EQ Magazine July 2016 Edition by EQ Int'l Solar Media Group

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TRENDS & ANALYSIS

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CONTEN T

VOLUME 8 Issue # 7

57 SOLAR PROJECTS Fronius PV Genset Save Fuel and reduce Energy Costs

Ingeteam takes over Bonfiglioli’s PV business

Global solar boom, European demand slowing

38 BUISNESS & FINANCE How To Reduce Risk & Maximize Profit When Buying Existing Solar Assets

22 30

Restriction on use The material in this magazine is protected by international copyright and trademark laws. You may not modify,copy,reproduce,republish,post,transmit,or distribute any part of the magazine in any way.you may only use material for your personall,Non-Commercial use, provided you keep intact all copyright and other proprietary notices.If you want to use material for any non-personel,non commercial purpose,you need written permission from EQ International.

BUISNESS & FINANCE Marketplace Lending : Unlocking McCrory: SWELECT Energy Systems to bring 155 jobs to Halifax County

Debt Finance for Renewable Energy

Trina Solar Announces Achievement Of 21.1% Average Efficiency For IndustriallyProduced Monocrystalline Perc Cells

Schneider Electric launches PV Hybrid solution in cooperation with DEIF

14 INTERVIEW

With Mr. Gang Rong, President, Arctech Solar

INTERVIEW

With Mr. Hartek Singh, CMD, Hartek Power

With Mr. Anurag Garg, Vice President, Solar Business

INVERTERS Sungrow Tops the World with the Spirit of Craftsman

SOLAR PROJECTS Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora has integrated a 600kWp rooftop solar PV system

INTERVIEW

With Mr.Thomas Wittek, CEO, PRETTL Automotive India & Vasan Ramasubramaniyam, MD & CEO, PRETTL India

60 INTERVIEW

Panasonic Eco Solutions Canada Wins Award for Solar Finance Platform

With Hans Georg Einwagner, AreaSales Manager, Fronius International

64 INTERVIEW

With Peter Oram, Global Vertical LeaderPower Gen & Renewables, GE Power Conversion & Indraneel Dutt,Business Leader, GE Energy ConnectionsA&C, IS, PC India

NEWS & ANALYSIS PAGE 7-23

PRODUCTS (Pg 70-76) Solar WareÂŽ Samurai 1500V Model Awarded UL Certification Solare Datensysteme Gmbh Presented Its Latest Innovations At Intersolar 2016 Intersolar Europe: IBC Solar Presents New Modules Trina Best Introduces Trinahome Series At Intersolar Europe 2016 Intersolar Europe: Hanwha Q Cells Presented Full Range Of PV Solutions Based On Proprietary And Matured Q.antum Technology

Cover JinkoSolar (NYSE: JKS) is a global leader in the solar industry. The Company distributes its solar products and sells its solutions and services to a diversified international utility, commercial and residential customer base in China, US, Japan, Germany, UK, Chile, South Africa, India, Mexico, Brazil, UAE, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, etc. JinkoSolar has built a vertical-integrated solar product value chain, with an integrated annual capacity of 2.5 GW for silicon ingots and wafers, 2.0 GW for solar cells, and 3.2 GW for solar modules, by December 31, 2014. JinkoSolar has also connected around 500MW of solar projects to the grid, by December 31, 2014. .JinkoSolar has over 13,000 employees and over 200 dedicated R&D professionals covering 11 global branches in Germany, Italy, Switzerland, US, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Japan, India, South Africa and Chile; 12 sales offices in China, Spain, UK, UAE, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, Ghana, Brazil, Costa Rica and Mexico; and five production facilities in China, Portugal, South Africa, and Malaysia.

PV MANUFACTURING

Elcom International is pleased to announce the new state of the art manufacturing facility at 5 Star Kagal MIDC area in Kolhapur, Maharashtra PG 33

SolarEdge Presented Commercial PV Solution and Expanded Smart Energy Management Portfolio at Intersolar Gamesa Unveils Its New 1,500 Vdc 2.25 MVA PV Inverter OutBack Power Debuts Energy Platform Breakthrough, SkyBox, During Intersolar Europe 2016 All In One Solar Street light (12W & 15W LED models)

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INVERTERS

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NEWS & ANALYSIS

Dramatic Price Drops For Solar & Wind Electricity Set To Continue The dramatic cost reductions we’ve seen in recent years for solar and wind electricity will continue well into the future, according to a new report released today by IRENA. It finds that by 2025 – with the right regulatory and policy frameworks in place – average electricity costs could decrease 59% for solar photovoltaics (PV), 35% for offshore wind, 26% for onshore wind, and up to 43% for concentrated solar power compared to 2015.

RENA’s Director-General Adnan Z. Amin commented that “We have already seen dramatic cost decreases in solar and wind in recent years and this report shows that prices will continue to drop. Given that solar and wind are already the cheapest source of new generation capacity in many markets around the world, this further cost reduction will broaden that trend and strengthen the compelling business case to switch from fossil fuels to renewables.” Since 2009, prices for solar PV modules and wind turbines have fallen 80% and 30-40% respectively. With every doubling of cumulative installed capacity, solar PV module prices drop 20% and the cost of electricity from wind farms drops 12%, due to economies of scale and technology improvements. Importantly for policy makers, cost reductions to 2025 will depend increasingly on balance of system costs (e.g. inverters, racking and mounting systems, civil works, etc.), technology innovations, operations and maintenance costs and quality project management. The focus in many countries must therefore shift to adopting policies that can reduce costs in these areas.

“Historically, cost has been cited as one of the primary barriers to switching from fossil-based energy sources to renewable energy sources, but the narrative has now changed. To continue driving the energy transition, we must now shift policy focus to support areas that will result in even greater cost declines and thus maximise the tremendous economic opportunity at hand.” -General Adnan Z. Amin, Director , IRENA 10

July 2016

The Power to Change: Solar and Wind Cost Reduction Potential to 2025, is the first of several solar-focused publications IRENA will release this summer. Future reports include Letting in the Light: How Solar Photovoltaics Will Revolutionize the Electricity System – which provides a comprehensive overview of solar PV across the globe and its prospects for the future – and a report on end-oflife management for solar PV panels. Both reports will launch at InterSolar Europe, taking place in Munich, 21-24 June.

Global solar boom, European demand slowing

olarPower Europe recently released its flagship market report the ”Global Market Outlook for Solar Power 2016-2020” showing that a total of 229 GW of solar power was installed in the world end of 2015, an over 45-fold market increase in only 10 years. After the 50 GW annual level of newly added solar power capacity was reached in 2015, the global solar market is well on its way to crack the 60 GW mark in 2016 – the most likely scenario forecasts around 62 GW of newly commissioned solar power this year. In the first quarter of 2016, China alone installed over 7 GW of solar power. Europe became the first region in the world to pass the 100 GW mark of installed PV capacity. ‘Solar is booming and continues to break records in many parts of the world which gives us reasons to believe 700 GW globally installed solar power is possible by 2020’ says Oliver Schafer, President of SolarPower Europe. Michael Schmela, Executive Advisor of SolarPower Europe and lead author of the report states, ‘Solar power is increasingly cost-competitive with fossil fuels and distributed solar is cheaper than retail electricity in many countries. In 2016, solar also became cheaper than on-shore wind power in parts of the globe.’ China, Japan and the US again lead the world’s solar market in 2015, with China and Japan alone responsible for 50% of newly installed capacity. 2015 also marked a growth year for the European solar market with 8.2 GW of grid-connected solar power, the market grew by 15% year-on-year.

“While this is the first upward trend since 2011, it is likely that demand on the European continent will slow down, primarily due to the termination of support for utility-scale solar in the UK. What European solar needs now is the right electricity market design.” -James Watson, CEO of SolarPower Europe

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NEWS & ANALYSIS

Domestic power sector sees $1.6 bn worth deals in 5 months

eflecting increased deal-making activities, Indian power sector saw merger and acquisition transactions worth USD 1.6 billion in the first five months of 2016, says a report. Consultancy firm EY on June 27 said the domestic power sector saw “significant traction” with M&A activities during JanuaryMay 2016 period. “The deal volume and disclosed deal value in the sector stood at 17 deals and USD 1.6 billion, respectively (in January-May 2016) compared to 15 deals and USD 601 million for the corresponding period last year,” it said in a statement. At current exchange rate, USD 1.6 billion translates to more than Rs 10,800 crore. Five deals, having disclosed value of USD 1.4 billion, were in the thermal power segment during the five months ended May 2016. Renewable energy accounted for 65 percent of the total deal volumes recorded in the first five months of this year. The value of these transactions stood at USD 177 million.

“The strong transactions trend is expected to continue as domestic and foreign players look to expand their portfolios. Deal activity in the renewable segment is expected to gain momentum as several large operational portfolios come up for sale/private investment and a large number of greenfield assets are opened for bids by the government,” -Kuljit Singh, Transactions Partner and National Power & Utilities Leader at EY India Source:PTI

We are proud to announce the opening of our new Wire Harness manufacturing unit at Dahanu, Maharashtra.

NEWS & ANALYSIS

Ingeteam takes over Bonfiglioli’s PV business

ngeteam has reached an agreement with the Italian based company BonfiglioliRiduttori, to take over its solar PV business. This will allow Ingeteam to strengthen its international positioning in the solar sector, directed at increasing its product sales and operation and maintenance business.Ingeteam has more than 16 years’ experience in the PV sector, where it has supplied 5 GW of power at a global level, firmly establishing the company’s position as a leading operation and maintenance services provider. Ingeteam manufactures a wide range of solutions for the Solar sector, offering residential, commercial and utility scale gridconnected PV inverters, as well as medium voltage power stations and battery inverters for off-grid and grid-connected operation. Active in the solar industry since 2008, Bonfiglioli designs, manufactures and supplies grid-tie central inverters for solar installations and provides ongoing support throughout the entire installation lifecycle. With an installed base of approximately 3 GW, Bonfiglioli boasts a significant project pipeline for the next few months. Based on this agreement, Ingeteam takes over Bonfiglioli’s solar business, including the operation and maintenance activities.Through this operation, Ingeteam has secured access to a sizable PV project pipeline and increased its operation and maintenance services business by adding Bonfiglioli’s3 GW to its 6.5 GW of installed capacity under maintenance globally.

“This strategic integration will enable us to significantly strengthen our presence in the United States and India, which are two key markets in the PV sector for Ingeteam.” -David Sole Lopez, MD- Energy Division Ingeteam Power Technology

“Ingeteam is strongly committed to increaseits renewable presence worldwide and themanagement. team continues to seek additional opportunities to accelerate growth.” -Javier Colom, CEO at Ingeteam Power Technology

“The solar business has been an incredible catalyst in the past decade and the decision of disposing was difficult but, in order to preserve the solar business success, a strong and large partner in the renewable power conversion sector was needed and we are certain Ingeteam is as such.” - Fausto Carboni, CEO Business at Bonfiglioli

“Exiting the solar business is part of the strategic plan to focus on our core business and we saw in Ingeteam the right partner to take it to the next level”. -TizianoPacetti, CEO Corporate, Bonfiglioli

Greentech Capital Advisors acted as exclusive financial advisor, and LGA – Lucchini, Gattamorta e Associati as legal advisor to Bonfiglioli.

The Global PV Inverter and MLPE Landscape 2016: Prices, Forecasts, Market Shares and Vendor Profiles

lobal PV inverter shipments grew 42% in 2015 to 59.7 GW, up from 42.1 GW in 2014. Shipment growth will be flat in 2016, as the Chinese and Japanese markets level off and the U.S. market works through a build-up of shipments from 2015, but the market will regain steam and grow 11% per year from 2016 to 2020. Overall, shifting global demand, rapidly evolving product preferences and competitive pricing will be key themes moving forward for the dynamic PV inverter industry.

July 2016

The product landscape is rapidly changing as module-level power electronics (MLPE) continue to build market share and decentralized system architectures grow more popular. Three-phase string inverters, long the mainstay of commercial solar markets, will account for 37% of all PV inverter shipments globally by 2020 as they become more commonly used in utilityscale systems.Pricing additionally continues to fall steadily as technology advances contribute to lower costs. In particular, 1,500-volt inverter technology, higher power density string inverters and rapidly falling microinverter pricing will contribute to further price reductions across all segments over the next several years. The market will additionally continue to consolidate as PV demand spreads to more geographies, resulting in a market with more competitive, globalized pricing.

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NEWS & ANALYSIS

Equis to invest $1 billion to double India renewables portfolio

quis Pte Ltd, a Singapore-based infrastructure investor, plans to pump $1 billion into Indian renewables in the next two years, doubling its portfolio to nearly two gigawatts of wind, solar and hydro energy installations, chief executive officer David Russell said.“It would be our expectation to double our current position within the next 24 months,” Russell said in a phone interview from Singapore.Equis, a $2.7 billion fund, has 3.6 gigawatts of combined renewable energy capacity in India, Japan, the Philippines and Thailand. The asset developer has approved equity commitments of $630 million to India in the last four years.

“We should be looking to invest another $1 billion into the Indian renewable energy market and we think that’s very feasible considering our position.”

-David Russell , Chief executive officer, Equis

Connected more than 750 MW in India and counting!

Equity financing The majority of Equis’ renewable energy projects, including those in India, have been financed with 100% equity, with the company carrying out construction and development on its own, Russell said.“We are not frightened of where tariffs (in India) are going as we don’t have to pay anyone a development or construction premium because we do it ourselves,” Russell said, adding that his returns are in double digits “between the low and mid teens”. India has competitive bidding for solar tenders, with companies vying aggressively for them and pushing down tariffs to as low as 6 cents a kilowatt-hour in January.In the next 24 months, Equis will aim to expand to at least five gigawatts and is looking to expand into new markets like Taiwan, Australia and Indonesia. On average, 50 megawatts to 100 megawatts will be added to its portfolio every month this year and into the next year, Russell said. “We see these markets in Asia needing $1.1 trillion in capital over the next 10 years in renewable energy,” he said.

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Equis has financed 737 megawatts of Indian renewables, with 300 megawatts under development. The company commissioned a 108-megawatt wind project in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh at an investment of $131 million this month.

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NEWS & ANALYSIS

JA Solar Provides 44% of Modules for First Phase of China’s “Front Runner” PV Demonstration Base JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. (Nasdaq: JASO) (“JA Solar”), one of the world’s largest manufacturers of high-performance solar power products, announced that it is providing 420 MV of modules for a national advanced PV technology demonstration project in Datong, Shanxi province. The first phase of the “Front Runner” project has a total installed capacity of 950MW. JA Solar is providing 44% of the modules for this first phase.

he National Energy Administration established the “Front Runner” program in order to promote the development of advanced solar PV technology by domestic suppliers. The Datong demonstration project is the first of several planned GWscale “Front Runner” projects. Investment in the first phase of the facility is estimated at 10 billion yuan (approximately US$1.6 billion) and will consist of 13 PV power stations. Upon completion, the facility is expected to generate 1.5 billion kWh of on-grid energy per year, which will contribute 260 million yuan of tax revenue and eliminate the burning of 480,000 tons of standard coal annually. As a result of its advanced core technologies, in July 2015 JA Solar was selected by the municipal government of Datong as investor in one of the demonstration projects, providing products for the 50MW “Leader + New Technology + New Model Demonstration” project. JA Solar also furnished 370MW of modules to six companies who are also investors in the demonstration projects: China Three Gorges Corporation, China Huadian Corporation, China Power Investment Corporation, China

Guangdong Nuclear Power Group, Beijing Energy Investment Holding and Sungrow Power Supply. In order to par ticipate in the “Front Runner ” project, equipment suppliers must meet high standards of performance and quality established by the National Energy Administration. The conversion efficiency of polycrystalline and monocrystalline modules must exceed 16.5% and 17%, respectively. The attenuation rate of ordinary PV products in the first year after commissioning is required to not exceed 2.5% and 3% respectively, while the same rate in subsequent years is to be no higher than 0.7% per year. The overall attenuation rate over the useful life of the modules must not exceed 20%. JA Solar demonstrated its global technology

leadership by submitting four products that meet or exceed the “Front Runner” standard: its conventional monocrystalline Cypress modules, conventional polycrystalline Cypress modules, high-efficiency monocrystalline Percium modules and highefficiency polycrystalline Riecium modules. Furthermore, in early 2016 JA Solar’s high-efficiency polycrystalline Riecium doubleglass modules also received an authentication certificate from the China Quality Certification Centre, validating compliance with China’s “Front Runner” standard of technology and quality. Customer demand for highefficiency products is growing. High conversion efficiency translates into greater installed capacity per unit area, resulting in more electricity generation, reduced land cost per watt, reduced transportation and installation costs, and better project income. To fulfill rapidly growing customer demand, within a year JA Solar intends to increase annual production capacity of its “Front Runner” products to 1.8GW for monocrystalline products and 2.3GW for polycrystalline products.

“The ‘Front Runner’ program is helping the Chinese PV equipment industry achieve many desirable goals. The program promotes ongoing technological innovation, improved manufacturing processes, new and useful applications, and high standard for quality and testing. JA Solar is proud to supply nearly half of the modules for this first demonstration project in Datong. We intend to pursue further technology innovations that will contribute to the healthy evolution of China’s PV and manufacturing sectors.” -Mr. Jian Xie, President of JA Solar

July 2016

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NEWS & ANALYSIS

Schneider Electric launches PV Hybrid solution in cooperation with DEIF Schneider Electric, the global specialist in energy management and automation and a global leader in solutions for solar and energy storage power conversion chain, today announced the launch of a PV Hybrid solution, developed in cooperation with DEIF, a global leader in diesel controllers.

lexible PV Hybrid solution introduced at Intersolar Europe 2016. Designed for gridtied and off-grid power generation, the PV Hybrid solution combines efficient, reliable diesel generation with clean, low-cost solar power. This flexible solution enables operators to use energy intelligently—and it can be customized to build cost-effective hybrid power solutions that meet a range of needs.

“The PV Hybrid solution responds to a real, and growing need in the market, From remote work sites to commercial institutions, there are many power plants where diesel generators are in operation for primary or backup power—but the operators want to add PV power for its financial and environmental advantages.” -Xavier Datin, VP of the Commercial and Residential Solar Line of Business , Schneider Electric

combination of solar and diesel solution to ensure reliability to the grid while reducing overall carbon footprint. The modular, adaptable PV Hybrid solution can be applied to new and retrofit applications. The combination of diesel and solar power maintains a stable, reliable power grid while reducing fuel dependency and limiting GHG emissions. In some applications, where permitted, operators will be able to earn revenue by selling surplus solar-generated power back to the grid.

