shipped to India in 2015. And we are confident that more shipment will go to India next year. UK is also a big market in EU, we are looking for expanding our market share. And we also have good performance in Japan, USA, Germany and South-east Asia. We are seeing many opportunities.

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Policy & Regulations

National Offshore Wind Energy Policy 2015 Introduction Worldwide, wind energy is accepted as one of the most developed, cost effective and proven renewable energy technologies to meet increasing electricity demands in a sustainable manner.

While onshore wind energy technologies have reached a stage of large scale deployment and have become competitive with fossil fuel based electricity generation with supportive policy regimes across the world, exploitation of offshore wind energy is yet to reach a comparable scale.

India has achieved significant success in the onshore wind power development with about 24 GW of wind energy capacity already installed and generating power. With introduction of this policy, the Government is attempting to replicate the success of offshore wind power development in the offshore wind power development.

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1.1 Global Status Over 8.7 GW offshore wind capacity has already been installed around the world and approximately an equal capacity is under construction.

There are offshore wind farms existing and under development in United Kingdom (4494 MW), Denmark (1271 MW), Germany (1049 MW), Belgium (712 MW), China (670 MW), The Netherlands (247 MW) and Sweden (212 MW).

1.2 Developments in India In India, preliminary assessments along the coastline have indicated prospects of development of offshore wind power. Wind resource data collected for the coastline of Rameshwaram and Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat Coast shows reasonable potential. A preliminary assessment suggests potential to establish around 1 GW capacity wind farm each along the coastline of Rameshwaram and Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.

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Policy & Regulations 1.4 Challenges The significant challenges that exist in offshore wind power deployment relates to resource characterization, subsea cabling, turbine foundation, installation of turbines including logistics, grid interconnection and operation, development of transmission infrastructure and coastal security during construction and operation period. Adding large capacities of offshore wind generation to the power system would also require reliable integration to the national grid.

2. Vision of the Government Electricity generation from renewable sources of energy is an important element in the Government’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) announced in the year 2008. With introduction of this plan, the Government of India is committed to provide a conducive environment for harnessing offshore wind energy in India. In consonance with the mandate and responsibility, the Government envisions to carry forward, in a systematic manner, the development of offshore wind energy in the country, to overcome the existing barriers and to create technological and implementation capabilities within the country.

3. Title and Enforcement This policy will be known as the “National Offshore Wind Energy Policy – 2015”. The policy will remain in force in its entirety unless withdrawn or suspended in whole or part by the Government of India. The Government of India will undertake a review of this Policy as and when required in view of any technological breakthrough or any changes taking place in any related policy or goals.

1.2 Maritime Zones

4. Objectives The Government of India in its interest to develop Offshore Wind Farm has decided to have a Policy that will enable optimum exploitation of Offshore Wind energy in the best interest of the nation and to achieve the following objectives.

•

There are two main maritime areas in which structures such as offshore wind farms can be built: • Indian territorial waters, which generally extend up to 12 nautical miles (nm) from the baseline; and • Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), beyond the 12 nm limit and up to 200 nm, where under international law, India has right construct structures such as wind farm installations.

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• • • • • • • • •

To Explore and Promote Deployment of Offshore Wind Farms in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the country, including those under Public Private Partnership.

To Promote Investment in Energy Infrastructure.

To Promote Spatial Planning and Management of Maritime Renewable Energy Resources in the Exclusive Economic Zone of the country through suitable incentives.

To Achieve Energy Security.

To Reduce Carbon Emissions.

To Encourage Indigenization of the Offshore Wind Energy Technology.

To Promote Research and Development in the Offshore Wind Energy Sector.

To Create Skilled Manpower and Employment in the offshore wind energy sector.

To facilitate development of Project EPC and Operation & Maintenance with regard to offshore wind industry.

To develop coastal infrastructure and supply chain to support heavy construction & fabrication work and the Operation & Maintenance activities.

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Policy & Regulations

5. Geographical Coverage and Scope This policy document is the primary policy decisionmaking document for offshore wind energy development, including, setting up of offshore wind power projects and research & development activities, in waters, in or adjacent to the country up to the seaward distance of 200 nautical miles (EEZ of the country) from the base line.

The Research & Development activities would also be carried out up to 200 nautical miles from the base line.

6. Essential Elements of Development of Offshore Wind Energy The essential components of a policy for development of offshore wind farm will contain: •

•

•

• • • • • •

44

Preliminary Resource Assessment and preliminary oceanographic & bathymetric studies for demarcation of blocks.

Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) study of proposed Offshore Wind Farms regarding aquatic life, fishing etc., studies relating to navigation, undersea mining and related exploration/exploitation activities and other users of the sea.

Detailed studies & surveys - These studies will determine the construction costs for special foundations, special ships for both operation and maintenance requirements.

Sea Bed Lease Arrangement.

Statutory Clearances and NOCs. Grid Connectivity and Evacuation of Power (both offshore and onshore) Technology Incentives Security of offshore installations and confidentiality of the data collected during studies and surveys.

Financing and Insurance

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7. Policy 7.1 Nodal Ministry Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) will be the Nodal Ministry for development of Offshore Wind Energy in India and act as one of the government entities, among others, for Development and Use of Maritime Space within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the country. As the nodal ministry, role of MNRE will include but not limited to the following. (i) Overall monitoring of the offshore wind development in the country. (ii) Co-ordination with other Ministries/ Departments. (iii) Issuing guidelines/directives for development of offshore wind energy. (iv) Oversee working and to provide necessary support to the Nodal Agency i.e. NIWE for smooth functioning. (v) Development of International Cooperation. (vi) Coordination towards tariff setting and regulatory issues.

7.2. National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) – Nodal Agency

National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) will act as the Nodal Agency for the development of offshore wind energy in the country. NIWE will be strengthened to carry out the following activities for offshore wind power development in the country. (i) Call for proposals for development of offshore wind power projects in the specified blocks under International Competitive Bidding (ICB). (ii) Entering into contract with the project developers for development of offshore wind power project within the EEZ of the country. (iii) Collect lease from developer/owners as per specified guidelines. (iv) Carry out and also coordinate resource assessment and surveys in the EEZ of the country. (v) Demarcation of offshore wind energy blocks. (vi) Compliance of Ministry of Defence (MoD) guidelines. (vii) Facilitation to project developers in getting clearances from concerned Ministries/Departments. (viii) Coordinate and monitor technical activities of the ongoing projects.

(ix) Promoting indigenous research for technology development. (x) Technical & financial evaluation and review of development. (xi) Creation and maintenance of offshore wind energy database and archive system. (xii) Upgrade information database in the assessed areas. (xiii) Capacity building in the offshore wind energy sector.

7.2.1 Facilitation in Clearances NIWE will accept applications for Clearances/NOCs from the project developers and coordinate with concerned Ministries/Departments for the Clearances/ NOCs. However, NIWE will only act as a facilitator for getting Clearances/ NOCs and applications will be dealt in entirety by the concerned Ministry/Department.

7.2.2 Administrative Divisions & Staffing NIWE will have personnel of technical expertise in wind energy/offshore operations. The details of the experts, and their qualifications will be decided, depending on the quantum of work, by NIWE. NIWE may also draw experts from Central Government Departments and Public Sector Enterprises working in energy & power sector on deputation. Further staffing requirement may be met through appointments on short term contracts.

7.3. Other Implementing and Monitoring Agencies 7.3.1 Offshore Wind Energy Steering Committee (OWESC) Offshore Wind Energy Steering Committee (OWESC) under the chairmanship of Secretary, MNRE will steer the offshore wind energy development in the country by providing policy guidance and will oversee the execution and effective implementation of specific offshore wind energy activities.

7.3.2 Ministry of Shipping / State Maritime Board / State Government The Ministry of Shipping in case of major ports and State Government or State Maritime Board where constituted in case of minor ports may pro-

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Policy & Regulations

vide access to port or port like facilities with sufficient infrastructural facilities to enable heavy construction / fabrication work / O&M activities at seashore from where it will be moved offshore to the wind farm site. A specific charge may be made payable to the respective Central Government or State Government Agencies for enlisting their services.

7.3.3 Central and State Transmission Utility Central Transmission Utility (CTU) and/ or State Transmission Utility (STU) will undertake onshore evacuation and grid connectivity. CTU/STU will also carry out the testing and certification of the evacuation infrastructure. Concerned STU/State Government may facilitate allocation of land on shore near to wind farm site to enable establishment of substations to evacuate power generated from Offshore Wind Farms.

7.4 Developmental Model

7.4.1 Studies & Surveys Preliminary wind resource assessment, oceanography & bathymetric surveys etc. will be carried out by NIWE for demarcation of offshore wind energy blocks. Services of expert agencies within the Government could also be utilized for collection of seabed and resource data. In addition, interested private players having proven expertise in offshore studies and surveys may also be granted permissions on case to case basis, to collect data and have shared ownership on it. This data could be shared with other Ministries. Detailed guidelines would be issued by NIWE, once the policy is approved. However, NIWE would reserve rights to refuse participation to an entity on grounds of national security without giving specific details. The process of studies and surveys are critical from naval operations point of view. Therefore, similar to the data collection policy being followed for oil & gas exploration and production, private players would need to submit

the detailed information as per the formats & guidelines for clearance from the Ministry of Defence. Procedure for naval security clearance for vessels involved in construction/support activities of wind power installations will be in accordance with the extant Government of India regulations for research, survey, exploration and exploitation of resources in the coastal and Maritime Zones of India. The surveyor or the project developer, as the case may be, will have to take prior permission/ clearance from the Ministry of Defence before commencing any activity in the EEZ. Such permission/clearance shall be routed through NIWE. NIWE will have a royalty-free license for the use of the survey data and maps (which will be an intellectual property of the surveyor/developer) for the purposes of the Government. The surveyor or project developer will submit an undertaking to NIWE to the effect that no data/ information collected through surveys and studies under permission granted

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Policy & Regulations

by NIWE (after getting necessary clearances from Ministry of Defence) will be concealed or suppressed from NIWE. 7.4.2 Request for Clearances/No Objection Certificates The clearances/NOCs required before commencing installation in the sea (survey or Wind Turbine Generator) are related to Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Shipping/State Maritime Board/State Government, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Ministry of Environment & Forests and some other agencies. A list of related Ministries and Departments where a clearance or an NOC will be required is given at Annexure A. Work related to studies & surveys or construction in offshore cannot be commenced until the “Clearance” wherever required, is granted by concerned Ministries/Departments. However, in cases where a No Objection Certificate is required, the same will be deemed as granted upon expiry of the stipulated period. Besides the Clearances/NOCs, the project developer, while planning the project will take into account the impact of the project on the livelihood of local fishing communities and make all efforts to stay out of the fishing grounds in and around the development site. In extreme cases, where fishing grounds/ fishing colonies are to be relocated, the developer will provide adequate compensation to the aggrieved communities in line with the Central/ State Government policies on the subject.

7.4.3 Leasing of the Seabed and Allocation of Blocks The offer of blocks will be made through an open International Competitive Bidding (ICB) process. The bidder can be a company, consortium or a Joint Venture. NIWE will enter into contract with the successful bidder i.e. the developer of offshore wind energy power project and collect lease fee from the developer during survey, construction and operation phases. NIWE would reserve rights to refuse participation of an entity in the International Competitive Bidding (ICB) on grounds of national security without giving specific details. The lease will be limited to exploration and exploitation of wind energy in the allocated block(s).

