EQ Magazine Oct 2018 Edition by EQ Int'l Solar Media Group

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

OWNER :

FirstSource Energy India Private Limited

PLACE OF PUBLICATION :

95-C, Sampat Farms, 7th Cross Road, Bicholi Mardana Distt-Indore 452016, Madhya Pradesh, INDIA Tel. + 91 96441 22268

www.EQMagPro.com

EDITOR & CEO :

ANAND GUPTA anand.gupta@EQmag.net

PUBLISHER :

ANAND GUPTA

PRINTER :

ANAND GUPTA

TRENDS & ANALYSIS

SAUMYA BANSAL GUPTA saumya.gupta@EQmag.net

PUBLISHING COMPANY DIRECTORS: ANIL GUPTA

ANITA GUPTA

CONSULTING EDITOR : SURENDRA BAJPAI

HEAD-SALES & MARKETING : GOURAV GARG gourav.garg@EQmag.net

Sr. CREATIVE DESIGNER

ANAND VAIDYA anandfronton2@gmail.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER : RATNESH JOSHI

SUBSCRIPTIONS :

GAZALA KHAN gazala.khan001@gmail.com

CONT EN T

VOLUME 10 Issue # 10

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Macquarie eyeing Goldman Sachs’ ReNew Power stake

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

GAIL to set up battery char ging stations for e-vehicles

TECHNOLOGY

No.1 in India, Huawei Unveils the Leading Solutions...

DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions to Highlight Latest...

Disclaimer,Limitations of Liability While every efforts has been made to ensure the high quality and accuracy of EQ international and all our authors research articles with the greatest of care and attention ,we make no warranty concerning its content,and the magazine is provided on an>> as is <<basis.EQ international contains advertising and third –party contents.EQ International is not liable for any third- party content or error,omission or inaccuracy in any advertising material ,nor is it responsible for the availability of external web sites or their contents The data and information presented in this magazine is provided for informational purpose only.neither EQ INTERNATINAL ,Its affiliates,Information providers nor content providers shall have any liability for investment decisions based up on or the results obtained from the information provided. Nothing contained in this magazine should be construed as a recommendation to buy or sale any securities. The facts and opinions stated in this magazine do not constitute an offer on the part of EQ International for the sale or purchase of any securities, nor any such offer intended or implied Restriction on use The material in this magazine is protected by international copyright and trademark laws. You may not modify,copy,reproduce,republish,post,transmit, or distribute any part of the magazine in any way.you may only use material for your personall,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.

October 2018

INDIA

Spot power tariff climbs to 9-year high of Rs 14.25 at IEX

Firms of Australia, Japan keen to invest in India’s solar sector : Prabhu

www.EQMagPro.com

SOLAR PROJECTS

Plan afoot to install floating solar panels in dams in Maharashtra

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

EESL hands over first set of Electric Vehicles to PWD...

Government to announce electric vehicles policy soon...

TECHNOLOGY

Vikram Solar Commissions 1461 kW Rooftop Solar

SOLAR PROJECTS

Blockchain in Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution

TECHNOLOGY

GCL-SI Becomes First Foreign Company to...

62 14

11 INDIA

INDIA Malaysia takes India to WTO’s safeguard committee on solar duty

www.EQMagPro.com

POWER GENERATION Global Renewable Energy Trends

BSE seeks licence to set up new power exchange

POWER GENERATION Electricity demand grows 7.4 pc in July, thermal PLF lower: ICRA

EQ NEWS Pg. 07-37 PRODUCTS Pg. 74-77 EQ

October 2018

JINKOSOLAR (NYSE: JKS) is a global leader in the solar industry. JinkoSolar distributes its solar products and sells its solutions and services to a diversified international utility, commercial and residential customer base in China, the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, Chile, South Africa, India, Mexico, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, and other countries and regions. JinkoSolar has over 12,000 employees across its 8 productions facilities globally, 16 oversea subsidiaries.

8Â

October 2018

www.EQMagPro.com

伀一䔀圀伀刀䰀䐀⸀ 伀一䔀匀唀一⸀ 伀一䔀䜀刀䤀䐀⸀

䨀琀洀琀眀∀琀椀䨀琀昀眀砀眀戀挀琀昀戀琀

圀攀挀漀洀洀椀琀漀甀爀猀攀氀瘀攀猀琀漀栀椀猀瘀椀猀椀漀渀⸀ 䜀漀氀搀椀匀漀氀愀爀倀瘀琀䰀琀搀

⠀䘀漀爀洀攀爀氀礀䜀漀氀搀椀䜀爀攀攀渀吀攀挀栀渀漀氀漀最椀攀猀倀瘀琀䰀琀搀⤀ 吀漀氀氀䘀爀攀攀㨀㄀㠀㠀㌀㌀㔀㔀㄀㄀吀攀氀㨀 ⬀㤀㄀㈀㘀㄀㜀㄀㤀㤀㤀㤀㤀 www.EQMagPro.com

椀渀昀漀䀀最漀氀搀椀⸀漀渀攀眀眀眀⸀最漀氀搀椀⸀漀渀攀 ⌀䜀漀氀搀椀匀漀氀愀爀 EQ October 2018 9

꤀ ㈀㄀㠀䜀伀䰀䐀䤀匀伀䰀䄀刀倀嘀吀䰀吀䐀

䜀漀氀搀椀匀漀氀愀爀攀砀琀攀渀搀猀眀栀漀氀攀栀攀愀爀琀攀搀猀甀瀀瀀漀爀琀琀漀伀甀爀倀爀椀洀攀䴀椀渀椀猀琀攀爀匀栀爀椀一愀爀攀渀搀爀愀䴀漀搀椀ᤠ猀攀û漀爀琀猀琀漀攀洀戀爀愀挀攀琀栀攀眀漀爀氀搀⸀

INDIA

Clean energy bids with high tariffs will be cancelled: RK Singh The government will cancel clean energy auctions if the tariffs discovered through competitive bidding are found unreasonable, minister for power and renewable energy RK Singh said, signalling a tough stand against any apparent malpractice in bidding.

esponding to questions on a recent cancellation of bids received for 2,400-MW solar projects, Singh said his ministry is keeping a watch on global trends that influence clean energy tariffs and hence the ministry in its right can exercise its discretion to define the maximum permissible tariffs for solar bids.

“I am here to protect the people’s interest. We will accept bids which are reasonable. If I come across any bids which are excessive, we will cancel it,” R K Singh said.

Recently, the power minister wrote to the finance ministry alleging a cartelisation attempt by SoftBank-backed SB Energy to jack up tariffs in a 3,000-MW solar tender floated by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), which stood partly cancelled after the price bids were submitted by developers. SoftBank firmly denied the allegation and said it always abides by the law and acts ethically. Officials, however, said bids were rejected only because of high prices. “There is no allegation of any kind.

“We found certain bids to be unacceptable and we did not accept the bids, (on the ground that) the price was high,” Anand Kumar, secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, said while addressing a press conference ahead of its flagship renewable energy event RE-Invest and the first general assembly of International Solar Alliance next week. The government and the private sector have recently been at odds following the former’s decision to cap solar tariffs at Rs 2.5 per unit for solar auctions conducted by SECI, with a margin of 18 paise if safeguard duty is being factored in.

www.EQMagPro.com

Taiwan takes India to WTO’s safeguard committee on solar duty India had imposed safeguard duty of up to 25 per cent on solar cells imports from China and Malaysia for two years to protect domestic players from steep rise in inbound shipments.

aiwan has sought consultations with India under the WTO’s safeguard agreement against New Delhi’s decision to impose import duty on solar cells, the global trade body said. The consultations, however, do not fall under WTO’s dispute settlement system. India had imposed safeguard duty of up to 25 per cent on solar cells imports from China and Malaysia for two years to protect domestic players from steep rise in inbound shipments. Taiwan says it has a substantial interest as an exporter of the product.

The objective of the consultation is to “exchange views on the proposed measures and reaching an understanding on ways to achieve the objectives” set out in an article of the WTO Agreement on Safeguards, the WTO said in a communication. Taiwan seeks to hold consultations “as soon as possible and looks forward to India’s positive response to this request,” According to an expert, seeking consultations under the safeguard agreement is a way to inform other countries that they are not fulfilling their commitments under the WTO rules. Solar cells — electrical devices that convert sunlight directly into electricity — are imported primarily from China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. Imports of solar cells from Malaysia and China account for more than 90 per cent of the total inbound shipments in the country.

October 2018

INDIA

Impose 50% of solar tariff as penalty for not buying power: Developers to MNRE At a meeting of stakeholders called by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, solar power developers proposed that discoms should be penalised 50 percent of the agreed tariff for the part of renewable energy that they refuse to use.

t a meeting of stakeholders called by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), solar power developers proposed that discoms should be penalised 50 percent of the agreed tariff for the part of renewable energy that they refuse to use. The ministry had called the meeting of renewable energy project developers, bankers and financial institutions and other officials to deliberate on difficulties being faced by the investors in view of India’s ambitious target of having 175 GW of clean energy capacities by 2022. “There has been back down of operational solar plants by discoms. The ministry is thinking to impose penalties on discoms to pay 50 percent tariff for units not purchased,” the sources said. The renewable energy project evelopers are facing issues related to financing of their projects. Some of the banks as well as financial institutions are unwilling to fund the impact of safeguard duty on solar equipment. During the meeting, the MNRE has assured that it would explore the possibility of financing impact of safeguard duty on projects by Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) as an interim arrangement.

“MNRE will explore the interim financing of safeguard impact. Besides all developers are asked to send a note to the MNRE if the lending banks are not financing. The MNRE has also assured to take up the issue with the CMD of the concerned bank and if required with the Ministry of Finance,” the source said. The MNRE also asked all the banks not to impose the requirement of module suppliers from Bloomberg Tier 1 list and follow BIS approved list of suppliers for loan appraisals During the meeting it was decided that there would be quarterly review by the MNRE, banks and developer on financing of renewable projects. Shekhar Dutt, Director General, Solar Power Developers Association, welcomed the ministry’s step to hold the staekholders meeting. “As renewable energy is one of the fastest growing sector in India, an assurance from MNRE on every tariff being discovered in the bids as a viable investment to fund, is a progressive move.” He further said, “With effective implementation of payment security mechanism (PSM) by discoms, solar power developers are optimistic about fast track resolutions in RE Financing. While India is thriving to achieve the Renewable Energy target, the SPDA will ensure its continued support to the Ministry by facilitating inputs from the industry.”

October 2018

Spot power tariff climbs to 9-year high of Rs 14.25 at IEX Spot power price touched over nine-year high of Rs 14.25 per unit in the day ahead market (DAM) on Indian Energy Exchange for supply on Thursday, mainly on account of higher demand. "Spot power price for supply on Thursday touched over 9-year high of Rs 14.25 per unit in trading at Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) on Wednesday," a source said.

ccording to the IEX data, the previous high was recorded at Rs 17 per unit in August 2009. Experts believe that spot power price soared mainly due to higher demand and lower supplies as there were buy bids for 386 million units (MU) against sell bids of 309 MU in the trading held on Wednesday at IEX. As much are 290 MU were sold for supply on Thursday, which is highest ever volume of power sold on the exchange since it came into existence in 2007. They said lower wind and hydro power output coupled with persistent coal shortages at power plants led to spike in the spot price. After the shortage of coal at independent power plants(IPPs) and captive power plants(CPPs), consumers in southern part of the country and captive users made a beeline at IEX. The spot power price touched a high of Rs 14.09 on September 17 due to the same reason. The demand was 265 MU while the supply was 200 MU. In May this year, the spot power price had touched about five-year high of Rs 11.41 after starved CPPs started buying power at exchanges. In the same month, the government decided to augment coal supplies to centre/ state power plants and IPPs from May 19 to June 30 to overcome shortage of the dry fuel and check power crisis. The source said CPPs are still grappling with the issue of coal shortage at their power plants. CPPs generate electricity for their own manufacturing facilities like steel, cement and others. Earlier in the day, Power Minister R K Singh asked state power generators like NTPC and DVC to strengthen their coal mining wing and secure more coal mines noting that supply of the dry fuel to power plants is still a concern.

www.EQMagPro.com

October 2018

13Â

INDIA

SoftBank Energy cartelised to jack up solar tariffs: Minister

SC, Maharashtra AAR rulings to up solar project cost by 25%

The Union Ministry of Power has accused SoftBank (SB) Energy of attempting to cartelise and drive up solar power tariffs at the 3,000 MW solar auction in July.

n a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office, the NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman, and the Finance Minister, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, RK Singh, said: “It is apparent that there was an attempt for cartelisation. Such a thing has never happened earlier.” The Minister was responding to a query on the rejection of SB Energy’s bid. The Centre had rejected most bids that were called by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) for developing 3,000 MW of solar power generation projects earlier this year. This resulted in the first ever case of partially cancelling a tender for developing solar power generation projects. Thus, the winning bids for 2,400 MW of the 3,000 MW were cancelled. Only Acme Solar, which won a bid for 600 MW, by quoting the lowest tariff of ₹2.44 a unit, was awarded a project. The bids that were rejected included SB Energy’s bid for developing 1,100 MW, and ReNew Power’s 500-MW bid. Both had quoted ₹2.71 a unit. Mahindra Solar and Mahoba Solar (part of the Adani Group) had bid for 300 MW of solar power generation capacity; each had quoted ₹2.64 per unit. The Centre had provided no reason for scrapping the bids. However, officials had hinted that the difference between the lowest winning bid and the others was unusually high.

“…Our suspicion is that SB Energy tried to form a cartel to push up the price. While in previous bids, the difference between the rates quoted between L-1 and the last bidder used to be not more than 10 paise per unit, in the present case the difference came to 27 paise per unit (2.71 – 2.44),” Singh wrote. The letter, seen by BusinessLine, read, “In the bid to which SoftBank (SB) Energy is referring, the reverse auction took place on July 13, 2018. SB Energy was not L-1 in that bid (it was ACME Power at ₹2.44 per unit), it was not even L-2 and it was not even L-3. Even amongst three companies which came L-4 with tariff of ₹2.71 per unit, it was the last. Therefore, their disappointment that their bid has not been accepted is rather strange.”

October 2018

The rulings of the Supreme Court and the Maharashtra Authority for Advance Ruling (AAR) on levying 25 percent safeguard duty and 18 percent GST on contract value, respectively, will result in a 25 percent increase in the cost of solar projects, according to experts. he apex court, through its interim order Monday, has nullified the Orissa High Court’s stay order on levy of safeguard duty on imported solar cells and modules. The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) had recommended levy of 25 percent safeguard duty on solar cell imports from China and Malaysia for the first year, followed by a phased down approach for the second year. In the first six months of the second year, a safeguard duty of 20 percent will be payable by exporters to India and in the latter half of the second year, exporters will pay a safeguard duty of 15 percent. The Maharashtra AAR had early this month upheld that EPC contracts are works contract services and hence the tax on such works contract service transaction would be 18 percent and not five percent applicable earlier.

“These two rulings are a major blow to the sunrise solar industry as it would result in a nearly 25 per cent increase in the cost of the project,” Gensol group founder and director Anmol Jaggi told PTI. He further said that this decision will severely impact a host of small and big players who is bidding for open access and rooftop projects. “Out of the projects that have been bid out so far, only 25 percent are by the Solar Energy Corporation (SECI), while the rest are non-SECI bids. While SECI bids assure passthrough, those who have bid for other projects will face a major setback as the cost will increase,” added Jaggi. According to another industry expert, the levy of safeguard duty will have a significant impact but since the prices of Chinese modules have come down to 26 cents, it will set off the impact to some extent. “Since the prices of modules have come down, the overall impact is 25 percent, which could have otherwise been 30 percent,” the expert added. Domestic module manufacturers, however, opined that with the implementation of the safeguard duty, during the initial phase, a diversion of around 30-40 percent of the demand for solar cells and modules towards the Indian manufacturers is anticipated. “The imposition is a respite from the uncertainty witnessed in the recent past. We can now say that domestic manufacturers have a level playing field, which will address the concern of underutilized manufacturing capacity of key national players. With time, 70 percent of the total demand will gradually be diverted to domestic players,” said Sunil Rathi, director, Waaree Energies.

www.EQMagPro.com

INDIA

T BSE seeks licence to set up new power exchange Leading stock bourse BSE along with PTC India and ICICI Bank have filed a petition with the power market regulator CERC for grant of license to set up a new power exchange.

he proposed exchange will leverage on experience and expertise of its stakeholders in their fields knowledge of the power sector, funding of power projects and associated infrastructure, setting-up and running various bourses and platforms in the country, BSE said in a statement Monday. The proposed power exchange will offer the market participants a credible power trading platform.

“BSE along PTC India Ltd and ICICI Bank Ltd have filed a petition with the CERC (Central Electricity Regulatory Commission) on September 7, 2018 for grant of license for setting up a new power exchange,” the exchange said. BSE — formerly Bombay Stock Exchange- is Asia’s oldest stock exchange and provides trading in equity, debt instruments, equity derivatives, currency derivatives, interest rate derivatives, mutual funds and stock lending and borrowing.

Dealership Inquiry +91-7226995509/10

PV MODULES SPACE Series

SKY Series 60 cells

72 cells

250W -265W

300W-330W

16.30% (Eﬃciency)

16.65% (Eﬃciency)

Sanelite Solar is a preferred manufacturer of high-quality PV modules ranging from 40Wp to 330Wp.The produccon line is carefully designed ultra-modern line with high eﬃciency automaac laminator and auto-tabber & stringer machines.The PV modules are engineers with highest grade raw material to get oppmum performance and high eﬃciency.The end produccon is an aestheecally superior absorber of sunlight - the Sanelite Solar PV Modules.

www.EQMagPro.com

October 2018

INDIA

Power Min brings Electricity Amendment Bill back on the table The Power Ministry has sought comments on a revised draft of the Electricity Amendment Bill which seeks to separate carriage and content businesses to enable consumers to switch their power suppliers as they do for telecom services.

eedback on the revised Electricity Amendment Bill 2018 has been sought within 45 days. The draft has been circulated among all related government agencies, departments, regulators, PSUs and industry bodies. According to the draft circulated online, the Electricity Amendment Bill 2014 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 19, 2014 and subsequently referred to Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy. The panel gave its report in September, 2015. The revised bill is now circulated on the basis of recommendations of the panel and consultations. The bill provides for more than one service operator to supply power to a consumer in one distribution area. This will give consumers an option of changing their power supplying company or utility based on the efficiency of their services. The bill also provides for ‘Smart Grid’, which it says is an electricity network that uses information and communication technology to gather information and act intelligently in automated manner to improve the efficiency, reliability, economics, and sustainability of generation, transmission and distribution of electricity. It also provides for medium term power purchase agreement. It says that ‘medium term’ means the duration of power purchase which shall be as notified by the Central government. This will allow stressed power projects to go for medium term power purchase agreements and run their plants. The bill also provides for renewable purchase obligation under which the ‘polluter pays’ principle applies. Under this, the renewable power purchased would be used to meeting the RPO requirement. It has also made a case for round-the-clock power as envisaged by the government from April 1, 2019. The bill also provides to stricter penalties for non-compliance, theft and other offences. In some cases, penalty has been raised from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1 crore.

October 2018

Firms of Australia, Japan keen to invest in India’s solar sector : Prabhu

ommerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu Tuesday said many firms of Australia and Japan are keen to invest in India in solar energy sector. And there is a need to send market signals for attracting more funds into research and development. India has set a target to generate 100 GW solar energy by 2022 for increasing share of carbon free energy in the energy mix, the minister was quoted as saying in an official statement. He also said that joint efforts are required to reduce the cost of finance and technology for massive production of solar energy. The minister was speaking at International Solar Alliance (ISA) Innovation and Investment Forum here.He said that once the generation of solar energy goes up, its prices will come down.

www.EQMagPro.com

October 2018

17Â

INDIA

Malaysia takes India to WTO’s safeguard committee on solar duty Malaysia has sought consultations with India under the WTO’s safeguard agreement against New Delhi’s decision to impose import duty on solar cells, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) said today.

he consultations, however, don’t fall under the WTO’s dispute settlement system. Earlier this month, India had imposed safeguard duty of up to 25 per cent on solar cells imports from China and Malaysia for two years to protect domestic players from steep rise in inbound shipments. However, on August 13, the finance ministry stated that safeguard duty will not be insiste upon on import of solar cells for the “time being” in deference to interim directions passed by the High Court of Orissa. Malaysia has stated that it has a substantial interest as an exporter of the product. “The aim of the consultations is to exchange views and seek clarification regarding the proposed measures and reaching an understanding on ways to achieve the objectives” set out in an article of the WTO Agreement on Safeguards, the WTO said in a communication.“Malaysia seeks to hold consultations as soon as possible with the participation of representatives from India investigating authorities.Malaysia looks forward to receiving India’s response to this request,” it added. According to an expert, seeking consultations to the safeguard committee is a way to inform other countries that they are not fulfilling their commitments under the WTO rules.Solar cells, electrical devices that convert sunlight directly into electricity, are imported primarily from China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. Imports of the cells from these countries account for more than 90 per cent of the total inbound shipments in the country.

October 2018

Netra, CIPET to work on multiMW floating photovoltaic plants NETRA (NTPC Energy Technology Research Alliance) and Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology (CIPET) will work together to accelerate the renewable drive by establishing the technology framework for development & production of floaters for Multi-MW Floating photovoltaic (PV) plants.

etra, the R&D arm of NTPC Ltd, has signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) recently with CIPET. The team will be working together towards building comprehensive quality plans, to increase the vendor base and capacity building in the area of Floater production & maintenance technologies. The MoA was signed by Shri Shaswattam, General Manager, NETRA and Dr. M. Abdul Kader, Principal Director, CIPET in the presence of RK Srivastava, Executive Director, NETRA, PD Hirani, General Manager, NETRA and other officials.

www.EQMagPro.com

10-70kW Three-Phase Solar Inverters

BOOST YOUR POWER&PROFIT Commercial & Industrial Solar System Solutions

www.EQMagPro.com

sales@goodwe.com

www.goodwe.com EQ October 2018 19Â

20Â

October 2018

www.EQMagPro.com

TECHNOLOGY

Huawei Ranks No.1 in the Top PV Inverter Suppliers in the Indian Market

Recently, Bridge to India, an Indian authoritative consultancy, released the India RE Map 2018 September. According to the statistics of the projects commissioned from October 2017 to September 2018, Bridge to India released the top PV modules, inverters, and EPC enterprises in the Indian market.

mong the top PV inverter suppliers, Huawei smart PV inverter surpasses many world-renowned ones with a share of 16.3%, rising to the top of the list. Based on reports released by global consultancies IHS Markit and GTM Research, Huawei ranked No.1 globally in terms of inverter shipments for three consecu- TOP inverter suppliers in the Indian market (source: Bridge to tive years from 2015 to 2017. The cutting edge India) of Huaweiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inverter will be more obvious this year with a greater overseas market share. In the Indian PV market, the utility-scale PV plant projects dominate the market share, accounting for 90%. In recent years, smart string inverters have become the mainstream among the utilityscale PV plants with the advantages of a high energy yield, high reliability, and low maintenance cost. Huawei has established more than 2 GW of PV plants since it has deeply developed the India market for more than three years.

www.EQMagPro.com

October 2018

21Â

TECHNOLOGY

LONGi Solar: Top 3 Most Bankable PV Module Brand in the World In the latest “2018 PV Module Brand Bankability Report”, Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) ranks LONGi Solar the top 3 most bankable PV module brand with 1,025MW of loan-financed PV projects in the past two years. LONGi Solar’s ranking rose four places from the last year. In the same report, BNEF has also featured the “PV Module Reliability Scorecard” released by the authoritative certification institution DNV GL. LONGi Solar is recognized as a “TOP PERFORMER” module maker by DNV GL for two consecutive years.

he ranking demonstrates LONGi strengthening bankability as more banks provide non-recourse loans for the PV projects specified with the company’s modules. Solar project developers now have the ability and favorable conditions to finance their solar projects with LONGi Solar high efficiency modules. BNEF’s ranking is based on its database containing 25,455 PV financing projects, involving 57 PV module brands worldwide. The “2018 PV Module Brand Bankability Report”, BNEF also provided Altman-Z scores of the world’s largest PV module makers in 2018-Q1. LONGi Solar ranks ahead of its rivals in the manufacturer credit ratings. The ranking demonstrates LONGi strengthening bankability as more banks provide non-recourse loans for the PV projects specified with the company’s modules. Solar project developers now have the ability and favorable conditions to finance their solar projects with LONGi Solar high efficiency modules. BNEF’s ranking is based on its database containing 25,455 PV financing projects, involving 57 PV module brands worldwide. The “2018 PV Module Brand Bankability Report”, BNEF also provided Altman-Z scores of the world’s largest PV module makers in 2018-Q1. LONGi Solar ranks ahead of its rivals in the manufacturer credit ratings.

