EQ Jan'15 Edition by EQ Int'l Solar Media Group

IHS Newsflash: Solar Market Predictions For 2015 While 2014 remained a challenging time for the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry, it marked an inflection point in the market’s development. According to a new white paper issued by the IHS Solar service at information and analytics provider IHS (NYSE: IHS), solar PV demand grew at a double-digit pace, largely due to policies in China and Japan; yet conditions remained extremely tough for suppliers. “Through mergers, acquisitions and bankruptcies, the supplier base consolidated further, as companies struggled with debtladen balance sheets and a rapid shift in their customer base away from their traditional markets,” said Ash Sharma, senior research director for solar at IHS. “All signs point to a strengthening recovery of the solar industry in 2015, even if the recovery itself remains incredibly fragile.” Following are the top 10 predictions for 2015, from the IHS solar research team: 1. Global solar PV demand is forecast to grow by up to 25 percent in 2015. Due to the ongoing cost reductions for solar PV, IHS forecasts that installation demand will grow at a double-digit rate of 16 to 25 percent and installations in the range of 53 to 57 gigawatts (GW). Geographically, the largest markets again will be China, Japan and the United States, while the largest contributors in terms of absolute growth will be China, the United States and India.

2. Concentrated Photovoltaic Solar (CPV) to experience accelerated growth. Starting in 2015, IHS forecasts an accelerated CPV market expansion of 37 percent, to reach approximately 250 megawatts (MW) of new installations. Installations of both highconcentration photovoltaic (HCPV) and lowconcentration photovoltaic (LCPV) systems will expand at double-digit percentages every year through 2020. 3. Distributed PV (DPV) in China to fall behind expectations, but continues to grow. With challenges ahead for China’s ambitious plans for DPV, IHS forecasts the country will struggle to achieve it aggressive targets.

Even so, the market is clearly beginning to build momentum, and policies and business models are helping to accelerate growth. IHS forecasts that DPV installations in China will reach 4.7 GW in 2015, an increase of nearly 20 percent from 2014. 4. Grid-connected PV energy storage installations to triple. The PV power system is evolving away from the traditional and relatively simple system of one-directional flow—from large-scale conventional generators through transmission and distribution lines to consumers, to an increasingly complex mix of small, distributed generators and consumers at all points in the electricity grid. Annual installations of gridconnected PV systems, paired with energy storage, will grow more than threefold, to reach 775 MW in 2015. 5. Emerging markets mature – Chile will follow South Africa to reach 1 GW of installed PV capacity. IHS forecasts that Chile will be the next emerging market, after South Africa, to reach the milestone of 1 GW in installed PV solar capacity. Aside from Chile, other new emerging markets poised for rapid growth in 2015 are Jordan, the Philippines and Honduras. Conversely, great uncertainty still surrounds Mexico, Brazil and Turkey. 6. Monocrystalline technology to increase market share. Although monocrystalline technology will not threaten multicrystalline domination in the near future, IHS expects it will steadily gain share, benefiting from growth on rooftop installations, as well as increasing demand for higher-efficiency products. IHS forecasts the monocrystalline share of global cell production will increase to 27 percent in 2015, up from 24 percent in 2014. 7. Systems up to 100 kilowatts to account for 30 percent of global installations. There is potential in store for DPV in both established and emerging markets around the world. IHS forecasts distributed photovoltaic (DPV) systems—i.e., those sized 100 kilowatts (kW) or smaller—to account for 30 percent of global installations in 2015, with 15.7 GW projected, up from 13.2 GW in 2014.

The largest market for these installations in 2015 will be Japan, with DPV accounting for nearly 70 percent of installations. The U.S. is also expected to install more than 2.2 GW of DPV in 2015, as net-metering and third-party ownership models continue to drive this market.

8. Second quarter (Q2) halt to U.K. utilityscale PV to trigger new wave of consolidation among European Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractors. The clock is running down for integrators of large-sized solar systems in Europe, with the expiration of a U.K. incentive program bringing an end to a boom in utility-scale installations and triggering a flurry of consolidation. The U.K. in 2015 will dominate the utility-scale PV landscape in Europe by installing 1.4 GW of ground-mount systems, primarily under the renewable obligation certificates (ROC) scheme.

9. Three-phase string inverters to account for one-third of global solar inverter revenue. Driven by attractive prices in key PV markets, global revenue for three-phase string inverters is forecast in 2015, to reach more than $2.2 billion, equivalent to onethird of worldwide revenue for the overall market for inverters. Estimated shipments next year of three-phase string inverters will exceed 15 GW, up 31 percent from 2014. A surge is expected in important markets like China and Japan, whose combined shipments will account for 7.6 GW of the total. 10. California in 2015 will become global leader in solar power penetration. IHS expects that by the end of 2015, California— the largest renewable power market in the United States—will attain worldwide leadership in market share of annual power generation received from solar PV. Following another year of strong utility-scale and DPV additions, solar power is expected to provide more than 10 percent of California’s annual power generation in 2015. This penetration level would push California above other leading global solar markets, such as Germany and Italy, in terms of the share of total power generation sourced from solar PV.

THE POW ER OF R I SIN G VAL UE Risen Energy Company Ltd. (SZSE:300118) (“Risen Energy”) founded in 2002 has evolved from a manufacturer of lamps to a leading professional PV products manufacturer providing world class premium quality solar PV cells, modules and solar lighting products. By the end of 2014, Risen Energy has reached 1000MW annual manufacturing capacity of solar cells and modules with more than 3200 workers across 4 manufacturing plants in Ninghai, East China. Risen Energy is a responsible company with core focus on its customers, employees, shareholders and the environment. Risen Energy has established long term relationship with its customers and partners across Europe, North America, South America, South Africa, Southeast Asia and other regions. Risen energy products are exported to more than 30 countries and consistently earned the reputation of supplying premium high quality products. Risen Energy products have been highly rated & approved by leading laboratories & institutes including Photon Laboratory, T Ü V, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, International Banks etc.

Global Headquarters & Factory: Tashan Industry Zone, Ninghai, Ningbo, China – 315609 Tel: +86 574 59953228 Fax:+86 574 65173959 E-mail:info@risenenergy.com India Sales Contact: Krishna Thimmaiah, Country Manager Mobile: + 91 988 071 0526 E-mail:krishna@risenenergy.com

Owner :

FirstSource Energy

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Cover Waaree Energies Ltd established in the year 2007, is one of the fastest growing solar energy company in India. It is part of Waaree Group an engineering conglomerate founded in 1989. Waaree Energies Ltd has India’s largest solar PV module manufacturing plant in Surat, with 500 MW capacity. We have an EPC experience of 92 MW which is already connected to the grid and 140 MW+ projects under construction. We are also developing 150MW of own solar assets as IPP in India and Japan. We have team of qualified and experienced employees with multiple sales & service points across India and the globe.

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140 + MW under construction 92 + MW grid connected

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WAAREE ENERGIES LIMITED 602, Western Edge-I, Off. Western Express Highway, Borivali (E), Mumbai 400066, Maharashtra T: 022 6644 4444 E: waaree@waree.com W: www.waaree.com

IPP

150 MW under construction in India & Japan

INTERVIEW

30 Interview with TBEA SUNOASIS CO. LTD.

32 Managing Director, SMA india

SOLAR ENERGY

INTERVIEW 27 President & Chief Technical Officer,VIKRAM SOLAR ...

INTERVIEW

CONTENTS

Ivan Saha

G . Murugesh 40 Infinite Ercam

Eq Business & Financial News 8-21

SOLAR OFF GRID & ROOF TOP 47 Zero Grid Concept for a Residence in Bangalore Solar Hybrid Power Generators Addresses Your Power Needs

SOLAR ENERGY 49 Need for System Testing, Monitoring and Certification for PV Power Plants

Rakesh Khanna

Dr. Jaya Singh 45 Solar O&M: Assessing Plant Performance

RENEWABLE ENERGY 52 Technical Due Diligence For Renewable Energy Projects

POLICY & REGULATIONS 54 MNRE:Setting Up Of 25 Solar Parks 55 Scheme For Development of Solar Parks and Ultra Mega Solar Power

post show report 60-65 product REPORT 66-71

Rahul Goswami 51 Utility Scale IPPs: Cost of Capital & Scale

& EQBusiness Financial PRESIDENT OBAMA HIGHLIGHTS USTDA’S COMMITMENT TO RENEWABLE ENERGY IN INDIA

DELHI,

security perspectives, this

intends to invite state and

upon a prior workshop in the

INDIA – During

timely project will demonstrate

central government officials to

United States last December,

his remarks at the

how its grid can absorb large

the United States for a Smart

the event will bring together

U.S.-India Business Council

penetration of variable wind and

Solutions for Smart Cities

U.S. and Indian companies,

Summit, President Obama

solar PV generation.

reverse trade mission in 2015.

utilities and regulators to discuss

announced “a series of U.S.

The visit will introduce the

innovative solutions to India’s

initiatives that will generate

delegates to U.S. technologies,

energy challenges.

more than $4 billion in trade and investment with India and support thousands of jobs in both of our countries.” These initiatives include the U.S. Trade and Development Agency’s efforts to catalyze nearly $2 billion in capital for priority renewable energy projects in India.

President Obama also announced that “on this visit, we’ve paved the way to mobilize American expertise and investment” in three of the smart cities that India is planning

solutions and best practices that can support the development of safe, efficient and integrated energy, transportation and communications infrastructure.

to develop. Indeed, Director

USTDA’s grant to IL&FS Energy will provide technical assistance to assess the technical, financial and commercial viability of renewable energy storage

Zak signed agreements with

USTDA has long been

technologies for the WISES

three Indian state governments

committed to helping deploy

projects. The opportunity to

to mobilize U.S. industry

smart energy solutions in

conduct the USTDA-funded

expertise and technologies to

cities across India. In fact,

technical assistance will be competed through Federal

Business Opportunities (FBO).

ef f o r t s ,

A link to the FBO announcement

USTDA Director

will be posted to USTDA’s

Leocadia I. Zak

website at www.ustda.gov.

signed a grant

Interested U.S. firms should

agreement with

submit proposals according

IL&FS Energy

to the instructions in the FBO

Development

announcement.

those

p ar t

Company

partner on the

T he

development of innovative Wind

goods and services for priority

Energy Storage

development

(WISES) projects. IL&FS Energy, one

modernize the cities of Ajmer

the Agency’s investments are

of the largest wind independent

(Rajasthan), Allahabad (Uttar

currently promoting lower-

power producers in India, is

Pradesh) and Vishakhapatnam

carbon growth in four of

evaluating the development

(Andhra Pradesh). Under these

India’s seven largest cities

of integrated wind and solar

Memoranda of Understanding,

by introducing “smart grid”

photovoltaic (PV) projects with

USTDA plans to sponsor

technologies and solutions that

energy storage, to enable the

activities such as feasibility

can improve the quality and

supply of dispatchable utility-

studies, pilot projects and

supply of power for millions of

scale renewable energy to meet

reverse trade missions that will

Indian customers. As part of

the Indian grid system’s needs.

help each state develop its smart

these efforts—and in connection

As India continues to place

cities.

with India’s Smart Grid Week—

greater emphasis on renewable

January 2015

an d

through the export of U.S.

Photovoltaic

climate change and energy

Trad e

companies create U.S. jobs

Integrated Solar

energy utilization from the

U.S.

Development Agency helps

projec t s

emerging economies. USTDA links U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding project planning activities, pilot projects, and reverse trade missions while creating sustainable infrastructure and economic growth in partner countries.

USTDA will host a Smart Grid For example, the Agency

Workshop in Bangalore, India on March 2, 2015. Building

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& EQBusiness Financial Innovari Signs Contracts With Three India Utilities In Support Of The Country’s Energy Initiatives

n terac tive energy platform developer, Innovari, announced recently its continued support of India’s energy goals at a signing ceremony as part of its ongoing efforts with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA).The event occurred during President Obama’s visit to India where he unveiled a number of initiatives to help the country expand research in, and gain access to, clean energy technologies. Helping to advance the U.S.India partnership, the signing ceremony recognized Innovari’s efforts with three utilities in India to help optimize the country’s power grid. The specific utility announcements will be made in the coming weeks. These contracts come on the heels of recent news that the country is to spend $21.6 billion

on smart grid infrastructure by 2025. “As President Obama’s second visit to India comes to an end, I could not think of a more fitting time to announce such significant progress between our two countries to help bring electricity to every home in India,” said U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce Arun Kumar. “Electricity is the life blood of any economy. Today’s signings between Innovari and several of India’s leading energy firms is a concrete example of clean energy cooperation that will advance the Prime Minister’s goal of securing electricity for everyone.””India realizes how important electricity is to their growing economy and has made tremendous progress with their energy initiatives. We are excited to be part of today’s signing ceremony that signifies

another significant step forward to provide reliable, clean, and affordable energy,” said Chris Hickman, Innovari CEO. “India continues to show leadership in this space with these joint US-India initiatives. Innovari has been very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with these leading utilities in India and the excellent U.S. teams within USTDA and Commerce. We look forward to the continued growth of our strong partnerships.” “USTDA is proud to have sponsored the pilot project that enabled Innovari to clearly demonstrate the value of its platform in India,” said USTDA Director Leocadia I. Zak. “We are pleased to have had the opportunity to support Innovari’s entrance into this dynamic market, and to see such tremendous progress from one of our U.S. industry

partners.”Innovari’s Interactive Energy Platform (IEP) will help improve the reliability and efficiency of the grid while also helping the utilities engage with their commercial and industrial users. Innovari’s IEP, comprised of a fully automated demand side management and grid monitoring system, allows the utility to monitor and control operations, communicate with its customers in real-time and control the electrical load to optimize overall grid utilization. In working with some of the most progressive utilities in India, Innovari is building partnerships to create a new energy platform that will help enable the power grid to be more flexible and efficient while also allowing it to safely and reliably incorporate distributed and renewable energy resources.

Most Chinese Tier-1 PV Module Suppliers Sold Out, Until Second Quarter Of 2015

ost Chinese tier-1 solar PV module suppliers have sold out, until the second quarter (Q2) of 2015, according to the latest analysis from information and analytics provider IHS (NYSE: IHS). Along with the consolidation of the PV module industry, Chinese tier-1 suppliers increased their market share from 34 percent in the first quarter (Q1) of 2014 to 45 percent in the fourth quarter (Q4). IHS forecasts these Chinese suppliers will maintain their combined market share in the first quarter of 2015. Representing 35 percent of global module capacity, the total effective capacity of Chinese tier-1 module suppliers 10

January 2015

in the first quarter is expected to reach 5.7 GW, while total global demand is expected to reach 10.8 GW. “We have heard from both suppliers and buyers about the expected shortage of Chinese tier-1 modules in the first quarter,” said Jessica Jin,

analyst for solar at IHS. “After a demand surge in the fourth quarter of 2014, Chinese tier1 module suppliers decreased their inventory significantly. Considering the Chinese New Year occurs in the first quarter, companies won’t run their capacity in full production, either; so they won’t have enough

products for all quotations. Most of them have already sold out for the first quarter.” The chart below shows Chinese tier-1 suppliers’ capacity, shipment levels and market share through the first quarter of 2015. As they are well positioned in the global market, Chinese tier-1 module suppliers will benefit from demand surges in Japan, U.K., South America and Central America. Because some projects in China have been postponed and are not expected to be completed until the first quarter of 2015, the Chinese domestic-market demand is also substantial.

www.EQMagLive.com

& EQBusiness Financial Early global solar PV preparation for 2015 IHS forecasts total global solar PV installations will reach 52.8 GW in 2015, although most installations will occur in the second half of the year. Chinese tier-1 suppliers will again build up inventory, beginning in Q2 2015, to prepare for the expected demand surge in the second half of 2015. Acquisition among manufacturers, and

expansion in the module industry, is expected to speed up, since the current capacity of Chinese tier-1 suppliers cannot meet market demand.

JA Solar has announced a 20 percent increase in module capacity in China in 2015. Trina Solar will add 1 GW of module capacity in 2015. More expansions are expected among Chinese tier-1 module suppliers.

Demand surge expected in other regions in Q1 Overall global demand is expected to be unusually weak in Q1 2015; however, the typical seasonal setback will be mitigated by strong demand in Japan, U.K. and other countries. The first quarter (January through March) is the last quarter of the financial year in Japan, where IHS forecasts a 12 percent quarterly increase.

In the U.K., the Renewable Obligations Certificates (ROC) scheme for ground-mount systems larger than 5 MW will end at the end of Q1, so there has been a rush of installations in this market; IHS forecasts that 1.6 GW will be installed there in Q1. A demand surge is also expected in Central and South America, including Brazil, Chile and Mexico, where a quarterly increase of 80 percent has been modeled.

India Clean Energy Investments Bounce Back, Set To Breach The $10bn Mark In 2015

lean energy investments in India jumped to $7.9bn in 2014, helping the country maintain its position as the 7th largest clean energy investor in the world. The upswing was driven by the newly installed government elected in May 2014 which supports clean energy reforms. The numbers, just released by research firm Bloomberg New Energy Finance, show that the government’s ambitious plan of 24/7 power for all Indians is gaining traction. Other major initiatives: 100GW of solar installations and investment of over $100bn in clean energy in the next five years are also building momentum. Bloomberg

New Energy Finance estimates that 2015 will be the second time ever that clean energy investments will pass $10bn. A record $13.1bn was deployed in 2011.

Ashish Sethia, head of South & Southeast Asia at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, said: “Interest in India from domestic and foreign investors has grown in the last six months. Early signs of policy interventions are positive. Specific yearly installation targets would further help investors.”Bharat Bhushan Agrawal, lead India solar analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, added: “After two years of continuous decline

in investments, in both India

The government is working

and around the world, the trend

on introducing big ticket

reversed last year. We expect

reforms in the power sector by

investment in India to rise in

amending the Electricity Act of

2015 and later, particularly with

2003. Major reported highlights

the rise of solar power.”BNEF

include the unbundling of power

analysis shows that India has one

distribution, enforcement of

of the lowest levelised costs of

renewable purchase obligations,

renewable energy generation in

and introduction of renewable

the world. With the rising cost

generation obligations on power

competitiveness of renewables

producers.Sethia commented:

and increasing interest in clean

“The planned reforms are

energy consumption by large

going to strengthen renewables

commercial and industrial

in India further but the federal

consumers, project installations

establishment also needs to align

are also expected to rise this

with the state governments.

year. BNEF expects 2,500MW of

That is where the projects are

new solar capacity in 2015 – a 1.5

installed, the power generated

times increase over last year. Wind

and consumed.”

installations are estimated to reach 2,800MW ¬ – up 22% from 2014.

Welspun Renewables Signs 100 MW Solar MoU In Andhra Pradesh Welspun Renewables, India’s leading clean energy generator, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for setting up 100.1 MW solar PV project in Andhra Pradesh. Mr. Vineet Mittal, Vice Chairman, Welspun Renewables made this commitment during World Economic Forum’s (WEF) ‘AP INVESTMENT Session’ in the presence of Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Shri N. 12

January 2015

Chandrababu Naidu. Cumulative investment of INR 700 crores would be made to commission this project. Mr. Vineet Mittal, Vice Chairman Welspun Renewables said, “We are quite keen to support Honorable Chief Minister’s endeavor in creating an empowered state. Listening to his speech here at Davos was truly inspiring. We want to

extend our green footprint in Andhra Pradesh by setting up a mega solar capacity. Welspun Renewables will be bringing its world-class engineering and project development expertise to this project. Like all our projects we aim to commission the 100.1 MW capacity well in time to meet the committed timelines.”

solar and wind power projects and another 978 MW capacities are under construction. The organization envisions developing power projects pan India, with existing projects located in other high radiation zones like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Punjab.

Welspun Renewables has commissioned over 366 MW

www.EQMagLive.com

& EQBusiness Financial R-Power Commissions 100 MW Solar CSP Project In Rajasthan

nil A m b a ni - le d Reliance Power has started generation in its 100 MW Concentrated Solar Power(CSP) project in Rajasthan.” The company has successfully synchronised the Rs 2,100 crore 100 MW solar CSP project with the

grid and power generation has commenced,” Reliance Power said in a statement.With this project, RPower’s generation capacity has increased to 5,285 MW, which includes 5,100 MW of thermal capacity and 185 MW of renewable energy based capacity, it added.

Waaree To Supply 10 MW Solar PV Modules To Today Homes & Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd.

ndia’s leading solar module manufacturer Waaree Energies Ltd. has bagged a contract to supply 10 MW of solar photovoltaic modules to Today Homes & Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd.Under the terms of the agreement, Waaree Energies Ltd will deliver the Aditya Series WS290 poly-crystalline pv modules

that have an output of 290W per panel. Shipment of the modules will end by January 2015.Today Homes will install these modules at their 10 MW solar power project which has been awarded under the domestic content requirement (DCR) category of the PhaseII, Batch-I of Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission.

Ex-Im Bank Chairman Hochberg Signs $1 Billion Memorandum Of Understanding To Support U.S. Clean Energy Exports To India

ecently, Export-Import

financing could translate into

goods and services are brought

at the India-US Technology

Bank of the United

support for skilled jobs in the

to bear in high-demand markets

Summit. During his remarks,

St ates

Chairman

U.S. renewable energy sector

like India, the benefits are felt

Chairman Hochberg highlighted

Fred P. Hochberg signed a

while contributing to the

in both of our countries,” said

the renewable energy MOU as

Memorandum of Understanding

Indian government’s recently-

Chairman Hochberg. “This

evidence of the mutual benefits

with Chairman K.S. Popli of

announced goal of providing 24-

Memorandum of Understanding

that can be realized by choosing

the Indian Renewable Energy

hour electricity to India’s 1.3

will reinforce the strong ties

quality U.S. goods.

Development Agency (IREDA)

billion citizens by 2019, much of

that America and India already

that will explore options for

it set to come from renewable

share, create good-paying jobs

utilizing up to $1 billion to

sources. In fact, Ex-Im Bank has

on both of our shores, and

finance the sale of U.S. clean

authorized $353.4 million for

further invigorate America’s

energy exports to India.

U.S. renewable energy exports

clean energy industry while

Chairman Hochberg is visiting

to India since 2009, and Ex-

equipping India to meet its own

India this week to promote

Im Bank was one of the top

ambitious energy goals.” signing

made-in-America exports in

financiers of projects under the

the Memorandum, Chairman

support of U.S. jobs.

National Solar Mission Phase 1.

Hochberg travelled to Noida,

India ranks as the second-largest destination for U.S. exports supported by Ex-Im Bank financing, and claims more than $7.2 billion of the Bank’s credit exposure through FY 2014. Over the last five years, Ex-Im Bank has authorized an average of $1.4 billion per year to finance U.S. exports to India.

The availability of Ex-Im Bank

“When quality, reliable U.S.

India to attend and give remarks

China Sunergy Announces 30MW Solar Module Contract Win In India

hina Sunergy Co. Ltd. a specialized solar cell and module manufacturer, recently announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, CEEG (Nanjing) Renewable Energy Co., Ltd., has won a 30 MW contract from Enrich Energy Pvt. Ltd (“Enrich Energy”), an integrated solar energy solutions provider and a pioneer in India focused on developing large scale private solar parks across India.