The broad parameters of the contract will include, time frame for completion of the installation & commissioning of the wind farm, period of contract, committed Minimum Work Programme (MWP) 46

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in terms of project capacity in the allocated block, monitoring & inspection

by MNRE/NIWE and decommissioning plan. The lease and area will stand automatically relinquished, if the contractor is unable to start commercial production of wind electricity within a specific time period from the date of signing the contract. Existing lease holders of seabed for other purposes such as oil & gas exploration and exploitation, seabed mining etc., interested in installation of offshore wind farm on their existing lease must route the proposal through NIWE. 7.4.4 Power Evacuation A designated agency or distribution utility or a private company will enter into Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with offshore wind power generation project developers and will directly purchase the offshore wind power as per the norms and guidelines fixed by the appropriate Commission as per the Electricity Act 2003 as amended from time to time. Central Transmission Utility (CTU) / state Transmission Utility (STU) will provide necessary onshore infrastructure for evacuating the power generated by Offshore Wind farms. The Central Government may provide sup-

port to State Governments in creation of evacuation infrastructure for offshore wind power projects. Bundling schemes with power from other sources and Centralized Procurement may be introduced as and when required for promotion of offshore wind power development and making it cost effective.

7.4.5 Final Approval for Commissioning of Offshore Wind farm The certificate for commencement of operation of the Wind farm shall be issued by NIWE. This will enable verification of all statuary and regulatory guidelines by the NIWE before commissioning.

7.4.6 Security of Offshore Wind farm The security of the offshore wind energy installations will be responsibility of the developer/operator who must carry out a vulnerability assessment. The developer is also required to provide evidence of comprehensive insurance coverage of the installations. Headquarter, Offshore Defence Advisory Group (HQODAG) functions as the nodal agency for matters relating to defence of offshore installations within the maritime zones of the country. HQODAG advises Minis-

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Policy & Regulations

tries of Defence, Petroleum & Natural Gas, Shipping and Civil Aviation on all planning and policy aspects of offshore security and defence covering territorial waters, the continental shelf, the Exclusive Economic Zone and other Maritime Zones of the country. Similar services may be provided by HQODAG to NIWE/MNRE with respect of defence/ security of offshore wind power installations. Directorate General of Shipping, in consultation with the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, will issue a notification declaring offshore wind farm as a “Restricted Area”.

7.4.7 Decommissioning Where NIWE decides to grant lease for a proposed offshore wind farm, it will also include a condition requiring the developer/owner to submit a decommissioning and site restoration programme to NIWE before any offshore construction works begin. The programme shall be a part of EIA, and necessary clearances will be required from the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF). A deposit or a financial guarantee will be submitted by the developer to ensure

proper decommissioning.

7.4.8 Monitoring Offshore Wind Energy Steering Committee (OWESC) headed by Secretary, MNRE will monitor the overall development of the offshore wind energy in the country. Development, allocation and construction in new offshore wind energy blocks will be monitored by NIWE. State designated agencies of the concerned coastal State may also monitor the development along their coastline to plan for logistical and grid infrastructure.

The respective State Governments may form a committee for monitoring of offshore wind power projects and development in their State. State Governments are encouraged to include this policy in their State Action Plan on Climate Change for effective monitoring and promotion.

7.5 Incentives The policy may support the development of offshore wind energy through fiscal incentives, allowing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) participation, Public Private Partnership, and international collaborations. Fiscal and financial incentives available to onshore wind power projects may also be made available to offshore wind power projects. Besides, Government may promote bundling of power generated from offshore wind power projects with conventional power subject to availability of unallocated conventional power to bring down the cost of power generated resulting in better acceptability.

7.6 Capacity Building NIWE will undertake promotional activities such as organizing workshops & symposiums to bring awareness in the local wind turbine manufacturers and components manufacturers including potential investors to boost offshore wind power development.

8. Technology National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) has been established as an autonomous R&D institution by MNRE in testing of complete Wind Turbine Generator systems (WTGs) according to international standards (IEC, GL etc.) and verification of test reports for Onshore Wind Turbine Models. Similar services will be provided/facilitated by NIWE for Offshore Wind Turbine Models. The wind turbines and foundation structures will be as per recognized international standards. Project risks including those arising out of geological conditions will be that of the project developer.

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AUTHOR : Anand Maralad, Technical Manager, Applied Materials India Pvt. Ltd.

RENEWABLE Energy on Demand

Renewable Energy

Abstract While demand for energy is consistently growing, despite its potential, PV Solar has remained a small portion of the energy produced since it is not able to compete on the cost front and there are other challenges like round the clock energy supply is not possible without energy storage system. This paper looks at to overcome the issue and identify opportunities to reduce the system cost and to embrace PV solar in large projects viably.

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Renewable Energy

INTRODUCTION

Challenges to Renewable Energy

G

This paper explores an opportunity for PV solar application by combining it with other renewable energy forms and the infrastructure projects which India is working on, which will make the cost of solar energy less expensive and an attractive investment.Hybrid power generation with a combination of Solar-Wind-Hydro can overcome the weaknesses of a stand-alone renewable energy system.

Glaring Issues Cur tailment losses in Wind energy:Since wind blows stronger when we need it least [Ref. 4], some of the energy produced goes waste as the demand is lower.

Underutilization of grid infra:The grid infrastructure built for PV Solar plants do not see full utilization as the energy generation and transmission happens for only 8-10 hours a day. In case of wind too, grid utilization is not high.

Alternate source of energy supply is a must for off-grid: Since uninterrupted power supply is not possible round the clock, throughout the year with standalone renewable energy system, investment in energy storage like in batteries or an alternate source like a Diesel Genset becomes a must for off-grid applications.

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Illustration : Ankit Pandey

oing by numbers for PV Solar installations and manufacturing capacity, India seems to be a sleeping giant. But looking at the potential, it is clear that sunny days are ahead for India. In an investors meet arranged

by India, 140 companies have shown interest to invest in a whopping 166 GW of PV solar installations [Ref.1]and 5 GW of PV solar manufacturing capacity interest is shown by 12 companies [Ref: 2].That shows the potential of India when it fully wakes up.

»

Cost

»

Matching demand and supply

»

Round the clock and all season energy generation

Renewable energy forms such as PV Solar is not yet cost competitive. Wind energy beats the cost but cannot match demand patterns, as wind blows in the night when the load is low and there are no large scale energy storage is available. And there are seasonal factors. During summer, PV Solar shines but Wind energy performance is poor. These challenges pose the following issues.

Solution- A Hybrid power plant (Solar-Wind-Hydro) There are many wind farms in India near to water reservoirs like the one shown in picture below [Ref:3].

These water bodies do not produce power as the elevation difference required to set-up a hydro power plant is not present in many locations.This situation provides an opportunity for a hybrid model. An artificial water pond can be created at elevation to set-up a hydro power plant. Curtailed energy from Wind farm in the night can be used to pump up water from reservoir.

80% of that energy can be recovered by letting the water flow down into reservoir [Ref. 5]. Adding PV Solar to this system makes it more reliable. PV Solar either supplies energy to grid or pumps up the water during day when there is no load. Hydro acts as energy storage device for both wind and solar.

At least one energy form will be active at any given time (PV solar in day, wind in night and hydro on demand), that ensures round the clock in energy supply which is not possible in stand-alone systems.

And the costs saved with shared infrastructure and improved grid utilization helps reduce the energy production cost.

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Renewable Energy

Financial Viability and Pay back

T

his paper does not suggest retiring any of the existing energy source but to use this hybrid model to fill the gaps in supply and to meet the increasing demand. Let us take the case for Bangalore which has base load of approx.

2,000MW and the peak load is 2,300 MW. That is additional 300MW for three hours ~ 900MW hours a day. To ensure round the clock supply, capacity needs to be set at peak load.Proposal is to meet the difference in peak load (300 MW) with Solar (50MW) and Wind (50 MW) connected to pumped hydro (300 MW). Solar and Wind work 10 hours a day generating 1,000MW hours a day to meet peak demand load.Approx. capital cost needed for Hybrid plant is 30% lessthan that of thermal plant [Ref. 6]. And 1.6 Rupees per Unit will be the cost of energy produced in this Hybrid plant [Ref. 7]. This model is very much cost competitive, provides a reliable power supply to consumers and offers returns on investment on par with conventional energy businesses.

Conclusions

P

V solar bec omes more attractive when it is combined with other forms and projects as the infrastructure costs reduces significantly and also helps to meet the demand without the use of expensive energy storage devices such as batteries. Making them part of large scale infrastructure projectsboosts the demand for PV solar and makes it an integral part of nation building. It helps energy starved country â&#x20AC;&#x201C; India, meet its energy demand sustainably and without harming the Mother Nature.

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INTERVIEW

Interview With DR. Michael Seehuber Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer At PV 4 Life GmbH

“Mobilhybrid is mobile power storage with intelligent control will provide renewable and reliable energy at affordable prices. ” PV 4 Life GmbH, a German company dedicated to the promotion of renewable energy, has now entered the Indian market. The company believes that photovoltaic is the most sustainable way to promote life on planet Earth. It has expertise in Product Management – PV inverter market knowledge and analysis, competitive products, trend scouting for new PV applications, business case identification, value analysis, QFD, Target Costing, Marketing, etc., with domain knowledge of Power Electronics, mechanical engineering and Software Development & Simulation. Dr. Michael Seehuber , MD, PV 4 Life GmbH, talks about the company’s products and services. Excerpts...…

Q.

What is the MobilHybrid?

MS : The MobilHybrid is mobile power storage with intelligent control. It enables a particularly economical and environmentally friendly, but continuous supply to the consumers – almost better than to be on the network.

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Q.

Can you explain how it works?

MS : A suitable MobilHybrid unit is selected for the current load status of multiple energy sources (hybrid) from the most favourable. This may be the built-in battery storage, a diesel generator, photovoltaic modules or a possibly existing network.

Q.

How can the user save money here?

MS : In many applications, the amount of energy required is not particularly high. With diesel generators there is often the problem of low load, i.e., few or weak consumers with high specific fuel consumption. Although very little power is used, the engine runs at a constant speed. Large amount of diesel is burned which is a waste. The MobilHybrid operates in this operating range of the battery and starts the diesel generator only when the battery needs to be recharged or heavy loads are to be operated. So fuel and maintenance costs for the diesel engine are significantly avoided and also the service life of the generator is prolonged. Refuelling is required less frequently. In cases of manageable power consumption, the MobilHybrid can be easily home loaded with cheap commercial AC power or on site with MobilPV solar charger is installed. In such cases, the running of the generator is reduced substantially, saving fuel and money.

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INTERVIEW

Q.

Can you explain the working principle of MobilHyrbid more elaborately?

MS : MobilHybrid is an innovative storage system that is connected between power producers and electricity consumers. The MobilHybrid stores the electricity from the generator and passes it to the consumer, as required in just the right amount again to prevent wastage of electricity.

The MobilHybrid has been developed precisely for these applications. What makes this innovative technology is that the generator can be switched off when the load of electricity consumers is small, i.e., less than the rated power of the MobilHybrid unit used. As and when the energy demand increases more than the capacity of the MobilHybrid unit, the power generator is switched on automatically.

In case where the capacity of the generator is insufficient for the load, the MobilHybrid also connects to the load and the two power sources are added together to provide the power boost function.