October 2018

Mr. Wenxue Li, President of LONGi Solar, added, “Strong financials and bankability that are independently verified by Bloomberg NEF is one of many validations of LONGi as a reliable company with reliable products. Our strength in product, technology and financial health provides the best guarantee for our customers.”

www.EQMagPro.com

www.EQMagPro.com Final Final Solar India_EQ.indd 2

October 2018

23Â 08-10-2018 10:55:27

TECHNOLOGY

The Optimal LCOE Solution

No.1 in India, Huawei Unveils the Leading Solutions at REI 2018 Scheduled from 18th to 20th September at the India Expo Center, Greater Noida, the 12th edition of Renewable Energy India Expo (REI) came back in a magnificent way this year. As a global smart PV leader, Huawei has rich experience in such digital technologies as cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), Big Data, and IoT. In this exhibition, Huawei unveiled its latest smart PV solutions, and shared with global customers the successful experience and methods in new energy digitization.

trength in Numbers: World’s Top Shipper for Three Consecutive Years Based on reports released by global consultancies IHS Markit, Huawei was ranked No. 1 globally in inverter shipments for three consecutive years, 2015 – 2017. According to the latest Utility Solar Map released by Bridge to India, an Indian authoritative consulting firm, the grid-connected capacity of Huawei utility-scale PV plants ranks No.1 from October 2017 to September 2018, and FusionSolar Smart PV Solution has been widely recognized by Indian customers. Following the digitization trend, Huawei displayed the global leading smart PV series solutions under the theme “Roads to a Digital PV World”, including Utility Smart PV Solution, Commercial Smart PV Solution, Floating Smart PV Solution, and one-click O&M Smart I-V Curve Diagnosis, and FusionSolar Smart PV Management System.

October 2018

In 2018, Huawei launched the optimal LCOE solution – Smart DC System, by drawing on the practical experience of more than 100MW PV plants around the world and the studies on the practice test data of empirical bases. The Smart DC System matches the mainstream star product SUN2000-95KTL string inverter. With an efficiency of up to 99%, the SUN2000-95KTL supports 66MPPT circuits/MW. Protected to IP65, it is not configured with fuses and other vulnerable parts. Additionally, the system integrates the bifacial module, smart solar tracker, and the smart PV inverter through the smart chip and AI algorithm. It enables customers to take the lead in the age of intelligence. With a maximum input current of 25 A for each MPPT circuit, the SUN2000-95KTL fully meets the requirements of increasing the output current for bifacial modules. Multiple MPPT circuits minimize the mismatch loss caused by bifacial modules. The most efficient MPP intelligent tracking algorithm in the industry is adopted to improve the energy yield of bifacial modules. The tracker management system is integrated to intelligently adjust the operating status of solar trackers, and added with the intelligent adjustment mode of “strong wind, heavy snow, and heavy rain”.

The Optimal LCOE Solution The Smart I-V Curve Diagnosis introduced in this exhibition is developed through AI. With the help of the Smart PV Management System and the smart PV controller (inverter), you can enable the Smart I-V Curve Diagnosis function remotely by one click, and perform the full diagnosis of each PV string online rapidly. The function enables the system to quickly identify and locate problems in the early stage of energy yield loss, and reminds users to replace the faulty parts in a timely manner, minimizing the energy yield loss and safeguarding investors’ revenues. No professional personnel or device is required. Based on the I-V curve, the system automatically analyzes the fault cause, identifies the faulty string, and automatically generates a diagnosis report.

www.EQMagPro.com

TECHNOLOGY

he total PV plant installation capacity in India had been estimated to be 20 GW. According to Huawei technical experts, Huawei PV inverters, with no vulnerable components such as fuses, are more reliable and have a fault rate of 1/10 of the industry level. The inverters perfectly meet the actual requirements of Indian PV plants, and have been applied in lot of harsh environments with high salinity and high humidity. Currently, the capacity of the inverters operating stably in such environments amounts to 75 GW.

he system can also perform a full intelligent diagnosis online for multiple scenarios and PV modules. The actual project application has exceeded 3 GW. In addition, the brand new Floating Smart PV Solution and Commercial Smart PV Solution perfectly match the Indian PV market scenarios and customer requirements, therefore attracting a large number of customers. India enjoys sufficient sunlight, and has a huge potential in the PV market. By the end of 2017,

www.EQMagPro.com

October 2018

25Â

TECHNOLOGY

DuPont Introduces New High-Performance Solar Portfolio at 2018 Renewable Energy India Expo Greater Noida, India, September 20, 2018 — As an industry leader in solar solutions that delivers proven power and lasting value for the industry, DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions (DuPont) is highlighting a bigger portfolio of innovative PV materials as well as customer collaborations at booth 3.109, Hall 3, at 2018 Renewable Energy India (REI) show. DuPont leaders shared their expertise on ensuring investor security in next-generation India PV projects at the 7th Quality Roundtable during the REI conference.

ith the increasing deployment of solar energy in India, the quality of each and every component matters to help ensure investment stability for all stakeholders to continue investing in this form of energy for long term. Our vast experience in the global solar industry enables us to bring market leading PV materials that provide high efficiency, high reliability solutions to our customers.” said Rajaram Pai, business leader – South Asia & ASEAN, DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions. “Winning the REI Award 2018 for International Excellence is of great significance to us as we continue to work together with industry partners to help build a robust quality infrastructure for India’s sustainable clean energy future”, Pai added. One of the new highlights is the clear DuPont™ Tedlar® PVF film, an ideal backsheet material for bifacial modules that can generate greater power output. Compared to a double glass module structure; the breathable, clear Tedlar® PVF film based backsheets allow for higher reliability, lower operating temperature, up to 30% lighter weight, and a lower module installation cost. The clear Tedlar® PVF film is expected to be a right fit with most current manufacturing processes for backsheets and modules with little if any additional investment in equipment needed for most manufacturing processes.

DuPont continues to be an industry pacesetter for innovation in the solar industry by introducing leading performance metallization pastes. DuPont scientists were recently awarded the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) Heroes of Chemistry Award for their invention of the game-changing metallization paste DuPont™ Solamet®, that greatly improved the energy efficiency of solar cells. Solamet® PV21x, the latest front side silver, is designed to enhance most mainstream cell technologies. Solamet® PV21x delivers better contact performance and high aspect ratios that enable cell efficiency enhancement >0.1% and maintains high throughput in mass production. Visitors to the booth can see a multi c-Si cell from TATA Power Solar achieving >19% efficiency. With completion of the merger between Dow and DuPont, DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions is proud to broaden it PV offerings by integrating the Dow Corning portfolio of solar silicone solutions including sealants, adhesives, potting agents, encapsulants and electrically conductive adhesives. These state-of-the-art solar silicone solutions have enabled reliable solar systems with an increase in durability and efficiency.

A successful collaboration comes from the world’s largest solar energy installer, Huanghe Hydropower Development Co., Ltd.(HHSD), a leading clean energy subsidiary of State Power Investment Cooperation (SPIC) of China. A 72-cell, high-power, bifacial module protected by clear Tedlar® PVF film-based backsheet is featured in the booth.

October 2018

www.EQMagPro.com

13th (2019) International Photovoltaic Power Generation and Smart Energy Exhibition & Conference

June 4-6, 2019

◎Asian Photovoltaic Industry Association / Shanghai New Energy Industry Association ◎Show Management: Follow Me Int'l Exhibition (Shanghai), Inc. Add：Room 902, Building No. 1, 2020 West Zhongshan Road, Shanghai 200235, China Tel：+86-21-33561099 / 33561095 / 33561096 Fax：+86-21-33561089

◎For exhibition: info@snec.org.cn

www.EQMagPro.com

For conference: office@snec.org.cn

October 2018

TECHNOLOGY

Goldi Solar Launches New Corporate Identity at REI-2018 Goldi Green Technologies has launched their new corporate identity at REI 2018. The name of the company has been changed to Goldi Solar Pvt Ltd.

Sungrow Showcased Cutting-Edge Products during REI Expo 2018 Sungrow, the global leading inverter solution supplier for renewables, participates in the Renewable Energy India (REI) Expo 2018 in Greater Noida for 3 days, with world-leading PV solutions for commercial rooftop and utility-scale PV plants, in a bid to build a comprehensive PV world together with partners and with the mission of “ Clean Power for All ”.

he SG3125HV containerized solution integrates PV inverter power conversion together with block monitoring, an auxiliary power supply, and Night Static Var Generator (SVG) function, housed in a standard 10-foot container. Moreover, the 3-level topology and smart cooling design reaches a peak efficiency of 99% and can work without derating at 50℃, especially suitable for hot and humid climates in India. Developed for large-scale 1500V flat ground plants, the product also features a high DC/AC ratio of 1.5 and flexible 6.25MW or 12.5MW block design, which significantly saves initial investment and upcoming operating costs. Optimized for ever-growing commercial PV plants, Sungrow showcases multi-MPPT string inverters SG12KTL-M and SG110KTL-M. The SG110KT-M focusing on large and medium-scale commercial rooftop plants and best characterized by the maximum efficiency of 98.7%, features 9 MPPTs which greatly reducing the impact of shading and mismatch issues and adapts to complex installation applications. It also supports bifacial PV modules with maximum DC operating current 13A. India has been endowed with a huge solar potential (about 5000 trillion kWh/year energy is incident on its lands), which is estimated to account for 9% of future worldwide renewable capacity. As India has become a core target in PV market, Sungrow recently established the factory in India to provide customers with timely, high-quality, and localized services. This move further proves Sungrow’s ambition to lead the way of integrated solar solutions in India. Professor Cao Renxian, Chairman of Sungrow, commented, “Sungrow has always believed in the long-term potential of PV in Asia and continued to maintain its leading position in India, China, UK, Germany, USA, UAE, Australia, Thailand, Brazil, Italy, Vietnam, Malaysia etc.. Additionally, Sungrow will remain focus on upgrade technologies, providing its customers with high-reliable inverters and contributing in solving global energy problems. ”

October 2018

Goldi’s PV module manufacturing capacity is currently 500 MW and the company plans to increase that to 1 GW in the near future. “The expansion plans of the company are in the advanced stage of completion and the company plans to increase production by the next financial year,” said Mr Bharat Bhut, director of Goldi Solar. The company is also exploring high-efficiency PERC cell manufacturing in India.

urrent scene unfolding before us is quite dramatic and to some extent encouraging,” said Mr Chetan Shah, director. “The Safeguard Duty will impact the industry in a positive manner in the long run. The domestic industry will see a boom in coming months due to sliding module prices; the sourcing of modules from other countries will get diverted to the domestic manufacturers. Goldi has placed itself strategically in a manner that it becomes a win-win situation for all stakeholders – be it customer, government, or Goldi. Our change in name from Goldi Green to Goldi Solar, which is more visible and impactful, is one of a few steps in a series of developments to strengthen Goldi’s position in the global market,” he added.

Mr. Ishver Dholakiya, MD of Goldi Solar said, “Goldi started with a small footprint of a 10 MW module production line in the year 2011, achieved a CAGR of 80 percent in first 5 years and reached the current production capacity of 500 MW.” Many small, medium and largescale projects have used Goldi modules and has garnered a good product recall value amongst its customers. Goldi customers include many PSUs, leading EPC companies, and module manufacturers. Recent promotions by various governments for rooftop solar projects gave the company a renewed push to reach the masses. Goldi’s EPC division, having a professional team of engineers, reached out to rooftop solar customers in a timely manner. Brand penetration has seen a major boost after it reached the actual users of its products and services.

Goldi Solar’s entire team is geared up to face the new challenges and has shown confidence in the management’s decision to take company to new heights. The team is prepared for the renewed life envisaged for the coming years. Incidentally ‘Renewed Life‘ is the new tagline of the company. “The motto is to infuse new life into all the departments of the company, which will pave the way towards complete corporatisation of Goldi Solar,” said Mr Brijesh Khanna, head of the corporate communications department of the company.

www.EQMagPro.com

TECHNOLOGY

JA Solar’s IP on Bifacial PERC Technology Patented in Japan JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd., a world-leading manufacturer of high-performance photovoltaic products, announced that its patent application for protecting the company’s intellectual property of bifacial PERC cell and module technology has been granted by the Japanese Patent Office.

A Solar has been a company fully committed to the innovation and advancement of photovoltaic technology since its inception by devoting enormous resources on its R&D efforts, and has maintained its technological leading position in the photovoltaic industry globally. JA Solar filed an invention disclosure of “A Bifacial Light-Absorbing Solar Cell with Localized AI-BSF and the Method of Making It” to National Bureau of Intellectual Properties of China in early 2013, and the patent was subsequently granted in March 2016. The bifacial PERC technology utilizes the backside of a PERC cell to receive scattered and reflected lights from the ground, resulting in higher energy generation on module level. The patent puts JA Solar in a unique position to hold the core intellectual property rights associated with bifacial PERC cells and modules. The latest approval of this patent application by the Japanese Patent Office is a manifestation of JA Solar’s technological innovativeness, as well as the legal recognition and protection for the IP rights in Japan.

www.EQMagPro.com

JA Solar has started mass production of double-glass bifacial PERC modules since the first quarter of 2017. The bifaciality of such modules capable of absorbing lights from both sides, combined with its high resistance to wear-tear, abrasion and corrosion, and close to zero water permeability, this high-end, high-quality double glass bifacial PERC modules are especially suitable for coastal areas and climatically challenging environments, providing long-term stability of solar energy generation particularly for utility-scale PV systems. Bifacial PERC technology is currently regarded as one of the most advanced and costeffective technical solutions to reduce the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of solar energy generation.

Dr. Wei Shan, Chief Technology Officer of JA Solar, commented, “JA Solar has always been focusing on the research and development, as well as and the cost-effective production of high-efficiency PV products. Our industry-leading cell and module technology assures our products’ quality and performance, resulting in our shipments to the Japan market well ahead of our peers as JA Solar was the top module supplier in Japan in the first half of 2018. We believe that our bifacial PERC technology patented in Japan will further strengthen JA’s position and expand our market share in the region to better service our customers with high-quality products.”

October 2018

TECHNOLOGY

Vikram Solar Commissions 1461 kW Rooftop Solar projects for Century Plyboards (India) Limited Vikram Solar, one of India’s leading module manufacturer and a prominent rooftop solar & EPC solutions provider, announced the installation of a 1461 kW Rooftop Solar PV system for Century Plyboards (India) Limited at two locations.

he 1056kW at Century Plyboards’ Chennai unit is spread over 11000 square metres across seven factory sheds and 3 evacuation points. There are 3300 modules in operations with a cumulative annual energy yield of 1.536 million units, which would help reduce 1310 metric tonnes of Carbon Dioxide emissions per year. Vikram Solar also commissioned a 405kW Rooftop Solar PV system for Century Plyboards’ Chirai Moti unit near the Kandla Port in Gujarat. Spread over 450 square metres, the project is powering the complete factory with the power evacuated at 2 points. The plant is expected to produce an annual yield of nearly 6 Lakh units which would reduce around 500 metric tonnes of Carbon Dioxide emissions per year.

Mr. Keshav Bhajanka, Executive Director, Century Ply, shared, “Green energy shift was always a part of our plan to become a part of the national Green Energy Revolution and we are glad to have succeeded in ushering into the renewable hemisphere. Our intention was to contribute towards the Solar Mission of the country and actively address the issue of global warming. Vikram Solar, with its 12 year old history and steps undertaken by the company to help other industries contribute to the environmental longevity, played a pivotal role in helping us make this vision a reality. We intend to further enhance our renewable footprint and look forward to having future associations with them across different functioning units in India”.

October 2018

Mr. Gyanesh Chaudhary, MD & CEO, Vikram Solar, shared on the occasion, “Century Plyboards Limited is a leader in the industry and it was a privilege for us to make their vision a reality in their first step towards the green energy drive which is a valuable and respectful addition in our portfolio of leading industrial manufacturers that we have helped go solar. We are proud to have showcased a strategic and technological advantage in conceptualising the project, and upholding our commitment to the client. We hope that this will be a long lasting association and we congratulate Century Plyboards Limited for their step towards a Green India”. Ms. Neha Agrawal – Head- Corporate Strategy & Rooftop Business said “Vikram Solar has a prestigious Rooftop EPC portfolio comprising of Private Sector clients (SL Group, IMFA, Century Ply, KBL, and Anmol Biscuits to name a few) and Government clients (such as ISRO, IOCL, SBI, WBSEDCL, and AAI). We are continously working towards setting rooftop power plants in a timeline of 1 to 3 months with precision engineering that maximises roof space and meets power demands at least cost. Our team ensures that the return on investment on the rooftop power plants of our esteemed clientele is maximised and the realsisation is optimum.”

www.EQMagPro.com

TECHNOLOGY

PANASONIC and MECASOLAR announce partnership in India

MECASOLAR, the multinational tracking manufacturing company, announced today its further expansion in India with a major new cooperation with Anchor Electricals Pvt. Ltd.

he two companies are forming a new strategic partnership under which Anchor by Panasonic undertakes to exclusively control the production and distribution of the state-of-the-art products of MECASOLAR, namely HYPERION-SR and HYPERIONMR. This set-up is expected to serve the growing demand that is experienced in the domestic market of India, as well as the surrounding region in SE Asia and Africa. The long history of MECASOLAR in the R&D and production of solar tracking equipment combined with the well-fitted and established presence of Anchor by Panasonic in the renewable sector of India reassures the superior value proposition in terms of product quality, vendor credibility and production dynamics.

www.EQMagPro.com

Mr. Dinesh Aggarwal, JMD of Anchor by Panasonic India says, “India is on an ambitious path of adding renewable energy, especially Solar, wherein from 2.63 GW installed capacity in 2014 has increased to 22GW at present, an eight fold increase. It has taken on an objective of achieving 175GW by Year 2022. We would like to be an integral part of this growth by enhancing the efficiency of power generation in every possible way. Solar Tracker is very cost effective way of achieving such an efficiency and our association with MECASOLAR, a global leader of Tracking Systems will help us serve India it’s energy needs. With MECASOLAR, our Customers will be assured of a highly reliable product with a proven technology and high quality standards.” Mr. Alexandros Giannis, CEO of MECASOLAR stated “We are truly proud to establish this production and distribution hub in India together with Anchor by Panasonic. Indian market and the surrounding regions constitute an exceptional area of interest for us and we could not imagine a more visionary approach than the synergy created with Anchor by Panasonic.”

October 2018

TECHNOLOGY

Hybrid wind-solar assets may lower capital costs by 5-7%: Study The ministry of new and renewable energy approved the National WindSolar Hybrid policy in May 2018 with an objective to reduce variability in generation

ybridisation of the wind and solar assets is likely to lower the capital cost by 5-7 per cent compared to the cost of standalone wind and solar assets, thus improving the returns for the developers, said a report. The ministry of new and renewable energy approved the National Wind-Solar Hybrid policy in May 2018 with an objective to reduce variability in generation and to improve the utilisation of common sources like land and evacuation infrastructure.

"Apart from the reduced variability in generation for wind-solar hybrid projects compared to standalone wind or solar projects due to the complimentary nature of generation, the hybrid projects would lead to savings in capital cost in view of the improved utilisation of common infrastructure such as land, approach roads and evacuation infrastructure,"ICRA group head - corporate ratings Sabyasachi Majumdar said. As per ICRA'S estimates, the hybridisation of the wind and solar assets would lower the capital cost by 5-7 per cent compared to the cost of standalone wind and solar assets, thus improving the returns for the developers, he said. "At a tariff rate of Rs 2.5 per unit and with a wind solar mix of 50:50, the internal rate of return (IRR) for a wind-solar hybrid project is estimated to be higher by about 60-70 bps against a standalone wind or solar power project, with other things like funding structure, cost of debt, power purchase agreement terms and operation and maintenance cost remaining same." Majumdar added. Subsequently, the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has issued a tender for procuring 2500 MW power from the hybrid plants to be set up anywhere in India and connected to inter-state transmission system (ISTS), under a 25-year power purchase agreement. Icra, however, noted that the integration of a higher share of wind and solar power in the electricity generation mix would pose a challenge to grid security and stability.

"This is owing to the variation in generation from these sources, given the dependence on wind availability and solar radiation, respectively," it said. On the flip side, ICRA said, hybrid projects would face challenges related to selection of sites suitable for both wind and solar power generation, availability of adequate transmission infrastructure, technical challenges in integrating the two generation sources and setting up systems to manage the generation from wind and solar resources.

GCL-SI Becomes First Foreign Company to Receive BIS Certification of Photovoltaic Modules

October 2018

GCL-SI has become the first foreign company to receive certification of its photovoltaic modules from The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

he BIS is India’s Standardization and Certification Authority. It was established in 1987 to replace the Indian Institute of Standards (ISI), established in 1946, as the statutory national standard and certification authority in India, responsible for certification of Indian products. In March 2018, GCL-SI cooperated with VDE, Perfect Care Solution LLP, to formally launch the Indian BIS certification test. After a long test and strict BIS audit, GCL-SI eventually became the first company in the world to receive BIS certification.

Mr. Eric Luo, President of GCL-SI, said: “GCLSI has been committed to providing customers with high-quality, high-reliability solar products. Becoming the world’s first nonIndian BIS-certified company is a milestone for us. We are thankful to our local project partners, VDE, Perfect Care Solution LLP for their cooperation and support. We sincerely hope that the high-quality products integrated by GCL-SI will serve more customers and ultimately make the world’s environment healthier.” In 2018, India incorporated PV modules into compulsory certification products, which means that PV modules need to be tested in accordance with IS 14286, IS 61730-I, IS 61730II and in local BIS-approved laboratories in India. Only after testing is completed and the modules receive BIS certification can they enter the Indian domestic market. It is only allowed to attach the IS label after the manufacturer obtains the certificate.

www.EQMagPro.com

TECHNOLOGY

FEATURED MATERIALS INCLUDE:

• DuPont™ Solamet® pho-

DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions HIGHLIGHTED Latest Solar PV Innovations at 2018 Renewable Energy India Expo (REI)

uPont Highlighted high efficiency, high reliability material solutions and key collaborations with leading module manufacturers including, New generation Solamet® Metallization Paste that is designed to enhance most mainstream cell technologies and new Tedlar® backsheet material – an ideal backsheet material for bifacial modules. DuPont will also exhibit solar panels from its extensive field testing program that demonstrate how materials matter for long-term durability and reliability, as well new sequential testing standards, and results of third party tests on commercial modules by DNV-GL, USA.

www.EQMagPro.com

tovoltaic metallization pastes – DuPont’s newest front-side silver paste Solamet® PV21A helps improve efficiency, generate more power output, and increase return on investment.

• DuPont™ Tedlar® polyvi-

nyl fluoride (PVF) films – DuPont™ Tedlar® PVF film, the only backsheet material vigorously tested in the field over 30 years to improve lifelong performance and reliability.

• DOW CORNING™ brand

Silicon-based Photovoltaic Solutions

October 2018

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Charging Stations for e-Vehicles Inaugurated in Udyog Bhawan Union Minister of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises,Anant G. Geete inaugurated two charging stations, one for fast charging (DC) and the other for slow charging (AC), in UdyogBhawan,

Government to announce electric vehicles policy soon, says PM Narendra Modi In order to fight the climate change, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that government is soon going to bring in a policy to promote the use of electric and other alternative-fuel vehicles in the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the government will soon put in place a new stable policy regime to promote the use of electric and other alternativefuel vehicles in the country to fight climate change. “We want to build India as a driver in electric vehicles. We will soon put in place a stable policy regime around electric and other alternative-fuel vehicles,” Modi said at the launch of the two-day “Move: Global Mobility Summit” here.

hat not only did India have a strong Information Technology sector, but also its vast public digital infrastructure created by the unique identity programme Aadhaar.”Our renewable energy boost will ensure that the environmental benefits of electric mobility can be fully realised. We plan to draw 175 GW of energy from renewables by 2022. We are already the fifth largest producer of solar energy and sixth largest of renewable energy in the world,” He said that India also had a fast growing manufacturing base and a large digitally-literate young population.Calling mobility similar to the Internet in its early days, Modi said that the mobility revolution was an enabler of India’s growth and development, which was capable of creating employment for those with doctorates and engineering degrees, to drivers and mechanics.”We should embrace this revolution early and leverage ourselves to lead the mobility innovation ecosystem both for ourselves and others,” he said. “My vision for the future of mobility in India is based on 7 Cs — common, connected, convenient, congestion-free, charged, clean, cutting-edge.” Charged mobility, Modi said, was the way forward.”We want to drive investments across the value chain from batteries to smart charging to electric vehicle manufacturing… India’s entrepreneur’s manufacturers are now poised to develop and deploy breakthrough battery technology,” he said. The Prime Minister also said that India’s economy and reforms were on the move in this direction.”Our economy is on the move. We are the world’s fastest-growing major economy. Our cities and towns are on the move. We are building 100 smart cities. Our infrastructure is on the move.