The solution features Schneider Electric Conext™ CL inverters, with controllers transducers and accessories from DEIF. Said Datin, “We are proud to bring this to market in cooperation with DEIF. This solution truly represents the best of both worlds: DEIF is renowned for its’ advanced, efficient diesel power control systems, while Schneider Electric is known for innovation and excellence in solar. As both companies have been in the power business for decades, customers can rely on them for global, long-term support.”

SOLAR TRACKER

INTERVIEW WITH Mr. GANG RONG President, ARCTECH SOLAR

EQ: What is the importance, feasibility, viability of using Solar Trackers in various states of India? GR: Dropping PPA prices, high irritation and utility scale makes solar trackers the perfect and only choice to get higher IRR for a solar plant in India. The solar plant generation gain is up to 15%-25% more when using a horizontal single axis tracker in most regions of India, such as: Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, AP, Telegana, and Marsharasta. Even in Punjab, you can still get 15% more energy by using a horizontal single axis tracker with tilted solar modules. Solar trackers are becoming more popular in India, as you can see several GWs of NTPC project tenders are asking for solar tracker since 2015.

EQ: Explain briefly about your company, vision & mission etc… GR: Arctech is now ranked No. 1 in terms of solar structure supplied in China and India with a vision to be a leading solution provider and manufacturer of solar racking and tracking systems in the world. Since 2009, the year Arctech installed its first high precision dual axis tracker, we have always tried to adapt our products and technology to market demands and as a result our accumulated installation is

July 2016

We always listen to the customers, try to understand the real needs, and then provide financially viable and technically workable solar mounting solutions to of tracker EQ: What is the kind the customers including trackers and the for ly technology you supp racking systems. t? rke ma solar Secondly, we will sit with our gle axis tracker customer together and discuss how GR: The horizontal sin system and linked to adapt our products to the local with redundant backup technology we er applications. For example, since it rows is the main track ia market, and Ind the in g tin mo becoming more and more difficult are pro d st effective an it is also the most co for investors to find flat land for PV . ed lop ve de ve durable solution we ha projects, we launched a smaller tracker re ng on mo Our R&D team is worki which can be installed on sloped areas. ts en cli r solutions to help ou We also have an integration solution with se rea inc d an st reduce co inverter to help our customers minimize energy yield. cost and simplify the design. Thirdly, we provide highly reliable products backed by a dedicated R&D team with more than 40 talented engineers. Our Redundancy Solar Tracker Technology, 7GW. In 2015, 3 GWs of structures were also called “Non-Stop Tracking System”, shipped worldwide including 600MWs of has set a new level of reliability for solar solar structures to India, which accounts trackers.Finally, Arctech is committed to for almost 25% of Indian market share. only providing the highest quality solutions With a 2GW tracker and 6GW fixed in any market that we enter. Arctech Solar structure annual production capacity, is probably the only company which has Arctech is well equipped to be an active very strong R&D capabilities and a huge production capacity as well. It allows player in the world solar market. us to control quality throughout every EQ: What makes Arctech step of production. On the other hand, our customers can also experience the Solar different from other high quality of our services from site competitors? surveying, plant layout, financial analysis, GR: Firstly, Arctech is not always trying tracker performance monitoring, local to sell trackers to the customers. We warehousing for spare parts, technical are the solar structure solution provider. support, and service personnel.

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SOLAR TRACKER EQ: What are your plans for India and your view on the opportunities and challenges?

EQ: Mention the technical specifications of the trackers you offer.

GR: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi shows huge determination to go solar, by setting an ambitious target of 100GW solar power by 2022. This target makes India a booming market, and there is no doubt India will become a top 5 solar market in the world in 2016. We see great potential in the Indian solar market, at least in next 5 year. For Arctech Solar, we have set an 1GW solar tracker sales target for the India market in 2016, and so far more than 500MW have been secured. By year end, these solar trackers will be installed in Karnakata, AP, Tenegana, Tamil Nadu, and other states. We have set up a local presence in India to better support our clients, and in future we may consider manufacturing locally.

GR: Instead of an actuator, our tracker uses a slew gear, which is stronger and more reliable. Each slew gear drives up to 1000 pcs of 72-cells solar modules. For the control system, our redundant back up design has 2 motors, 2 tilt sensors, 2 power supplies and 2 control units. The backup system can automatically be activated whenever the primary system stops. Therefore, there is no power generation loss.

Organised By

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

EQ: Please share a video about your tracker / company for our digital media platform.

EQ: Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your future plan of tracker Technology? nology GR: We believe techand flexintegration, reliability,search diibility are the main re can see it rections for us. You in Sep. in the REI exhibition soluwhen our integrated er tion between track and inverter will be launched.

GR: Please visit on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or5Q GBeuaPY&feature=youtu.be

5th EQ Cleantech Finance Summit 2016 MUMBAI Dec. 07-08, 2016

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July 2016

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NEWS & ANALYSIS

Panasonic Eco Solutions Canada Wins Award for Solar Finance Platform “We are honored to receive this outstanding award, which offers evidence that we are helping an underserved part of the solar PV market to get projects brought to commercial operation that may otherwise have not obtained financing. Our financing platform has been designed to be efficient and meaningful to both the system owner and lender, making even smaller scale systems bankable enough to allow attractive investment rates which can lead to better returns in solar PV projects.” -Walter Buzzelli, Managing Director at Panasonic Eco Solutions Canada Inc.

anasonic, in conjunction with PNC Equipment Finance, a division of PNC Bank Canada Branch (PNC Canada), the Canadian arm of PNC Bank, N.A., has created a financing proposition whereby Panasonic provides full turn-key engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services, 100% construction financing, operations, maintenance and a production guarantee on the projects’ future performance. This allows PNC Canada to offer attractive long-term financing to the project owner. The program is available to owners of large utility scale projects, as well as projects as small as 200kW.

“PNC is honored to share the Game Changer Award for Project Finance Innovation with Panasonic. Projects financed by our collaboration help generate clean power for manufacturers and Main Streets across Canada while at the same time providing PNC’s Canadian customers with the banking to reach their environmental goals.” -Bruce Schruder, senior vice president and senior account executive, Equipment Finance division, PNC Bank Canada Branch.

July 2016

ince Panasonic and PNC Canada introduced their financing program, they have serviced numerous solar projects that have involved multiple developers, energy producers and buyers. The number of projects is anticipated to increase significantly due to the program’s competitiveness, flexibility and successful track record. Promoting renewable energy is central to Panasonic’s business philosophy. Panasonic is uniquely positioned to be able to leverage its strong financial position as a Fortune Global 500 company to structure and underwrite a unique production guarantee for installed solar systems that makes them bankable. Thus, lenders are able to offer attractive investment rates that aim to improve returns in solar PV projects. With the ability to offer onestop project management that includes financing in addition to EPC services, and now a long term financing arrangement with PNC Canada, Panasonic brings new value to solar developers.

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July 2016

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NEWS & ANALYSIS

Amplus Solar Acquires Sun Edison’s Indian Commercial and Industrial Rooftop Portfolio Amplus Energy Solutions Private Limited (“Amplus”), one of India’s leading solar developers and a portfolio company of I Squared Capital, has acquired the portfolio of commercial and industrial rooftop projects of SunEdison India (SEI). Spread across India, the facilities provide on-site renewable power to leading Indian and global corporate customers. “Amplus Solar is excited to acquire this high-quality portfolio. We have grown rapidly since an equity investment by I Squared Capital in June 2015. Following this acquisition, Amplus will operate over 150 distributed generation and rooftop systems across India. Amplus provides integrated project delivery, operations and maintenance to commercial and industrial customers. We continue to develop our rooftop portfolio and evaluate acquisitions in the renewable energy sector in India and beyond.”

Sanjeev Aggarwal, Managing Director and CEO of Amplus

“Amplus prides itself on the quality of its plants and the service provided to its clients. The facilities acquired from SunEdison India were built using high-quality equipment and Amplus is implementing its proprietary remote monitoring and inhouse data collection systems to ensure high uptimes and power outputs to existing customers.” -Guru Inder Singh, Chief Operating Officer, Amplus

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July 2016

mplus recently partnered with Walmart to provide solar power at fifteen Best Price Modern Wholesale stores across five states. In April 2016, Amplus commissioned India’s largest single-location rooftop solar installation for captive use of 4,000 kW for Yamaha Motors. Amplus has partnered with leading Indian and multi-national companies like Dominos, Hilton Hotels, Fortis Hospitals and others to meet their sustainability and carbon-reduction objectives. The acquisition adds relationships with global companies including Intel, Amway, Standard Chartered Bank, Whirlpool and Delhi Metro among others and will cement Amplus’ leading position in the commercial and industrial rooftop solar sector in India.

Rooftop solar is expected to grow rapidly from a current capacity of about 525 MW to the Indian government target of 40,000 MW by 2022. The inherent advantages of distributed solar include speedy implementation, no transmission losses and use of “idle spaces,” like factory sheds and building terraces, making it optimal for generating renewable energy, especially in markets like India where land is at a premium.

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NEWS & ANALYSIS

Trina Solar Announces Achievement Of 21.1% Average Efficiency For Industrially-Produced Monocrystalline Perc Cells Trina Solar Limited a global leader in photovoltaic (“PV”) modules, solutions, and services, announced that it has achieved an average efficiency of 21.1% for its industrially-produced P-type monocrystalline cells (156 x 156 mm2) with Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (“PERC”) technology, and that the solar modules using these high-efficiency cells reached an output power of 300W (60 psc cells). The results, tested by the Company, underscore Trina Solar’s continued leading global position in manufacturing advanced crystalline silicon solar products.

uilt with advanced rear passivation technology, the P-type monocrystilline PERC cells were fabricated on a large-size industrial boron-doped Cz-Si substrate and were developed on the Company’s “golden” pilot production line with standard industrial production materials and processes. This is, once again, a major efficiency improvement breakthrough for the industrial monocrystalline PERC cell, demonstrating Trina Solar’s technological strength in converting laboratory technology into mass production.

“We are proud of our latest achievement in attaining an average conversion efficiency rate of 21.1% for our monocrystalline PERC cells that were industrially produced by applying our laboratory world record PERC cell technology. We will not stop here as we continue to relentlessly develop low cost yet highly efficient solar products.” - Dr. Pierre Verlinden , Vice President and Chief Scientist of Trina Solar

“Our goal has always been to focus on technological innovation and to transfer our best laboratory technology to commercial production as we look to develop highly efficient solar products to further reduce the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE). As demand for high-efficiency cells increases, our R&D team’s achievement in raising the average efficiency of our industrially-produced monocrystalline PERC cells will help accelerate the applications of high-efficiency solar products and build a solid foundation for further reductions in the LCOE. These efforts should help bolster the widespread adoption of solar energy on a global scale as well as enable the earlier arrival of grid parity.” - Dr. . Zhiqiang Feng, Vice President of Trina Solar and Director of the State Key Laboratory of PV Science and Technology

NEWS & ANALYSIS

MNRE ropes in Germany-based KfW Development Bank to fund two floating solar projects

est that the “Initial estimates sugg least 310 at e rat ne ge country could m such floating fro r we po n ee gr gigawatts of t only 10% of the tha mes solar parks.This assu atused for setting up flo water bodies can be d ste tru en s e MNRE ha ing solar facilities.” Th the d an y erg En of Solar the National Institute ge to jointly undertake lle Co y erg En Renewable mote pe in the National Re the study. They will ro for l tia ten aluate the po Sensing Centre to ev .” nts floating solar pla uri, - Dr. SP Gon Chaudh asd Chairman , Kolkata -b llege Renewable Energy Co

T After solar parks developed over vast tracts of land, the next big thing in renewable energy could be solar parks floating on water bodies.The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has initiated a study to assess the potential of floating solar parks in India. It has roped in Germany-based KfW Development Bank to build two large floating solar projects in Maharashtra and Kerala at an initial investment of about Rs 300 crore. “The KfW-funded floating solar park would be a showcase project that would demonstrate the technical viability of large solar projects. To begin with, at least 40 MW of floating solar capacity would be set up,” said a senior MNRE official.

July 2016

here are 61.48 lakh hectares of still water surfaces in India, of which reservoirs are 29.26 lakh hectares and tanks and ponds are 24.24 lakh hectares, according to the agriculture ministry. Floating solar panels are more efficient than those on land because the water bodies cool them. Several companies and states have started looking at the option of such plants.

“One can generate 17 lakh units of power from a one megawatt floating solar facility per year, while the same on land will generate 16 lakh units. The area required for setting up the panels is the same – 4 acres per megawatt and the average generation cost thus is about Rs 7 per unit for both. Cost-wise, floating panels are a tad more expensive at Rs 8 crore per megawatt. However, as demand rises, the cost will also come down,” said Gon Chaudhuri. The solar panels will be set up on floating platforms anchored firmly so that they do not drift. The main saving is on the land price and yield. The surface of the water body can be rented out at a minimal rate because they can be put to no other use. Source:ET

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NEWS & ANALYSIS

Seraphim PV Modules Received Sand And Dust Certification

eraphim Solar (“Seraphim”), one ofthe highest-rated, world-class solar module manufacturers, with 1.9GW solar panel manufacturing capabilities in U.S.A. and China, announces that it has received the Dust and Sand Test certification for photovoltaic (PV) modules, which was issued by the world leading third party certification agency TUV SÜD group (“TÜV SÜD “). When PV modules are installed in extreme environments, sand and dust abrasion may have some impact on the surface of the glass, backsheet as well as the junction box of PV modules. Sand and dust tests mainly relates to dust composition, sand and dust density, particle size, wind speed, test temperature, humidity, and test duration. The simulation tests of severe sandstorm erosion, play a vital role in understanding the solar modules’ reliability and durability in a real environment.

‘More and more Seraphim modules are being installed in desert environments. This means that our modules have to withstand high-speed dust abrasion and surface impact. Obtaining the Sand and Dust certification ensures the applicability and durability of our solar modules under extreme environments such as the desert environment. We are very proud of our solar modules and their test results in a series of rigorous testing conducted by TÜV SÜD.’

-Mr. Justin Xi , Executive Manager of Seraphim Solar

TÜV SÜD is committed to delivering quality service for photovoltaic industry as a third party certification body and establishing the confidence of photovoltaic products long-term reliability. ‘TÜV SÜD PV Operation Director of China and Chief Visa Officer Zhang Zhu Lin said, ’Sand and dust test certificates issued by the TÜV SÜD, ensures the high quality of the modules installed in the desert environments and provides the customers’ long-term returns.’ As a leading PV product provider, Seraphim has a global capacity of 1.9GW (1.6GW in Changzhou, China and 300MW in the USA). At present, Seraphim products have been distributed and installed in over 30 countries. Seraphim is dedicated to providing sustainable clean energy solutions for customers, with long term environmental improvement in mind.

NEWS & ANALYSIS

McCrory: SWELECT Energy Systems to bring 155 jobs to Halifax County “This announcement is rth another example of No ess sin bu e Carolina’s competitiv orce and strong climate, talented workf especially in economic comeback , also fits in to T EC manufacturing. SWEL ergy strategy our all-of-the-above en try’s energy un to contribute to our co ate jobs cre d an e independenc in North Carolina.”

-SAID GOVERNOR MCCRORY

Governor Pat McCrory, North Carolina Commerce Secretary John E. Skvarla, III, and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) made the announcement on Friday.SWELECT Energy Systems LLC plans to build a 155-person workforce over the coming five years, investing more than $4.7 million in a manufacturing site and adjacent solar farm.

July 2016

WELECT Energy Systems Limited is a leader in power electronics and renewable energy based in Mylapore, India. It has installed more than 1,700 solar farms since its founding in 1983.“SWELECT’s choice of Halifax County highlights all the factors that have made North Carolina the Southeast’s No. 1 state for manufacturing jobs,” said Secretary Skvarla. “A competitive cost-structure, highly productive workers and ease of access to North American markets all will play a part in this company’s success.”The 155 positions at the Halifax operation will include skilled operators, quality control specialists, logistics personnel and others. Annual salaries will vary by position but will average at least $30,419. Overall wages in Halifax County currently average $30,395 per year.

“Producing modules at the Halifax County facility allows us to help North Carolina meet its renewable energy goals and further support the U.S. market. Our partnership with North Carolina and Halifax County presents the opportunity for SWELECT to leverage 30 years of world class experience in solar manufacturing. We are delighted that our products will be ‘Made in the USA.’” - R. Chellepan, Managing Director, SWELECT

The project was made possible in part by a performance-based grant of up to $600,000 from the One North Carolina Fund.

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NEWS & ANALYSIS

“Halifax County welcomes this leading-edge alternative energy company. We look forward to SWELECT Energy Systems becoming a valued member of our business community.” -Angela Bryant, N.C . Senator

“Congratulations to this global manufacturer of solar equipment on its choice of Halifax County for this exciting investment. I am proud of the collaboration between our local and state economic development organizations and educational and utility partners for bringing this significant opportunity to us.” - Michael Wray, N.C . Rep. Joining EDPNC and N.C. Commerce in supporting SWELECT’s new location are the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Community College System, Halifax County, Halifax County Business Horizons and Roanoke Electric Membership Corporation. Source:wnct.com

INVERTERS

Sungrow Tops the World with the Spirit of Craftsman

20 years for one reason Sungrow replaced SMA to become the world’s largest PV inverter manufacturer with shipments in 2015 reaching up to 8.9GW. Professor Renxian Cao -President of Sungrow mentioned that the spirit of craftsman plays a key role at all times in achieving this great performance.

July 2016

What exactly is the spirit of craftsman? The spirit of craftsman essentially lies in the core rules of industrial civilization. It represents the pursuit of excellence and the attitude of making products better at all costs. “Our key focus is on PV inverters and we resist varieties of temptations. We believe in becoming stronger through enhancement of core competence rather than ‘killing’ rivals.”

-Professor Cao describes the spirit of craftsman

ound in 1997, Sungrow is a leading enterprise with nearly 20 years of experience in solar industry. Sungrow is eminently successful in improving the PV inverter efficiency from 90% to 99% over these years and thus resolving many of the major challenges in solar industry. For example, functions like LVRT (Low Voltage Ride Through), SVG (Static Var Compensators),etc. are seen as milestones in the development of solar technology.