Throughout the world, diesel or gasoline generators are used when electricity is needed and no network connection is available. So outside of cities, on building sites, at events in the open or in the production of oil and gas, in all of these applications, very non-uniform electrical current is required, the load varies from a few percentage points to 100%, depending on the requirement during day/night or periods of rest. Unfortunately, diesel generators below 50% load range have a very poor efficiency. Less than 30% capacity, the service life of the generator is even significantly reduced because soot particles tend to settle in the oil and the cylinders, causing damage to the engine. To avoid this, power-hungry baseload resistors are often connected to the generator when it operates below 30% capacity to avoid damage, but this is pure waste.

Q.

What are the benefits for the environment?

MS : The use of MobilHybrid has several advantages: it saves considerable amounts of CO2 and other harmful emissions; the service life and maintenance intervals of the diesel engine are extended; quiet operation of the power supply, since the diesel generator most of the time is switched off or is no longer used in some applications; less CO2 emissions and saves and money in addition to the hybrid system with photovoltaic modules; and the lead-acid batteries used are 99% recyclable.

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INTERVIEW

Q.

What are the benefits for the environment?

MS : The use of MobilHybrid has several advantages: it saves considerable amounts of CO2 and other harmful emissions; the service life and maintenance intervals of the diesel engine are extended; quiet operation of the power supply, since the diesel generator most of the time is switched off or is no longer used in some applications; less CO2 emissions and saves and money in addition to the hybrid system with photovoltaic modules; and the lead-acid batteries used are 99% recyclable.

Q.

How long do the batteries last? Take back the batteries?

MS : The batteries are designed for a service life of 1800 cycles. In one cycle per day this corresponds to a service life of approximately 5 years. As the end of the service life the remaining capacity of 80% is defined. The battery pack can be inexpensively replaced in a short time. Of course, the company also takes back the old battery packs.

Q.

What about the compatible products like MobilLED lighting system and MobilPV solar modules?

MS : MobilLED is portable LED lighting system used for lighting in construction, mining, events and other industries. MobilPV solar modules are available in rating of 3120Wp in a robust protective case and provide flexible solar energy wherever energy is needed up to 20 kWh/day. The set up and dismantling time is just10 minutes and it saves up to 1,700 litres of diesel per annum. Twelve robust protected solar panels provide the required energy and the equipment is folded on dimensions of a Euro pallet for transport. It needs only 22 m² floor space for energy production when expanded. The MobilPV is suitable for operation with MobilHybrid without a diesel generator.

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Q.

What makes the hybrid mobile?

MS : MobilHybrid is built on a very sturdy steel carrying frame in the size of a Euro pallet. Easy handling is possible with forklift and/or by lifting gear hooked to the eyelet in the top centre, even as a slide the device can be pulled above ground. The logistics is simplified for greater distances through the Euro-pallets measure. The very compact and vibration resistant housing with IP54 degree of protection is suitable for outdoor installation. The equipment according to the trade association rules provides for unrestricted use without grounding measures, with many consumers and without the need for a qualified electrician. The lead-acid batteries used are non-hazardous and fully ready for the road, and they also have aviation approval. There are no lithium-ion batteries.

EQ : What about the warranty?

MS : On the mobile hybrid device except the battery pack, the company gives 2 years warranty.

EQ : What are the applications of MobilHybrid?

MS : MobilHybrid is best for varying loads with temporary power solutions such as construction, mining, telecom, renewable energy integration, events and defense, oil and gas exploration, etc.

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Renewable Energy

Dust off the challenges from Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Solar Energy

DREAM

Innovative technology the answer to increase ROI on solar investments Eran Meller is the CEO and co-founder of Ecoppia, a designer and producer of photovoltaic panel cleaning solutions. He has also served as a CFO for numerous innovative organizations such as Telmap, X-Tip and Info-X and worked with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private arm of the World Bank Group in which he managed multiple projects in Africa that brought economical as well as social benefits to the local society.

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Renewable Energy

A

ccording to the International Energy Agency, solar energy could become the cheapest source of energy by 2040 and is set to provide 26% of global power generation by 2050. The Solar energy sector in India too has been growing at a rapid pace, in the past few years. The Indian government’s initiatives such as tax exemptions and subsidies have only facilitated this growth. In line with the positive solar growth trend India set its solar targets at an ambitious 100 GW to be achieved by 2020. Solar photovoltaic technology (PV), which converts solar energy directly into electricity is said to contribute at least 90% to the growth of the solar energy sector. For PV, the condition’s present in the dessert should ideally result in optimum solar production but this does not occur due to the problem of soiling. According to the International Journal of Sustainable Energy, “energy production loss caused by soiling can reach up to 40 percent, significantly impacting the rate of return on the owner’s investment.” The only solution so far to soiling has been water-based cleaning which results in the depletion of water resource.

According to a recent report from the World Resource Institute, 79 per cent of new energy capacity in India is expected to be built in areas that already face water scarcity or water stress,” Now the problem only becomes intense with estimates that show the water requirements for operation and maintenance in India to lie between 7,000 and 20,000 litres per MW per wash, where panels are usually cleaned on a weekly basis (though this amount will vary with the scale and location of plants). This process is not just lacking on cost effectiveness but is also time-intensive and labour-intensive and clearly not sustainable. These factors when not given the needed attention could result in the solar dreams of India remaining un-fulfilled.

The solution is clear- Innovative Technology.

Innovative technology that would provide a true shift in the way plants are operated – making the use of labour, electricity and water, redundant, and thus

provides a true answer to the operational needs of the -growing number of large scale and ultra large scale solar plants in India. A new robotic technology that has been developed has proven to remove 99 percent of dust from panels in a daily fully automated cleaning operation that is also completely water-free.

The utilization of this technology helps optimise operation costs as these robotic units are designed to be self-sustaining, powered by their own small solar panels. Remote management tools allow site managers to make better-informed plant management decisions based on real-time and forecasted weather information and control and analyse the performance of each robotic unit, in each of their sites. The system is set of a fleet of robotic units centrally managed through a central hub, utilizing gravity, controlled airflow and special microfiber elements to push even the tiniest dust particles down and off the panels.

The robots are energy independent as each robotic unit uses its own dedicated attached solar panel that charges its batteries during the day allowing nightly cleaning post energy production hours. In between the cleaning cycles for the vast majority of the day, the units are securely locked in their docking stations outside the array. The robotic units also perform self-cleaning operation at the beginning and end of each array’s cleaning cycle, keeping them completely self-sufficient. Such robots have been designed by Ecoppia. Each robot can take care of hundreds of panels each night, ensuring it is completely clean for the next day’s energy production. Power plant operators can control the robots remotely and receive data about the units’ performance and maintenance needs. This enables solar parks to maximize energy output using neither water nor manual labour. Such 100% water-free solar panel cleansing technology is the need of the hour, not just to increase efficiency, but also work towards a sustainable solution in a cost-effective manner. It is encouraging to observe that India has understood the challenges and is very positive towards innovative solutions.

Case Study

A

rava Power, a leading solar developer in Israel, has seen first-hand the significant energy production improvements enabled by this technology. For its 5 MW Ketura Sun plant in the Arava Desert, the company initially opted for manual cleanings 10 times per year, each requiring approximately five days of work. During this time, laborers and equipment interfered with system output, and occasionally damaged the panels themselves. In 2013, Arava made the transition to nightly cleanings with a robotic, water-free cleaning solution. With the support of nearly 100 energy-independent robots, Ketura Sun now sees a significant uplift in electricity production than before, and achieved full payback after just 18 months. Yanir Aloush, vice president of operations for Arava Power, noted the company is now benefitting from “less guesswork about when to clean, less downtime since there’s no need for on-site cleaning crews [and] less external personnel on the ground,” adding that the technology “has changed the way we run the Ketura Sun field.” Based on the outstanding results in Ketura Sun, Arava Power went ahead and equipped 5 additional solar plants with the Ecoppia robots, ensuring they are all optimally performing year round.

Today over 350 robotic units are cleaning the Arava Power sites, daily, all were retrofitted by Ecoppia. A new build large scale plant is expected to be equipped in the coming quarters. It is to be noted that for all the projects ROI of 18-36 months had been achieved. For utility-scale solar projects in harsh desert climates, water-free robotic cleaning technologies provide both a more efficient operational management, and a way to increase dramatically their bottom line through increased energy production and reduced O & amp;M costs.

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SOLAR PROJECTS

Cultivating Solar Energy On Water

Introduction of a new energy generation solution in view of diminishing land availability

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ndiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1st Floating solar power plant in India was designed, installed & commissioned by Vikram Solarin New Town, Kolkata, early this year. The Project was part of an R&D venture jointly undertaken with Arka Renewable Energy College in Kolkata and New Town Kolkata Development Authority and was funded by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. The solar power facility was designed using 1 kW fiberglass PV modules to produce a minimum of 14 MWh of solar power annually.

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SOLAR PROJECTS

Objective

Challenges and Solutions

T

he main objective was to explore unutilized water bodies, by building a 1st of its kind state of the art floating solar power plant, due to the scarcity and the global escalation of price of land in today’s time. Agriculture productivity has risen dramatically, which has resulted in more land usage. So, our world class EPC team and committed O&M team with their vast project maintenance experience worldwide initiated a thinking process on how to minimise the use of land and at the same time build up on the solar power portfolio. Thus building a solar power generating system that would be suitable for any water body, with the flexibility of being expanded in any other given environment was on the cards.

This way we planned to provide an effective alternative to ground mounted solar power plants in India. We are sure, following Vikram’s footsteps, other companies will surely install more floating solar plants in the coming days across India.

The biggest challenge in this Project was installing the solar power plant on water.

The system had to be suitably designed to stay floating and one that would be able to withstand the force. In our country, solar modules are installed facing south to absorb the maximum solar radiation and optimise energy harvesting. Anchoring it was also an issue, keeping in mind the southwards facing of the modules. Next, it was time to develop a solar module that can sustain the harsh environmental condition of a water body, specially the humidity.The same level of challenge was to select the right Power Electronics that will provide its optimum performance and long life in this humid condition. Generation of electricity was important but not at the cost of destroying sustainability of the marine ecosystem. So, it was now time to plan on reducing damage, if any, being done to the marine life because of this floating object. It was specially kept in mind that damage to the ecosystem in the water body should be nil.

The modules of the floating platform was manufactured at Vikram Solar’s plant and transported to the site on vehicles. The main challenge was placing the platform on the water body and getting the connection placed properly keeping in mind that water if leaked can cause in the destruction of the modules. As the platform area was quite big, it was not possible to do the assembling work on the land and then place it over the water body. Transportation and installation of the heavy equipment’s like inverter to the platform was also an issue as it had to be transported on a pedal boat. The entire system had to be properly grounded.

This was a major hump on the road to success, as it had to be done near the plant. An extra Long Earth Electrode was installed in the base of the lake and then connected to the system.

Technology Implemented The R&D pilot installation is part of a test project for Vikram Solar’s new floating module technology. The installation is completely flexible, and consists of ten units of 1kW floating modules each made out of tubular unsinkable fibre glass modules, which make up the floating pontoon itself. The floating modules are made out of fibre glass to withstand corrosion and minimise maintenance. The hollow sections are filled up with PU Foam to make it unsinkable in case of any leakage. This pontoon is designed to guarantee a balanced structure platform supporting the Photovoltaic Modules, Inverter, Junction boxes and Lighting Arrestor. There are provisions (walk way) for O&M activities. The platform is capable of taking the load of 4 to 6 persons for O&M activity without any threat of sinking. It is designed to withstand turbulence and harsh weather conditions during a storm. The system is anchored to the bottom of the lake with provision of automating adjustment with the increase or decrease of water level to a few meters. The system is connected to the grid by using a submersible cable. The overall system is designed to last for 25 years and produce a minimum generation of 14 MWh/year.