October 2018

art of the Swachhta Pakhwada celebrations of the Department of Heavy Industry. Eight charging stations have been installed in the premises of Udyog Bhawan for facilitating charging of e-vehicles. Of the eight charging stations, two fast charging stations have been installed by BHEL and six slow charging stations have been installed by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL). AC charger consists of 3 outlets, charging 3 cars at the same time with the charging time from 6-8 hours. DC charger consists of single outlet, charging one car at a time with the charging time of 1.5 hours. As a part of Swachh Bharat Mission and to continue with the Government of India’s sustained effort to promote electric mobility in the country, the Department of Heavy Industry has allocated 455 electric buses to selected cities and special category states, through Expression of Interest (EoI) recently.Further, the Department has also approved funding of 130 electric buses to Ahmedabad, Himachal Pradesh and Navi Mumbai.The project for 25 charging stations in Bangalore is being funded by the Government of India under the Public Fast Charging Infrastructure Network for Electric Vehicles.Government has also fundedSolar Based Charging Infrastructure for EVs by BHEL.The DC 001 fast chargers have been supplied and commissioned by BHEL and the Company is also in advanced stages of offering indigenously developed end-to-end e-mobility solutions. Proposal of setting-up 200 charging stations and putting up of Solar Based Charging Infrastructure for EVs by Rajasthan Electronics & Instruments Ltd. (REIL) is also funded by the Department of Heavy Industry. REIL has already installed 3 solar hybrid chargers in Jaipur. The other locations where EV charging stations have been installed are:

• 18 AC chargers installed at Metro Station, Dwarka, Sector 10, Delhi under DMRC. • 2 DC chargers installed at Shram Shakti Bhawan, Delhi. • 15 AC chargers installed at various sites under Jaipur Metro Railway Corporation (JMRC). • Installation of 9 EV chargers (4 DC & 5 AC) & 2 EV chargers (1 DC & 1 AC) at various sites of South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) and BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL), Delhi is under process. Some technology projects including finalization of specifications and draft standards of xEVs by ARAI, Pune, Development of Charging Infrastructure Management System By IIT, Madras, Design & Development of AC-DC Combined Public Charging Stations by ARAI, Development of Indigenous Chargers (AC/DC/Solar) by AMU are alsobeing supported by the Department. To reduce dependenceon fossil fuel and for encouraging cleaner environment, the Department has notified FAME India Scheme in the year 2015 under National Electric Mobility Mission Plan of the Government. The Phase-1 of this scheme is being implemented through four focus areas namely Demand Creation, Pilot Projects, Charging Infrastructure and Technology Platform and R&D.

www.EQMagPro.com

October 2018

35Â

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Speaking on the occasion, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Shri Devendra Fadnavis, said, “Maharashtra has initiated multipronged projects towards transitioning to an eco-friendly and sustainable transport system. Electric mobility is an attractive, sustainable and profitable solution to mitigate climate change and the threat to public health caused by vehicular emission. Today’s event is an important milestone in our journey towards enabling this transition.”

EESL hands over first set of Electric Vehicles to PWD,Govt of Maharashtra EESL to lease 1000 electric vehicles in a phased manner; hands over 6 cars in the first set

nergy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture of PSUs under the Ministry of Power, Government of India, handed over six electric cars to senior officials of the Public Works Department, Government of Maharashtra. The ceremonial handover of keys took place in the presence of Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis at Mantralaya. The occasion also marked the installation of five charging stations at Mantralaya in Mumbai and two chargers in Nagpur, initiating development of a robust supporting infrastructure for promotion of e-mobility in the state. These five cars are the initial set and a total of 1000 electric vehicles will be leased out to the Government of Maharashtra in a phased manner by EESL. On May 31st, 2018, EESL had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the General Administration Department (GAD), Government of Maharashtra to lease out electric vehicles and install EV chargers in state government offices. The agreement was aimed at supporting the State Government’s vision of generating investment worth Rs 25,000 crore in EV and component manufacturing, assembly enterprises and charging equipment manufacturing in Maharashtra. The Government of Maharashtra announced its Electric Vehicle and Related Infrastructure Policy – 2018 with a vision to establish the state as a globally competitive destination for electric vehicles and component manufacturing while simultaneously promoting their wide-spread adoption.

October 2018

Hon’ble minister for Public Works Department Shri Chandrakant Dada Patil said, “The state government is committed to reduce carbon footprint by increasing the use of electric vehicles and to develop allied technologies. The government is thinking of long-term measures to make drastic changes in the transport sector and related infrastructure. We are also going all out to develop e-mobility and the necessary ecosystem which needs to be built around it.”

Shri Saurabh Kumar, Managing Director, EESL said, “The Government of Maharashtra is committed to enabling new technologies including EVs to reduce its carbon footprint. The state’s Electric Vehicle and Related Infrastructure Policy highlights its long-term vision of making EVs a game changing proposition in the transport sector. It is our endeavor to support this mission of the Maharashtra Government by promoting e-mobility and enabling a robust EV ecosystem.” EESL has been receiving encouraging response on its EV programme from multiple states and central government departments. So far, agreements/MoUs have been signed with central and state government departments in Delhi, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Telengana. EESL is also in advance negotiations with other state governments across India. Towards enabling the Indian Government’s e-mobility vision, EESL first plans to replace the 5,00,000 conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) cars being used in government offices with electric variants. EESL has also established charging infrastructure across all the states where EVs are being deployed.

www.EQMagPro.com

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

REIL’s Installed AC Charging Infrastructure Inaugurated by Minister Shri Anant G. Geete, Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, inaugurated the AC-001 AC Charging Infrastructure, installed by Rajasthan Electronics & Instruments Limited to promote e-mobility and for the convenience of charging e-vehicles, on 06.09.2018 at Dwarka Sector-10, New Delhi in the gracious presence of Shri Vishwajit Sahai, Joint Secretary, Heavy Industry Department, Government of India, Shri A.K. Jain, Managing Director, REIL, Shri Mangu Singh, Managing Director, DMRC and other dignitaries.

E-vehicle chargers inaugurated in Udyog Bhawan The department of heavy industry has allocated 455 electric buses to selected cities and special category states through expression of interest (EoI)

n this occasion, Hon’ble Minister said that the coming time is of electronic mobility and in order to make it successful, the Department of Heavy Industry, Government of India has allotted the responsibility of setting up 200 charging stations at Delhi, Jaipur, and Chandigarh under Fame scheme. 18 charging stations were set up at Dwarka Sector 10 Metro station under the scheme which will prove to benefit to e-rickshaw drivers.The Hon’ble Minister appreciated the efforts of REIL and informed that around 400 e-rickshaws may be charged in one day at this station. He also said that the Department of Heavy Industry has recently allotted 455 electric buses to selected cities / special category states through the Expression of Interest (EOI). Apart from this, the department has approved the budget to Ahmedabad, Himachal Pradesh and Navi Mumbai for 130 electric buses.

On thisa occasion, Shri A. K. Jain, Managing Director of the Company welcomed Hon’ble Union Minister and other dignitaries and apprised about various products of the Company, especially the meaningful working system of electric mobility charging infrastructure and various other range of commercial products of the Company. This charging station has been set up by REIL to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels and to promote the clean environment. He also said that the Company has so far set up 45 charging stations out of total order of 200 electric mobility charging stations and the remaining work is in progress. All installed 200 chargers will be connected to the app-based Central Monitoring System, which will provide online information of the availability and performance / operational parameters of each charger. Shri Jain reiterated the commitment of ‘Shaping India Through Electronics, Renewable Energy and Information Technology Solutions’ and said that the innovation is given importance by the Company. REIL is working in the direction of growth and development of the Indian economy and society and is bringing technology to the rural mass by aligning with the various missions of the Government of India such as National Dairy Plan, Solar Mission, Make in India, Digital India, Clean India Mission, and Doubling Farmers Income. REIL is also covering the urban area through technology.

www.EQMagPro.com

wo e-vehicle charging stations, one for fast charging (DC) and the other for slow charging (AC), were recently inaugurated by minister of heavy industries and public enterprises Anant Geete at Udyog Bhawan. Eight charging stations have been installed at the Udyog Bhawan for facilitating charging of e-vehicles. BHEL has installed two fast charging stations and Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) has installed six slow charging stations. AC charger consists of three outlets, charging three cars at the same time with the charging time from 6-8 hours. DC charger consists of single outlet, charging one car at a time with the charging time of 1.5 hours.

As a part of Swachh Bharat Mission and to continue with the Centre’s sustained effort to promote electric mobility in the country, the department of heavy industry has allocated 455 electric buses to selected cities and special category states through expression of interest (EoI) recently. Moreover, the department has agreed to fund 130 electric buses to Ahmedabad, Himachal Pradesh and Navi Mumbai. The project for 25 charging stations in Bangalore is being funded by the Centre under the Public Fast Charging Infrastructure Network for Electric Vehicles. The government has also funded Solar Based Charging Infrastructure for EVs by BHEL. The DC 001 fast chargers have been supplied and commissioned by BHEL and the company is also in advanced stages of offering indigenously developed end-to-end e-mobility solutions. The proposal of erecting 200 charging stations and putting up of Solar Based Charging Infrastructure for EVs by Rajasthan Electronics & Instruments Ltd. (REIL) is also funded by the department. REIL has already installed three solar hybrid chargers in Jaipur.

October 2018

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

View: Smart mobility will be India’s big leap into future To the millions of Indians intimately familiar with the challenges of traveling through our crowded cities and around our extensive nation, it might seem unrealistic, even idealistic, to talk about building a comprehensive, modern transport network that will deploy the latest technologies in electric mobility, clean rapid transit and cloud-based digital controls.

he truth of the matter is that these are leapfrog technologies, and they are now poised to change the face of India. Just as mobile telephony revolutionized telecommunications in India and throughout the world, our country is about to experience a revolution in mobility. These sweeping changes will come to pass because these technologies are simply more efficient, more effective and more accessible than the transport systems of days gone by.

Benefits of smart mobility

he implications are vast. Given the size and huge untapped economic potential of India, the creation of an effective and sustainable transportation system has the potential to reduce the country’s dependence on oil imports, generate millions of new jobs and provide virtually all Indians with access to opportunities they now lack . A recent study by NITI Aayog, and Rocky Mountain Institute estimates that India can save up to 64 percent of anticipated energy needs for road-based passenger transport and 37 percent of carbon emissions in 2030 – if it develops a shared, connected, electric-powered mobility system. Widespread adoption of EVs could potentially save the country $57 billion in annual energy costs.

Small change can trigger a revolution

-mobility technologies are already changing India’s transport network in ways large and small. In Jabalpur, cutting-edge solar inverters are being put to good use by powering electric rickshaws with inexpensive solar energy. The new solar inverters can be remotely monitored from a mobile phone app. Even seemingly smallscale developments like these can add up to big impacts. By converting all of the quarter-million auto-rickshaws in India to electric power, the country could eliminate more than two million tons of carbon emissions per day. The gains would be far greater still if the same were done for all of India’s fossil-fuel-powered scooters. As underscored by the NITI Aayog report, even as rapid urbanization has increased car ownership, a great majority of Indians still rely on non-motorized travel and public transportation. This circumstance actually simplifies the task of modernizing the transport sector in India, as less investment is tied up in soon-to-be-outmoded systems. For example, India is ripe for new investment in advanced technologies such as all-electric buses. The latest models of these e-buses can be recharged at bus stops as the passengers are boarding – an approach developed that can extend the range, size and reliability of the vehicles, while reducing congestion and pollution. Innovations such as these are rapidly expanding the potential of e-mobility, even for the largest and heaviest vehicles on the road.

October 2018

India can do it

n the area of mass transit, the Delhi Metro, of which Phase III will soon be completed, serves as a national benchmark for ontime project execution and efficiency. With 213 kilometers of track and 148 stations along elevated and underground sections, it is the largest metro network in the country. As it happens, it also uses an advanced digital technology – supervisory control and data acquisition, or SCADA,– to gather and analyze real-time data about its power system. The SCADA system monitors and controls the network, connecting the metro’s substations to central and backup control centers. The resulting efficiency of the Delhi Metro is such that the United Nations certified it as the first metro system in the world to qualify for carbon credits under the UN’s Clean Development Mechanism. The same technology now appears in Bangalore’s new metro system. For India to benefit fully from the advantages of e-mobility, the country must enhance its technological capability to connect all modes of public transportation and automate data collection. The nation has already laid the foundation for the transition to e-mobility with initiatives like the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020 and the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India).The government has also cut taxes on the lithium-ion batteries required by electric vehicles. These policies will promote the adoption of e-mobility by reducing costs, establishing charging infrastructure and incentivizing technology suppliers.

Forging connections

et more needs to be done. Increased internet bandwidth and connectivity have a part to play in India’s transformation. Cloud computing and the Internet of Things are a necessary prerequisite for modern transport systems. For example, cloud-connected EV fast-charging stations, among others, make it possible for travelers to easily locate the closest available charging station. For the stations’ operators, the use of advanced connected solutions enables them to create robust charging networks that can help them perform key functions such as remote monitoring, servicing and billing. It can even improve grid stability by automatically balancing how much power a station is drawing with how much is currently available. By proactively embracing innovative solutions like these, India will soon occupy a place of major importance at the forefront of transport technology. The time to promote and implement these changes is now. All Indians stand to benefit.

www.EQMagPro.com

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

GAIL to set up battery char ging stations for e-vehicles

GAIL India, the country’s largest gas transportation and marketing company, plans to set up battery charging stations for electric vehicles as well as build solar plants as it looks to be “future ready” for emerging businesses, a senior company official said. It also wants to explore the business opportunity in wastewater treatment plants, water distribution, large water pipeline laying as an early mover. “We have the country’s biggest network of pipelines? and gas marketing infrastructure. We want to leverage for emerging business opportunities,” he said. “We want to be future ready.”

www.EQMagPro.com

“The investment can be made through special purpose vehicle (SPV), alternative investment fund (AIF), fund of funds (FoF) and trust,” it said.The official said there is a necessity to adopt new and different pathways to provide clean, cost-effective and efficient mobility services that are safe, reduce dependence on oil imports and achieve more efficient land-use in cities with the least environmental footprints and impacts on human health. With the objective in mind, the firm wants to set up “battery charging stations and provide charging services” to electric vehicles. With the government planning to make a major shift to electric vehicles by 2030, GAIL feels that charging infrastructure for electric vehicles in India has not been fully developed yet GAIL with its “pan-India presence through the natural gas network is deep-pocketed and has the capability of setting up charging infrastructure at a faster pace,” he said. The 34th annual general meeting of the company is scheduled. With depletion of groundwater and monsoons becoming less predictable and unreliable, availability and utilisation of water are becoming key issues in modern India. Many cities are sourcing the fresh water through long-distance transport ranging from 50-200 km. ? Stating that with growing population and industrialisation, the

t is looking at possibilities of setting up battery charging stations for e-vehicles at CNG dispensing stations in a bid to diversify its portfolio beyond gas and petrochemicals. “It is all at drawing board stage. A lot will depend on norms. For example, we don’t know if rules permit a battery charging facility at a petrol pump or a CNG station. We don’t know at what price we can sell that battery charge,” GAIL wants to insert six new sections in the main objects clause of the memorandum of association of the company to foray into new business.According to a shareholder notice, it wants to invest in “start-ups in core business areas (of natural gas, petrochemicals, and energy) and non-core areas (like health, social and environment, safety, and security) either directly or indirectly.”

effluent water discharged has increased significantly, GAIL in the notice said the treatment of the effluent water and maintaining of the freshwater table is a big challenge and a business opportunity. It is also looking to “harness solar power potential available at its various sites and installations which can be connected to grid for sale or for own use at other installations through wheeling of power.” In line with its strategy to promote the use of green fuel, it is contemplating to promote gas appliances in households to increase gas usage and minimise electric usage in housing equipment and appliances such as gas boiler, gas-based air conditioner and bathroom heater. Operating nearly 14,000-km of natural gas and LPG pipeline and executing more than 4,500 km of new lines, GAIL feels it can provide services such as engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), engineering, procurement, construction management (EPCM) and project management consultancy (PMC) in the field of hydrocarbon pipelines.

“GAIL also has adequate experienced manpower and infrastructure for providing these services,” the notice said.

It also wants to “carry on the business of manufacture, import, distribution, and marketing of appliances relating to gas marketing and distribution, such as gas meter and CNG kits”.

October 2018

ROOFTOP & OFFGRID

China’s Trina Solar launches first PV home kit in India Trina Solar of China, the largest manufacturer of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels globally and India’s biggest supplier, launched its Trinahome product here on Friday as the countrys first solar home kit suitable for use in residences, SME establishments and other places like schools and hospitals.

Announcing the India launch of the home kit, Trina President (Global Sales) Yin Rong Fang said while Trinahome is currently being imported from China, the company aims to assemble it locally in the coming months.

he kit includes all the required solar rooftop components, includes modules, inverter, grid box and mounting system, and comes with a 25-year module performance warranty. It is available in capacities of 3 kilowatt (Kw), 5 Kw and 10 Kw and has a dedicated app to enable customers to monitor power generation. Now that we have solidified our strong position in the utility segment of the market, we are moving into the household and SME (small and medium enterprises) sector with the launch of Trinahome in India, Yin said. He said the company is in the process of identifying and approving local component suppliers, with the aim of assembling it in the country in the next four to six months. India is Trina’s second largest market in Asia-Pacific and the third largest in the world. We far have cumulatively supplied 3.5 gigawat (GW) which is nearly 15 per cent of the country’s total solar modules and panels, Yin said. He said the company is in the process of identifying and approving local component suppliers, with the aim of assembling it in the country in the next four to six months. “India is Trina’s second largest market in Asia-Pacific and the third largest in the world. We far have cumulatively supplied 3.5 gigawat (GW) which is nearly 15 per cent of the country’s total solar modules and panels,” Yin said.

October 2018

Responding to reporters’ queries, Trina Solar India Director Gaurav Mathur said the price of the home kit would be announced soon. The company aims to capture 5-8 per cent of the country’s total residential solar market, Mathur said. Mathur noted that of the country’s total solar energy capacity as at the end of July this year, 21.9 GW came from utility sources and only 1.2 GW from rooftop installations. The Chinese company has signed an MoU with the Andhra Pradesh government to set up a manufacturing plant at a cost of Rs 2,800 crore. Around 90 acres of land have been earmarked for the proposed unit at Atchutapuram in Visakhapatnam district.

To a query on the company’s manufacturing plans in India, Yin said: The company is waiting for right policies so that manufacturing locally becomes more economically viable. Also, a manufacturing ecosystem is required like a developed supply chain to make the product cost-competitive. The lack of a developed domestic supply chain means that production is not cost-competitive. Nearly 90 per cent of India’s solar panels are imported, while Indian manufacturers have to depend on accessories from China. Source: IANS

www.EQMagPro.com

ROOFTOP & OFFGRID

Azure Roof Power to Electrify Government Buildings in Madhya Pradesh and Delhi

BSES energises 1,000 solar rooftop connections in Delhi BSES energises 1,000 solar rooftop connections in Delhi New Delhi Sep 19 (IANS) In a major achievement on clean energy in the national capital Delhi distribution company (discom) BSES announced it has energised a record over 1 000 rooftop solar connections in the city with a sanctioned solar load of over 40 000 KW (40 MW).

Azure Power, one of India’s leading independent solar power producers, announced it has won 11.2 MW and 600 KW rooftop solar power projects in bids conducted by Madhya Pradesh Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (MPUVNL) and Indraprastha Power Generation Company Ltd (IPGCL) respectively.

zure Power will provide power for 25 year to various Government establishments in Madhya Pradesh and Delhi which will be spread across approx 600 project sites. Azure Power qualifies for a capital incentive which results in a weighted average levelized tariff of INR 4.50 (~US 6.6 cents) per kWh for the MPUVNL project and a weighted average levelized tariff of INR 5.91 (~US 8.6 cents) per kWh for the IPGCL project. For the bid tendered by MPUVNL, World Bank is the technical partner which provided pre-identified project sites with technical due diligence. Azure Power’s win of 11.2 MW is the largest allocation in the bid, which includes approx 90% of the total project sites allocated and covers Government Buildings like Colleges, PolyTechnic Colleges, Industrial Training Institutes (ITI’s) and Police Establishments. Azure Roof Power offers superior rooftop solar power solutions for commercial, industrial, government, and institutional customers in cities across India to lower their energy bill and meet their greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets. With over 200 MWs of high quality, operating and committed solar assets across 23 states, Azure Roof Power has one of the largest rooftop portfolios in the country. Azure Roof Power has a well-diversified customer base with a majority of the portfolio contracted with Government of India backed entities. Azure Roof Power customers include large commercial real estate companies, a leading global chain of premium hotels, distribution companies in smart cities, warehouses, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, Indian Railways, a Delhi water utility company and various Government of India Ministries.

Speaking on this occasion, Mr Vishal Jain, DGM, Azure Roof Power said We are pleased to partner with IPGCL, MPUVNL and World Bank for these projects. With these wins, we have once again demonstrated our strong project development, engineering, and execution capabilities. We are delighted to make this contribution towards the realization of our Hon’ble Prime Minister’s commitment towards clean and green energy, through solar power generation.

In a statement BSES said 1077 consumers including the Lotus Temple and the Maulana Azad Medical College had been provided rooftop solar connections. The number of rooftop solar connections is likely to cross the 2000 mark by the end of the year the statement said. The highest number of rooftop solar net metering connections are in the domestic segment (604 KW) followed by commercial establishments (262) and educational institutions (178). Vasant Valley School Delhi Public School s East of Kailash branch Bal Bharti Aurobindo Ashram and organisations like TERI have adopted BSES rooftop solar connections. BSES is among very few utilities in India which are engaged in actively propagating the roof top solar installations through direct marketing efforts the discom said. BSES has energised rooftop net metering connections ranging from a sanctioned load of 1 KW to over 1 600 KW. Consumers have begun to see the benefits of roof stop solar net metering and how it reduces their electricity bills a BSES spokesperson said. Noting the benefits of rooftop solar connections the statement said these allow consumers to generate electricity for self consumption and sell surplus if any to the discom. Customers are paid for the surplus power sold by them as per the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission guidelines. Domestic consumers also enjoy the benefit of Generation Based Incentive (GBI) which at present is Rs 2 per unit BSES said. Besides consumers opting for the RESCO model do not have to incur any upfront capital expenditure which is borne by the vendor it added. Source: IANS

www.EQMagPro.com

October 2018

ROOFTOP & OFFGRID

Tata Power does World’s largest solar rooftop installation on a cricket stadium, at Cricket Club of India, Mumbai through its Solar arm 820.8kWp Solar Rooftop System CCI stadium in Mumbai Goes Green Estimated generation 1.12 million units per annum Offset 840 tonnes of carbon annually Tata Power Solar, India’s largest integrated solar company and Tata Power’s wholly-owned subsidiary, has commissioned 820.8kWp at Cricket Club of India, Mumbai.

he project was executed by Tata Power Solar to provide solar rooftop solution for the stadium located at Mumbai and was completed in 100 days. Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Honourable Chief Minister of Maharashtra did the inauguration of the stadium. Tata Power Solar joined hands with Cricket Club of India to utilise the potential of solar energy. The installation of the solar rooftop project will help to generate over 1.12 million electricity per year which will lead to 25% of savings in the power consumption cost. At present on an average (apart from Stadium Flood lights, which runs on DG), the stadium consumes 4 lakhs kWh /month, but with solar installation, on an average basis the consumption from the grid would fall to approx. 3 lakhs kWh/ month. CCI will also be able to curb the emission of over 840 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.

Mr. Praveer Sinha, MD & CEO, Tata Power, said, We are delighted to partner with Cricket Club of India on the World’s largest solar powered cricket stadium in Mumbai. We continuously seek to move ahead in our renewable and sustainability objectives. With an aim to be environmentally responsible by reducing its carbon footprint, Cricket Club of India initiated a project to install 820.8kWp roof mounted solar plant at the CCI stadium, Mumbai.

October 2018

Mr. Ashish Khanna, President, Tata Power (Renewables), said in a statement, After executing The World’s largest Rooftop in a single location and India’s largest carport at Cochin International Airport, Tata Power Solar has installed The World’s largest Rooftop in a Cricket Stadium at CCI Mumbai, in a record period of 100 days.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Premal Udani, President, CCI and Mr. Rakesh Kapoor, Vice Chairman of Infrastructure and Green Technology Committee, CCI said, “We continuously look at projects which promote renewable energy focus, and are glad to partner with Tata Power Solar to execute this landmark project for us. They have delivered on the promise of the brand TATA. We have set an example to use rooftop space in the stadiums to help protect the environment.” Tata Power Solar has commissioned more than 1.45 GW of ground-mount utility scale and over 220 MW of rooftop and distributed generation projects across the country till date. Tata Power Solar has been ranked #1 EPC rooftop solar player consistently for four years by BRIDGE TO INDIA, a leading cleantech consulting and knowledge services provider. The total installed capacity in the rooftop segment is over 220 MW as of 31st March 2018 including commercial, residential & industrial sector.

www.EQMagPro.com

ROOFTOP & OFFGRID

Pathways Group of Schools Collaborate with Godrej & Boyce for Solar Power Plants At Pathways, we strive to promote sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. We are widely accolade as the global pioneer in setting up green educational campuses. We are the first and only school chain in the world that has been conferred with the highest accolade for environmentally-responsible design – the Platinum certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED-EB) by the United States Green Building Council. In our endeavor to further make our operations environmentally friendly, we have decided to invest in setting up solar power generation facilities in our Aravali, Gurugram and Noida campuses. We will be installing a total capacity of 1.5 MW across the campuses, which is likely to fulfill 70% of all our energy needs. Through this investment, we expect to reduce our carbon footprint by approximately 2124 tons per year. Message from the desk of Director, Pathways Group of Schools: Mr. Pranay Jain Pathways Group of Schools is a chain of international K-12 and pre-primary schools located in the Delhi NCR region. The schools follow the Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma Programme of the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO).