Telangana State. The solar modules will be supplied from the Company’s Shanghai plant, and the shipment is expected to be completed by the end of January 2015. Continuing China Sunergy’s positive momentum in the fast- growing India market, the final selection by Enrich Energy was based on the Company’s successful local market penetration with its diverse and quality product offerings.

on this pivotal ground-mounted project in India. This will be the first private solar park in India with a Power Purchase Agreement being signed with the State Utility. Based on our cooperation with China Sunergy over the past few years, we are satisfied with the Company’s dedicated team and comprehensive product offerings. We firmly believe in China Sunergy’s market presence and proven execution.”

Enrich Energy will deploy China Sunergy’s multi-crystalline modules in a ground-mounted project in India’s newly formed

Mr. Ankit Kanchal, Director of Enrich Energy said, “We are pleased to deepen our partnership with China Sunergy

Mr. Tingxiu Lu, Chairman and CEO of China Sunergy commented, “We are honored to be reselected by Enrich Energy

www.EQMagLive.com

for another prominent project in India. We appreciate their pioneering model of turnkey solutions for small and largescale solar investors in India, and we look forward to jointly capturing additional market opportunities in the region. We believe this project win demonstrates our success in India and further validates our proactive commitment to the region in prior years. The Asia market remains our strategic priority, and we are confident to continue growing our business in the region in 2015.”

January 2015

& EQBusiness Financial IHS Scales Down Saudi Arabia Solar PV Outlook On Revised Target Milestone By Josefin Berg, Senior Analyst, IHS Technology

audi Arabia has postponed the roll-out of its renewable power program by eight years, setting the milestone for its capacity targets to 2040, according to reports quoting Hashim Yamani, president of the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (K.A.CARE). Key points · Saudi Arabia postpones the milestone for its 16 GW PV objective from 2032 to 2040. This target corresponds to average annual capacity additions of 640 MW over 25 years. · IHS has halved the fiveyear outlook for PV installations

in Saudi Arabia from 1.6 GW to 800 MW. · The slump in oil prices weakens the argument for Saudi Arabia to substitute oil as the main source of power generation in the near-term.

IHS Insight Saudi Arabia raised great expectations across the solar industry when it first announced renewable power targets in 2012. The plan to open up tenders in one of the world’s wealthiest nations attracted a hoard of developers and manufacturers to Saudi Arabia to develop new business. As regulators have not progressed on the planned tenders, and PV

installations have stagnated at less than 20 MW, the PV industry is growing restless. The latest announcement from K.A.CARE to postpone the target year to 2040 deflates further expectations of near- to mid-term growth. Since the initial industry optimism after the K.A.CARE announced PV targets in 2012, IHS has gradually revised down the PV demand outlook for Saudi Arabia. From having predicted 1-2 GW of tendered PV projects to be completed over five years, IHS now forecasts less than 1 GW to come into operation through 2020. This outlook hinges on the roll-out of a regulatory framework for

PV, whether through tenders or feed-in tariffs. An additional factor that will determine the PV deployment is the evolution of a local manufacturing base, given Saudi Arabia’s emphasis on supporting local industry. The past months’ extraordinary decline in global oil prices is likely to reframe the Saudi position toward new power generation sources. At current global oil prices, the incentive to save oil for export weakens for near-term deployment. In the long-term, the argument to reduce oil consumption remains valid, for which IHS expects Saudi to deploy the bulk of new PV capacity in the period from 2020 to 2040.

Fortum Connects The First Solar Project Of JNNSM Phase-II Scheme To The Grid

ortum Finnsurya

thin-film CdTe technology with

authorities of Madhya Pradesh,

suitable sites to carry forward

Energy Pvt Ltd,

more than 1,25,000 modules

involved in the administrative

its mission in India.

a subsidiary of

mounted on fixed tilt structures

procedures for quick turnaround

a Finland-based utility, has

and 15 central invertors, which

on regulatory approvals and grid

announced that its 10 MW solar

allows for better control of

connection process as well as

PV plant in Madhya Pradesh has

carbon footprint, water use and

for their guidance and support.

just been connected to the grid.

energy payback time.

It is the first project connected to the grid

under the Jawaharlal

Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) Phase II initiative and the first greenfield solar project undertaken by Fortum.

With the 10 MW solar “We entered the Indian

PV plant in Madhya Pradesh,

market to take part in developing

Fortum has increased its solar

clean and green power solutions,

portfolio to 15 MW and aims to

which India needs to pursue its

further expand its operations in

economic growth. Our solar

this area to become a significant

plant in Kapeli is another step in

solar energy producer through

This is Fortum’s second

that direction. I am particularly

organic and inorganic growth.

investment in solar energy

proud that we are the first

“Each investment decision needs

production in India. The 10MW

amongst all developers to

to be carefully evaluated and its

solar power plant spreads over

connect the project to the grid,

investment rationale has to be

about 70 acres in Kapeli, Dist.

under JNNSM Phase II.” said

based on ground realities and

Ujjain. It is expected to be

Mr. Sanjay Aggarwal, Managing

potential return on investment”

formally inaugurated in early

Director, Fortum India. He also

remarked Mr. Aggarwal as

2015. Fortum has adopted a

commended MNRE & SECI and

Fortum continues to identify

January 2015

www.EQMagLive.com

& EQBusiness Financial Ministry Of Power :Excerpts From E-Book On Achievements And Initiatives Of Ministries Of Power, Coal And New & Renewable Energy In The First 200 Days

ffordable, 24x7

in Delhi will be replaced with

separation in rural India giving

p owe r

all

LED within one year. Similar

assured power to the farms, and

homes, industrial

replacement program of

24x7 for homes and small scale

for

and commercial establishments

500,000 street lights of Delhi in

and adequate power for the

one year too. Nationwide rollout

agricultural sector

thereafter will see a saving of over Rs. 10,000 crores.

Long -term energy

security of India

Amendments in the

· 5 unions of Coal India Limited have called off the strike after cordial discussions with senior leadership of the company and the Ministry of Coal yesterday.

Delhi in May leading to frequent power cuts, Central government acted decisively to restore power lines and provide power to all homes. From these learnings, we

economic growth.

DDUGJY. · Make in India: Rs. 1 lakh

suppliers (just like we have the

to 100 crore tons in 5 years is

Energy Efficiency Services

freedom to choose a mobile

in place, and transformation

Limited, PGCIL etc. to boost

phone operator and can change

process has been initiated.

manufacturing and kick start the

if dissatisfied, so will be the case with electricity suppliers competition, affordable power and better customer service. · 50% increase in capacity addition in June-Nov 2014 versus June-Nov 2013

generation in June-Nov 2014

for which massive investments

versus June-Nov 2013

worth Rs. 7,700 crores are ·

All time high 14.1%

increase in coal production in power

infrastructure Bringing

Oct-Nov 2014 versus 1.0% in Oct-Nov 2013 (and 8.4%

transmission lines to the city o Underground cabling o Smart metering to stop wrong billing o Emergency response systems

production growth in June-Nov 2014 over June-Nov 2013) · Central Government grant of Rs. 1.1 lakh crores for comprehensive infrastructure up gradation pan India under two schemes (Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) for rural India and Integrated Power Development Scheme

· National launch of LED and energy conservation mission by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji: 1 crore bulbs

development and accelerating

will also be covered under

by NTPC, Coal India Limited,

a crisis does not occur again,

small population (e.g., dhanis)

to consumers in electricity

· Record 15.8% increase

in future, for socioeconomic

crore worth orders being placed

in thermal based electricity

Upgrading

from e-auction of coal blocks o The Remote villages with

Action plan towards doubling

medium term plan to ensure such

industries

Coal India’s production target

have prepared a short term and

already underway for:

January 2015

Coal bearing states will

Parliament for providing choice

too). This will ensure more

· After collapse of grid in

receive over Rs. 7 lakh crores

Electricity Act introduced in

Key takeaways

security of India.

(IPDS) for urban India) towards 24x7 affordable power for all. o DDUGJY will see feeder

economy. · 100,000 MW solar and 60,000 MW wind energy

· Long pending transmission

capacity installation target

projects worth Rs. 35,000

by 2022 for long-term energy

crores cleared and government

security of India. This will entail

grant of Rs. 10,000 crores for

an investment of Rs. 10 lakh

comprehensive strengthening

crore.

and up gradation of power systems in 8 North Eastern

o 40,000 MW of rooftop

States

solar · Supply of coal from nearest o 20,000 MW of solar parks · A world-class Renewable Energy Investment Summit

mines will reduce transportation costs by Rs. 6,000 crores, reducing tariffs:

(RE-Invest 2015) is being held

o Already one exchange

in mid-February to show case

between NTPC and Gujarat

India’s potential, ease of doing

saved Rs. 300 crores for the

business and to attract such

customers

quantum of capital. ·

PSUs

u n d er

the

· Historic coal ordinance was

administrative control of the

promulgated within a month

Ministries of Power, Coal and

of cancellation of coal blocks

New & Renewable Energy are

by Hon’ble Supreme Court.

constructing over 100,000

Allocation and auction process

toilets in schools, by 15th August

will be held in a transparent

2015 towards Swachh Bharat

manner exclusively by e-bidding.

Abhiyaan.

This will protect the interests of Coal India Limited’s employees and increase domestic production towards 24x7 affordable power for all, and long term energy

www.EQMagLive.com

& EQBusiness Financial Total Corporate Funding Increases 175 Percent To $26.5 Billion In The Solar Sector, VC Funding Doubles, Strong Public Market, Debt Financing And IPO Activity, Reports Mercom Capital Group

ercom 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 2014.Total corporate funding into the solar sector encompassing venture capital/private equity (VC), debt and public market financing increased 175 percent in 2014 with $26.5 billion (B), compared to $9.6B in 2013.Global VC investments more than doubled to $1.3B in 85 deals in 2014, compared to $612 (M) in 98 deals in 2013.

capital continued with Yieldcos and securitization deals. The solar sector has come a long way from being perceived as a speculative high risk investment to attracting investors based on low risk attractive dividend

Chart: Solar VC funding

yields,” said Raj Prabhu, CEO of Mercom Capital Group.

“The big story coming out of 2014 was the revival of capital markets -- solar companies were able to access funding through multiple avenues like VC, public markets, IPOs and debt in record numbers, while the quest for lower cost of

Solar downstream companies saw the largest amount of VC funding in 2014 with $1.1B in 44 deals, accounting for 85 percent of venture funding. Investments in PV technology companies reached $75M in 12 deals and

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Balance of Systems companies were close behind with $73M in seven deals. CSP companies came in at $59M in three deals, followed by thin film companies with $52M in nine deals.The Top 5 VC funded companies

in 2014 were Sunnova Energy which raised $505M in three deals; followed by Sunrun raising $150M; Renewable Energy Trust Capital raised in $125M; Sungevity raised $72.5M; and GlassPoint Solar raised $53M. A total of 119 VC investors were active in 2014, with

12 investors participating in more than one round in 2014 including: Acero Capital, Acumen Fund, DBL Investors, E.ON, Ecosystem Integrity Fund, Novus Energy Partners, Omidyar Network, SolarCity, Sustainable Develo pm en t Technolo gy Canada, Trident Capital, Vision Ridge Partners and Vulcan Capital.Public market financing increased considerably to $5.2B in 52 deals in 2014, up from just $2.8M in 39 deals in 2013. In 2014 seven IPOs brought in more than $2B. Yieldcos accounted for three of the IPOs for $1.5B. Announced debt financing in 2014 totaled almost $20B in 58 deals, compared to $6.2B in 38 deals in 2013. China accounted for $15.8B of the debt activity. Large-scale project funding announced in 2014 totaled $14.2B in 144 deals.Residential and commercial funds showed strong growth in 2014 with 34 announced funds totaling $4B.

January 2015

& EQBusiness Financial Azure Power Signs MoU With Gujarat Energy Research And Management Institute (GERMI) To Launch The ‘National Certification Programme’ For High Quality Rooftop Solar PV Systems

zure Power, the leader in the Indian S o l a r In d u s t r y recently announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute (GERMI), a Gujarat Government enterprise to launch the “National Certification Programme for Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic Installer.”Under this MoU, Azure Power and GERMI will work towards establishing a cooperative and supportive team with adequate resources including skilled manpower, capital equipment, facilities,

amongst others for the effective implementation of the new certification.

The national certification will help in developing a skilled workforce and also transfer the knowledge and training techniques that Azure Power has gained, to empower the technical trainers from Gujarat for undertaking such skill building initiatives locally.Speaking on the association, Mr. Inderpreet Wadhwa, CEO and Founder Azure Power said, “In order to meet the Governments vision of achieving 100 GW of Solar

SECI Signs MOU With CPWD For Development Of Solar Rooftop Projects

n a major initiative to optimally utilise Solar energy for the benefit

of people, Central Public Works Department (CPWD) and Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 6th January, 2015.

Through this MoU, Rooftop Solar PV projects are proposed to be installed on the buildings/ offices of CPWD as part of their renewable energy strategies. SECI would be the implementing agency for such projects.The project developers would be selected by SECI through a competitive bidding process and

The MoU was signed by Shri

power sale would be to CPWD

B. B. Bhatia (Director General,

on the basis of discovered price.

CPWD) and Dr. Ashvini Kumar (MD, SECI) in the presence

This development is in line

of H’ble Minister of Urban

with the Government of India’s

Development Shri M. Venkaiah

programme for encouraging

Naidu, H’ble Minister of Power

the installation of rooftop

and NRE Shri Piyush Goyal,

solar projects through subsidy

H’ble Minister of State for

enablers.In addition to being

Urban Development Shri Babul

environment-friendly, these

Supriyo, Secretary (UD) Shri

projects would help cut down on

Shankar Aggarwal and other

electricity bills well as promote

senior officials.

efficient energy utilisation.

January 2015

Power generation by 2022 will require a significant scale up of skill in the solar PV, engineering, construction and operations pan India. This initiative with GERMI will help us bridge up the skill gap between the industry while providing the youth employment as well as entrepreneurship opportunity in solar power in the country.”

W hile GERMI will comprehensively develop the training course curriculum, modules and provide certification to successful trainees of different institutions, Azure Power will

recognize the certification program and promote it locally within its areas of activities. In addition, Azure Power will identify institutions for setting up training environment and promote the job placement of resultant skilled workforce. Through such initiatives, Azure Power aims to further strengthen its contribution towards the country’s economic development, environment and society by providing unique and distributed solar power service to communities, governments, and commercial customers throughout India.

Waaree Energies Limited Eyeing 200 Mw Solar PV Projects In Japan Waaree Energies Limited, a leading SOLAR PV Developer & Manufacturer is developing solar projects of 44 MW AC in Central Japan, under the Feed in Tariff with Tokyo Electric Power at 36 Yen per KwH. METI approval has been obtained for these projects & other approvals are being persued. The projects are scheduled for completion within

the next 18 months. Waaree Japan KK had been setup in early 2014 with base in Tokyo for developing the Japan market for project development & PV Module sales.Waaree Japan KK is perusing a pipeline of 200 mw in Japan for 2015. Japan is a key market for Waaree, India in addition to UK, Americas & Middle East regions for Waaree.

NTPC To Facilitate 15000 MW Solar Grid Capacity By FY19 National Thermal Power Corporation ( NTPC ) will turn its focus to solar power with the company announcing its plan to facilitate 15000 megawatt (MW) solar grid capacity by FY19. This facility will come up under the National Solar Mission (NSM). The government will formulate rules and bid method for e-bids for solar power and NTPC will be the nodal agency for the same. The first tranche of 3000 MW

will come in by FY17; 5000 MW in the next financial year FY18 and the remaining 7000 MW by FY19. The states interested for this solar power will have to identify land and power requirement and power developers will have to bid for the projects. NTPC will bundle solar power with unallocated thermal power and the ratio for selling unallocated thermal and solar power will be 1:2.

www.EQMagLive.com

& EQBusiness Financial MNRE:Investment In Power Sector As per the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17) document of Planning Commission, the INVESTMENT required in electricity sector for the years 2014-15 to 2016-17 is Rs. 10.14 lakh crore as detailed given below: (Rs. In crore)

Years Centre State Private Total

2014-15 87,228 68,909 138,137 294,274

2015-16

97, 616

75,888

159,966

333,470

2016-17 109,242 83,572 193,429 386,244 Total 294,086 228,369 491,532 1,013,988

easures to enhance INVESTMENT in the infrastructure sector, including power, in the Government of India Budget documents, 2014-15, include, inter- alia, Infra struc ture INVESTMENT Trusts with taxefficient pass-through status for PPP and other infra-structure projects; Rs.100 crore allocation for preparatory work for a new scheme “Ultra - Modern Super Critical Coal Based Thermal Power Technology”; resolution of the existing impasse in the coal sector and provision of adequate quantity of coal to

power plants already/or likely to be commissioned by March 2015; encouragement to banks to extend long-term loans to infrastructure sectors; extension of the 10 year tax holiday to the undertakings which begin power generation, distribution and transmission by 31.03.2017. This was stated by Sh. Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal & New and Renewable Energy in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today. The Minister further stated that

the other measures, already taken by the Government of India to enhance INVESTMENT in infrastructure sectors, including power, include, inter alia, long-term financial assistance to infrastructure projects by India Infrastructure FINANCE Co. Ltd; permitting limited investment in taxfree long-term infrastructure bonds since 2010-11; allowing external commercial borrowings for investment by import of capital goods, new projects, modernization and expansion of existing production units, as well as for part FINANCING of

rupee debt of existing power projects; 15% investment allowance deduction allowed to companies investing over Rs.100 crore in plant and machinery during 2013-15; financing restructuring of distribution companies launched with central assistance through a transition FINANCE mechanism to enable restoration of their financial health; private sector participation in transmission sector by identifying projects for implementation through tariff based competitive bidding.

Vikram Solar Successfully Commissions India’s First Floating PV Power Plant

ier one module manufacturer and EPC company Vikram Solar has successfully completed India’s first floating solar power plant. The R&D installation is part of a test project for Vikram Solar’s new floating module technology in cooperation with the Arka Renewable Energy College in Kolkata. The project aims to create a system suitable for any body of water with

the possibility of being scaled up for use in any other given environment. The installation is completely flexible and consists of ten 1 kW fibreglass modules, which make up the floating platform itself. The system is firmly anchored to the bottom of the lake and is connected to the grid using a submersible cable. The overall system is designed to last for 25 years and produce a minimum generation of 14 MWh/year.

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Vikram is installing and commissioning 100% of the system. Miguel Monsalve (Head of Business Development & Engineering) comments: “The project underlines Vikram Solar’s strong track record and efforts to make solar energy available everywhere and for everyone – even in the remotest and most challenging environments, such as water. The system had to be suitably

designed to be able to withstand this force.” Gyanesh Chaudhary (CEO and Managing Director at Vikram Solar) adds: “We are very proud to have been awarded this prestigious project. The chance to work closely with an educational institution allowed us to reiterate our philosophy of ‘Change Through Education’.”

January 2015

& EQBusiness Financial Renewables company Mahindra EPC is now Mahindra Susten

ahindra EPC, India’s largest Solar EPC Company unveiled its new brand name today. The company, which is part of the USD 16.5 Billion Mahindra Group and a portfolio company of its USD 900 million Private Equity division – Mahindra Partners will now be known as Mahindra Susten. The name Susten is derived from two words, Sustainability and Enabler and reflect the aspirations of the company that seeks to positively impact lives and emerge as a thought leader

in the sustainable engineering space. With a keen focus on execution excellence and innovation, the company has grown exponentially over the last 3 years with a workforce of over 400 employees and a presence across the country. Mahindra Susten began by offering Turnkey EPC services for solar projects in 2011 and now has four business divisions - Utility Scale Solar, Distributed Solar, Build Solutions and

Operations & Monitoring - and a portfolio of over 350 MW of solar projects in both Utility and Roof-top. “I am delighted to see Mahindra Susten’s growth & impact over the last three years and to see it emerge as India’s largest solar EPC player. Today, it is at an inflection point as it gears up to meet the strong demand in the renewables space backed by a very favourable policy from the Government,” said Parag Shah, Managing Partner, Mahindra Partners, the division that oversees the

Renewables business for the Mahindra Group. “With over 350 MW of projects, half a million sq. ft. of Industrial construction, two provisional patents and a growing product line, we at Mahindra Susten are proud of having positively impacted millions of lives. The new name represents our ambition to innovate and deliver sustainable offerings for a cleaner and smarter future,” said Basant Jain, CEO, Mahindra Susten.

SunEdison And Adani To Build Largest Solar Manufacturing Facility In India With $4 Billion Investment

unEdison,

Inc.

“We are proud to partner

world leader in power generation

vertically integrate all aspects

a leading solar

with Adani Enterprises to build

from renewable technologies,

of solar panel production on site,

t e c h n o l o g y

the largest solar photovoltaic

and sees solar as a key part in

including polysilicon refining,

manufacturer and provider of

manufacturing facility in India.

realizing that goal,” said Vneet

and ingot, cell, and module

solar energy services, and Adani

This facility will create ultra-

S Jaain, Chief Executive Officer

production.During the first half

Enterprises Ltd. the largest

low cost solar panels that will

of Adani Power Limited, a

of 2015, SunEdison and Adani

port owner and operator and

enable us to produce electricity

subsidiary of Adani Enterprises

will complete a comprehensive

largest private power provider

so cost effectively it can compete

Ltd. “The development of

analysis of the joint venture

in India,recently announced

head to head, unsubsidized and

the largest integrated solar

opportunity and business plan.

that they have signed a

without incentives, with fossil

manufacturing facility furthers

Pending successful outcome

memorandum of understanding

fuels,” said Ahmad Chatila,

the vision of Prime Minister

of the study, construction of

to establish a joint venture

President and Chief Executive

Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in

the facility will begin shortly

to build the largest vertically

Officer of SunEdison. “By pairing

India’ campaign. We are happy

thereafter. As the facility is

integrated solar photovoltaic

SunEdison’s solar technology

to partner with SunEdison,

built, certain portions will be

manufacturing facility in India

expertise with Adani’s extensive

a leading solar technology

completed first to allow key

with an investment of up to

experience in the creation of

manufacturer to build this

production lines to come online

$4 billion USD, or Rs. 25,000

infrastructure, we will be able

facility which further integrates

before the entire facility is

crore. The facility will create

to transform the region into a

our power - renewable business

finished. This allows the joint

enough solar panels to fuel

solar production powerhouse,

value chain and has significant

venture to ramp up production

substantial solar growth in India,

creating 4,500 direct jobs and

socio-economic benefits.”

quicker, and creates more jobs

furthering India’s goals for clean,

over 15,000 indirect jobs in the

renewable energy independence,

process.”

and will add up to 20,000 jobs to the local economy.

January 2015

sooner. The new facility will be constructed in Mundra,

“India has embarked on an

Gujarat, India, over a three

ambitious program to become a

year period. This facility will

www.EQMagLive.com

& EQBusiness Financial Acme Group Signs PPA For 30 Mw Project With Chhattisgarh State Utility

CME Group, the leading solar power player in India,recently announced that it has signed the PPA for 30 MW solar PV power projects with Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Limited. As per the terms and conditions of the agreement, ACME Group would provide approx. 50 mn units power annually for a period of 25 years at a tariff of Rs. 6.46 / KWh.Commenting on this momentous occasion, Mr. Manoj Kumar Upadhyay, Founder & Chairman, ACME Group said, “We thank the Chhattisgarh Government and Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Limited (St ate Discom) for the opportunity given to us to partner with the state through green energy generation. We look forward to helping the state bring down its power demand-deficit and look forward to support from all stakeholders in making this state an ideal green State.”