Solar panels installed on the floating platform anchored by a suitable anchoring mechanism are naturally cooled, resulting in enhanced power production. Here, the solar photovoltaic power generator consists of PID free solar modules in series and parallel connections; which convert solar radiations into DC electrical power at the pre- determined range of voltages.

Individual solar cells are connected in a module (in series connection), which are hermetically sealed to survive in harsh weather conditions and ensure optimum performance.

The modules are installed on corrosion proof hot dip galvanised structures at an optimum tilt angle. Power from solar modules are routed to the outdoor inverters through an array junction box. The solar inverter converts DC power generated by a PV module to AC power. The inverter’s inbuilt data logger is used for remote monitoring via GSM modem. A bi-directional meter is also installed to monitor the NET Export.

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Outcome Fo ll ow ing ex tensive research and planning, the floating solar power facility was designed to be completely flexible and efficient. The floating mechanism functions successfully with the system anchored firmly to the bottom of the lake and connected to the grid using submersible cables.

The installation consists of 40 highest efficiency 250 Wp Tier 1 Eldora Prime Series polycrystalline modules and a Kaco-made inverter.

The inverter’s inbuilt data logger is used for remote monitoring via GSM modem.

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SOLAR PROJECTS

Current Performance The plant has been performing quite well and generating around 10% more power than a solar plant of same capacity installed on land.

It is generating around 50 units of power on an average, on a sunny day.

Till date there have been no reports of any issues with any of the components like solar modules or the inverter.

Advantages of Floating Grid Tied Solar PV Power Plant Installing solar panels over a water body, the panels are naturally cooled, resulting in improved & efficient power production performance. The cooler environment also reduces stress on the system, extending the systemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lifespan.

By installing solar panels floating on lakes & ponds, the evaporation of water can be arrested up to 70-80%. A 3- acre storage pond covered with solar panels could save over 4 million gallons of water each year.

Globally the availability of land is getting scarce day by day. And due to this scarcity, land is becoming expensive. Agriculture productivity has risen dramatically which has resulted in more land usage. So to address this situation, water and wastewater utilities can be used which will reduce the cost imprint for the overall solar power plant project.

The floating solar panels will block the sun rays reaching the water reducing the photosynthesis rate of organism, including algae. This way, the water will remain cleaner & as a result, the associated treatment of the water body and labour costs will be minimized.

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Solutions

Business &Finance

TOTAL CORPORATE FUNDING IN SOLAR SECTOR UP SLIGHTLY WITH $6.2 BILLION IN Q3 2015 REPORTS MERCOM CAPITAL GROUP Mercom Capital Group, llc, a global clean energy communications and consulting firm, released its report on funding and merger and acquisition (M&A) activity for the solar sector in the third quarter of 2015.

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otal global corporate funding in the solar sector, including venture capital/ private equity (VC), debt financing, and public market financing raised by public companies, came to $6.2 billion, compared to $5.9 billion in Q2 2015.

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Business &Finance

VC funding increased to $257 million in 15 deals, compared to $142 million in 24 deals in Q2 2015. Solar downstream companies continued to draw most of the VC investments with $114 million in seven deals.

A “The third quarter of 2015 has been eventful, especially in the equity markets. Although solar power demand continues to grow, solar stocks have made a complete U-turn in the last three months, affecting public market financing, which was down by about a billion dollars excluding IPOs.”

-Raj Prabhu, CEO of Mercom Capital Group

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mong the Top 5 VC deals in Q3 2015, the largest was the $105 million raised by Silicor Materials, a manufacturer of high-quality solar silicon and aluminum by-products, followed by the $80 million raised by Sunlight Financial, a provider of financing for the residential solar market. Two companies raised $25 million each this quarter; Alcazar Energy, an independent developer and power producer focused on renewable energy generation and Ampt, a provider of power conversion technologies for solar PV systems.

Completing the Top 5 was HiQ Solar, a designer and manufacturer of 3-phase solar PV inverters, which raised $11 million.

A total of 21 investors participated in Q3 2015, with Infuse Ventures and Hudson Clean Energy Partners investing in three and two deals respectively.

Public market financing fell to $1.8 billion compared to $2.3 billion in Q2 2015. There were three IPOs this quarter: TerraForm Global, a yieldco subsidiary of SunEdison, raised $675 million and Sunrun, a U.S.-based residential solar company, raised $250.6 million and listed on Nasdaq. Grenergy Renovables, a Spanish solar project developer and an independent power producer, raised $4.2 million and listed on the Spanish Mercado Alternativo Bursatil (MAB).

“With yieldcos falling out of favor, their fundraising in the public markets fell by half this quarter to $802 million,” commented Prabhu.

Debt financing saw an uptick this

quarter with about $4.1 billion, compared to $3.4 billion in Q2 2015. Chinese companies dominated debt financing activity, raising more than $2.9 billion compared to $1.4 billion in Q2 2015. There were three securitization deals announced in Q3, totaling $335 million, by Solar City, SunRun and AES. Announced large-scale project funding totaled $2.5 billion in 23 deals, while Q2 2015 saw $1.9 billion in 26 deals.

The Top 5 large-scale project funding deals included the $400 million debt financing secured by SolarReserve, a solar project developer, and ACWA Power, a developer and operator of water and power projects, as an investment guarantee, from the Overseas Private Investment Corporation for its 100 MW Redstone CSP Tower Project in Northern Cape, South Africa. Recurrent Energy, a solar project developer and a wholly owned subsidiary of Canadian Solar, a vertically integrated manufacturer of silicon ingots, wafers and PV cells and modules, followed with $337 million secured in construction and term debt facility for its 200 MW Tranquility Solar Project in California, from NORD/ LB, Rabobank, Santander, KeyBanc, CIT and CIBC. Recurrent Energy also raised $266 million in project financing for its 100 MW Mustang Solar Project located in California, from Santander Bank and U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corporation. SunEdison, a solar energy services and technology provider, received $253 million in project financing for its 156 MW Comanche solar project in Pueblo, Colorado.

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Business &Finance

A

loe Energy, an owner and operator of renewable energy projects in France, secured $223.5 million in debt refinancing for its nine PV projects with a combined capacity of 69.3 MW, from Credit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank, Siemens Bank and Societe Generale. The projects are owned by its subsidiary Delta Solar.

After two record quarters, residential and commercial solar funds announced in Q3 2015 dropped to $997 million in five deals. Out of $997 million in residential and commercial funds announced this quarter, $777 million went into the lease/ PPA model and $200 million was for loan products. SolarCity raised the most funding for the quarter, bringing in $400 million. In Q2 2015, residential and commercial solar funds raised nearly $2 billion in five deals. Year-to-date, $4.8 billion has been raised, already exceeding the $4 billion in all of last year.

There were 22 corporate M&A transactions in the solar sector in Q3, compared to 17 transactions in Q2 2015. Solar

downstream companies accounted for most of the M&A transactions with 12.

The largest disclosed M&A transactions by dollar amount was led by the $2.2 billion acquisition of Vivint Solar, a provider of residential solar systems, by SunEdison, followed by the $1 billion acquisition of an 80 percent stake in Gestamp Asetym Solar, a solar PV developer and operator, from Gestamp Renewables by KKR, an investment firm. Flextronics International, a provider of design, engineering, manufacturing, real-time supply chain insight and logistics services, acquired NEXTracker, a solar tracking solution provider, for $330 million. ENGIE (formerly GDF Suez), an electric utility, acquired a 95 percent stake in Solairedirect, a solar project developer, for $222 million. Opera Investments, an investment firm formed for the purpose of acquiring a company, business, project or asset in the natural resources sector, acquired SoloPower Systems, a CIGS thin-film module manufacturer, from Hudson Clean Energy, a U.S.-based private equity and infrastruc-

ture firm, for $220 million.

There were 42 large-scale solar project acquisitions totaling $1.2 billion with about 3.9 GW changing hands, compared to 66 transactions in Q2 2015 for $2.9 billion. The top disclosed project acquisition by dollar amount was the $320 million acquisition by utility company Dominion of 50 percent of the cash equity and 99 percent of the tax equity in the 265 MW Three Cedars Solar Project from SunEdison. Abengoa Yield acquired the Solaben 1 and 6 solar projects with a combined capacity of 100 MW in the Extremadura region of Spain for $304 million from Abengoa. SunEdison acquired a 33 percent stake in a 425 MW portfolio of solar assets from Dominion Resources, an electric utility, for $300 million. United Photovoltaics Investment acquired a 100 MW solar project from Hubei Jingtai Photovoltaics Power for $137.1 million. SunPower acquired 1.5 GW of the U.S. solar project pipeline from Infigen Energy, an Australia-based renewable energy project developer, for $37.9 million.

Mercom also tracked 346 large-scale project announcements worldwide in Q3 2015 totaling 11.7 GW.

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SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES PV Technology Powers the World INNOVATIONS for PERC, HJT, CIGS, CdTe

SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES provides technology solutions for both crystalline and thin-film high-performance solar cell platforms.

Our production equipment improves efficiencies and reduces manufacturing costs.

SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES is an established machine supplier with customers producing PERC, Heterojunction and CIGS & CdTe solar products.

SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES’ expertise includes vacuum thin-film coating (PECVD, sputtering, evaporation), surface engineering, wet-chemical processes and thermal processing.

SOLARE Turn-key Production System for 90-100 MW Multi- and Mono-Cell Production

Call SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES _ tel: +49-6188-4400 _ mail: sales@singulus.de_ www.singulus.de EQ November 2015 www.EQMagPro.com India: SOLAR TECH GROUP _ Gopal Kapoor _ tel: +91-2266-923-263 _ gopal.kapoor@solartechgroup.com

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SOLAR ROOFTOP & OFF GRID

POWER FOR ALL

AN EXPERIMENT WITH MICROGRIDS BY DALMIA GROUP

Naveen Kumar Gupta |Assistant Executive Director Dalmia Bharat Limited

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The Prime Minister in his Independence Day speech reaffirmed the goal of “Power for All” and said 18,500 villages which still have no electricity would be electrified within the next 1,000 days. The goal of complete electrification has been set many times by previous regimes and various plans initiated though yet to be achieved.

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SOLAR ROOFTOP & OFF GRID

S

tatistics from the Central Electricity Authority indicate that the central grid has reached 97 per cent of the villages (577746/ 597464 villages as on 31st Aug’15). However, despite this achievement, approximately 300 million people are yet to get electricity.

Such large numbers of unconnected households certainly do not fall in the un-electrified villages that are planned to be electrified within 1,000 days. These households fall into three categories: •

In remote villages where extending the grid may be technically economically infeasible;

•

In unconnected hamlets of grid connected villages; and Un-electrified though villages are electrified.

•

Estimates show that of the total unelectrified population, roughly 10 million are in completely un-electrified villages and rest of 290 million are in villages that already have electric grid or in unelectrified hamlets of electrified villages.

Therefore, an important task is also to connect households that are in unelectrified hamlets of electrified villages.

From the year 2004-05 onwards, a village is declared electrified if; 1. Basic Infrastructure such as Distribution Transformer and Distribution lines are provided in the inhabited locality as well as Dalit Basti / hamlet where it exists. (For electrification through Non- Conventional Energy Sources a Distribution Transformer mat not be necessary) 2. Electricity is provided to Public places like Schools, Panchayat Office, Health Centre, Dispensaries, Community Centers etc. and 3. The number of households electrified should be at least 10% of the total number of households in the village 4. Mandatory Certification from Gram Panchayat regarding the completion of village electrification should be obtained.