G&B is one of the most trusted organization known for complying & maintaining all the quality standards, statutory laws, safety measures and MNRE standards with the timely completion of its projects and achieving topmost customer satisfaction & we will continue serving the solar Industry with customized solutions. Message from the desk of Associate Vice President & Head – Power Infrastructure & Renewable Energy, Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd: Mr. Raghavendra Mirji.

www.EQMagPro.com

Delta Electronics; India’s No.1 leading in Rooftop Solar Inverter Solution Company is proud to associate with Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd and Pathways Group of Schools for the 1.5MWp Solar Rooftop Project. Delta Electronics is the Global Leader in Power Management & Thermal Solutions and believes in contributing to the Greener Society. Delta is devoted to innovation and systematically developing new products and technologies, which are high-efficiency and energy-saving. We aim to reduce global warming and ensure mankind’s sustainable future with better value and performance. Delta is continuously enhancing our engineering capabilities and is committed to developing innovative technologies and solutions for a better tomorrow. Message from the desk of Head – PV Inverter, Delta Electronics India: Mr. Niranjan Nayak

Trina Solar is proud to partner with Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd and Pathways Group of Schools for supplying the solar modules for 1.5MWp Solar Rooftop Project. I am sure this project will not only save electricity for the school but will also benefit school children to understand the benefits of renewable energy. Trina Solar is a leading global total solutions provider for solar energy. Founded in 1997, Trina Solar develops proprietary smart PV solutions for large power stations as well as commercial and residential solutions, energy storage systems and photovoltaic modules. As the world’s leading provider of integrated solar energy solutions, Trina Solar has taken the lead in evolving into a brand in the world of energy IoT (internet of things) and is committed to becoming a global leader in this new and emerging sector. Message from the desk of Director, Trina Solar: Mr. Gaurav Mathur

October 2018

ROOFTOP & OFFGRID

ADB to Help Develop Rooftop Solar Power Systems in Sri Lanka The Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Board of Directors has approved a $50 million loan to help fund rooftop solar power generation systems in Sri Lanka to increase the share of renewable energy sources in the country’s energy mix.

DB will also administer a $1 million technical assistance from the Asian Clean Energy Fund under the Clean Energy Financing Partnership Facility to help build capacity, increase awareness of stakeholders, and support the project’s implementation in SriLanka.

SriLanka’s energy sector has made tremendous progress over the last two and a half decades in bringing electricity to almost everyone in the country, said Mukhtor Khamudkhanov, an ADB Principal Energy Specialist. But there is a need to diversify the country’s energy mix toward more renewable and sustainable sources. Sri Lanka’s electrification rate stood at 99.3% in 2016 compared to just 29% in 1990, showing steady progress in improving access to electricity. However, the country remains highly dependent on fossil fuels. In 2016, thermal power contributed 67.2% of the total power generation compared to hydropower’s 24.6% and 8.2% of nonconventional renewable sources.This dependence on carbonemitting energy sources makes Sri Lanka vulnerable to fluctuating fuel prices, while hampering the government’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% as part of its commitment to the Paris agreement. ADB’s Rooftop Solar Power Generation Project will boost access to clean and reliable power in Sri Lanka. Specifically, the project will finance rooftop solar power subprojects equivalent to additional capacity of 50 megawatts while building capacity and awareness of relevant authorities, private sector partners, and customers. It will also develop a market infrastructure and bankable pipeline of subprojects for the solar power systems through greater cooperation with private financial institutions and the establishment of technical guidelines and standards for the system. Total cost of the project is $59.8 million, to which the private sector will provide a $9.8 million equity contribution. The project’s expected completion date is the end of 2021. ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, ADB is celebrating 50 years of development partnership in the region. It is owned by 67 members—48 from the region. In 2016, ADB assistance totaled $31.7 billion, including $14 billion in cofinancing. Source: adb.org

October 2018

Hartek Solar bags 100-kWp solar kit orders from 25 houses, launches solar van to take services to next level Within just four months of launching its customised small-scale solar solutions in the form of plug-and-play rooftop solar kits, Hartek Solar Pvt Ltd, the rooftop solar division of the Chandigarh-based Hartek Group, has bagged orders for more than 100-kWp rooftop solar projects from about 25 households in the city. Addressing the media here today, Hartek Solar Pvt Ltd Founder-Director Simarpreet Singh said that heartened by the tremendous response it has received from residents, Hartek Solar has now come up with a solar van equipped with all devices catering to installation, operation and maintenance so as to take its services to the next level. Manned by a specialised team of engineers, the van offers a one-stop solution catering to all the needs of rooftop solar consumers ranging from cleaning, maintenance, installation and operation to checking the efficiency of solar plants and servicing the inverters, Simarpreet Singh said that though Hartek Solar has secured most of the orders from owners of kanal houses, who have started opting for rooftop solar since the UT administration made solar PV systems mandatory for all buildings with an area of 500 sq yd and above, other house owners have also started voluntarily opting for the company’s small-scale solar solutions. While owners of kanal houses are required to install only 1-kWp systems, most of the rooftop plants being installed by us in kanal houses are in the 5-kWp range, which is an encouraging sign pointing towards the greater acceptance of rooftop solar among residents in recent months. We are flooded with queries from residents who are keen to install rooftop solar plants atop their houses. With the November 17 deadline set by the UT administration for installing rooftop plants in kanal houses still two months away, we are expecting many more orders to come our way, he said.

Hartek Group Chairman and Managing Director Hartek Singh said that going by the incredible response it has got in Chandigarh, Hartek Solar would be targeting at least 100 rooftop solar installations in the city alone in the next six months, covering the residential, commercial and industrial categories. “Known for its high quality standards and efficient execution of projects, Hartek Solar will comfortably complete 100 projects by February next year, going by this pace,” he said. Source: adfactorspr

www.EQMagPro.com

ROOFTOP & OFFGRID

Cleantech Solar and Climate Fund Managers enter strategic partnership Cleantech Solar, the leading pan-Asian supplier of renewable energy to corporates has received a USD 50 million equity investment from Climate Fund Managers (CFM), the climate-dedicated investment manager and manager of the Climate Investor One facility, to support its exponential growth in Asia.

he partnership, which will continue to operate under the Cleantech Solar brand, brings together unique and complementary strengths of the two respected organizations. Cleantech Solar will leverage its solar expertise and proven track record in providing world-class solar power plants to multinationals and leading local corporations in Asia. Climate Fund Managers, with the support of the Dutch Development Bank, FMO, and Sanlam InfraWorks, will bring access to prime, long-term institutional capital, to further strengthen the company’s balance sheet and sustain its future expansion.

Raju Shukla, Cleantech Solar Founder and Executive Chairman said: Our goal at Cleantech Solar has always been to deliver reliable, efficient and long-term renewable energy solutions to some of the finest corporations in Asia who are committed to transition to renewable energy in the coming years. We are indeed privileged to partner with Climate Fund Managers who share our vision and commitment towards building long-term partnerships. Together, we hope to bring tremendous value to our clients and help them meet their sustainability goals. Andrew Johnstone, Climate Fund Managers CEO stated: CFM, having recognised the enormous potential in the commercial & industrial solar market, are extremely pleased to partner with Cleantech Solar, a leading player in AsiaPacific, with a focus on quality and safety. We are excited to leverage the local expertise and resources that they bring alongside financing provided by Climate Investor One in order to provide renewable energy solutions to even more businesses and organizations with regional manufacturing footprints. The investment will facilitate the growth of Cleantech Solar’s total installed solar capacity in the Commercial and Industrial sector to over 450 MW with a target to generate over 600 GWh of clean electricity per annum, cutting down carbon emissions by almost 500,000 tonnes per year. This investment comes at a time when the demand for clean energy from corporations is breaking new records. This demand is driven by a combination of increased focus on emission reduction; minimizing risk exposure to volatile energy markets and a unique opportunity to replace grid supplied power with lower cost solar electricity.

www.EQMagPro.com

Government buildings to go green with solar Renew, a private solar power promotion firm, has been roped in by NREDCAP (Non-conventional Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Limited) to implement roof top solar units in all government sector buildings.

s per an agreement, Renew would invest its own funds on executing the solar project in government offices. All that the government offices need to do is to provide space for installation of solar panels on roof top. The beneficiaries need not invest a single rupee. They have to enter into an agreement with Renew and pay the power bill which will be substantially lower than the current bills.However, private institutions are urging Renew and even NSEC (National Solar Energy Corporation) to extend the same concessions to private parties too that can provide space for executing solar power projects for popularising the green energy. NSEC too has come forward to finance solar projects on government building roof tops. The NSEC offer to finance the solar projects has come in handy for the institutions which are struggling for financial investments. The NSEC is giving them soft loans on easy instalments. The life of solar panels is 25 years. Every institution can repay loans in less than five years. For the rest of 20 years, power supply is free of cost. In the context, several private firms and institutions are urging Renew and NSEC to extend similar incentives like investing on borrowed roof tops for establishing solar power plants. Even the local JNTU has invited NSEC to set up solar plant on the roof tops of JNTU university buildings. Krishna Reddy, correspondent of an engineering college, opined that if NSEC and Renew finance their projects, it would set the tone for promotion of roof top solar energy on a wider scale.

NREDCAP district manager Kodandaram Murthy told The Hans India that the future belongs to solar and other forms of green energy. “Every power producer can use the green energy for their domestic requirement and supply the remaining power to the Power Grid. Every power producer will be connected to the grid,”

October 2018

ROOFTOP & OFFGRID

EESL to facilitate implementation of 5,00,000 Solar Water Pumping Systems in ISA Member Countries Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture of PSUs under the Ministry of Power, Government of India, has been selected by the International Solar Alliance (ISA) to facilitate implementation of 5,00,000 Solar Water Pumping Systems. These Solar Water Pumping Systems will be rolled out in ISA Member Countries that are participating in its ‘Scaling of Solar Application for Agricultural Use” programme.

ESL will be responsible for the overall successful implementation of the programme in the participating countries that include India, Bangladesh, Sudan, Uganda, Senegal, Mauritius among others. ISA, an alliance of more than 121 countries, has aggregated demand for over 500,000 Solar Water Pumping systems from 13 Member Countries. ISA’s first Programme −“Scaling of Solar Application for Agricultural Use” aims to promote decentralised solar applications for agricultural and rural use.

Commenting on this development, Sh. Rajneesh Rana, General Manager, EESL said We look forward to replicating the success of our ongoing solar projects and agricultural pumps programme in the Member Countries of ISA. We will leverage the wealth of our experience in implementing large-scale energy-efficiency and renewable energy programmes in India and combine that experience with ISA’s long-term vision. Our aim is to help the farmers in getting easy and affordable daytime access to irrigation. This is a major step towards decentralized power solutions that also help in reducing carbon emission. ISA, which is an international inter-governmental treaty-based organization headquartered in Gurugram, aims to provide a platform for prospective member countries to collaborate and address the identified gaps through a common agreed approach. ISA has been envisioned as a dedicated platform that aims to contribute towards the common goal of increasing utilization and promote solar energy and solar applications in the prospective member countries to help the world transform to a low-carbon and greener society. EESL is implementing multiple energy efficiency projects across sectors including LED, buildings, smart-meters, streetlights, solarisation of agricultural feeders, solar lamps, agricultural pump sets, and electric vehicles. Going by the track record of EESL, aggregation of demand and efficient bid management leads to reduction in procurement costs. With the similar practice, ISA and EESL expect to bring down the cost of Solar Water Pumping System to catalyze scaling up of the programme and encourage other member countries, as well, to submit their demand to ISA for this programme. In addition, through this arrangement, member countries will also be able to implement the project effectively through in-built monitoring mechanisms and thereby, develop large number of local employment opportunities within the country.

Azure Power to Electrify Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Azure Power (NYSE: AZRE), one of India’s leading independent solar power producers, announced it has received a letter of intent for a 6 MW solar project won an auction conducted by Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA) for Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

he capacity won is 100% of the total capacity allocated. Azure Power expects to sign a 25-year power purchase agreement with HAL which has a domestic debt rating of AAA by CRISIL, a S&P company, at a tariff of INR 3.13 (~US 4.6 cents) per kWh. The project will be developed by Azure Power within HAL estate area of approx 30 acres. HAL is a major domestic supplier of aviation equipment to the Indian defence sector and is governed under the management of the Indian Ministry of Defence.

Speaking on this occasion, Mr. Inderpreet Wadhwa, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer said, We are pleased to announce our win with HAL and with this, we continue to demonstrate our strong project development, engineering, and execution capabilities. We are delighted to make this contribution towards the realization of our Hon’ble Prime Minister’s commitment towards clean and green energy, through solar power generation. Azure Power has been among the most active participants in solar power auctions since the beginning of the solar power market in India and the majority of the Company’s portfolio are with customers that have some of the best credit ratings in India, most of which are backed by the Government of India.

Source: edelman

October 2018

www.EQMagPro.com

BUSINESS & FINANCE

India’s solar alliance gets major push with EIB funds In a major push to India’s International Solar Alliance (ISA), European Investment Bank (EIB) President Werner Hoyer announced a major progress on tackling climate change globally at the One Planet Summit.

nnouncing progress on initiatives hailed as “transformative” that will deliver on the ambitious Paris Agreement to tackle climate change, he announced to bridge urban financing gap with Global Urbis, launch the Land Degradation Neutrality Fund and expand solar energy through the International Solar Alliance. Global Urbis is a ground-breaking partnership to enhance climate action in cities around the world. The Land Degradation Neutrality Fund is a unique way to finance climate adaptation and land restoration measures through projects that will benefit some of the most vulnerable communities. In addition, the EIB President pointed to the EU bank’s commitment to backing the ISA to support solar energy and the exchange of technology. The EIB is partnering with the ISA, bringing its expertise and financing to support the expansion of solar energy in India and other regions where solar power is one of the most abundant renewable energy sources but where technologies, funding and expertise are often lacking. The goal of the ISA is to raise $1 trillion by 2030 from public and private investors to invest in such solar projects. In 2017, the EIB provided EUR 1.05 billion of new financing for solar energy projects around the world, representing the largest ever annual support by the EIB to the solar sector, and is currently finalising a new EUR 200 million credit line to provide additional financing for renewable energy projects across India. Over the last five years, the EU Bank provided more than EUR 21 billion for renewable energy investment worldwide, including EUR 2.5 billion in photovoltaic and concentrated solar power projects.

Multilateral cooperation is the only way to achieve success in tackling climate change and sustainable development, Hoyer said.

Duty-Free Bifacial Modules from South Africa to Boost Floating PV Projects in India Changzhou / Jiangsu Seraphim Solar System Co. Ltd. (“Seraphim”), a world-class solar product manufacturer, announced that its new manufacturing plant in East London IDZ, Eastern Cape, South Africa recently delivered its first production run of high-efficiency, dual-glass solar modules.

eraphim’s dual-glass product is a frameless module comprised of two layers of tempered glass. The new design enables a module that is more than eighty-percent slimmer than traditional PV modules—but simultaneously much stronger—plus more resistant to sand, salt, ammonia, acid, etc. The bifacial module is the perfect fit for “float-o-voltaics”. Ten percent of India’s territory is covered by rivers and lakes. India has transformed a portion of this space into electricity generation plants, establishing its first floating solar plant on a lake in Kolkata, in 2014. To date, India has established a growing pipeline of almost 200 MW floating solar projects, and more than 1 GW are in advanced planning. Floating solar projects elegantly resolve the tension between increasing electricity needs and limited usable land. Floating projects require premium solar panels to remain functional under harsh conditions. The Seraphim Dual-Glass module is an ideal choice. Double layers of glass reduce micro cracks, snail trails, UV aging, and mitigate vapor penetration, plus are expressly designed to utilize the reflection of sunlight off the water for additional power output. A frameless design also means excellent PID resistance—and lastly, the junction box on dual-glass modules features IP67 specs and integrated diodes to reduce hot spots. Overall, the module’s working life is significantly prolonged to generate maximum power and profit margins.

Source: financialexpress

www.EQMagPro.com

October 2018

BUSINESS & FINANCE

SenseHawk, drone analytics for the solar industry, takes flight with $2M investment

400 investors with $32 trillion in assets step up climate action

The consumer market is just the tip of the iceberg for drones, which have the potential to deploy across a range of different industry verticals such as construction or agriculture.

The Investor Agenda launched here on Wednesday will support investors in accelerating and scaling-up the actions that are critical to tackling climate change and achieving the goals of the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement.

hat’s the premise behind SenseHawk, a U.S-India startup that specializes in using data captured by drones to develop insight for projects within the solar industry. The startup is currently active in three markets — its two home countries and Australia — and now it has raised $2 million from SAIF Partners to push its business and expand into new regions. A number of undisclosed angel investors also took part in the round. The company was founded in December 2015 by Swarup Mavanoor and Rahul Sankhe, who previously spent time working for renewable energy company SunEdison. Mavanoor that the idea for the business came when using a drone to collect data for a construction project. While the information gathering gave considerably more insight than traditional methods of deploying people, the duo found that there was no service for extracting specific data required.

We started looking around and, though lots of people are doing basic drone data processing, no one is really looking at this vertical, Mavanoor told TechCrunch in an interview. Thus SenseHawk was born. The company isn’t really a drone business; it’s more of a data and analytics startup. That’s because it doesn’t pilot drones itself. Rather, it helps companies that own and use them to get the insight they need for each project. SenseHawk is developing an AI platform that’s split into different modules, including terrain-based analysis tools, a construction monitoring and analytics system and thermal analysis. Mavanoor said that clients adopt modules based on requirements, with some taking all three. Many verticals that involve outdoor work have the potential for drone-based analytics and services, but SenseHawk is sticking to the industry it knows best for the time being. “Our core development is focused on solar because we are from the industry so have an advantage in terms of our network and understanding of what’s needed. We did look at [other industries like] agriculture, but the worry was where do you make money. “What you can deliver with a drone is basic analytics, but agriculture requires precise data on what to do and how to progress,” Mavanoor added. “Ultimately, we decided that there’s no point in doing 10 things and doing a decent job, versus sticking to one thing and doing an amazing job.”

Mavanoor said the startup plans to use the new funds to develop its core tech and AI platform, including new modules, and expand its business into new regions, such as Europe and Africa. It is also hiring, with its headcount is set to expand to around 20 people in the coming weeks. Its engineering team is based in Bangalore, India. Source: techcrunch

October 2018

ts launch also demonstrates the significant momentum already evident, with 392 investors with $32 trillion in assets collectively under management, using The Investor Agenda to highlight climate action they are already taking and making new commitments. Announced as part of PRI in Person and the Global Climate Action Summit, The Investor Agenda provides a way for investors to directly report actions they are taking, and scale-up their commitment to act, across four key focus areas: Investment, corporate engagement, investor disclosure, and policy advocacy. Capturing new data, the Investor Agenda seeks over time to reflect the full breadth and scale of global investor-led action on climate change. Bringing together and helping drive participation in a broad range of global investor initiatives, it also supports investors in taking greater action. This offers benefit to investors, in being able to better manage climate risks and capture low carbon opportunities as a result, while also scaling-up the investor-led contribution to achieving the goals of the Paris agreement. Showcasing investor leadership on climate change will also be used as a way to inspire bolder commitment from investors and their peers, raising the bar and building on existing momentum.

Investors are showing great leadership to promote climate action in multiple fronts. Their efforts to meet the shortfall in the financial resources required to deliver the Paris Agreement goals, and further building on engagement with high-emitting sectors are a valuable contribution, said Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in welcoming the launch. The Investor Agenda has already received strong support from influential investors and climate figures alike.

Progress is on the agenda of the investment community, and today’s announcement is hugely important, but this is just the beginning of an extraordinary, economy-wide transformation to low-carbon that we must achieve within a generation, said Christiana Figueres, convener of Mission 2020. The Investor Agenda calls on global investors to accelerate and scale up the actions that are critical to tackling climate change and achieving the goals of the Paris agreement. Source: IANS

www.EQMagPro.com

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Macquarie eyeing Goldman Sachs’ ReNew Power stake The interest in Renew Power comes in the backdrop of a reported deferment of its IPO, even as India’s renewable energy sector is in a transitional phase

acquarie Group is among investors who have evinced interest in buying a significant stake from Goldman Sachs Group Inc. in Sumant Sinhafounded ReNew Power Ventures Pvt. Ltd, said two people aware of the development. “Goldman Sachs is interested in divesting some stake in ReNew Power. Some investors, including Macquarie, are looking at it,” said one of the two people cited above, requesting anonymity. Another person, who also did not want to be named, confirmed the development. Spokespeople for Goldman Sachs and ReNew Power declined to comment.

“We do not comment on market speculation, so (we) do not have a comment on this,” a Macquarie spokesperson said in an emailed response. The interest in India’s largest clean energy company backed by Goldman Sachs comes in the backdrop of a reported deferment of ReNew Power’s initial public offering (IPO). The Economic Times reported on 20 July on the likely postponement of the ReNew Power IPO. The company planned to raise ₹ 2,600 crore in fresh capital, while existing private equity investors to sell an aggregate of 94.37 million shares, according to the draft prospectus. ReNew Power also counts investors such as Asian Development Bank, sovereign wealth fund Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Global Environment Fund and Japan’s JERA Co. Inc. as its shareholders. These investors, over several tranches, have invested a total of ₹6,696.5 crore in the company since 2011. In February 2017, JERA bought a 10% stake in ReNew Power, valuing the company at $2 billion. In the run-up to its IPO, ReNew Power had acquired 1.1 GW of renewable assets from Ostro Energy in April at an enterprise value of around ₹10,000 crore.

The purchase cemented its position as India’s top renewable energy producer. Founded in 2011 by Sumant Sinha, ReNew Power has 5.85 GW capacity across wind and solar projects. Of this, 3.92 GW is operational. The interest in Goldman Sachs’ stake in ReNew Power comes at a time when the renewable energy sector in India is going through a transition on account of low tariffs. The ministry of new and renewable energy is also planning to cap India’s solar power tariffs at ₹ 2.5 and ₹ 2.68 per unit for developers using domestic, and imported solar cells and modules, respectively.

In May 2017, India had achieved a record low solar power tariff of 2.44 per unit. Wind power tariffs had plummeted to a record low of 2.43 per kilowatt hour (kWh) at an auction conducted by state-run Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd last December. In such a scenario, obtaining finance at the lowest cost has become key. Also, India’s wind sector has transitioned from a feed-in tariff regime, which ensures a fixed price for wind power producers, to tariff-based competitive auctions. India’s clean energy strategy is part of its game plan to reduce its carbon footprint by 33-35% from its 2005 levels by 2030, as part of its commitments to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change adopted by 195 countries in Paris in 2015. Deal-making activity is also gaining traction in India’s emerging green economy. Recently, Greenko Group called off its $1 billion plan to buy Orange Renewable from Singapore’s AT Capital Group and investment bank Rothschild Inc. resumed scouting for a buyer for one of India’s largest renewable energy platforms, Mint reported on 11 September. Of the deals being in play and reported by Mint, the country’s largest electricity trader, PTC India Ltd, is exploring the possibility of exiting its wind power business and is scouting for investors. Also, Fotowatio Renewable Ventures plans to exit its only investment in the Indian solar power space, and Edelweiss Infrastructure Yield Plus Fund, is in talks with Engie SA to buy a significant stake in the French energy firm’s Indian solar business.

Source: livemint

www.EQMagPro.com

October 2018

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Launch of the Global Green Bond Partnership The Global Green Bond Partnership (GGBP) was launched in San Francisco, at the Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS). This new partnership will support efforts of sub-national entities such as cities, states, and regions, corporations and private companies, and financial institutions to accelerate the issuance of green bonds.

he Global Green Bond Partnership (GGBP) was launched yesterday in San Francisco, at the Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS). This new partnership will support efforts of sub-national entities such as cities, states, and regions, corporations and private companies, and financial institutions to accelerate the issuance of green bonds. The founding members of the Global Green Bond Partnership GGBP include the World Bank, IFC – a member of the World Bank Group, Amundi, European Investment Bank, Climate Bonds Initiative, Ceres, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM) and the Low Emissions Development Strategies Global Partnership (LEDS GP).

In the past decade green bonds have proven to be a real force in driving commercial financing into climate-smart investments and hold great promise for further scale up. IFC looks forward to participating in the Global Green Bond Partnership and collaborating with other pioneers to accelerate the issuance of green bonds and crowd in additional climate finance, said Vikram Widge, Global Head, Climate Finance and Policy at the International Finance Corporation. The UNFCCC estimates that USD 1.5 trillion of financing needs to be mobilized every year to 2030 to fully implement the Paris Agreement(1). The European Investment Bank and the World Bank pioneered the first green bonds, with EIB issuing the Climate Awareness Bond in 2007(2) and the World Bank issuing its first green bond in 2008(3). The green bond market continues to grow at a rapid pace, growing from annual issuance of USD 3.4 billion in 2012 to USD 161 billion in 2017(4). As governments and corporations alike recognize, the green bond market offers significant global opportunities to mobilize capital at scale for low carbon, climate resilient infrastructure and development efforts.

October 2018

The brown to green shift in corporate balance sheets and capex directions needs accelerated action from the world’s biggest banks, largest emitters and institutional investors. The international green bond market is now the platform for this large scale shift, with the target of trillions in new capital mobilised towards climate adaptation and resilience, clean energy and green infrastructure, said Sean Kidney, CEO, Climate Bonds Initiative. The members of the Global Green Bond Partnership (GGBP) will work together to scale green bond issuance primarily by sub-national entities and corporations through targeted technical assistance, capacity building, de-risking, investing, and underwriting support, as well as supporting development of innovative funds and other financial vehicles to mobilize investor capital.

Scaling up green finance is crucial to tackle climate change and implement the Paris agreement. As the first and largest issuer to date the EIB recognises the key potential of green bonds to accelerate low carbon investment and enhance investor support. As the EU Bank we welcome the new Global Green Bond Partnership that will tackle barriers to green bond issuance. Enabling green bonds to be issued for the first time by new public and private partners, including in emerging and developing economies, will allow even more eligible projects to benefit.said Jonathan Taylor, European Investment Bank Vice President responsible for climate action. The Partnership will coordinate with efforts such as IFC’s Green Cornerstone Bond Fund Support Program to compliment the Amundi Planet Emerging Green One Fund and other targeted efforts to support the overall growth of the green bond market.