This project would entail

an estimated investment of approx $40 mm/ Rs.210 crore. The work on the project shall commence by June 2015 and will be commissioned by December 2015. This will be evacuated by 33 K & above line connecting the power plant to nearest grid. The state is already leading in Thermal power generation by enabling effective utilization of its natural resources. The State Government now aims to promote renewable energy in a big way so as to achieve sustainable development in the state.In October, ACME Group received final approval for credit facility of $100 mn loan from Asian Development Bank. US$ 50 mn shall be utilized in developing 100 MW projects in Rajasthan and the remaining amount of loan shall be used for its upcoming projects.ACME has also sourced an investment from IFC in the form of an ‘A’ Loan of up to $34 million (Rs. 201.9 crores) for the 100 MW project in Rajasthan under the ambit of JNNSM. Earlier, IFC also funded Rs.73.10 crores for the

25 MW solar power project of the company in Madhya Pradesh which was commissioned early this year.

The company has an existing portfolio of 422.5 MW including 160 MW in Andhra Pradesh, 100 MW JNNSM Phase II Projects in Rajasthan and other projects in the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The company aims to generate 1000 MW by the year 2017. ACME Group showcased its prowess in solar PV technology through its 25 MW plant at Khilchipur, Madhya Pradesh that achieved a record output of 25 GWh in six months of installation, a record in maximum power output by any solar power plant of that scale. In October ACME Group received final approval for credit facility of $100 mn loan from Asian Development Bank. US$ 50 mn shall be utilized in developing 100 MW projects in Rajasthan and the remaining amount of loan shall be used for its

upcoming projects. ACME has also sourced an investment from IFC in the form of an ‘A’ Loan of up to $34 million (Rs. 201.9 crores) for the 100 MW project in Rajasthan under the ambit of JNNSM. Earlier, IFC also funded Rs.73.10 crores for the 25 MW solar power project of the company in Madhya Pradesh which was commissioned early this year.

Waaree Modules Are Bankable Says Fichtner Bankability Audit

a a r e e En e r g i e s Limited, India’s leading solar photovoltaic module manufacturer has announced that Waaree modules have been certified as bankable by Fichtner independent technical assessment.Independent b ankability au dit s gives assurance to the investors and installers about the quality and longevity of modules. These audits are conducted by technical advisors who review technical characteristics, track

record and operational data of pv modules. They review the certification status of the module series. The plant visit appraises the manufacturing facility and its track record. They also appraise the manufacturing process and review all the raw materials which have been used and the quality management procedures which are followed. They also take into account the key supply contracts and purchasing strategy followed by the company to give a detailed analysis.

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“Waaree Energies is the only solar PV module manufacturer in India to be appraised by Fichtner Italy for bankability of PV modules. The technical auditors have lauded the exhaustive QC structure which we have in place and have noted that our in-house laboratorytests exceed IEC stress conditions” states Mr. Jignesh Rathod, Assistant Vice President (Solar Panels). The Fichtner Group is a leading, independent engineering and consultancy firm active in energy, environment,water

and Infrastructure sector. They have consulted for banks like Landesbank SchleswigHolstein, Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and Deutsche Bank AG, London. They have been engaged as technical consultants by countries like Germany, Italy, USA, Ireland, Croatia, Kuwait, Austria, Ukraine, Serbia and many more for large power projects.

January 2015

I NT ERV I EW

Sunil Jain

CEO & ED Hero Future Energies Pvt Ltd

EQ: Are you Excited about the New JNNSM Target of 100GW by 2022...Is it

execution in subsequent months. I would rate

Indian markets. Also the financial health

their performance as very good.

of the Indian manufacturers is not optimal

realistic?

to make new investments as well upgrade

EQ: What are your expectations from SJ : As an IPP we are very excited

the Budget 2015?

to new technology. Had it not for this the Indian solar market would have collapsed.

about the Government plans and gives us a huge opportunity to scale up. However we need to fix lot of things in the state and central government if this is to be achieved. While PSUs may add significant quantity out of this 100GW but you need private money for this scale and that can come from transparent policies with long term visibility.

SJ : Considering the current fiscal situation which the FM is in do not see too many sops for the Renewable sector barring

Also why should we not get good quality modules if they are cheaper and bring down the Indian subsidy burden if any.

commitment to release the old subsidy amounts. Would definitely want an easier

EQ: New Government Announcements of

/ transparent/non vindictive tax regime.

Ultra Mega Solar Projects, Massive

Hoping that government lives to the promise

Solar Parks…are we in the right

of ease of doing business in India

Direction

EQ: What resources needs to be developed to achieve this target…Man Power, Critical Infrastructure (Land, Power Evacuation, Green corridors, Finance etc…)

EQ: What is the near future technology

SJ : Not sure but good to kick start large

roadmap…Do you see module prices

ticket investments. It will initially address

falling by another 30% or so or

the many issues of land and evacuation.

increase in module efficiency will thus increase module size and thus BOS

SJ : We believe all of the above are

costs will go down ?

presently in critical mode and need to be addressed in parallel rather than series. More importantly Power being a concurrent subject and therefore it requires all states to be on board to achieve the above targets. One important issue is the financial health of the DISCOMS which has to be addressed

SJ : May not see prices falling much further but would like to see the efficiency going up and resulting in BOP prices going can infact keep the prices of module stable

Met?

SJ : Looks likely. It is already at parity on retail commercial users.

EQ: Utility scale market is highly competitive and getting concentrated in few

EQ: The New Govt Decision of not imposing led BJP government…Expectations

Grid Parity in next 2-3 Years

down a bit. Indian and Chinese demands

otherwise the investments will not follow.

EQ: What’s your view on the New Mr. Modi

EQ: Does the Solar Industry foresee the

hands…What’s your views

Anti-Dumping Duty and attempt to keep everyone happy…Please share your Opinion

SJ : Well the market being opened is so large that there will be room for everybody and therefore we should not be

SJ :As Indians we are impatient, I believe they are working hard and addressing the key issues and planning a road map for

January 2015

SJ : Probably the most wise decision especially considering that India does not have the capacity to meet the demands of

bothered about concentration. Also each is under competitive bidding and therefore transparent.

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EQ: What financing structures/models needs to be discovered to beat the traditional

Assets…Do we see a retrofit market

government has kept an ambitious target f

evolving?

40000 MW in off grid and rooftop segment.

financing structures for renewable energy projects/manufacturing?

I believe we will cross 500 MW in next 2 SJ : Definitely not now. It is still a

years in this segment

long way

EQ: What do you think about decline of

SJ : I think what the government and Industry needs to crack is lowering the cost of hedging of forex. Probably a partial guarantee or a sinking fund to take care of the high costs.

EQ: What is the near and long term view on manufacturing in India…Does the Global Trade Wars Help? India’s DCR Mandates in JNNSM…Will this be

EQ: The NCEF money now being available for Renewable Projects….What’s your Opinion?

SJ : I do not think any such money will flow to renewables barring an amount of 1000cr.

enough?

45% on Oil prices and increasing the cost of tradition power & its impact on clean energy?

SJ : This argument is true in western world but not applicable to India, where oil and gas is still imported and expensive and renewable still remains a viable alternative to provide power for all 24X7.

EQ: Rooftop Solar Market has been small SJ : With the mega plans announced I believe manufacturing in India is the only way forward. DCR mandates can be only

in last 6 years … what do you think of the rooftop market installations in next 2-3 years?

short term solution and cannot be done on longterm basis.

SJ : This market is going to be a game changer for the solar industry and we would

EQ: India has over 3GW Installed Solar

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see lot of activities in this segment. The

January 2015

interview

Hitesh Doshi Chairman & Managing Director , Waaree Group EQ: Are you Excited about the New JNNSM Target of 100GW by 2022...Is it realistic?

EQ: What’s your view on the New Mr.Modi led BJP government…Expectations Met?

increase in module efficiency will thus increase module size and thus BOS costs will go down ?

HD: We are very excited about the ambitious target of 100GW by 2022. India is a power deficient country with 30 crore people still in the dark. Solar contributes to less than 1% in our entire energy basket so we look at it as a necessity. We are still highly dependent on coal for our electricity requirements. Coal has several issues, we

HD: We have seen a lot of good initiatives in power sector in the last six months, starting with integration of coal, power and renewable energy ministry. Government is working on doubling the coal

HD: I don’t think the prices will fall to the tune of 30%. There are some new materials and technologies which looks promising but we will have to wait till those become commercially available. The BOS

are dependent on imported coal, which is not an ideal way for us to become an energy sufficient country. So looking at the demand side of equation we are positive we will be able to achieve the targets.

EQ: What resources needs to be developed to achieve this target…Man Power, Critical Infrastructure (Land, Power Evacuation, Green corridors, Finance etc…)

HD: To achieve the 100 GW target we will have to develop the whole ecosystem. Professionals who are trained in project management skills especially for EPC. We also have to train man power for improving the challenges of the BOS vendors like mounting systems, switches, invertors, battery banks etc. Once the markets picks up entrepreneurs will have to be trained who can assemble small roof top projects on their own and work as system integrators. Solar should be recognized as priority sector for banks to disburse loans at low rates and reduce the cost of capital. Single window clearances for solar projects should be available in all states.

January 2015

production by 2019 thereby doubling power generation and is also planning on investing 3 lakh crore to build the transmission and distribution infrastructure to enable the vision of 24x7 power supply. In solar segment sanction of 4000 Crore for setting up 25 UMPP’s by 2019 have been approved. Further the government has envisioned 100GW installations for which they are preparing a roadmap, and also gone back on the proposed anti- dumping duty by the previous government. All this augurs well to future but six months is small time to pass any judgment, we need to give them more time.

EQ: What are your expectations from the Budget 2015

HD: Last budget we had seen announcement of about 1000 crores across the segment for solar projects. Considering that was the first budget by the new government year we look forward to a more actionable plan this time and numbers which are proportionate to the goals that we have set as a country.

EQ: What is the near future technology roadmap…Do you see module prices falling by another 30% or so or

cost will go down and that will be the result of design innovation.

EQ: The New Govt Decision of not imposing Anti Dumping Duty and attempt to keep everyone happy…Please share your Opinion?

HD: Imposing of anti-dumping duty would have had detrimental effect on the industry and made solar programs financially unviable in India. It was a practical decision by the government to not go ahead with the anti-dumping duty. The resulting price rise would have hampered the solar adoption in India.

EQ: New Government Announcements of Ultra Mega Solar Projects, Massive Solar Parks…are we in the right Direction?

HD: Yes we are on the right track. In India the utility scale solar plants has proved to be a viable business model. UMPP’s have better utilization of land and supporting infrastructure. There are quite a few examples of successfully implemented solar farms which gives a lot of confidence to the

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investor community. Land procurement and transmission infrastructure is a contentious issue which is usually taken care off in solar park setup, this helps developer to focus on completing the project in time.

EQ: What is the near and long term view on manufacturing in India…Does the Global Trade Wars Help? India’s DCR Mandates in JNNSM…Will this be enough

EQ: Does the Solar Industry foresee the Grid Parity in next 2-3 Years

HD: We are not going to invent the wheel again, global manufacturer will come once there is market and opportunity available. Most of the big players are already present here. Global trade wars will help foster efficiencies and reduce price to a certain extent, but technology transfer will only happen when companies see a huge market. DCR mandates have been encouraging to the domestic producers but the national interest will be in how to lower per watt price and power up the nation rather than protecting few manufacturers.

HD: Yes, we will definitely see grid parity by 2018. In most states the commercial players are already paying tariffs almost at the price of solar. The power generated by diesel genset is costly than solar power. We also have to account for the benefits of distributed generation which nullifies the distribution losses which plagues the power sector. This will soon make solar projects commercially viable and help get finance a lot more easily.

EQ: Utility scale market is highly competitive and getting concentrated in few hands…What’s your views

HD: The utility scale market is getting very competitive but investors also want to ensure that they will get good plant performance for their investment. This means they will prefer quality installations over cost. The market will evolve and you will see a lot of small players in the sub 10 MW market. On the other end there would be big players with deep pockets, who can invest and complete huge projects.

EQ: What financing structures/models needs to be discovered to beat the traditional financing structures for renewable energy projects/manufacturing

HD: Solar should be recognized as priority sector so that commercial banks can lend at favorable terms to the developers. The cost of debt will come down considerably with such options. Green bonds can also be used to raise finances which will help tap the $80 trillion bond market globally. This would mean investors will find an attractive investment option as well as support the environment. We can also explore the markets of tradable tax certificates.

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EQ: Will India ever see Polysilicon Manufacturing …What are the challenges in Poly & Wafers Manufacturing in India and how can we overcome them

HD: There has been significant development in this space, most recently Adani and SunEdison announcing an investment of USD 4 billion in Gujarat to vertically integrate poly silicon refining. Also various other multi nationals have explored the possibility. Fortunately these have not been compelled by only DCR but have been envisioned considering various factors which give India a distinct advantage including cost. The challenges as everyone is aware are of funds and technological disadvantage of Indian manufacturers which they have to overcome by means of raising funds or entering partnerships.

EQ: India has over 3GW Installed Solar Assets…Do we see a retrofit market evolving?

HD: There are instances where customers who buy cheap modules for small pv systems get cheated. These modules do not carry any warranty and the entire investment goes waste. But on the other hand when it comes to utility scale projects

the developers are interested in long life of the project so they will use quality modules which will last for 25 years. So the retrofit market may emerge but it would not drive volumes for manufacturers.

EQ: What are the future technology landscape for Inverters and BOS

HD: There has been significant technological advancement with micro inverters gaining significant ground in global market. Further inverters have been developed using single switching transistor and generate infinite level voltage, as compared to inverters that use multiple transistors and provide only one voltage level. Also lots of efforts are being put to develop advanced cooling mechanism for large inverters. Also need is to develop compact inverters in central sizes which have lesser weight and lower loses. There is lot of scope for development in DG-Solar Hybrid space which only few companies have mastered. Also with net metering in India inverters which can give provide backup as well as interact with the grid would pick in demand.

As far as BOS goes there is a feel that they should be more customized specific to local needs and demand.

EQ: The NCEF money now being available for Renewable Projects….What’s your Opinion

HD: NCEF was setup as a cess on coal which was to finance renewable projects. But the corpus was never utilized properly. Even today the total allocation of NCEF is Rs 14000 cr out of which 10% is going to be utilized for Ganga Cleaning project, mere 10% has been allocated to MNRE in which it has to manage in which the beneficiaries include 750MW of allocations in Jan last year, 1000MW installations in defense, subsidy on roof top and soft loans by IREDA. In a budget of Rs 1500 cr it is difficult for ministry to manage all, they would at least require double the allocation. Even after the allocations they have clearly stated in

January 2015

various communications about calling for subsidy proposals only during availability of funds. Allocation of NCEF fund for Renewable projects is a good and concrete step ahead but still lot is left for desire and we need some more emphasis by the government on allocation to clean energy projects, more importantly in the right direction, they can use these funds to encourage the manufacturing industry rather than utilizing it in subsidies when it is becoming clearer that we are nearing grid parity.

EQ: RoofTop Solar Market has been small in last 6 years … what do you think of the rooftop market installations in next 2-3 years.

HD: Rooftop market will pick up momentum in the next couple of years, with net metering and other state policies. For eg the recent announcement by the state of Haryana making it mandatory for all building with more than 500 square yard of rooftop to install solar rooftop systems. These developments are in the right direction to make solar rooftop more popular. Apart from this now a total of 10 states have allowed net metering though the mechanism varies state to state. Further a total capacity of almost 300MW has been installed across the country with Tamil Nadu leading the way , the encouraging part is only 12% of the projects have been commissioned under subsidy program. Looking at these signs and growth in last 2 years, Indian roof top market would definitely be a safe bet and would take giant strides with innovative models of OPEX picking up specifically in states of Maharashtra.

EQ: What do you think about decline of 45% on Oil prices and increasing the cost of tradition power & its impact on clean energy?

HD: The recent price cut is due to the fact that the big producers like Iran, Libya, Saudi and Syria have maintained the production level while the demand have contracted. Even though there were internal issues in countries like Libya, they did not reduce the output. USA has also started fracking for shale oil so now the producers don’t want to lose market share even if they are losing money on production. Today India is dependent on imported coal for 70% of electricity generation and the coal prices are bound to go up in the days to come. With more that 40% of the population still not connected to grid we have a huge potential market for clean energy. Our first priority should be to provide electricity to this segment. So I think it would have positive effect on the clean energy.

January 2015

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interview

Ivan Saha President & Chief Technical Officer,VIKRAM SOLAR

EQ: Are you Excited about the New JNNSM

EQ: What’s your view on the New Mr. Modi

Target of 100GW by 2022...Is it

led BJP government…Expectations

realistic?

Met?

IS : We feel that the target

land

IS : Definitely the positive ambience

bank, widespread scaling up of both

has enhanced the solar industry & infused

decentralizedand centralized solar energy

lots of enthusiasm as well as new initiatives

production, granting priority access for

has been started to come up after the new

interconnection with the grid for solar energy,

government under the took oath under the

creating an innovative legal structure for

leadership of Mr. Narendra Modi, Hon’ble

incentivization and taxation, and bringing

Prime Minister Of India. Some key decisions

together both public and private support and

like the abolition of anti-dumping duties

above all, the Union government & individual

actually helped the new government gain

State governments working side by side.

the industry’s confidence.

• Priority funding for the solar sector • Speeding up the loan disbursement process • Creation of freight corridor • Prompt and fast land allotment, conversion for setting up solar power plant • Creating an innovative legal structure for incentivization and taxation, and bringing together both public and private support • Uniform CST structure across the country • Introduction of better feed in tariff combined with incentive such as emission

EQ: What resources needs to be developed

trading, REC Mechanism, subsidy to help

to achieve this target…Man Power,

reduce upfront investment cost and ensure

Critical Infrastructure (Land, Power

higher returns

Evacuation, Green corridors, Finance etc…)

• Easing of debt : equity on loan extended to the solar sector

IS : Finance is the most critical resource to achieve the target. Proper funding

• Special incentives for solar energy projects,

& allocation of financial resources are

with support from state as well as central

absolute necessary. In addition to it, reducing

ministry

project completion time, setting up proper infrastructure, special incentives for solar

• Granting priority access for interconnection

energy projects, with support from state as

with the grid for solar energy

well as central government, ease of access to project financing for solar energy projects, prompt and fast land allotment, separate capital subsidy over and above central subsidy on the project cost for grid tied, off grid & roof-top solar systems, setting up panels

However expectations are high & the lot needs to be done to fulfill the promises. So essentially it is still early to judge or give thorough feedback on the new central government’s work on our solar sector.

for single window clearance and fast track approval of solar power projects. Along with the above, skilled manpower is a necessity.

• Expedition of MSIPS disbursement • Ease of access to project financing for solar energy projects • Mandate rapid use of small scale solar

EQ: What are your expectations from the Budget 2015.

photovoltaic systems, solar lighting systems and commercial solar power plants in order to drive down cost and encourage domestic

IS : The wish list that we have from

solar manufacturing

the Budget 2015:

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January 2015

• Widespread scaling up of both decentralized and centralized solar energy production

on the availabilityof large land area and

financing structures for renewable

achieving timely financial clearances on

energy projects/manufacturing

Ultra Mega Solar Projects. We believe • Separate capital subsidy over and above

that in the current scenario, the industry is

central subsidy on the project cost for roof-

in a position for collaboration rather than

top and off grid solar systems

competition and such a large capacity can be put up only by sharing and combining

• Single window clearance and fast track

resources across the solar industry.

approval of solar power projects • NIL Entry Tax and VAT on Solar Generation Devices(Solar lantern, Solar Fans, Solar

funding. There is alot of debate in the industry whether the FIT Model or the everse Bidding Model should be the way forward. There are advantages & disadvantages in

EQ: Does the Solar Industry foresee the Grid Parity in next 2-3 Years

both. But the main focus should be to adapt policies/financing structures that will retain the investors interests in the industry for

Lights Solar pumps), Equipments and Raw Materials (solar cells, wafers)

IS : As already mentioned before that solar funding should be a priority sector

IS : Solar industry has already reached

long term.

the grid parity in the states like Rajasthan, EQ: What is the near future technology roadmap…Do you see module prices falling by another 30% or so or increase in module efficiency will thus increase module size and thus BOS

Gujarat,Maharashtra in terms of LT power

EQ: What is the near and long term view

for the industrial use, diesel replacement, etc.

on manufacturing in India…Does the

More rapid deployment of solar will happen

Global Trade Wars Help? India’s DCR

once the other states also reach grid parity

Mandates in JNNSM…Will this be

for the residential sector.

enough.

costs will go down ?

IS :

Crystalline silicon module

efficiency will follow a 5 – 10W increase

EQ: Utility scale market is highly

IS: The need of the hour for the Indian

competitive and getting concentrated

Solar Manufacturing Industry is to have

in few hands…What’s your views.

robust and sustainablegrowth in long term. Global trade wars do not help the cause

every year in terms of power generation and about 5% decrease in cost, year on year.

IS : This has been a global phenomena in the developed solar markets. Therefore

EQ: The New Govt Decision of not imposing Anti Dumping Duty and attempt to keep everyone happy…Please share your Opinion.

I don’t see it happening any differently in India. However as I already said before, the industry will survive if we collaborate rather than compete against each other. There is

and so I feel that an open market economy is the best & most feasible way to promote themanufacturing in India. India’s DCR mandate in JNNSM is clearly a conundrum as there is pitifully small cell capacity in the country,no way near the targets set for DCR. Therefore there is still enough room for new

Ans : This is clearly a very positive step & the initiative deserves praise from the solar industry. In fact, Vikram Solar in particular has been a key opponent of imposition of anti-dumping dutiesand in the last 2 years expressed its strong view point at numerous conferences & at various industry bodies. So this is a very welcome step & we feel proud that we have successfully opposed the retrogressive step.

EQ: New Government Announcements of Ultra Mega Solar Projects, Massive Solar Parks…are we in the right Direction.

IS : Definitely mega solar project is the way to go. However, there are concerns

January 2015

enough space for everyone to be part of the Indian solar bandwagon.

EQ: What financing structures/models needs to be discovered to beat the traditional

entrants in the cell manufacturing sector with best in class product and fill the void.

EQ: Will India ever see Polysilicon Manufacturing..What are the challenges

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in Poly & Wafers Manufacturing in

EQ: Roof Top Solar Market has been small

challenge for the growth of solar rooftop

India and how can we overcome them.

in last 6 years … what do you think of

systems, especially in the residential space

the rooftop market installations in next IS : Our country has missed the poly

2-3 years.

it was a blessing indisguise as we would

IS : The roof top segment is going to

never had met the poly & wafer capacities

explore for sure. There have been opinions

of the foreign countries-well advanced in

expressed that the total distributed roof-top

solar equipments manufacturing. One of the

capacity can reach as high as 30 GW by

main reason is the cost of the power which

2022. Policy & implementation framework,

is a crucial component in the cost matrix for

syncing the Union government & each State

wafer & poly capacities.

government’s respective departments needs to be in place. For the overall growth of the

EQ: India has over 3GW Installed Solar Assets…Do we see a retrofit market

roof-top solar market in India, few challenges needs to be addressed like:

evolving? • IS: If by the term retrofit, it means replacement, then I would like to say yes. Because lot of thesecapacities has not been

Capital subsidy of 30 per cent

for PV systems is available, but concerns related to timely subsidy disbursal remains a challenge

set up with best-in –class solar modules. The financial constraint scenario under reverse bidding schemes pressurized many

•

The absence of a robust feed-in

tariff mechanism and net metering guidelines

developers to use comparatively lower quality solar modules.

landscape for Inverters and BOS.