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INVERTERS

hile core business experienced a severe shock to focus on producing better products for the solar industry, Professor Cao letoff some profitable businesses and persistently worked on improvements of inverter technology. This corporate strategy has lead Sungrow to become global No.1 in terms of PV inverter shipments in year 2015. Above is a snapshot of Sungrow shipments over past 5 years.

The emerging 1500 Volt market

Sungrow’s 30MW project of 1500 Volt in Xinjiang Province, China.

ince the second half of year 2015, the 1500 Volt system has been talked about more often in solar industry. Most of the top companies have already unveiled their 1500V products. According to experts in solar industry, upgrading the system from 1000V to 1500V will lead to reduction of costs and enhance power generation yields, thus enhancing the overall efficiency of system at lower costs. With the existing 1000V system, there is very little space to cut costs in setting up a solar power plant. Technology innovation in 1500V system is expected to cut the costs of overall system, thus enabling to achieve a high efficient system at lower costs. “It is necessary to reduce the cost per KWH of the electricity generated by solar to boost its connection to grid at an equal price. Cost per KWH of the electricity can be reduced by improving power generation, reducing initial investment as well as lowering operation cost in the long term. And that’s exactly what 1500 Volt technology can do” said Professor Cao.

According to GTM Research, there will be approximately 4.6GW requirement of 1500 Volt system by end of year 2016. Some companies have already started to build power plants of 1500 Volt.

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China’s largest 1500 Volt power plant (50MW) developed by Sungrow in Datong, Shanxi Province.

Sungrow’s SG3000HV-MV for 1500 Volt market 1500V system is key focus field of Sungrow. We have more than 400 R&D employees striving to achieve excellence and persistently rolling out products with latest technology as per the requirements in solar industry. Being the world’s largest PV inverter manufacturer with shipments reaching up to 8.9GW in 2015, Sungrow currently has many products of 1500 Volt including the SG3000HV-MV.

Sungrow’s SG3000HV-MV

July 2016

INVERTERS

eing the world’s largest PV inverter in commercial application, the SG3000HVMV Turnkey Container Solution is best characterized by its low system cost and high efficiency design. It is designed to be gridfriendly and equipped with full grid support features, including LVRT, OVRT, FRT and power curtailment. Its active power is settable from 0 to 100% and its reactive power control with power factor can be set from 0.8 leading to 0.8 lagging. It also has nighttime reactive power compensation capability and intelligent control features are compatible with universal utility standards. The SG3000HV-MV Turnkey Container Solution consists of 2 PCs of the SG1500HV inverters, which is designed for maximum efficiency up to 99% and has efficient MPPT control for higher power yields. Its efficient control algorithm ensures low consumption on switch device and its temperature controlled air-cooling saves energy.

Sungrow’s development history

ollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio is finally bestowed with Academy Award after many years of his hard work. Similarly Professor Renixan Cao, founder and President of Sungrow leads his solar enterprise to top the world with PV inverter shipments of 2015 reaching up to 8.9GW, giving this company a historical high point in 20 years of business.

Tracing back to 1997, while Leonardo made Titanic a global sensation, Professor Cao gave up his stable life as a university professor, and officially set up Sungrow at the age of 30.

D Sungrow’s SG1500HV

The SG3000HV-MV Turnkey Container Solution is capable of operating continuously at rated power from -35C to +60C. It is also capable of working efficiently at higher altitudes. Sungrow will strengthen its advantage in the technology of 1500 Volt to offer better products, solutions and services to customers.

July 2016

uring his career, Leonardo’s film works are known as elaborate masterpieces, just like Professor Cao never made any single inverter with poor quality. In order to work out an Oscar-winning piece, Leonardo gave up many commercial films that could’ve made much more profits. High profit business line like UPS business was opted out of Sungrow to focus on inverter business. Professor Cao calls it “subtraction”.

Like we witness the continuous improvement of Leonardo’s acting skill, Sungrow is relentlessly improving and updating its products for improvements in solar industry. With each of his film work, Leonardo moves one step closer to the Academy Award, just like Sungrow kept moving forward in terms of global ranking, from Top 5 to 2nd position, and all the way to become largest PV inverter manufacturer of world in 2015. For consecutive years, Sungrow is always the market leader in China. Reaching global No. 1 ranking has brought the Chinese PV inverter industry to a new height.

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INVERTERS

Sungrow’s project of string inverters in Berlin, Germany.

urrently over 20 Gigawatts PV inverters from Sungrow has been deployed in global solar projects. With 11 subsidiaries worldwide located throughout North America, Asia, Europe, Australia, and South America, Sungrow has its products installed and operating in over 50 countries. As world market leader, Sungrow currently has maintained a market share of over 30% in China. In 2015, Sungrow successfully occupied over 20% market share in Germany.

Professor Cao said, “We were committed to increasing efficiency and reducing costs in past 20 years. Inlast decade, the inverter cost reduced to less than 10% of the original price, and the price of electricity declined to 0.3 yuan (RMB) from 3 yuan (RMB) in China, to which we feel Sungrow has contributed a lot. The biggest contribution Sungrow made to solar industry is by producing high efficient and reliable inverters at lower costs.” Professor Cao continued, “The quality of solar products made in China is winning global trust. Sungrow is attracting more attention all over the world with its 20-year expertise.”

Sungrow’s project in Arizona, USA

Sungrow’s technical innovation

t is evident from all entrepreneurs having the spirit of craftsman that their success is due to dedicated concentration on specific products and continued creativity.

“ Technical innovation really plays a key role in Sungrow’s rapid growth. More than 35 percent of personnel in Sungrow belong to R&D, which is Sungrow’s core technical strength.” - said Professor Cao.

Central inverter testing section

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July 2016

INVERTERS

Simulated harsh environment testing section

otivated by innovation, 3 to 5 new products are released by Sungrow every year and almost every new product leads the main stream in solar industry.

“Fine-tuning of product details is performed once in three months. New inventions and technical advancements can be found on products every time you come to Sungrow. We keep innovating and that makes Sungrow a company driven by advanced technologies.” said

Vibration testing section

-Mr. Guibiao Zheng, Senior Vice President of Sungrow.

Power quality testing section

July 2016

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INVERTERS

With application scenarios getting complicated, Sungrow introduced the concept of “Scientific design based on local conditions”. This is a pragmatic strategy of serving customers. Sungrow has already developed over 20 products for applications ranging from power plants to residential use, thus meeting all expectations of customers. Sungrow tops the world in PV inverters by sticking to the spirit of craftsman in the past 20 years. Enterprises driven by technical innovation has proven to be successful in solar industry, we are proudly one of them.

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SUNGROW PRESENTED NEW INVERTERS AT INTERSOLAR EUROPE 2016

ungrow, the worlds’ largest PV inverter manufacturer, announced that several new inverters were presented by the company at Intersolar Europe 2016.As one of Sungrow’s main products for the emerging 1500 volt market, the SG3000HVMV turnkey container solution is best characterised by its low system cost and high system efficiency. It is designed to be grid-friendly with full grid support, including LVRT, OVRT, FRT and power curtailment. Its active power is adjustable ranging from 0 to 100% and its reactive power control with power factor can be adjusted from 0.8 leading to 0.8 lagging. Moreover, it has night time reactive power compensation capability and intelligent control which is compatible with multiple regional utility standards. The SG80KTL is a grid-tied, 3-phase, 1000V DC and transformerless string inverter, which is able to be used in utility power plants, as well as commercial rooftops. The SG80KTL is also designed to enable multiple inverters to be directly coupled at the AC side with 3MW power block design for lower costs of AC transformers and installation. Its wide MPPT range and maximum 1.4 DC/AC ratio lead to higher yields of power generation. Also, compared to the previous cooling system, the smart cooling system is more efficient to lower internal operation temperature, which is useful to prolong the inverter lifespan.

“At Sungrow we are always committed to technical innovation and we believe that these new products will achieve this. We will continue to try and provide the best technical solutions for our customers and look forward to continuing to innovate, for them.” -Professor Renxian Cao, President, Sungrow EQ

July 2016

BUISNESS & FINANCE

Marketplace Lending :

Unlocking Debt Finance for Renewable Energy

-By Simmi Sarin and Balawant Joshi

One of the biggest constraints growing businesses encounter is the lack of timely and adequate financing. Every project developer who has signed a PPA and is looking forward to get started on the project implementation knows the process that follows, once the equity tie-up is in place.

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July 2016

he finance team prepares a detailed project report and approaches 1-2 lenders that are nearby or the ones they know personally. The proposal goes through several rounds of back and forth for additional information requirements and queries and then, if you are lucky, you get a sanction in a few months. If not, the whole process starts again with another lender. Add to this the fact that renewable energy is a young industry and most companies donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have experienced finance teams in place, the funding delays often lead to lost projects. Marketplace lending (also known as peer-to-peer lending), a new innovation in the financial markets in India, is set to change that. The concept itself is not new; with marketplace lending

accounting for billions of dollars of loan disbursements in US, Europe and even developing nations like China. In the last ten years, leading marketplace lending players like Lending Club in US and CreditEase in China have created an important bridge between small borrowers and both institutional and individual lenders. Even lenders as significant as the UK government have chosen to lend to small businesses through a marketplace - Funding Circle, in the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s case. The industry is taking its first steps in India, and early entrants like Loans4SME (www.loans4sme. com)are addressing a critical market need by connecting companies and projects that need funding with a wide range of lenders.

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BUISNESS & FINANCE

Types of Funding

y their very nature, marketplace lenders like Loans4SME offer you a wide variety of options. Because they partner with everyone from project financiers, banks providing working capital as well as high risk taking lenders including venture debt funds and NBFCs providing unsecured loans, the financing you raise on a marketplace can be tailored to your requirements. Typical financing requirements we have listed on a marketplace lending portal include: • Project Finance for rooftop solar and other renewable energy projects. • Working Capital Loans: These are typically secured by a collateral. However, uncollateralised loans may be available for funding requirements upto INR 1 crore. • Invoice discounting. • Buyer’s credit and purchase order financing.

How Does It Work

marketplace lender like Loans4SME (www. loans4sme.com) creates a platform to connect projects and companies with lenders. Companies can register their debt raising requirements, be it working capital or project funding, and follow a simple process to provide all the documents required by the lenders. The marketplace lender collects all the documents at one time, eliminating long and tedious back and forth and repeated processes with multiple lenders. The marketplace lender then runs their internal assessment and advises the company on how to structure the funding requirement. This proposal is listed on the portal and is viewed by lenders, including banks, NBFCs and venture debt funds. Interested lenders express interest in the transaction and then connect with the company to discuss terms and offer a loan.

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marketplace lender carries out its own credit assessment and is able to help with flexible structures, as long as sufficient cashflows are available to repay the debt. At Loans4SME, we have built a proprietary algorithm that uses inputs from decades of academic research and hundreds of factors to calculate a company’s ability to repay a loan. Such robust risk assessment is a key factor prompting banks and NBFCs to lend to small businesses.

July 2016

BUISNESS & FINANCE

Company registers on loans4SME Lenders select companies they are interested in; Loans4SME provides all data they need to make a decision

Loans4SME collects all information in one go and advises on financing structure Lender and company negotiate final terms

Company lists on portal with brief profile and project/transaction details Loans4SME helps close due diligence and loan documentation.

Loans4SME monitors loan performance and provides data to lenders

How Do Small Businesses Benefit from a Marketplace Lender like Loans4SME

arketplace lenders, with their technology driven focus on efficient origination and credit assessment, have been able to help bridge the huge gap that exists in the funding of small businesses in India. As a project or business looking for funding, there are distinct advantages of listing on a marketplace for loans: 1. Access to a wide range of lenders: A marketplace lenders bring a wide range of lenders on board. Hence, your choices are no longer limited to banks near you. Several NBFCs and even non-traditional lenders (individuals, family investment offices), who may otherwise not have lent to renewable energy projects because of their lack of experience with the sector, are able to do so by relying on the credit assessment processes established by the marketplace lending platform.

2. Timely funding: Successful marketplace models have proven to be more efficient and cost effective than borrowers approaching each lender individually. The document collection and assessment is a one-time process, then available to multiple interested lenders, effectively streamlining processes and reducing time to get a loan. 3. Transparency: A marketplace lender provides both lenders and borrowers an open mechanism to discuss credit assessment and price-setting norms. With such an awareness of all the funding options available to a business, the true benefits of a partnership with a marketplace lender extend way beyond finance. An early guidance on possibility and cost of financing your upcoming projects can be valuable information as you pitch for new business and projects.

Marketplace lending is thriving around the world because these platforms address a critical market need. Small businesses are growing because they get adequate, timely and well-priced funding thanks to the evolution of marketplace lenders. Institutions and governments have both found efficient ways to lend to these businesses, thanks largely to the technological evolution driven by marketplace lending platforms. As a small business looking to expand in India, there is no better time to associate with a lending platform like Loans4SME and access debt financing options only large companies had access to so far. 34Â

July 2016

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PV MANUFACTURING

Elcom International is pleased to announce the new state of the art manufacturing facility at 5 Star Kagal MIDC area in Kolhapur, Maharashtra The new facility is equipped with worldclass research, development and manufacturing capabilities. The ISO 9001:2008 certified state of the art manufacturing and R&D facility recognized by DSIR have strengthened the company’s position in the market.

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ith our core expertise in manufacturing of EM&E components, we have expanded our portfolio to include solar components, standard & intelligent Power Distribution Units (PDUs), and consumer products like spike guards(surge protectors).

The key highlights of the facility are: 1. Its spread over an area of 4 acres, 2. Its furnished with modern equipment like Fanuc, an ‘all electric injection moulding technology’. The inhouse product testing and reliability lab (UL accredited) facilitates internal product testing and customer inspection having added new Climatic Test and Vibration Test Setups 3. Elcom is also approved for UL/cUL (ZPFW2) process for wire harness manufacturing and caters to all the customized wire harness requirements for solar project of any size.

The company offers high grade solar components which include PV connectors, PV Branch Connectors,Wiring Harness for PV installations, PV module junction boxes and, all certified by TUV and manufactured as per IEC standards. Elcom is the first Indian Company to offer PV Connectors with IP68 protection and Low Contact resistance. These are widely used in all kinds of solar power applications. Elcom solar components are customized, efficient and durable like none before and all come with a 25 year guarantee of performance. In the near future, Elcom with its most reliable R&D and manufacturing team aims to launch a variety of innovative solar products.

July 2016

SOLAR PROJECTS

Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora has integrated a 600kWp rooftop solar PV system For several years, the luxury hotel complex, located on the South Pacific island of Bora Bora, has implemented an ecological business approach. Renowned for its white sandy beaches, its turquoise water and overwater bungalows, the Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora wanted to go a step further in protecting this stunning environment by investing in a solar PV system.

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July 2016

he beachfront resort decided to pursue a 600kWp commercial photovoltaic system installation to help reduce its carbon footprint and to protect the beauty of its environment. However, the advantages of a photovoltaic system at this particular site extend far beyond the environmental aspects. Bora Bora is a remote island of French Polynesia that produces the majority of its electricity from power plants that run on diesel. Electricity provided by the local utility company, EDT, is very expensive because of the high operating expenses on the island and the high fuel transportation costs to this faraway location. The electricity on Bora Bora can cost up to 41 euro cents per kWh (49.5 francs CFP per kWh). A rooftop PV system would help the resort to better control the costs of its electricity supply. Sunzil was selected for the system engineering and main turnkey construction of the project. As a subsidiary of Total and EDF, it has designed, built and operated photovoltaic plants in the island area since 1986.The PV array was installed on the roofs of two large service buildings inside the resort complex.

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SOLAR PROJECTS

Construction of the project began in July 2015 and lasted only a few weeks. The commissioning of the system took place in October 2015. The new solar system now generates around 930 MWh of electricity per year, and the hotel is expected to reduce its carbon footprint by about 530 tons of carbon dioxide per year. Delta is proud to have integrated its solar inverters into the photovoltaic system of this beautiful hotel complex, not only to contribute to a clean and stable energy supply, but also to participate in the protection of a first-class tourist destination for future generations to enjoy. To accommodate all the solar panels needed, an additional building with an area of 1600mÂ˛ had to be built. 1884 Benq 327W solar modules were installed. 29 Delta RPI M20A inverters (each with a rated power output of 20kVA) were chosen for this PV project. The RPI-series inverters are ideal for tropical climates due to their IP65 protection rating, which guarantees the units are impervious to water spray and humidity. The Delta M20A inverter offers other benefits in tropical environments, such as full power operation at high ambient temperatures and a rugged aluminum chassis that is highly resistant to sea salt corrosion. Additionally, a maximum efficiency of 98.4% helps to ensure that all the available solar energy from the PV system is harvested.

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July 2016

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ROOFTOP & OFFGRID

T 38

he World Bank Group is moving to help India deliver on its unprecedented plans to scale up solar energy, from installing solar panels on rooftops to setting up massive solar parks. This will catapult India to the forefront of the global effort to bring electricity to all, mitigate the effects of climate change, and set the country on a path to become the “India of the future.”

July 2016

“The world must turn to (the) sun to power our future. As the developing world lifts billions of people into prosperity, our hope for a sustainable planet rests on a bold, global initiative.” -Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister, India (Mr. Modi said this at the historic COP21 climate conference in Paris last year)

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ROOFTOP & OFFGRID

nveiling its own bold initiative, India pledged that it would derive at least 40% of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2030. This includes plans for the development of 100 GW of solar energy by 2022, an extremely ambitious target considering the world’s installed solar power capacity in 2014 was 181 GW. Supporting India’s solar push is a key part of WBG President Jim Yong Kim’s agenda as he visits the country this week. Over FY 2017, the World Bank hopes to provide more than $1 billion to support India’s solar plans.

