EQ International March 2013 Issue by EQ Int'l Solar Media Group

EQ Interview With Basant Jain CEO Mahindra EPC

Interview With Narender Surana Managing DirectorSurana Venture Ltd.

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EPC Prices– Where Is It Heading?

The Largest Central Inverter System: Power- One’s AURORA ULTRA-1400

Tamil Nadu Electricity Commission Order On Issues Related To Tamil Nadu Solar Energy Policy 2012

Come and see us at InterSolar Mumbai - India 14-16 December 2011 Stand 1361 Hall 1

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SOLAR PV TECH SOUTH INDIA

EXPO & CONFERENCE Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad, 6-8 June, 2013 Hyderabad International Convention Center (HICC)

International Expo & Conference on Solar Photovoltaics Technology & Investment

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Andhra Pradesh : Solar State of the Year India 2013

EDITORIAL

Andhra Pradesh RFS for 1 GW Grid Connected Projects received overwhelming response from the Solar Power Developers (SPD). The tender was over subscribed and received bids for 1.7 GW. Andhra Pradesh utility is the second most profitable utility in India after Gujarat. The lowest bid was from Sunborne at Rs.6.49 / kWh followed by Essel Mining quoting Rs.6.52 / kWh. These kind of tariffs would make financial sense only with the benefit of accelerated depreciation. Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan which imposed the condition of matching the L1 bidder has seen many developers backing out and unwilling to work at these kind of tariffs. Following these states, March’13 has seen announcing of bid process by Karnataka for 130 MW, Punjab for 300 MW and Uttar Pradesh for 200 MW. Tamil Nadu is expected to come out with another tender for fulfilling its target of 1 GW in 2013 after around 250 MW of Projects expected to go ahead under its 1st tender of 1 GW.Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) announced a major judgement regarding Tamil Nadu Solar Policy for enforcing the 6% Solar Purchase Obligation (SPO). The SPO will be administered by TANGEDCO. If any of the obligated consumers has not complied with the SPO they should pay an amount equivalent to the “Forbearance Price” of the Solar REC to the administrator and in turn the administrator shall purchase REC for the amount collected from the obligated consumers. Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) Phase II is expected to be announced in May’2013 after TarunKapoor confirmed to TOI that Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) has received an allocation of Rs.1500 Crores from the National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF). MNRE Plans to allocate 750 MW Solar Grid Connected Projects under JNNSM Phase II Batch I with Viability Gap Funding (VGF) to the lowest bidder. In totality Central Government’s JNNSM and State’s Policies create around 3-4 GW of Project Pipeline for India.The Ministry has sanctioned 15780 off-grid solar photovoltaic (SPV) power plants of total capacity of 13.25 MWp to be installed on individual houses in the country during 2012-13.Under the Off-grid and Decentralized Solar Applications Scheme of Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy is providing a subsidy of 30% of the project cost limited to Rs. 72 per Wp for installation of standalone power plants having module capacity upto 1 kWp on the roof tops of individual houses in the country including rural areas. The present installed capacity of power generation in the country is about 2,12,829 MW which includes 26,920 MW from renewable sources. This constitutes 12.5% contribution of renewable in the total power generation installed capacity in the country. The Ministry has projected a capacity addition of about 29,800 MW from renewable energy sources during 12th Plan period. It is expected that the contribution of renewable power in the total installed capacity would be in the range of 16 to 17% at the end of 12th Five Year Plan. As per the report published by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), 36947 million units, 41150 million units and 51226 million units were generated during 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 respectively from renewable energy sources. During 2012-13, about 23557 million units (April-August) have been generated from renewable energy sources in the country. There has been Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow to the tune of Rs.8569 Crores (US$ 1756 million) in the renewable energy sector during the last three years and current years (as on 31.12.2012). Implications of Union Budget 2013-14 on Renewable Energy Power Generation Segment As per Section 80 –IA, power generation companies are eligible for 100% deduction of the profits for 10 consecutive years during the first 15 years of operations. The benefit under this section was earlier available only until FY2013 which is extended till FY2015. This will be of a major advantage to project developers, as it will substantially reduce their tax burden. Guidelines announced for Financial Restructuring of Distribution Companies (DISCOMs)This will improve the financial health of utilities, and the overall sector. Improvement of the DISCOMs shall have a cascading positive impact on the financials of power generation companies, since this announcement would enable improved payment cycle (benefit from a shorter working capital cycle ) of power purchase by utilities, and hence a positive impact on the cash flow of power generation companies. Debtor / Receivable days of many power companies including Reliance Power and Torrent Power are approximately 150 days, whereas debtor days of NTPC stood at 69 days at the end of first six months of FY2012-13. Although this announcement looks optimistic and will aide in improving the financial health of the DISCOMs, we have to wait for the actual restructuring to occur. Reintroduction of Generation Based Incentives (GBI) for the Wind Energy Sector Impact.Re-instating this benefit provides additional revenue generation opportunities, over and above the tariffs provided by the utility, to the wind energy generators. Funds to the tune of INR 800 Crore would be provided to the Ministry of Non Renewable Energy (MNRE) for this purpose.    Low interest bearing funds from the National Clean Energy Fund Impact: Positive impact on the renewable energy, especially the wind energy segment. Government will provide low interest bearing funds from the National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) to Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) to be directed towards viable renewable energy projects.The move to provide low interest funding to viable renewable energy projects augurs well for the renewable energy projects, since it reduces the debt servicing component and thereby, the overall project operational costs.    Solar Manufacturing The bloodbath continues for Solar Manufacturing with the Worlds Biggest Solar Panel Manufacturer Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (NYSE: STP) announced that on March 18, 2013, a group of eight Chinese banks filed a petition for insolvency and restructuring of its Chinese subsidiary Wuxi Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (“Wuxi Suntech”). Wuxi Suntech notified the Court that it will not file an objection against the petition. On the other hand the technology and equipment provider Meyer Burger announced its Revolutionary Smartwire Connection Technology which Significantly Lowers Photovoltaic Production Costs And Boosts PV System Energy Yield By 10%. This will not only give 5% higher module power but also reduce the silver consumption by 80%. Please read the technical article on Page 63.

Anand Gupta Editor & CEO

INTERNATIONAL

FirstSource Energy INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED

INTERVIEW

CONTENTS INTERVIEW

VOLUME 3

Basant Jain

Narender Surana

16 CEO - Mahindra EPC

20 Managing Director Surana Venture Ltd.

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TRENDS & ANALYSIS

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Consulting Editor: SURENDRA BAJPAI

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PV INVERTERS & BOS

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54 BELECTRIC Inaugurates Germany’s Largest First Solar Thin-Film Solar Power Plant In Alt Daber (Wittstock)

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SOLAR EPC

POLICY & REGULATION

CONTENTS

Paulo Soares

Saumya Bansal Gupta

22 EPC Prices –Where Is It Heading?

34 Karnataka RFS for 130MW Grid Connected Solar Power Plant

SOLAR ENERGY 52 Mobile Portable Analyzer For Photovoltaic Modules AWS TRI- KA 56 MNRE RFID Mandate: Serving The Purpose 58 265W Multi-C Double 85 PID Free Solar Module In Mass Production 60 Lapp Kabel Unveils First Ultra-Flexible Industrial EthernetCat.6 Acable At Hannovermesse

SOLAR THERMAL 61 Solar Thermal Marking New Frontiers

PV INVERTERS & BOS

SOLAR PV OFF GRID

Chanchal Bhatnagar

BUILDING INTEGRATED PHOTOVOLTAIC (BIPV)

69 The Largest Central Inverter System: Power- One’s AURORA ULTRA-1400

Tanmay Bishnoi 72 The Most Innovative Product In The Solar Industry: SOLAR TILE

Eq Business & Financial News 6-15

POLICY & REGULATION 24 Tamil Nadu Electricity Commission Order On Issues Related To Tamil Nadu Solar Energy Policy 2012 26 Draft Kerala Solar Energy Policy 2013 30 PEDA Invites You To Invest In Solar Power Projects In The State Of Punjab - The Land Of Exciting Opportunities 32 Uttar Pradesh RFS for 200MW Grid Connected Solar Power Plant

QUARTER RESULTS 36 Trina Solar’s Fourth Quarter And Fiscal Year 2012 Results 40 Yingli Green Energy Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2012 Results 44 First Solar’s Fourth Quarter And Full-Year 2012 Financial Results 46 Canadian Solar Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2012 Financial Results 50 ReneSola Ltd. Exceeds Guidance And Achieves Gross Profit Margin Of 3.3% In The Fourth Quarter

62 Solar VFD-based Solutions for Pump & Motor Loads

PV MANUFACTURING 63 Meyer Burger’s Revolutionary Smartwire Connection Technology Significantly Lowers Photovoltaic Production Costs And Boosts PV System Energy Yield By 10%