Lack of experience in handling grid

growth of the grid-connected solar rooftop market.

•

Although net-metering has been

introduced, issues still pertain related to energy accounting and handling grid connectivity, which can be resolved only with operational experience and adoption of the new technology

•

Clear lack of awareness to harness

the potential that could help the country address the issue of energy security to a greater extent

EQ: What do you think about decline of 45% on Oil prices and increasing the cost of tradition power & its impact on clean energy?

•

The process of getting approval for

the projects and getting the capital subsidy EQ: What are the future technology

•

connectivity is also a challenge hindering

silicon bus about a decade ago. In hindsight,

disbursed has a slow turn-around time along with uncertainties

IS : I don’t think there will be any impact of the recent decline in oil price. Relatively short term & unstable pricing of oil cannot have an effect due to the simple reason that

IS : I think more robust inverters with

•

Most of the residential connection

the large renewable energy projects are all

higher reliability and longer MTBF will be the

are limited to single phase, having small

planned well in advance.And take more than

norm going forward. Also additional remote

solar PV panel installations raise a concern

a year to come live. Solar is a long term

monitoring and optimization capabilities will

of quality of electricity to be connect to the

investment with 25 years of assumed returns.

find themselves in the inverters, large central

grid in case of grid connected projects

inverters manufacturing will dominate. In BOS, there will be a slow & continuous volume & price reduction as per market

•

The capital cost poses a key

of solar projects to extent of 10-20% year on year.

EQ: The NCEF money now being available for Renewable Projects….What’s your Opinion.

IS: NCEF money was always available for wind power projects. But we need to see disbursement happening for solar power projects. I hope this is going to happen in the next couple of years.

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January 2015

interview

Interview with TBEA SUNOASIS CO. LTD.

Solar Parks…are we in the right

EQ: Are you Excited about the New JNNSM Target of 100GW by 2022... Is it realistic?

TBEA : It is very important that Mr. Modi led BJP government to come out as the leader of new India government. The

TBEA : Yes. It is a great signal of pro-solar. The new India government is

most important issue is the reject of antidumping case on modules.

development especially about the solar PV

EQ: What is the near future technology

industry development. With this kind of

roadmap…Do you see module prices

ambitious solar plan all solar industry will

falling by another 30% or so or

be motivated and add up more concentration

Increase in module efficiency will thus

on solar. It will definitely play an important

increase module size and thus BOS

role in all the solar industry.

costs will go down ?

EQ: What resources needs to be developed

TBEA : Module prices have fallen,

to achieve this target…Man Power,

and the inverter prices have also fallen. In

Critical Infrastructure (Land, Power

the future, the manufacturer of the these

Evacuation, Green corridors, Finance

devices must try every efforts to increase

etc…)

the efficiency and meanwhile make the costs down.

as the critical resources to achieve the

EQ: The New Govt Decision of not

ambitious target of India solar mission. The

imposing Anti Dumping Duty and

government has to bring out new policies

attempt to keep everyone happy…

Please share your Opinion

for most of the projects especially those

TBEA : This is a good news for the

delayed projects are mostly caused by land

exporters who want to enter into the India

issue. Another important case is the financial

Market, and we hope the New Govt will

help for developers. As Indian banks are not

make some other measures to let more and

able to provide low interest rate loans for

more foreign countries to do business in

solar projects it became a difficult part for

India.

developers to achieve financial help.

EQ: What’s your view on the New Mr.Modi BJP government..Expectations Met?

January 2015

and Massive Solar Parks are the right decision considering the Indian local case. north west region of India where it is very suitable for development of solar energy.

EQ: Does the Solar Industry foresee the Grid Parity in next 2-3 Years?

TBEA : I do not think so. 2-3 Years seems too short since the investment of the Solar Power Station is much higher than the thermal power station.

EQ : Utility scale market is highly competitive and getting concentrated

TBEA : We think of Land and Finance

than before. It has become a major block

TBEA : Yes. Ultra Mega Solar Projects

There is huge waste land and desert in the

very supportive about renewable energy

to support developers to get land easier

Direction?

in few hands…What’s your views

TBEA : Yes, utility scale solar project needs lots of resources and the investors do not want to take any risks and only give trust to several global EPC companies, so the utility scale market is getting concentrated in few hands.

EQ : What financing structures/models needs to be discovered to beat the traditional

EQ: New Government Announcements of Ultra Mega Solar Projects, Massive

financing structures for renewable energy projects/manufacturing?

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TBEA : Foreign banks, security investment. The key point is the Government has to do some measures to support the renewable energy and change the solar power station operation mode.

EQ: What are the future technology landscape for Inverters and BOS?

TBEA : Inverter manufacturers are trying to increase their power ratings for single unit machine. There is a trend of this to keep on reducing BOS cost by increasing inverter single unit power rating. However, There is a certain point where the size of inverter reaches a max. point of helping to reduce the BOS cost. There will be traditional single MPPT technology verses new trend multi-MPPT technology in the near future.

EQ: RoofTop Solar Market has been small in last 6 years â&#x20AC;Ś what do you think of the rooftop market installations in next 2-3 years?

TBEA : We expect the rooftop solar market to be booming in the next 2-3 years. There is huge possibility of solar rooftop projects. With more and more government incentive plans there will be more installation of rooftop solar.

EQ: What do you think about decline of 45% on Oil prices and increasing the cost of tradition power & its impact on clean energy?

TBEA : Oil is one kind of the energy, but it is not

the only one. The decline of oil prices may make some impact on some clean energy stocks, but that does not mean the market demand for clean energy will decline.

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January 2015

31Â

interview

Rakesh Khanna Managing Director, SMA india

EQ: SMA is known as the global leader in the PV inverter sector. What is the one quality that makes SMA stand out in the industry? RK : SMA is one of the pioneering German companies in PV solar sector. Since inception, SMA has remained a focused company. We specialize in PV system technology for pure PV systems as well as PV diesel hybrid systems, our solutions ranging from watts (micro inverters) to megawatts (central inverters), on-grid as well as offgrid. This gives SMA unique advantage of understanding the requirements of all the stakeholders in a PV plant. The experience gathered during nearly thirty-five years in PV inverter industry is unmatched. This is directly transferred in terms of clear technological leadership. Over the years, SMA has led the market with innovative offerings and system solutions to satisfy industry requirements. Our customers not only benefit from the highest quality hardware but also from a comprehensive mix of services. Starting from technical consultancy in pre-sales to project management during execution to professional and friendly service in order to ensure maximum uptime and yield and thus create more independence in the use of energy. SMA is proud to support customers with PV specialized, German trained personnel, at all stages of project development and operation.

EQ: The financial reports for SMA AG in 2014 have not been favourable and there are questions about sustainability of SMA. Can you please comment on

32Â

January 2015

the situation? RK : As per latest available data from the financial report January to September 2014, SMA stands on firm financial footing. With â&#x201A;Ź 224.8 million in net cash and with liquidity reserves of more than â&#x201A;Ź 200 million, SMA has sufficient financial strength to absorb short-term market changes and achieve its strategic goals with its own resources. Another important event for SMA was the conclusion of the strategic alliance with Danfoss which intends to improve competitiveness through economies of scale and to gain from shared development experience. With a 20% shareholding, SMA gained an important anchor investor in Danfoss. SMA remains committed to technological innovations. The steps taken by the management in the past have started bearing results and SMA remains a financially sound position and will remain a reliable partner for its customers.

EQ: How mature would you say the Indian Solar Market is? RK : The Indian solar market has grown tremendously in past couple of years but there are still opportunities for us to learn. So far, the main driver for the solar market in India has been the ground mounted large power plants. Many developers now realize the value of quality, service, maintenance and the costs involved in these activities. The debate has widened from only capital cost to cover operations cost also. I am glad to see that SMA has invested in right areas and we see increasingly that our offering is

better received in the Indian market than ever before.

EQ: PV Diesel Hybrid Solution has been well received in the Indian market. Can you share more details about this solution? RK : SMA Fuel Save Controller, launched in 2013 is specially designed for countries like India where Diesel Generators are widely used. Customers benefit greatly due to the diesel saving potential that these systems have. With SMA Fuel Save Solution, PV generators can be easily integrated with traditional generators and this becomes a very lucrative commercial proposition for industries. Our successful installations in South India have drawn a lot of attention in the Indian market and we expect 2015 will bring many more similar projects for SMA. We have already crossed the point where energy from PV is cheaper compared to energy from Diesel. The beauty of this solution is that it allows any make of Diesel Generator to be compatible with PV systems.

EQ: Kindly share your thoughts on SMA Solar Academy. What drove you to set up this academy? RK : When SMA started its operations in India, solar academy was already conceptualized. SMA strongly believes in assisting our partners with right knowledge to be able to successfully design and implement a solar project. The knowledge in this sector being limited, it was imperative for SMA to device a mechanism through which we can share our wide expertise gathered globally in past thirty years. With this in mind, SMA was

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quick to start the solar academy trainings in India. Today, the solar academy India has the best training infrastructure available in the country for PV industry including string inverters, central inverters, communication and off grid set ups. More than fifteen hundred person days of training has been already provided. SMA India also receives participants from neighboring countries who benefit from the initiative.

EQ: Which are new products coming up in 2015? RK : SMA is closely following the expectations of the Indian PV market. In the past we designed our PV Diesel Hybrid solution keeping in mind places like India. We have added many products in our already rich offering of string and central inverters. SMA launched MLX 60 recently - a 60 kVA compact unit which fills the void between string and central inverter solution. I am glad to see that the first MW scale project in world with MLX inverters is being implemented in India. Another similar development aimed at India along with other international markets is that of Sunny Central 1000 CP. The 1100 kVA outdoor central inverter has features most suitable for the Indian requirements.

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All new inverters of SMA are distinguished by a greater energy yield with considerably reduced specific costs. Further advances are already in sight, with the first products of a brand-new SMA inverter generation being launched onto the market according to schedule in 2015.

EQ: SMA Inverters have been deployed in projects across India under tough climatic conditions. What are the common operational challenges for solar inverters? RK : One of the important reasons of our success in India is our outdoor inverters. There were many doubts concerning working of inverters in high humidity, high dust and high temperature regions prevalent in parts of India where PV plants are realized. Indian conditions are considered to be one of the toughest outdoor conditions for PV. Our team has analyzed the local conditions well and I am glad to see that our inverters outperformed even the most rigorous expectations.

EQ: What are the challenges related to the grid in India?

RK : There are no direct challenges for us as an inverter manufacturer from the grid side except may be from the grid code point of view in past. SMA inverters are well suited to all grid environments and take over important grid management functions. Having said that, in some projects there were extensive delays due to unavailability of evacuation infrastructure. PV developers have to suffer in terms of revenue if the grid fails often. Again here, SMA has used the past experience to adjust certain parameters and auto restart related functions to minimize the losses for developers.

EQ: Critics say that renewable sources need conventional power plants as back-up. Do you agree? RK : Many experts predict that the next revolution in renewable energy will be driven by the developments in the battery storage technology. This will be able to help increase penetration of renewable energy further. One of our aims at SMA is to make PV power simple, reliable, safe and cost effective. With our work, we want to spread the use of PV worldwide for the sustainable development of our society. I feel confident that one day we will have 100% renewable energy supply for our energy needs.

January 2015

33Â

interview

Dr. Abhimanyu Detha - CEO (Solar Energy Research, Automation & Project Developer) Gangadan Energy Pvt Ltd lar power plant. With this vast experience in the Cutting Edge of Engineering we embark into the field of Solar Energy in the name of Gangadan Energy Pvt. Ltd. With the help of experts in the field, both from India and abroad and recommend how those could be surmounted. Provide advance and more reliable technologies, products and services to harness power projects speedily, qualitatively and economically.

such as Power evacuation with 132 KVA line & GSS, roads, boundary wall, drainage, water and security. The USP of project is its technology, which introduced by Gangadan Energy in India first time, Multi-junction cell (CPV) technology is much more efficient compare to other PV technologies, IRR also more proven and predictable. Hopefully we will achieve the target of 2 X 50 MW till end of March 2014.

EQ: What is your order book position today? EQ: Tell us more about Gangadan Solar Park, the advantages and key facilities available at these solar parks?

EQ: To begin with tell us more about Gangadan Energy, the genesis of its formation and its key operating philosophy? AD : The company was formed with a view to cater to solar plant automation. The philosophy behind the move was to 1. Improve the efficiency & life cycle of solar systems 2. Reduce the investment risk 3. Reduce the O&M cost 4. Improve the return of investment Basically, we are engineers so we do not hesitate to take on any tough project, probably something which no one else dares. We are confident of our multidisciplinary engineering skills and knowledge. We have experience in design and supply of Automation and Robotics solution with high technology and innovation to so34

January 2015

AD : “Gangadan Solar Park” is India’s first, one and only CPV multi-junction cell technology based project, Project size is 50 MW in first phase, master planning for extended 2 x 50 MW. Project is under basic implementation stage like: roads, boundary walls, site office, tube wells, transmission line and sub-station. The CPV technology which gives 37 to 40% efficiency and full power utilization; Tracking technology which increases energy output by roughly 30 to 33%.

EQ: What are the projects that are currently operational at Gangadan Solar Park, and going into the future what are the opportunities, for growth, that you are looking at? AD : Under the scheme of solar park; we are booking and selling sections in multiple of minimum 250 KW to MW each. This would be useful for HNI individuals, small entrepreneurs and corporate sector players as an investment. Further it would also be helpful for organizations that have to meet their RPO obligations. We have bankable PPA with good tariff rate, technology tie-up, necessary infrastructure

AD : Today, there are 37 MW booked in first phase expansion. There are several more in the pipeline by investors who want to get depreciation benefit, few foreign investors are ready to invest in the same solar park, they are very much impressed by high DNI availability, Rajasthan solar policy 2014 and solar park policy.

EQ: Apart from solar Parks what are the other services that Gangadan offers? AD : We are most diversified solar energy Solutions Company. Apart from solar park, we are working in Afghanistan for 1.6MW solar hybrid system for telecom industry, very soon we are launching the “Gangadan Solar City” in Jaisalmer and Pushkar, the “Gangadan Solar City” is also India’s first residential colony with 100% solar energy back-up, solar water heating, solar street light and 70% green belt. Very soon we are starting Multi-junction cell technology based assembly line in Jaipur, initially it will be 50MW annual production capacity. We are also engaged in solar energy based education and training in Ahmedabad under the brand name of “Solar Academy Pvt. Ltd.”, for further expansion two more institutes are coming in Jodhpur, Rajasthan and Ghaziabad.

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Gangadan Energy offer a wide range services like: conceptual research and development of solar energy system and product, green city and township development, smart grid solution, loss recovery solution, green building designing, rural electrification designing and solution, solar plant automation and monitoring system.

EQ: Shed some light on the Multijunction Cell technology, what are the advantages and the key differentiators of this technology? AD : The CPV technology gives 37 to 40% efficiency and full power utilization; both several times higher than any of the conventional PV technologies and increasing by the day. CPV is most efficient and cost effective in dry, sunny climates, such as the world’s deserts, where it is superior to any solar technology, considerably higher than traditional PV. Unparalleled performance under operating conditions makes multi-junction cell technology cost effective within a CPV system at 500x concentration. The high efficiency more than offsets the additional cost of cooling and 2-axis tracking that are required to maintain high concentration.   The future looks bright for the CPV technologies. With time, the technical challenges will be overcome, at which point CPV tracking technology is expected to become universally accepted, mass produced, and cost-effective energy source for use in large scale solar power generating plants around the world. See, it is like this. Our nameplate efficiency figure is about 37% per cent. The poly guys maybe at 15.5 to 16 per cent. The mono crystalline may go up to 18 per cent. All these efficiencies are at ‘25 degrees C, one atmosphere’ conditions. Now, each manufacturer publishes what is called a temperature co-efficient. The degradation curve — as your ambient temperature rises, your efficiency will fall. For our CPV modules, that degradation will degrade 0.10 per cent per degree rise in temperature beyond 52 degree. So, as the ambient starts hitting 40 and above, our modules start producing

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more. This is ambient 40. Typically, the cell temperature is 15-20 per cent higher than the module temperature. FS modules typically produce 8-10 per cent higher energy under high ambient conditions. The second thing about CPV generally is that the impact of diffused sunlight —cloudy conditions, or dusty conditions — that causes poly output to drop further, compared with TF. India is a combination of high ambient and diffused. So generally we find that we get a higher energy yield in India. That will be fundamentally the reason for our success. That helps to lower the LCOE (levelised cost of energy).

EQ: One of the major concerns for the solar industry is of project financing, what are the difficulties in getting financing for any solar projects? Shed some light on some of the emerging financing options for solar projects? AD : I think project finance is not a problem; the financing is always available for efficient and durable technology products. The lenders always look for reliability of technology, developer’s credibility and strength, system selection and suppliers track record. We have good experience working with international lenders, private lenders and JV partners. Yea I admit that interest rates are still quite high, its need to be reduces to support renewable energy industry. Government funding agencies should relook the rates of interest. As per my experience foreign funding is better option compare to Indian nationalise banks, JBIC and US-EXIM are best options for large scale projects, few technology suppliers also provides conditional finance at low rate of interest.

low-cost financing by any foreign funding institute.

EQ: Express your views on the solar future in India; what role do you envision solar energy to play in the objective of achieving Power to All? AD : The future is extremely bright for India. With creative business and financing models and with a commitment to quality and operations, solar is a superbly suitable, clean energy source for the country. India needs power. If India needs to grow at 6-8%, we need to double the power that we have. Energy is the backbone of the economy. If we are unable to take care of the deficit, the country will come to a standstill. One needs to understand that these businesses are made for 8-10 years. Interest rates are higher but they will come down in the future. From a long-term perspective, India is still a consumer-driven country. Overall, by 2016, wind and solar will be cheaper. Apart of it, in future RPO will enforced by Government. The private PPA market though can change India’s energy consumption dynamics. Behalf of the same we are developing solar park based on private PPA, it’s safe and more comfortable for individuals, small entrepreneur and corporates.

EQ: With the new government formed already, what are your expectations from the new government and what policy change would you suggest aiding the growth of the solar sector in India? AD : Indian renewable energy policy is really better than other countries, and there are so many options to become a green power producer. But still few hurdles are there, like:

EQ: Do you organise funding for your customers? AD : Our customers have been able to organise finance, a combination of local banks and foreign banks, but project funding is a part of our additional services. We help to get finance. There is an impression that you have been successful in India because of the backing you have received in the form of

• Land allocation and allotment for solar project should be based on proposed technology, Government land data should be define based on DNI and GHI • India is definitely very attractive market; we need to have sustainable and long term policies that provide boost to indigenous manufacturer. Push for such policy will encourage foreign technologies to start manufacturing in India.

January 2015

• Now solar technologies are more proven and expected IRR is more predictable, so funding agencies should reduce the rate of interest, according Indian market the interest rates are quite high and that need to be managed by regulatory supports. • We should have good anti-dumping duties, which will push and protect Indian manufacturer and employment. • A common feed-in tariff should be provided to the developers; just like the wind sector. • Payment must be improved.

security

mechanism

• Government provide the subsidised fund or financial grant to private R&D institute which engaged in solar energy based education, for safe investment we need to reduce the system cost and improve the efficiency and durability of solar components.

and decisions are delayed till the last moment, either on expectations of a drop in prices or to work through the documentation. This creates stress on the system in terms of people like us or EPC contractors who have to stock inventories and keep people on the bench, or let go of the opportunity. We are still the lowest cost project developer compare to any other international company. Therefore, it helps if we start developing our own module manufacturing, it helps us to bring predictability of demand which then enables us to leverage our backend organisation like - system design and EPC and plan for building capacity as it comes. That helps us become more competitive.

cannot sustain an industry in India. The point is, we are selling because our technology, at least in hot climatic conditions, produces more power than photovoltaic.

EQ: What are in India?

Gangadan’s

ambitions

AD : Our goal is to see if we can create a pipeline which is predictable enough for us to then figure out if the Indian market is mature enough for us to put in manufacturing operations here.

EQ: How do you intend to create a pipeline? AD : By developing our own projects, we are in discussions. As you would recog-

EQ: What differentiates Gangadan Energy and how do you keep yourself ahead of your competitors? AD : As I mentioned above that we are engineers and we are confident of our multidisciplinary engineering skills and knowledge, we would always like to provide innovative and reliable technology solution to our clients which help them to reduce investment insecurities. We believe it’s important to sustain in market based on quality job. We bring innovative technologies and solutions to support solar industry growth and make it more efficient and competitive through our R&D where we invest a huge amount of resource to be future ready. Gangadan Energy wants to assure clients in terms of its bankability which is very critical for solar developers and investors considering the longevity of the project.

EQ: What is Gangadan’s expertise ? AD : We have the expertise to develop projects, do EPC, get financed, both on debt and equity; maintain those assets for the investors. The thing which we like about the development business is it helps to develop a pipeline. While the programme in India has been successful, it is lumpy in terms of demand. All the PPAs get signed on one day, everybody wants COD on the same day, 36

January 2015

Our technology enjoys a good footprint in India and we want to broad base that relationship and get into a bit of development from our side, bring in our systems engineering expertise.

I think asset quality in some cases might have been compromised. Fifty per cent of the cost of energy is the funding cost. I think, as a stakeholder in the industry, it is our duty to make lenders comfortable with the asset. Only then will they lower their risks and only then will we see good quality capital. Right now, many of these projects have been built with recourse to the balance sheet. That is not really project financing. For Indian banks, ‘will it work’ is the question that they want to see because there is not much record of generation. Large Indian lenders, for instance PFC and REC, who lend to other parts of the power sector, have not really got into solar and unless that happens you

nise, when we do development … development and EPC construction requires a lot of local expertise. We do believe that in India there is enough local expertise available already. So what we are trying to do is to structure partnerships. Like: you got local developers who want to build projects. We’ve got the technology, got the experience to do this. We know how to put a quality asset together. We also have some leverage in terms of financing. So we are trying to put our combined expertise together instead of recreating competencies.

EQ: What are your major concerns? AD : The big question mark is the enforceability of the RPOs (renewable purchase obligations). It has not really happened, even if it happens in the industrial sector —because in energy terms they are a big consumer — if you start enforcing it across discoms, how are you going to moni-

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tor, there is not enough monitoring capacity available — even if you enforce it on a limited scale on the industries, I think that will give a fillip to the market. REC/RPO is a good programme, but without enforcement it has no meaning. We are in the initial development stages with some partners, looking at land options, looking at how we get the optimal PPA pricing and as soon as we sort out some of these things we could probably begin construction.