“India’s plans to virtually triple the share of renewable energy by 2030 will both transform the country’s energy supply and have far-reaching global implications in the fight against climate change. Prime Minister Modi’s personal commitment toward renewable energy, particularly solar, is the driving force behind these investments. The World Bank Group will do all it can to help India meet its ambitious targets, especially around scaling up solar energy.” -Mr. Jim Yong Kim, President, WBG

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he World Bank has already approved a $625 million loan that will support the Government of India’s Grid Connected Rooftop Solar program by financing the installation of solar panels on rooftops across India. The project draws funds together from the Bank, as well as from the Clean Technology Fund of the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), and will mobilize additional funding from public and private investors. The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank Group’s private sector arm, is supporting the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh set up the 750MW ultra-mega solar power project in Rewa. This will be the largest single-site solar power project in the world. IFC will help structure and implement the transaction to help attract investments of about $750 million. IFC was one of the earliest financiers of wind and solar power in India, and helped develop the country’s first grid-connected solar power project. While in India, Kim is also extending support for the International Solar Alliance (ISA). The alliance, spearheaded by India and France at COP21, brings together 121 countries and aims to mobilize a trillion dollars in investments to increase the use of solar energy. By signing an agreement with the ISA in New Delhi, the WBG paves the way for it to partner with the alliance’s member countries to help them deliver on their individual objectives. In India, the WBG has a number of initiatives in the pipeline. These include developing solar parks, promoting innovative solutions to generate and store solar power, and providing support for solar mini-grids. The Bank’s backing will help increase the availability of private financing, introduce new technologies, build capacity for solar rooftop units, and enable the development of common infrastructure to support privately developed solar parks across India. India is already planning to develop one of the largest solar parks in the world. The 2 GW park in the southern state of Karnataka is expected to generate enough electricity to power nearly 1 million households. The park’s supply of clean, renewable solar energy will help reduce CO2 emissions by 20 million tons a year, and save 3.6 million tons of natural gas which is used to generate electricity. The success of the solar auction for the park highlights the potential for more such large scale renewable projects in the country. Generating clean renewable electricity is crucial for India where nearly 300 million people—about a quarter of its population—live without access to electricity. Today, India is one of the lowest per capita consumers of electricity in the world; even when people are connected to the electricity grid, they face frequent disruptions. Add to that the projected economic growth and the increase in population, and the demand for energy in India is expected to double by 2040.

“With around 300 days of sunshine every year, India has among the best conditions in the world to harness solar energy. The rapid expansion of solar power can improve the quality of life for millions of Indians, especially for its poorest citizens. It can also create thousands of jobs in the solar industry and underpin progress in all areas of development, helping the country fulfil its dream of becoming the ‘India of the future.” -Mr. Onno Ruhl, Country Director, India World Bank

July 2016

BUISNESS & FINANCE

HOW TO

Reduce Risk

Maximize Profit

When buying existing Solar Assets

-By Emanuele Tacchino and DV Satya Kumar

A solar PV plant secondary market acquisition is significantly different from acquiring a PV plant in development. With knowledge of what to look for in Operations & Management (O&M) during due diligence, investors in an operating PV plant acquisition can be guaranteed strong returns.

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nvestors face a range of risk and per formance scenarios in any secondary market solar acquisition. The investment decision, however, can be assisted by experts and advisors in that domain: their competence in analysing risks, and in drafting and completing the contractual structure to allow the implementation of the risk allocation and to ensure, whenever possible, the reliability and the assumptions of the financial model, can make the difference between a profitable investment and one that falls short of projections. Typically, the legal, political and commercial risks are allocated to the sellers, with appropriate contractual structures and a set of warranties and responsibilities. These often evolve into specific criteria or formulas for price adjustments in the case of unexpected retroactive changes to any granted feed-in tariffs (FiTs) or power purchase agreements (PPAs). Several risks associated with the operation of the PV asset can, of course, also be properly insured; however, the main stakeholder to whom the risk of underperformance of the PV asset acquired will be allocated is the O&M contractor.

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BUISNESS & FINANCE

In order to identify the risks associated with the PV plant, various types of due diligence have to be performed, including: 1. TECHNICAL DUE DILIGENCE: Assessment of the technology, integration and technical aspects of permits and contracts; construction and operation assessment and monitoring. 2. LEGAL DUE DILIGENCE: Assessment of permits and contracts (EPC, O&M, land acquisition, financing, etc.), highlighting project legal risks. 3. TAX AND ACCOUNTING DILIGENCE: Assessment of the tax and accounting risks, issues arising from a transaction, and implications deriving from the proposed structuring of the transaction itself; checks that the financial model and the accounting and tax input are consistent with the assumptions and the appropriate accounting standards.

All the outcomes of the due diligence process will impact the deal negotiations, the contract drafting, the conditions preceding the signing, and the relevant execution and eventual earn-out. Each selected risk mitigation instrument associated with the relevant risk has to be duly represented in each corresponding contract; to list just a few examples:

1 2

Risk of reduction of the tariff as per the PPA Lower production than expected, resulting in lower revenues, gives rise to the application of guaranteed performance penalties under the future O&M agreement.

Defects or deficiencies resulting from the technical due diligence could lead to a price reduction or to a list of issues to be fixed at the seller’s expense before the transaction is executed.

4. INSURANCE DILIGENCE: Assessment of the insurance policies’ adequacies, to ensure that the insurance package matches the project requirements, from construction up to decommissioning.

Figure 1: Technical due diligence and services by professional O&M providers at various stages of project lifecycle

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July 2016

BUISNESS & FINANCE

Technical due diligence by professional O&M providers If investors adopted a strategy of allowing the O&M provider to carry out the technical due diligence, in combination with a guarantee of performance after acquisition, it can result in substantial cost savings

ue diligence technical service providers should apply a comprehensive review process to the solar PV plant targeted by the investor. Services to ensure future energy generation should go beyond simply verifying documents and performing basic visual inspections; the basic services performed by typical technical consultants may overlook key details that professional O&M service providers could identify in the plant’s construction and performance history. If investors want to be assured of future performance, they should contract a reputable solar O&M firm to provide a high-level and detailed assessment of the targeted PV plants. Adopting a strategy of allowing the O&M provider to carry out the technical due diligence, in combination with a guarantee of performance after acquisition, can result in substantial cost savings. For example, if due diligence is conducted by a third party, and a second O&M provider is appointed after acquisition, the latter provider will have to conduct another technical analysis in order to secure their risk. In other words, a technical due diligence will need to be done twice, therefore incurring double the cost.

A qualified solar O&M provider should provide the following due diligence services for investors who wish to buy operating solar PV plants• Verify the status and functioning of all the equipment in place at the targeted plant. Conduct verification in the field. • Identify the plant’s defects or performance weaknesses. • Suggest cost-effective corrective or improvement actions. • Highlight the relevant

t is clear that such a partner, the professional O&M service provider, will agree to a completely different commitment on the basis of the assessment and the relevant findings of their in-depth analysis, since they will also be required to provide performance guarantees (typically performance ratio and availability) in the case where they are appointed as the O&M service provider after the acquisition.

July 2016

technical upsides/downsides of the plant to the investors, for a better negotiation with the seller. • Properly serve the plant as an O&M service provider after the acquisition. • Develop the relevant typical plant key performance indicator (KPI) guarantees during operation.

For the majority of solar assets, high level technical and legal due diligence may notbeen conducted during several phases of the asset’s life cycle. The investor’s risk in the secondary market is heightened unless detailed equipment reviews have performed and recorded. This process is fundamental to the security of the investment: • Operating PV plants, particularly older assets (more than two years old), should have already been assessed by other legal or technical advisors during the financing stage at the time of construction and/or as a part of periodic and preventive diagnostic studies. • To the investor, the risks related to legal due diligence (critical issues or red flags), to technical documentation and the ‘as built’ of the existing plant, or to the compliance with applicable law and regulations, are quite limited (excluding fullequity plants, which have not yet been assessed by any technical consultants). The associated issues are typically remedied without incurring dramatic additional cost. While the legal or high-level technical risk is thus quite limited, or in some way ‘controlled’, the analysis of plant equipment is critical. Given the value of the investment, it becomes imperative to reduce any kind of operational surprise and future corrective costs after plant acquisition.

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BUISNESS & FINANCE

Given the value of the investment, the analysis of plant equipment is imperative to reduce any kind of operational surprise and future corrective costs after plant acquisition. Knowledge of the weaknesses of the targeted plants before acquisition will allow the investor to save money on the acquisition itself. The value of this approach for an investor very much depends on the ability of a professional partner to: • act in a speedy, accurate and complete manner in their assessment of a solar PV plant in the field;

Recommended solar PV O&M due diligence scope

nvestor risk can be minimised by following critical due diligence evaluation steps in the field; this evaluation process provides a complete plant assessment, executed in phases of increasing accuracy. This approach also minimises investor expense. It is assumed that the O&M due diligence runs in parallel to the reviews of legal, tax and accounting aspects. The recommended solar PV O&M due diligence scope of work includes two phases.

Phase one • As-built vs. detailed engineering and EPC contract analysis

* Communication (equipment, quality of internet connection) • In-depth thermography-

o PV plant layout, flash tests, wiring plans, electrical drawings, design documentation

* Thermographic check of all modules, inverters and string boxes

• Compliance of the plant with safety regulations and applicable norms

This phase should be activated if and when the plant acquisition is probable,after it has achieved clean legal due diligence, with no major red flags:

• Complete plant equipment checks on site* PV modules (string connections, string boxes, broken/defective modules) * Inverters (operation and state, existence/operation of DC/AC surge arresters) * DC cables (state, sufficient currentcarrying capacity) * Mounting system (tilt position, state) * Transformers/MV part (MV UPS, LV UPS, LV mainboard)

• add fundamental understanding related to the real value of the plant that is being evaluated for acquisition;

* Trackers (position–orientation and operation, stability and static efficiency)

• provide quick and comprehensive answers to questions which are normally out of their scope.

* Monitoring system (weather station, pyranometers, GSE meters)

* Security system (cameras, beams, magnetic contacts, DVR, motion detectors, optic fibre, etc.)

Phase two

• Additional in-depth measurements and checks * Junction boxes (string DC fuses, measurements of Voc, Isc or Impp, I–V curves) * Inverters (parameters/limits, AC/DC conversion) * AC/DC cables (measurement of insulation level) * Trackers (efficiency and state of motors, encoders) * MV part (MV switch, MV UPS, transformer) * Pyranometers (verification of consistency of measured values) * Communication (data transfer, connection stability)

Each phase’s investigative report should summarise the data and findings and provide a complete overview of the operational status of the installation. Specific qualitative and quantitative factors need to be analysed: • Inverter dimensioning • Cabling dimensioning • Transformer dimensioning • Shadowing effect • Sorting of modules

• Performance ratio (PR) of the plant (for last year, as well as monthly values) • Availability of the plant and reliability of the tracking system

• Energy deviation between real values and base case scenario • Irradiation deviation between real values and base case scenario • Security system

Upon the completion of this range of work, the entire plant operation and performance will have been evaluated and will provide investor confidence to move forward with the plant acquisition.By tying the initial solar O&M provider services to the same firm as the one supplying the long-term care of the asset, the investor can gain additional value from this process in the form of securing long-term profitability.

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July 2016

INVERTERS

Smart PV Solution VS Central Solution: Comparison of Installation and O&M 1 Comparison of Security & Reliability

afe operation and fire prevention are especially important for power plants. Fuse overheating and DC arc discharge are major risk factors that may cause fire.

1.1 Analysis of the Central Solution

he outputs of multiple strings must be combined through DC combiner boxes, and then sent to a DC power distribution cabinet. More than 100 strings are connected in parallel. Therefore, the DC circuit is complex. Each string in a combiner box must be equipped with fuses. If each string contains twenty 250 Wp modules connected in serial, the number of DC fuses used in one 1 MW solar subarray is 400. And the number of DC fuses used in a 10 MW solar subarray can reach 4000. The total number of DC nodes in all DC combiner boxes is up to 20,000. Owing to the huge number of DC fuses and nodes, fuses or nodes may overheat, which can damage the insulation protective casing (layer) and greatly increases the chance of fire caused by the DC arc discharge. The short circuit current on the DC side comes from the battery modules and varies from several amperes to 1.5 kA. If the short circuit current is not large enough (for example, due to the sunshine and weather) and cannot quickly melt the fuse, the short-circuit current may be greater than the rated current of the fuse, causing overheating or damage of the insulation part and eventually an open flame. For example, a 12 A fuse can withstand a current of 20 A for 1000s. Before the fuse is blown, the insulation part may be damaged due to overheating of the fuse. Under the continuous impact of current, the insulation protection function is lost, resulting in arc discharge and a fire.

1.2 Analysis of the Smart PV Solution

n the smart PV solution, the inverter functions not only a power generation component, but also a smart PV controller that incorporates power conversion, remote control, data collection, online analysis, and environment adaptation, as the control center of the power plant. The smart PV solution does not require DC combiner box. On the DC side, each string is directly connected to the smart PV controller without any fuse. The DC circuit is simple and the number of DC nodes is small. The design is safe and proactively eliminates risks such as arc discharge and fire. On the AC side, the short circuit current comes from the power grid side, and is relatively large (10 kA to 20 kA). Once an exception occurs, the circuit breaker inside the AC combiner box will instantly trip, minimizing the risks.

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INVERTERS

2 Comparison of O&M Difficulty and Fault Location Accuracy

2.1 Analysis of the Central Solution

n power plants where a central solution is deployed, the combiner boxes and inverters are most likely to be supplied by different manufacturers. The quality of these devices is hard to control, and the communication between them is difficult to manage. Combiner boxes used in many PV power plants in China have issues such as high failure rate and low communication reliability. Communication between combiner boxes may fail due to inaccurate or even incorrect signals.

Therefore, it is difficult to know precisely the working status of each string. Even if exceptions can be detected in other means, it is difficult to quickly and accurate locate and resolve problems. The current method for checking the working status of each string in the PV area is as follows: locate each DC combiner box in the area, open the combiner box, and use a handheld clamp ammeter to measure the working current of each string. In some power plants, however, as the DC cables

n addition, during the O&M process, the switch the DC combiner box is disconnected, affecting power generation of the power plant. Assume that the maximum power of a single battery module is 250 Wp, and a string contains 20 battery modules. The capacity of a combiner box with 16 inputs and one output is 16 x 5 kW = 80 kW. It takes 10 minutes (0.17 hours) to check a combiner box and record the results. If the string is currently halfloaded, the electricity loss caused by disconnection of one combiner box is 80 kW x 50% x 0.17 h = 6.8 kWh.

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inside the DC combiner box are densely distributed, the clamp ammeter cannot be inserted to measure the working current. In this case, the O&M engineers have to disconnect the switch of the DC combiner box and the fuse of the corresponding string, and then measure the voltage and check the fuse status of one string after another. Therefore, field O&M is difficult and slow. This brings a heavy workload to O&M engineers, increases skill requirements, and even may endanger the personal safety of O&M engineers.

30 MW power plant has more than 400 combiner boxes. Completing a preventive maintenance on this power plant will consume a lot of time and reduce the electricity loss by thousands of kWh. Added the manpower and vehicle costs, a considerable O&M cost is required to complete a preventive maintenance. This situation is more apparent in a power plant located in a mountainous area. Note that such a preventive maintenance method is not reliable and is more prone to negligence.

July 2016

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INVERTERS

or example, O&M engineers may forget to turn on the switch after the preventive maintenance, which may result in the loss of more electricity. In a lot of power plants, only several O&M engineers are assigned to cope with a huge power plant with a capacity of tens to hundreds of MW. It is difficult to check every solar subarray, and even more difficult to check each string. Therefore, combiners in some power plants are maintained every half year. At such a maintenance frequency, it is difficult to detect minor problems that exist during operation of power plants. These problems may not be serious, but the loss of more electricity and hazards brought by long-term accumulation of these problems could be significant.

The O&M data of DC combiner boxes in PV power plants in China can be summarized as follows: â&#x20AC;˘

Fuses inside the DC combiner box: Fuses are easily consumable, and the maintenance workload is heavy. In some power plants, about 1% of the total number of fuses must be replaced every month. In addition, due to the heavy workload, negligence is more likely to occur during maintenance, affecting the subsequent electricity generation.

â&#x20AC;˘

Data accuracy and communication reliability of DC combiner boxes: The accuracy of DC current measurement is low, and the error is greater than 5%. When the light is weak, it is hard to tell whether a module fails or not, adding difficulty to module management. The communication failure rate of DC combiner boxes is high, and the communication effect is not satisfying. The communication link is easily interrupted, causing failures in data upload. After communication fails, string monitoring and management are completely out of control, unless another maintenance process is carried out to detect and resolve related problems.

2.2 Analysis of the Smart PV Solution

n the smart PV solution, the inverter performs highaccuracy sample measurement on the voltage, current, and other working parameters of each string, and the measurement accuracy reached 0.5%. Utilizing the communication system of the power plant, engineers can remotely check the working status and parameters of each string at the background at any time, implementing remote maintenance and smart O&M. If an inverter or a string is abnormal, the smart monitoring system proactively reports alarms, and locates faults in a quick and accurate manner. In the entire process, the operations are safe and power interruption is not required, which minimizes the preventive maintenance and O&M costs without affecting the electricity generation.

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3 Comparison of Fault Impact and Loss

fter a power plant is put into commercial use for a period of time, faults caused by various factors will gradually occur.

3.1 Analysis of the Central Solution

n power plants where the central PV solution is deployed, if modules, wiring during construction and natural factors are not considered, faults of DC combiner boxes and inverters are the major factors that cause loss of electricity. As described earlier, faults of DC combiner boxes account for a large proportion among all the faults in a PV power plant. Assume that a string contains twenty 250 Wp modules and the total power is 5 kW. In a 1 MW solar subarray, the electricity lost due to the faults of fuses of a string accounts for about 0.5% of the total electricity generated by the entire subarray. If a combiner (with 16 inputs and one output and a total capacity of 80 kW) is faulty, all the strings connected to the combiner box cannot generate power properly, which will result in the loss of about 8% of the total electricity generated by the entire subarray. Due to the low communication reliability of the combiner box, it is difficult for O&M engineers to detect and rectify faults as soon as faults occur. Most faults are often detected during the preventive maintenance or when the accumulated impact is large. At this time, however, a great loss of the generated electricity is already caused by these faults. If power generation is affected due to the fault of an inverter, about 50% of the total electricity generated by the entire subarray will be lost. Central inverters must be maintained by professional personnel. The accessories of inverters are large and heavy. It takes a long time to detect a fault, locate the fault, and eventually rectify the fault. Assume that a 500 kW inverter converts electricity for four hours every day, and it takes 15 days from occurrence of a fault to rectification of the fault. Therefore, when this inverter is faulty, the electricity lost due to the fault of the inverter is 500 kW x 4h/d x 15 d = 30000 kWh. If the feed-in tariff (FIT) is 1 RMB/kWh, the economic loss is up to RMB 30,000 when an inverter is faulty.