Amundi, as a leading green manager and investor in the global clean energy transition, looks forward to working with Global Green Bond Partnership members to identify new opportunities to support the fight against global warming,”said Stanislas Pottier, Chief Responsible Investment Officer, Amundi.

www.EQMagPro.com

BUSINESS & FINANCE Additionally, the GGBP members intend to work together on the development of a Green Bonds Readiness Framework/Toolkit for potential issuers, designed primarily for sub-national entities and corporations, that will enable them to rapidly assess their readiness to issue green bonds and identify key gaps and barriers to issuance. The GGBP will also collaborate among its members to advance coordinated provision of technical assistance and capacity building activities across the member’s respective green bond activities and areas of expertise. The GGBP members will work through existing partnerships and institutions to deliver these services. In addition, GGBP members will seek to engage with and provide technical assistance to Signatories of the Green Bond Pledge(5) (GB Pledge) to assist the development process around inaugural green issuance.

The World Bank Group regularly innovates new ways to help cities finance low carbon and climate resilient infrastructure. The Partnership will leverage this know-how while expanding our reach to developing countries and cities eager to use green bonds as a key element of their climate finance strategy,” said Ms. Laura Tuck, Vice President for Sustainable Development, who announced the new partnership today at the Global Climate Action Summit. The LEDS GP, a global peer-to-peer exchange network, will serve as the interim secretariat of the Global Green Bond Partnership. Members will work together to identify concrete outcomes and milestones for the partnership and hold at least one joint outreach event by the end of 2018.

Transformative milestones by the founding members of the GGBP: World Bank Group : Issued one of the first green bonds in 2008(3) International Finance Corporation (IFC): A member of the World

Bank Group: First institution to issue a $1 billion global benchmark green bond in 2013. In March 2018, IFC and Amundi launched the world’s largest targeted green bond fund, which is expected to deploy $2 billion into emerging markets green bonds over its lifetime 4,(6). ICLEI: Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI): ICLEI has supported the development of guidance on green bonds for local governments, working with CBI and other partners. As a partner of the GCoM, ICLEI provides technical and policy assistance to cities and towns, also helping them to access finance and use appropriate finance mechanisms. Ceres: Issued the Green Bonds Principles in 2014

Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI):

Climate Bonds has developed a science based, Standards and Certification Scheme used by green bond bond issuers, governments, investors and financial markets to assess the climate credentials & environmental integrity of bonds, loans & debt based based investments.

Amundi: IFC and Amundi launched the world’s largest

targeted green bond fund to date, which is expected to deploy $2 billion into emerging markets green bonds over its lifetime. EIB: Issued the first Climate Awareness Bond bond in 2007.

GCoM: Developing, in collaboration with its founding part-

ners, partnerships and tools to accelerate local governments’ capacity to access financing mechanisms at the scale and speed needed to meet the Paris Agreement objectives. Source: eib.org

www.EQMagPro.com

ENGIE, STOA tie up to develop wind platform in India Power firm ENGIE and French infrastructure and power equity investor STOA announced a partnership to build a wind energy platform in India with a goal of setting up over 2 GW capacity over the next five years.

ENGIE, a leading multinational utility company and the largest global independent power producer, and STOA, a French infrastructure and power equity investor in developing countries, announced a partnership to build a wind platform in India… through a Joint-Venture detained 50/50 by the two entities,” a statement said.

he platform has a goal of setting up over 2 GW of wind energy capacity over the next five years. Scope will be both onshore and offshore wind projects under central and select state tenders.Earlier this year, ENGIE won a capacity totalling 280 MW in three separate state and central tenders in India. These three projects, which are currently in implementation stage (200 + 50 MW in one location in Tamil Nadu and 30 MW in Gujarat) will form a part of the platform, it said.

Malcolm Wrigley, Country Manager, ENGIE India, said: Our aim is to respond to the major challenges of the energy transition, in particular in fast-growing countries like India. Matthew Saville, STOA’s Managing Director, added: The Indian renewables sector has seen strong growth and demand for power across the country will continue to increase. Wind power generation today offers a competitive solution to lower average power pool prices. We are delighted to be working with ENGIE to deliver clean and affordable power to the country.

Source: PTI

October 2018

BUSINESS & FINANCE

CLP India and Suzlon enter a partnership for two Solar projects of 50 MW and 20 MW in Maharashtra Two projects won by Suzlon through competitive bidding and CLP India will acquire a stake of 49% in the projects. Joint venture marks CLP India’s second solar project with Suzlon. Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) has a fixed tariff for 25 years at 4.115 INR/kWh for 20 MW and 3.66 INR/kWh for 50MW. Off taker will be Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI). CLP India, one of the largest foreign investors in the Indian power sector, and Suzlon, India’s largest renewable energy solutions provider, announced a joint venture for two solar projects of 50 MW and 20 MW in Dhule, Maharashtra.

s per the agreement signed between CLP India and Suzlon Group on September 10, 2018, CLP India has agreed to acquire 49% stake in Gale Solarfarms Limited and Tornado Solarfarms Limited, two special purpose vehicles (SPV) set-up by Suzlon. CLP India has the option to acquire the balance 51% stake in the future. Suzlon is responsible to provide comprehensive operation and maintenance services for these projects that are already commissioned.

Mr. Rajiv Mishra, Managing Director, CLP India said, In the last 16 years, we have built one of the most diversified fuel mix portfolios in the country and we are committed to expanding our renewable energy portfolio on the back of supportive government policies. With wind energy, we have been able to grow our footprint to almost 1000 MWs and we are confident of steadily building on our solar energy footprint. We already have two wind energy projects in Maharashtra and we are happy to add another two solar projects here.

October 2018

Mr. Mahesh Makhija, Director, Business Development and Commercial (Renewables), CLP India said, Renewable energy has been a key pillar for us in our growth journey. We believe the renewables sector has transformed over the years and introduced several international best practices that have enhanced ease of doing business and encouraged further investments. We believe in the potential growth of the sector and will continue evaluating sustainable projects.

We have a long-standing association with Suzlon for both our wind and solar projects. We made our foray into solar energy with them for a 100 MW project in Veltoor. This project was recently awarded world’s first solar project quality certification, having exhibited the highest quality standards. We are confident that we will be able to continue driving operational excellence across all our projects.

Mr J.P. Chalasani, Group CEO, Suzlon Group said, We are glad to partner with CLP India for these two solar projects in Maharashtra. We are pioneers in the Indian wind energy and established a successful track record and leadership in the sector for over two decades. We are proud to have also proven our capabilities in solar with the execution of this 70 MW solar standalone project. We have commissioned a total of 340 MW solar projects including this and completed delivery of our entire solar order book. We are committed to partner with our customers to enable India’s transition to a low carbon economy. With our expertise now both in wind and solar, we are progressively working towards harnessing the emerging opportunities in Wind-Solar Hybrid. Our pan-India presence, comprehensive product portfolio, robust in-house R&D and best-in-class services gives us the competitive edge.

www.EQMagPro.com

BUSINESS & FINANCE

LONGi sets new quarterly shipments, sales and R&D spending records LONGi Green Energy Technology, the world’s largest dedicated manufacturer of monocrystalline wafers and its subsidiary, LONGi Solar has reported first half year results that included record quarterly shipments, operating income and R&D spending. LONGi Group reported first half 2018 operating income of approximately RMB 10.02 billion (US$1.49 billion approx.), compared to US$995.2 million approx.), in the prior year period, an increase of 59.36%. On a quarterly basis, LONGi reported second quarter operating income of US$956.1 million, compared to approximately US$569.1 million in second quarter of 2017, a 68% increase yearon-year. LONGi reported second quarter operating income of US$956.1 million, compared to approximately US$569.1 million in second quarter of 2017, a 68% increase year-on-year. LONGi reported second quarter operating income of US$956.1 million, compared to approximately US$569.1 million in second quarter of 2017, a 68% increase year-on-year.

www.EQMagPro.com

he second quarter income exceeded LONGi’s previous quarterly record set in the fourth quarter of 2017, when the company reported an operating income of approximately US$874.8 million.Although the company mirrored many competitors in reporting relatively soft first quarter results, sue to seasonality in key markets, including China, LONGi’s significant increase in shipments of mono wafers and mono PV modules were behind the operating income growth. The company reported first half year 2018 mono c-Si wafer production of 1.544 billion pieces, with 758 million pieces old externally and 786 million pieces were used in-house, compared to the first half of 2017 when external sales volume was 449 million pieces, and in-house consumption was 419 million pieces. In the first half of 2018, PV module shipments reached 3,232MW, including sales of 2,637MW and 375MW of modules use for its downstream PV project business, which included a number of poverty alleviation projects in China. However, the major change in module shipments came from international sales, which accounted for 687MW in the first half of 2018, 18 times higher than the prior year period.

PV module shipments reached 3,232MW, including sales of 2,637MW and 375MW of modules use for its downstream PV project business, which included a number of poverty alleviation projects in China. PV module shipments reached 3,232MW, including sales of 2,637MW and 375MW of modules use for its downstream PV project business, which included a number of poverty alleviation projects in China. Less spectacular than the operating income growth was the net profit in the first half of 2018, which reached RMB 1.307 billion (US$190.98 million approx.), a year-on-year increase of 5.73%. The company reported a gross profit margin of 22.62%. However, LONGi remains one of the most profitable PV manufacturers. The squeeze on profit and margins were mainly attributable to average selling price (ASP) declines, initiated by trade tariffs and the late impact of the Chinese Governments ‘531 New Deal’. PV Tech had previously reported that LONGi surpassed long-term R&D spending leaders First Solar and Sunpower for the first time in 2017, having allocated over US$175 million to a range of R&D activities at the ingot/wafer level through to cell and modules, which set a new R&D spending record. In the first half of 2018, LONGi reported R&D spending in the reporting period to have reached approximately US$105 million, a year-on-year increase of 61.80% and accounting for 7.18% of operating income in the reporting period, a new industry record. To put this in perspective, First Solar’s 2017 annual R&D spending totalled US$88.6 million and Sunpower spent US$80.7 million. LONGi reported R&D spending in the reporting period to have reached approximately US$105 million, a year-on-year increase of 61.80% and accounting for 7.18% of operating income in the reporting period, a new industry record.

Source: longi-silicon

October 2018

BUSINESS & FINANCE

China welcomes end of EU restrictions on solar panel imports China welcomed the European Union’s (EU) decision to not extend antidumping and anti-subsidy measures on imports of Chinese solar panels after they expire.

he Trade Ministry said in a statement that the decision to remove the measures that had been in place for almost five years would restore the trade of solar panels between China and the EU in line with normal market conditions and create a more stable and predictable business environment, reports Efe news. China has viewed the measure as a successful resolution of trade disputes through discussions, and added that Beijing wants to continue cooperating with Europe to boost global free trade and a multilateral rules-based trading system. The EU had imposed the measures in December 2013 after months-long investigations which confirmed that Chinese companies were selling solar panels in Europe for prices far lower than normal for the market and were receiving “illegal” market subsidies from Chinese authorities. Source: IANS

Rays Power enters retail solar segment, plans 70 stores by 2020 Announcing its entry into B2C retail segment, solar plant builder Rays Power Infra said its group company Rays Future Energy will launch 70 operational stores across the country by 2020. “The company plans to launch around 10 operational stores in the first year of its operations and expand to over 70 stores by 2020 covering major cities in India,” solar development firm Rays Power Infra said in a statement.

elhi-based solar Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) company, which has commissioned projects over 650 MW, will commence its first outlet in Gurugram in Haryana by the end of November 2018. The company’s entry into the retail solar power segment comes after the government’s initiative to subsidize rooftop solar installations and encourage the use of renewable energy, especially in the residential and domestic sector. It plans to sell various solar-powered products through a franchise business model. The initial product offering will be standardized solar solutions for the retail customers, including homeowners and small-scale commercial establishments. Rays Solar Experience Centers will also be set up to provide plug-n-play, easy to install solar power packs for residential rooftops. Solar power kits of 2KWp to 20KWp will be the key offering under this venture apart from products like inverters and lights.

October 2018

REC seeks shareholders nod to raise borrowing limit to Rs 3.5 lakh cr State-run Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) has sought its shareholders approval to raise its overall borrowing limit to Rs 3.5 lakh crore from existing Rs 2 lakh crore. The company at its annual general meeting scheduled on September 25 would also seek vote on changing name of the company to REC Ltd. “The projected level of borrowing during 2018-19 is likely to exceed the presently approved limit. Therefore, the consent of the Members is sought for increasing the borrowing limit from Rs 200,000 crore to Rs 3,50,000 crore to cover further requirement of borrowing,” the notice for AGM on September 25 stated.

he net amount of borrowing of the company as on March 31, 2018 was Rs 1,98,791 crore and a sum of Rs 60,000 crore is likely to be borrowed during 2018-19 for lending activities. It is also proposed through a special resolution to authorise the Board to mortgage /create charge on immovable and/or movable properties of the Company, both present and future, for securing loan up to Rs 3,50,000 crore. In another proposal the company said that considering that ‘REC’ has become a brand name and is recognised by public at large in India and abroad, it is proposed to change the name of the company from “Rural Electrification Corporation Limited” to “REC Limited”.

It said, “In day to day interactions, discussions, correspondence with statutory bodies, borrowers, lenders, investors and other stakeholders, the Company is normally using abbreviated names “REC” & “RECL” and these names are well recognized across the industry and market. Further, logo of the Company registered with the Trade Marks Registry is also containing the word “REC”.” It pointed out that the name of Company “Rural Electrification Corporation Limited” gives an impression that the company is mainly into the business of rural electrification whereas, the company is having remarkable presence in the financing of all segments of Indian Power Sector viz. generation, transmission, distribution, renewable energy, etc. Source: PTI

www.EQMagPro.com

BUSINESS & FINANCE

EU set to end Chinese solar panel import controls in September The European Commission, which coordinates EU trade policy, proposed dismissing the request for an “expiry review” and received backing from a majority of the EU’s 28 countries, according to EU sources familiar with the discussions

he European Union will scrap import controls on solar panels and cells from China in September, rejecting a request from EU producers who argue that the bloc will be opening its doors to a flood of dumped products. The European Commission, which coordinates EU trade policy, proposed dismissing the request for an “expiry review” and received backing from a majority of the EU’s 28 countries, according to EU sources familiar with the discussions. The European Union first imposed antidumping and anti-subsidy measures for Chinese solar panels, wafers and cells in 2013 and extended them in March 2017 by 18 months, signalling that they should then end. Chinese manufacturers are allowed to sell solar products in Europe free of duties if they do so at or above a minimum price that has progressively declined. If sold for less than that price, they are subject to duties of up to 64.9 percent. The European Union has faced a delicate balancing act between the interests of EU manufacturers and those such as importers and installers pressing for a reduction in the cost of solar power generation. It has also been concerned about the response from Beijing given the two sides were on the verge of a trade war over the issue in 2013. EU ProSun, the grouping of EU producers that launched the initial complaint in 2012, had said there were good reasons for measures to be prolonged. Beijing’s decision to limit installations meant Chinese producers had some 30 gigawatts of excess capacity to shift with few markets to sell into after tariffs imposed by the United States and planned by India, the second and third largest markets behind China. The total EU market is some 7 gigawatts.

Only the EU is at the same time irresponsibly dropping all measures and inviting Chinese producers to eliminate European and third-country competition in the EU market, EU ProSun president Milan Nitzschke said, adding some companies were considering a legal challenge at the European Court of Justice. SolarPower Europe, which represents those in the solar industry opposed to duties, has referred to Commission and EY studies indicating demand could increase by up to 30 percent, creating about 45,000 jobs if the measures were removed.

Leap Green Energy to expand renewable power capacity to 2 GW by 2020 Clean energy generation firm Leap Green Energy Thursday said it looks to increase its power capacity to 2 GW from existing operational 751 MW and also plans fund infusion of USD 300 million. “Leap Green Energy Pvt Ltd (LGE), India’s leading renewable power generation company, plans to increase its power capacity through opportunistic acquisitions and setting up green field projects,” a statement said.

he company is expecting to have an installed capacity of above 2 GW by FY2020, it said. The company currently has an operational capacity of 751 MW of wind assets and 400 MW of under construction wind assets. To meet capital requirements for expansion, the firm is planning a fund infusion to the tune of USD 300 million. The state electricity boards (SEBs) and various industrial and commercial corporate consumers form the prospective users of the produced power capacity, it added. The company intends this robust expansion encouraged by growing demand. Their reported revenue was Rs 525 crore generated in the FY 2017-18 alone.

Going forward, wind energy will be our main focus area with a few ventures into solar and hybrid energy as well. We have been very fortunate to be associated with the state of Tamil Nadu and are forecasting wind energy for the entire state with our new technology. Wind Energy has a great potential in India and we are glad to be part of its growth journey in India and across the world,” said by Rajeev Karthikeyan, Founder and MD of Leap Green Energy, said in the statement. Currently, LGE operates in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Gujarat with plans to enter more states immediately. The institutional demand for wind energy is growing and applicable across functions including malls and shopping centres, hospitals and banks among others. In-terms of wind power installed capacity, India is ranked 4th in the World. The wind power generation has significantly increased in the recent years, today India is a major player in the global wind energy market. The current total installed wind power capacity is 34.293 GW and is going to expand to 60 GW by FY 2022, it added. Source: PTI

Source: reuters

www.EQMagPro.com

October 2018

BUSINESS & FINANCE

KKR Closes $7.4 Billion Global Infrastructure Fund KKR, a leading global investment firm, today announced the final closing of KKR Global Infrastructure Investors III (the “Fund”), a $7.4 billion fund focused on pursuing global infrastructure investment opportunities with an emphasis on investments in OECD countries. KKR will be investing $358 million in capital alongside external investors through KKR’s balance sheet and employee commitments. The current scale of global infrastructure investment demand is simply enormous, and is only growing, with the need outstripping capital available,” said Raj Agrawal, KKR Member and Global Head of KKR’s infrastructure business. This dynamic, coupled with limited public financing sources, has created a significant need for private capital to provide infrastructure solutions. We believe our sector expertise and global platform uniquely position us to help fill this funding gap and we look forward to our continued growth in, and commitment to, the infrastructure asset class.

KR has a risk-based, rather than a sector-based, approach to infrastructure investing. Consistent with this approach, the Fund will focus on critical infrastructure investments with low volatility and strong downside protection where KKR believes it can leverage its global value creation resources to tackle complexity in sourcing, structuring, operations, and execution. By doing so, the Fund aims to deliver attractive returns with a low risk profile from a portfolio that is broadly diversified across a number of different infrastructure sub-sectors, geographies and asset types. The Fund has a broad investment mandate across infrastructure sectors, including but not limited to: energy; transportation; water, wastewater and waste; social infrastructure; and communications infrastructure. The Fund will also focus its investment mandate on the OECD countries predominantly in North America and Western Europe. KKR first established a dedicated infrastructure team and strategy in 2008. Since then, the team has grown to consist of 25 experienced investment professionals and has completed or announced 25 infrastructure transactions across a number of sub-sectors and geographies. With the closing of the Fund, KKR’s infrastructure business manages approximately $13 billion in assets under

October 2018

management. Recent transactions by the Fund include Starlight, which owns a portfolio of approximately 10,200 telecommunication towers across France, and Discovery Midstream, the largest private natural gas gathering and processing business in Colorado’s Denver-Julesburg Basin. The Fund received strong backing from a diverse group of new and existing global investors, including public pensions, sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, family offices, high net worth individual investors and other institutional investors.

“Since first launching the Fund, we were thrilled to see the incredible momentum we received from investors – both those who were early and large supporters of our predecessor funds and also those who were first-time investors with us as well as the asset class,” said Alisa Amarosa Wood, KKR Member and Head of KKR’s Private Market Products Group. “The enthusiasm we saw across all geographies and investor types demonstrates the strong support for our infrastructure team, strategy and investment performance to date. Additionally, we have seen infrastructure as an asset class mature and grow in the way investors allocate capital to the space. The support for our Fund also speaks to this evolution of the asset class. We believe this continues to be important as the need for infrastructure capital from an investment perspective only grows.”

Source: KKR

www.EQMagPro.com

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

Air pollution even impacts solar panels’ output After initially collecting data on both the amount of solar radiation reaching the ground, and the amount of particulate matter in the air as measured by other instruments, Ian Marius Peters worked with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) associate professor of mechanical engineering Tonio Buonassisi and three others to find a way to calculate the amount of sunlight that was being absorbed or scattered by haze before reaching the solar panels.

Eventually, they were able to collect data in Delhi, India, providing measures of insolation and of pollution over a two-year period — and confirmed significant reductions in the solar-panel output. But unlike Singapore, what they found was that “in Delhi it’s constant. There’s never a day without pollution,” Peters said. There, they found the annual average level of attenuation of the solar panel output was about 12 percent.

hile that might not sound like such a large amount, Peters pointed out that it is larger than the profit margins for some solar installations, and thus could literally be enough to make the difference between a successful project and one that fails — not only impacting that project, but also potentially causing a ripple effect by deterring others from investing in solar projects. If the size of an installation is based on expected levels of sunlight reaching the ground in that area, without considering the effects of haze, it will instead fall short of meeting its intended output and its expected revenues.

“When you’re doing project planning, if you haven’t considered air pollution, you’re going to undersize, and get a wrong estimate of your return on investment,” Peters said.

After their detailed Delhi study, the team examined preliminary data from 16 other cities around the world, and found impacts ranging from 2 percent for Singapore to over nine percent for Beijing, Dakha, Ulan Bator, and Kolkata. In addition, they looked at how the different types of solar cells — gallium arsenide, cadmium telluride, and perovskite — are affected by the hazes, because of their different spectral responses. All of them were affected even more strongly than the standard silicon panels they initially studied, with perovskite, a highly promising newer solar cell material, being affected the most (with over 17 percent attenuation in Delhi). Many countries around the world have been moving toward greater installation of urban solar panels, with India aiming for 40 gigawatts (GW) of rooftop solar installations, while China already has 22 GW of them. Most of these are in urban areas. So the impact of these reductions in output could be quite severe, the researchers say. In Delhi alone, the lost revenue from power generation could amount to as much as USD20 million annually; for Kolkata about USD16 million; and for Beijing and Shanghai it’s about USD10 million annually each, the team estimates.

Planned installations in Los Angeles could lose between USD6 million and USD9 million. Overall, they project, the potential losses “could easily amount to hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars annually.” And if systems are underdesigned because of a failure to take hazes into account, that could also affect overall system reliability, they said.

Peters said that the major health benefits related to reducing levels of air pollution should be motivation enough for nations to take strong measures, but this study “hopefully is another small piece of showing that we really should improve air quality in cities, and showing that it really matters.” Source: ANI

www.EQMagPro.com

October 2018

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

Companies that use cleaner energy more profitable: Report Companies that use cleaner and smarter energy are more profitable than their peers, a new report said, underlining the business case for putting sustainability at the heart of corporate growth strategies.

he RE100 report with Capgemini Invent, which draws on 2016-17 data from a sample of 3,500 companies, shows RE100 businesses, committed to 100 per cent renewable electricity, consistently perform better than non-members on two key financial indicators: net profit margin and EBIT (Earnings Before Interests and Taxes) margin. The difference is significant — up to 7.7 percentage points — and is true across all sectors, most prominently for information technology, telecommunications, construction and real estate. In India, Dalmia Cement, Tata Motors, Infosys, Hatsun Agro Products and more recently Mahindra Holidays and Resorts committed to transition to 100 per cent renewable energy, by joining The Climate Group’s RE100 campaign. The report comes from Climate Week NYC, where for the 10th year running The Climate Group is convening business and government leaders from around the world to advance climate action. For the first time, companies from Latin America and Turkey have joined RE100, The Climate Group’s global initiative with CDP for businesses committed to 100 per cent renewable electricity. They are the world’s leading bakery company Grupo Bimbo and leading Turkish menswear retailer and manufacturer GArmen Group. Global hospitality leader Hilton has joined EP100, The Climate Group’s initiative with the Alliance to Save Energy to cut out energy waste. RE100 member Bank of America has joined EV100, committed to additional charging infrastructure installations. Other new RE100 joiners include Decathlon (France), Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India (India), Fuyo General Lease Co Ltd (Japan), Lyft (US) and Taiwanese skincare products company TRIDL, which also joined EP100.

October 2018

Being energy-smart and being businesssmart goes hand in hand and this has to be norm, sooner rather than later to keep warming well below two degrees Celsius, The Climate Group CEO Helen Clarkson said. With the addition of new members and of PVH Corp. (Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Speedo) last week, RE100 now brings together 152 leading companies from a wide range of sectors, representing over $3.8 trillion in revenue. Committed to sourcing 100 per cent renewable electricity for their global operations in more than 120 countries, they are creating demand for over 184 TWh of renewable energy per year — more than enough to power New York State and Connecticut combined. Climate Week NYC is the time and place where the world gathers to showcase amazing climate action and discusses how to do more. Taking place from September 24-30 in New York, this is the 10th annual Climate Week NYC, run by The Climate Group in coordination with the United Nations and the City of New York.

www.EQMagPro.com

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

India Ratings and Research: Cap on Solar Tariffs Pose Threat to Capacity Addition Plans and Project Viability Any cap on solar power tariffs in future auctions could dampen free market sentiment and prove to be an Achilles heel for the plans of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) to achieve the solar power capacity target of 100.00GW by FYE22, believes India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra).

onfusion over applicable safeguard duty, increased project cost due to the depreciating Indian rupee against the US dollar and a lower margin of safety (due to highly competitive tariffs) remain the key challenges to the solar power industry’s growth. Auctions for at least 3.9GW capacity were scrapped during 5MFY19 compared with about 11.86GW of fresh capacity auctioned during the period. The major reason behind the scrapping of these bids may be higher quoted tariffs compared with minimum tariffs quoted in past auctions.