PV INVERTERS & BOS 66 Monitoring and Controlling Photovoltaic Systems Economic and Reliable 70 Integrated Concept for Solar Parks: Schneider Electric’s plug and play PV Box (Solar Inverter Sub-Station) Solution

BUILDING INTEGRATED PHOTOVOLTAIC (BIPV) 74 “Sonali Solar” Introduces Range Of BIPV Solar Modules

MOUNTING SYSTEMS 76 IBC AeroFix – A Solid Lightweight Mounting System

POST SHOW REPORT 78 PV America 2013 East Show Attedees Urged To Work Together To Drive Solar Energy Growth

PRODUCTS 79 CONFERENCE & EVENTS 80

& EQBusiness Financial TE Connectivity Chosen By Vikram Solar To Provide Connectivity Products For 50 MW Solar Modules And Beyond TE Connectivity, a world leader in

applications. SOLARLOK combines such

We look forward to many more opportunities

connectivity recently, announced that it

products as junction boxes for solar modules,

to provide our customers with state-of-the-

has been chosen by Vikram Solar, India’s

system connectors, cables, combiner boxes

art, high-quality products.”

leading solar module manufacturer as a

and grounding technology. SOLARLOK is

preferred partner to supply the SOLARLOK

engineered for better thermal management

connectivity solution for their strategic

suitable for India’s weather conditions.

photovoltaic (PV) solar projects across the

Speaking about this long-term engagement,

country. TE has already supplied SOLARLOK

Mr. PuneetMehrotra, country manager for

junction boxes for 50MW of solar modules

TE’s Industrial Business Unit, said, “We

and now the engagement is expected to grow

are delighted to announce this long-term

to 100 MW a year. Vikram Solar panels are

engagement and are expecting to partner

TUV certified with TE products.

with Vikram Solar for over 100MW a year.

TE Connectivity is a world- leading solar connectivity manufacturer with its SOLARLOK solution for solar PV

We have been working with Vikram Solar since 2008, and this development is a significant milestone for both the companies.

Mr. SantoshGoyal, vice president of Vikram Solar, mentioned that, “TE connectors perform well, sustaining good connectivity, protection and low losses. Our solar PV modules are able to deliver what we promise thanks to our strategic association with TE Connectivity. We ensure that our OEM partners deliver and conform to the high standards and benchmarks that we stand for and expect our support partners also to adhere to this.

SMA:Sunny Central CP Inverters Make One Of India’s Largest PV Power Plants A 40 MW PV power plant in Rajasthan,

“Azure Power has continuously demonstrated

variations and highly irregular rainfall

India, equipped with 37 SMA Sunny Central

its commitment to inclusive growth through

the Sunny Central 800-CP inverters with

800-CP inverters has gone into operation

clean energy generation for grid connected,

their robust outdoor enclosure and with

last month. The Nagaur PV power project

rooftop and off-grid initiatives across India.

the intelligent OptiCool cooling concept

by the Indian solar power producer Azure

We are in line with the government of India’s

are perfectly suited. The plant will be

Power is the largest solar power plant

ambition of adding 20GW of solar power

instrumental in offsetting about 66,000

under the National Solar Mission at a single

by 2022. Our vision of providing affordable

metric tons of CO2 per year and hence would

location in India so far.Azure Power was

solar power for generations drives us to carry

help contribute to climate change mitigation.

able to commission the project earlier than

out extensive research and development in

Since autumn 2010, SMA has been present

scheduled due to an early preparation of

order to bring down the cost of energy for

in Mumbai with its own Sales and Service

the site facilities and a quick completion of

the end consumer. We have partnered with

company. RakeshKhanna, General Manager,

the installation activities. The SMA service

SMA Solar Technology AG since our first

SMA India and his colleagues support various

engineers from several service hubs were

plant and are satisfied with the performance

PV power projects with SMA technology,

thus able to complete the commissioning of

of the Sunny Central CP inverters”, says

including several large-scale projects in the

the PV power plant within just one week.

InderpreetWadhwa, CEO, Azure Power.

states of Gujarat and Rajasthan.

In advance SMA service engineers had also supported Azure Power experts during the pre-commissioning phase.

For the extremely dry and hot climate in Nagaur in summer, large temperature

Renewable Energy Contributes 12.5% in total power generation. The present installed capacity of power

of renewable power in the total installed

Institute of Renewable Energy for carrying

generation in the country is about

capacity would be in the range of 16 to 17%

out research and testing in Solar, Wind and

2,12,829 MW which includes 26,920 MW

at the end of 12th Five Year Plan.

Bio-energy technologies.

from renewable sources. This constitutes

The Ministry supports Research and

This information was given by Minister

Development on various aspects of renewable

for New & Renewable Energy, Dr. Farooq

total power generation installed capacity in

energy at universities, institutions and

Abdullah in Rajya Sabha.

the country. The Ministry has projected a

industry across the country. In addition,

capacity addition of about 29,800 MW from

the Ministry has established specialized

renewable energy sources during 12th Plan

centres namely Solar Energy Centre, Centre

period. It is expected that the contribution

for Wind Energy Technology and National

12.5% contribution of renewable in the

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

www.EQMagLive.com

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Corporate Office: Refex Energy Ltd. 202, 2nd Floor, Center Point, Opp. Parel Post Office, Jijibhoy Lane, Lalbaug, Mumbai – 400012. INDIA T: +91 22 66864500 | F: +91 22 66864510, E: info@refexenergy.com, www.refexenergy.com

& EQBusiness Financial ABB expands its central inverter production to India ABB has expanded the production of its solar inverters by opening a production line in India to support the rapidly growing local photovoltaic (PV) market. The first orders from new production line have been delivered already and over 200 megawatts (MW) of orders is booked. The new production line for ABB’s central inverter PVS800 product range was opened at the ABB facilities in Bangalore, India at the end of 2012. The production capacity of the line is more than 500 MW annually. Due to the industrial design of the inverters, which is optimized for manufacturability, possible production line extensions can be considered quickly and easily according to market needs. The Indian PV market is one of the most rapidly growing solar power markets in the world. The long-term commitment of the Indian government to developing a sound and healthy PV market makes it reasonable for ABB to expand production. “With this new production facility we can support our customers in India with even more rapid delivery times and provide faster support for varying project needs,” says AnttiSuontausta, ABB’s global product group manager for renewable energy power converters. “On-time execution and delivery of projects is vitally important for customers, especially now when the

market is booming,” he continues.  “The new production line already has over 200 MW of orders, with the first inverters being delivered to customers before the end of 2012,” says Mr. KN Sreevatsa, the local business unit manager for ABB Power Conversion in India. “ABB’s solar inverter range is complemented by local solutions and

products, such as string monitoring junction boxes, SCADA monitoring and a control system package, all of which helps ABB stand out from other inverter manufacturers. Additionally, medium- and high-voltage transformers and grid connection equipment, as well as complete substations for ABB central inverters, can be offered. ABB central inverters are also supported through a local service organization in India spanning the entire value chain from pre-purchase to installation and maintenance,” continues Mr.

KN Sreevatsa.   Since the end of 2011, over 100 MW of ABB central inverters have been installed in India. After the latest orders, the installed base of ABB central inverters in India will increase rapidly. Biggest single plant to use ABB central inverters will be now approximately 60 MW and is run by one of the key EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contractors in India.   The ABB central inverter series, rated from 100 to 630 kW, is designed for multi-megawatt PV power plants as well as large PV installations on commercial and industrial buildings. The inverter series is based on ABB’s highly successful frequency converter platform. This platform already has global sales of well over 100 GW over the last ten years. In India alone, this means approximately 7 GW of alreadyinstalled capacity.   ABB (www.abb. com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 145,000 people.    The new production line for ABB’s central inverter PVS800 product range was opened at the ABB facilities in Bangalore, India at the end of 2012.

15780 off-grid SPV Power Plants Sanctioned in 2012-13 The Ministry has sanctioned 15780 off-grid solar photovoltaic (SPV) power plants of total capacity of 13.25 MWp to be installed on individual houses in the country during 2012-13. Under the Off-grid and Decentralized Solar

Applications Scheme of Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy is providing a subsidy of 30% of the project cost limited to Rs. 72 per Wp for installation of standalone power plants having module capacity upto 1 kWp

on the roof tops of individual houses in the country including rural areas. This information was given by Minister for New & Renewable Energy, Dr. Farooq Abdullah in Lok Sabha

Viability Gap Funding (VGF) for Solar Power Projects Envisaged. For the 2nd phase of Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), a model of Viability Gap Funding (VGF) for grid connected solar power projects has been envisaged. For wind energy, no new funding model is currently proposed.