3.2 Analysis of the Smart PV Solution

imilarly, in power plants where the smart PV solution is deployed, if modules, wiring during construction and natural factors are not considered, only faults of DC combiner boxes will cause loss of electricity because the PV power system does not require the DC combiner box or fuse. Therefore, the system reliability is greatly improved. The smart PV controller is small and light. Generally, spare parts are available on site, and the faulty parts can be replaced on the very day that a fault occurs. Assume that each string contains twenty 250 Wp modules connected in serial and the power of a string is 5 kW. When an inverter is faulty, at most six strings are affected. Even if all the six strings generate electricity in full load, and electricity is generated for 4 hours every day, the loss of electricity caused by a fault of the inverter is about 5 kW x 6 x 4h/d x 1 d = 120 kWh. If the FIT is 1 RMB/kWh, the economic loss is RMB 120 when an inverter is faulty. In an extreme case, if no spare parts are available on site and it takes seven days for suppliers to deliver the spare parts to the power plant for replacement, the economic loss is RMB 120/d x 7d = RMB840 when an inverter is faulty.

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INVERTERS 3.3 Comparison Results Table 1 Results of comparison between two solutions

•

Note: 1. Assume that each string contains twenty 250 Wp modules connected in serial and the power of a string is 5 kW.

•

2. Assume that a DC combiner box has 16 inputs and one output, and the total power of a combiner box is 80 kW.

•

3. Assume that the electricity generation time is four hours per day, it takes 15 days to repair an inverter if the central solution is adopted, and the FIT is RMB 1/kWh.

•

Table 1 indicates that a fault will incur a loss of over RMB 10,000 if the central solution is adopted and a fault occurs. In contrast, if the smart PV solution is adopted, the loss incurred by a fault is only several percentage or permillage of that in the central solution.

4 Comparison of Fault Rectification Difficulty

he fault rectification difficulty is different due to different characteristics of the two solutions. In a PV power plant, after all the strings are put into operation, the fault rectification workload comes from the line faults and equipment faults during operation of the power plant. Line faults are affected by the construction quality, vandalism, and destruction of natural force. Equipment faults include the faults of combiner boxes and faults of inverters.

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July 2016

INVERTERS 4.1 Analysis of the Central Solution

nside the DC combiner box, modules are small and light, the quantity is small, and wiring is simple. Once a fault is accurately located, it is easy to rectify the fault. The rectification difficulty is reflected by the difficulty in detecting faults. The central inverter and many modules inside the inverter are large and heavy. Some modules even weigh dozens or hundreds of kilograms. This brings great inconvenience and difficulty to maintenance and repairing. That is also why the central inverter is lifted as a whole by using a crane during construction of a power plant. Spare parts of the central inverter are generally not reserved in the power plant, and the central inverter must be repaired by after-sales personnel of the manufacturer. Therefore, when the central inverter becomes faulty, the manufacturer must dispatch maintenance personnel to the power plant to locate the fault. After locating the fault, the maintenance personnel must determine the repairing solution and modules to be replaced. Then, the inverter manufacturer delivers the modules required to the power plant. The maintenance personnel move the new modules to the inverter equipment room (cabinet) for replacement by using transporting vehicles or tools. Once a central inverter is faulty, the entire repairing process will last 15 days, or even longer. The maintenance is difficult, time-consuming, labor-consuming, and seriously affect electricity generation of the power plant.

4.2 Analysis of the Smart PV Solution

he smart PV solution requires no DC combiner box, and the possibility that an AC combiner box becomes faulty is almost zero. Some power plants even do not use combiner boxes, and directly connect the AC output of the smart PV controller to the bus on the low voltage side of the box-type substation. Therefore, if the smart PV solution is deployed, equipment faults are mainly the faults of the smart PV controller itself. Compared with the huge central inverter, the smart PV controller is small and light. Two workers can complete unpacking, assembly, and wiring of the smart PV controller without presence of professional personnel. When a fault occurs, maintenance engineers can immediately replace the faulty smart PV controller with the spare parts based on the accurate alarm information, so that the power plant can be recovered within a short time and the loss of electricity can be minimized.

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INTERViEW

INTERVIEW WITH MR.ANURAG GARG Vice President, SOLAR BUSINESS

EQ: The recent aggressive bidding by various developers keeping Solar Tariffs in the EQ: What are the ur price range of Rs.4.34 – top 5 markets for yo espr , st Rs.5 per kWh in various company in the pa re Solar Tenders.Whats your ent and futu view on the viability, c serves AG: Schneider Electri untries Costs & timeline 0 co customers in over 10 pressures, Resource despread wi its te which indica Challenges (Materials, globe. presence across the Manpower, Execution, d USA, Along with Europe an Grid Connection, Land , Asia, more specifically Possession) etc… ain m re a in Ch d India an AG: Solar tariffs continuosly going down, is a crucial development as far as future of renewable energy is concerned in India. Until now, there were questions raised on the viability of solar power as an affordable source of power given the high tariffs involved. However, all of that has now changed radically with developers regularly quoting a bid of less than Rs 5 per unit. This clearly shows the growing investor interest in the sector. During the auction, we have seen some companies bidding aggressively. Even as these solar tariffs are close to achieving grid parity, questions are being raised about the sustainability of such low rates - whether this would lead to firms compromising on quality or returns, or may sell the assets to another buyer in future, or challenges on funding of such projects. Some of the other issues facing the solar sector include land availability for projects which are not part of Solar Park, challenges around evacuation of

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our key markets.

power, inexperienced promoters entering the sector and lack of established and professional O&M (operations and maintenance) players.

EQ: What are your plans for India, your view on the GOI target of 100GW Solar Power by 2022 AG: Schneider Electric India is very optimistic of Renewable Energy growth plan and stands committed to support this plan with its range of Products & Solutions for the sector .. We have products to support Renewable energy Projects not only in Solar but for other sources like Wind and Hydro etc . . Also

we welcome various initiatives taken by the government to achieve 100 GW solar power by 2022 and the growth which has happened in last 2 Years. Owing to the growing demands and severe environmental threats, it is high time that the world looks towards alternative to conventional forms of energy. Solar will play an integral role in the process.

EQ: What are your plans for Manufacturing set up in India, the opportunities and challenges in manufacturing in India AG: Schneider has already created India as a manufacturing base with 29 factories, not only catering to the domestic market but also overseas. Last year, Schneider Electric launched a six-month road show called ‘Energy and Automation Yatra to promote digitization in electrical distribution, solar power and industrial automation solutions. The road show was in line with government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative which is aiming to bring the latest innovations in technology to India’s hinterland and promises to give a fillip to the infrastructural and manufacturing ambitions of India. Make in India dovetails perfectly with our goals, future expansion plans are being aligned as per this initiative, thereby promoting the national agenda of infrastructure development, 100 smart cities and housing for all by 2022. We also have The Global Technology Centre (GTCI) in Bangalore, India with close to 500 employees working on Global

July 2016

INTERViEW

ribe in brief EQ: Please desc ny, directors, pa about your com ors, its vision & st ve in s, promoter mission French Electric (SE) is a AG: Schneider oration that specializes in rp multinational co ution, automation managerib st di ity ic tr mponents ec el es installation co r Electric de ment and produc ei hn ement. Sc ns to for energy manag logies and solutio no ch te , pront ie develops fic fe, reliable, ef make energy sa een. The Group invests ductive and gr r to sustain innovain R&D in orde rentiation, with tion and diffe ent a strong commitm e bl na ai st to su development.

product development, and resource enhancement. GTCI’s gamut of activities includes research in the fields of electro- mechanical design and software development. The innovative products and technologies prepared at the centre are available in all markets across the globe.

EQ: Kindly comment of Energy Storage as a game changer, its technology, cost trends…etc… AG: Energy storage has been a hot topic among power analysts of late for its potential to allow wind turbines and solar panels, which only generate electricity in stops and starts, a greater role on the grid. Developments in storage have the potential to bring economic and reliability benefits to consumers, perhaps even to be game changers. Schneider Electric, the Global Specialist in Energy Management, is at the forefront of energy storage technologies, helping to ensure an optimal and reliable operation of electrical grids with high renewable energy penetration. As a Long-term partner of Utilities and Renewable Energy Producers across the world, we provide quality and reliable storage solutions with flexible designs for various storage applications. We have the experience and global services infrastructure necessary to provide design and execution support, as well as operation and maintenance of energy storage assets. Recently, Schneider Electric introduced EcoBlade, a smart & scalable energy storage system for all customers needs.

July 2016

EQ: Kindly highlight your product, technology & company USP’s, distinctive advantages etc… AG: With our strong heritage in solar power conversion and best-in-class energy management expertise, Schneider Electric technology is already powering photovoltaic systems, all around the world. Together with a comprehensive portfolio of balance-of-system solutions for solar energy, backed by a global service network, we are a bankable partner for such long life cycle projects. We have best in class Solar Inverters to address different applications and needs starting from Micro Grid to Residential & Commercial and Utility Scale/Solar Power Plants, beyond other electrical equipments like Transformers, Switchgears required for such Plants. We have photovoltaic powerplant solutions for centralized and decentralized architecture. We have commercial solar power systems for centralized and decentralized grid-tie, consumption, off, and power. We also have residential solar power systems for grid tie solar, off grid solar, self-consumption, grid tie with backup, backup power and rural electrification.

EQ: Whats your commitment towards the solar sector in India AG: As Schneider Electric, we would always like to provide innovative products and solutions to our customers which help them make the most of their energy and provide services which are best in class to reduce downtime of our customers. We believe it is important to have state of art products and services to establish long term relationship with our customers. As regards our long term plans, true to our innovative spirit, we would like to bring new products and solutions to support 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. Schneider Electric wants to assure customers in terms of its bankability which is very critical for solar developers and investors considering the longevity of these projects. We remain fully committed and supportive of the Government’s plans to set up 100 GW of solar power by 2022.

EQ: What will be the cost, technology trends in solar inverters AG: India’s solar market could be worth billions of dollars over the next decade. In line with the Centre’s aim to boost renewable energy generation, India is likely to see its solar power capacity go up by 3,645 MW in 2016, with a target of 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022 according to a report by Mercom Capital. If we talk about interesting trends which are likely to dominate the solar sector, first would be energy storage. Batteries alone are not sufficient to store energy from solar panels. There is a severe need for energy storage with management solutions. Concepts like smart technology and net metering will evolve in order to manage the energy reliably. The sector is expected to witness huge investment, large number of foreign and domestic players entering this domain and high level of awareness among customers.

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SOLAR TRACKER

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) tracking System for Large Scale Solar Power Plants By Mahindra Susten Pvt Ltd

Many large scale PV plants being installed today have solar panels mounted on fixed structures, which leads to lesser generation as they are fixed only at a particular angle. To capture maximum solar insolation, a solar tracker system can be designed which changes its position automatically in accordance with the sun’s movement.

A PV solar tracker is a system that orients a Solar PV panel toward the sun. Trackers are used to minimize the angle of incidence between the incoming sunlight and a photovoltaic panel. This increases the amount of energy produced from a fixed amount of installed power generating capacity. Thus the primary benefit of a tracking system is to collect solar energy for the longest period of the day.

igure 1 shows typical comparison of fixed Vs horizontal single axis tracking system. The ‘output power with a tracker’ increases by 16% to 24% as against fixed tilt system depending on site location and array layout. Typical increase over ‘fixed tilt’ system in various parts of India can be seen in Figure 2.

Figure 1: Daily power generation comparison for fixed and single axis tracker

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July 2016

SOLAR TRACKER

Figure 2: Comparison of Tracker system over Fixed Tilt System (These are indicative numbers and actual analysis with site coordinates are needed for calculations)

o improve generation and optimally use the land it thus becomes imperative to install trackers. The additional benefits reaped by installing trackers overweighs the incremental capex costs of tracker. Indian PV industry has seen a record low tariffs that are leading to IRR pressures for developers. Installation of trackers will help ease these pressures for the developer by improving the IRR by 2-3% over fixed tilt systems.

The most popular tracker systems used are: a. Single Axis Solar Tracking System:

hese have one degree of freedom that acts as an axis of rotation thereby ensuring perpendicular incidence between the sun and the panels. The axis of rotation of single axis trackers is typically aligned along a true North meridian, and advanced tracking algorithms allow movement in any direction. Horizontal single axis tracker, and tilted single axis tracker are the most common variants of these trackers. b. Dual Axis Solar Tracking System:

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hese trackers have two degrees of freedom that act as axes of rotation. These axes are typically normal to

July 2016

one another. Dual axis trackers allow for optimum solar energy levels due to their ability to follow the sun vertically and horizontally. No matter where the sun is in the sky, dual axis trackers are able to angle themselves to be in direct contact with the sun. c. Seasonal Tracker:

hese trackers provide flexibility of changing the orientation and tilt angle of the panel during various seasons. Often, these trackers are used for changing the angle every 4 months and help achieve 4% to 5% additional generation. However, the manual operation and the limitation of not being able to track the sun every day makes them an unattractive proposition. Selection of Tracker:

ultiple factors including installation size, electric rates, government incentives, land constraints, latitude, and local weather are used for deciding the type of tracker. Horizontal Single Axis Trackers (HSAT) are typically used for large distributed generation projects and utility scale projects. As these are commercially viable and lead to substantial energy improvements, they become the preferred choice for large scale installations. In addition, the strong afternoon performance is particularly desirable for large grid-tied PV systems

so that production will match the peak demand time. Substantial amount of productivity is achieved during the spring and summer seasons when the sun is high in the sky through HSAT. HSAT systems over the last few years have improved significantly, thereby increasing the robustness of the system without any additional complexity or maintenance. Single row tracking provides better cleaning access and inbuilt back-tracking algorithms prevent shading. On the other hand dual axis trackers are not only cost prohibitive but also add considerable costs to maintenance. Panel accessibility is also a challenge in dual axis trackers thus limiting their usage to smaller residential installations. The IRR with HSAT trackers improves by 2%-3% as against 0.5%-1% in seasonal trackers when compared with fixed tilt systems. The technology and reliability improvements in HSAT makes it the preferred choice for tracking systems. Trackers helps improve efficiency, still, they have not been widely deployed in the solar industry. Most developers have reservations regarding reliability, installation difficulty and environmental suitability of trackers. Mahindra Susten has developed in-house Horizontal Single Axis Tracker (MSAT-100) which overcomes traditional disadvantages of using trackers. MSAT is self-powered, and hence doesn’t require any additional cabling at site. The entire system has been designed keeping Plug and Play philosophy in mind which allows easy installation without any welding requirement. Each row is independently tracked, thereby making both installation and maintenance easy. It comes with Auto Stowing features and its mechanical components have been tested for 25 years to ensure reliability. The Wireless Integration helps control and monitor the tracker’s Critical Parameters with minimal cabling. It allows real time monitoring of the additional benefit of tracker over fixed tilt system. Mahindra Susten’s installation of 2.7MW tracker system at two sites in TN & AP have started showing benefits ~19% at site. Susten also has another 8.5 MWp of trackers under installation. Susten’s experience in solar industry of over 654MWp has gone into the design of these trackers thereby making it the Best in Class.

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INTERViEW

INTERVIEW WITH Mr.Thomas & Vasan EQ: How much Invert to d lie pp su u yo ers have the India till now, what is in ion tat ec xp t/e targe 2016-17

rted with REFUPrettl: Initially, We sta s done with wa sol and later sales Totalily, we In Advanced Energy. 0,000 25 . had sold appx . Out de wi Inverters word 00 25 . of which appx ia. nos in Ind

Thomas Wittek, CEO, Vasan Ramasubramaniyam, PRETTL Automotive MD & CEO India PRETTL India EQ: The recent aggressive bidding by various developers keeping Solar Tariffs in the price range of Rs.4.34 – Rs.5 per kWh in various Solar Tenders…Whats your view on the viability, Costs & timeline pressures, Resource Challenges (Materials, ManPower, Execution, Grid Connection, Land Possession) etc… Prettl: The lower tariffs has created a huge challenge to the component manufacturers. Import and sell cannot sustain this cost pressure primarily because of wage level difference in India vis a vis the European Countries . Only way to be successful will be localization and Make in India . String Inverter being of high technology , it will be very demanding to localize 100 % parts in India . A phased manufacturing program need to be established from SKD /CKD to maximizes local content .Also it will be important to join with local business partner for market penetration across India.Not withstanding above , Design and manufacture for local without compromising on technology will be key to success.

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EQ: Kindly enlighten our readers on the performance of your Inverters in India in various geographic locations, customer feedback,. Prettl: REFUsol has high brand Equity not only in India but also globally. This is attributed to years of R&D work on the product with high level of competencies to bring out a product suitable globally and which complies with all the necessary technical and safety requirements. High efficiency , overloading factor , IP compliant , low unit weight, Reliability , UltraETA Topologies® and natural cooling are some of the features of the product that makes it unassailable with other competitive products . In one single word , on REFUsol product – FIT and FORGET. With a trained service engineers, we have ensured a timely service of the inverters both pre and post warranty periods.

EQ: Please describe in brief about your company, directors, promoters, investors, its vision & mission Pret t l: REFUsol inver ters are manufactrured by REFU Elektronik GmbH , This is 100 % subsidiary unit of Prettl GmbH . In April, 2013,REFUsol was acquired by Advanced Energy, USA. However manufacturing of Inverters were being done by Prettl plants in Europe. an However in June 2015, Advance Energy wound up the Solar business. March 2016, yet another agreement was entered in to , that REFUsol will revive the sales, service and marketing of Inverters produced by REFU ElecktronikGmbH. There was a void of around a year on supplies to Indian Market with Refu sol Inverters . We have through, Prettl India (a wholly owned by Prettl Group , GmbH started marketing of REFUsol inverters with all the customers . We have full resoruces of R&D, sales and service team to support the local needs . We are estimating the market needs in terms of market volume and pricing .We are very close to our customers to meet expectations.

July 2016

INTERViEW

EQ: Present some noteworthy projects, case studies of solar plants built using your solar Inverters Prettl: 1. Solarpark MEURO, Germany East Total 70 MW installed by REFUsol, thereof 40 MW with String Inverters 20k – more than 2000 String Inverters (Picture by GP Joule)

EQ: What is the size of your company in terms of manufacturing capacities, growth chart, future expansion plans, revenues, shipments, ASP’s, financial figures, Prettl: As mentioned earlier , we in the process of market estimation and its needs . A business plan will be evolved in due course of time.