It is pertinent to note that the weighted average tariff (as per capacity allocated) quoted by winning bidders during 5MFY19 stood at INR2.74/kWh. As observed by Ind-Ra, perceiving a high counterparty-related risk, parties had bid higher tariffs in auctions held by states. Also, in case of the applicability of 25.00% safeguard duty, tariffs could further increase by INR0.30-0.35/kWh. According to market sources, the MNRE is contemplating on capping the tariff on solar power generated using imported cells and modules at INR2.68/kWh, which includes the safeguard duty amount of INR 0.30-0.35/kWh. This tariff is lower than what bidders have quoted in the recent past. If the MNRE decides to go ahead with this capping, it may lead to non-participation by a significant number of potential bidders in future auctions. This may negatively affect the MNRE’s yearly 30.00GW capacity addition plan until FYE20. The progress on auctions is already lagging due to frequent changes in the policy on the levy of safeguard duty on solar panel and module imports. Any such move by the MNRE will only worsen the progress of future auctions. Also, some solar plants are delaying the import of solar modules until there is clarity on safeguard duty, as it may pose risks to -

www.EQMagPro.com

-them, such as the levy of liquidated damages and the reduction in project tariff due to delayed project execution. In Ind-Ra’s opinion, the whole purpose of doing reverse e-auction for renewables is to create market competition and let competition decide the tariff. Any attempt to tamper the tariff could lead to the non-achievement of the capacity addition target and a negative impact on project viability. Given the solar power industry is still grappling with the significant reduction in solar tariffs post the feed-in tariff regime, any further reduction may be too soon to deal with for participants. Also, lower auction volumes (in case bidders decide against bidding below their threshold level) could lead to sub-optimal volumes available to domestic panel and module manufacturers. This would affect their ability to significantly ramp up their production capacity to achieve economies of scale. Under-construction solar power are facing increased cost pressure due to the depreciation of the Indian rupee against the US dollar, considering solar modules are largely imported and typically constitute 60.00% of project cost. Please refer to Market Wire: Depreciating Rupee to Pose Challenges to Economical Solar Tariffs to assess the extent of the impact of the depreciation of the Indian rupee against the US dollar on solar tariffs. Project cost and plant load factor (PLF) remain the biggest sensitivities to equity rate of return and debt service coverage ratio.

October 2018

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

By 2023, the World Will Have 1 Trillion Watts of Installed Solar PV Capacity

Plan afoot to install floating solar panels in dams in Maharashtra

It’s time for our regular check-in on where solar PV installations are headed. Here’s the quick answer: Prices are still going down and capacity is going up around the world. Pretty much the same path we’ve been on.

A state-run agency in Maharashtra has come up with a plan to install solar panels in the backwater of two dams to generate electricity.

ut that path for solar has widened. In fact, within the next five years, the world will likely have over 1 terawatt of solar capacity installed, according to the latest global data from Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables. That’s a trillion watts. That’s enough to serve more than one-third of America’s electricity consumption. Our last major capacity projection was one year ago, when the GTM Research team forecasted 871 gigawatts by 2022. The latest projections show higher-thanexpected growth for every year after 2018. For example, WoodMac projections for 2020 are 26 gigawatts higher than last year’s forecast.

Basically, it’s Asia and everyone else. China, Japan and India will make up 20 percent of the total global market through 2023. Over the next two years, China and Japan will make up half of annual installations — even with both markets in decline this year. But the long tail of markets is very important. North America and Europe will account for 28 percent of the market by 2023; The Middle East will jump from 3 percent of capacity today to 9 percent; and Latin America will make up 7 percent of global installations. The global market is increasingly diverse.The reason for the upward adjustment in capacity is pretty simple. Prices are ultra-competitive, and falling. More countries are putting in place auction systems — increasingly “subsidy free” — and large-scale solar photovoltaics are winning a lot of bids. Cost drops haven’t kept pace with recent price drops, but WoodMac expects costs to catch up. WoodMac analysts simulated 625 auction-tariff scenarios and found a median price of 2 cents per kilowatt-hour by 2022. “Bid prices will continue their downward march pretty much everywhere. More sub-2 cent PV bids are likely, both in leading low-cost markets and in emerging markets that are launching solicitations. By 2022, awarded prices as low as $14/MWh will be old news,” they write in the report. Source: greentechmedia

October 2018

Jayakwadi dam, located in Aurangabad district of Central Maharashtra, and Ujani dam in Solapur district of Western Maharashtra, will be the sites of the solar power generation project, an official said. The Marathwada Statutory Development Corporation (MSDC), a body formed by the state government, has come up with a plan to erect floating solar panels in the backwater of the two dams falling under its jurisdiction. A study in this regard is in an advanced stage at the Ujani dam, while the Jayakwadi dam was later added to the project, he said.

The Jayakwadi dam, like Ujani, has widespread backwater, which can be used for installing floating solar panels for power generation. There is ample free space at the tail-end of the dam, which we are planning to use for (erecting) solar panels, Bhagwat Karad, chairman of MSDC, told PTI.

ocated in Marathwada, the Jayakwadi dam, built on the Godavari river, is located near the Aurangabad city and is a key source of water to the arid region. The Ujani dam, built on the Bhima river, is located in Madha tehsil of Solapur district. It is the state’s largest dam in terms of water storage capacity.

www.EQMagPro.com

SOLAR PROJECTS Ujani and Jayakwadi dams come under the corporation’s jurisdiction. We have decided to seriously pursue the concept and come up with practical plans for setting up solar panels, Karad said. Asked what prompted the corporation to use backwater space of dams for setting up solar panels, he said, Similar projects are in operation in Kerala and West Bengal.

Lightsource BP Builds Largest PV Project in India with 200,000 High-Efficiency Mono -crystalline Modules supplied by LONGi Solar Ujani and Jayakwadi dams come under the corporation’s jurisdiction. We have decided to seriously pursue the concept and come up with practical plans for setting up solar panels, Karad said. Asked what prompted the corporation to use backwater space of dams for setting up solar panels, he said, Similar projects are in operation in Kerala and West Bengal. Maharashtra also has widespread dams such as Ujani and Jayakwadi, which are under my jurisdiction. I have asked officials concerned to conduct a study on possibility of setting up solar panels on dam water. The corporation has held talks with private companies to find out if they are willing to invest in this project and operate such facilities, Karad said. A meeting with officials from the state water resources and electricity departments took place recently in Aurangabad to discuss the proposed project. We also held talks with some private companies which are willing to invest in this project and operate it, he said. Such projects will reduce the government’s dependence on acquiring land, which is a long-drawn process, for setting up solar power plants, the official said. “The biggest relief is availability of space for setting up solar plants. If similar solar panels are to be deployed on land, then acquisition for such projects would have taken longer time. “Here, it is just an inter-departmental issue and panels have to be set up and operated within the joint framework of the WRD (water resources department and the state -run power generation company,” he said. Another official said Marathwada is a suitable region for harnessing solar energy, a clean source of power. “Marathwada has higher solar radiation, which is good for setting up solar panels. All we need to study is the up and down movement of water (in dams) during the year and operate panels after ensuring they don’t get damaged,” said the official from the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd

Lightsource BP announces the completion of its first utility PV project in India. The project, built on 240-acre in Maharashtra in central India deploys 200,000 high-efficiency monocrystalline modules supplied by LONGi Solar.

Nick Boyle, CEO of Lightsource BP, said, We want to support the development of public utilities in India with efficient clean energy subproducts and technologies. When officially grid-connected, the project will provide clean electricity to about 20,000 households in Maharashtra, greatly improving local lifestyle.

ith continuous innovations in high-efficiency, highreliability and high-yield PV products and best LCOE solutions, LONGi Solar has gained recognition worldwide with reliable products and guaranteed performance. As a global leading monocrystalline module manufacturer, LONGi Solar will accelerate the application of high-efficiency PV products and make continuous efforts towards green production and advancing grid parity. Lightsource BP was formed after British oil giant BP acquired Europe’s largest solar developer Lightsource. The company is dedicated to building solar projects in the United States, India, Europe and the Middle East with plans to deploy more than 8 GW solar capacity globally in the next 5 years. Source: longi-silicon

Source: PTI

www.EQMagPro.com

October 2018

REI 2018

12 EDITION OF REI EXPO TH

Reiterates Renewed Focus on Clean Energy Sector Keen Global and local participation, Foreign Investments & Technology Breakthroughs marked the show

BM India successfully concluded the 12th edition of Renewable Energy India (REI) Expo, the three day (18th – 20th September 2018) show at the India Expo Center, Greater Noida. This year, the show focused on approaching renewables in a more holistic manner, with due consideration to wind, hydropower and biomass along with solar energy. The expo witnessed over 750+ exhibitors participation from 45 countries, with over 1,000 delegates and 225 speakers at the 37 conference sessions. The event was well supported by European Union India – Clean Energy & Climate Days and Business Beyond Borders (BBB), National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), Skill Council for Green Jobs (SCGJ), European Business Technology Center (EBTC), Euro Chambers, Bloomberg News Energy Finance, Bridge to India, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), Indo-German Energy Forum (IGEF), Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS), Asian Photovoltaic Industry Association (APVIA), TFE Consulting GmbH, PV magazine and Indian Biogass Association and German Biogass Association (IBA and GBA), among others, joining in the rich conference domain themed ‘Accelerating Momentum...From Ambition to Action’. The event witnessed new product showcases including charging stations, frameless glass to glass panels, solar inverters, solar kit solutions, bi-facial modules and testing lab facilities. There was an increased presence of floating solar equipment makers, demonstrating the growing demand for such projects in the country. Business to Business (B2B) meetings were facilitated in two separate zones to enable focused and well-directed match-making. Various subjects ranging from viability of manufacturing, large-scale project development challenges caused by land and transmission bottlenecks, Rooftop challenges caused by DISCOM’s, low bids, payment issues, net-metering, and financing were discussed.REI 2018 also showcased bolstering Start-ups and SMEs with the launch of Sunrisers Pavilion, Session on Advantage Telangana, crucial industry dialogues in the form of CEO Roundtable, Financial Leadership Forum, Quality & Future Round Table, 5th Indo-German Energy Symposium, EU – India Clean Energy & Climate Days and International Matchmaking, and the 4th edition of Renewable Energy India Awards to recognize the Innovation & Excellence in the field of Renewable Energy.

October 2018

Commenting on the successful conclusion of the show, Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, UBM India said, Over the years, REI has duly acquired a unique dynamism and influence as a comprehensive global platform for the RE domain addressing these challenges and aiding India’s green mission. This year was remarkable, with intense global participation in the form of renowned forums such as Business Beyond Borders, European Business Technology Center (EBTC), European Commission, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), Indo-German Energy Forum (IGEF), European Union, and more. REI also witnessed a pre-bidding meet by the Govt. Of Madhya Pradesh for its project RESCO and a session – Advantage Telangana by the Govt. Of Telangana which made it one of the must-attend event for green energy professionals in India and across the globe. Nitin Sharma, Raychem RPG said This past year has been fairly tumultuous and at the same time exciting for the industry. We are particularly excited by the progress we have made in expanding our portfolio and strengthening our partnerships. We commissioned India’s first MW scale Energy Storage Project – Integrating Grid, Solar and Diesel generator to provide quality and stable power to load and partnered with Dynapower, USA for Energy Storage Power Conversion System for technology collaboration. We were nominated as Knowledge Partner to International Solar Alliance (ISA) for Energy Storage System. We also launched an integrated Small Scale Energy Storage System – upto 15 KW, Launched Solar and Energy Storage Kits upto 20 KW installation & eBOS for larger applications and engineered solutions like Optimizer, DG-PV Controller and other interesting products for customers. Through REI, we connected and demonstrated exciting solution ranges to leap into brighter and sunnier future.

www.EQMagPro.com

REI 2018

Saurabh Bhandari, Chief Executive Officer, SolarMaxx said REI, as in the past, proved to be a tremendous platform for the RE sector to come together and witness new technology and product launches. Our brand, SolarMaxx, once again received an overwhelming response from the industry. Our high efficiency modules, especially the half-cut cell modules were particularly appreciated. We look forward to many more such events by UBM.

Mr. Rishi Seth, Joint Managing Director, HPL Electric & Power Ltd said, “REI Expo layers an outstanding platform to showcase our latest BOS (Balance of System) product range and offerings in renewable energy, along with the hands on experience of our latest technology. REI Expo is also a meeting place for some of the major suppliers, consultants and industry experts, even what also amazes us is that the relevant people from different states and power utilities are present to witness the showcased products. He further added, “We are showcasing two new products at the expo namely Solar home Light Solution and Solar Inverter equipped with latest technology and modern designs. Our Solar home light solution is an energy solution which is specially designed for remote and rural areas. It is a highly portable product that requires negligible maintenance and perfect for outdoor activities. The second product which we are displaying at the Expo, Solar Inverter is a transformer less Inverter with 97% Efficiency. It comes with remote monitoring features enabling the user to operate the device wherever they are located and also ensure the greater security & better performance. This exceptional product has a twin MPPT charge controller in order to optimize sun light utilization at all times and is embedded with IP 65 which makes it suitable for outdoor application. Being a battery less inverter, it is quite cost effective as compared to OFF Grid invertors.”

www.EQMagPro.com

Mr. Vinay Shetty, Managing Director, Canadian Solar Energy Private Limited said In line with its global policy to offer highest quality premium modules to its customers world wide with a sole objective to make solar energy more and more affordable and continuously drive down the LCOE, Canadiansolar has launched their most premium highest efficiency module - HiKu series 405Wp Poly PERC Module, HiDM series modules - 410Wp Mono PERC Module and 365Wp BiKu series Poly PERC Bifacial Modules in REI Expo 2018. To demonstrate their commitment to Indian customers, They are the first company to announce BIS Certification in India for their China and Thailand factory made modules. As per BTI, Canadiansolar Ranks No.1 in India for the period of October 2017 to September 2018. As per Canadiansolar, Poly PERC is more sustainable product compared to Mono PERC, in terms of lower manufacturing cost, systems cost, higher energy yield and lower LCOE.

Rajaram Pai, business leader – South Asia & ASEAN, DuPont Photovoltaica Solutions With the increasing deployment of solar energy in India, the quality of each and every component matters to help ensure investment stability for all stakeholders to continue investing in this form of energy for long term. Our vast experience in the global solar industry enables us to bring market leading PV materials that provide high efficiency, high reliability solutions to our customers.” said Rajaram Pai, Business Leader – South Asia & ASEAN, DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions. “Winning the REI Award 2018 for International Excellence is of great significance to us as we continue to work together with industry partners to help build a robust quality infrastructure for India’s sustainable clean energy future”, Pai added.

Mr. Jamie Yang, Director, Can Solar Inc. said At REI 2018, we displayed the Solar Storage system – ‘Solar Power Bank for Home’ – 2kW / 2.5kWh and a Solar DC combiner box that doesn’t require wiring. REI Expo’s new International Matchmaking feature helped us set up meetings prior to the show. Also, the visitors that showed up says a lot about the blooming Renewable market in India.

October 2018

Blockchain

Blockchain in Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution What is the Opportunity?

Article By:

Grant Thornton

64Â

October 2018

tructurally, the economies of scale of large power plants have driven investment in centralized resources (e.g., coal/ gas plants). And these power plants have typically been located far away from population centers because of the pollution they produce. The power so generated is shipped across miles of transmission and distribution infrastructure to the end consumer leading to T&D and AT&C lossesof as much as 25%.

www.EQMagPro.com

Blockchain

We believe the modernization of energy production and consumption – driven by smart meters/devices, energy efficiency devices, renewables, and storage – is already beginning to disrupt the traditional utility model, particularly as customers seek to engage directly in power purchase decisions via self-generation and/or energy arbitrage through storage solutions. The reason for the shift towards renewables now is external economies of scales of the Renewable Energy industry (especially, solar PV). Renewable sources of energy deal with both the problems: it is a non-polluting source of energy and hence, does not need to be located away from population centers allowing for lower losses in energy. Secondly, it is now at par and even cheaper than power purchased from the grid. Blockchain could further the disruptive potential of these new sources of energy, eventually creating an increasingly decentralized means of energy consumption where energy users are also energy generators, transacting directly with each other in the electricity market. It could give birth or realize the concept of ‘community solar’ where there is absolutely no tampering with the energy that has been distributed in the community. Further, this could potentially reduce entry barriers for becoming an electricity distribution company (with lesser investment and infrastructure requirement). The market could potentially be transformed from largely a monopoly to something between an oligopoly and monopolistic. This would also increasethe supply of electricity because of the number of providers, furthering easier and cheaper access to electricity due to higher competition.

www.EQMagPro.com

What are the Pain Points? LINE LOSSES. Supplying power across miles of

wires creates inefficiencies as voltages are stepped up and down, resulting in power losses. We estimate that 25% of total generation actually never reaches the final end user – resulting in higher cost for the consumer.

RELIABILITY. Even if the power reaches rural areas they are the first victims of load shedding. The centralized infrastructure of the power grid leads to broad swaths of the population losing power at once.

EXPENSIVE POWER TARIFFS. This is by far, the biggest pain point for consumers of electricity in India with rising grid tariffs.The rural market cannot afford the electricity tariffs and hence is prone to electricity tapping and theft. A peer to peer network (combined with solar electricity) can partially solve this problem by doing both- tracking who consumes how much and by providing affordable power.

What is the current way of doing business? The electric power grid pairs centralized production with distributed consumption.Since the advent of alternating current (AC) transformers in the late 1800’s, the electrical grid has been dominated by centralized power generation and long-distance transmission infrastructure. Distributed resources, particularly rooftop solar, effectively feed excess power back to the grid under net metering, with credits adjusted in the bills. This is a billing mechanism, used in more than 23 states, that credits customers for electricity provided to the grid from approved renewable energy generation systems. Under net metering, credits are generated at the prevailing retail utility grid rate in most cases and enable consumers to lower their traditional electricity bill; however, no direct revenue is generated. We believe that pressures to lower the rate at which net metered power is credited will continue to increase over time owing to the business lost by the DISCOMs. This sometimes is manifested in ways such as the bills don’t have adjusted credits so the bills don’t reduce as a result of installing solar. This further leads to consumer’s trust being evaded about Solar PV technology and its use. So how can

October 2018

Blockchain

How does blockchain help? BUSINESS IMPACT : Blockchain Could Help Create A Decentralized Energy Marketplace. In what would be the most disruptive scenario for the electricity market, we believe the combination of blockchain and communications technology could facilitate secure transactions and payment between millions of parties, enabling a decentralized energy market place. Simply put, the distributed nature of blockchain could allow distributed energy users to sell power seamlessly to consumers in their vicinity in a literal localization of energy production and consumption. The potential appears real. In Brooklyn, NY a startup called TransActive Grid has enabled this type of peer-to-peer energy sales networkbased on blockchain technology whereby homes with rooftop solar sell to neighbors onthe same street who do not have solar installed. Such a mechanism has only been suggested in ‘Group Net-Metering’ in Delhi, however, does not make use of blockchain technology and has also not been implemented yet. Realistically, this potential exists in small and localized microgrids – residential andindustrial – given that the vast majority of power generation will likely remain centralized for decades to come. Owing to the vast potential offered in India by villages that don’t have electricity access, this application could have more value for India than anywhere else in the world. We also note that significant regulatory changes would be requiredfor blockchain to have a major disruptive impact on the traditional utility business model.On the other hand, the potential for traction could be higher in off-grid opportunities. Forinstance, a startup called Grid Singularity is using blockchain to explore “payas-you-go”solar in developing countries where grid infrastructure is less sophisticated and regulatoryhurdles may be lower.

October 2018

STRUCTURAL IMPACT: Blockchain drives more distributed grid infrastructure. The ability to transact in the energy markets as a localized generator would likely drive a bigger shift toward technologies that enable a distributed grid. The revolution would not only include smart blockchain networks and devices, but also Internet of Things (IoT) appliances and electric vehicles, as well as power resources like rooftop solar, energy storage, and even fuel cells.Theoretically, the more distributed the grid becomes, the more reliable and efficient itcould be in matching power supply and demand – sending real-time pricing signals andreducing expenditures on costly transmission and distribution infrastructure, among otherfactors. Policy impact: Blockchain could end the need for net metering. We believe the adoption rate of distributed solar has largely benefited from policies such as net and gross metering,which support the economics of going solar vs. paying for grid power. However, the longer-term outlook for net metering is not certain owing to growing opposition from utilities. We believe distributed energyproducers would embrace an alternative to selling back to the grid – e.g., selling into a localized merchant market, for which blockchain could provide the distributed and secure transactional backbone to enable a decentralized marketplace. POLICY IMPACT: Blockchain could end the need for net metering. We believe the adoption rate of distributed solar has largely benefited from policies such as net and gross metering,which support the economics of going solar vs. paying for grid power. However, the longer-term outlook for net metering is not certain owing to growing opposition from utilities. We believe distributed energy producers would embrace an alternative to selling back to the grid – e.g., selling into alocalized merchant market, for which blockchain could provide the distributed and securetransactional backbone to enable a decentralized marketplace.

www.EQMagPro.com

Blockchain

Challenges to adoption REGULATORY: States have laws that prohibit sales of electricity by non-utility entities. For blockchain to enable distributed energy users to transact directly in energy sales, regulation will need to evolve. This is the largest of all the hurdles. TECHNICAL: Smart blockchain network infrastructure would be required for devices and meters to transact via blockchain. PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS: Blockchain enables secure transaction processing, but power will still need to be physically delivered from one node to another on the grid, which will still need to be maintained by utilities/transmission operators.

Combining blockchain with the Internet of Things could enable the negotiation of distributed power transactions. By using distributed wireless or wireline data links in a mesh network (or another more traditional communications architecture), distributed producers could automatically broadcast information on excess power availability along with relevant duration information. Individuals/ small companies will function as mini- power trading companies. In principle, consumers could automatically respond with their power needs. Using a blockchain-based ledger, machine proxies of producers and consumers can negotiate pricing and enter into a power sale transaction based on a smart contract. Smart contract is a digital contract between two parties who are engaging in a transaction on a blockchain network and this transaction is irreversible and incorruptible. We believe the Smart Grid use case may offer a good example of when a public blockchain could be used to enable secure transactions between users who do not know each other. We can imagine multiple “Smart blockchain network” (SBN) being enabled on a local or regional basis. centralized marketplace.

www.EQMagPro.com

COSTS: Future cost reductions in distributed energy appear likely given the technology roadmaps of areas such as solar and battery storage. In addition, a reduction in required transmission and distribution investment is favorable for all-in cost considerations in the shift from centralized to distributed generation. So, when such a distributed generation begins to compete with/ take business away from traditional thermal generators, there would be a rising opposition. USER BEHAVIOR: While blockchain would theoretically make transactions seamless and automatic, energy consumers have traditionally not been energy generators – and they have definitely not been revenue generators. This would require a dramatic change in seller thinking about the application of energy usage/ consumption in a more widely distributed grid environment where market dynamics between buyers and consumers become increasingly transparent. SECURITY: Blockchain would drive the potential for millions of transactions on the grid. This would imply higher risk given the sheer number of points on the smart blockchain network; however, blockchain’s enhanced security and ability to register participants could potentially strengthen grid security.

October 2018

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

Electricity demand grows 7.4 pc in July, thermal PLF lower: ICRA Rating agency ICRA today said electricity demand growth remains strong in July 2018 at 7.4 per cent but thermal plant load factor moderated by pick up in generation from wind and hydro sources.

“

The all-India electricity demand grew by 7.4 per cent in July 2018 on a year-on-year (Yo-Y) basis as per the provisional estimates of the Central Electricity Authority (CEA). While the growth moderated from the high of 9.1 per cent reported in June 2018, it continued to remain strong,

”

owever, the ICRA said that the all-India thermal plant load factor (PLF) or capacity utilisation moderated to 55.5 per cent in July 2018 from 60.7 per cent in June 2018, due to higher generation from wind and hydro sources, leading to backing down of thermal units. Nonetheless, the thermal PLF is higher on a Y-o-Y basis against 54.3 per cent in July 2017. According to the statement, the thermal power segment did not witness any capacity addition in the first four months of FY2019, while the hydro and renewable energy segment added 110 MW and 1,742 MW, respectively during this period. The ICRA expects the capacity addition from the thermal segment to remain subdued and to be mainly driven by the central and state sector. With an improved tariff competitiveness and strong policy thrust, the renewable energy segment would remain a major driver of capacity addition in the power sector in the medium term. The

October 2018

production and off-take of coal from Coal India Limited (CIL) increased by 10.7 per cent and 8.9 per cent on a Y-o-Y basis in July 2018. Also, the coal production by CIL is up by 14.1 per cent on a Y-o-Y basis for the first four months of FY2019. However, it said that the average coal stock position across the coalbased power plants in the country continued to remain low at 11 days as on July 31, 2018, against the normative stock level of 22 days, due to rising demand and logistical challenges in increasing the coal off-take. The average spot power tariff on the Indian Energy Exchange moderated to Rs 3.46 per unit in July 2018 from Rs 3.73 per unit in June 2018, which is lower than average price of Rs 4.76 per unit witnessed in May 2018. This can be attributed to the improved energy availability with pick-up in generation from wind and hydro sources and moderation in absolute energy demand from the levels reported in May 2018, it added.