National Solar Mission (JNNSM), the

Under the 1st phase of Jawaharlal Nehru

wind energy projects was available up to

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

Ministry adopted a model of reverse auction based on discounts offered on CERC tariffs for selection of solar power projects. A Generation Based Incentive (GBI) for

31.03.2012. It is envisaged that the incentive would be continued for the 12th Plan. GBI was also provided on a limited scale for small grid-connected solar power projects under the Rooftop PV and Small Solar Power Generation Programme (RPSSGP) of JNNSM Phase-1.

www.EQMagLive.com

& EQBusiness Financial Welspun Energy Limited Commissi ons India’s largest 50 MW (AC) Solar PV Project in Rajasthan India’s leading solar developer Welspun Energy Limited (WEL), has commissioned its utility-scale solar project in an astounding five months; well ahead of schedule, creating a new benchmark for the industry. WEL had commissioned part 15 MW capacity earlier this year, and the balance 35 MW capacity additions have been achieved recently; thereby meeting its commitment of generating clean energy for fueling Rajasthan’s growth. Within three days of commissioning, the 15 MW capacity is generating a high DC PLF % 0f 22.6% in the stabilization period. “Welspun Energy is committed to supplying clean energy to power India’s growth. This 50 MW solar project is an achievement for us. This success wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy and the Government of Rajasthan.” said Mr. Vineet Mittal,

Co-F ounder & Managing Director Welspun Energy Ltd. This is the largest solar project to be developed by Welspun Energy till date and is also the largest PV power plant in India. The entire 50 MW solar project, located near Phalodi, Jodhpur District was developed in three phases of 15, 15 and 20 MW. The PV project will generate total electricity of 90 Mn kWh annually and supply clean energy to power 25 million families . With the commissioning of this project, an estimated 83,220 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions will be mitigated each year. “Completion of this project before schedule and at a lower than budgeted cost, demonstrates Welspun Energy’s expertise in solar project deve lopment. Best in class engineering practices and project management excellence contributes towards

our success. With this 50 MW solar project completion, we have set new standards of project execution, creating new benchmark for the industry.” said Mr. Vineet Mittal, Co-Founder & Managing Director Welspun Energy Ltd. WEL had won this 50 MW solar project in a competitive bid under Batch-2, Phase-1 of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission. WEL was the only company to have been awarded a maximum capacity of 50 MW under this scheme, making this the largest project in India. With its superior expertise in engineering, strategic planning and project execution skills the company has become the largest solar power developer in India with over 300 MW solar and wind projects on the ground.

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& EQBusiness Financial Lanco Solar Wins Most Innovative Product Award 2012 From IesaTechnovation LancoInfratech Limited (LITL), the leading integrated infrastructure conglomerate with global footprints having business verticals viz. EPC, Power, Solar, Natural Resources and Infrastructure today announced that Lanco Solar Energy Pvt Ltd, a fully owned subsidiary of LancoInfratech Limited won prestigious IESA Technovation Award for Most Innovative Product Award 2012. The award was presented in the Indian Electronics & Semiconductor Association’s annual event IESA Vision Summit in Bangalore. It was given for an innovative plug-&-play solar PV product design to cater to off-grid solar solutions in urban and rural hinterlands. Utmost care was given to ensure that the design provides for easy assembly at site in remote locations. The modular design is also fully scalable to cater to a single family rooftop installation to village minigrids to large urban residential/ industrial rooftops. Several of these installations are operational in Grameen Banks, remote village schools, tribal hostels, rural health centers, and industrial utilities in Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and other States. Commenting on the occasion Mr. L MadhusudhanRao, Executive Chairman,

LancoInfratech Limited, said, “IESA Technovation Award is recognition of our innovation and focus on continuous improvement in delivery of renewable solutions at affordable cost. Mr. V Saibaba, CEO, Lanco Solar said, “The product developed by us is unique and our plug-andplay system for off-grid solar power is one among several such innovative initiatives to take this solution to masses. We appreciate Lanco Solar team for all their efforts in achieving this award. We thank IESA for

this privilege and honour”.Lanco Solar is one of the largest solar power players in the country today with project portfolio of about 400MW, including own projects and third party turnkey EPC services. It has already commissioned about 95MW solar PV projects while more than 300 MW is currently under execution.

Welspun Energy’s Largest Project in Asia Achieves Financial Closure India’s leading power generator Welspun Energy Ltd. (WEL) has achieved financial closure for their 130 MW solar project, India’s largest to date, located in Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh. Through a consortium of leading financial institutions, WEL has secured long term project funding of Rs.885 crores. On-ground work for the project is already in progress and it is slated to be commissioned by May 2014. Central Bank of India has been appointed the Lead Lender and Facility Agent for the consortium WEL, through its subsidiary Welspun Solar Madhya Pradesh Private Limited (WSMPPL) won the project in May 2012 against 12 qualified bidders by quoting the second lowest tariff of Rs. 8.05 per unit. For the financial closure a Consortium of 10

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

recorded a DC PLF of 27.05% - highest achieved by any power project developer in India.

we have cons istently demonstrated that solar tariff can be brought to grid parity in a span of two years. We are proud of the fact that very few clean energy projects of this scale have been overs ubscribed by 1.3 times. Through the continued support of our financial partners, we are confident that the 130 MW project will be commissioned as per committed timelines and deli ver better PLFs than designed. This project will help India to meet its clean and green power requirements substantially.

Mr. Vineet Mittal, Co-founder & Managing Director Welspun Energy Ltd. Said, “ The closure of the financial agreements indicates the confidence that financial partners’ have in our execution capabilities and expertise to complete the project in time. Through our innovative engineering capacilities,

”This project will meet the state’s annual power deficit of 17.9%, and will enable powering of 6,60,000 homes and mitigating 2,29,550 tones of carbon annually. The completion of this project will make Welspun Energy the largest solar power developer in India.

Banks are participating in the financing of this project in response to the company’s proven track record and implementation ability. WEL’s projects’ performance has been better than compared to any other IPP (Independent Power Producer ). For instance, the Gujarat 5 MW project recently

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& EQBusiness Financial Eur 150 Million Loan To Mitigate Climate Change In India The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Exim Bank signed a EUR 150 million loan for financing investments that will contribute to the mitigation of climate change.The EIB loan will make long term financing available for investments that contribute to climate change mitigation through projects in renewable energy and energy efficiency in India implemented by public and private sector companies. The operation will contribute to the EU-India Strategic Partnership and cooperation with India which foresees, inter alia, energy sustainability, and combating climate change. The framework loan comprises a series of investments dedicated to renewable energy projects for the production of electricity and heat (small hydro, wind, solar, geothermal, sustainable biomass), energy efficiency

projects (cogeneration, district heating, industrial modernisation), and other climate change mitigation projects. EXIM will onlend the loan to small, medium-scale and some large projects to private and public companies.This loan would contribute to environmental sustainability, a key priority for the EU and the EIB. It is the EIBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second operation of its kind with EXIM Bank of India. The first loan, a framework loan, signed in December 2008 for financing investment that contribute to the mitigation of climate change and support of EU presence has been implemented successfully and to the satisfaction of the EIB. Lending operations outside the EU are part of the EUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cooperation policy with third countries. The EIB has been providing loans in Asia and Latin America since 1993

under three successive mandates. Under the current mandate 2007-2013, it can lend up to EUR 3.8 billion.In 2011, the EU established a dedicated EUR 2 billion Climate Change Mandate, for the period 2011-2013, for the Bank to support climate change mitigation and adaptation projects across the regions. Furthermore, in order to supplement its traditional external lending mandates, the EIB established in 2007 a EUR 4.5 billion financing facility to support investments in renewable energy, energy efficiency, as well as climate change mitigation and adaptation projects in other sectors in emerging countries. There are no amounts allocated per country in any of the above mandates and facilities.

& EQBusiness Financial Refex Executes Two Solar PV Power Plants In Remote Bikaner With 50 per cent annual increase in solar power installations executed by it during the last three years, Refex Energy Ltd.’s growth trajectory is a shining example of India’s resurgent solar PV (photovoltaic) plants sector.The latest in the bouquet of installations done by Refex Energy is the successful commissioning of two large-scale grid connected solar PV plants with total installed capacity of 20 MW in the Bikaner district of Rajasthan on February25.The two plants in Tehsil Kolayat have been developed by NVR Infrastructure and Services Pvt. Ltd. in village KisnayatBudhan and bySai Maithili Power Company Private Limited in village Gurha.Both the plants of 10 MW each have been developed under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission Phase I, Batch II, and will produce approximately 34 million KwHr of eco-friendly electricity every year. According to Managing Director Refex Energy Anil Jain, “Refex Energy’s long experience in clean energy segment along with a dedicated in-house team for design and execution and a very acute local knowledge base gives us a strong competitive advantage. Given the short period of time for installation of the two projects (four months), we pooled together the best of our talent and resources to ensure that the plants were engineered meticulously to generate maximum output possible”.RefexEnergyprovided the entire range of services from design, engineering, procurement, logistics, construction and commissioning.Mr. Jain said, “In 2010 there was hardly any production and the installed capacity of solar PV plants that were grid connected was around 13 MWp and if we include off-grid, the figure would not go beyond 30 MWp. The scenario has completely changed today with the initiation of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, state initiatives, stringent rules being established in the Power Purchase Agreements and provision of subsidies.Solar PV plants have taken a big leap forward and areall set to fulfill a target of 1500 MW by March 2013.” The JNNSM aims at deploying 20,000 MW by 2022 in the country.The company has set up turnkey solar PVfrom concept to commissioning for 12

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

NVR Infrastructure and Services Private. Limited

well known companies like Aditya Birla, SunEdison, Videocon, Kirloskar who have very high qualifying criteria and selection process. The company also provides operation and maintenance services throughout the life time of the project. Mr. Anil Mehta, from NVR Infra Structures & Services Pvt. Ltd. says, “Rajasthan being one the highest recipients of solar insulation in the country and coupled with the state’s aggressive approach towards promotion of solar power, ensured a very rewarding project for us and with Refex Energy as our technology partner, we hope to set new benchmark for excellence in the field. The penchant of Refex to learn continuously is one of the most heartening features.” CEO of RefexArun Mehta says, “Continued optimal performance of our already installed plants and the output per KWp is what distinguishes Refex from its peers. Highest yield per MWpand competitive price along with the timely completion of the projects have been the key factors in drawing discerning clients to Refex.”