EQ: What are your plans for India, your view on the GOI target of 100GW Solar Power by 2022

2. 1 MW rooftop installion on a commercial building in Germany

map in EQ: Technology road inverters, terms of 1500V , micro ges upcoming game chan technologies in Smart conPrettl: We plan to bring in the lower trollers and Inverters residential o int ranges to support r focus ou be applications will . ars ye in the coming

Prettl: The trend as seen today , we see the GOI target is not impossible to reach . Of-course, it is also important that the whole industry should be healthy and Governement should protect the interest of the local manufacturers and prevent unwarranted price war which will only lead to market collapse in the long run – and thus prevent many foregin players from withdrwal from Indian operation .

EQ: What are your plans for Manufacturing set up in India, the opportunities and challenges in manufacturing in India

3. 3 MW Project in Solapur, Maharastra more than 130 String Inverters

July 2016

Prettl: We plan to make in India and see this is to be in healthy competitive environment . Government has extended supports and this should continue in terms of CKD and SKD imports . In year 2012-13, manufacturing set up was available in India. However after acquisition of Advanced Energy, same was shifted. We do have know how and competency to start it again at any time. We will decide as to either stand alone or tie up with any Indian partner who are well reputed in the Solar energy market and has power of high penetration . In addition we will also introduce in to the Indian other products that will be support Governement project for Smart Cities development e.g. RefuHybrid system in PV, Genset and Energy Storage Solutions.

EQ: How much is your R&D budget as % of your sales / profits Prettl: Globally the R&D expenses exceeds -8 to 10-- % of sales to bring out the state of art robust technology.

EQ: What are the top 5 markets for your company in the past, present and future Prettl: We focus on Drives for E mobility and this would include handling in Port and hybrid /EV vehicles . We bring in Hybrid solution towards Fuel Save with energy storage systems applicable in the power generation areas , in particular the stationary power generation units. And the String inverters for PV under the brand name REFUsol.

EQ: Kindly comment of Energy Storage as a game changer, its technology, cost trends…etc… Prettl: The energy storage system will be demand for future to ensure a low cost and continued un-interrupted power supply . While there are many technologies , the current and well thought about Li+ batteries will be more predominantly needed for a long lasting solution . Considering high initial cost , success will largely depend on support to localize manufacturing in India . While REFU has these tehnology , we will carefully plan to localize this as well to large extend as possible.

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INTERViEW

EQ: Explain various guarantees, warrantees, insurance, certifications, test results, performance report of your inverters Prettl: Our products are complaint with all the norms and conditions required by different statutory bodies both for local and global standards. Needless to say that REFUsol is a leading in brand equity and this would not have been possible but for its performace and life.

EQ: Do you also bring financing solutions for your customers Prettl: We remain to focus on technology and be a component supplier. We seek support of system integrators and consider us a long terms association to provide a sustained quality product .

EQ: Please share information of some new orders in hand. Prettl: We need to get back the confidence of all customers , that REFUsol is back in Indian market – to cover the void – left behind our

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predecessor. This will take a while and we are confident to re-enter the market in a short span of time.

EQ: What are the trends in new manufacturing technology equipment, materials, processes, innovations etc… Prettl: REFU adopts only on the latest technology and we have manys IP that will support our statement . Innovtion is order of day and REFU committed to this.

EQ: Whats your commitment towards the solar sector in India Prettl: Prettl is a global organization and REFU, its subsidiary unit is committed to stay in india and will ensure “Make in India” concept at the very earliest . We are fully committed to GOI program on Solar project and will continuously make effort to bring to the country the latest state of art technology and process whch will provide end users , value for Money. We were first in Indian Market to produce String Inverters locally.

EQ: What will be the cost, technology trends in solar inverters Prettl: With reducing price of Solar power, only answer will be volume of scale for manufacture. Technology and process will largely depend to make economic viability . Refu has knowledge and willingness to bring this to India.

July 2016

O&M

TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENTS

By HUGO

This post is about Temperature Coefficients (therefore called as “T.Coeffs.”) and their influence on the performance of a 10 MW PV plant(simulated). T.Coeffs. are usually described with words coming from the Greek alphabet: α, β and γ, intended to represent the electrical behaviour of a PV module in function of Cells temperature and in terms of Current (α), Voltage (β) and Power (γ).

July 2016

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O&M his post is about Temperature Coefficients (therefore called as “T.Coeffs.”) and their influence on the performance of a 10 MW PV plant(simulated). T.Coeffs. are usually described with words coming from the Greek alphabet: α, β and γ, intended to represent the electrical behaviour of a PV module in function of Cells temperature and in terms of Current (α), Voltage (β) and Power (γ). There were performed some tests at an Accredited Photovoltaic Laboratory which results will be showed below, but before that, let’s look at the contents of this post:

• PV modules overall condition (Electroluminescence and MaxPower STC) • Temperature Coefficients determination • PV System simulation for a 10 MW plant, based on: * All Nameplate data; * All Measured data; *Only T.Coeffs Measured W/ rest of Nameplate data: • Financial Assessment

Overall Condition

different PV modules were aleatory picked from a certain amount and identified in an alphabetical order according to their power output. These modules are in an almost new condition (were subjected to a power stabilization around 25 kWh/m2). Electroluminescence images are as shown below:

It’s important to refer that microcracks (and others not so “micro”) were already at the time they were delivered to the Lab, i.e., no forced cracked cells. As expectable, some of them show great mismatches between measured values and nameplate data for Pmpp.

Surprisingly, the most damaged module is not the one with the major mismatch. An (almost) apparently “clean” module, such as “C” shows an enormous difference at Pmpp. This is a typical case of a strong “off-spec” module.

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July 2016

O&M

Temperature Coefficients Determination

his normalized test was conducted according to 10.4 of the standard IEC 612515:2005. First of all, there are mismatches (which is not surprising!), but the fact is that some of those differences are in a different order of magnitude! To assess the testing equipment stability and measuring reproducibility, the tests were repeated much more than once, although, those (enormous) differences remained.

PVSyst simulations for a 10 MW plant

unning three types of simulations to assess differences between them, some electrical parameters were changed at PVSyst module database.(1) simulation based on default manufacturer data; (2) simulation based on real measured data; (3) based on default manufacturer data changing only the T.Coeffs for real measured values.Some assumption to have in mind: (a) simulation site: Moura (Portugal) with a yearly GHI around 1754 kWh/m2 and yearly average temperature of 16.3 ºC; (b) ideal tilt (33º) and azimuth south; (c) 20 x 500 kW central TL inverters and a layout of 2590 strings with 17 PV modules in series; (d) a PPA rate of 0.08 €/kwh.

Financial Assessment

his hasn’t the purpose to publish a cash-flow analysis nor a complete and complex financial model. Instead of that, consider the “Fixed Operating Costs” and identify the weight of PV modules data mismatches into the total revenue of a (simulated) 10 MW PV plant:

If you only consider to measure the real Temperature Coefficients (with no other electrical parameters measures), and picking up the worst case scenario module “A” - the revenue loss is around 26% of the O&M yearly cost. Considering the module “C” (the most “off-spec” in terms of Pmpp) that according to Electroluminescence is in a very good condition, the revenue loss surpasses the O&M costs, and lies on 69% of the fixed operating costs. This approach is valid, if you have into account all real measured parameters.

Conclusion

eing in a straight contact with many O&M professionals and PV plant owners, many of them wonder why their PV plants are below expected performance.Temperature Coefficients are crucial parameters (as well as others) for an accurate PV design, and even more when we are all watching a strong development of PV plants in very warm regions. Always have in mind that Quality Assurance tests are not expenses, they make part of the overall investment. 58

July 2016

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SOLAR PROJECTS

Fronius PV Genset

Save

Fuel &

Reduce

Energy Costs

With the PV Genset, Fronius is now offering a solution for applications that use diesel as the energy source. Diesel generators are combined with photovoltaic technology, which saves fuel, reduces costs and makes the power supply more reliable. The key to the success of the solution is the Fronius PV system controller. This controls the entire system, ensuring reliable yields and maximising diesel savings.

n many remote areas or regions where the electricity supply is unstable or extremely expensive, grids powered by diesel generators are extremely common. The costs depend on the country, transport distance and increasing oil costs on the global market. Photovoltaics supports and paves the way for a new trend. The technical, ecological and economic advantages of the PV Genset result in ever-increasing demand.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fronius has recognised the need for a cost-effective alternative to expensive diesel and, with the PV Genset, we are now offering a solution that saves fuel and minimises energy costs. We also provide support in the system planning phase.â&#x20AC;? Martin Hackl, Head of the Solar Energy Division at Fronius International GmbH

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July 2016

59Â

SOLAR PROJECTS

The recent upgrade of an irrigation system for a vegetable plantation in Lebanon demonstrates the potential of PV-Genset solutions.

Reliable, decentralised energy source for an unstable grid n Deir el Ahmar, northern Lebanon, power is supplied to the Icombined irrigation system of a vegetable plantation using a PV system with a diesel generator. “The grid there is very unstable and power grid shutdowns of up to six hours every day are the norm, which is why a reliable, decentralised energy source is required.” David Hanek, Product Manager at Fronius International GmbH

A PV system that will pay for itself within six years

pgrading diesel-powered systems to the Fronius PV-Genset solution really pays off. Thanks to the PV system, operator Francois Farage of Green Essence Lebanon saves 35,640 euros a year.

“The system in Lebanon will pay for itself within the sixth year.After that time savings will exceed 59,000 euros per year.” -says David Hanek. The 144 kWp photovoltaic system in northern Lebanon with six Fronius Symo inverters supports a 280 kVA generator and achieves a 40% degree of self-sufficiency. The system generates 216,000 kWh a year, saving approximately 115 tonnes of CO2.

July 2016

Fronius PV system controller maximises diesel savings

he heart of the system is the Fronius PV system controller, which ensures the maximum PV output is generated during any given situation. The diesel generator is always operated in a manner that has the lowest possible impact on service life, even at low loads. In addition, the Fronius PV system controller guarantees quick control over the PV output: power fluctuations are compensated for immediately, reducing the strain on the diesel generator. All these measures enable the operator to achieve maximum diesel savings and therefore significantly reduce costs.

A smooth commissioning process thanks to assistance from Fronius

ven before commissioning, the system operator receives practical advice from the Fronius experts. “We enjoyed exceptional support from Fronius Technical Support while the system was being planned and installed. As a result the commissioning process could not have been smoother,” reports Francois Farage.

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SOLAR PROJECTS Words: 548, Characters: 2,993 (no spaces)

Photographs Overview-

The key features of the Fronius PV-Genset solution speak for themselves: the system will pay for itself within six years.

In Deir el Ahmar, northern Lebanon, power is supplied to the irrigation system of a vegetable plantation using a PV system combined with a diesel generator.

The 144 kWp photovoltaic system with six Fronius Symo inverters supports a 280 kVA generator.

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Photo Coutesy: Fronius International GmbH, reproduction free of charge

The heart of the system is the Fronius PV system controller, which ensures the maximum PV output can be generated during any given situation.

July 2016

61Â

INTERViEW

INTERVIEW WITH Mr.HANS GEORG EINWAGNER AreaSales Manager, FRONIUS INTERNATIONAL

EQ: How much Inverters have you supplied to India till et/ now, what is the targ 7 -1 expectation in 2016 a market HGE: In 2015 we had in the roofshare of approx.. 2% to the top segment related . The tarBridge to India reports ease get is definitely to incr . our share constantly

July 2016

EQ: Kindly enlighten our readers on the performance of your Inverters in India in various geographic locations, customer feedback,. HG: The Fronius SnapINverters come with protection class of IP 65 or higher, which means all of them can be used in outdoor areas. Due to the allowed ambient temperature range all the inverters can be used from -25° up to 60°C. In addition to that the products offer a really good temperature derating curve, that means our products are working with full power up to 40° and more. The SnapINverter concept makes it possible to install all the device really fast and easy. That’s what the Indian customers really like.

EQ: Please describe in brief about your company, directors, promoters, investors, its vision & mission. HGE: Fronius International GmbH is an Austrian company with headquarters in Pettenbach and other sites in Wels, Thalheim, Steinhaus and Sattledt. With 3,723 employees worldwide, the company is active in the fields of welding technology, photovoltaics and battery charging technology. Around 90% of its products are exported through 24 international Fronius subsidiaries and sales partners/representatives in over 60 countries. With its innovative products and services and 838 granted patents, Fronius is the global innovation leader. Fronius India was established in 2014 and we have now 6 employees who are working in our solar division. The team is located all over India and it is a mix of technical and sales people. The headquarters is in Pune. In addition to that we have Fronius Service partners spread out all over the country who are helping to provide a service network in all parts of India.

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INTERViEW

EQ: What are your plans for India, your view on the GOI target of 100GW Solar Power by 2022 HGE: In India our company has a focus on residential as well as commercial rooftop systems, where we want to play a major role. The forecast for the whole rooftop market is 40GW till 2022 and we want to take a big piece of it. In addition to that we also have a really nice solution for combining a PV System with Diesel Gensets to save on fuel costs. There is a big market in India for this kind of application. At the moment we are working on establishing our brand in the market and we are focusing on a decent market share in the long run.

EQ: What are your plans for Manufacturing set up in India, the opportunities and challenges in manufacturing in India HGE: There is no plan to set up a manufacturing plant in India.

EQ: Briefly describe the various technologies and its suitable applications such as Central Inverter, String, Micro Inverter, 1500V, Outdoor, Container solutions etc.. HGE: Fronius has a focus on string inverters and the product range consists devices from 1.5kW up to 27kW output power. The different products are available as single- and three-phase as well as transformer-based and transformer-less inverters. The string inverters come with a unique installation concept called Snap Inverter concept, which makes the installation really fast and easy. This should save a lot of time and money for the installer company. All

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the SnapINverters come with integrated WiFi, Dynamic Peak Manager (algorithm for shaded systems), SuperFlex-Design (Dual-Tracker, wide input voltage range, etc.) and much more. We also offer central inverters up to 100kW output power, which are the only available centrals to be serviced by the installer itself. Especially for Indian requirements we offer solutions for combining PV systems with Diesel Gensets to save on fuel costs. This is a simple solution which can be installed really easy by a trained technician.

EQ: How much is your R&D budget as % of your sales / profits HGE: Fronius has around 500 employees in R&D who are working on new innovative products every day. Our focus is to be quality and innovation leader in the market. The R&D location was rebuilt 3 years ago and provides the latest technologies for our R&D employees.

EQ: What are the top 5 markets for your company in the past, present and future HGE: The main markets for Fronius are USA, Germany, Australia, Italy and Austria.

EQ: Explain various guarantees, warrantees, insurance, certifications, test results, performance report of your inverters HGE: Fronius offers different warranties depending on the country. In India you can choose between 5 years full warranty or 2 years full + 5 years material. It is a really flexible system and the customer can register online for the particular one. Our products fulfil all the certifications and standards for the Indian market. We provide the certificates & documents for the particular guidelines.

EQ: Technology road map in terms of 1500V , micro inverters, upcoming game changes technologies HGE: As mentioned before we are trying to be innovation leader in the market, so we are always working on new products. The challenge in the PV market is that every country has different requirements and product needs. At the moment storage is a big topic as well as string inverters with high output power. Of course Fronius tries to be a part of these segments.

July 2016

63Â

INTERViEW

EQ: Kindly highlight your product, technology & company USP’s, distinctive advantages etc… HGE: The SnapINverter range offers a unique installation concept, which makes it really easy and fast to install the products. All inverters no matter which output power come with the same concept. That means if you installed one inverter, you know how to handle all of them. All the SnapINverters also come with the same features, so no difference in all of them. The integrated Wifi-monitoring with easy setup, Fronius Solar.web monitoring free of charge, additional consumption data by adding a smart meter offer a lot of possibilities to monitor the fleet of a customer. All the string inverters also come along with additional energy management features by a relay contact and digital I/O’s. The unique Fronius Service Partner concept allows the trained installer to replace separate boards in the inverters. This means customers do not have to wait for a replacement inverter and can replace boards from their stock. This saves a lot of time and money again. All the SnapINverters can be used for the Fronius Genset solution to combine a PV system with a Diesel Genset to save fuel costs. You need to add the PV system controller which is easy to install and configure and then the PV System is covering the majority of the consumption instead of Diesel Genset.

July 2016

EQ: Kindly comment of Energy Storage as a game changer, its technology, cost trends…etc… HGE: We have already our on Storage system with Hybrid-inverter and Lithiumbattery called Fronius Energy Package. The main markets for this solution are Europe as well as Australia. We are also working on the integration of the Tesla Powerwall and on a single-phase solution to supply the US as well as Australian market. The storage market is growing rapidly, but the game changer is still the battery cost. Depending on the electricity prices there are several markets, which are really interesting for storage.

EQ: Whats your commitment towards the solar sector in India HGE: We believe in the solar market in India and that it has a big future in general as well as for Fronius. There are still a lot of challenges to become an established and constant market. Near ly all states in India are implementing net-metering now, which will push PV systems in residential and commercial areas as well.

EQ: What will be the cost, technology trends in solar inverters HGE: In my opinion the power density of solar inverters will increase in the future. That means the inverters are getting smaller and also string inverters with output power of 100kW or more will be possible. Energy storage will become a big thing all over the world.

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INTERViEW

INTERVIEW WITH PETER ORAM & INDRANEEL DUTT after US and China for Solar.. GE is a technology based company, so we look to provide leading technological solutions to our customers. Analysing the requirement of the Indian market, GE has introduced 1500 Volt inverter in India. As GE, we can add more value to our customers and developers provided we package all the products into a standard solution.