EQ: What is your take on the manufacturing in India? Should the Government mandate local procurement or not? AD : Our view, as a developer, is that there should not be any restriction on their ability to source stuff. For the manufacturers, it is a function of predictable demand — solar manufacturing is all about scale. Also cost of power, cost of utilities in India is extremely high. We have to really see what kind of incentives Government is giving to people who are putting capital. That is secondary. The biggest issue is, is there enough scale domestically created which can justify manufacturing at the same time

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not impact the developers. Because, if you set up a smaller scale manufacturing plant…globally there is over capacity. The solar developer community is trying to lower the cost of power so that it creates more demand, and at this point in time if you impose restrictions on them, saying they have to source only from domestic, they lose the advantage. Therefore, it is a function of a) on the front-end, how do you create scale, which will come if policies are consistently enforced. Enforce RPO, you immediately create a market. If it is a natural economic need, definitely people will come and put up manufacturing. We cannot have and should not have a policy where you restrict the ability of the developer to bring to you the lowest cost of power. If you do that, if cost of solar power goes up, it is going to shrink the market, and it will be a nonstarter. It will have exactly the opposite effect of what you are trying to create.

AD : Gangadan Energy has taken a dominant and leadership position in solar industry in India within a very short period of time. Our multidisciplinary engineering skills, in-home R&D and innovative solutions have helped us to achieve this position, which has been well recognised by our clients. Apart from our “Gangadan Solar Park”, we are establishing India’s first Multi-junction technology based module assembly line with 50MW annual capacity, Behalf of only these businesses we will stand with 100MW installation, 50MW module p roduction with projected turnover of Rs. 750 Crore within next three years.

EQ: How do you define success for yourself and for your company? Where do you see Gangadan Energy 3 to 5 years from now?

January 2015

interview

Dr. A.s.prasad

Head Product & Marketing, Emerson Power EQ: What resources need to be developed to achieve this target…Man Power, Critical Infrastructure (Land, Power Evacuation, Green corridors, Finance etc…) ASP: India continues to face severe power crunch with an increasing number of businesses and consumers demanding more energy efficiency and reliability. Although we have been making steady progress in ensuring power availability, power requirements are rising exponentially and the demand for power backup and conditioning equipment has gradually gone up. As such the target to reach 100GW capacity in less than 10 years is surely ambitious. Government and the power sector will need to invest in creating efficient infrastructure as well as continue driving research in renewable sources of energy to reach this target. What would also help reduce dependency on imported fossil fuels to meet energy requirements is the rewarding of innovation that leads to better utilization of renewable sources of energy. A national level policy and the introduction of the ‘Make in India’ initiative will too help the government in ensuring we inch closer to the target of 100GW capacity by 2025.

EQ: What’s your view on the New Mr.Modi led BJP government…Expectations Met? ASP: With the constant efforts of the Modi government towards e-governance and the Digital India initiative, there is a rapid increase in the amount of data generated. The ‘Make in India’ initiative to make India a manufacturing hub has commenced with a slew of important announcements and move towards e-governance initiatives.

EQ: What are your expectations from the 38

January 2015

Budget 2015 ASP: Although 2014 presented a largely positive budget, the government faces an uphill task to present a growth oriented budget balancing people’s expectations with the limitations of the current economy. The government has already highlighted its openness to technology for maximum governance through last budget and needs to follow it up with encouraging policies. The country needs to strengthen its position as a manufacturing hub on the global platform, and as such investments and measures to give manufacturing sector a push is critical. We look forward to a growth oriented budget that will accelerate the growth to more than 8%. This will put growth on the forefront and also help curb our growing energy deficit. Although the price of solar inverters has not fallen considerably as compared to solar panels or solar turn key projects, we expect that the price will reach grid parity by 2016 with growing the demand from businesses and support from the government, as it will introduce scales of mass production in the economy.

EQ: New Government Announcements of Ultra Mega Solar Projects, Massive Solar Parks…are we in the right Direction? ASP: Emerson Network Power believes that 2014 was a pro-industry budget and the proposal to develop 15000kms of new gas pipelines through PPP will spur growth. Additionally, allocation of funds to create solar power projects across states will help in alleviating the power crisis in the country. Understandably, this focus on implementing the Green Energy Corridor Project will boost power generation from renewable energy sources and is a step in

the right direction.

EQ: What are the future technology landscape for Inverters and BOS? ASP : For any factory to function well, good energy supply is a must. Without energy supply production will come to a standstill. In India, there is the requirement for clean power which can facilitate smooth functioning of factories and manufacturing units. Emerson Network Power provides UPS systems to ensure clean and uninterrupted power supply which facilitates the functioning of the manufacturing units without any interruptions in production processes. We are trying to be a part of this initiative and contribute to India’s progress. Recently, we inaugurated a manufacturing facility unit in Ambernath. The government’s commitment of providing electricity 24×7 for all households will provide an impetus on maximizing power utilization with increased efforts on harnessing alternate energy sources and bringing back focus on manufacturing. Energy efficiency and reliability are vital to the smooth functioning of a DC UPS power system and Emerson Network Power embodies this through its new generation of DC power products. IT industries are eager to take better control of their equipment and improve reliability of their production plants while reducing costs. This has got them to take a more proactive approach to power backup and conditioning equipment. Emerson Network Power’s DC power products have become the industry standard-bearers as we have adopted the SMPS (Switched Mode Power Supply) technology for our power systems, marking the beginning of a major evolution for both Emerson Network Power and its customers around the world.

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January 2015

I NT ERV I EW

G . Murugesh Infinite Ercam

EQ: Are you Excited about the New JNNSM Target of 100GW by 2022...Is it realistic? GM : When aggressive targets are set, it is always an excitement. India as a country, has the potential and need to implement such aggressive targets. However one has to review the performance of the solar industry during the past few years. Success stories from a couple of states cannot be used to extrapolate future performance. I am a skeptic with respect to accomplishing the above targets simply because we have not kept pace to reach the initial milestones set by JNNSM. The targets can only be met if there are consistent and favorable policies that benefit the investors to make a reasonable return on their investment. Policies should create a favorable investment scenario by incorporating incentives and disincentives for factors such as utilization of advanced technologies, higher Capacity Utilization Factor (CUF), early installation, non installation, volume installations, utilization of domestic content (should include all components that form the entire system) etc. The 100GW target can be translated into an equivalent electricity generation target. One should note that there are proven advanced technologies such as Tracking systems that can reduce the above targets and make the targets more realistic yet achieving the equivalent electricity generation. The 100GW equivalent output can be achieved with about 75 GW to 85 GW installed capacity with utilization of single axis and dual axis tracking technologies. The additional capex investment benefits 40

January 2015

for this option is significant. It should be noted that InfiniteERCAM has demonstrated this benefit in India over the last four years. Farms utilizing InfiniteERCAM trackers are producing upwards of 20 lakh units of generation for a single axis system and almost 22 lakh units for the dual axis system per MW in Rajasthan. Such CUF increases are combined with a lot of additional tangible and intangible benefits such as environmentally smaller footprint, lesser components, smaller farms to operate and maintain etc. Policies should accommodate such available options to make this target more realistic and achievable.

EQ: What resources needs to be developed to achieve this target…Man Power, Critical Infrastructure (Land, Power Evacuation, Green corridors, Finance etc…) GM : What do we need to establish and sustain the solar mission is a key question. In my opinion the following are key factors that affect the eventual success of the mission. Education: While there is a wealth of knowledge in this sector, I still see a lack of a clear understanding among the developers on what to expect as a developer during the lifecycle of the solar asset. Developers, key decision makers, advisors and consultants need to be aware of the “A to Z’s” of the lifecycle expectations of a solar project to make informed decisions. The myth about a maintenance free infrastructure should disappear. Lifecycle project costing should be considered for all solar projects. Government

should impart free education across the country to help facilitate awareness and realistic expectations on the life cycle performance and needs of a solar asset. Land: Although land is available in plenty in India, this component has become a key cost factor while establishing the financial model for a solar farm. Speculation on land and upward spiraling of the land prices are pushing down profitability and viability of solar farms. Access and availability of Government provided land at no or low cost will help investors and the mission tremendously. Training: While India has a large supply of manpower, it still lacks a lot in the availability of trained manpower. Government sponsored low cost or no cost training to develop a skilled work force at all levels will be a key to success for achieving the aggressive solar mission. Infrastructure: The building of a sustainable infrastructure (grid and substations) to distribute the generation from the distributed solar assets deployed in remote parts of the country is a key to the success of the solar mission. This has to happen in a war footing to implement the revised new solar mission target. The national infrastructure planning will be a complex task as this infrastructure planning across several states needs to address several regional aspects such as developer interests, irradiance, costs, etc. Financing: Financing is the single most impeding factor for the viability of the solar mission. Lower interest rates are

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January 2015

favorably impacting solar infrastructure in the other parts of the world. Government backed programs that provide lower cost of financing is essential to accomplish the solar mission.

EQ: What are your expectations from the Budget 2015

Investor friendly policies: Tariffs and other incentives should be geared towards the investor. Investors are vital to the success of the solar mission. Policies should be friendly, realistic, sustainable unwavering to favor the investment and mitigate the risks. Global funds are available in abundance. Yet, they are not participating in the Indian Solar mission due to the risks and current policies that are not geared towards an investor that has differing financial models and expectations.

Budget 2015 should set the ball in motion for the solar industry if the 100 GW mission is a realistic target. The following are my key expectations:

EQ: What’s your view on the New Mr.Modi led BJP government…Expectations Met? GM : In my opinion this is a question that cannot be objectively answered today. The new BJP government has had the distinction of implementing a successful solar vision in Gujarat during the early stages of solar in India. A lot has changed with the solar industry since and several lessons have been learned in the last five years that need to be accounted for while setting up policies. While there are a lot of positives that I see with the new BJP government, I still do not see the spark yet. We should ask this question in a few years. I am cautiously optimistic as of today. O bviously the government is establishing solar policies to implement this vision with the least out of pocket impact to the taxpayer. Although this seems to be a rational approach, the reverse bidding tariff scenarios have hurt the real investor and eventually the solar mission. Speculative investors and shortsighted non performing investors who lack the financial acumen to accurately predict the lifecycle costs of a solar farm (Operation, maintenance and lifecycle replacement costs of the solar farm) have driven down the tariffs to unreasonable levels. Such deficient financial models utilized to obtain tariffs for reverse bids will spell doom to the solar mission.

January 2015

GM : “Walk the Walk and not just Talk the Talk..”.

• Consider higher tariffs to accelerate investor confidence and larger acceptance. • Set aside options and funding required to facilitate low cost funding for solar infrastructure. • Set aside funding for solar infrastructure (Grid and Substations). • Set aside funding for life cycle expectation education and awareness of solar assets. •

Set aside funding for low cost land.

• Set aside funding and incentives for the acceptance and utilization of advanced technologies such as tracking systems that help increase CUF’s, reduce the footprints and provide other benefits. • Set aside funding and incentives for the investors that complete the development of infrastructure timely and ahead of schedule.

EQ: What is the near future technology roadmap…Do you see module prices falling by another 30% or so or increase in module efficiency will thus increase module size and thus BOS costs will go down ? GM : The speculation on the cost of the solar plant should disappear for a sustainable solar industry and solar mission. Cost of materials such as modules, mounting systems and other BOS is a “Supply and Demand” aspect. Module prices is a global phenomenon. Components manufactured in India are affected by several factors such

as raw material costs, availability, inflation etc. Inflation is a key factor for India. The inflation related impacts are upwards of 8% plus year on year. The expectation that solar component pricing to decline year on year will eventually lead to the failure of the solar mission. Speculative lower tariffs is a byproduct of this “falling price expectation”. Cost cutting by utilization of lower quality components to meet the “falling price expectation” will result in reduced reliabilities of solar farms and increased Operation, Maintenance and Replacement” costs over the life of the solar asset. Failure of solar assets will happen and result in “lack of faith” by investors leading to lesser or no future “Solar asset investments”. Costs for the mounting systems will not continue to go down unless huge leaps in the module efficiencies are achieved. On the contrary, one should be practical in considering an increase in cost based on inflation alone. Technological advances such as larger modules, higher efficiencies, low concentration PV modules etc., will continue to happen. The cost benefits and risks of such advances will pass on to the industry as they happen. Speculation on lower costs should not be a driving factor for the industry.

EQ: The New Govt Decision of not imposing Anti Dumping Duty and attempt to keep everyone happy…Please share your Opinion? GM : This is a global topic pertaining to “Free trade” and impacted by governmental decisions of multiple countries. The following is my opinion: Anti Dumping duties should not be considered at all in the current scenarios while our domestic PV manufacturing is not where we need to be (capacity, mass production, vertical integration, quality, costs etc.) to sustain and foster the aggressive solar mission. Instead of including an anti dumping duty, the government policies should focus on ways and means to increase and facilitate domestic production. This would mean incentives and other benefits to domestic manufacturers or to developers that utilize domestic content.

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In my opinion, the government should incentivize developers that utilize domestic ally produced technology components such as solar trackers that achieve higher CUF, higher generation, financial and foot print benefits.

EQ New Government Announcements of Ultra Mega Solar Projects, Massive Solar Parks…are we in the right Direction GM : On paper these projects sound good. Such projects have been implemented around the world with success. The ultra mega solar projects and parks are excellent ideas but associated with tremendous infrastructure demands (grids, distribution etc.). The infrastructure challenges, availability of land etc. associated with these projects need to be accommodated. With respect to India, there is a lack of experience of implementation of such projects. We have to achieve success with one such project before we plan many at the same time. Incorporation of lessons learned from a pilot project would immensely benefit the success of future ultra mega projects.

EQ: Does the Solar Industry foresee the Grid Parity in next 2-3 Years GM : The focus should be on creating an environment that fosters sustained growth of the solar industry. When sustained growth happens, investors will and continue to invest in the industry. With abundance of sunshine, an initial capex investment and a continued nominal Operation and Maintenance costs, Solar industry is ideally set to play a dominant role in meeting the electricity needs of India. While Grid Parity should be an eventual goal, it should not be the driving factor for setting up solar policies. Tariffs should be favorable to the investment community to develop this infrastructure. Prices and cost of solar infrastructure is impacted by “Supply and Demand”. Grid parity is a eventual benefit. This will happen. Electricity prices continue to increase due to non availability of raw materials, inflation etc. Grid parity should compare “Apples to Apples”. Cost of power from the different sources is different. Incentives are

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provided to thermal power (coal based) which is currently the highest electricity generation source in the country. Such incentives should be included while comparing grid parity. With continued increase in cost of raw material, inflation etc., cost of electricity through conventional sources continue to rise. These factors will accelerate Grid parity. I will not put a timeline for grid parity. It will happen in the near future with a sustainable solar industry and investor friendly policies. I am of the firm belief that low tariffs being bid by investors (as low as Rs. 5.50) will not result in viable solar projects. These unrealistic low bids with high cost of borrowing should not be construed as having achieved Grid Parity.

EQ: Utility scale market is highly competitive and getting concentrated in few hands…What’s your views GM : Utility scale markets should be in the hands of sustainable developers that continue to invest and grow the solar industry. The highly competitive markets are being established by low bids. The low bids for Solar PV projects are often impacted by factors such as speculation, lack of understanding of the financial metrics, incorporating other benefits (accelerated depreciation) etc. Recent bids in some of the state policies have gotten down to unrealistic levels that viabilities of projects is a serious concern. A significant portion of investment community does not want to participate as these projects do not make financial sense.

EQ: What financing structures/models needs to be discovered to beat the traditional financing structures for renewable energy projects/manufacturing? GM : One has to think outside the box.... The fact is that at 12% plus rate of financing coupled with low tariffs, the project IRR’S (rate of returns) are significantly and negatively impacting the solar industry. In addition to financing for projects, concepts such as better interest rates for performance (on time completion, ahead of schedule completion, higher CUF’s, continued/demonstrated annual generations) should be considered to support the industry and the consistently performing developers.

EQ: What is the near and long term view on manufacturing in India…Does the Global Trade Wars Help? India’s DCR Mandates in JNNSM…Will this be enough? GM : See my response to question number 6. I am certain you are referring to the solar panel manufacturing . The solar industry has quite a few other components apart from panels. It is my opinion that the government should promote domestic manufacturing of such components that are not impacted by the global trade wars. The support to manufacture such components domestically will assist in the sustained growth of the Indian solar industry.

EQ: Will India ever see Polysilicon Manufacturing …What are the challenges in Poly & Wafers Manufacturing in India and how can we overcome them? GM : Vertical integration of the Polysilicon manufacturing comes with a huge initial investment. Unless volumes are available, the time for return on these investments is large. The manufacturers have to be incentivized to compete with the overseas manufacturing. This is a double edged sword. Without triggering the Global trade war, the options available with the government is limited. Incentives have to be given to support domestic manufacturer. This may be in the form of low cost or no cost funding for the infrastructure investment, tax holidays and other benefits for domestic manufacturing, higher tariffs to the developers that utilize domestic content etc. There is a cost of providing for the above incentives. It is my belief that promoting domestic industries will eventually benefit the country both in the short and long term by means of increased jobs, higher GDP, productivity, foreign trade, etc.

EQ: India has over 3GW Installed Solar Assets…Do we see a retrofit market evolving? GM : I will question the 3GW Installed solar assets. How many of them are performing assets. The Indian solar industry is still at an infancy in spite of the supposed

January 2015

3 GW’s of PV installations in the last four years. As with any other nascent industry, the growing pains are yet to be witnessed. Such pains are surfacing in the industry. Investors and Developers are getting a rude awakening with several failures such as panels, inverters, mounting structures, poor installation and maintenance practices. In some cases developers had to reinvest to replace entire or significant components of the plant. Such costs do not bode well for the industry and will certainly eliminate repetitive investments in this sector. To eliminate surprises and to sustain a HEALTHY Solar industry, one has to incorporate a lifecycle cost approach (cost should include wear and tear replacement, equipment lifetime replacement, Operation and maintenance) in the financial benefit calculations and tariff determinations. This market has already evolved. InfiniteERCAM is currently contracted to assist developers with underperforming assets by retrofitting farms with proven InfiniteERCAM single and dual axis trackers. The financial benefits even with the additional cost of tracking systems are huge with quick rate of returns.

EQ: What are the future technology landscape for Inverters and BOS? GM : Inverters: Technological advances will drive the inverter space. Container and larger capacity solutions will be more prevalent in the market place. Fixed tilt mounting systems: Cost cutting is being achieved under the pretext of optimization. The solutions should not be compromised to deliver a cost advantage to the developer. Non corrosive carbon fiber options might come into play. Significant changes to this industry is not foreseen unless significantly higher panel efficiencies and commercially viable low concentration PV solutions are obtained. Single and Dual axis tracking mounting systems: Global acceptance of the tracking systems is getting better and better. As one of the longest tracker companies and a dominant player in this field, we see this market seeing a significant growth

January 2015

and playing a vital role in the Indian solar mission. InfiniteERCAM trackers are the most proven and provide the highest reliability . InfiniteERCAM single axis and dual axis trackers are producing the highest single axis and dual axis outputs in India. Lowest Lifecycle Cost of Electricity Generated (LLCOEG) will be a driver for the solar industry and InfiniteERCAM boasts the lowest cost in the industry in spite of its higher initial costs.

EQ: The NCEF money now being available for Renewable Projects….What’s your Opinion? GM : These are good concepts. The success of this will have to be seen in the next few years. I would be interested in seeing the implementation challenges and success of the NCEF. NCEF funds contemplate benefits for technologically advanced components and products. InfiniteERCAM has not seen any such incentives for its proven tracking systems. Such incentives will help widespread acceptance of such technological advances at a lower cost and the solar mission targets can be cut back since the adoption of the tracking technologies will result in higher CUF’s and higher equivalent electricity generations with lower installed capacities.

EQ: RoofTop Solar Market has been small in last 6 years … what do you think of the rooftop market installations in next 2-3 years. GM : Rooftops is a great option to achieve distributed generation and utilization without a large distribution infrastructure. The cost per watt generation will be significantly higher for the rooftop systems. Net metering and higher incentives/ rebates are essential for this segment to grow. Current policies are deficient. While creating incentives, Government policies should take into account that cost benefits are being achieved by reducing distribution infrastructure and other foot print benefits. Policies from the western worlds that have achieved significant success in this segment should be considered for adoption. In my opinion, this is a significant segment that should not be ignored.

EQ: What do you think about decline of 45% on Oil prices and increasing the cost of tradition power & its impact on clean energy? GM : The cost of increase or decrease of raw materials should not be a factor in the adoption and implementation of clean energy. Such impacts should not be a deterrent to the establishment of sustainable clean energy policies and goals. Clean Energy is the only means to achieve “Energy Independence”. Having stated this the following is my opinion on this topic: With respect to India, oil prices declining 45% has not impacted the end consumer as it has in other parts of the world. The simple reason is that oil and natural gas are subsidized commodities in India. Has everyone seen a 45% drop in the oil prices at the pump or 45% decline in natural gas pricing? The cost of generating power with Diesel has only reduced ractionally. Hence the global decline in oil prices should not be a major factor in the decrease/increase of clean energy costs and the acceptance of clean energy sector.

EQ: Any other issue/topic/question you would like to raise. GM : The Indian Solar industry is one of the largest potential solar markets in the world. Significant global players have been losing interest in the Indian solar market due to several reasons that include lack of a clear and sustainable solar policy that favors the investment community. As a global leader in the solar tracking systems, InfiniteERCAM has setup its operations and manufacturing base in India, bringing the most reliable and proven global tracking technology(from Spain) to India to cater to the Indian solar mission. While we see a lot of promise in the Indian Solar market, we see a lot of areas that the government can assist in streamlining and establishing an investor friendly policy that will fuel this industry.

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SO L A R ENERGY

Solar O&M: Assessing Plant Performance Dr. Jaya Singh, Director, BKC WeatherSys Pvt. Ltd. As the Indian solar power market matures, we now see a demand for accurate solar and weather monitoring. This seems prudent as the long-term viability of any solar power project hinges on the amount of solar radiation incident at a particular area and the micro-climatic conditions prevalent

recently looked at how relative humidity affects plant performance in Gujarat. Wind also impacts the performance of solar power plants and their impact will come to light with time as data from plants in coastal regions of Tamil Nadu become available.

there.

Thus, a critical component for any solar power project is solar weather monitoring and measurement. Although solar weather

In addition, quality of installation is paramount for solar power projects to succeed in the long term. Utility size solar plants must be built to last if they are to address Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s energy deficit. Therefore, assessing plant performance becomes critical to assessing long term viability of solar power plants. Evaluation of Plant Performance for Optimum Utilization As plants become operational, people are evaluating performance, and therefore, accurate solar radiation measurements are critical. It serves as the baseline for how much energy a plant can expect to produce, as the amount of solar radiation incident on a panel is almost directly related to how well the plant is able to convert and harness that radiation into energy. Local environmental conditions affect plant performance. The effect of dust on power production of solar plants in Rajasthan and the unanticipated costs associated with cleaning of panels is well known. Likewise, high ambient temperatures are not always predictive of high performance and module performance starts to decrease with high temperature depending upon the panel technology as we see in plants in Northern India. We have

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monitoring presents a negligible fraction of total project cost (less than 0.1% of total project cost), this aspect is often overlooked over other more capital intensive components. However, in this more mature phase of the Indian solar power industry, we are starting to see a shift in market needs when it comes to solar radiation measurements. In summary, the focus on plant performance where performance depends on the amount of solar radiation incident on panels. This sounds simple, but unfortunately conversations around performance tend to focus on the best way of evaluating it. The bottom line is this: plant performance must be benchmarked against the incoming irradiation. If there is an error

in measurement of incoming radiation, calculations and estimates of losses are meaningless. Solar Resource Assessment A high quality solar weather monitoring station (SWMS) can provide the information on solar radiation and other meteorological parameters which impact the radiation values <Figure 1>. The number of SWMS systems required depends upon the site area and local geography. A basic solar weather monitoring station is comprised of a pyranometer for measuring solar radiation, which can be installed in few different configurations depending upon the aim to measure tilted global horizontal irradiance (TGHI), global horizontal irradiance (GHI) and/or diffused horizontal irradiance (DHI) as it done in most PV plants. A pyrheliometer is needed for measuring direct normal irradiance (DNI) in CSP projects. Apart from measuring solar radiation, as meteorological measurement also play an important role on solar radiation, an SWMS will also include temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, barometric pressure, and rain sensors. The output from these sensors can be viewed directly on a data logger, be viewed remotely using GSM telemetry, and also be directly integrated in to a SCADA system. The installation should be done precisely for obtaining meaningful data from these instruments. In addition, basic maintenance

January 2015

45Â

like cleaning the dome of pyranometers should be carried on a daily basis. Routine checks should include examining the condition of desiccants and leveling as per the site condition. It is worth mentioning that two technologies are available for measuring solar irradiance- photoelectric pyranometers and thermoelectric (thermopile) detectorbased pyranometers. Photoelectric pyranometers are less expensive than thermopile instruments and are widely used in agricultural based applications where high accuracy may not be required. Apart from irradiance measurement, sunshine recorders provide a less expensive, but also less accurate method of collecting sun strength and duration data.