Mr. NiranjanGopinathan, Head Solar Projects of KSK Group of which Sai Maithili Power Company Private Limited is a subsidiary, said, “With the successful installation of the 10MW PV plant in Rajasthan, KSK Energy’s commitment towards green and sustainable energy has gained big momentum. The engineering and execution capabilities of Refex Energy ensured a balanced and harmonious completion of the project in the given limited time frame”.In less than four years since its inception, Refex Energy has now cumulatively installed nearly 50MWp of solar power plants in the most varied and difficult terrains of the country. Refex Energy has not only engineered the most technically and economically successful installations but is also credited with designing the best performing solar plants in the sector.With 50 MWp completed and more orders in the books Refex aims to have a portfolio of 150 MWp installations in FY13 – FY14 thus giving a significant boost to the nations solar vision.

Sai Maithili Power Company Private Limited

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& EQBusiness Financial Kiran Energy Commissions 55MW DC Solar Plant In Phalodi, Rajasthan Under The National Solar Mission Kiran Energy has announced commissioning of its 55MW DC solar photovoltaic power project in Rawra village, Phalodi Tehsil of Jodhpur district in Rajasthan. The projects were set up under the second batch of Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), with three power purchase agreements with NVVN. The projects are undertaken in subsidiaries of Kiran Energy and in Kiran’s 74% joint venture with Mahindra & Mahindra. The plant is spread over 450 acres and is co-located with their 5MW project of JNNSM first batch. With this, the company now operates the largest solar p ower plant cluster of 60MW with a combined evacuation at a single location in India. This high quality solar plant would rank among the best in terms of quality anywhere in the world. The project erection was completed in less than 6 months and the project management and design optimisation has been undertaken by an in-house team along with Tata Consulting Engineers. The project has been executed by two EPC contractors; Larsen & Toubro Ltd and Mahindra EPC. The plant is connected to a 33/132KV pooling substation executed by Schneider and a 25km 132KV transmission line. “L&T has been working with Kiran energy since the inception of the JNNSM. The commissioning of the subject project is a testimony to our

excellent interaction and close working relationship. We are looking forward to build high performing plants like this with M/s Kiran Energy in future in-line with their future expansion strategy.”, said Mr. S. Rajavel - EVP and Head Water & Solar SBG, Larsen & Toubro Limited.

The plant is expected to produce an average of more than 90,000 megawatt-hours of clean electricity per year, equivalent to the annual electricity needs of more than 275,000 average Indian households, and reduce carbon emissions to the extent of 80,000 metric tons per year. Kiran Energy is one of the leading clean energy utilities that has been developing and operating solar power projects across India. In Rajasthan and Gujarat, it is now operating an aggregate of over 80MW power plants. The company is building clusters, of between 50MW and 100MW, which supplies solar power to Government and Industry. Solar Energy today provides long term energy security and price certainty. Solar also matches the daily and seasonal consumption pattern. The company

has solar clusters under development in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Kiran has also established Test and Research facilities at its solar clusters. It has test centres at its Rajasthan and Gujarat facilities testing various technologies including mo dules, inver ter s and tracking systems to validate data and performance in Indian climatic conditions. The company has installed comprehensive weather s t a tio n s t o c a r r y o u t m ea su rem en t s to correlate plant technology performance with weather parameters. Commenting on the plant operations and technology, Ardeshir Contractor, MD&CEO, Kiran Energy “These plants have been carefully designed and are operated like large generating power plants with a focus on predictable plant and energy output performance, and seamless interaction with the grid. The expected life of the plants are well over 25 years which is the period of the power purchase agreements. Our plants that have been in operation the last year show that actual performance tracks design expectations very closely. As we go ahead in the coming year, we plan to operate a fleet of solar plants in various high solar resource geographies in states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu”

Jakson commissions its first solar power plant at Rajasthan Jakson Power Solutions has commissioned its first solar IPP project at BAP, Jodhpur District, Rajasthan. The 20-MW solar power plant in Rajasthan has been set up with an investment of Rs 200 crore under government’s Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) policy Phase 1 Batch 2. Jakson Power Solutions has signed 25 years power purchase agreement (PPA) with NVVN (NTPC VidyutVyapar Nigam Limited) for this project. 14

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The solar power plant is built on an approximately 100 acres land using high efficiency crystalline solar cells technology. Also it is the largest single location Solar Power farm in India based on crystalline cell technology. The project is expected to generate permanent employment for 100 people. The entire execution from purchase of land to commissioning was completed in

The company has also acquired 250 acres of additional land at the same site for developing solar farms and plans to scale up the capacity to 100 MW within next 3 years. To add to Jakson’s credentials, its arm – Jakson Power Solutions EPC – has now executed EPC contracts for a total of 40MW solar power at the same site.

a short span of 10 months.

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& EQBusiness Financial High-efficiency solar inverters - Made in India REFUsol opens inverter production in Pune REFUsol, a leading manufacturer of solar inverters has started producing its high efficiency solar inverters in a local production in Pune, India. The first inverters were produced in February 2013. REFUsol will manufacture its 10kW, 13kW ,17kW, 20kW and 23kW string inverters for the Indian, South Asian and Middle East market. The inauguration ceremony took place today, March 19th, 2013. The three-phase string inverters REFUsol 010K, 013K, 017K and 020K are suitable for rooftop systems from 10 kW upwards, right through to megawatt parks. They comply with all requirements for IP65 protection and their housing provides reliable protection from dust and water, including high pressure washing. Therefore, these systems can be installed out in the open without any problem. All four string inverters are easy to handle and compact. They can be installed on an area smaller than three A4 pages laid side by side for example. Operation and monitoring are easy, further facilitated by the graphic display, the integrated RS485 interface and an Ethernet connection. Fast MPP tracking and a wide input voltage range also ensure the high levels of efficiency that are typical in REFUsol systems. Even at low irradiation, the three-phase inverters achieve an efficiency of up to 98.2 per cent. As a result of these high efficiency levels, convection cooling is all that is needed to dissipate the heat. Thanks to the low voltage fluctuations against earth, the transformer-less devices can also be used for many thin-film modules. The integrated data-logger can send all important operating data to the REFUlog internet portal. For visualization and evaluation purposes, data can be transferred via the standard cable or an optional wireless connection using the new REFUconnect radio module. With an output voltage of 460 volts and an input voltage range of 575 to 850 volts, the REFUsol 023K-460 VAC is the ideal solution for medium-voltage applications on large-scale PV sites. It has an efficiency factor of more than 98 per cent. The high efficiency enables noise-free convection cooling and ensures the inner workings of the inverter are maintenance-free. “EPCs and investors like the concept of our high efficiency inverters which is not only giving them capital cost benefits but also help them to reduce the operational cost of plant and getting 2 to 3% more generation benefits. With our local production here in Pune we are now able to meet our customer’s needs even better and in shorter time” confirms Thomas Wittek, CEO at Refu Solar Electronics Pvt. Ltd.

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http://www.renewsysindia.com/ contactus.html

I NT ERV I EW

One on One Basant Jain CEO Mahindra EPC

EQ :Please enlighten us on the history of your Group, Group Strengths, Vision, Strategy for India etcâ&#x20AC;Ś BJ : Mahindra EPC started its sales and operations in the year 2011 in the Solar Domain. It derives its values and systems from its six decade old parent firm, Mahindra & Mahindra, known for providing high quality solutions to its customers at an affordable price. On the same lines, we envision Mahindra EPC to be a thought leader in the solar space globally to provide high quality solution at competitive prices.