Peter Oram,

Global Vertical LeaderPower Gen & Renewables, GE Power Conversion

EQ: The recent aggressive bidding by various developers keeping Solar Tariffs in the price range of Rs.4.34 – Rs.5 per kWh in various Solar Tenders…Whats your view on the viability, Costs & timeline pressures, Resource Challenges (Materials, ManPower, Execution, Grid Connection, Land Possession) etc… Peter: The more the pressure on developer to reduce the capex and Opex as seen with the dropping solar tarrifs, the more the need to gravitate towards the cost effective solutions. GE’s 1500V DC technology is exactly what you need to reduce both the fixed and variable cost substantially. Using our Inverters enable the developers to reduce the quantities of downstream components like String Combiners, Cables etc substantially resulting in Savings. Overall- it leads to more power generation per square unit of land. This results in overall capital expenditure reduction for the developer to tune of 3% and an additional operating expenditure reduction of 15% . There are various other technical benefits of using

July 2016

Indraneel Dutt,

Business Leader, GE Energy ConnectionsA&C, IS, PC India this higher voltage rating technology. In our assessment around 70% of projects will be on 1500V technology by end of 2018

EQ: Please describe in brief about your company and why focus on India. Indraneel: General Electric is a world renowned Global OEM of high technology products. GE Energy Connections is a business that supplies multiple product lines critical in various industries like Power, O&G, Marine, Metals and Mining. From a Solar power perspective, we bring to the table almost the full complement of product line and services- right from inverter to grid connectivity. Our financing division also provides funding to Solar power plants developers. We also have complimentary tie ups with prominent Solar PV Panel manufacturers. Peter: GE’s objective is to identify the key markets and get into the business. We are here to assess the needs and develop a solutionist strategy. What we look is the macro-economic condition, the policy around renewables and the market size and India is the next big attractive market

EQ: What is the size of your company in terms of manufacturing capacities, growth chart, future expansion plans, Indraneel: GE has been in India for over 100 years now. We have about over 21,000 people, 21 manufacturing unit and 5 engineering centres. GE’s biggest R&D centre is in Bangalore with 5,000 technologist and R&D experts. GE’s one and only multi-module manufacturing facility where under one roof it makes multiple products and multiple businesses, is based out of Pune . .We see solar generation to become a significant source of power. That’s why we are here in the market, to support the government and the country. We don’t see India as a short time play and will continue to support the growth. Peter: Talking about capacity, there is no limitation and hence, it’s a function of is the demand in the market. For example, GE’s plant in Berlin has capacity of 2 GW as per the requirement of the market. And in Brazil, it is around 500 MW, designed specifically for the local market. We have manufacturing capability in Brazil, Europe, Germany and China. GE has made a target to build capacity of 6 GW-6 GW of invertors, 6 GW of transformers, 6 GW of switch gear by 2017. Now, if India becomes ready to be a market of 1 GW for a year, then GE can also think of setting up a local manufacturing center of excellence. In the meanwhile, we can comfortably serve the market from our existing manufacturing locations.

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INTERViEW EQ: What are your plans for India, your view on the GOI target of 100GW Solar Power by 2022 Peter: Our plan for India market is to offer the best in class technology from the headquarters to India market. In addition, we have a strong technology base in India which continues to be engaged for future product line R&D. We plan to offer integrated solutions to developers and integrators including financing. Besides the Solar Panels, we have solutions for all electric components including EPC capabilities. Indraneel: From country’s stand point, India’s solar growth is one of the most exciting growth segments. We see India as a potentially very promising market from volume standpoint. Its also an industry with very active entrepreneurship culture and that necessitates multiple touch-point and continuous customer engagement both on technical and commercial front. So a 100GW target for the industry is definitely achievable provided the usual spoilers like Land acquisition, Single window/faster clearance etc is taken care of.

EQ: What are your plans for Manufacturing set up in India, the opportunities and challenges in manufacturing in India Indraneel: It’s the other way around. GE has enough capacity which currently is not fully utilized across the world. we are not able to feed because this is not only about capacity creation, and if GE sees rise in demand, then GE will definitely add more capacity to it.

July 2016

EQ: Briefly describe the

various technologies and its suitable applications such as Central Inverter, String, Micro Inverter, 1500V, Outdoor, Container solutions etc..

Peter: We already have 4 MW capacity existing products and it’s been 4 years old now. The next generation of 1,500 volt solar inverter would bring significant benefits in terms of efficiency and cost. The first two demos would go on trial before commissioning operation next month in the US. Currently we are busy finalising the product commercialisation, design and launch which will happened towards the end of 2017. Right now we offer Inverters (1500V DC), Electrical Equipments for Electrical Balance of Plants( Switchgears, Transformers, Relays, Busbarsetc), Automation for Solar plant. One of our runaways success has been the Central Monitoring and Mobility solutions which can provide plant wide information on the go at fingertips. The solution involves a rugged controller and SCADA rich with customizable features to provide enterprise wide information reliably and remotely. Peter: In India, suddenly the market has boomed to 5 GW, which was earlier 1GW a year. Here is where GE wants to get the exposure. We are trying to size our capacity to manage 6 GW and if the demand goes up we won’t hesitate to add more capacity either in the existing or new facilities.

EQ: What are the top 5 markets for your company in the past, present and future Peter: We serve Global markets and are present everywhere in different verticals.

Considering our history and location, we are prominently placed in Europe, US and multiple countries in Asia.

EQ: Technology road map in terms of 1500V , micro inverters, upcoming game changes technologies Indraneel: Our endeavor is to consistently bring to market the next generation technologies. As Peter commented, we are already going for field trials for next generation of 1500V DC Inverters. The idea is to continuously deliver products which provide better efficiencies. In addition, the Predix platform will be a game changer for how you store, analyse and take corrective action from your plant data and squeeze more efficiency out of capex.

EQ: Kindly comment of Energy Storage as a game changer, its technology, cost trends…etc… Peter: The more renewable power we add to the grid, the more instability we inject to it. Eventually the policy makers will have to understand that Power Storage solutions are inevitable to cater to intermittent and peak load demands while maintaining grid stability. SECI and MNRE have to be commended for forward looking outlook as they are already working on implementing these technologies. It definitely is a game changer and we expect multiple projects in this field by 2017.

EQ: Do you also bring financing solutions for your customers ? Indraneel: Yes, we do. The Energy Financial Services(EFS) is dedicated to the purpose and undertake Project financing.

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INTERViEW

CMD, HARTEK POWER

INTERVIEW WITH Mr. HARTEK SINGH EQ: Government of India target of 40GW Rooftop Solar by 2022…..Can the industry achieve this target. HS: There is immense scope in the rooftop solar segment in the country, given the fact that out of the 40-GW target for 2022, not even 1 GW has been achieved so far. Moreover, installing rooftop projects on government and new residential buildings will become mandatory across the country in due course, which will create huge business opportunities. The fact that you don’t need land for these projects is an added advantage. While rooftop solar is also becoming increasingly popular among industrialists and owners of commercial buildings, the progressively declining costs will prove to be a game-changer and take the rooftop solar industry to a new level, particularly in the residential category which holds the key. The gross and net metering options should be made financially more attractive. Considering that the repair and maintenance part is dissuading many people from opting for rooftop solar despite its immense potential, companies like Hartek Power are rightly focusing on repair and maintenance to create a competitive edge. Rooftop solar will largely drive the growth of the solar industry in years to come. The share of renewable energy, especially solar power, in the country’s total power generation is gradually going up. Rooftop solar also provides renewed hope to remote areas which have not been connected to the grid so far.

P’s and EQ: What are your US as coms tor fac differentiating tors eti mp co ur yo to pared execution within HS: Fast-track projectand uncompromise the specified deadlin are the factors that ing quality standards r competitors. We distinguish us from ou -clock service in also provide round-the have adopted We case of breakdown. gy and a fully olo hn tec s world-clas model. We have backward integrated ip with supplish on ati rel a strong d to retain ers, and have manage e over tel en cli r ou of much s. de ca de o the past tw

Measures taken by various governments to motivate residents to opt for rooftop solar, like easy approvals and the option of applying online, will also go a long way in achieving the 40-GW target by creating a positive outlook among people.

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July 2016

INTERViEW EQ: Please present case study of few noteworthy projects executed by your company in the distributed solar space HS: Known for its expertise in executing solar EPC projects, Hartek Power has installed substations for 258-MW solar projects since it entered the business three years ago. In the very first year of our solar EPC business (2013-14), we commissioned substations for 45MW solar projects. In the following year (2014-15), we executed EPC orders for 90-MW solar projects, taking the figure to 135 MW, a threefold increase. We further consolidated our position in FY 2015-16 by providing grid connectivity to 123-MW solar projects spread across Punjab, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Karnataka, thus enabling the company to register a nearly twofold increase as compared to the overall figure in the previous year. What has clinched these deals for us and helped us emerge as one of India’s fastest growing EPC companies is our commitment to quality and timely execution of projects. Some of the key projects executed by us include 132-KV substation projects for a 40-MW solar plant in Rajasthan and a 50-MW solar project in Andhra Pradesh. Incidentally, Hartek Power had also constructed a 66-KV substation for the country’s first

ever commercial 2-MW solar plant in Amritsar. Awarded an EPC contract for a 50-MW solar project in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh last year, Hartek Power executed the project well before the stipulate deadline. The scope of work of the project, which happened to be Hartek Power’s first one in the state and its biggest in South India, involved complete turnkey solutions and post-inverter works covering the design, engineering, installation and commissioning of the power plant electrification and automation systems as well as pooling stations. The solar power plant involved 24 group stations of 11 KV, which were connected with the main 132-KV switchyard. To meet the crucial deadlines, Hartek Power formed separate teams to work on these stations. A separate team was constituted to oversee the work on the 132-KV switchyard. These teams worked in close coordination to meet the deadline. We also deployed a quality manager at the site to make the company staff and contractors adhere to the quality and safety standards. As the Andhra Pradesh project was spread across 220 acres, a special team was

EQ: Please describe in detail about your company, its promoters, directors, investors, vision, objectives and its plans in the solar industry. HS: Formed in 1991 as Amtek Energy & Power Pvt Ltd, a marketing company of industrial high-tension products, the Hartek Group is today one of India’s fastest growing Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) companies with business interests across the power sector value chain in power systems, rooftop solar, power distribution products, fuel services and value-added services. We specialise in executing high-voltage substation turnkey and rooftop solar projects and manufacturing a complete range of power distribution equipment/solutions catering to the needs of the industry as well as utilities. The Founder Chairman and Managing Director of the Hartek Group, Mr Hartek Singh, is a first-generation entrepreneur. We are aiming at connecting another 500 MW of solar power to the grid in the current financial year. Our vision is to become a global leader in providing complete power distribution and sustainable power solutions to our customers. We have a mission of excelling in sustainable and smart grid power solutions. We have gained our creditworthiness by doing projects under leading consultants. Having opted for a selffinancing business model, we are aiming to become a listed company in the next four-five years.

July 2016

formed to randomly check all quality parameters and safety guidelines. Meanwhile, our dedicated in-house team worked on the substation design, power plant engineering, complete automation and the entire SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) of the switchyard. Our strong supply chain and the practice of maintaining single supplier source for all projects also stood us in good stead with all the equipments used in the substation sourced from world-class companies. All our deliveries were complete two months before the actually charging. In fact, power transformer, which is considered a long lead item, reached the site three months prior to the charging of the plant. Having forayed into the rooftop solar segment only recently, Hartek Power has also installed more than 3-MW solar PV projects already, and is in the process of completing another 10 MW in Punjab. We recently executed our first rooftop project in Chandigarh, and plan to enter the residential segment with our solar solutions. Incidentally, the 436kWp project spread over six buildings was Chandigarh’s first rooftop project in the commercial category.

porEQ: What are the op d the an e ac sp s thi in s tunitie ng and mainchallenges in upscali ted solar bu tri dis ng streami tegory in the HS: The residential ca s the maximum ha t rooftop solar segmensheer volumes. This potential in terms of infully exploited to potential can be ga idential category its fullest once the res ed. Companies becomes more organisn and mainteexcelling in operatio ve an edge nance will clearly ha the lack of r, over others. Howeve mmercial incentives in the co stiff category poses a challenge.

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INTERViEW

EQ: Kindly enlighten on “Energy Storage as Game Changer”….Technology & Cost Trends, Incentives and Government Support needed HS: A highly disruptive technology, energy storage can verily transform the power industry. Unlike Germany and other European countries, India is not really focusing on energy storage. Rooftop PV installations leave a lot to be desired. So, the focus should be on developing optimised technology simultaneously. Considering the high costs, the government should offer subsidies to promote the solar industry. It should also encourage localised manufacturing and indigenous technology.

EQ: Policies & Regulations: What are the benefits , subsidies given by SECI, Central, State and Local Government, What are the key policy & regulatory features announced by the government HS: The government has been proactively promoting solar energy under the National Solar Mission, and these activities have really gained momentum over the past couple of years, as evident from the revised target for 2022 from 20 GW to 100 GW. The government can promote the rooftop segment by offering accelerated depreciation for industries and subsidies for the residential category.

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EQ: Kindly rank various sta tes in the o rder of attractivene ss of distrib uted solar marke t. HS: Rajasth an has the m aximum irradiation, followed by Gujarat and Madhya Pra desh. Punja b, Andhra Pradesh an d Karnataka are also doing rema rkably well in the solar segme nt by attrac ting huge investm ents.

EQ: Net Metering vs Gross Metering: Kindly explain what are the various metering techniques, their pros and cons HS: Net metering is a billing mechanism that credits solar energy system owners for the electricity they add to the grid. For example, if a residential customer has a PV system on his rooftop, it may generate more electricity than the electricity used by the household during day hours. In case you choose to feed in all the electricity that your rooftop solar system generates, 10 units for instance, directly into the central grid without consuming any of it at your house, at the end of the day you will have a cumulative electricity consumption from the grid while feeding electricity into the grid at the same time. You will be billed for your cumulative consumption, and you will be paid for the gross amount of electricity you pumped into the grid. This payment mechanism is called gross metering. These are two entirely separate billing processes.

July 2016

Solar Ware® Samurai 1500V Model Awarded UL Certification

Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corporation (TMEIC) is proud to announce that its Solar Ware® Samurai 1500VDC photovoltaic inverter has achieved a UL 1741 safety certification, including meeting the IEEE 1547 Standards for Distributed Resources Interconnection and Interoperability With the Grid, making it the first 1500V inverter to receive this significant achievement.

he new inverter is the latest addition to TMEIC’s portfolio of PV utility scale solar inverters for industrial markets. Built on decades of engineering experience with power electronics, Solar Ware® inverters offer the industry’s most advanced grid management in an efficient, compact footprint.

Features of SOLAR WARE® 1500V Series • • • • • • • • • •

Maximum 1500V DC voltage (input side) Outdoor Photovoltaic inverter designed for outstanding performance in harsh environments (ambient temperature of -20~50ºC) Hybrid cooling (natural convection cooling up to 50% of rated power) saves energy and increases reliability Highest power conversion efficiency of 98.8% Compliant with UL and IEC standards Customer Benefits Approximately 30% reduction of the number of inverters installed compared with 1000V inverters. Reduces peripheral equipment such as a set-up transformer, switchgear and cables as well as installation and wiring work. The highest level of power conversion efficiency maximizes output power capacity. Significant reduction of operating costs.

July 2016

“At TMEIC, we are committed to helping our customers deliver safe and reliable power by designing and manufacturing inverters that meet the industry’s highest standards. “This UL certification demonstrates our commitment to delivering high quality, high performance inverters and highlights our dedication to bringing our customers the equipment needed to develop modern and efficient grids, while adhering to the highest safety standards.” -Donn Samsa, TMEIC Renewable Energy General Manager

s the world’s leading industrial system integrator, TMEIC engineers advance solutions for various industries throughout the world, including renewable energy. With more than 30 years of manufacturing, research and development experience in the renewable energy industry, TMEIC solar power solutions are in use around the globe, including 14 states in the U.S. TMEIC has shipped 8.3GW of PV inverters globally and was recently recognized for the second year in a row as the Frost & Sullivan Company of the Year for ‘revolutionizing PV utility-scale solar inverter solutions in terms of market reliability, efficiency and productivity.’

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Solare Datensysteme Gmbh Presented Its Latest Innovations At Intersolar 2016 Solare Datensysteme GmbH (SDS) presented its latest production innovations and enhancements at Intersolar Europe 2016: Solar-Log™ PRO380-CT, Solar-Log™ EGO Smart Heater (Ethernet), SolarLog™ API and Solar-Log™ Insight Windows 10 App, demonstrating its innovative leadership and leading role in the area of solar monitoring.

Solar-Log™ PRO380-CT Due to rising costs, the efficient use of energy – and with that recording and analyzing of energy consumption – is becoming more and more important. Energy meters are used together with the Solar-Log™ data logger series to record energy consumption. The graphical display of real-time and historical data facilitates the analysis of energy peaks and assists to identify improvement measures and control solutions.

includes an additional convenient feature: In addition to the maximum temperature, a minimum temperature can be set. When the temperature falls below the minimum, the heating rod is activated regardless of the amount of surplus with the configurable output and the temperature is increased to a fixed hysteresis of 7%.

Solar-Log™ EGO Smart Heater Ethernet

Solar-Log™ EGO Smart Heater

With the new Ethernet version, several additional heating rods can be connected in a cascade. This allows large hot water storage tanks to be connected to the Solar-Log™ as an energy buffer. In addition to the maximum temperature, it is possible to set a minimum temperature for each individual Smart Heater. The respective current temperatures can be precisely measured as well to determine the thermal stratification. Up to a total of six Solar-Log™ EGO Smart Heater Ethernet devices can operate together.

The Solar-Log™ EGO Smart Heater is a heating rod that can be easily installed and integrated into existing heating systems and is operated by PV energy. Thanks to the combination with the Solar-Log™, surplus PV power can be used to heat water, which can be used later when stored in combination storage tanks. The device now

Previously, a Solar-Log™ EGO Smart Heater could only be used with the Solar-Log 1200 and Solar-Log 2000 because of the required RS485 interface. With the Ethernet versions, the function is available with a Solar-Log 300 as well. This provides an efficient and cost-effective solution for small plants (up to 15 kWp output).

The new Solar-Log PRO380 can now also handle even greater loads. Connecting meters to the Solar-Log™ is especially useful for companies, for example, in the manufacturing and agricultural sectors. When using a certified energy converter, billing-relevant values can even be recorded and displayed in the online portal.

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Solar-Log™ API Via the Solar-Log™ API program interface, data from the Solar-Log™ WEB “Commercial Edition” online portal can be transferred to third-party systems such as an ERP system. Three interfaces are available to transfer basic yield data, daily data and minute data. Thanks to this, plant operators can easily have data transferred to another system.