Girishkumar Kadam, Sector Head and Vice President, ICRA Ratings, says, “Apart from a few months in between, the monthly electricity demand growth has remained higher than 5 per cent over the past 15 months, reflecting a sustained recovery in demand. In our view, this demand growth trend is likely to continue, given the focus of the central government on improving rural household electrification. Nonetheless, the thermal PLF remains sensitive to the generation from renewable energy sources and coal supply available from domestic sources.”

www.EQMagPro.com

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

Growatt is the largest Chinese inverter supplier for Indian rooftop power plants in 2018 According to India Solar Rooftop Map released by solar consultancy Bridge to India, Growatt is outstanding in India PV market and become the NO.1 Chinese inverter supplier for Indian rooftop power plants in 2017-2018.

RIDGE TO INDIA is a leading consulting and knowledge services provider in India renewables, which produces regular market leading research with the objective of bringing international renewable technology and business expertise to India. The team from BRIDGE TO INDIA has worked on numerous assignments for top-tier clients including the Indian government, GE, SunPower, AES, Fortum, First Solar, Bosch, The World Bank, IFC,etc. The authoritative comprehensive research report shows that Growatt has a market share of 8.3% and is the largest Chinese inverter supplier for roofing power plants in India. With abundant solar energy resources and a huge market demand, India has become the third largest PV market around the world apart from China and USA. The new PV installations capacity in India was 9GW in 2017; While in 2018,the PV construction planning shows that the installations will be 11 GW, 2 GW more than that of last year. India is one of Chinese PV suppliers’ strategic market. Growatt insists on global marketing strategy. It entered Indian market in 2013 and has established a service center to bring local customers closer to our industry-leading products. With powerful research and development and innovation, as well as reliable quality and nice service, Growatt has won wide recognition from the customers. Growatt photovoltaic power projects cover the whole India. India Solar Rooftop Map released demonstrates Growatt’s outstanding performance in the Indian market.

www.EQMagPro.com

roviding a comprehensive range of products and smart innovative technology, Growatt has been the top exporter of photovoltaic inverters. In order to improve the service system worldwide, Growatt has established branch offices in Australia, Germany, USA and Holland. Growatt’s inverters have thus far been exported to more than 100 countries throughout the world and won praise and recognition worldwide. In the future, Growatt will continue to adhere to global business operations and strive to become the world’s leading user-side smart energy supplier.

October 2018

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

Global Renewable Energy Trends

AUTHORS : Marlene Motyka Parsippany, New Jersey, Andrew Slaughter Houston,Texas Carolyn Amon Arlington, Virginia

Solar and wind move from mainstream to preferred Technological innovation, cost efficiencies, and increasing consumer demand are driving renewables—particularly wind and solar—to be preferred energy sources. We examine seven trends that are driving this transformation.

Enablers Longstanding obstacles to greater deployment of renewables have lifted, thanks to the three enablers: rapidly approaching grid parity, cost-effective and reliable grid integration, and technological innovation. Once dismissed as too expensive to expand beyond niche markets, solar and wind can now beat conventional sources on price while increasingly matching their performance. The idea that renewables present many integration problems in need of solutions has reversed: The integration of solar and wind is beginning to help solve grid problems. Finally, renewables are no longer waiting for supporting technologies to mature, but instead seizing cutting-edge technologies to pull ahead of conventional sources. HAVING only recently been recognized as a “mainstream” energy source, renewable energy is now rapidly becoming a preferred one. A powerful combination of enabling trends and demand trends— evident in multiple developed and developing nations globally—is helping solar and wind compete on par with conventional sources and win. The first enabler is that renewables are reaching price and performance

October 2018

parity on the grid and at the socket. Second, solar and wind can cost-effectively help balance the grid. Third, new technologies are honing the competitive edge of wind and solar. Demand from energy consumers has mostly coalesced around three goals that the first three trends have enabled renewables to best fulfill. With varying degrees of emphasis on each goal, consumers are seeking the most reliable, affordable, and environmentally responsible energy sources. Chief among these consumers are cities integrating renewables into their smart city plans, community energy projects democratizing access to the benefits of renewables on and off the grid, emerging markets leading the deployment of renewables on their path to development, and corporations expanding the scope of their solar and wind procurement. These trends will likely continue to strengthen through two mutually reinforcing virtuous circles. The deployment of new technologies will help further decrease costs and improve integration. This will enable a growing number of energy consumers to procure their preferred energy source and accelerate national energy transitions across the world.

www.EQMagPro.com

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

I. REACHING PRICE AND PERFORMANCE PARITY ON AND OFF THE GRID The speed of solar and wind deployment and their steeply declining cost curves have surprised even the most optimistic industry players and observers. Ahead of projections and despite lingering perceptions to the contrary, wind and solar power have become competitive with conventional generation technologies across the top global markets, even without subsidies. Wind and solar have reached grid price parity and are moving closer to performance parity with conventional sources. In fact, the unsubsidized levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for utility-scale onshore wind and solar PV generation has dropped even with or below most other generation technologies in much of the world. While resources such as combined-cycle gas turbines (CCGT) have more flexibility to follow the load curve, increasingly affordable battery storage and other innovations are helping smooth the effects of wind and solar intermittency, giving them more of the reliability required to compete with conventional sources. From a price perspective, onshore wind has become the world’s lowest-cost energy source for power generation, with an unsubsidized LCOE range of US$30–60 per megawatt hour (MWh), which falls below the range of the cheapest fossil fuel, natural gas (US$42–78 per MWh). By the end of 2017, onshore wind capacity had more than doubled over the 2011 capacity of 216 gigawatts (GW): A total of 121 countries had deployed nearly 495 GW of onshore wind power, led by China, the United States, Germany, India, Spain, France, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and Canada—and onshore wind had reached price parity in these nine countries.In the United States, the lowest costs are in strong wind regions such as the Great Plains and Texas, while the highest are in the northeast. Globally, the lowest costs are in the nine leading countries, as well as Eurasia and Australia. Utility-scale solar PV is hot on wind’s heels: It is the second-cheapest energy source. The high end of solar PV’s LCOE range (US$43–53/MWh) is lower than that of any other generation source. A record 93.7 GW—more than the total capacity in 2011 (69 GW)—was added globally in 2017 across 187 countries, bringing the total capacity to 386 GW, led by China, Japan, Germany, the United States, Italy, India, and the United Kingdom. Solar has reached price parity in all these markets except Japan, one of the world’s highest-cost solar markets, primarily due to high capital costs. As Japan transitions to competitive auctions, solar price parity is expected between 2025 and 2030. In the United States, the lowest costs are in the southwestern states and California.8 Globally, Australia has the lowest costs for solar PV and Africa has the highest due to investment costs.

www.EQMagPro.com

Beyond the leading countries, wind and solar price parity is also within sight worldwide as the cost gap widens between these and other generation sources. Except for combined-cycle gas plants, the LCOEs of all conventional sources and nonintermittent renewables have either remained flat (biomass and coal) or increased (geothermal, hydropower, and nuclear) over the past eight years, while the LCOEs of onshore wind and utility-scale solar PV have, respectively, fallen by 67 percent and 86 percent as the cost of components has plummeted and efficiency has increased—two trends that are projected to continue. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, onshore wind and solar PV generation costs have already fallen 18 percent in the first half of 2018. In Europe, Japan, and China, competitive auctions are a major factor further bringing down costs by driving subsidy-free deployment at lower prices.Upgrading, or “repowering,” wind turbines in the developed world is also pulling global average costs downward by raising capacity factors. In addition, developing world costs could fall as global developers and international organizations team up to facilitate project development. Such partnerships are helping resolve the resource dissonance created by the fact that Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom have some of the poorest solar resources but are global solar leaders, while Africa and South America, respectively, have the greatest solar and wind resources, but these remain largely untapped. As wind and solar capacities grow, many conventional sources will start operating at lower capacity factors, causing the LCOEs of both existing and new-build conventional projects to increase. The cost of new solar and wind plants could eventually be not just lower than the cost of new conventional plants, but also lower than the cost of continuing to run existing plants globally. This was already demonstrated by Enel’s winning bid last year to build a combination of wind, solar, and geothermal plants in Chile that will sell power for less than the cost of fuels for existing coal and gas plants.

October 2018

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

Utility-scale solar and wind combined with storage are increasingly competitive, providing grid performance parityin addition to price parity. With the addition of storage, wind and solar become more dispatchable, eroding the long-held advantage of conventional energy sources. While the cost of renewables plus storage is higher, they can provide capacity and ancillary grid services that make them more valuable. Regulatory and market structures determine whether the additional value can be monetized. But even if the services cannot be sold, this combination is more valuable because operators can supply more of their own needs and potentially time shift the use of grid-supplied electricity to off-peak, cheaper hours. Renewables combined with storage are also reaching price parity as lithium-ion battery costs have fallen nearly 80 percent since 2010 and solar penetration has increased. All the top solar markets have utility-scale projects that include storage. In the United States, the storage market frontrunner, solar-plus-storage is already so competitive in some markets that developer Lightsource has announced all its bids in the west will include storage. Factoring in the investment tax credit, the United States will see solar-plus-storage projects at parity beginning next year in Arizona, followed by Nevada and Colorado, which will also feature wind-plus-storage at parity. A recent RMI study shows that renewables plus storage can be combined with distributed resources and demand response to create â&#x20AC;&#x153;clean energy portfoliosâ&#x20AC;? that provide the same grid services for less than it costs to build a new gas plant today, and less than it will cost to run an existing one as early as 2026.

Utility-scale grid parity is not the only factor, as distributed renewables such as rooftop solar are reaching socket price and performance parity. In this case, price parity is reached when self-generation becomes less expensive than retail electricity bills. Commercial solar PV has reached unsubsidized socket parity in parts of all the top solar markets that are at grid parity, except for India. Incentives such as tax credits and net metering have made residential solar PV competitive in these markets too, and mandatory for new construction in California beginning in 2020. Solar installers are increasingly combining battery storage with residential solar. US homeowners deployed as many residential storage systems in the first quarter of 2018 as in the past three combined, mostly in California and Hawaii.Residential solarplus-storage is currently cheaper than utility retail rates in 19 US states, as well as in several regions of Australia and Germany, where, respectively, 40 percent and 50 percent of residential solar PV systems installed in 2017 included storage. Australia and Europe have more residential and commercial rooftop solar than utility-scale solar capacity, raising the prospect of distributed versus utility-scale solar-plus-storage becoming the defining energy resource competition when grid and socket parity are reached.

72Â

October 2018

www.EQMagPro.com

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

II. COST-EFFECTIVE AND RELIABLE GRID INTEGRATION One of the most often cited obstacles to the deployment of solar and wind energy has been their intermittency. The situation is reversing: Wind and solar may soon cease to appear as problems to be solved, but rather as solutions to grid balancing. Indeed, renewables have not been as difficult or costly to integrate as anticipated. What’s more, they have demonstrated an ability to strengthen grid resilience and reliability and provide essential grid services. The intermittency challenges of wind and solar may be overstated. Most countries and regions are at renewable penetration levels that require minimal adjustments to the grid: Renewables either barely register at the system level or require only small changes in operating practices and in the use of existing resources. In countries or regions with a high penetration of renewables, requiring more complex systemic changes, conventional energy sources are adjusting to enable more renewables to be integrated cost-effectively. For example, across the European Union, China, and India, operators have retrofitted conventional combined heat and power plants to produce heat without electricity, and coal and CCGT plants to provide additional flexibility and stability. Interconnection with neighboring markets is another key tool that Northern Europe and regions of the United States have successfully pursued, since the aggregation of renewables spread over a larger territory can more cost-effectively smooth their output and eliminate curtailment. Wind and solar place downward pressure on electricity prices. In theory, because solar and wind have zero marginal generation costs, they displace more expensive generators and reduce electricity prices. In global practice, the deployment of solar has flattened midday price peaks, while wind has lowered nighttime prices.Three-quarters of the top 20 US solar and wind states have electricity prices below the US national average; a quarter are among the nation’s 10 states with the cheapest electricity, including the wind leader Texas. Wholesale prices in the top European solar and wind market, Germany, have more than halved over the past decade. In Denmark, which has the world’s highest share of intermittent renewables (53 percent), electricity prices exclusive of taxes and levies are among the lowest in Europe. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimates that once the United States reaches Denmark’s penetration levels of 40–50 percent renewables, some states will see the dawn of “energy too cheap to meter.”

www.EQMagPro.com

Growing shares of wind and solar pair with greater grid reliability and resilience. US states with the fewest outages are among the top solar and wind states. Over the past decade as wind production increased 645 percent in Texas, the state’s grid reliability metrics significantly improved. The grids of Germany and Denmark have also become more reliable over the past decade, even as the latter has seen wind and solar produce 90 percent of the power consumed in its western region for a fifth of the year. The interconnected Danish and German grids are currently two of the world’s most reliable. European data shows that unplanned outages form a minority of onshore and offshore wind outages, whereas most coal and gas plant outages are unplanned; onshore wind has fewer and shorter outages and recovers faster than any other generation source. In instances where extreme weather conditions have tested grid resilience, renewables compensated for fuel-based resource shortfalls. Wind broke generation records when the United Kingdom faced a natural gas shortage during a winter storm in 2018, and beat generation expectations in the United States when coal piles froze during the 2014 polar vortex or soaked during Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Wind and solar can become important grid assets. Intermittent renewables are already helping to balance the grid. For example, wind power helped decrease the severity of most of the northern Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s steepest three-hour load ramps in 2017. But conventional generation still provides virtually all essential grid reliability services related to frequency, voltage, and ramping. That may change, though, as smart inverters and advanced controls have enabled wind and solar to provide these services as well or better than other generation sources. When combined with smart inverters, wind and solar can ramp up much faster than conventional plants, help stabilize the grid even after the sun sets and the wind stops, and, for solar PV, show much higher response accuracy (respond faster and with the required amount of power) than any other source. Smart inverters can also turn distributed resources into grid assets with minimal impact on customers and make these resources visible and usable to utilities. The few jurisdictions leveraging these capabilities have mandated them (e.g., Quebec), allowed renewables to sell ancillary services in their markets (e.g., Italy), and/or created new services markets (e.g., the United Kingdom).

October 2018

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS III. TECHNOLOGY FOR AUTOMATED, INTELLIGENT, BLOCKCHAINED, AND TRANSFORMED RENEWABLES New technologies involving automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and blockchain, as well as advanced materials and manufacturing processes, can accelerate the deployment of renewables. The technologies range from those streamlining the production and operation of renewables (automation and advanced manufacturing) to those optimizing their use (AI in weather forecasting), improving the market for renewables (blockchain), and transforming the materials of solar panels and wind turbines (advanced materials). These technologies support the previous two trends by helping to further decrease costs and facilitate integration. Automation is dramatically cutting time and costs for solar and wind production and operations. FirstSolar automated its US manufacturing plant last year and tripled the size of its panels at a cost that undercut its Chinese competitors by 30 percent by transforming production from a hundred-step, multiday process to one that takes just a few steps and hours. Automation also has significant operational implications for offshore wind, which accounts for more planned maintenance outages per installed GW than any other generation technology. In July, the world’s largest offshore wind farm deployed fully automated drones and cut the inspection time from two hours to 20 minutes. Looking ahead, crawling robots currently under development will enable automated microwave and ultrasonic inspections of the internal structure and materials in solar panels and wind turbines. Automated processes collect troves of data that AI can help analyze for predictive and prescriptive purposes. AI finetunes weather forecasting to optimize the use of renewable resources. Weather forecasting is a key component in the integration of renewables because weather shapes the availability of wind and solar resources, as well as their consumption. On a cold windy day, both supply and demand for wind power might increase, whereas a windy night might see increased supply and unchanged demand. An AI system can process satellite images, weather station measurements, historical patterns, and data from wind turbine and solar panel sensors to forecast weather, compare the forecasts against reality, and adjust its model through machine learning to produce increasingly accurate forecasts. AI systems can process hundreds of terabytes of data and provide frequent forecasts at a highly granular level. National forecasting systems in the leading solar and wind markets have integrated AI and driven significantly improved accuracy and cost reductions for operators.For example, the AI-based Sipreolico, Spain’s national wind forecasting system, halved the number of errors in 24-hour forecasts in seven years of operation. Hyperlocal AI forecasting models can now be implemented in a week almost everywhere. In addition, IBM is currently working with the US National Center for Atmospheric Research to create the first global weather forecasting model, which will bring AI capability to underserved markets. Another technology that could benefit underserved markets is blockchain.

October 2018

The case for blockchain is compelling for energy attribute certificates. The electricity sector is rife with possible applications for blockchain. One of the clearest use cases is energy attribute certificate (EAC) markets—predominantly renewable energy certificates (RECs) in the United States and Guarantees of Origin (GOs) in Europe. EACs are conceptually simple: Each energy attribute credit certifies 1 MWh of tradable renewable electricity generation. However, the tracking process involves a complex, expensive, and time-consuming interplay of multiple parties that is exposed to fraud. By providing a shared and trusted master list of all transactions, blockchain obviates the need for registry providers, brokers, and third-party verification. The automated process can become transparent, cheap, quick, and accessible to small players. Blockchain EACs would also help resolve the many trust and bureaucratic hurdles that are especially acute in developing countries, which have struggled to get EAC markets off the ground (see Powered by blockchain: Reimagining electrification in emerging markets). Both startups and established players have started exploring EAC blockchains, with a power company and stock exchange recently partnering to create a proof of concept. Meanwhile, two proven concepts have paved the way for paradigm shifts in the field of advanced materials and manufacturing. Advanced materials and manufacturing: Perovskite and 3D printing are poised to revolutionize the solar and wind industries. Perovskite has been the fastest-developing solar technology since its introduction, making efficiency gains that took silicon over half a century to achieve in less than a decade. In June 2018, a British and German startup demonstrated a record 27.3 percent conversion efficiency on perovskite-on-silicon tandem cells in laboratory settings, beating the laboratory record of standalone silicon cells. Belgian researchers achieved similar efficiency the following month, and both claim that over 30 percent efficiency is within reach.Perovskite has a simpler chemistry, the ability to capture a greater light spectrum, and higher efficiency potential than silicon. Perovskite can also be sprayed onto surfaces and printed in rolls, enabling lower production costs and more applications. Perovskite modules may be commercialized as early as 2019. On the wind front, additive manufacturing is paving the way for the use of new materials. Two US national laboratories collaborated with the industry to manufacture the first 3D-printed wind-blade mold, significantly reducing prototyping costs and time, from over a year to three months. The next frontier is to 3D print the blades. This would enable use of new combinations of materials and embedded sensors to optimize the blades’ cost and performance, as well as onsite manufacturing to eliminate logistical costs and risks. Manufacturers plan to start with on-demand 3D printing of spare parts at wind farms to reduce costs and downtime for repairs. GE is already using additive manufacturing to repair and improve wind turbine blades.

www.EQMagPro.com

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS Demand Cities, communities, emerging markets, and corporations are increasingly driving demand for renewables as they seek reliable, affordable and increasingly clean energy sources. Thanks to the enabling trends, solar and wind power are now best positioned to deliver on all three of these goals. Smart renewable cities (SRCs) see renewables as an integral part of their smart city strategies; community renewable energy is empowering consumers to access electrification or exercise electricity choice; emerging markets are embracing solar and wind as the best means to power their development strategies; and corporations are procuring renewables to improve their bottom line while greening their operations.

IV. SMART RENEWABLE CITIES SRCs recognize that solar and wind can power their smart city goals. Most of the world’s population now lives in growing cities, some of which have taken a proactive “smart” approach to managing their infrastructure with connected sensor technology and data analytics. The focus of more advanced smart cities is to enhance quality of life, competitiveness, and sustainability (see Forces of change: Smart cities).Solar and wind are at the intersection of these goals because they contribute to depollution, decarbonization, and resilience while enabling clean electric mobility, economic empowerment, and business growth. SRCs capitalize on this confluence. The biggest SRCs are doing this by transforming their existing infrastructure, while the newest ones are building it from scratch.

www.EQMagPro.com

The biggest: Million-people SRCs. SRCs can be defined as cities with solar and/or wind power and a smart city plan that includes a renewable energy component. Table 1 lists the cities with over a million people by their share of power generation from wind and solar. San Diego is the global leader. Solar and wind already account for over a third of its electricity mix, and the city has a 100 percent renewables target by 2035. San Diego is also a locally driven SRC—while the US government is stepping back from climate commitments, San Diego has vowed to continue its deployment of renewables. The city also has a more ambitious renewable target than California’s statewide target. Meanwhile, the leading city in Asia, Jaipur, is a nationally driven SRC. India’s national government created a 100 Smart Cities Mission that included a solar energy requirement. Jaipur does not have a renewable target, but will benefit from ambitious state and national targets set this year. Jaipur’s key SRC initiative is rooftop solar powering of infrastructure, beginning with eight metro stations that will be entirely solarpowered during the day. Finally, the European leader Hamburg is a locally and supranationally driven SRC. While Germany does not provide a national smart city strategy or facilitate access to funding, the European Union provides many platforms and funding sources supportive of SRC initiatives. Hamburg has drawn on these to help position itself as a European hub for renewable research and companies in addition to deploying renewables. These SRCs share the challenge of transforming existing infrastructure and systems into smarter, more renewable ones. The newest: Greenfield SRCs. Unencumbered by legacy development, entrenched interests, and red tape, greenfield SRCs can build a model city that showcases and tests the latest technology. Peña Station Next is an aerotropolis that seeks to capitalize on a strategic location at a train station between the booming city of Denver and its growing airport—two stakeholders in this project. The 382-acre community is powered with an islandable rooftop solar-plus-storage microgrid owned by Xcel Energy and operated by Panasonic, another two key partners in the smart city’s development. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is also partnering with the city to help create a net-zero energy and carbon-neutral community plan. In Canada, Quayside is a greenfield SRC located within the top-10 SRC of Toronto. Rooftop and wall-mounted solar will power the 800-acre waterfront neighborhood developed in partnership with Alphabet’s Sidewalk Labs.Finally, last year the Saudi Crown Prince announced a US$500 billion plan for a 10,000-acre greenfield SRC by the Red Sea called NEOM, with the ambition of becoming an international hub akin to Dubai. The plan envisions a city running entirely on solar and wind power paired with storage, and features a bridge across the sea to Egypt.

October 2018

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

While first-generation greenfield smart cities were criticized for their ghost town aspect, resulting from a focus on technology over people, these new SRCs seek to weave into the existing urban fabric, with Peña Station serving as a “living lab” for Denver, Quayside as a “model sustainable neighborhood” for Toronto, and NEOM as a “connectivity hub” for Asia and Africa. Solar and wind power are integral to their plans. While Peña Station and Quayside are small SRCs, they can provide proofs of concepts for technologies and business models that can then be scaled in big cities. NEOM can do the same at a much greater scale. With so much freedom, the challenge for greenfield SRCs is to narrow the options down to a combination worth exploring.

V. COMMUNITY ENERGY OFF AND ON THE GRID The original trend toward “community solar” has expanded into “community energy” with the addition of storage and management systems that allow more flexibility. The expansion has resulted in new ways for community energy to serve off-grid and on-grid areas. In off-grid areas, it can now provide electrification at price and performance parity with other options. In on-grid areas, its ability to power communities independently of the grid fulfills resilience and self-determination goals. In both situations, many countries have embraced community energy as it democratizes access to the benefits of renewables deployment. In off-grid areas, community renewable energy can provide optimal electrification. Community energy in off-grid areas can be defined as communityowned partnerships that enable electrification and reinvest profits in the community. Projects mostly consist of solar-plus-storage microgrids in rural areas with sufficient population density. The main driver for solarpowered microgrids is their cost-effectiveness relative to fuel-powered microgrids, a grid extension, kerosene lamps, or diesel generators. Renewable microgrids are also generally more reliable than the grids in developing countries. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have primarily initiated and funded these community energy projects. The advantage of community energy over other electrification models is strong community buy-in and empowerment. The same rationale applies to many island markets and remote areas in developed countries. On the flipside, some communities in developed countries are pursuing community renewable energy as a means to go off grid. This is notably the case in Australia, where community energy grew strongly in 2017. In an effort to generate electricity that’s more reliable, affordable, and clean than what their national grid provides, communities such as the Tyalgum Energy Project are developing self-sufficient renewable microgrids that could sell excess power back to the grid or disconnect from it completely.