EQ : Your Group has made significant footstep by winning several EPC contracts in India. What is the role of your group in India and the roadmap, challenges in executing these project. What was the differentiating factor which led the your co win this project? BJ : The year 2012 has been a path breaking year for Mahindra EPC as we have bagged orders of more than 60 MW. We wish to maintain this leadership position in the market and in the long run be the thought leader in the Solar EPC space in India. Each project in India comes with its own sets of challenges. When it came to projects in Uttar Pradesh, the severe weather conditions and the near zero

16Â

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temperatures in winters was a challenge that the execution team had to face. Executing projects in rural Rajasthan had its challenges in terms of getting the skilled labor because of the remote locations of the plants. We look into each of the projects separately and then strategize the plans to mitigate the challenges\ risks for each one of them. Our past experience, our on-time execution and our high quality installations have been the true testimonials of our work and have created the much required differentiation for us in the fiercely competitive market.

EQ : How India has to evolve in terms on financing of grid connected solar projects and the lessons India must learn from Germany & Europe and other advanced & matured PV Markets. BJ : India is reeling under a huge deficit of electricity across the nation. At such a point, it is required that government creates conducive environment so that we can tap the huge solar potential we have in India. Removing artificial restrictions over technology use, having Liberal policies for Renewable power such as ease to wheel power through Open Access, providing single nodal agencies etc. can unleash huge solar potential in India without directly impacting the fiscal situation. In the west, the removal of state incentives completely wiped out the solar market in many countries and thus leaving the industry to shambles. Thus, a focus on creating a healthier environment for investments in solar is more important than directly incentivizing it.

EQ : What are the experiences and learning’s from Europe for constructing a solar farm. How do you think India is a different market than Germany and rest of Europe. What are experiences in India? BJ : The European solar market saw a gold rush in the solar industry due to highly lucrative feed-in-tariffs. Lower focus on quality of execution, and higher focus on speed of execution lead to plants performing sub optimally in the long run. The overall

investments suffered due to low generation of the solar plants. The Indian government has been much more rational and pragmatic in its approach. The last two years have seen almost 2 GW of Solar installations coming up and at extremely competitive prices. Going forward what is required is, to have a focus on quality. This can be realized through a focus on long term rather than short term, and enabling the industry by having liberal policies in place.

EQ : Please enlighten us on the projects executed and in pipeline worldwide, and India. BJ : We started our journey with a 5 MW Solar Power plant in Rajasthan under JNNSM – Phase 1 – Batch 1. We were the first to commission that plant under Batch -1 and have the distinction to generate highest output per MW for that plant. The plant was using multi-crystalline modules with Single Axis Tracking. We then went ahead to execute a 2 MW plant in Uttar Pradesh with Thin Film Modules with Fixed Tilt. This plant was the first utility scale plant in Uttar Pradesh. In FY13, Mahindra has commissioned 23 MW Solar Power plant for a French Developer. The project again has the distinction to be the first to get commissioned under JNNSM Phase I – Batch II. This speaks about Mahindra EPC’s ability to execute high quality plants in record times. We are coming up with another 36 MW of Solar Power plant in February. With the current policy support, rooftop space is very lucrative and makes huge sense in today’s high tariff regime. Mahindra has executed projects nationwide and are currently executing more than 2.5 MW Solar rooftop projects across India. Mahindra is looking at rooftop solutions as a key to tackle the energy deficit and high energy prices for industries and commercial establishments. We are also looking in expanding our reach in geographies outside India. We are closely following MENA for

EQ : Please enlighten us on the experience of working with different technologies (c-si vs. Thin Film, Fixed vs. Tracking, String vs.Central Inverter ec.. etc…) What’s the ideal solution

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for India and why. BJ : We have had the opportunity to work with different technologies be it tracking systems or fixed systems. Be it String Inverters or the central inverters. Each technology has its merit at a given site. The key to success for any EPC firm is to know which solution is better than the other for the given site and then provide that solution to help the client receive the most optimal solution as per his needs.

EQ : What’s your view on the Indian Policy Framework and one piece of advise you would like to give to the government and regulators BJ : We are pretty satisfied with how the Indian government has progressed on its plan to make solar a prominent energy source in India. Within a couple of years, the government has achieved more than 1.5 GW of solar installations in India. The key to give a push to the industry is by We would want the government to focus on making

EQ : How has falling modules prices affected the EPC Business in positive and negative manner. As Industry is expecting further drop in module prices…what impact is it likely to have on the solar industry and your business. BJ : The falling prices have had a positive impact on each stakeholder in the solar value chain as it makes solar cost competitive compared to the conventional sources. A further fall in prices is just going to make the industry market size larger and thus impact positively each stakeholder in the long run. It is going to help solar have a deeper penetration in the Indian power sector.

EQ : Module Prices have been significantly dropping while the BOS of a solar project has not seen much change….What change or breakthrough do you foresee in the BOS in terms of price and technology in the BOS. BJ : The module prices have been dropping due to two major reasons. One, EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

the prices of the raw material that goes into solar modules have been dropping ie the prices of polysilicon. Two, there has been constant improvement in the efficiencies through technological improvements. When it comes to the BOS of a solar project, most of the raw materials used are commodities from the global markets (steel, copper etc.) whose prices have stabilized or are on an increase. The only way through which the price of BOS is going to fall is through higher efficiency of design and through innovation in every aspect of project execution.

EQ : A Large chunk of Projects with PPA’s signed are going to miss the deadline to complete the projects….Please enlighten our readers the real challenges faced by these projects and the reasons for the same (Is it falling prices or finance or land etc…) BJ : From procurement of land to getting the financial closure, from choosing the right EPC to choosing the right technology; all of them can have a bearing on the schedule of the project. We at Mahindra EPC have made sure that we help our client in each of these aspects. Be it choosing the right site to choosing a bankable technology; Be it working with the local community to avert local issues to helping them with the government approvals. Through such an approach, we have not only been able to achieve the project on time but also be the first across all the EPC players in commissioning our projects.

EQ : What are the brands with which you generally prefer to work and detailed reasons. BJ : Mahindra EPC has always associated itself with the organizations that share the same focus on quality and leadership as the Mahindra Group. For this reason, we have associated ourselves with global companies who are the leaders in technology and quality. With such organizations, we wish to create bonds beyond the vendor – customer relationship and that is what we have been able to achieve with most of our vendors. We wish to make vendors our partners in the project execution. 18

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

EQ : Can you please enlighten us on the way you implement a project and what specific or unique things are followed which makes you different from other EPC Players. What are the unique parameters which differentiates projects executed by your company. BJ : Mahindra EPC strongly believes that it is our actions that define how we are perceived by our customers. That’s why we have always laid importance on the quality of execution. This has been possible by laying importance to every detail of project execution and through constantly innovating. This focus on details and a constant urge to innovate has resulted in Mahindra EPC erecting high quality power plants in record times.

EQ : Please tell us about the team strengths and resources developed in order to offer your EPC Services. BJ : Mahindra EPC wants to be a thought leader in the Solar domain. For doing so, we need to have a team which has a passion to deliver more. We are proud to have a team of over 150 engineers from all across the world who have such a DNA running through them. We have shown utmost levels of commitment in optimizing the plant design, in engineering the best solution possible and in executing on site with highest quality and in least time. The laurels that Mahindra EPC has achieved have only been possible through such a closely knit and dedicated team.

EQ : Thin Film is theoretically supposed to perform better than c-si in Indian Climatic Conditions. What is your view on this. BJ : Kindly comment on First Solar’s recent comment “Our experience has shown that our warranty rates for hot climates are slightly higher than for temperate climates,” “As our geographic mix of sales has shifted to hot climates, we have increased our warranty accrual,” Chief Financial Officer Mark Widmar

EQ : What is your opinion on the JNNSM Batch II Phase I Bidding Outcome. Is it possible to deliver a EPC Solution to match the IRR expectations (Around 15% to 20%) to get the Solar KwHr at a price band of Rs.7.5 to Rs.9.5 BJ : An year ago these prices sounded very competitive but the constant decrease in the prices of modules (thereby the overall project cost) has made these prices very much viable with a 15-20% IRR expectations.

EQ : What’s an ideal financial model for the Solar PV Project in India to optimize the IRR BJ : Bringing in efficiencies of scale is the most important aspect in Solar Projects in India today. Creating a plant in phases, that is creating the necessary infrastructure at once and then installing smaller units one after another is the right way to go to achieve economies of scale. Creating a plug and play infrastructure for 200 MW and above can really change the economics of a plant.

EQ : Kindly describe your Top experiences with Solar PV Industry in India 1. Quality players remain in the market in the longer run. 2. Collaborating with local communities is useful 3. Long term strategic commitment is required in Solar rather than a short myopic view 4. Design Engineering & Innovation has to be core to EPC for high quality execution

EQ : What are the future plans in India ? BJ : Mahindra EPC plans to be a long term player in the Solar EPC player. We want to be the thought leader in Solar EPC space in India. We are planning to have more than 150 MW of installations by next year and plan to expand in international markets as well.

nnn

Different technologies are suitable for different site conditions. We believe that both Poly crystalline and thin film technologies have their merit under certain conditions.