PV Module Performance in the Field Extrapolation of performance ratios based on Standard Test Conditions specified for PV panels is prone to error. As Standard Test Conditions (1000 W/m² of solar radiation, 25 °C, Air Mass 1.5 and no wind) vary widely from real world field conditions, additional measurements using pyranometers and/or reference cells are required to monitor PV performance. Monitoring solar radiation under field

powder coated in light color, as darker colors like red absorb the heat which radiates and can affect the output of the radiometer. Routine maintenance such as cleaning dust from the dome of a pyranometer, and changing desiccant where applicable, also becomes critical. Furthermore, all radiation measurement equipment require calibration after certain years of use in the field. We routinely get requests for assessing currently installed solar radiation monitoring

A Typical Solar Weather Monitoring Station should include: • Pyranometer for measuring solar radiation • Thermometer for measuring ambient air temperature • Anemometer for measuring wind speed • Wind vane for measuring wind direction • Relative humidity for measuring humidity • Barometer for measuring atmospheric pressure • Rain Gauge for measuring equivalent precipitation • Module temperature for measuring temperature of modules • Dust particulate sensor for measuring dust particles

conditions is not only is critical for evaluating performance, but also gives important inputs for maintenance and operational decisions. For example, pyranometers mounted at the tilt angle of the panel array can be used to calculate the array’s efficiency. While a gradual decline of efficiency may indicate a need for cleaning panels, a sudden drop of efficiency could signal failing panels. Maintenance and Calibration are Key It is not sufficient to procure good quality instrumentation. Installation becomes key. We encounter situations in the field where an incorrectly mounted pyranometer, poor

• Mast / Tripod for mounting above accessories

cabling, or poor site selection, shading with change of seasons, leads to nonsensical values of performance ratios as the input radiation parameters for calculation of performance is incorrect.

• Power supply for powering the system on 24x7 basis

Seemingly minor things purlin mounting for a pyranometer should preferably be

• Data logger for all sensors integration

January 2015

equipment and our recommendations have a large bearing on the accuracy of measurements and consequently, on the evaluating performance of a plant. Summary Accurate measurement of incoming radiation is critical to assessing plant performance. WMO certified, NIST traceable instruments when installed, maintained and calibrated correctly, represent perhaps the highest yielding component on investment in solar plants.

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Solar Hybrid Power Generators Addresses Your Power Needs Srinivasa C P & Shashi Kumar, Go Green Solutions Envisioned Green Culture is really making

Mr. Dinesh wanted to be fully independent as

lies in its Hybrid Nature. It gets automatically

Grid Parity Practically Possible through New

far as his energy requirements were concerned

synced with Solar, Battery Storage, Grid, Wind

Generation Solar Hybrid Inverters, which

and never wanted to apply for a BESCOM

and DG to Power Load.

effectively utilizes Solar Energy to Suffice

(Bangalore Electricity Supply Company)

One’s Residential/Commercial Power Demands

connection.

during Peak and Non – Peak Time.

Hybrid Technology came as the perfect

Not many would have embraced this green

solution. The Hybrid Device is Trendy ‘n’ Wall

culture, but Mr. Dinesh from Bangalore is an

Mountable, apart from consuming less than 1.8

exception who was against and said “No” to

Watts in standby mode.

Grid and solarized his newly constructed twin houses, which was equipped with all modern amenities.

A detailed holistic view of the house including the load will surprise each one of us and flags a question “Can the power demand of this house be met by Solar Energy Alone?”

It not only works as a power generator, but also dons the role of a back-up system and grid export unit. “The uniqueness of the inverter

SOL AR OFF G RID & ROOF TOP

Zero Grid Concept for a Residence in Bangalore

Specification of Twin Houses A & B Floor

Floor Specification

Ground Parking Space in Front, Small Living Room, Guest ,Bed Room & Common Bathroom

Energy Efficient Equipment’s

LED Fans

First Living Room with Balcony, Pooja Room, Kitchen and Bed Room with Attached Bathroom

LED Fans Faber Chimney Samsung Refrigerator 400 Lts. (276 Units Consumption/Year) Samsung 48 Inches Curved LED TV (150 Watts Consumption)

Second

2 Ton Inverter Ready AC from Daikin.

2 Bed Rooms with Attached Bathrooms

& Store Room

LED Fans

Third Home Theatre with Lobby & Common Bathroom

LED

Fourth Open Terrace

Fans Pressurized Pump 300 Litres Solar Water

Heater (To meet the hot water requirement of the house)

Note: Both the Houses are having Sumps with Pumps rated above 1 HP to lift water to overhead tank and one of the house is having an additional Bore well, to meet scarcity of water for both the houses in case of emergency.

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January 2015

Above Question has been answered with a big “Yes” and it’s completely solarized since September 22nd 2014. Hybrid Solar System Specification x 2 Units, which is supporting the Needs of these Twin Houses 2. System Component

During low solar feed, deficit power

to load is fed by Battery Automatically.

Details

Inverter Solar Hybrid Inverter with Rated Output of

4KW

Brim EXCESS POWER can be exported

Solar Array

4650 Watts (310 Watts * 15 No’s)

Energy Storage in Battery Banks 21 Units Adequate Protection for

Solar Array,Inverter,Battery

Load connected to the Inverter

If Load is Less, Battery is to the

to GRID (If Grid Connection & Policy is in place).

Continuous Micro-controller

monitoring offering adequate protection to Load and Inverter itself.

Average Generation Capacity in Units / Day is 10 - 17 Units (Depending on the Load Usage)

4. Even 8 KW has a maximum Battery Bank of 4 No’s considering the safety of Human Beings and Animals.

turned on (Except Bore well Motor) for a family of 4. But the observed daily usage pattern by family is far less than the peak load at a given point of time. Below Graph Depicts the Intentional Testing of System by Customer using Peak Load.

which is paving the way on how we want to effectively utilize Solar Energy for

Recorded Peak load of the house hovers at 3.6 – 4 KW, when all the equipment’s were

Yes, the Hybrid Technology has arrived,

Systems Working Logic, which Aligns with Specific Needs of Residential Space

our needs, without having to rely on ever

To sum it up “Green Power is indeed

SOLAR Array feeds power to the

load directly and charges batteries efficiently (If required) through Vario Track with

increasing and unreliable Grid Supply.

becoming a proposition for future power needs”

intelligent monitoring.

Other Highlights of the Hybrid System are: 1. Highly Programmable to manage Critical (which runs 24/7) and Non-Critical Load. A Big+ (For E.g., With Auxiliary Contact & Real Time Clock Monitoring one can turn on Motors/Washing Machine @ 12 Noon everyday) 2. Battery is Touched/Utilized only when it is required, ensuring long life of Battery considering its huge replacement cost. 3. Inverters can be scaled up to support additional load without altering battery bank and Solar Array. 48

January 2015

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Vaman Kuber, Solar Systems Solutions PV power system testing is not testing its individual components but ensuring that all components are well integrated and the system performs to the expectation. For example, in a simple solar LED light, the system performance is the daily energy delivered to LED for the available solar insolation and is a function of PV output and system efficiency governed by combined

to rated PV energy for one battery cycle to determine system efficiency. The power losses in system wiring can be determined using current source and Multimeter. In a MW PV power plant, the annual energy generation depends on available solar insolation, weather parameters,

number of system loss factors from module through to power evacuation. Elaborate monitoring arrangements are required to identify effects of individual loss factors. The PR is a function of how well the system is integrated, eg. MPPT tracking and Inverter operating efficiency depends on DC input voltage and power level, dynamic MPPT tracking efficiency, DC to AC conversion efficiency and efficiency of inverter cooling. A typical system loss diagram shows total system loss of 24% in a large-scale PV plant.

controller, battery and driver efficiency under prevailing operating conditions. Therefore, the complete system needs to be tested for its performance evaluation and optimization in addition to testing and certification of individual components. There is also need for overall system warranty in addition to warranty for PV module, battery, LED and driver. Typically, PV output, Battery input/ output and Load output are tested and specified in an off-grid PV system. However, The system performance depends on maximum utilization of PV for a given battery State of Charge (SOC) and load profile. The battery SOC needs to be monitored for given load current and battery temperature, and PV charge current needs to be optimized for improved system performance. The number of hours of load operation needs to be optimized for a given peak sun hours (PSH) of solar insolation and battery SOC. Optimum sizing and integration of PV, Controller, Battery and Load control the overall system efficiency. One of the tests can be to monitor battery input Wh to full charge and output Wh to cutoff level and evaluate battery efficiency. The energy delivered to load can be compared

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system efficiency of the plant, PV module degradation, and plant O&M and grid conditions. The commonly used plant performance measure in the industry is Capacity Utilization Factor (CUF) or Plant Load Factor (PLF). The CUF is a ratio of actual energy generated by the plant to its potential energy generation capacity assuming 24x7 operation. As the solar PV plant operates only during the day, CUF is not a true indicator of plant performance. As CUF value depends on available solar insolation and weather parameters, it is useful in selection of location for a given PV technology. For a given location, CUF is useful in selection of PV technology. Contrary to CUF, The plant performance ratio (PR) is not commonly used by the industry, although it is a true index of plant performance. The PR is defined as a ratio of actual energy generated by the plant to its rated or modeled energy. Both actual and rated energy are functions of solar insolation and PR is largely independent of amount of solar insolation. The PV plant PR primarily depends on quality of the system governed by a

Testing and identification of some of the key loss factors such as module mismatch, thermal and soiling loss and DC cabling loss is required for optimization of overall plant performance. The PR of PV plant varies with quality of solar insolation, angle of incidence, ambient temperature, dust and other environment parameters. As PR is both a function of system efficiency and environment, measure of PR is an insufficient metric for performance guarantee with precise confidence intervals. For example, on a cloudy day, the reduced generation can be due to reduced insolation levels and also due to reduced module efficiency under diffuse radiation. When PR calculations are corrected for seasonal weather variations, corrected PR can be used to predict monthto-month energy generation for the given system design and weather file. Also, system performance shortfalls can be addressed on

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49Â

SO L A R ENERGY

Need for System Testing, Monitoring and Certification for PV Power Plants

month-to-month basis. Typically, bankers and clients require plant generation guarantee. As generation depends on both solar insolation and plant performance, the confidence intervals for generation guarantee cannot be precise. On the other hand, the weather corrected PR can provide performance guarantee within stipulated confidence intervals. Under the regime of generation guarantee, poor performance of the plant may not be noticed in a period with higher solar insolation. Whereas, performance guarantee implies higher generation when higher insolation is available. Also, better plant performance implies more generation for a given solar insolation. Thus, performance guarantee is more beneficial to the customer than the generation guarantee.

5% AC losses), 1MWp rated plant typically has 680kW DC output and 640kW AC output for POA radiation value of 800W/m2. It is essential that POA radiation monitor (pyranometer) is installed in a no-shadow zone, its calibration is checked at periodic intervals and its glass dome is cleaned on daily basis for reliable POA radiation value. The PV module health check can be done using cell line checker, insulation test, thermographic imaging and I/V characterization at known POA radiation and module back surface temperature.

The PR is also governed by installation, operation and maintenance conditions. Therefore, testing, continuous monitoring and optimization of PR is a key to the longterm success of a PV power plant. A set of functional tests, capacity tests and short term performance tests are designed for plant acceptance, while long term performance tests are useful in assessment of annual plant generation and plant performance across various locations and technologies. Appropriate tests have to be chosen to meet requirements of various stakeholders, eg. EPC requires a capacity test under a range of insolation conditions, off-taker requires max. installed AC capacity tests, while O&M Contractor requires longterm energy tests. ` The type of tests required to evaluate performance of a large size PV power plant are visual system checks, safety and quality checks, DC and AC electrical voltage, current and power tests, solar radiation and weather monitoring, DC and AC energy measurements. A simple plant performance test can be to monitor plant DC power output at inverter input and plant AC output power at control panel. For a plant performing to 80% system efficiency (15% DC losses and 50Â

January 2015

IEA PVPS has prescribed two system performance tests; one uses ongoing performance data over a period of time from site data acquisition system while the other uses I/V curve measurements at the site. The test procedures, criteria and accuracies will require customization to suit Indian test conditions. PV Global Acceptance Program (GAP) established PV Quality Mark for components and PV Quality Seal for systems in 1998. The program ownership has been transferred to IECEE and Electrosuisse in Switzerland appointed as a new legal owner. Products displaying the PV Quality Seal and PV Quality Mark are recognized as fulfilling state of the art requirements, and are manufactured according to IEC International Standards for safety, quality and performance. Tests also include aging and impact resistance, endurance, and energy efficiency, all geared to secure long-term PV product and system reliability. The VDE Institute performs certifications all over the world in line with the IECEE- CB-FCS certification program. Based on this certification, the PV GAP seal

or the PV GAP mark can be awarded by the Association of European Photovoltaic Industry (EPIA) and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). MNRE has prescribed Solar PV lighting systems specifications, however, these do not include any systems level test and certification requirements. These specifications are predominantly for testing of individual components. JNNSM phase 2 batch 2 guidelines specify a range of IEC certifications for various components. The remote monitoring of solar radiation, weather parameters, plant DC energy and AC energy is specified for the systems. However, DC and AC plant performance needs to be analyzed based on above data. IEC 61724 specifies guidelines for PV system performance measurement, data exchange and analysis. IEC 61724 recommends procedures for the monitoring of energy-related PV system characteristics such as in-plane irradiance, array output, storage input and output and load voltage & current. Various alarms are specified for KPIs: Tolerance of rated power, aging of modules, reflection losses, soiling, shadowing, thermal losses, wiring losses, inverter and transformer efficiencies and MPP tracking performance. IEC 62446 specifies minimum requirements for documentation, commissioning tests, and inspection of grid connected PV systems . IEC 62548 specifies design safety requirements for PV arrays including DC array wiring, electrical protection devices, switching and earthing provisions for both off-grid and on-grid systems. IEC 62124 recommends PV standalone systems design verification checks: functionality, autonomy and ability to recover after periods of low state of charge of the battery. We recommend IEC 62548, IEC 62446 and IEC 61724 as basic PV system design and testing standards to be adopted in India to ensure quality design, installation, and ongoing performance of PV power plants. IEC 62124 may also be adopted for standalone systems. In the long run, we may consider PV GAP certification to ensure international level product and system safety, quality and performance.

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SO L A R EN ERGY

Utility Scale IPPs: Cost of Capital & Scale Rahul Goswami,Managing Director, Greenstone Investment Bank

arge Indian conglomerates

smaller developer with the same PPA tariff

are better positioned than

will earn a 13% IRR, as opposed to a larger

smaller ones to capitalize on

developer which earns a 17% IRR).

the growth in the Indian solar market due to a lower cost of capital and their larger scale. We believe that middle-tier groups and

Recent policy changes in solar bidding

emerging developers will likely continue to

exacerbate this advantage. Such changes

witness pressure on project returns.

specify minimum bid sizes (in some cases 50 MW) or use existing portfolios as a basis for maximum bid size. This is a marked change

For the majority of developers, interest

from previous policy of capping project sizes,

rates from local Indian banks range from

such as the 5 MW limit in the first phase

12-13%. However, larger groups benefit

of the National Solar Mission. The new

from a 1-2% discount on this rate. These

policy purposefully favors larger and more

larger groups are also able to secure longer

serious players in the market, rather than

for projects and finance corporate growth.

tenors under more aggressive sizing metrics.

encouraging new participants. Overall, this

Rahul has over 9 years of experience in

Balance sheet strength, consequently, is a

impact will be positive for the sector as

renewable energy financing and has closed

key driver of value in our view.

solar auctions will likely be won by credible

over 50 transactions representing more

participants bidding at scale.

than $6bn of capital commitments. He is now focused on the Indian market and is one of the few investment banks exclusively

The difference in module and EPC costs also significantly impact project return.

About Rahul Goswami

We have observed substantial capital cost

B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with a

savings on a levelized basis for projects in excess of 100 MW versus projects which are

Rahul Goswami is an investment banker

under 20 MW in size. The overall benefit

focused exclusively in the alternative energy

to return (IRR), including low cost debt,

space. His firm works with solar, wind and

can be as much as 500 basis points (e.g. a

hydroelectric developers to raise capital

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specialized in the sector today. Rahul holds a

concentration in Finance.

January 2015

51Â

REN EWA BL E ENERGY

TECHNICAL DUE DILIGENCE FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS David Hawkins Director - Asia Pacific, OST Energy

Introduction Renewable energy projects can be an attractive investment proposition. They are typically capital-intensive, discrete projects with most of the risks locked in at commencement and are therefore suitable for non-recourse funding. However the technology basis and industry knowledge for renewable energy projects are varied and developing as rapidly as the legislative regimes they sit within. Projects have a high dependence on local environmental and social conditions.

Risk Categories The principle areas of risk for a renewable project can be broken down into these categories: 1. Project consents: particularly the project approvals and permitting status, the grid connection arrangements, and the land options. 2. Project site: characteristics and suitability of the site in technical,

These characteristics require a rigorous technical due diligence process that builds on best international practice applied to the specific requirements of a renewable energy project.

From a financial perspective, a project’s financial model or pro-forma is the heart of the investment proposition: it predicts the cash flows that will provide investors with a return. Due Diligence checks that technical cash flow assumptions are realistic and that the range of possible inputs and sensitivities are considered. Even where the parties are experienced there is real value in getting the opinion of an independent specialist.

January 2015

Project consents, including permitting and development approvals, are binary requirements that drive project execution feasibility. At the final technical due diligence stage of the project all major consents should be in place, and the conditions of the consent and surrounding arrangements need to be evaluated.

• Inspection of the site and its surroundings • Environmental Impact Assessment • Site surveys including topographic and drainage, geotechnical and access • Social impact studies including changes in employment and land use. environmental and social contexts. 3. Resource: the quantity and quality of sun or wind or biofuel. It’s a category that is unique to renewable projects which follow the availability of a variable resource rather than assuming a constant availability of fossil fuel. 4. Yield: the energy generation resulting from the combination of resource input and the energy conversion efficiency of the technology. 5. Technology: renewable energy is characterised by a wide variety of technology groups, subsets and combinations, many of them evolving rapidly. 6. S t a k e h o l d e r s : p r i n c i p a l stakeholders are typically the Developer, EPC contractor and O&M contractor. Their capabilities and track record have a strong influence on the success of a project. 7.

1. Project consents

Project site specific risks can be assessed from:

It discusses different categories of risk, how risk profile varies between technologies and some potential mitigations.

The simplest definition of due diligence is the identification of project risks and mitigations. It can also be visualised as bridging the commercial and the technical aspects of a project. It is important to confirm that the technical details align with the commercial context and to communicate any risks clearly to decision makers who are not necessarily technical experts.

The above should be reviewed for binary risks compromising the viability of the project, risks which may affect the cash flows of the project and independently evaluated to ensure robust financial analysis of the project.

2. Project site

This paper presents a brief overview of technical due diligence in the context of renewable power projects generally and how, if properly undertaken, it can act not only as a go/no go barrier to financing but add real value for all project stakeholders.

What is Due Diligence?

documentation that formalises the responsibilities of different parties.

Agreements: the contractual

• Stakeholder support: this can be either a project liability or a project asset. Renewables are more in the public eye than many conventional power plant and need to integrate with the local community and landscape. These aspects are often overlooked but vital to secure financing and also ensure successful, robust execution and operation. Environmental and Social Assessments should be undertaken to Equator Principles and World Bank Standards.

3. Resource Natural sun and wind resources are variable over short, medium and long timeframes. Resource is site specific. In some locations a few kilometres can make a significant difference. For wind and solar projects a Typical Meteorological Year (TMY) dataset is generated from a mixture of site measured data, nearby ground measured data and satellite observations. For solar projects

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it is often possible to rely on existing data sources, although site data will decrease uncertainty. Because of the strong effect of local terrain, wind projects need at least a year of onsite measurements. Based on statistical analysis it is possible to predict the P50, P90 and P99 resource levels.

4. Yield Yield is the production generated by the plant, typically measured in MWh per year, which drives the revenue stream.

6. Stakeholders The roles of stakeholders are often combined, for example it is desirable for an EPC contractor to take on an O&M role during the early stages of a project. With increasing levels of vertical integration in the industry worldwide, vendors are taking the role of developers and sometimes also EPC and O&M contractors. Key characteristics for evaluation of a developer or contractor are: •

Track Record

In simple terms yield can be considered as the product of the available resource and the project’s characteristic efficiency. For PV, the efficiency metric is Performance Ratio (PR), for wind it is determined by the turbine power curve. However, yield is influenced not only by the efficiency of components but also their detailed characteristics and configuration including oversizing and any energy storage. Actual yield is also directly dependent on plant availability which is closely linked with grid availability, O&M effectiveness, and technology risk. Other ambient conditions apart from the input resource can also affect yield including air temperature, icing, precipitation, wind speed and dust.

5. Technology There is a diverse range of renewable generation technologies with many variations, and continuous development and innovation both technically and commercially. Renewable technologies are not all created equal and it is important to understand not only the different performance characteristics but also the different risk profiles, which in some cases will not be realised until later in a project’s life. In this context “bankability” is related not so much to technical brilliance as track record, robustness and the overall commercial package provided including warranties. In general the technology risk profile of most PV projects compares well with onshore wind; CSP and biomass are often more challenging. Financing is achievable for a wide variety of renewable technologies but variation in risk profile drives varying degrees of commercial support and costs of capital. This risk profile variation and its rapid evolution emphasises the value of using specialised Technical Advisors with best in class international experience.

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recognised bankability principles.

Mitigations Finally, a very quick look at the mitigations available to address these risks. As mentioned previously, due diligence should not be seen only as a go/no-go gate and the first mitigation can often be early input from an Independent Engineer. Much of the yield, resource and site assessment required under due diligence can be undertaken early in the development process. Using an Independent Engineer not only minimises effort and the potential for later surprises but also adds value for the developer’s own approval process.