While the onus of taking aconnection could lie with households, the definition clearly misses the point that all habitations in villages should have electric poles and distribution lines for households to take connections.

Incidentally, most of these un-electrified hamlets are in Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh.

These people use subsidized kerosene for meeting their requirements and this segment can scale up only when services are offered at or below the cost of subsidized kerosene.

Dalmia Bharat Group Foundation (DBGF) has beenworking on Energy Conservation and Climate Change Mitigation as one of theirfocus area under CSR initiatives and are promoting renewable energy options for the villages in our programme areas. We have envisaged to give a major thrust to off-grid solar power applications in our programme areas where people do not have access to electricity by promoting Solar lanterns, study lamps, home lighting systems and Micro grids etc.

Until now, we have promoted more than 200 Solar home lighting systems in our programme areas.

The systems are successful but little costly. So to economize the costlier individual solar systems, a common system, popularly known as Solar Micro Grid system has been explored. Micro grids are modern, small-scale versions of the centralized electricity system varying from 100 W to 10 KW and works on the principle of main grid while catering to the energy needs of limited number of households.

A Micro grid of 240 W can address the lighting needs of 20-30 households conditional to the individual household load factor. A standard load factor per household is 10 W which includes 2 LED bulbs of three watt each and a cell phone charging point. A single panel of necessary wattage is installed at one point and connected with the power bank and controller unit. Then individual household connections are provided in a radius of up to 100 meters. The battery provides backup for 6 hours each day (between 1830hrs – 2300hrs & 0430hrs – 0600 hrs) with backup autonomy of 1 day.

The charge controller used in the system is intelligent enough to control the switch on & switch off time of the system to avoid misuse of available energy & over-draining of the battery. A separate fuse-link box is used to prevent misuse of the system by addition of extra lights by the villagers.

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SOLAR ROOFTOP & OFF GRID

X 20 houses

D

BGF has set up two Solar Micro grids on a pilot basis in Keshwamau village, Ramgarh and Bajhera village, Nigohi, both in the state of Uttar Pradesh. 20 households at each location have been connected with the grid. Each system designed at 12 V, uses Hareon 300Wp PV Modules and 12V/150Ah Battery. Total cost of Rs. 1.26 lac was equally borne by DBGF, Hareon Solar (Technical Partner) and villagers. The individual households contributed Rs.2,100/=only for the grid connection. This is 70 percent less cost to beneficiary as compared to the individual home lighting system.

Now all the grid beneficiaries have 6-8 hours of reliable and regular lighting.

The Micro Grid installed is an automatic system and thus needs

â&#x20AC;&#x153;NOâ&#x20AC;? day-to-day maintenance. The Micro grid has been handed over to the beneficiaries and they would be looking after the maintenance of the system. The beneficiaries have been given sessions on how to maintain their Micro grid. They have also been advised to collect a nominal amount of Rs.15-20 per household each month to build a corpus amount which may be used for maintenance when needed.

The life of the solar panel is 20 years and there would be a recurring cost of approximately Rs.15000/- in 3-4 years.

The villages considered for the pilot project does have grid connectivity, however it is not stable and sometimes the grid is down for days. Hence, the villagers have not opted for a connection and still use oil lamps & candles for their basic lighting.A study

Power Generator- solar panel of Micro solar grid installed at Ramgarh location

by M. Kaplan, showed that burning of candle for few hours in a closed room results in lead concentrations sufficient to harm the mental development of children. Lead poisoning can lead to behavioral changes and damage internal organs, especially kidneys.

With theis electrification programme, such problems will get minimized.

While visiting the program area villages earlier, it was very difficult to make out during night that whether there exist any village or not. But now after promotion of two solar grid for 40 households, these program area villages could be located easily even during the night hours. Now light pips through the house doors of many houses in all the program area villages.

School going children could be seen studying in solar lights.

Manoj along with his mother MsKamla enjoying dinner in solar grid light at Bajhera village of Nigohi location

The major advantages of the Micro Grids powered by Solar Energy being providing clean & reliable electricity, improvement in health condition, reduction in carbon foot print, automated system with no daily maintenance and most importantly cost effective for the beneficiaries. Such systems are very effective for achievement of community-level electrification in remote areas and with the success of these two pilot projects, DBGF plan to replicate the same at many more places in future, thereby enlightening more lives.

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PV MANUFACTURING

Selection of Materials Critical for Reliable Performance of

Solar Panels Author: Rahul Khatri DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions

INTRODUCTION

D

ue to lack of clear industry standards and substantial cost pressures in the market, solar panel manufacturers are rapidly deploying technological changes and making material selections with a greater focus on managing short-term costs than long term performance. This is leading to wide variations in solar panel design, construction, and the “bill of materials”, that have direct impact on long term performance of solar energy systems. Recent studies are finding that a variety of new and unproven materials used in protective solar backsheets can impose a greater risk of premature power degradation and decreased lifetime of solar panels than expected. At a recent PV conference, TUV reviewed their assessment of PV fields and identified backsheets as a particularly serious defect (PSD), identifying delamination and defective backsheet as modulerelated defects that warrant immediate action to prevent plant breakdown. This study was based on assessment of more than 100 plants worldwide over two periods (2012-2013 and 2014-Q1 2015).

The study also found a 250% increase in module defects in the PSD category betweenthese two inspection periods. [1].

DuPont has conducted an extensive five year field study of solar power installations in different regions across the world to measure the true performance of panels and backsheets under real-world conditions.The objective was to learn and gain experience from the failed and successful installations and provide reference for selection of backsheet materials. Based on analysis done on the ageing performance of backsheets, this article summarizes the common backsheet failures in solar panels such as yellowing, cracking, abrasion, hot spot melting and others.

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Common Solar Backsheet Failures and Case Studies

C

ommon backsheet failures described below involve degradation of the outer layer of the backsheet. These failures expose underlying components and materials to harsh climatic conditions and can lead to material degradation such as hydrolytic and photo-oxidative degradation of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) material, delamination of encapsulating materials and corrosion of cells and interconnecting wires which can result in premature power degradation or electrical safety issues [2].

1. Backsheet outer layer cracking Figure 1a shows an example of backsheet outer layer cracking after 4 years of exposure in Spain. The outerlayer was found to be made of polyester material. For this particular case, the issue was observed in morethan 5000 panels. Some of the panels even failed wet leakage test (measures electrical insulation resistance of the panel). Another case of outer PET layer cracking from a 12 year old installation in Japan is shown infigure 1b. Here, the panel power was found to be degraded by about 46%.

Figure 1c shows a PVDF outer layer cracked in a & <5 year old installation. 57% of this field had cracked PVDF outer layers.

Fig. 1a: PET Outer layer cracking after 4 years in Spain

Fig. 1b: PET outer layer cracking after 12 years in Japan

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Fig. 1c: PVDF outer layer cracking after <5 years in Canada Cracking of the outer layer enables much faster penetration of water inside the backsheet that accelerates degradation of underlying PET material (middle layer of the backsheet). This degradation weakens the mechanical and electrical properties of PET which can lead to faster degradation of cells and increased safety risks. Multiple cases of PET outer layer cracking have been seen in the field, and resulting in performance issues involving faster power degradation and safety issues due to failure of electrical insulation. Polyester material does not possess good weather resistance properties, and the polymer chain of such materials breaks easily due to exposure to Ultraviolet (UV) radiation [3] and heat and humidity [4] \ Which can lead to cracking.

2. Backsheet outer layer discoloration

S

ometimes change in the appearance of the backsheet can be an indication of material degradation. Examples of appearance changes include yellowing, which indicates degradation of the polymer due to photo-oxidation and loss of gloss due to surface degradation. A recent study over a broad range of backsheets exposed to UVA irradiation and compared to outdoor modules found changes if yellowing and retention of mechanical was broadly demonstrated as shown in Figure 2a[5].

Figure 2b shows an example of yellowing of the PET outer layer.PET based backsheet yellowing due to UV exposure is evident in this panel installed in Arizona, U.S., for 6 years. Power loss in panels from the same installation ranged from 11% to 42%, indicating 1.8% to 7% annual degradation [6] after 6 years of outdoor exposure.

Another example of PET outer layer yellowing and discoloration can be seen in Figure 3a which shows yellowness index map of PET film for12 panels installed on a rooftop array in Japan for 15 years (1998 – 2003). For each panel, the yellowness index (b* value) was measured at 53 discrete locations. The distance between the roof and the solar panels was 15 cm. The b* value varied from 13-20 in the center of the array and increased significantly towards the edges to 27. This finding correlates well with the extent of UV radiation getting exposed (reflected) to different parts of the array as the edges would receive more UV radiation than the center as illustrated in Figure3b. This result indicates that backsheets do receive sufficient UV exposure over a period of time due to reflection from the ground, and prolonged UV exposure impacts the appearance and performance of backsheets such as PET that demonstrate poor resistance to UV radiation.

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Fig. 2a: Plot of yellowing (b*) vs. % Elongation Loss for both accelerated test results and field data. Backsheets were exposed from both the JB and E sides.

Fig.2b: PET outer layer yellowed and cracked after 6 years in Arizona, U.S.

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PV MANUFACTURING

Fig 3a Serious yellowing of PET-based backsheet of roof panelarray of 12 panelsoperated for 15 years in Japan (b* value: 13~27)

Fig 3b Schematic demonstrating ground reflection and propagation of UV radiation under panel array

3. Reduction in backsheet outer layer thickness due to abrasion

A

brasive airborne dust particles that come along with sandstorms physically abrade a backsheet’s outer layer and can lead to gradual reduction in its thickness over time.

The outer layer, thus, needs to be thick enough and have good abrasion resistance to withstand the impact of sand abrasion. Backsheets having a thin outer layer, such as Fluoroethylene-AlkylVinyl Ether (FEVE) coating materials, are at a greater risk of failure in desert conditions as they may erode quickly due to continuous abrasion by sand particles and increasing exposure of the under layers[7]. In addition, the simultaneous effect of various environmental stresses such as UV radiation, temperature and humidity can result in loss of mechanical properties of the outer layer material which further accelerates the effect of sand abrasion. Sand abrasion resistance of the backsheet’s outer layer can be evaluated using the falling sand test [8]. Here, sand particles are allowed to fall on the outer layer of the backsheet and the quantity of sand required to completely erode the outer layer is measured.Results of this test done on backsheets having FEVE coating and Polyvinyl fluoride (PVF) film (figure 4),respectively,clearly demonstrate poor performance of coating material to withstand sand abrasion.

This result correlates well with the field data where FEVE coating thickness reduced from 20microns (μm) to 16.5 μm in just 3 months (figure 5). At this rate, the coating layer can erode very quickly and expose the middle core polyester layer to outdoor stresses that may accelerate power degradation as explained above.

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Fig 4: Falling sand- worn out sand volume of FEVE coating and Tedlar® PVF film-based backsheet according to GB/T 23988-2009

Fig 5: The thickness of outer FEVE coating of backsheet installed in China for 18 months reduced to 16.5 μm while the nominal thickness is 20 μm

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PV MANUFACTURING

4. Melting and cracking of the backsheet due to extreme thermal stress

(b)

L

oc alized heating of c ells and interconnecting wires, or hot spots, is one of the major issues seen in panels from photovoltaic (PV) installations in India.