October 2018

In areas with developed electric grids, community energy provides shared ownership or access to wind and solar resources. Energy cooperatives are the most common structures and involve shared citizen ownership and operation of renewable resources. Germany is the global energy cooperative leader: Over two-fifths of renewable energy installed in the country last year was cooperative-owned, and Germany recently implemented new rules to level the playing field for energy cooperatives to participate in power auctions. Denmark also strongly supports energy cooperatives, requiring a 20 percent local community share in all wind projects. The energy cooperatives have contributed to strong citizen engagement and support for the deployment of renewables in these two countries. Spurred by a national competition, the Danish island of Samsø successfully transitioned from an entirely fossil fueldependent market to a 100 percent renewablesfueled one in under a decade with a community energy model. Energy cooperatives are also the pioneers of community energy in the United States, as discussed in Deloitte’s Unlocking the value of community solar.Cooperatively owned utilities, driven by member customer demand, account for over 70 percent of US community solar programs, while larger utilities account for the majority of capacity. Almost half of US households and businesses cannot host a solar system for lack of suitable or accessible roof space; community energy enables them to buy electricity from a shared solar project and receive a credit on their utility bill. Third-party providers administer two-thirds of community solar capacity, primarily to commercial customers and mostly in Colorado, Minnesota, and Massachusetts, with utilities accounting for the rest and primarily serving residential customers. Low costs, customer demand for renewable energy, and resilience concerns are driving the strong demand for community energy. The latter is reflected in Massachusetts’ Community Clean Energy Resilience Initiative (CCERI) grant program to protect communities from electricity service interruptions. Many communities that have experienced blackouts in the aftermath of natural disasters or severe weather events are turning to community renewable microgrids as a resilience tool to protect critical infrastructure. This is the case in Japan, which has a national resilience plan supportive of community energy. While cities and communities are increasingly relevant actors in the deployment of solar and wind power in developed markets, the national level is most relevant in emerging markets.

www.EQMagPro.com

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS VI. EMERGING MARKETS AS LEADING MARKETS The solar and wind industries and markets started and matured in the developed world (defined as the 33 highincome OECD members), but their center of gravity has shifted to emerging markets (all nondeveloped countries). In 2013, emerging markets surpassed the developed world in onshore wind growth, and in 2016, solar PV growth; in 2017, they accounted for 63 percent of global new investment in renewable energy, widening the investment gap with developed countries to a record high. their cumulative capacity is on the verge of surpassing that of the developed world (figure 5). Emerging markets have helped bring down the cost of renewables, allowing them to leapfrog developed countries in the deployment of renewables, pursue less carbon-intensive development, and innovate in ways that also benefit the developed world.

As the global leader, China is propelling the ascent of emerging markets in renewable energy growth. China recorded the largest solar and wind growth and total installed capacities in 2017 and is the only market above 100 GW for both sources. China alone accounted for over half of new solar capacity installations as well as two-thirds of global solar PV panel production in 2017. Eight of the top ten solar PV suppliers are Chinese, and the top three Chinese wind companies together account for the largest wind market share. China is also the only country to rank among both the top 10 recipients of emerging market cross-border clean investment and the top 10 investors, and the only emerging market among the latter. From the record cross-border clean investment year of 2015 through the first half of 2017, China invested US$2.23 billion in wind and solar in 11 other emerging markets, and received US$1.34 billion in wind and solar investments from 13 investor countries. Even without China, emerging markets are driving renewable energy growth and have the greatest potential to drive future growth. Emerging markets sans China are not ahead of the developed world in terms of wind and solar capacity added annually, but China’s share of emerging markets’ added capacity decreased from 2016 to 2017 for both wind and solar. In other areas, emerging markets outside of China are leading the way. Auctions for solar and wind capacity hit their most recent records in Mexico and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which, respectively, recorded the world’s lowest bids for wind and solar in 2017. Auctions have helped turn India into the world’s most competitive renewables market, with new players joining the fray. India and Turkey doubled their solar capacities in 2017, and the former recently raised its already lofty renewable energy target to 227 GW by 2022. Emerging markets have accounted for all new CSP capacity over the past two years; South Africa was the only country to bring new CSP capacity on line in 2017, while the UAE announced the world’s largest CSP project, slated to be operational in 2020. The countries with the highest renewable energy investment as a share of GDP are also all emerging markets, including the Marshall Islands, Rwanda, Solomon Islands, Guinea Bissau, and Serbia. Finally, the largest untapped market for electrification, Sub-Saharan Africa, presents a huge opportunity for renewable energy growth. For the most marginalized unelectrified populations in low-density areas, pay-as-you-go solar home systems are often the best electrification option. The International Energy Agency estimates that in the next two decades, most people without electricity will gain access through decentralized solar PV systems and microgrids.

www.EQMagPro.com

October 2018

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS Emerging markets are incubating innovation. Developed countries have benefitted from market and product designs that initially took off in emerging countries. For example, renewable energy auctions are a trend that emerging markets embraced first and that has brought steep declines in renewable prices across the globe. Some solar and wind products designed in and for emerging markets are also now being deployed in developed markets in a process of reverse innovation. For example, microgrids designed to electrify off-grid areas in developing countries have found applications in remote mines in developed countries.

VII. THE GROWING SCOPE OF CORPORATE INVOLVEMENT Corporations are procuring renewable energy in new ways, with a growing number of industry sectors involved. Power purchase agreements (PPAs) are becoming the preferred tool as corporations become increasingly concerned about the quality of their procurement: The gold standard is additionality, that is, assurance that the procurement creates measurable, additional renewables capacity. PPAs provide the greatest additionality, but are primarily accessible to large corporations. Aggregation is starting to expand access to smaller players. The largest corporations are also requiring and helping smaller companies to procure renewables as they have encompassed supply chains in their renewable targets. PPAs are the most rapidly growing corporate procurement tool. Corporations sourced 465 terawatt hours (TWh) of renewables globally in 2017 through self-generation or procurement.86 Three procurement tools are available to various extents across the 75 countries where corporations are sourcing renewables: EACs, utility green procurement programs (UGPs), and PPAs. EACs, the most widely used procurement tool, are available in 57 countries and are easy to procure. They allow companies to certify compliance with government renewable requirements or voluntary targets. However, they do not capture the full cost benefit of renewables and may not always provide additionality. UGPs are available in 39 countries, mostly in Europe, but are the least used and least transparent tool. They are often tied to EACs and share the same drawbacks. PPAs are available in 35 countries and rapidly spreading. In 2017, corporations signed a record 5.4GW of renewable energy PPAs in 10 countries. By the end of July 2018, corporations had already far surpassed this record, with 7.2 GW purchased in 28 markets. PPAs offer greater additionality and cost savings over EACs and UGPs, but also over typical electricity prices. However, they are more difficult for smaller players to access. They are a preferred tool for companies with electricity costs exceeding 15 percent of operational expenditures.89 Most of these companies actively manage energy procurement since it represents a significant outlay. All three tools are available in North America and most European countries. These developed countries continue to be the leading corporate procurement markets, and information technology remains the leading sector. However, companies in other sectors are increasing renewable procurement as well, and emerging markets are making it easier. Emerging markets India and Mexico also offer a full toolkit and are seeing growing multinational and national corporate procurement.

78Â

October 2018

A corporate compound effect can be achieved through aggregation and supply chains. Two-thirds of Fortune 100 companies have set renewable energy targets and are leading global corporate procurement through PPAs. Many of them have joined RE100, a group of 140 companies (as of September 2018) that have committed to sourcing 100 percent of their electricity from renewables. These are all positive developments, but the renewable corporate procurement momentum can only be sustained if many smaller companies join the effort and are able to access the full corporate procurement toolkit. As argued in Deloitteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2017 report Serious business: Corporate procurement rivals policy in driving growth of renewable energy, small- and mediumsized businesses represent the next wave of opportunity. Through aggregation, smaller players can form partnerships to jointly execute a utilityscale PPA. Some project developers are now meeting these smaller companies halfway by aggregating a series of PPAs. Last year, a Fortune 1000 company signed a PPA for 10 percent of an 80 MW wind project. The company will benefit from the projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economies of scale, while the developer will benefit from a diversified customer base and financial risk pool consisting of several smaller companies. This same company more recently collectively purchased 290 MW of renewable capacity with three companies, including a top procurer of renewables that provided access and favorable PPA terms the other partners would not have been able to otherwise secure. The scope of corporate procurement is also growing through supply chains. A third of RE100 companies have expanded the 100 percent renewables target to encompass their supply chain. This larger scope has the additional benefit of bringing multinational corporate expertise and capital to the renewables sector in emerging markets. A leading corporate procurer of renewables recently created a US$300 million clean energy fund to invest in the development of 1 GW of renewable energy in China, a model it hopes to replicate elsewhere.

www.EQMagPro.com

HAPPY TO OFFER UPT

50% Discount

On Subscription of EQ Magazine in Printed Copy Delivered to Your Doorstep One Year

12 Editions + 1 EQ Solar Map of India Current Price Rs.2400

Discount 10%

Two Years

24 Editions + 2 EQ Solar Map of India Current Price Rs.4800

Discount 20%

Three Years

36 Editions + 3 EQ Solar Map of India Current Price Rs.7200

Discount 30%

Four Years

48 Editions + 4 EQ Solar Map of India Current Price Rs.9600

Discount 40%

Five Years

60 Editions + 5 EQ Solar Map of India Current Price Rs.12000

Discount 50%

Offer is for Limited Time and Limited Number of Subscriptions on First Come First Serve Basis.

HURRY...SUBSCRIBE NOW. Subscription Price Includes Shipping in India.

Payment Can be Done by PayTM PAYTM Numbers +91 986244496 www.EQMagPro.com

Bank Account Details for Direct Payment/Deposit

Cheques/Demand Draft can be couriered to the following address

Beneficiary First Source Energy India Pvt Ltd Bank Name Bank Of India Bank Address At - Bicholi Mardana Branch, Village Barda, Post Ali, Indore-452001 (M.P) NDIA Account No. 882920110000386 Swift Code BKIDINBBPAL IFSC Code BKID0008829 MICR Code 452013002

Address : 95C Sampat Farms, 7th Cross Road, Bicholi Mardana, Indore 452 016 (M.P.) India

Beneficiary First Source Energy India Pvt Ltd Bank Name HDFC BANK Bank Address Shop No.9,10,11, Shehnai 2, Kana dia Road, Indore-452016 (M.P) INDIA Account No. 50200011285202 Swift Code HDFCINBB IFSC Code HDFC0001772 MICR Code 452240008

Online Payment by Credit/Debit Card at

saumya.gupta@eqmag.net EQ

October 2018

79Â

MAX50- 80KTL3LV/MV For Releasing PRODUCT OUTLINE: MAX 50-80KTL3-LV/MV series are equipped with 6 MPPTs, more flexible string configuration and less string mismatch loss. The Anti-PID function automatically heals PV module at night and increases long term profit of solar power plant. In addition, MAX 50-80KTL3-LV/MV series provide 24*7 reactive power compensation and increase transformer loading capability, thus save investment. Moreover, the inverter is with excellent capability to handle harsh grid environment which improves inverter reliability and ensures high generation.

SITUATION:

APPLICATIONS:

For roof and mountain solar projects it is common issue that panels have different orientations or been partially shaded this may cause the unbalance between PV strings. When the site environment is harsh, like there is heavy load or impact load, it is common that inverter will go offline and damage the circuit, further it is hard to find out the fault.

Growatt MAX 50-80KTL3 LV(MV) smart string inverters can transfer DC power to AC power efficiently, ideal for commercial roofs and large distribution projects.. MAX 50-80KTL3-LV(MV) inverter has fault waveform recoding function, once inverter goes wrong it will record one and half period (30ms long, 15ms before or 15ms after the fault) of waveform, voltage, current and power for trouble shooting purpose. Growatt service engineer almost can handle 60%+ problems by remote configuration and FW update without on-site service, saving time and cost for installers and distributors. Smart string monitoring and Smart I-V diagnosis are popular among the customers.

SOLUTION: Growatt MAX50-80KTL3 LV(MV) inverterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s multiple MPPTs and wide voltage range can significantly improve this situation, not only reduce the unbalance between strings but also increase the power generation. Anti-PID is integrated as a standard configuration, no need external anti-PID device, increases system revenue at the same time saves system cost. Comprehensive Protections (Lightning protection + Fire protection) is safe and reliable. MAX 50-80KTL3 LV(MV) smart inverter has low voltage and high voltage models along with sufficient communication methods can perfectly match different on-grid scenarios

80Â

October 2018

PLATFORM: MAX 50-80KTL3 LV(MV) smart inverter is particularly suitable for for harsh grid environments. If applied in commercial roofs and large distribution projects, MAX 50-80KTL3 LV(MV) demonstrates its maturity and meets these world-class standards with the latest technology and higher reliability. MAX 50-80KTL3 LV(MV) smart inverter has been tested under all sorts of harsh weather, mechanical environment, IP rating test and reliability test.

www.EQMagPro.com

SofarSolar Has Officially Released a New 3-6KW Power Storage and Hybrid Converter The Solar Group subsidiary SofarSolar has recently launched their new hybrid inverters. This new series of products is said to use only the latest energy-saving inverter technology and makes use of what’s known as the “black technology” of SofarSolar. Its launch has already greatly enriched existing product lines of the company and has enabled a solid foundation to be established for the subsidiary’s eventual international layout.

ofarSolar is aiming to establish a firm presence throughout the international storage market, which will come as a result of a comprehensive industry layout and company expansion. This appearance is one of the first elements of a new product range that draws the attention of potential consumers. This new line of technology boasts a milky-white design featuring a simple, smooth, rounded shape, complete with a fully functional LCD interface display. The all-aluminum body with one-time die-casting and rounded edges presents a different surface texture and showcases its generous craftsmanship. The products have been developed to provide the most convenient operating experience for users – which is why the built-in LCD is such a notable inclusion of the latest range. The full imported internal components of the products provide only the utmost professional quality and ensure great product lifespan. Likewise, its rational design has been constructed to reduce any losses. As the inverters use the heat source layout to decentralize the overall design, this allows the technology to improve its general heat dissipation and adds further thermal pasting. To provide consumers a sense of comfort, all the products also come with an IP65 protection level, with free choice of installation to make their experience even easier. Not only does the new hybrid inverter line from SofarSolar have an elegant appearance with a functional design, but it also makes use of the latest leading industry technologies. The new hybrids use what’s known as “black technology” – something that SofarSolar has a reputation for specializing in. This technology consists of things such as: off-grid and gridconnected systems with flexible switching, advanced battery management, two-way flow control of electric energy, sound and light alarms, MPPT tracking and I/V curve scanning, and remote intelligent monitoring. This latest hybrid inverter also uses the most advanced storage inverter technology that SofarSolar offers. It’s another notable breakthrough achievement for the extensive Solar Group subsidiary in regards to the market’s product research and development. Overall, SofarSolar has now secured their place as being the industry’s leading company for each and every one of their product niches. With such a great reputation and such a big name on the line, SofarSolar makes it their responsibility to ensure the stability, efficiency, and reliability of every single one of its products. To be able to do this, the company strictly controls and monitors the production and development of the various product lines. They also carry out industry tests and ensure the standards of the components used within the machinery to consolidate stability.

www.EQMagPro.com

WHAT CAN THE HYBRID INVERTER BE USED FOR? The latest hybrid inverter can be easily combined with a number of different existing systems depending on what needs the consumer are looking to meet. The range can be combined with the following: the photovoltaic off-grid system, off-grid energy system, photovoltaic grid-connected energy storage system, micro-grid energy storage system, and more. All of these systems can be found within industrial and industrial-intensive factories, which makes the hybrid inverter the perfect fit for the industrial sector. The price of self-use electricity is much more expensive than that of the offered internet technology, and so the peak price is also much higher than that of the wave price. This is just one of the reasons as to why the hybrid inverters are so beneficial – along with providing the leading technology, they’re also going to save consumers money. SofarSolar is currently focused on increasing its core technology R&D investment in grid-connected inverters, energy storage inverters, and its charging pile. With this in mind, they aim to improve the competitive advantages of their core product range, and provide further valuable service to their customer base. Their sole aim has always been having the company established as a trusted partner, and it’s well on its way. • THE NEW HYBRID INVERTERS : • Offer high-yield technology • Real-time, precise MPPT algorithm for maximum power generation • Wide input voltage operation range • Independent dual MPPT tracking with flexible solar roof system design • Safety and reliability • High efficiency with low energy loss • Low maintenance requirements • High frequency isolation between battery and PV grid • Advanced battery management technology to prolong and protect battery life • Easier operation • Free site placement selection due to IP65 • Modern, easy-to-read 4-inch

LCD display • Easy remote phone and web monitoring • Numerous working modes selection: auto, time-of use, timing, passive, etc. • PV & storage all in one, which increases self-consumption to 80%+, decreases electrical grid reliability, and reduces costs • Stand-alone mode available and ensures safe operation of energy loads • Intelligent grid management • Reactive power capability • Limits AC output when grid frequency is out of normal ranges • Limits AC output when grid voltage is out of normal ranges • Optional built-in zero export function

October 2018

GCL Produces High-Efficiency Module to Power 13 Million Homes GCL System Integration Technology Co., LTD. (SZ: 002506) (“GCL-SI”), put its 370W+ high-efficiency modules into mass production in the third quarter this year. Mass production of the new cast mono module of GCL-SI will drive headway for the world to reach grid parity.

he GCL cast mono module stands out with advantages of both polycrystalline and monocrystalline modules. When integrated with other advanced technologies such as MultiBusbar technology (MBB) and white EVA, the GCL cast mono module can reach a staggering 370 W+, normally associated with monocrystalline modules. In addition to a high efficiency, it also has a lower temperature coefficient, better performance in power generation and less light-induced degradation. The new module has already entered mass production and is estimated to reach 3GW in 2019, the power output of which will bring electricity to nearly 13 million households. The cell of the new module has an average efficiency of 21.4% which is made of high-quality silicon wafer and polysilicon materials produced by GCL-Poly. By adopting the ingot casting technology through methods such as thermal field optimization and the addition of seed crystal, the final product comes out with low electric resistance rate, high purity, low oxygen content, better structure and vastly reduced costs compare to mono wafer.

“Striving for lower costs and higher efficiency has been a common concern and key objective of the PV industry recently – Our answer to this is technology innovation. As a one-stop system integration solutions provider, GCL-SI offers services and products for the entire industry chain. Starting from silicon materials, we make a significant, objective approach,” said Luo Xin, the president of GCL-SI.

GCL has a team of 2500 experts in research and development for technology innovation around the world. It has R&D centers in Japan, Israel, China, the United States and many others. To date, the team has received 589 national patents and 408 authorization patents.

Seraphim and NEP Introduce Integrated Rapid-Shutdown PV Modules Seraphim Solar System Co. Ltd. (“Seraphim”), a world-class solar module manufacturer, introduced a new smart solar module today, a smart DC module integrated with “NEP PV-Guard”, a module rapid-shutdown device made by Northern Electric and Power (NEP). This product is designed specifically for the residential and C&I rooftop markets in North America, and will bring solar projects installed after Jan. 1, 2019 into compliance with NEC 2017 module-level rapid shutdown.

hen compared to traditional modules, Seraphim’s integrated rapid-shutdown modules with NEP PV-Guard help optimize the safety and performance of any given PV array. Smart modules offer customers’ real-time monitoring at the module level to enable proactive main-

October 2018

tenance, reducing losses, plus providing zero power clipping, flexible array design, and compatibility with leading inverters. The NEP PV-Guard has two options for PV systems. 1) NEP PVG-B is a junction box-integrated rapid shutdown function, replacing the traditional junc-

tion box in order to meet module-level shutdown compliance without external boxes; and 2) Option 2 is the NEP PVGR, a retrofit rapid shutdown solution. It is installed on the system separate from the modules. The NEP PV-Guard has been tested and verified by leading string inverter manufacturers.

www.EQMagPro.com

Vikram Solar launches half-cut-cell module at REI 2018 • •

Innovative and efficient Module to increase output by 15Wp Designed to minimize Shadow-loss through a series-parallel cell connection

ikram Solar, the globally recognized leading solar energy solutions provider, had launched a new line of solar modules at Renewable Energy India Expo, Greater Noida. The new modules are based on the latest half-cell technology that increases module output by ~15 Wp per module compared to standard PV modules. The technology also boasts efficiency up of 19.56%. The new high-density module technology is engineered to generate more power from advanced mono-PERC half-cells, thus achieving better Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE). The innovative design principle minimizes shadow-loss through a series-parallel cell connection, when one-half of the modules are affected by shading. The high efficiency half-cell modules are the perfect fit for all utility and rooftop projects.

On the occasion Mr. Ivan Saha, BU Head- Solar Manufacturing and CTO, Vikram Solar commented, “We are taking a big step by introducing advanced new High-Density Monocrystalline Modules using innovative Cell-Cleaving Technology. The design, superior price performance, increased shade tolerance and reduced power loss is expected to make a big splash in the market.”

KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NEW SOLAR MODULE: • The module consists of 144 and 120 half-cells instead of 72 and 60 full cells yet keeps nearly the same dimension as standard 72 and 60 cell modules • Higher energy yield through lower cell resistance. Half-cell modules have a higher fill factor and higher efficiency • The cells are cut with low temperature and lower kerf depth maximizing cell yield with no junction damage • Module power mismatch loss is reduced by a factor of four as power loss is proportional to the square of the current • No hotspot degradation on the modules • The split junction box provides better heat dissipation improving the life of the module

What sparks will fly when Solis inverter meets Tigo’s integrated Cloud Connect Advanced Ginlong Solis announced the signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the compatibility of its new Ginlong Solis Inverters to be integrated with Tigo®, pioneer of the smart modular Flex MLPE platform.

igo’s integrated Cloud Connect Advanced (CCA) universal data logger will power Ginlong Solis inverters as a UL-Certified ModuleLevel Rapid Shutdown System with all Smart Modules. This includes the Solis-1P(2.5K6K2)-4G-US and a new Smart Inverter series for residential, commercial, and industrial segments with an initial focus on the markets in North America (U.S., Canada, and Mexico).

www.EQMagPro.com

Integrating powerline communications (PLC) control allows Ginlong Solis to offer its customers various benefits to the TS4-F (Fire Safety) “out of the box” Rapid Shutdown solution. Solis1P(2.5K-6K2)-4G-US inverter was originally listed by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) as a PV Rapid Shutdown System subassembly equipment, announced last year. The certification was shared by Tigo after extensive testing with Tigo’s Rapid Shutdown solution for NEC 2014 & 2017 690.12 requirements. The certified System consists of the Solis-1P (2.5K-6K2)-4G-USinverter with Tigo’sTS4 optimizers with UHD-Core technology. “Ginlong Solis has a proven track record of success in the United States since 2009, with over 25,000 bankable and reliable Solis inverters installed nationwide. We are excited to partner with Tigo, a pioneer and leader in Module Level Power Electronics technologies to offer our customers with industry-leading affordable solar system solutions. We are working together to help accelerate

solar adoption and preserve planet for future generations.” “The Ginlong’s Solis-1P (2.5K-6K2)-4GUSinverter offers industry-leading 2 MPPTs design and fan-less natural convection technology. It has a compact and lightweight design inside a corrosion-resistant NEMA 4X enclosure for indoor and outdoor installations. The 5th generation Infineon IGB technology, improving the efficiency by 0.5%. High switching frequency at 30KHZ, reducing induction loss and noise level.It has up to 98.1% efficient with an ultra-low start up voltage. This inverter has integrated Arc Fault Circuit Interrupt (AFCI). Like most Ginlong Solis inverters, it has a 10-year Standard Warranty with extension options. Ginlong is now shipping its UL-listed Solis-1P(2.5K-6K2)-4G-US inverter with Tigo as a Rapid Shut down Solutionin North America and will ship the new Ginlong Smart Inverters Solis1P(6K-10K)-4G-US and Solis three phase inverters integrated with Tigo by Q1’2019.

October 2018

ADVERTISERS INDEX

SUBSCRIBE Subscribe “EQ International” at www.EQMagPro.com or fill your complete address and Email to :- gazalakhan.eq@gmail.com or Call 0731 4222268

avi solar ...............................................................................25

Yes! I would like to Subscribe to EQ International Magazine

Goldi green ...................................................................popup

For 1 Issue:

o Indian citizens Rs. 200

o International $ 25 / € 20

Goodwe...........................................................................popup

ganges ..................................................................................19 huawei...................................................................back COVER

For 1 Year (12 issues):

o Indian citizens Rs. 2400

o International $ 300 / € 240

Inter solar............................................................................21 insolation..............................................................................23

Please Mail the coupon to:

Jinko.....................................................................FRONT COVER

Name:-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

jurchen..................................................................................15

Job Title:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ja solar .......................................................front Gate Fold

Department: --------------------------------------------------------------------------Company:-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

longi solar ...............................................INSIDE FRONT Left

Description of the Company: ----------------------------------------------------

redington .............................................................................27

Adress:-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

solis ........................................................INSIDE FRONT RIGHT

City/State/Zip Code:-----------------------------------------------------------------

EQ Subscription....................................................................73

Country:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Phone:------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sofarsolar .................................................................. popup

Fax:----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shanghai Liangxin................................................................13

E-Mail. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Web site:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

solar maxx ...........................................................................09

PAYMENT

sanelite solar......................................................................11

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

solar india ...........................................................................17

for Rs……………………………………………………………………

Drawn on………………………………………is enclosed herewith.

tbea.............................................................INSIDE BACK RIGHT

Date/Signature: 2.- I will pay by Credit Card Type:...........................................................................

Name on Card:..............................................................

Number:.......................................................................

Security Code: ..............................................................

Expiration Date:.............................................................

Mail this coup on to: FirstSource Energy India Pvt. Ltd. Subscription Department. 95 C, Sampat Farms, Bicholi Mardana Distt-Indore 452016 Tel. + 91 96441 22268 9

October 2018

www.EQMagPro.com

R.N.I. NO. MPBIL/2013/50966 I DT OF PUBLICATION: OCTOBER 20 I POSTAL REGD.NO.MP/IDC/1435/2016-2018

3GW+ in Global Shipments from 2015 to 2017

86Â

October 2018