Risks of delay and performance are usually allocated to the EPC, including liquidated damages calculated to maintain the project return in the case of a shortfall. •

Corporate capability including resources and processes

•

The experience and skills of the execution team proposed

• Evidence of planning and risk assessment

7. Agreements A typical suite of contract agreements includes: •

EPC Contract

•

Operation and Maintenance

Contract , sometimes also

Technical Asset Management

•

Network Connection Agreement

•

Power Purchase Agreement

•

Leases and rights of way

It may seem strange to consider contract agreements as a source of risk but they often are, either by silence, ambiguity or conflict. The agreements are also a principle mechanism for risk mitigation. In particular, technical as well as legal attention should be paid to the division of responsibilities, tie-in points and the definition and enforceability of acceptance criteria, particularly guarantees, warranties and liquidated damages. This is especially important where related entities are taking roles on both side of an agreement.

Mitigations on the Owner’s side include appropriate contingencies and maintenance reserve account s. For innovative technologies, preliminary demonstration and staging of projects can reduce risk. Performance and availability risks can be mitigated by vendor assessments and inspections before and during manufacture. Another effective mitigation for Owners or Lenders to a project is the continued involvement of an Independent Engineer through construction and into operation of the plant. Typically this includes construction monitoring, milestone certification and verification of acceptance testing including 1 and 2 year performance results. The important principal behind all of these mitigations is this: that prevention is better than cure, because ultimately it is in the interests of all parties for renewable energy projects to be successful.

About the author David Hawkins is Director, Asia Pacific for OST Energy, an award winning, global independent engineering consultancy specialising in technical advisory for the renewable energy market, offering a complete package of services for Investors, Lenders, IPP, Utilities and Developers.

An experienced Technical Advisor can also add value by commenting on the risk allocations and protections in the context of current international best practice and

January 2015

P O L I CY & REGUL A T I O N S

MNRE:Setting Up Of 25 Solar Parks The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy

the state Governments against which 12

States which have sent written request for

has initiated scheme for setting up of 25

states have given consent for setting up of

setting up Solar Power Park/Ultra Mega

Solar Parks, each with the capacity of 500

Solar Parks. This was stated by Sh. Piyush

Solar Power Projects are given below:-

MW and above, to b e developed in next

Goyal, Minister of state for Power, Coal &

5 years in various States. The Ministry has

New and Renewable Energy (Independent

sent scheme for Development of Solar Park

Charge) in a written reply to a question in

to various States along with MOU to all

the Lok Sabha today.

S. No. State

Capacity of Solar Park (approximately)

Land Identified at

Gujarat

750 MW

Taluka- Vav, Distt.-Banaskantha

Madhya Pradesh

750 MW +750 MW

Rewa-Distt.

3 Telangana 1000 MW Mehboob Nagar-Distt. 4

Andhra Pradesh

2500 MW

Anantpur-Distt, Kadapa and Kurnool

Karnataka

1000 MW

Mulwar, Bijapur (near Kargi)

Uttar Pradesh

600 MW

District-Jalaun, Sonbhadra and Allahabad

Meghalaya

50 MW

University of Science and Technology, 9thMile,

near Guwahati, Meghalaya 8

Jammu & Kashmir

7500 MW

Leh and Kargil

Punjab

1000 MW +1000 MW

District-wise land identified

Rajasthani. i)Bhadla Phase-II, ii.

700MW

Bhadla Phase-III, iii. 1000 MW,

Jaisalmer Park Phase-I, iv. 1000 MW

Jaisalmer Park Phase-II

1000 MW District - Bhadla and Jaisalmer

Tamil Nadu

500 MW

Location yet to be identified

Odisha

1000 MW

Location yet to be identified

Total

22,100 MW

The Minister further stated that the estimated cost for development of solar park would be around Rs.0.95 Cr./MW. Solar Power Plants of various capacities would be set up by Solar Power Developers in the Park. The developers would be selected through bidding process under Central/State Schemes. As per tariff determined for the year 2014-15 by Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), the capital cost of Grid connected solar PV project is Rs. 6.91 Cr./MW.

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January 2015

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1. Background India, with its large population and rapidly growing economy, needs access to clean, cheap and reliable sources of energy. India lies in the high solar insolation region, endowed with huge solar energy potential with most of the country having about 300 days of sunshine per year with annual mean daily global solar radiation in the range of 4 - 6 kWh/m2 /day. Solar power projects can be set up anywhere in the country, however the scattering of solar power projects leads to higher project cost per MW and higher transmission losses. Individual projects of smaller capacity incur significant expenses in site development, drawing separate transmission lines to nearest substation, procuring water and in creation of other necessary infrastructure. Also it takes a long time for project developers to acquire land, get change of land use and various permissions, etc.which delays the project. The solar park is a concentrated zone of development of solar power generation projects and provides developers an area that is well characterized, with proper infrastructure and access to amenities and where the risk of the projects can be minimized. Solar Park will also facilitate developers by reducing the number of required approvals. Starting with the ‘Charanka Solar Park’ in Gujarat, and closely followed by the ‘Bhadla Solar Park’ in Rajasthan, solar parks have quickly emerged as a powerful mechanism for the rapid development of solar power projects in the country. These parks have obtained their initial impetus from the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), which provided the policy framework and roadmap for solar power development in the country.

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Charanka Solar Park in Gujarat is the first-of-its-kind large scale solar park in India with contiguous developed land, transmission connectivity and provision of other amenities and infrastructure. A solar power developer can get fully developed land along with transmission and other facilities and can, therefore, set up a power project immediately. The Charanka Solar Park has a capacity of 590 MW, out of which 224 MW has already been commissioned by 20 developers. The solar parks in Gujarat and Rajasthan not only enable the states to meet their policy targets for solar power and solar renewable purchase obligations, they also contribute towards the ambitious targets put in place by the JNNSM. In addition, the clean power generated by these solar projects play a role in reducing India’s carbon footprint, promote high end technology investments, provide employment and empower local communities. MNRE, through this scheme will target development of similar solar park across India. 5 Large size projects have a potential to bring down the cost of Solar Power. Therefore, Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects having capacity of 500 MW or above have been planned in India. Large chunks of land are available in some States for solar park development. There are some developers who are keen to individually take up very large projects. Land has so far been identified in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Meghalaya, J&K (Leh and Kargil), Punjab and Rajasthan.

2. Proposal MNRE through this scheme plans to set up 25 solar parks, each with a capacity of 500 MW and above; thereby targeting around 20000 MW of solar power installed capacity. These solar parks will be set up within in a span of 5 years commencing from

2014-15 and the solar projects may then come up as per demand and interest shown by developers. At the State level, the solar parks will enable the States to bring in significant investment from project developers, meet its Solar Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) mandate and provide employment opportunities to local population. The State will also reduce its carbon footprint by avoiding emissions equivalent to the solar park’s installed capacity and generation. Further, the State will also avoid procuring expensive fossil fuels to power conventional power plants. The solar park will provide a huge impetus to solar energy generation by acting as a flagship demonstration facility to encourage project developers and investors, prompting additional projects of similar nature, triggering economies of scale for costreductions, technical improvements and achieving large scale reductions in GHG emissions. Some Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects may be set up in these Parks or the entire park may individually be an Ultra Mega Solar Power Project. 2.1 Applicability: All the States and Union Territories are eligible for benefits under the scheme. 2.2 Capacity: Park to be taken up for development should be of capacity of 500 MW and above. Smaller parks in Himalayan & other hilly States where contiguous land may be difficult to acquire in view of the difficult terrain will also be considered. Smaller parks may also be considered in States where there is acute shortage of non-agricultural lands.

3. Implementing agency The solar parks will be developed in collaboration with the State Governments & their agencies. The MNRE Nodal Agency would be Solar Energy Corporation of India

January 2015

P O L I CY & REGUL A T I O N

Scheme For Development of Solar Parks and Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects

(SECI) on behalf of Government of India (GOI). SECI will handle funds to be made available under the scheme on behalf of GOI. SECI will administer the scheme under the direction from MNRE.6 The States applying under the scheme will have to designate an agency for the development of solar park. Solar parks are envisaged to be developed in the following four modes:(i) Mode 1: The State designated nodal agency undertakes the development & management of the solar park. This agency could be a State Government Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) or a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) of the State Government. (ii) Mode 2: A Joint Venture Company is set up between State designated nodal agency and SECI for the development & management of solar park with 50% equity from SECI and 50% equity from the State Government Agency (State Government may also allow more than one agency provided total equity from State Government remains 50%). (iii) Mode 3: The State designates SECI as the nodal agency and SECI undertakes the development and management of solar park on behalf of State Government on mutually agreed terms. (iv) Mode 4: Private entrepreneurs promote solar parks without any equity participation from SECI, but may have equity participation from the State Government or its agencies. The Implementing Agency or Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), as identified under the provisions at (i) to (iv) above, shall undertake following activities to achieve the objective of speedy establishment and implementation of Solar Power Parks in the States:i. Plan, finance, develop, execute, operate and maintain the Solar Power Park ii. Identify potential site and acquire/ leasehold/possess land for Solar Power Park iii. Carry out site related studies/ investigations

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iv. Obtain statutory & non statutory clearances and to make area development plan within Solar Power Park. v. Design a plan for sharing development cost between the developers. vi. Create necessary infrastructure like water, transmission lines, roads, drainage etc. to facilitate Solar Power Project developer for faster implementation of Solar Power Projects vii. Frame out transparent plot allotment policy and specify procedures pursuant to the relevant State policies and their amendments thereof. viii. Provide directives for technologyspecific land requirements ix. Engage the services of national agencies/ global experts/consultants to promote Solar Power Park and related activities. x. Facilitate the State Government to establish educational institutions/training facilities within Solar Power Park for development of manpower skill related to Solar Power7 xi. Include any other activity related to Solar Power Park, such as manufacturing as per the directives from MNRE and the State Government. xii. Conduct necessary evaluation of environmental and social impacts of utility scale solar deployment as per law and before allocating the land to prospective developers. All infrastructural requirements outside the park such as connecting road, provision of water supply, construction electricity, etc. to make the park functional, will be the sole responsibility of the concerned State Government.

4. Land acquisition / Site selection Land for the setting up of the solar park will be identified by the State Government unless the implementing agency has its own land. It will be the responsibility of the State Government to make the land available. States are encouraged to identify sites receiving good solar radiation and sites which are closer to CTU (i.e. Power Grid

Corporation of India Limited), preferably locations with spare transmission capacities and water availability. The park must have at least 5 Acres per MW towards installation of solar projects and will give opportunity for all technologies in a technologically agnostic fashion. In order to provide for such a large tract of contiguous land with appropriate insolation levels, the state government may prioritize the use of government waste/nonagricultural land in order to speed up the acquisition process. It will be preferred if most of the required land is Government owned and very little private land is to be acquired. The price of the land is to be kept as low as possible in order to attract the developers and, therefore, the site should be selected in such a manner so that inexpensive land can be made available. If land cannot be made available in one location, then land in few locations in close vicinity may be taken. Possibility of using cold and hot deserts, sides of highways can also be actively explored.

5. Facilities to be provided The solar park will provide specialized services to incentivize private developers to invest in solar energy in the park. These services while not being unique to the park, are provided in a central, one-stop-shop, single window format, making it easier for investors to implement their projects within the park in a significantly shorter period of time, as compared to projects outside the park which would have to obtain these services individually. On the Charanka pattern, the implementing agency is tasked with acquiring the land for the Park, cleaning it, levelling it and allocating the plots for individual projects. Apart from this, the agency will also be entrusted with providing the following facilities to the solar project developers for the development of the solar park:i. Land approved for installation of solar power plants and necessary permissions including change of land use etc. ii. Road connectivity to each plot of land iii. Water availability for construction as well as running of power plants and demineralization plant

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iv. Flood mitigation measures like flood discharge, internal drainage etc. v. Construction power vi. Telecommunication facilities vii. Transmission facility consisting pooling station (with 400/220, 220/66 KV switchyard and respective transformers) to allow connection of individual projects with pooling station through a network of underground cables or overhead lines. viii. Housing facility for basic manpower wherever possible ix. Parking, Warehouse etc. The solar park will be a large contiguous stretch of land with high insolation levels, saving the private developer from making the effort of identifying the ideal site for the plant. In addition, the site within the park is already levelled and developed reducing these costs for the project developer. In addition, the Park will provide road access (both approach roads and smaller access roads to individual plots), water (via a dedicated reservoir located within the premises), boundary fence and security, each of which would have entailed additional costs for the developer outside the park. Each of these specialized services offer significant benefits to the developers but come at a premium. Land plots within the solar park are more expensive than outside. But this premium is easily justifiable by these services, which are bundled into the land cost. However, the most important benefit from the park for the private developer is the significant time saved. The centralized, single window nature of the services within the park reduces the time between project conceptualization and operations, translating into economic and real monetary gains for the private developers and the State. Centralized Weather Monitoring Station would be set-up by the implementing agency so as to provide weather data to the projects in the solar parks.

implementing the programme will get the land developed and provide necessary infrastructure like road connectivity, transmission infrastructure etc. Significant investments will also be made in the operation & maintenance of the solar park, employing staff and other activities like marketing etc. The entire cost of development including cost involved in acquisition of land will form the total cost for the project for which an estimate will be prepared beforehand by the nodal agency. Based on this estimate the implementing agency will formulate a recovery model to ensure the sustainability of the park. The implementing agency may raise the funds as follows: The implementing agency may give wide publicity and have a process of registration for prospective developers to register so that the demand for the solar park can be assessed.  The implementation agency may sell/ lease out the plots to prospective project developers. Lease period shall be of 30 years or as per State land 9 policy. The Allotment Price per metre square (inclusive of all applicable taxes, duties, cess etc.) payable by the plot applicant for the applications must be specified in a transparent manner. The allotment price may be reviewed annually and an annual increment may also be specified. The maximum stretch of plot to be allotted will be decided as per the benchmarks finalized by the implementing agency.  A one-time registration fee (per project or per MW) may be collected by inviting applications from the prospective buyers when the scheme is finalized, land identified and marked. An advance may be collected from the prospective buyers when 50% of

the land is acquired. This advance will be 10% of the sale price or lease amount. Another instalment of 25% of the price of land or lease amount may be taken when full land is acquired. Further instalments of 10% each time may be collected while plot are being developed. Final 15% of the price of land or lease amount may be collected at the time of allotment of the plot to the buyer.  The implementing agency may put in some of its own equity and can raise loans, depending on the availability of funds and requirement. The subsidy of MNRE under the scheme would bring down the cost of the project to that extent. The SPV will also create a small corpus for working capital to ensure upkeep and maintenance in the future, which may be supplemented with some annual charges. The implementing agency may change the above plan if it is in the interest of the solar park.

7. MNRE support The State Government will first nominate the implementing agency for the solar park and also identify the land for the proposed solar park. It will then send a proposal to MNRE for approval along with (or later) the name of the implementing agency. The implementing agency may be sanctioned a grant of upto Rs.25 Lakhs for preparing Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the Solar Park, conducting surveys etc. The DPR must be prepared in 60 days. Thereafter, application may be made by the implementing agency to SECI for the grant of up to Rs.20 lakhs/MW or 30% of the project cost including Gridconnectivity cost, whichever is lower. The approved grant will be released by SECI as per the following milestones:-

Sl. No. Milestone

% of subsidy disbursed

Date of issue of administrative approval

Land acquisition (not less than 50% land acquired)

20%

Financial Closure

20%

Construction of Pooling Substation, Land Development 25%

and other Common facilities as per DPR

6. Financial model

Construction of transmission line and Grid Connectivity 20%

The implementing agency, entrusted with

Final instalment on completion 10% Total

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100%

January 2015

The grant will be managed and released by SECI on behalf of MNRE for which SECI will be given a fund handling fee of 1%. If the park is developed in phases, grant will also be phased out in proportion to expenditure in each phase. Based on above, the estimated cost has been worked as under:- (Rs. in Crores) (i) Cost of 20,000 MW @ Rs.20 Lakh/MW 4000.00 (ii) 1% fund handling fee for SECI on above amount 40.00 (iii) Cost of DPR preparation etc. for 25 Solar Parks @ Rs. 25 Lakh each park 6.25 (iv) Training, consultancy & other related Expenditure 3.75 (to be incurred by MNRE, SECI, implementing agency) Total 4050.00

8. Transmission and evacuation of power from solar park Interconnection of each plot with pooling stations through 66 KV /other suitable voltage underground or overhead cable will be the responsibility of the solar project developer. The designated nodal agency will set up the pooling stations (with 400/220, 220/66 KV or as may be suitable switchyard and respective transformers) inside the solar park and will also draw transmission to transmit power to 220 KV/400 KV substation. The responsibility of setting up a sub-station nearby the solar park to take power from one or more pooling stations will lie with the Central Transmission Utility (CTU) or the State Transmission Utility (STU), after following necessary technical and commercial procedures as stipulated in the various regulations notified by the Central/ State Commission. If the State Government is willing to buy over 50% of the power generated in the solar park, preference will be given to STU, which will ensure setting up of substation and development of necessary infrastructure for transmission of power from substation 58

January 2015

to load centres. The designated implementing agency will intimate POWERGRID and CEA at least 6 months before so that the planning and execution can be carried out in time. If the state is not willing to buy at least 50% of the power generated in the solar park, then CTU may be entrusted with the responsibility of setting up 400 KV or bigger sub-station right next to the solar park and its connectivity with the CTU. For setting up of this transmission & evacuation infrastructure, Power Grid may prepare a separate project to be funded from NCEF / external funds / Green Corridor project, if the cost is very high. The system would be planned in such a manner so that there is no wheeling charge applicable on solar power in accordance with the CERC Regulation or reduce the wheeling charges to affordable level. To build this infrastructure using the highest possible standards, the whole solar power evacuation network scheme may be designed using latest technologies like SCADA, GIS, Bay controller, online monitoring equipment for dissolved gas analysis, OPGW, PLCC etc.

9. Power Sale Arrangment: Acceptance for development of solar park under the Scheme does not guarantee power purchase agreement (PPA) or tariff for the power to be produced. The project developers need to have their own arrangement for a PPA or get selected in any Government of India or State Government Scheme. The developer will be free to set up projects under any scheme or for third party sale.

10. Loan MNRE will also put in efforts to tie up with multilateral/ bilateral funding agencies to finance the entire or a part of the cost of the solar parks. The MNRE grant will be treated as the implementing agencies’ contribution to get this loan. The loan tenure and the moratorium period will be set in accordance with the banks’ terms and conditions while the annual interest will be set in accordance with banks’ LIBOR-based lending facility.

11. Fund for power evacuation

The connectivity with grid i.e. 220/400 kv substation and transmission line to connect with CTU / STU’s existing network is a very important component. For power evacuation network, MNRE grant may be used. Loan from multilateral/bilateral agencies may also be used to the power evacuation network. If the expenditure is high then a separate proposal may also be considered for funding from National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF), Green Corridor Programme or any other source.

12. Equity Contribution The implementing agency whether single company or JV may not require a high equity infusion as most of the cost will be covered through as MNRE grant and loan. Most of the land is expected to be Government land. The total expenses on development of park will be worked out by the implementing agency in a transparent manner. The expenses after taking into account MNRE subsidy, may be recovered through sale or lease charges of land from the developers. The implementing agency can generate a reasonable amount of surplus which can be profit for the agency or its promoters which may preferably be converted in to equity of the JV partners or the implementing agency so that the implementing agency gets financial strength for long term sustenance.12

13.Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects Ultra Mega Solar Power project is a single power project with capacity of over 500 MW. These projects may be set up in some of these Solar Parks. The projects may be bid out after developing the park or simultaneously with park developments. In some cases, the full park may be one Ultra Mega Project. In such cases the JV set up to develop the Ultra Mega Solar Power Project may become the implementing agency also.

14. Hybrid Projects Some other forms of RE like wind, biomass etc. may also be allowed to come up in the park wherever feasible. Projects with CSP technology may in these parks have upto 15% of auxiliary fuel of gas or biomass.

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15. Timelines

The State Government in which the solar park is developed must agree to buy at least

Sl.No. Milestone

Timelines

Date of issue of administrative approval

Zero Date

through its Discom. The States which agree

Land acquisition and Financial Closure 6 months from

Zero Date

to buy higher percentage of power will be

Construction of Pooling Substation, Land Development 15 months from Zero Date given preference. In such cases, where the State refuses to buy at least 50% power, and other Common facilities as per DPR the park should preferably be connected Transmission line and Grid Connectivity 18 months from Zero Date with CTU system. If STU system has to be

Final instalment on completion 18 months from

Zero Date

20% of the power produced in the park

used to evacuate power to other states, the STU/State Government concerned will agree to waive off the wheeling charges or

16. Manufacturing Manufacturing of solar products and components may also be allowed in the parks.

the scheme shall be settled by an Arbitrator

reduce the wheeling charges to affordable

appointed by this Ministry for the purpose

level.

and his decision shall be final and binding.13

21. Monitoring progress of Scheme: 19. Power to remove difficulties MNRE will appoint a Nodal Officer in

17. Interpretation

Given that the scheme is new, if there is

the Ministry to help, guide, handhold and

need for any amendment to this Scheme for

closely monitor progress of the scheme

In case of any ambiguity in interpretation

better implementation or any relaxation is

to ensure that timeliness as envisaged for

of any of the provisions of the Scheme, the

required in the norms for Solar Parks due

completion of various activities are adhered

decision of the Minister-in-Charge, MNRE

to operational problems, MNRE will be

to for development of solar parks. MNRE

shall be final.

competent to make such amendments with

will extend all possible help to ensure that

the approval of Minister-in-charge.

the investors complete their task on time.