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EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

I NT ERV I EW

One on One

Narender Surana Managing Director Surana Venture Ltd. EQ : Whats the history of your group and what made your group foray into solar NS : The Surana Group was founded in 1978, is now one of the country’s leading industrial houses, focusing on the niche areas of Renewable Energy, Telecommunications, Metallurgical and Electricals. Meticulous planning, clear vision, long-term strategies and sheer strength of purpose have stood the test of time and have placed the group in the enviable league of the few top-of-the line corporate houses in the Indian industry. The continuing success of the group can be directly attributed to its Quality Policy “Progressive quality through teamwork for customer satisfaction”. Strict adherence to quality standards and timely corrective action in case of divergence has earned the ISO 9002 certifications for both the companies and their various divisions. Powered by Professional team of visionaries, with an experience of over four decades, today Surana Group is a well- diversified conglomerate with focus on niche areas of Solar Modules & Cells, Solar Power Plants, Telecommunications, Copper products and Power Cables, having established itself in Solar and Wind Power generation. With steep reduction in price of Solar System, the Solar Energy is ready to play a big role in meeting the energy requirement of the country. India is endowed with abundant Solar Energy which is capable of producing 5000 Million Kilowatts of Clean Energy. If this energy is harnessed efficiently, it can easily reduce our energy deficit scenario and that to with no carbon emission. Many states in India have already recognized and identified Solar Energy potential and are lined up to meet their growing energy needs 20

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

with clean and everlasting solar energy.

For first 12 years @ Rs.15/Kwh

The outlook for cell and modules manufacturing is looking very positive on account of following favourable development in the industry:-

For the next 13 years @ Rs. 5/Kwh

1) Price of Solar products have started to look up after continuous fall by about 70% during the last 3 years and at such attractive pricing the demand scenario in India has started looking up. 2) Govt. of India has initiated action to impose antidumping duty on import of cells and modules, which will boost the local production. 3) We have imported cell manufacturing line of 130 MW capacity at very low cost compared to plants brought earnings and the cost of commissioning the plant shall be lowest in the country as such giving us an edge over the other manufacturers. 4) With the ongoing tenders of A.P., Tamilnadu, Rajasthan & 2nd phase of JNSM, huge demand for solar system is expected in 2013 in the range of 3000 to 4000 MW. Surana has established state-of-the art facilities for manufacturing and supply of Solar Modules and Cells and the company has procured equipment from Schott Solar, Germany for manufacture of wafers, Solar cells and modules, the machinery is from best source which include SCHMID, Centrotherm and Roth-n-Rau

EQ : Please tell us the policy under which your project is built and tariff got for your project NS : We built the project under Gujarat Solar Policy 2009 and the tariff for 25 years has been fixed as under.

We are setting up two 5 MW project under AP State Policy 2012 under REC mechanism

EQ : What were the challenges in securing the finance for your project and who are the bankers & investors behind it NS : Based on the credentials and past track records of the Group, we obtained finance from Indian Overseas Bank for our Gujarat Project and from State Bank of India for our AP Project. The investments have been made by Surana Group.

EQ : What were the challenges in choosing & securing land, permits, grid interconnection etc… NS : The acquisition of land for Gujarat project has been a smooth affair, as we opted to set up the project in Gujarat Solar Park, they have also provided the grid connectivity. However, we faced some resistance from the local villagers while taking possession of the land, although this was a state acquired land. The cooperation extended by GPCL and other Govt. authorities was satisfactory to resolve the issues.

EQ : Briefly describe the challenges of working with available met data from NASA and others regarding irradiation, GHI etc… NS : Not very specific issue, however we feel that there is immediate need of Indian authenticated data base with historical statistics.

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6) Please enlighten us on the selection procedure of equipment & technology (c-si vs. Thin Film, Fixed structures vs. Tracking, String vs.Central Inverter ec..etc…) Whats the ideal solution for India and why. It is difficult to make a single choice because it is a techno-commercial decision with economic feasibility. So the decision of selection technology should be based on location, business plan availability, regulation, irradiation pattern, etc.

EQ : Who was your EPC Contractor and rationale behind selecting them NS : Surana Ventures Ltd. and AEG Power Solution Limited were selected to execute the project. The rationale to select the EPC contractor was based on the credentials of their principle and also the fact that they are the leading manufacturers of inventors and they have excellent project execution team and adequate financial resources to complete the project on time.

EQ : Briefly describe the components used and the rationale behind NS : Modules, Inverters, Monitoring System & Scada, Mounting Structures, BOS, Cables, Transformer etc… It is part of the EPC contract except the modules which were supplied by Surana. So the EPC contractor was responsible for the comprehensive solution and selection of various equipment/material with our consent. The basis was tier-1 approved sources.

EQ : Please share the planned and actual generation, performance ratio, availability of plant & grid. Kindly provide graphs Mar-12

7,11,960

Apr-12

7,35,394

May-12

7,91,187

Jun-12

6,84,650

Jul-12

4,85,145

Aug-12

4,44,611

Sep-12

5,65,064

Oct-12

7,29,468

Nov-12

6,43,621

Dec-12

6,33,744

Jan-13

6,89,916

EQ : What’s your view on the Indian Policy Framework and one piece of advise you would like to give to the government and regulators

EQ : Kindly describe your Top 5 experiences with building your Solar PV plant in India •

It is important to select the right EPC contractor

NS : The policy makers should ensure that there is no unethical and unhealthy competition amongst the bidders, and they should not encourage the non-resources players in the industry. Further for projects under REC there should be quick facilitation of regulatory clearances and land should be acquired and sold in solar parks. The power evaluation also should be done by State utilities as in Gujarat.

•

Time management is very important to ensure anticipated returns

•

Policy and regulatory support is critical for the success

•

Smooth O&M of the plant during life span should be kept in mind while implementing the project so that required provisions are made.

EQ : What’s an ideal financial model for the Solar PV Project in India to optimize the IRR

NS : For manufacturing companies Government of India should permit all raw materials at 0% (Zero) duty since the finished product the solar modules are duty free.

NS : The main components of the operational cost is interest cost, hence all optimum interest cost should be kept minimal and that is only possible if funding is made through overseas borrowing or banks come forward with concessional rates of finance for the solar project by offering interest rate subvention since most imports come with 8-10 year loans at 2.3% from exim banks.

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EQ : Any other issue/topic/question you would like to raise.

EQ : What are the future plans in India and other countries? NS : Our future plan is to set up 125 MW of Solar Power Projects in the next 3 years in India. The projects shall be located in AP, Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Gujarat and Rajasthan and will be under preferential tariff system or under REC mechanism.

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

SO L A R EP C

EPC Prices – Where Is It Heading? Paulo Soares, CFO & Board Member- Inspira Martifer Solar

or the last few weeks the industry has been watching to a surprisingly increase in the modules prices in the international markets, with the immediate reflection on the Indianmarket. The question is simple? Is it really a surprise?

an increasing demand and an unmovable offer

2012 was an untypical year for this market due to a series of economic events in Europe (the main driver of PV market) and The USA elections,which have conditioned the normal activities of all stakeholders. The most affected ones were, without any doubts, silicon producers and modules manufacturers,who facedstrong margin issuesdue to increase of stocks and reduction in demands with subsequent decrease in prices. This had a very important impact: in 2012 the industry has not seen any significant addition in their production capacity and investments have been consistently postponed.

what has been observed.

The above facts have brought us to where we stand today. The demand is increasing due to the development of PV Solar industry in countries/regions like China, Japan, Australia, South Africa, Latin America and even due to India. The problem is the mismatch between 22

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

has allowed silicon producers and modules manufacturers to consistently increase their prices, which have affected all the supply chain up to EPC contractors since the beginning of this year. At least 7-10% is

Besides this and the anti-dumping law that is being analyzed in India, another problem has risen in Europe, which promises to have a huge impact on overall industry. In fact the European Union, backed by European modules manufacturers, is supporting the introduction of an additional tax of 7085% over the Chinese modules and the registration of all entries has already begun in the beginning of March. This decision will probably be taken until the 5th of June. If they approve the law, what is going to be the impact on the Indian Solar Market? Due to all this,a definitive trend for 2013 is not easy to predict, but for sure, prudency should rule all our decisions. Now, looking at developer’s side in India we typically have 4 types of developers operating in the Indian PV Market:

1st–Experienced developers having good resources and a significant pipeline of projects in the Indian scenario but who aren´t too aggressive in their bids, 2nd – Smallerdevelopers, freshly entering in the market and trying to understand how things work; usually they are more conservative, 3rd- Accelerated Depreciation Investors are very aggressive because they have a short term target to achieve; PPA price for these investors is not crucial for their bid tariff decision; 4th- International Investors, who are still very reluctant but are willing to come as soon as they feel more comfortable with market conditions; itis believed that they will be the market boosters in 2014. In this way, the numbers of Solar PV Developers are increasing and that with the new batch of JNNSM we will reach a new market peak. Off course Tamil Nadu´s Solar tendering was disappointing, due to the known reasons, but the same for Andhra Pradesh went very well (184 developers presented an offer) and