Extremely high temperatures at these hot spots can lead to melting and cracking of the backsheet’s outer layer.Figures 6a and 6b show two field cases of melting and cracking of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) outer layer due to hot spots. Figure 7 indicates localized yellowing and cracking of PVDF outer layer due to hot spots.

PVDF material has a melting temperature of approximately 160°C which is much lower compared to PVF material (approximately 190°C), and thus makes it more susceptible to melting under high temperature. Localized cracking of PVDF film indicates increased brittleness of the material under prolonged thermal stress.

These findings clearly indicate that outer layers with low melting temperature are prone to melting and cracking (in case of hot spots).

As explained above, such issues may have a negative impact on long term performance and safety of the panels.

Fig 6: Backsheet failure due to hot spots (a) Melting and cracking of PVDF film after 2 years of operation in Arizona (U.S.); (b) Melting and blistering of PVDF film in an installation in Israel

Fig 7: Cracking of PVDF layer due to localized heating in a panel operated for no more than 2 years in Spain

5. Power degradation due to backsheet ageing

A

s discussed in the previous article “Materials Matter For Reliable Performance And Power Output of Solar Panels”[9], backsheets need to retain their properties in the field over a period of time to function properly and protect panels. Degradation of a backsheet’s outer layer in the form of yellowing and cracking accelerates degradation of inner materials and their properties which in turn speed up power degradation in the panel.

Analysis of data provided by The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan, on power degradation of fielded panels demonstrates the impact of backsheet on power loss in panels. The yearly power degradation for panels with PET based backsheets (5 -14 years) and PVF-based backsheets (11-19 years), respectively, is shown in figure 8. This clearly reflects the impact of poor performance of PET based backsheets on a panel’s performance.

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Fig. 8: Impacts of backsheet materials to long-term power loss of panels (AIST research)

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Learnings for India

F

igure 9 shows average annual global horizontal irradiation in India [10]. Most of the locations annually receive irradiation between 1850 and 2100 kilowatt hour per square meter (kwh/m2) which is equivalent to average annual UV radiation between 74 and 84 kwh/m2 (UV irradiation ~ 4% of global horizontal solar radiation [11]). For reference, to simulate 25 years in the field, it requires International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) UV test to be conducted 128 times on the front side and 15 times on the backsheet, considering an average 12% ground reflection.

Fig. 9: Global horizontal solar irradiation map of India

Figure10 shows an image of a dust storm over north and northwest parts of India [12]. These areas, which are home to the majority of solar installations in India, are dominated by tropical arid and semi-arid climatic conditions and experience strong winds[13]that lead to severe dust storms in almost the entire northwestern area. Some of the parts in the northwest of India can have as high as 10 dust storm days in a year[14]. Besides strong UV radiation across India and dust storms in the north-western regions, many regions possess very high humidity levels. These extremely harsh climatic conditions put solar panels and their materials to extreme environmental stresses which makes it extremely critical to select backsheets prudently to prevent occurrence of afore said issues and failures.

Fig. 10: Dust storm over north and northwest parts of India

Conclusion

A

backsheet needs to be capable enough to endure environmental stresses for 25 years or longer in the service environment. It must protect the panel under all weather conditions to ensure it performs safely and reliably. It is important for panel manufacturers to more fully understand backsheet ageing mechanisms and failure modes in different climatic conditions in order to make informed decisions. Field studies done

by DuPont, which are consistent with findings from other third party authorities, have demonstrated field issues with many types of solar backsheets. PET outer layer-based backsheets can crack and discolor, indicating polymer degradation and loss of mechanical properties under UV exposure; FEVE coated backsheet demonstrates poor sand abrasion andeasily cracks and peels off; and PVDF-based backsheet has been shown to melt and crack under thermal stresses such as hot spots. In many different cases, the panels exhibiting these issues have demonstrated loss in power as well as electrical insulation. PVF materials such as DuPontâ&#x201E;˘ TedlarÂŽ PVF film-based backsheet, which has been proven to stand the test of time in different climatic conditions, can help reduce these risks and improve the durability and reliability of solar panels.

Various studies [15-23] have shown proven performance of PVF film-based backsheet in terms of low power degradation for more than 25 years. In India where solar panels are subject to extreme climatic conditions such as high UV radiation, sand storms, rapid temperature changes, heat and humidity, the selection of backsheet material becomes very critical. Adopting PVF film-based backsheets is one of the best and most important choices to help mitigate performance and safety risks.

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REFERENCES 1. (F. Reil (TUV Rheinland), “Evaluation of quality in practice and what installers and planners can learn from it”, Intersolar 2015 2. P. Blais, M. Day, and D.M. Wiles, “Photochemical Degradation of poly (ethylene Terephthalate). IV. Surface Changes; Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Vol. 17, PP. 1895-1907 (1973) 3. G. Oreski, G.M. Wallner, “Aging mechanisms of polymeric films of PV encapsulation”; Solar Energy 79 (2005) 612-617 4. W. Gambogi et al, “Backsheet designs critical to PV Module performance, safety and durability”, EUPVSEC 2015 (Hamburg) 5. Kopp, E.S. et. al., 2012, “I–V curves and visual inspection of 250 PV modules deployed over 2 years in Tucson”, Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC), 38th IEEE 6. Li Huiyan and others, 2012, “Study Progress on Failures of Coating in Dry Heat Atmospheric Environment”, Science & Technology Review, Vol. 30, pp. 76-795 7. GB/T 23988-2009 8. http://solargis.info/doc/_pics/freemaps/1000px/ghi/SolarGIS-Solar-map-India-en.png 9. Rahul Khatri,“Materials Matter For Reliable Performance And Power Output of Solar Panels”; EQ International Volume#7, Issue#8, August 2015 10. M. Koehl, D. Phillipp, N. Lenck, M. Zundel “Development and application of a UV light source for PV module testing”; 24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition, Hamburg, Germany, 2009 11. M.D. Kempe, “Accelerated UV test methods for encapsulants of Photovoltaic modules”; 33rd IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, California, May 11-1, 2008] 12. A.K. Mitra et. Al., Characteristics of recent dust storms over the Indian region using real time multi-satellite observations from the direct broadcast receiving system at IM; Advances in Space Research 51 (@013) 1195-1203 13. Basic wind speed map of India with long-term hourly wind data N. Lakshmanan, S. Gomathinayagam*, P. Harikrishna, A. Abraham and S. Chitra Ganapathi 14. Andrew S. Goudie, Nicholas J. Middleton, “Dust storms in South West Asia”; ACTA Universitatis Carolinae 2006 Geographica, XXXV, Supplementum, PAG. 73-83 15. Long Term Reliability of PV Modules. J.H. Wohlgemuth, D. w. Cunningham, A.M. Nguyen and J.Miller. BP Solar International 16. Analysis of degradation mechanisms of crystalline silicon PV modules after 12 years of operation in Southern Europe, Paula Sanchez-Friera*, Michel Piliougine, Javier Pelaez, Jesus Carretero and Mariano Sidrach de Cardona 17. Universidad de Malaga, Louis Pasteur 35, 29071 Malaga, Spain. Prog. Photovolt: Res. Appl. 2011; 19:658–666. Published online 5 January 2011 18. Diagnosis of Dielectric Properties and Assessment of PV Module Performances after Real Operating in Field Exposure at Chaiyaphum Province of Thailand. C. Dechthummarong, C. Limsakul, D.Chenvidhya, C.Jivacate, K.Kirtikara. World Renewable Energy Congress 2009-Asia, Bangkok, Thailand, May 19-22, 2009.

19. Physical deterioration of encapsulation and electrical insulation properties of PV modules after long-term operation in Thailand. C. Dechthummarong, B.Wiengmoon, D.Chenvidhya, C.Jivacate, K.Kirtikara. Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells 94 (2010) 1437–1440 20. Long term Outdoor Exposure in Different Climate Zones. N. Bogdanski,TUV Rheinland Persentation, July 15,2011 21. Li Shimin, He Wei, Hua Yaping, Liu Qiong, “Analysis on Factors Affecting Power Generation of PV Modules” 22. Dong Xian, Chen Siming, He Guorui, Shen Hui, 2010, “Material Analysis for 23-year Normally Used Old Crystalline Silicon Modules in the Open”, Meeting Memoir of 11th China Photovoltaic Conference and Exhibition”, pp. 971-975 23. Case History: Sun-Earth Solar Relies on DuPont™ Tedlar® Year After Year, http://www2.dupont.com/Photovoltaics/en_ US/assets/downloads/pdf/cs_SunEarth.pdf 24. AIST, Final Report on “Consortium Study on Fabrication and Characterization of Solar Cell Modules with Long Life and High Reliability”, (2014)

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SOLAR INVERTERS

Namibia’s largest PV plant with 4.5 MW output uses Delta 50 kVA string inverters The PV plant expected to generate a total of 13,500 MW hours of clean and reliable electricity annually and save more than 8,500 tons of CO2 every year incorporates high efficiency Delta M50A inverters.

Initial Situation Delta Electronics, Inc., a global leader in power and thermal management solutions, was selected to supply its RPI M50A string inverters to the firm InnoSun Energy Holding for the construction of Namibia’s first and largest utility-scale solar PV power plant.

InnoSun was a company established in 2008 by InnoVent, a large and well-established French wind developer, with the mission of developing PV projects across Africa.

The solar power plant totalling 4.5 MW is built two hours northwest of the city of Windhoek on 16 hectares of arid land. The project began after the signing of the first-ever Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) between NamPower, Namibia’s national power utility, and InnoSun Energy Holding. After initial site surveys were completed, construction commenced on August 18, 2014.

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SOLAR INVERTERS

Project Realisation The PV plant built near the town of Omaruru in the Erongo Region of Namibia took six months to construct after the contract was signed. Sixty local Namibians were employed and trained for the installation of the PV plant structure.

InnoSun chose TSMC CIGS (copper, indium, gallium, selenium) thin-film modules for the plant which were mounted on a horizontal tracking system. The 1-axis tracking system adjusts the solar module position in relationship to the position of the sun over the course of the day thereby maximizing energy output, and increasing output by up to 25% when compared to a fixed-tilt system. A total of 33,418 thin-film solar modules were installed in the system as well as 100 Delta string inverters, providing a corresponding PV power of 4.5 MW. InnoSun selected the Delta RPI M50A threephase transformerless models with 50 kVA output because of their reliability and low maintenance.

Inverters from Delta are characterized by a robust and reliable design. The housing is made of high quality aluminium covered with a special finish to make the inverter very durable and corrosion-resistant. Due to their rugged design, the RPI series inverters are an ideal choice for the rugged environment of Namibia.

The use of string inverters were preferred over central inverters because the former need less cables and components and can be installed without special housing in protected areas. As a result the investment costs can be reduced.

Additionally, the string inverter creates a stable production level. The PV plant can continue to run with very low production losses when one string inverter fails in comparison to much larger losses when a central inverter stops functioning. Because the Delta RPI M50A string inverters require very little maintenance over the years, no maintenance contract is needed, which significantly lowers the operating costs.

Now that the Omburu Solar Photovoltaic Park construction is completed, InnoSun is working together with local authorities in order to reach commercial operation of the plant.

A commissioning ceremony is scheduled on May 13, 2015.