Solar-Log™ Insight App for Windows 10 The Solar-Log™ Insight App is now available on Windows 10 along with iOS and Android. In combination with the Solar-Log™ WEB “Commercial Edition,” this app makes it possible to display the Dashboard on all devices with the Windows 10 operating system. This allows the PV plant data to be accessed by a Windows 10 smartphone or computer at any time. The complete yield history and power consumption of the plant can be viewed at a glance. The app provides a quick and easy overview of environmental contributions, financial yields and the weather forecast for the coming days.

July 2016

Intersolar Europe: Ibc Solar Presents New Modules • High-performance module IBC MonoSol 300 VL4 with performance class of 300 Watts • First smart module in the company’s product portfolio: IBC MonoSol CS4 with integrated power optimiser enhances power production

BC SOLAR AG, a global leader in photovoltaic (PV) systems and energy storage, is to present a new high-performance module in the IBC SOLAR product portfolio: The IBC MonoSol 300 VL4. In addition, the company will showcase its first smart module with an integrated power optimiser. The IBC MonoSol 300 VL4 is IBC SOLAR’s first module within the product portfolio which can reach a performance class of 300 watt, making it the most powerful module of the IBC SOLAR Line. As with all Value-Added Modules from IBC SOLAR Line, the IBC MonoSol 300 VL underwent an extensive series of tests in IBC SOLAR’s own quality control laboratory before it became a part of the portfolio. Regular quality assurance and process audits guarantee a particularly high longevity of the modules, as well as a maximum performance, efficiency and therefore security of investment. The IBC MonoSol 300 VL4 is expected to be available this summer.

Powerful: IBC MonoSol CS4 Smart IBC SOLAR’s first smart module, the IBC MonoSol CS4 Smart, is a new addition to the company’s module portfolio. The IBC MonoSol CS4 Smart combines the patented optimiser technology of TIGO with the controlled quality and long-term guarantees of the value-added modules from the IBC SOLAR Line. A power optimiser integrated in the junction box enhances the power production of a PV system, for example if a system falls short of its optimum performance due to shading. Moreover, the IBC MonoSol CS4 Smart can be switched off separately through a PV safe button. An additional benefit: the IBC MonoSol CS4 Smart allows for more options in terms of wiring, giving installers more flexibility in the designing and installation of PV systems and therefore enabling a better utilisation of the roof’s surface. The module is also responsible for real time monitoring, making operation and maintenance safer and more efficient.

July 2016

Trina Best Introduces Trinahome Series At Intersolar Europe 2016 Changzhou, China, Trina BEST (Battery Energy Storage by Trina) In addition, other Trina BEST products for Commercial & Industrial (C&I) applications and utility scale Energy Storage Solution named under - TrinaMega, to be launched in July was on display at Intersolar as well. We’re excited to unveil our latest product for home owners, as well as showcase our Commerce & Industrial and Utility Energy Storage Solutions, at Intersolar Europe 2016 . said Frank Qi, General Manager of TrinaBEST.”

erman renewable energy goal is to support 80% of electricity from renewable sources by 2050. Since 2006, the solar sector in Germany has been growing considerably driven by the country’s renewable energy goals. Due to the decreasing of PV subsidies and comparatively high electricity prices, energy storage products in German market has emerged as the next growth in the smart usage of renewable energies. With the wide acceptance of clean energy sources working hand in hand with energy storage products, we believe, the introduction of our energy storage products at Intersolar will meet the diverse demand from potential customers in German and European markets, along with partners across the globe. We’re seeing great opportunities for TrinaBEST and are honored to share our full range of TUV certified products to contribute to the shift towards an energy-efficient and low-carbon future.” TrinaHome series are designed to store the PVproduced solar energy, and are well-suited for the residents living in remote area with poor or without electricity infrastructure, or areas where retailed electricity price is too high. In the event of power outage, the TrinaHome products can also provide uninterrupted supply of electricity to your entire home or selected appliances. TrinaHome series that the Company showcased at Intersolar Europe include storage system - 3kW/6.5kWh/5kW/9kWh and pure battery storage of vary capacity size. The 5kW\9kWh system, which, in particular, can fulfill higher load demand, is a perfect fit for the residential segmented market in Europe.

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Intersolar Europe: Hanwha Q Cells Presented Full Range Of PV Solutions Based On Proprietary And Matured Q.antum Technology Hanwha Q CELLS Co., Ltd. (“Hanwha Q CELLS” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: HQCL) showcased the full suite of photovoltaic products and solutions based on its proprietary and matured Q.ANTUM technology at Intersolar Europe in Munich from June 22nd to 24th 2016. At booth No. 270 in Hall A1, the visitors learned about the strong international position of one of the largest and most diverse photovoltaic companies worldwide and experience the capabilities of Hanwha Q CELLS in terms of the high performance and high quality of its PV products and solutions. Hanwha Q CELLS will also throw a spotlight on the “PV Stage” where a variety of presentations and the “Installation Innovation Award” will be presented.

Hanwha Q CELLS SOLAR MODULES BASED ON EXPERIENCE OF OVER 330 MILLION Q.ANTUM CELLS PRODUCED

“Intersolar Europe has been very important to us presenting our latest technology and innovative energy solutions to our many existing and future customers at Europe’s most important PV trade fair. Particularly we were very excited to present full suite of product lines with our proprietary Q.ANTUM technology, which will deliver high performance and lasting reliability to our partners’ projects in various applications and scales.” -Seong Woo Nam , CEO, Hanwha Q Cells

t Intersolar Europe Hanwha Q CELLS focused its PV product and solution exhibition on the renowned Hanwha Q CELLS brand, which has just been awarded the EuPD Seal “Top Brand PV” for the third time in a row for Europe and for the first time also for the USA and Australia. All showcased Q CELLS solar products will feature Hanwha Q CELLS’ proprietary Q.ANTUM technology as their engine for achieving higher energy yields and lower levelized costs of electricity (LCOE) in real life conditions. Q.ANTUM is a cell concept based on a rear-side passivation of the solar cell and including many additional and patent protected technological features. Q.ANTUM improves power output, low-light and temperature-behavior, while at the same

Q CELLS PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS • Q.PLUS BFR -G4.1: polycrystalline 60-cell Q.ANTUM solar module with power classes of up to 280 watts offering an excellent price-performance-ratio; ideally suited for rooftop applications in residential as well as commercial & industrial PV systems • Q.PLUS L-G4.2: polycrystalline 72-cell Q.ANTUM solar module with power ratings of up to 340 watts offering highest power outputs and low BOS costs in large scale solar power plants • Q.PEAK-G4.1: monocrystalline 60-cell Q.ANTUM ULTRA solar module with power

I“ NSTALLATION INNOVATION AWARD” AND PRESENTATIONS ON PV STAGE

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time offering all of Q CELLS’ VDE certified quality standards like Anti-PID technology, Hot-spot protect, and Tra.Q laser marking. Q.ANTUM has been developed and matured by Hanwha Q CELLS and the Company has achieved a track record of over 330 million cells produced in commercial mass production, equaling 1.5GW. Next to the high performance and quality solar modules, the visitors of the Hanwha Q CELLS booth also experienced diverse opportunities to combine Q CELLS modules with inverters and storage in order to optimize the LCOE of residential as well as commercial & industrial solar applications. Finally, professionals in utility scale solar will learn about the experience and expertise of Hanwha Q CELLS in engineering and constructing large scale PV power plants.

ratings of up to 305 watts offering maximum energy yield under real conditions. Ideally suited for residential applications thanks to the combination of high performance with outstanding optical appearance • G2G Prototype: polycrystalline 60-cell solar module prototype featuring glass-toglass technology and a decentralized junction-box-concept combining increased durability and reliability with lower BOS costs • Q.HOME / Q.HOME+: High efficiency Q CELLS solar modules + inverters + energy storage for residential systems

Next to the PV product and solution highlights, the PV Stage at the Hanwha Q CELLS booth drew the attention of Intersolar visitors. A number of presentations given by our experts as well as external PV professionals and scientists covered a wide range of PV related topics. As special highlight, the “Installation Innovation Award” was presented on the PV Stage. This award offers a forum to installers in Europe to present their most advanced projects and ideas.

July 2016

SolarEdge Presented Commercial PV Solution and Expanded Smart Energy Management Portfolio at Intersolar SolarEdge’s HD-Wave Inverter Technology is an Intersolar Award Finalist

olarEdge Technologies, Inc. a global leader in PV inverters, power optimizers, and module-level monitoring services, presented its commercial PV solution and expanded smart energy management portfolio at Intersolar. The expanded smart energy management portfolio includes a new product suite of load switching devices and immersion heater controls designed to direct excess PV energy

to appliances during the day in order to shift energy consumption to match PV generation. Also as part of the smart energy management portfolio expansion, is the addition of LG Chem’s RESU10H battery and RESU7H batteries to StorEdge™ solution compatibility.

“Dedicated to offering innovative and cost-effective energy solutions, SolarEdge is happy to be leading the integration of PV generation with energy automation. “With inverters taking an extended role in energy management, this is a natural progression for SolarEdge.” -Lior Handelsman , SolarEdge’s VP of Marketing and Product Strategy

SolarEdge is also presented its commercial offering and HD-Wave technology inverter at Intersolar. Its commercial offering features a new extended service suite that supports PV business throughout the life cycle of commercial PV systems. With its HD-Wave technology inverter being ≤6kW, ≤9.5kg, having 99% efficiency and excellent reliability, the technology makes a leap for inverters. SolarEdge’s HD-Wave inverter technology is listed as a finalist for the Intersolar Awards in the photovoltaics category.

July 2016

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Gamesa Unveils Its New 1,500 Vdc 2.25 MVA PV Inverter

The new model stands out for being one of the most powerful and compact on the market and for its use of the new 1,500 VDC technology, key to continuing to bring down the cost of operating PV solar plants .

t also comes with a mixed cooling system which boosts efficiency and reduces its size. Recently, Gamesa, a global benchmark in the manufacture of electrical equipment for the PV solar sector, has launched its new E-2.25 MVA PV inverter, one of the most powerful on the market. The company has presented this product during Intersolar Europe 2016, the sector’s most important trade fair, which took place in Munich (Germany) from 22 to 24 June. This is the first Gamesa inverter to market to offer 1,500 of direct input voltage, enabling it to deliver up to 2,250 kVA at 50 degrees and 2,500 kVA at 25 degrees. The product embodies the company’s ongoing development of solutions designed to help lower the cost of energy production at PV solar plants. Gamesa has launched two versions of this product: indoor and outdoor configurations, the latter custom-designed for the US market. It is also worth highlighting the fact that the indoor version of this new product will combine air and water cooling, technology which taps the know-how acquired by Gamesa designing converters for wind turbines. This mixed refrigeration system spreads heat out optimally and reduces the inverter’s size and weight. Thanks to these developments, Gamesa’s new E-2.25 MVA is one of the most compact models on the market. Each 40-foot container fits two inverters, along with their transformer and MV switchgear, in a pre-wired ‘plug & play’ solution (in total: 4.5 MVA per container, thereby delivering one of most powerful solutions on the market). Gamesa Electric, which designs and manufactures its products at its factory in Coslada (Madrid), boasts a significant track record in the industrial PV inverter market, having installed over 1,800 central PV inverter units at largescale, grid-connected solar plants. In addition to the new E-2.25 MVA, the company markets 1.1 MW and 1.4 MVA central inverters which comply with the most stringent grid connection requirements and facilitate the connection of PV solar plants to weak networks.

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OutBack Power Debuts Energy Platform Breakthrough, SkyBox, During Intersolar Europe 2016

utBack Power Technologies, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of advanced power electronics for renewable energy, backup power and mobile applications, launched new additions to its line of renewable energy products at the 2016 Intersolar Europe conference June 22 to 24 at the International Congress Center in Munich, Germany. The company’s energy storage and management solutions – leading with the new 230V SkyBox– will help European solar installers and users meet the challenge of integrating renewable energy generation with storage. The perfect power platform for the European market, SkyBox is a breakthrough in the field of advanced power conversion, processing and control.“SkyBox gives users more value for their renewable energy investment — both up-front through simplified design and installation, and, over the long-term, through the ability to ‘see’ a higher return on that investment through greater control over how they make, store and manage their energy,” explained Drew Zogby, president of Alpha Technologies (OutBack’s parent company). “Breakthroughs such as SkyBox truly demonstrate how our proven ‘mastery of the off-grid’ translates into not only being the ‘first choice for the new grid’ but in some cases the only choice—in our booth at InterSolar we’ll be exhibiting capabilities that no other single brand can currently offer.” For solar professionals, OutBack expects SkyBox to revolutionize the process of designing and installing PV/solar systems with energy storage. “We asked leading solar installers to imagine their ‘wish list’ for the perfect power conversion platform ahead of developing SkyBox,” said Steve Karaffa, senior vice-president/ energy & industrial for the Alpha

Group. “Based on their input, we re-invented the concept using all-new digital technology to create an all-in-one unit with superior efficiency and features for end-users, while reducing installation time, cost and complexity for installers—and in a compact form-factor engineered for quiet, trouble-free operation.” Continued Karaffa, “Our unique SkyBox architecture will save installers time and increase system owner satisfaction. Most important, SkyBox provides system designers with unprecedented flexibility—they can literally install now, figure out energy storage later. SkyBox is flexible and intelligent enough to work with current and future energy storage technologies and configurations, and can even be commissioned and operated prior to battery installation.”OutBack’s new FLEXmax Ultra 300V charge controller continues the trend of making system operation simpler for installers. It also reduces system installation time, cost and complexity, with key safety features such as arcfault and ground-fault built-in. The higher power rating also making it possible to design systems with longer solar panel “strings” with fewer components. Enhancements were also made to OutBack’s trusted OPTICS control and monitoring technology, which provides sophisticated energy flow metrics at-a-glance. The enhancements include the addition of solar “fleet” management for users with multiple systems, in campus or micro-grid applications. All of OutBack’s innovations are designed with residential energy independence in mind, providing homeowners and installers with reliable, “future-proof” technology to ensure a high return on investment regardless of changing regulatory policies and energy scenarios.

July 2016

All In One Solar Street light (12W & 15W LED models) Systellar Innovations is the first major brand manufacturing All In One type Solar street lights in 12W and 15W models in India. All In One Solar street light is a new age and compact lighting solution integrating Solar panels, LED light, Lithium-ion battery and a PIR motion sensor.

This light incorporates proprietary Systellar LED driver technology which combines world class battery charging technology with high efficiency electronics. All In One Solar street light uses a PIR motion sensor to adjust the LED light brightness intelligently. On detecting any movement, the LED glows at full brightness. If no movement is detected for more than 1 minute, the brightness is reduced to one-third. This intelligent brightness control coupled with maintenance free Lithiumion battery technology provides longer backup time and better battery life.

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CONFERENCE & EVENTS 2016

Myanmar Green Energy Summit 2016

Mexican Energy Leaders

Date: 15-16 Aug 2016 Place: Yangon, Myanmar Tel.: +603 2771 1668 Email: conference@confexhub.com Web.: www.myanmargreenenergysummit.com

Date: 07-08 Sep 2016 Place: Mexico City, Mexico Organiser: Greenworld conferences Tel.: +44 78 46486980 Email: dm@greenworldconferences.com Web.: www.greenworldconferences.com/mel2016

World Renewable Energy Technology Congress & Expo

Renewable Energy India Expo 2016

Date: 21-23 Aug 2016 Place: New Delhi, India Tel.: +91 92 13901510 Email: punit.nagi@ee-foundation.org Web.: www.wretc.in

Intersolar South America 2016 Date: 23-25 Aug. 2016 Place: SĂŁo Paulo, Brazil Organiser: Intersolar Tel.: +49 7231 58598-207 Email: info@intersolar.net.br Web.: www.intersolar.net.br

11th AsiaSolar Photovoltaic Innovative Technology Product Exhibition & Forum Date: 25-27 Aug 2016 Place: Shanghai, China Tel.: +86 21 65929965 Email: merry@aiexpo.com.cn Web.: www.asiasolar.net

Date: 07-09 Sep 2016 Place: Greater Noida, India Organiser: UBM Tel.: +91 9871 726762 Email: Rajneesh.khattar@ubm.com Web.: www.ubmindia.in/renewable_energy

EXPO Solar 2016

Intersolar Middle East 2016 Date: 19-21 Sep 2016 Place: Dubai, UAE Organiser: Intersolar Tel.: +49 7231 58598207 Email: info@intersolar.ae Web.: www.intersolar.ae

Asia Power Week 2016

Date: 20-22 Sep 2016 Place: Seoul, South Korea Organiser: Pennwell Tel.: +44 1992 6566008 Email: LeeC@Pennwell.com Web.: www.asiapowerweek.com

PV Guangzhou 2016

Date: 07-09 Sep 2016 Place: Seoul, Korea Tel.: +82 70 50315309 Email: save@infothe.com Web.: www.exposolar.org

Date: 26-28 Sep 2016 Place: Guangzhou,China Organiser: Guangdong Grandeur International Exhibition Group Tel.: +82 20 29188156 Email: grand.ev@grahw.com; evepvgz@yeah.net Web.: www.pvguangzhou.com

4th International Photovoltaic Power Generation Expo Osaka

Dubai Solar Show

Date: 07-09 Sep 2016 Place: Osaka, Japan Organiser: Reed Expo Tel.: +81 3 33498519 Email: pr-eng.wsew@reedexpo.co.jp Web.: www.pvexpo-kansai.jp

Date: 4-6 Oct 2016 Place: Dubai, UAE Organiser: DEWA Email: info@dubaisolarshow.com Web.: www.pvguangzhou.com

Solar Power International 2016 Solar Projects Egypt 2016

Date: 06-07 Sep 2016 Place: Cairo, Egypt Tel.: +971 4 3614001 Email: lara.makdessi@acm-events.com Web.: www.solarprojectsegypt.com

Date: 12-15 Sep 2016 Place: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Organiser: SPI Tel.: +1 703 7389460 Email: info@solarpowerinternational.com Web.: www.solarpowerinternational.com

PV Taiwan

Date: 12-14OCt Place: Taitra Organiser: Taipei, Taiwan Tel.: +886 2 27255200 Email: pv@taitra.org.tw Web.: www.pvtaiwan.com

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

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R.N.I. NO. MPBIL/2013/50966 | DATE OF PUBLICATION: JULY 20 | POSTAL REGD.NO. MP/IDC/1435/2016-2017