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it will be a sort of an appetizer for what is coming. The question is simple:Is this increase going to substantially affect the next bid? A serious thought is required to the fact thatit will put a lot of pressure on PPA prices due to some facts: 1st - JNNSM is totally bankable therefore Project Finance will be possible, even if at a too high interest rates; 2nd - In order to get bankable projects, developers will keep testing lower limits for PPA prices, even if it is not advisable in the actual circumstances; 3rd - Many companies interested in the accelerated depreciation are entering in this market in order to get tax optimization (see what happen in Rajasthan); 4th–Psychological effect, everybody keeps thinking that module prices will decrease more in this year, which is a huge question mark just as we have previously understood. Taking into consideration all these facts, the EPC Contractor’s performance is the key for this market. Basically, the industry in India is in the middle of 2 antagonistic movements: increase in module prices and decrease of PPA rates. This is a tough equation to solve, because it is very difficult to deliver a very good and performing PV Plant using Tier 1 module makes, premium inverter makes and even though keep EPC prices at a lower level. Besides this, Developers try to protect their assets by asking higher guarantees for a longer period. Is this a feasible trend? Absolutely no! Something will suffer, or PV Plant quality or EPC Contractor margin or even tier 2 suppliers receivables. It´s possible that, many EPC Contractors will disappear in the next 2 years but it´s also possible that, once again, quality could be sacrificed in order to deliver on time and with profits. But this is not the way, because these underperforming projects with engineering or construction problems will reduce the attraction of our PV market to the 4th category of developers above mentioned, which will jeopardize medium and long term market. It´s clear thatwithout international investors, somewhere in the near future we´ll reach to a dead end. Improvement in the quality of India´s PV Plants is a must and awareness in Developers is required that most of the times, the cheap comes out expensive and that this should be a 25 years investment and not a short term one.That is the strategy of Inspira Martifer Solar: provide a high-quality service to our customers, becoming a first-class partner in terms of safety and trust, in all the business segments. Considering the above thoughts and keeping the international market trend in view, it is up to the Indian Solar PV developers to decide where they would like the EPC prices in India to head: reduce further compromising the quality of project and bringing the industry to dead end in India or to invest in a quality infrastructure to sustain the life cycle of 25 years, even with a comparatively lower Project IRR? The choice is theirs.

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

Tamil Nadu Electricity Commission Order On Issues Related To Tamil Nadu Solar Energy Policy 2012 Order No. 1 Of 2013 Dated 07.03.2013 Saumya Bansal Gupta - EQ International

amil Nadu has reasonably high Solar insolation (5.5 – 6.0 kW/sq.m) with around 300 clear sunny days. Southern Tamil Nadu is considered to be one of the most suitable regions for development of solar power in the State. The Government of Tamil Nadu launched the “Tamil Nadu Solar Energy Policy 2012” on 20.10.2012. The objectives of the Policy are • • • •

To achieve energy security To reduce carbon emissions To project Tamil Nadu as a Solar hub To generate 3000MW of Solar energy by 2015 • To achieve grid parity by 2015 • To encourage indigenous Solar manufacturing in the State • To promote Research and Development in the Solar energy sector and hybrid systems • To create skilled manpower and employment in the new industry.

Generation – Demand gap in Tamil Nadu As on 31.01.2013, the installed capacity of TANGEDCO is 10722.5 MW comprising of 2,970 MW from TANGEDCO’s four thermal stations, 516MW from four gas turbine stations, 2,223.5 MW from hydro stations, 1180 MW from private sector 6 power projects who have power purchase agreements with TANGEDCO, 214 MW as contribution to Tamil Nadu grid by sale of 24

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

electricity from captive generating plants, 3,519 MW as Tamil Nadu’s share from Central generating stations and 100 MW from external assistance.

(iv) All Colleges & Residential Schools (v) Building with a built up area of 20,000 sq.m or more

Besides this installed capacity of 10,722.5 MW, a generating capacity of 7865 MW is also connected to the Tamil Nadu grid comprising 7114.61 MW from privately owned wind farms, 576 MW from cogeneration plants of sugar mills, 168 MW from biomass power plants and 7 MW from solar power plants.

The following categories of consumers are exempted from SPO: (a) Domestic consumers (b) Huts (c) Cottage and tiny industries (d) Powerlooms (e) LT Industrial consumers (f) Agricultural consumers

The average power availability during the year 2012 has been around 8,000MW which leaves a deficit of about 4000 MW of peak demand. Hence any addition of power is vital to tackle the power shortage of the Tamil Nadu grid.

In respect of such Solar Purchase Obligated consumers they may generate themselves captive Solar Power in Tamil Nadu equivalent to or more than their SPO or buy equivalent to or more than their SPO from other third party developers of Solar Power projects in Tamil Nadu or purchase the same from TANGEDCO at Solar Tariff or meet the obligation through purchase of RECs as prescribed in the Tamil Nadu Solar Energy policy 2012. If the obligated consumer happens to be an open access consumer, the Solar Purchase Obligation fixed in the Tamil Nadu Solar Energy Policy 2012 may be considered as inclusive of Solar Purchase Obligation fixed in the RPO regulation..

Solar Purchase Obligation (SPO) Commission’s Order on the related issues of the Tamil Nadu Solar Energy Policy 2012: As prescribed in the Solar Policy, 6% SPO starting with 3% SPO till December 2013 and 6% from January 2014 is applicable for the following category of consumers:

(a) HT Consumers (HT Tariff I to V) This category will cover all HT consumers including: (i) Special Economic Zones (SEZs) (ii) Industries guaranteed with 24/7 power supply (iii) IT parks, Telecom towers

(b) LT Commercial (LT Tariff V)

Enforcement Mechanism The SPO will be administered by TANGEDCO If any of the obligated consumers has not complied with the SPO they should pay

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an amount equivalent to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Forbearance Priceâ&#x20AC;? of the Solar REC to the administrator and in turn the administrator shall purchase REC for the amount collected from the obligated consumers. For the purchases made by the obligated consumers from the TANGEDCO in order to meet their Solar Purchase Obligation, the TANGEDCO shall make equivalent purchases of solar power as prescribed in the Tamil Nadu Solar Energy Policy 2012. In case an obligated consumer has multiple service connections, the SPO can be met in total for his/her electricity consumption in the area of the distribution licensee.

The Highest Reliability and Uptime for the Lifetime of the Plant

The SPO will be fixed on the total consumption of nonsolar power of the consumer irrespective of the sources. For those consumers who are purchasing solar power only from the distribution licensee for the fulfillment of their SPO the compliance period may be specified as thatof the billing cycle. For others who are purchasing from other solar generators or consuming from their own solar generators the period may be fixed for the Calendar year as prescribed in the Policy.

Net metering For Domestic Rooftop Solar generators, the consumer meters shall be replaced with suitable meter(s) for net metering. The meter/meters for net metering shall be installed by the distribution licensee at the cost of the consumer/generator. The TANGEDCO shall submit a detailed procedure covering the following issues within 30days of issuance of this Order for implementation of net metering for domestic roof topSolar generators taking into account the CEAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s regulation on Installation and Operationof Meters and get the same approved by the Commission : a) Standards and location of meters b) Tariff for excess generation/lapsed units c) Period of power credit d) Any other related issue.

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Grid Ready, Utility Photovoltaic Central Inverters from 145kVAp - 1590kVAp

LT Connectivity The TANGEDCO shall evolve a detailed procedure for LT connectivity and get the same approved from the Commission. The procedure shall include make and standards10for inverters, harmonics standards, synchronization to the grid, safety/protection norms,norms for generator capacity versus connecting voltage etc., Renewable Energy Certificate to be issued to solar generators under the Policy For the operation of REC instrument as prescribed in the Policy, the TANGEDCO shall evolve a procedure for accreditation, issuance and trading of REC for the Solar generators established in Tamil Nadu and get it approved by the Commission. nnn

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

Draft Kerala Solar Energy Policy 2013 Saumya Bansal Gupta - EQ International 1. Preamble It is felt that a forward looking Government need to have a structured approach to seriously evaluate the possibilities of harnessing renewable energy sources and accord due weightage in a realistic manner for such sources to be integrated into its overall energy generation strategies. There is a popular perception that solar energy could be the key part of the solution to the energy crisis in the State. To promote the systematic tapping of the Solar Energy potential to the maximum an appropriate policy framework is essential. This policy seeks to evaluate in a realistic manner the possibilities of harnessing solar energy to optimal levels and to put in place the necessary framework. Maturity level and high cost of the technology, compatibility of transmission and distribution infrastructure, limitations on land availability, adequacy of fiscal incentives have been the reasons behind the very low penetration of solar energy in the mainstream life of Kerala. However at a macro level, Electricity Act 2003 promotes absorption of renewable energy and mandates for specified consumption from renewable sources in the area of every distribution utility. Accordingly Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) and more specifically solar purchase obligations have become mandatory recently. This presently is fixed at 3% of the total consumption for RPO and out of which 0.25% shall be from the solar sources alone, with annual escalation at 10% till the quantum from renewable reaches 10% of total purchase.