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Conclusion The 4.5 MW Omburu PV plant has numerous financial and environmental benefits in Namibia. It has already helped the local economy by providing 60 local construction jobs, but in addition will create income from the solar energy produced over the next 25 years. The plant is expected to generate a total of 13,500 MW hours of clean and reliable electricity annually which will cover a large percentage of the energy needs of the region, help maintain stable electricity prices, and avoid power shortages. Furthermore, the PV plant is estimated to help save over 8,500 tons of CO2 per year, the equivalent CO2 produced annually by 1,800 passenger vehicles.

The cooperation with InnoSun was very positive and resulted in a successful implementation of the project.

With its inverters, Delta has made an important contribution to the success of the first-ever utility-scale PV project in Namibia and look forward to being part of the growing PV market in Africa. Delta plans to continue to work with InnoSun to provide its high efficiency string inverters for even more large-scale PV projects in this region.

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INTERVIEW

or rect i D up Gro AT Ltd. India M UB

h t i w w e i v r Inte R A T T A H K H RAJNEES

Q.

You have been the 1st mover in providing the Renewables Industry a massive platform for promotion of trade..What is your experience ?

RK : True to its’ core, it has been an amazingly fascinating journey and I take immense pride in being the First mover in creating a useful business platform for which I thank the industry stakeholders the most who reposed full confidence in our capabilities. From the 2nd edition itself, it has been our intent to continue innovating the forum by adding multiple concurrent activities that has turned out being a recipe for higher investment returns to all participants. It has always been positioned as the best-in-trade business networking hub whilst offering solutions to the industry players to upscale their operations by soliciting technology transfers, strike joint ventures and accessing the latest in technology trends across the globe. With India being on the cusp of Renewable Energy revolution, I believe our platform has many aces up its’ sleeve to offer to the industry as we march forward in our effort to contribute in India’s mission to be Global Leader in this sector.

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Q.

What’s the feedback of the industry and specially what has changed since 2007 ?

RK : The Industry has always been very kind and supportive to our endeavors and has believed in our capacity to deliver what they expect from an industry forum of our stature. For this very reason, the % of our repeat exhibitors is the highest in this domain and it gives me yet another reason to smile and cheer. The industry feedback has always been constructive and acted like a guiding force towards continuous evolution of the event profile. As happens in all sectors, the change since the inception of the event in 2007 has been highly progressive and optimistic. We have witnessed the sheer growth of number of players within India, and from overseas, who have joined the sector making it one of the most Sun-Rise sector attracting high levels of investments from all over. There is tremendous focus on the project developers, EPC players’ end besides a vast mushrooming of growth of support systems i.e. BoS players who are so critical for the success of any manufacturing sector.

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INTERVIEW

Q.

Where is the industry and your platform headed now ?

RK : The RE industry is definitely heading for securing Big investments and supportive policy landscape, thus, geared up to offer attractive returns to the investors. It’d open-up the vistas of growth by inviting foreign players to start manufacturing in India under Government’s “Make in India” campaign. This will not only bring the prices down, but, also create umpteen job opportunities and skill development for our youth. Our REI platform has always been in-sync. with the industry changes and is expected to further grow from its’ present iconic status of “Asia’s largest and the most influential Renewable Energy event” as we move forward.

We have recently also launched our South-India regional event RenewX ( 17 – 18 December 2015 in Hyderabad ) keeping in mind that we must give a Voice platform to all those regional players also who are unable to make a cut into our flagship REI. With South India especially States of Telangana, AP, TN and Karnataka sustaining major share to India’s cumulative RE generation, this region is set to further grow exponentially. Hence RenewX will be a perfect and most-timely event to showcase the policy prowess and market base of the region. Many big industry players have already started investing in these potential states besides multiple international players of highest repute have zeroed down to South India region for setting-up their manufacturing units.

The spectrum of development of the entire value chain has been a great achievement for the industry. Also, the new-age investors are banking heavily on India’s RE sector which is expected to offer them with highest return in coming times.

Last, but not least, is the highest attention and focus of the Government esp. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy ( MNRE ) to uptick the growth of RE in India by doing all that’s required to make India a Super Power in the field of renewable energy. The re-setting of ambitious RE targets to be achieved by 2022 ( 175 GW put together of which 100 GW is Solar and 60 GW is Wind alone ! ) is the best indicator of Government’s dedication and belief to grow this sector.

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The event has changed owners from EI Group to UBM..Whats the advantages & Disadvant ages ?

RK : This change, effect ed in Nov 2011, has only proved to be advan tageous in a sense that with UBM, the show has been able to achieve much more international reach since UBM is a big international name of hig hest repute to reckon with in exhibition industry . With UBM at helm, the event is only headed North wards and it helps in roping-in many foreign pla yers from across the globe as the name gives a huge brand credibility all over the world.

It also helps in synergizing the efforts acr oss entire region since UBM has RE shows in Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam as well.

Q.

What do you expect from Industry, Government, Participants to provide them a better platform or enhance the value of the platform you offer ?

RK : All we expect from the Government is stability in the policies, taxation and regulatory regime executed by them and flow of attractive incentives ( Fiscal & non-fiscal ) to encourage the investment climate , propel manufacturing, empower project development and mainstreaming of RE in India.

With India we all will glow and with India we all will grow !

From our participants….be it Exhibitors, Delegates, Visitors and all other stakeholders, I expect them to continue having their immense faith in India, its’ emerging RE potential, its’ policies and most importantly its’ honest intent to push the growth of this sector. With this happening, REI will continue its’ tradition of growing in magnitude, growth in scale, width & depth of participants and bringing all who matter under one roof together to jointly address the way forward.

Q.

What is the competition scenario in RE events industry ?

RK : Like any other industry, RE sector is also adorned with competition.

Going per Darwin’s theory, it will be survival of the fittest. However, currently there is scope for all, but, I suggest the industry captains to put-in their stakes in forums where they get highest RoI and experience widest spectrum of engagement , be it domestic or international.

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SOLAR PROJECTS

Powering the

World's First Airport Running Solely on Solar Energy The Solar PV plant set up by Bosch Energy and Building Solutions, India, helped Cochin international Airport Limited achieve grid neutrality. ​Capacity: Area:

12 MWP

45 acres

Evacuation Level:

11 kV

Duration: 5 months Solar PV Modules:

260 Wp poly-crystalline x 46,150 Inverters: 1000 kW Central Inverters x 10

“Bosch completed the project meticulously and we are happy to have the company execute this project on time and as per standards.”

-Mr. V. J. Kurian I.A.S., Managing Director of Cochin International Airport Limited, speaking about his experiencing of partnering with Bosch.

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On 18th August 2015, the Cochin International Airport (CIAL) at Cochin, Kerala India became the first airport in the world to be powered completely

by Solar Power.

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SOLAR PROJECTS

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his exceptional achievement was made possible by the India team of Bosch Energy and Building Solutions who commissioned the 12 MWp solar power plant at the location reserved for future expansion of the cargo terminalat the Cochin International Airport, making the airport technically grid neutral.

Constructed on a total land of 50 acres, the CIAL solar plant is the single largest solar project to be constructed in an airport in India. Commissioned within a timeframe of less than 6 months, it houses 46,150 solar panels to generate approximately 50-60,000 units of electricity daily.

CIALhas always been a strong promoter of green ventures. The project was executed by CIAL Infrastructures Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of CIAL, which specializes in green power projects. The aim of this project was to reduce the dependence on grid power and switch over to power generated from green energy. Bosch had the privilege of partnering

with Cochin Airport to effectively realize this initiative.

One of the key success factorsofthe project has beenthe project management, which was done in close consultation with the key authorities from CIAL, keeping in mind the constraints imposed by the site conditions (heavy rainfall during the last months of construction) and Bosch’s stringent safety norms. Construction at site was repeatedly interrupted by excessive rainfall in the months of June and July which hampered the steady progress of work at site. More than often the downpour resulted in water logging at the site, making it increasingly difficult to move material at the site, erect the structures and lay the cables. In spite of these challenging conditions, BEBS India has been successful in completing the work within the agreed time-frame.

In accordance with Bosch norms and practices, no compromises were made to ensure engineering precision and safety during the construction.

FurtherPotential

Further References

The solar power plant at Cochin Airport is a good example of capitalizing unutilized space and such models can be replicated in other large installations that have unused captive land. Such installations located in regions with good solar irradiation and low particulate matter content in the air are ideal for such projects. Such large captive projects have a considerable positive impact on reducing the burden on grid power and greenhouse gas emissions.

»»

5 MWp ground-mounted project at Thuraiyur, India

»»

2.1 MWp rooftop project at Bosch Limited, Nashik, India

»»

1 MWp project at Maruti Suzuki India Pvt. Ltd. at Gurgaon, India mounted on water lagoon

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QUARTER RESULTS

CSUN First Quarter Results 2015

China Sunergy Announces First Quarter 2015 Financial Results China Sunergy Co., Ltd., a specialized solar cell and module manufacturer, recently announced its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2015.

First Quarter Financial Highlights »

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Total revenue was US$91.5 million, a decrease of 27.8% from US$126.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2014. The revenue for self-branded products totaled US$84.3 million and the revenue for the products processed under the OEM arrangement was US$6.6 million.

Shipments totaled 191.9 MW, a decrease of 37.2% (113.5MW) from 305.4 MW in the fourth quarter of 2014. Module shipments, including module processed under OEM arrangement of 30.6 MW, were 161.6 MW. Cell shipments, including cell processed under OEM arrangements of 0.4 MW, were 30.3 MW. Average selling price (“ASP”) for the Company’s solar modules, excluding those processed under OEM arrangements, was US$0.58 per watt, US$0.01 lower than US$0.59 per watt in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Gross profit was US$10.3 million and gross margin was 11.3%, compared with gross profit of US$5.2 million on gross margin of 4.1% in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders was US$12.2 million, compared with US$10.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders per ADS was US$0.82, compared with US$0.67 in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash totaled US$179.8 million, as of March 31, 2015.

November 2015

Financial Review Total Revenue and Shipments For the first quarter of 2015, total revenue was US$91.5 million, compared with US$126.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2014. The decrease in revenue was mainly due to lower total shipments in both cells and modules during the quarter. Revenue from the Company’s self-brand modules and cells business totaled US$84.3 million or 92.1% of the total revenue, while revenue from the modules and cells processed under OEM arrangements, was US$6.6 million, or for 7.2% of total revenue.Total shipments for the first quarter of 2015 were 191.9 MW, a decrease of 37.2% from 305.4MW in the previous quarter. The decrease in total shipments was primarily due to the lower shipments to Chinese and European market as compared with prior quarter. Total module shipments, including module processed under OEM arrangement of 30.6 MW, were 161.6 MW for the first quarter of 2015. Total cell shipments, including cell processed under OEM arrangements of 0.4 MW, were 30.3MW for the first quarter of 2015.Asia continued to be the largest market for the Company, accounting for 78.3% of total revenue in the first quarter of 2015, of which 32.6%, 21.8%, and 23% of total revenue were generated from China, Japan and India, respectively. Sales to European and North American markets represented 12.1% and 10% of total revenue in the first quarter of 2015, respectively.

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QUARTER RESULTS

ASP ASP for the Company’s self-branded modules for the first quarter was US$0.58 per watt, as compared to US$0.59 per watt in the previous quarter. ASP for the Company’s selfbranded cells during the first quarter of 2015 was US$0.27 per watt, compared with $0.31 per watt in the previous quarter. The decrease in ASP for self-branded cells was mainly resulted from the weak market condition and the Company’s disposal of some lower conversion rate cells.