18. Arbitration Any dispute that arises out of any provision of

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20. State Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s obligation to purchase power:

January 2015

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ORGANISED BY :

EQ platinum partner

POST SHOW REPORT

module partner

epc partner

EQ Financing thE REnEwablEs summit, mumbai

pV mounting StructureS partner

03-04 DEc 2014 9 am to 6 Pm hilton hotEls & REsoRts

inVerter partner

Chancellor Ballroom, Hilton Sahar Airport Road, Andheri East, Mumbai Speakers 50+, Delegates 200+ (Expected) 60Â EQ January 2015

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ConferenCe PHoToS

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January 2015

ConferenCe PHoToS

January 2015

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ConferenCe PHoToS Keynote Speaker Mrs Sindoor Mittal, Director, Welspun Renewables Energy Pvt Ltd

INvEStORS PERSPECtIvE Dr Ashok Haldia, Director PFS; Mr Kuljit Singh, Partner & Lead Industry Infrastructure, E&Y; Ms Rupa Pandit, MD, Nereus Capital; Mr Girish Nadkarni, Partner, IDFC (PE); Mr Ravi Khanna, CEO, Aditya Birla Solar Business

I BANKING Mr vikash Bagla, Head Infrastructure, Macquarie Capital India; Mr Rahul Goswami, MD, Greenstone Investment Bank; Mr Ketan Shaah, Head I Banking, Daiwa Capital Markets; Mr Bengt Jaeckel, Expert on solar projects, UL Germany; Mr Ajay Gupta, Head - Infra Finance, HDFC Bank; Mr Sachin Jain, Associate Director, KPMG

DEBt FINANCING Mr Anjan Ghosh, tata International; Mr Rajat Misra, Project Advisory & Structured Finance, SBI Capital Markets Ltd; Mr Anurag Garg, vP - Solar, Schneider; Mr Rajnesh trivedi, Sr. Director, Yes Bank; Mr Bharat Bhushan, Lead Analyst Solar & RECs - India; BNEF; Mr Ajay Kumar Kapur, Chief General Manager, SIDBI; Ms Nirupama Guruprasad, Jt GM, ICICI Bank

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ConferenCe PHoToS DEvELOPERS PERSPECtIvE

Mr Sameer Parikh, vP, IL&FS Energy; Mr vijay venkatachalam, Head Project Finance, Sun Edison India; Mr Samir Shah, Director, Waaree; Mr Naveen Khandelwal, Head Investments, Hero Future Energies Ltd; Mr Sujoy Ghosh, Country Head, First Solar India; Mr Sachin Jain, Associate Director, KPMG

OPENING SESSION - 4tH DEC Mr Ankit vivek, PWC, Mr Krishna Murthy, Sr General Manager, tSIIC; Mr Suresh Sugavanam, MD - India & South Asia, UL India; Mr Gaetan Tiberghien, Sr Investment Officer, IFC; Mr Abhilakh Singh, GM, IREDA

INtERNAtIONAL FINANCE Mr Simon Petrie, First Secretary Low Carbon Growth, British High Commission India; Ms Sunita Lukkhoo, Country Manager - South Asia, EIB; Mr Pranav Bhuta, Principal - Investments, Franklin Park Management; Mr Prashant Sinha, Head - Energy Division, L&t Infra Finance; Mr Gaetan Tiberghien, Sr Investment Officer, IFC; Mr Andreas thermann, Deputy Director, KFW

EqUItY FINANCING Mr vivek Mehra, MD, Aloe Group; Mr vibhor Dhanuka, Investment Manager, Infuse ventures; Mr Abhay Anand, Director - Corporate Finance, Grant thornton; Mr Sanjay Ghag, Sr vP, IL&FS

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PArTICIPAnTS 3%

Partner/ Director/MD/ CEO/ Country Head

3% 34%

Associate/ Sr Director/ Deputy Director VP Head - Investments/ Energy/ Infra Finance/ I Banking

10%

3% 2%

GM (Jt/ Chief/ Senior) Investments Officer Others

Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (A Govt. of India Enterprise) ISO 9001 : 2008 Certified

global environment fund

cleantech capital limited

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IL&FS Investment Managers Limited

January 2015

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PRODUCTS Delta’s new powerfully compact 50 kva string inverters are now shipping Delta, The Leading Global Provider Of Power And Thermal Management Solutions, Is Proud To Announce That Its New Flagship Inverter, The Rpi M50a, Is Now Available For Customers In Europe. Delta, the leading global provider of power and thermal management solutions, is proud to announce that its new flagship inverter, the RPI M50A, is now available for customers in Europe. The M50A is designed for use in large to very large scale commercial PV systems and features world leading power density-to-size ratio in the 50 kVA inverter class (397 kW/ m3 or 6.5 watts/in3). Therefore, it is much more compact than many other inverters in the 30 to 50 kVA power class. Replaceable AC and DC-side type 2 surge protection devices (SPDs) as well as string fuses are already integrated into the inverter. The AC connector together with the MC4 DC connectors ship standard with the inverter. These smart features will not only simplify installation planning but also save up to 40% on system accessories and as

a result signficantly reduce installation costs. The inverter features a very high maximum efficiency of 98.6 % and dual MPP trackers that ensure the PV plant owner will get the maximum yield possible from the PV system. For the system planner, maximum flexibility is ensured thanks to a wide input voltage range of 200 – 1000 V and the dual MPP trackers. Furthermore, the M50A also supports symmetrical and asymmetrical loading of the DC inputs (60/40 %) which can increase yield in such applications as east/west roof installations, where modules are orientated in different directions.

The M50A is easily installed with a wall mount bracket that follows a similar installation concept as with the Delta SOLIVIA TL-series inverters. A bracket is attached with screws onto a wall surface or metal frame and the inverter is simply hung onto the bracket. The light weight of 74 kg in its performance class also simplifies the installation of the M50A. As with all the Delta inverters, the new RPI M50A is compatible with major types of PV modules and features a robust weatherproof IP65 rated enclosure providing solid performance for many years in outdoor installations, even in harsh climates. The M50A is also compatible with major professional monitoring systems as well as SOLIVIA Monitor, Delta’s own PV system monitoring solution.

Eaton’s Bussmann achieves TUV Rheinland certification for combiner box range Eaton’s Bussmann business, the leader in critical circuit protection, power management and electrical safety, has been awarded TUV Rheinland certification for its combiner box range. It is the first manufacturer to gain full certification for both product safety and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) for this type of product. To achieve the TUV-Type Approval Mark the combiner box underwent comprehensive review including testing for electrical safety, vibration, damp and dry heat, as well as mechanical reliability. The EMC-Mark Approval also certifies that the product meets the requirements in regard to 66

January 2015

electromagnetic compatibility for emissions and immunity. In addition to the comprehensive testing the TUV certification also included factory inspection and audit ensuring the processes and procedures used for manufacture are robust and consistent.

Commenting on the achievement, Simon Bircham, product manager said: “Overall this is a lengthy process which demonstrates our commitment to designing and manufacturing safe and reliable product for use in the harsh environmental conditions of PV installations.”Eaton’s Bussmann combiner box range sets new standards in protection, switching and monitoring of PV systems. Designed for system voltages from 600V DC to 1,000V DC the range combines the latest in overcurrent, overvoltage and monitoring technology in one robust, custombuilt package.

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January 2015

PRODUCTS Schneider Electric Launches Conext™ Insight—A Remote Monitoring And Asset Management Platform For Distributed PV Plants Schneider Electric™ Solar Business, a global leader in solutions for the solar power conversion chain, is pleased to announce the launch of Conext™ Insight, a remote monitoring and asset management platform for distributed PV plants.

with powerful insight. The web portal gives them access to their plant’s performance data to ensure the desired ROI is realized. “As an early adopter of the Conext Insight portal, I am pleased with the easy-touse interface and the value brought by the portal to facilitate remote portfolio management through a single login access. Now I can better serve my customers and proactively suggest actions for better system performance,” says Ayi Rahmat, President Director, PT Indogreen Technology and Management, based in Indonesia.

Smart decision making to maximise ROI of PV assets The Conext Insight web portal gives you detailed insight into the performance of your distributed PV plants from any Internet connected device—anytime, anywhere. You now have the convenience and ease to remotely monitor all your distributed PV plants from one central platform.

returns on their PV investments.”

“We are proud to announce the launch of the Conext Insight platform,” says Mr. Manish Kumar, VP, Commercial & Residential LOB & Strategy, of Schneider Electric Solar Business. “The launch of Conext Insight reinforces our commitment to bring more and more differentiated and simple to use offers to our customers, to help them maximize the

Conext Insight provides smart insight to installers by facilitating remote diagnostics of PV plant issues, which can minimize their truck rolls in response to service calls. Installers can leverage Conext Insight to remain connected with their customers and offer value-added services. At the same time, Conext Insight also provides PV plant owners

Conext Insight is now available for remote monitoring of your ComBox enabled hybrid PV plants. The next version of Conext Insight will cover remote monitoring of decentralized PV plants using Schneider Electric’s Conext string inverters in April 2015.

Trina Solar Launches New High Efficiency Honey Plus and Honey M Plus Modules Starts Mass Production of High Efficiency PERC Technology Trina Solar Limited a global leader in photovoltaic modules, solutions, and services, announced the launch of two new highefficiency modules, the Honey Plus (PC05A (II)), a multi-crystalline module and the Honey M Plus (DC05A (II)), a mono-crystalline module, which offer average power outputs of 275W and 285W, respectively. In addition, the Honey Plus (PC05A (II)) offers an average cell efficiency of 18.7% while the Honey M Plus (DC05A (II)) offers an average cell efficiency of 20.4%. The Honey Plus and Honey M Plus modules offer significant upgrades on Trina Solar’s previous Honey and Honey M modules. The improved efficiency delivered by both modules is due to the adoption of a Passivated 68

January 2015

Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC) technology, which enables greater energy production and better performance, including in low light environments. Equipped with an advanced 5-busbar technology, these two products offer the advantages of lower series resistance, increased Cell-to-Module ratio (CTM) and enhanced reliability. “We are proud to launch these new, high efficiency modules,” said Zhiguo Zhu, Module Business Unit President of Trina Solar. “Our Honey Plus and Honey M Plus modules use our leading PERC technology which recently broke the world record for efficiency. Launching these new products once again demonstrates our efforts to apply and commercialize our

advanced cell technology to high efficiency modules. Our outstanding track record in product development and performance is thanks to our professional scientific research, strict quality controls and reliability testing. Our deep commitment to R&D and to delivering high quality products ensures our leading position in a very competitive PV industry. We continue to develop our technology to provide customers with a diversified product portfolio that meets the needs of residential, commercial and utility end-users.” The two modules will be available in select markets in the first half of 2015 with a worldwide launch scheduled in 2016

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PRODUCTS All Inclusive: The New Residential Inverters By Kaco New Energy. – In December And Early 2015 The German Solar Pv Inverter Specialist Introduces Two New Lines Of Single And Three Phase units for smaller PV systems. Europe sees a renaissance of the privately owned PV system: again, and more than ever, the „Energiewende“ is fueled by the commitment of the citizens. KACO new energy supports owners and installers with two residential lines of the new blueplanet inverters with output powers between 3 and 9 kilowatts. blueplanet 4.6 TL1: fulfils all requirements expected of modern solar PV inverters for use in residential PV systems.

The transformerless blueplanet TL1 (1-phase) and blueplanet TL3 (3-phase) come with a plethora of features you would have to pay extra for elsewhere: they have all useful features “on board” to elegantly meet the requirements that come with installation, operations and monitoring. These compact solar PV inverters warrant optimum management and grid connection for PV plants with DC powers between 3 and 10 kW. All units, even the 1-phase inverters, are endowed with 2 MPP trackers, the blueplanet 3.0 TL1 as an alternative to the standard version with 1 MPP tracker. The gradation of the output power takes into consideration all current output limits stipulated in European network access provisions: lay out and feeding-in straight to the point.

The Single-Phase String Inverters Blueplanet 3.0 - 4.6 Tl1 Newly developed, and constructed from scratch, the blueplanet TL1 fulfil each and every requirement you should expect of modern solar PV inverters for use in residential PV systems: they are light and quickly installed; all essential technical features are included in the price; reliable operation and yields are guaranteed. The thoughtfully differentiated output of the blueplanet TL1 ranges from 3.0 to 4.6 kW (AC), so that even operators of the smallest PV systems will find the right inverter. A wide voltage range allows for a multitude of string designs. Having 2 MPP trackers, each of which can process the whole AC

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power, the inverters make system lay-out a breeze (blueplanet 3.0 TL1 also available with 1 MPPT). Angled roofs or sub-arrays with different orientations? No problem for the flexible blueplanet TL1 inverters.

And with their low weight, they are almost fun to mount. Using plug-in connectors on the DC and on the AC side, they are just as quickly connected as they are mounted. The inverters incorporate a small, maintenancefree, interior fan (the blueplanet 3.0 TL1 is fanless) which achieves uniform cooling without taking in ambient air. That means that the blueplanet TL1 is left completely free to achieve maximum output.

Priwatt function for managing private consumption. Anything less is a thing of the past! Available in Q4/2014 The Three-Phase String Inverters Blueplanet 5.0 - 9.0 Tl3 All of the advantages of the larger 3-phase inverters by KACO new energy can now be found in one power class which is just perfect for private roof systems. The blueplanet 5.0 - 9.0 TL3 come, without exception, with 2 MPP trackers which can get to grips with all imaginable design configurations of a modular PV generator. As such, each MPP tracker can process the whole AC output. If you also consider the extremely wide input voltage range from 200 V to 800 V, multiple string configurations become possible. So, with these characteristics, the blueplanet TL3 present themselves as the most flexible three-phase inverters in their power class on the market. The DC and AC periphery of the blueplanet TL3 ensures the quickest cabling thanks to plug-in connectors and the menu selection is performed conveniently using the graphic display. In order to make the appliances stand up to the harshest conditions out in the open, their compact housing is built to IP65 protection class. Nevertheless, weighing just 30 kg they can still be carried easily.

The standard incorporation of RS485, Ethernet and USB ensures elegant communication and convenient monitoring – even more interfaces are optionally available. In order to create perfect linkup, the inverters have the same integrated data logger and web server as their 3-phase siblings. For commissioning and checking on the current operating data, they also feature the same easy-to-use, clearly laid out, graphical display.

And, if you want to use your self-generated solar power in your own home, the blueplanet TL1 also come with KACO new energy’s

Should the RS485, Ethernet and USB port interfaces still leave something to be desired, optional connections for S0connected appliances as well as 4 digital inputs and outputs are available. The data logger and the webserver are already integrated as standard. As a result, these inverters offer complete monitoring and strong communication in any environment.

And, if you want to use your self-generated solar power in your own home, the blueplanet 5.0 - 9.0 TL3 also come with KACO new energy’s Priwatt function for managing private consumption. Available in Q1/2015

January 2015

PRODUCTS JA Solar Sets Power Output Record of >280W for MultiSi 60-cells Solar Modules JA Solar Holdings Co.Ltd.one of the world’s

(156x156 mm2) multi-Si cells and using a

largest manufacturers of high-performance

single standard junction box.

solar power products, recently announces that the rated power of its solar modules assembled by 60 multi-crystalline silicon (“multi-Si”) cells has reached a new milestone of above 280 W.

performance solar power products.”

“The output power of these record-setting “This latest result of above 280W output

solar modules we’ve just made can be further

power achieved from multi-Si modules

improved by fine tuning our module assembly

with 60 cells is the continued effort of our

process and encapsulation materials,” added

R&D follows JA Solar’s recently announced

by Mr. Yong Liu, Chief Operation Officer

progress in reaching new efficiency record

of JA Solar. “At least another five watts

This newly achieved result, which has been

of multi-Si solar cells,” said Mr. Jian Xie,

increase is definitely achievable. That will

independently confirmed and certified by

president of JA Solar. “This new milestone

add significant value for our down-stream

TUV Rheinland of Germany’s Shanghai

once again demonstrates JA Solar’s devotion

customers in terms of increasing power

Testing Center, sets a record-high >17.2%

in enabling cost-effectively manufacturing

generation and reducing installation cost.”

conversion efficiency to date for the PV

high-performance solar cells and modules

panels consisting of 60 regular industrial size

to meet the growing demand for high-

Yingli Introduces CleanARC(R) Coated Solar Panels for Tough Climates and Harsh Conditions

nnovative hydrophobic anti-

and environmental degradation, Yingli’s

Kevin Kopczynski, Chief Executive Officer

reflective PV coating increases

CleanARC® coated solar panels are ideal

of Enki Technology.

project value through enhanced

for project sites with harsh environmental

anti-soiling and durability properties

conditions such as sandstorms, sea mist,

“It is extremely promising that our new

high humidity, and extreme temperature

CleanARC® coated solar panels have already

Yingli Green Energy Holding Company

fluctuations. CleanARC® coated solar panels

spurred project development in areas where

Limited (NYSE: YGE) (“Yingli Green Energy”

can also reduce operations and maintenance

solar adoption has been constrained by harsh

or the “Company”), one of the world’s leading

expenses because the coating’s structure

climates. By driving innovation across all

solar panel manufacturers, also known as

and hydrophobic properties enable more

PV technology components, from cells to

“Yingli Solar,” announced at the World Future

effective self-cleaning than conventional

AR coating, we are making solar power a

Energy Summit that innovative CleanARC®

AR coatings.

pragmatic clean energy solution everywhere

anti-reflective (AR) glass coating is now

the sun shines,” commented Dr. Dengyuan

available on all Yingli product lines. Developed

“We are pleased to bring this unique

by California-based Enki Technology and

product to market in partnership with Yingli.

offered through Yingli, CleanARC® coating

Glass coatings are a deceptively simple

enables panels to generate more energy over

component that create long-term financial

time while simultaneously reducing cleaning

implications for solar project owners.

requirements, creating additional project value

Extensive lab and field testing demonstrates

in comparison to conventionally coated panels.

the clear advantage of multi-functional

Song, Chief Technology Officer of Yingli Green Energy

CleanARC® coatings in challenging Due to their high resistance to abrasion

January 2015

operational environments,” commented

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PRODUCTS New SMA Battery Inverters for Small Photovoltaic Systems SMA Solar Technology AG (SMA) has launched two new battery inverters for solar applications in the small power range. The SMA Sunny Island 3.0M and Sunny Island 4.4M provide an optimum energy supply in PV systems from 2 to 12 kilowatts (kW)— individually tailored to installation design, both for grid-connected and self-sufficient off-grid systems. With these battery inverters, PV system operators can reduce their electricity costs and become more independent in terms of energy supply. “With these new Sunny Island battery inverters, we are offering affordable and versatile solutions for applications in the lower power range,” said the responsible Product Manager Ralf Rietze. “The battery inverters can be easily integrated in existing systems. Furthermore, customers have the flexibility when it comes to choosing battery capacity, battery manufacturer and battery type (Li-ion or lead-acid). The Sunny Island’s battery management ensures long battery service life and thus reduces costs over the entire system’s operating period.”

the annual electricity demand covered with solar energy from your own roof “The good sales figures for the first two months, particularly in Germany, show that there is great demand for small storage systems and therefore a strong desire for a personal energy transition,” said Martin

In grid-connected PV systems, the Sunny Island is the core component of the SMA Flexible Storage System. By day, the system directly supplies the loads with the generated solar power. By night, the battery feeds the stored solar power into the household grid. The optional battery-backup function ensures electricity supply even in the event of a grid failure. The product safety of the Sunny Island is confirmed by the “Geprüfte Sicherheit” (GS; certified safety) seal of approval from an independent certification body. Reliable solar energy supply for off-grid regions

Rothert, Head of Product Management Residential. “With the Sunny Island 4.4M, for example, and energy consumption of 3,000 kWh per year with 5.5 kWp photovoltaics and 5.5 kWh of effective storage capacity, PV system operators can cover over 80% of their annual electricity demand with solar energy from their own roof, depending on location.”

For regions with no or only limited access to a utility grid, the Sunny Island 3.0M/4.4M is the right solution for establishing stable stand-alone grids. Here, the high degree of protection IP54 and the wide temperature range ensure reliable operation even in harsh ambient conditions. Depending on local conditions, the battery inverter can combine other energy sources alongside the PV system to form a hybrid system.

Shaping the energy transition: 80% of

Vikram Solar PV Modules Receive UL Certification and CEC Listing Vikram Solar’s Tier-1 and TariffFree modules are now certified by UL and approved by the California Energy Commission (CEC). Vikram Solar, an advanced solar product and manufacturing company in Kolkata, India, received UL 1703 certification for its 60-cell polycrystalline solar panels in mid-September. This listing covers module wattage sizes from 240 to 270 Wp, with clear frames and white back sheets. Other

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module products will be certified in the very near future, including 72-cell modules, black frame, and black back sheet models. The high performance PV modules were also added to the California Energy Commission list of Incentive Eligible Photovoltaic Modules in Compliance with SB1 Guidelines on November 3, 2014.

can now be installed by our growing list of EPC’s, distributors, and solar integrators,” Vikram Solar’s founder and CEO Gyanesh Chaudhary said. “This achievement once again underscores the reliability, safety and performance of Vikram Solar’s entire module portfolio.”

“We are very excited that our products have passed this important milestone and

January 2015

Polymers in Photovoltaics 2015 Date: 10-11Feb2015 Place: Düsseldorf, Germany Organiser: Amiplastics Tel.: +44 117 3148111 Email: rju@amiplastics.com Web.: www.amiplastics.com

Solar Middle East 2015

Date: 2-4March2015 Place: Dubai, UAE Organiser: solarmiddleeast Tel.: +971 4 3365161 Email: info@solarmiddleeast.ae Web.: www.solarmiddleeast.ae

New Energy Husum 2015 Date: 19-22March2015 Place: Husum, Germany Organiser: messehusum Tel.: +49 4841 9020 Email: info@messehusum.de Web.: www.new-energy.de

Silicon PV 2015 MiaGreen Expo & Conference

The 9th RENEXPO® Central Europe

Africa Energy Indaba 2015

Solar, Wind & Earth Energy Trade Fair 2015

Date: 11-12Feb2015 Place: Miami, Florida, USA Organiser: MIAGreen Tel.: +1 305 4120000 Email: mail@MiaGreen.com Web.: www.miagreen.com

Date: 17-18Feb2015 Place: Johannesburg, South Africa Organiser: Tel.: +27 11 4639184 Email: info@energyindaba.co.za Web.: www.africaenergyindaba.com

Date: 11-12March2015 Place: Budapest, Hungary Organiser: Reeco Tel.: +36 1 2134240 Email: hungary@reeco.hu Web.: renexpo-budapest.com/index.php?id=7&L=1

Date: 11-13March2015 Place: Gwangju, South Korea Organiser: Sweet Tel.: +82 62 611221 Email: info@sweet.or.kr Web.: www.sweet.or.kr

Intersolar Summit Turkey 2015 Eco Solutions Expo 2015

Date: 23-24Feb2015 Place: Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia Organiser : BME-GLOBAL Tel.: +44 203 4631023 Email: marco@bme-global.com Web.: www.ecosolutionsexpo.com

8th International Photovoltaic Power Generation Expo Date: 25-27Feb2015 Place: Tokyo, Japan Organiser: Reedexpo Tel.: +81 3 33498519 Email: pv@reedexpo.co.jp Web.: www.pvexpo.jp

Date: 23-25March2015 Place: Konstanz, Germany Organiser: Siliconpv Tel.: +49 761 479140 Email: info@siliconpv.com Web.: www.siliconpv.com

The Solar Show Africa 2015 Date: 24-25March2015 Place: Johannesburg, South Africa Organiser: Terrapin Tel.: +27 11 5164015 Email: enquiry.za@terrapinn.com Web.: www.terrapinn.com

Date: 18-Mar-15 Place: Istanbul, Turkey Organiser: Intersolar Tel.: +49 7231 58598215 Email: Web.: www.intersolar-summit.com/turkey

Solar Power Finance & Investment Summit 2015

2015 China International Solar Power Generation Products Exposition

SNEC

Date: 18-20March2015 Place: Suzhou, China Organiser: Tel.: +86 512 65921999 Email: lzy@2800.cn Web.: www.sipe.org.cn

Date: 23-26March2015 Place: San Diego, Cafornia, USA Organiser: Tel.: +1 818 8884444 Email: mail@infocastevents.com Web.: www.infocastinc.com

Date: 28-30Aprl2015 Place: Shanghai, China Organiser: SNEC Tel.: +86 21 33561095-803 Email: teresa.wen@snec.org.cn Web.: www.snec.org.cn

For Listing of your Event : Conference and events are listed free-of-charge, so please feel free to get in touch to tell us about your event. We would also be happy to provide you with free copies of magazine for distribution at your events.(while stock last). Please send your conference information to : Mr. Gourav Garg at gourav.garg@EQmag.net 72

January 2015

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EQ Solar Leadership Summit south

International Solar Technology & Investment SummitÂ

South India APRIL 2015 Hyderabad

& p i h s r e k S pe a n o i t a p i c Parti y t i n u t r o Op p

Saumya Gupta saumya.gupta@eqmag.net +91-95754-99990

Arpita Gupta arpita.gupta@eqmag.net +91-90095-55914

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