Wafer and Conversion Costs Blended wafer costs in the first quarter of 2015 were US$0.22 per watt, unchanged from the previous quarter.

Conversion costs of cells and modules manufactured in the first quarter of 2015 were US$0.13 and US$0.18 per watt, respectively, compared with US$0.12 and US$0.18 per watt, respectively, in the previous quarter. The one-cent increase in the conversion costs of cells was primarily due to the lower shipments for this quarter.

Gross Profit and Gross Margin Gross profit for the first quarter of 2015 was US$10.3 million on gross margin of 11.3%, compared to gross profit of US$5.2 million on gross margin of 4.1% for the fourth quarter of 2014.

The increase in gross profit and gross margin was primarily due to higher shipments of self-branded modules and lower material costs. During the quarter, the sales revenue derived from self-branded modules accounted for 83.4% of total revenue as compared to 72.9% in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Operating Expenses, Operating Income (Loss) and Net Loss Operating expenses decreased 40.0% to US$4.8 million in the first quarter of 2015, from US$8.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2014.The sequential decrease in operating expenses was primarily due to the decrease in selling expenses, general and administration expenses, and research and development expenses.

During the first quarter of 2015, selling expenses were US$2.7 million, a decrease of US$1.3 million as compared to previous quarter. The decrease was mainly due to lower shipping costs as a result of lower total shipments. General and administration expenses were US$1.4 million during the first quarter of 2015, decreased by US$1.4 million as compared to US$2.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2014. The reduction was attributable to the decrease in depreciation expenses and insurance expenses. Research and development expenses were US$0.7 million, decreased by US$0.5 million compared with US$1.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2014, and the decrease in research and development expenses was primarily due to the reduction in the R&D-related material expenses.

Income from operations was US$5.5 million in the first quarter of 2015, compared with loss from operations of US$2.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2014. In addition, the Company had other expense of US$14.3 million, which was primarily due to the foreign exchange loss incurred from the depreciation of RMB against US dollar, Euro against US dollar and Turkish Lila against US dollar. During the quarter, the foreign exchange loss resulted from the Company’s Turkey based plant was approximately US$4.3 million. Also, there was approximately US$10.5 million of foreign exchange loss contributed by the Company’s plants in mainland China.Correspondingly, net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders was US$12.2 million in the first quarter of 2015, compared with US$10.0 million in the previous quarter.

Amount Due from/to Related Parties Amount due from related parties totaled US$89.4 million as of March 31, 2015, an increase of US$1.4 million compared to US$88.0 million as of December 31, 2014. Amount due to related parties totaled US$7.1 million as of March 31, 2015, a decrease of US$2.0 million compared to US$9.1 million as of December 31, 2014.

Inventory Inventories at the end of the first quarter of 2015 totaled US$80.4 million, an increase of US$27.5 million from US$52.9 at the end of December 31, 2014, which is mainly due to lower shipment during the quarter.

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Cash Position As of March 31, 2015, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of US$32.4 million, and restricted cash of US$147.4 million.

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PR DUCTS

Heraeus Photovoltaics presents world’s most efficient Silver Paste at PV Taiwan 2015 TheSOL9621 Series paste will allow world-record PERC efficiency of 21.7%. Andreas Liebheit, President of Heraeus Photovoltaic states, “We are very proud to offer world-record products. Heraeus’ mission is to constantly improve PERC efficiency to allow cell manufacturers to grow at high rates.”

T

aiwan is an important market for Heraeus Photovoltaics. It represents over 15% of the worldwide supply of solar cell manufacturing. Heraeus Photovoltaics has developed strong relationships with the cell manufacturer in Taiwan and recently opened a product development R&D centre in Taipei to better support customer requests on site.

Heraeus will also introduce several additional new product for the metallization of solar cells. For PERC cell design applications, Heraeus will be introducing the SOL9621P, a new front-side paste designed specifically for PERC application. “We are looking forward to form more partnerships with leading PERC cell manufacturer to customize our pastes to their specific cell designs. A stronger collaboration will allow us to maximize our customer’s cell performance and improve their competitiveness”, says Dr. Weiming Zhang, Senior Vice President, Research and Development, Heraeus Photovoltaics. Along with customized pastes for PERC applications, Heraeus will be introducing the two new customized pastes for n-type cell designs. The

SOL9350C for p+ surface contact has demonstrated 0.1% higher cell efficiency. For n+ surface contact, Heraeus will introduce the SOL9621L. This new paste from the SOL9621 Series is specifically designed for n-type applications, having a lower silver content and less paste usage required while still providing excellent performance in combination with the SOL9350C. Heraeus will also be feature its SOL9631 Series. Within the series of tellurium based front-side metallization pastes are formulations with minimal to no lead added.

The performance is equal to the SOL9621 Series with the potential for greater cell efficiencies.

Mobilhybrid For Power Generators

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V4Life GmbH offer New MobilHybrid for Power Generators that saves up to 50% diesel and reduces maintenance costs up to 60%. The MobileHybrid is switched between diesel generator and consumers. The MobilHybrid supplies loads with power and controls the power generator when the internal batteries of the MobilHybrid are recharged via its start/stop function. The power of the MobilHybrid and the diesel generator is added by the Power Boost function so that the diesel generator can be smaller and more efficient. It can optionally be supplemented by 8 kWp solar panels with connectable module output to save further on diesel. The MobilHybrid is available in 3 sizes and 6 power levels to cover all mobile power needs. Salient features: diesel savings of up to 50%; operating cost savings 60%; payback periods less 2 years in part load operation; smaller power generator power with power boost feature; less noise emissions; 30% lower CO2 emissions; dimensions of a euro pallet; and optional energy supply by photovoltaic; Three times overload capacity and UPS functionality in short Mobil hybrid is the product which provide Renewables and reliable power at affordable prices.

November 2015

MobilHybrid is German company having subsidiary in India Application of MobilHybrid: Construction, Mining, Defence, Telecom, Renewable Energy Integrations, Fire Fighting. Oil and Gas Explorations, Events, Mini-grid and Island Grid, Rural Electrification, food processing, data centres etc.

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PR DUCTS

SunPower® Helix™ Platform is the World’s First Fully-Integrated Solar Solution for Commercial Customers SunPower launched its Helix™ platform, the world’s first fully-integrated commercial solar solution combining solar power production and energy management.

H “Unique in the solar industry, Helix is a complete solution that optimizes power production and maximizes value for our commercial customers, such as Bed Bath and Beyond. Integral to each Helix component, from the solar cells to the energy management system, is SunPower’s 30 years of innovation and experience delivering some of the world’s most efficient, reliable solar technology.”

- Tom Werner, president and CEO of SunPower

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elix is a pre-engineered, modular solution that is built to last and fast to install, enabling customers to scale their solar programs quickly with minimal business disruption. The Helix platform is standardized across rooftop, carport and ground installations. Features include: • SunPower solar panels, the most efficient solar panels on the market today, produce 60 percent more energy from the same space over the first 25 years than conventional panels. Leading the industry in environmental sustainability, SunPower panels manufactured in Mexico and France are the first and only solar panels in the world to receive the Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Silver designation.

• Mounting hardware that maximizes roof coverage, enabling Helix to achieve the leading energy density in solar with 72 percent more energy generated over 25 years when compared with conventional solar power systems.

• Plug-and-play power station – the only one available in the U.S. commercial solar market – eliminates the need to strip and land wires on site, reducing labor costs during installation and improving reliability.

• SunPower® EnergyLink™ is a comprehensive, powerful energy intelligence software (EIS) for solar, which, unlike other EIS products, quantifies real time demand charge savings, and identifies demand peaks and savings opportunities.

Bed Bath & Beyond is one of SunPower’s first Helix customers, with construction expected to begin on systems at eight stores early next year. The major retailer launched its solar program in 2006, and currently generates a total of 17.5 megawatts from SunPower systems on 26 facilities in four states.

“The cost savings we expect to see with the new SunPower Helix systems, such as plug-and-play power stations that greatly reduce installation time, will enable Bed Bath & Beyond to grow our solar program more quickly, delivering operational savings at more of our facilities,” said Robert Eckhardt, head of architecture and renewables development for Bed Bath & Beyond. “Minimizing the complexities of solar system installation is critical for keeping projects on schedule and meeting return on investment goals. Helix is designed to meet those challenges.”

“With standardized Helix components, we have eliminated the inefficiencies and added costs of complex system design,” added Werner. “Helix makes the complex simple, allowing our commercial and public agency customers to easily and intelligently manage their energy use and costs and maximize solar power production over the long-term.”

With more than 20 megawatts of Helix systems sold to date, SunPower will begin installing Helix early next year.

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PR DUCTS

SWELECT Energy Systems launched a new model of it’s Hybrid Bi-directional solar Inverter for residential & small scale Industrial segments Bi-directional Solar Inverter efficiently Integrates grid tied & off grid Inverters.

This type of Inverter is connected to the utility power grid, battery and PV.

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his enables the homeowners to draw from the grid during periods of excess demand and to sell power to the grid (Net Metering Technology) when there is excess production, and also the addition of a battery backup enables the system to balance production and protects against power outages.

This PV inverter can provide power to connected loads by utilizing PV power, utility power and battery power.

Bi-directional Solar Inverter has two models (HB 3000 & HB 10000) which works on same procedure.

HB 3000

The working of the Bi-directional Solar Inverter system as followsMODE 1

MODE 2

•

• •

•

PV charges the battery, the remaining power fed into the Grid or Load Grid may sink or pull power

Grid supplies the loads power PV and Grid both charge the battery

MODE 3

MODE 4

• •

• •

Inverter disconnected with Grid PV supplies the load power, the remaining power charges the battery 86

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Inverter disconnected from Grid PV and Battery both supplies the Load Power

HB 10000

Features Of HB 10000 • Multiple operation modes: Grid Tie, Stand-alone and Grid-Tie with back-up • Microprocessor controlled technology • Output - Pure sine wave form • Built-in MPPT solar charger • Generator compatibility • User friendly LCD Display • User adjustable charging current • Self-consumption and Feed-in to the grid • Programmable supply priority for PV, Battery or Grid • Built-in timer for various mode of on/off operation • Multiple communication for USB, RS-232, Modbus and SNMP • Monitoring software for real-time status display and control

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November 2015

87Â

ADVERTISERS INDEX

SUBSCRIBE Subscribe “EQ International” at www.EQmag.net or fill your complete address and Email to : piyush.mishra@ eqmag.net or Call +91 98930 99769

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For 1 Issue:

o Indian citizens Rs. 200

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Delta Power Solutions...............BACK GATEFOLD COVER DEHN India........................................................................59 DNVGL................................................................................43

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PAYMENT 1.- My Cheque/DD in favour of “FirstSource Energy India Private Limited”

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November 2015

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Delta Solar Inverters Heart of your PV System

Home Series

RPI - H3/H5 & M6A

Commercial Series

RPI - M10A/M15A/M20A/M30A & M50A

Utility Series RPI - C500

String and Central Inverters for Rooftop and Solar Farm Applications.

Industry leading efficiency of 98.5% and complete with all the necessary certifications. With more than 100 MW of string inverter installations, Delta is India's most preferred string inverter. We also provide remote monitoring solution for a PV plant, including SCADA and reverse power flow controllers.

For more information on our products, drop us an e mail at solarsales@delta.co.in.

www.deltaelectronicsindia.com

R.N.I. NO. MPBIL/2013/50966 | DT OF PUBLICATION: November 16 | POSTAL REGD.NO. MP/IDC/1435/2013-2015

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