2. Vision Vision is to mainstream the use of solar energy in the energy mix of Kerala in an inclusive manner to ensure optimal usage of the available solar potential in its region.

3. Mission The Mission is to 26Â

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

i. Increase the installed capacity of the solar sector in the state to 500 MW by 2017 and 1500 MW by 2030.

effect from 01.04.2013 and will remain in force until superseded or modified by another Policy.

ii. Contributing to long term energy security of the State of Kerala as well as ecological security by reduction in carbon emissions

c. State Government may undertake review of this Policy as and when the need arises in view of any technological breakthrough or to remove any inconsistency with Electricity Act 2003, Rules & Regulation made thereof or any Government of India Policy/State Electricity Regulatory Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s order.

iii. Define end users who can adapt solar in a big way. iv. Deploy package of incentives and disincentives for identified groups. v. Adaption of solar to trigger a paradigm shift in the usage of energy at the micro and macro level. vi. Generating large direct and indirect employment opportunities in solar and allied industries.

5. Strategy of implementation The strategies to achieve the policy objectives are outlined as below:

1. Supply side interventions

vii. Creation of skilled and semi-skilled man power resources for installation and maintenance of the solar systems through promotion of technical and other related training facilities.

1.1 Off grid roof top systems at demand points / consumer premises like solar inverter installations, solar powered cellular towers, display boards/ hoardings etc.

viii. Promotion of entrepreneurs / startups industries / institutions in the state who are engaged in the development of innovative solar based systems.

1.2 Promoting conversion of existing inverter installations to solar power by way of providing suitable incentive schemes.

ix. Creating an R&D hub by establishment of institutional collaborations with educational institutions, research centers, industries, utility etc for working towards applied research and commercialization of nascent technologies to accelerate deployment of various combinations of solar power technologies and solar based hybrid co-generation technologies which will focus on improving efficiency in existing systems, reducing cost of balance of system etc.

1.3 Grid connected systems partly meeting requirements at demand points and feeding to the grid.

4. Title and enforcement: a. This Policy will be known as Kerala Solar Energy Policy, 2013 b. The Policy will come into operation with

1.4 Off site generation at locations like canals, reservoirs (floatovoltaic), waste lands, quarries, etc. 1.5 Off shore generating plants - primarily solar-thermal systems. 1.6 The off-grid solar applications shall be promoted for replacement of diesel based generator sets. Guidelines and incentives issued by MNRE from time to time shall be followed in State for promotion of decentralized and off-grid solar applications. 1.7 Empanelment of Suppliers / system integrators as per the guidelines in

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force for implementation of the solar systems envisaged in the policy 1.8 Standards for grid connectivity at LT level will be notified for the State to promote decentralized solar power generation, which will remain applicable until national standards are notified and adopted by the State. 1.9 Since large scale absorption of solar electricity into the system is impossible without sufficient storage, a program for exploring and developing Pumped Storage schemes in the state shall be promoted as part of the Solar Policy. 1.10 Since developing Balance Of Supply (BoS) plants is essential to tap the employment opportunities presented by Solar to the fullest measure, the state will promote public sector enterprises like Keltron etc to manufacture BoS plants.

2. Promotion of Solar Thermal Collectors: 2.1 Solar Water Heating System (SWHS): The State will promote Solar Water heating system by adopting the key strategy of making necessary policy changes for mandatory use of solar water heating system (SWHS) in the following potential categories :a) All Industrial buildings where hot water is required for processing. b) All Government/Private Hospitals and Nursing homes. c) All Hotels, Resorts, Motels, Banquet halls, Catering Units and Industrial Canteens. d)

Individual Residential buildings with an area of 3000 sq feet and above within the limits of Municipality/Panchayat/ Corporations including Housing Complexes set up by Group Housing Societies/Housing Boards.

Hostels in educational institutions/Pvt. Hostels, Testing Labs/Laboratories of Educational Institutes/Hospitals

Barracks of Police, Paramilitary Forces and Jails.

d) Drying applications. e)

Steam press and laundry units

f) Solar steam cooking applications in industrial mess/hotels etc.

3. Financing the projects 3.1 For off grid systems the policy seeks to ensure bank finance at attractive rates and provide generation based incentives rather than capital subsidies to ensure that the systems are installed, maintained and continued to remain functional. The existing capital subsidies shall be restructured appropriately for the same. 3.2 For grid connected systems Government itself would initiate a programme by which all public buildings are provided with generation facilities using appropriate technology options. Here also rather than an EPC mode of implementation, a design, build, operate and transfer scheme with annuity payments shall be preferred. As the Load cycle of the government offices match with that of the solar plants, they are fitting cases for solar application. Policy urges all the concerned to make use of the roof top and premises to install solar plants to match maximum demand of the concerned office, within a period of 2 years time. A panel of implementing agencies and pro-rata costs per kilo watt shall be prepared and each office/department can choose a developer for implementing this scheme. 3.3 For grid connected systems in non-Government buildings / premises the incentives shall be on the basis of net metering, feed - in tariff and Renewable Energy Certificate mechanism, the appropriate tariff system being decided by following due procedure.

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g) Private/Government Guest Houses, Govt. Tourist Hotels, Inspection Bungalow, Circuit House and retiring rooms of Railways.

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h) Health Centres, Sports Complex. i) All weather swimming pools. 2.2 Solar Steam Systems:

The new stainless steel mounting disk provides conductivity within a string of modules, reducing the need for lugs and copper wire—resulting in savings that can pay for the entire S-5! setup!

The State will promote the use of solar steam systems for wider applications such as a) Community cooking in residential institutions/ industrial mess/ Hotels /Barracks/ Mid day meal program/Hospitals etc. b)

Industrial application of steam in process industries such as Textile/Food industry etc.

c) Laundries 2.3 Industrial Applications: The State will promote the use of Solar Water Heating System (SWHS), Solar Steam Systems etc for Industrial applications such as: a)

Process requirements of hot water.

b) Process requirements of steam. c) Pre-heating applications in variety of Industries.

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3.4 Grid connected systems will be promoted for domestic consumers in a phased manner after formulating grid connection standards for LT distribution in line with this policy. In this regard cluster wise installations will be given suitable incentives on a conditional basis for adopting solar installations. 3.5 Regarding floatovoltaic and public place installations a wider community ownership model with direct financial stake by the public shall be encouraged. 3.6 For logistically difficult and technically challenging options like off shore generating plants, projects shall be structured on the basis of competitive bidding in IPP mode.

4. Building Transmission and Distribution Infrastructure. 4.1 Safety / quality protocols for all such installations shall be worked out in detail at international standards. For this the capability of academic institutions both within and outside the country shall be leveraged. 4.2 This whole initiative would also be structured to improve the quality of the grid in general with specific focus on evolving nano / community grids working on smart grid principles. 4.3 Evolving standards for grid connectivity at different voltage levels. 4.4 Notifying User Manual / guidelines on solar application - leveraging you-tube Internet Communication Technologies (ICT), Social media etc for propagation. 4.5 Integrating with no load shedding campaign.

/ panchayats for promoting solar inst allations and street light optimization. 5.5 I ncentive schemes for conversion of existing inverter installations to solar based ones. 5.6 Solar Procurement Obligation (SPO) will be mandated for Commercial consumers with more than 20 kVA connected load, LT Industrial with more than 50kVA connected load and for all HT & EHT consumers in a phased manner. All HT and EHT consumers shall have to procure 3% of their energy consumed through SPO till March 2014 and 6% from April 2014 onwards. From April 2014 onwards the same shall be applicable for Commercial consumers and LT industrial as per the criteria mentioned above. The same shall be made applicable for high consuming domestic consumers. i.e., more than 500 units per month at a later stage. The above obligated consumers may fulfill their SPO by > Buying equivalent to or more than their SPO from third party developers of Solar Power projects in the State of Kerala > Buying RECs generated by Solar Power projects in the State equivalent to or more than their SPO > Purchasing power from KSEB at Solar Tariff > Consumers desirous of availing SPO exemption by captive solar generation shall necessarily install separate meters to measure captive generation

5. Legal and regulatory framework

5.7 All new domestic buildings having a floor area in between 2000 sq.ft to 3000 sq.ft should install at least 100 litres solar water heater and 500W solar PV system. All the buildings above 3000 sq.ft should install 100 litre solar water heater and at least 1000W solar PV system.

5.1 Support the formulation of regulatory environment encouraging the common man more towards solar applications

5.8 In the case of residential flats 5% of the energy usage for common amenities should be from Solar

5.2 Legally enforcing use of electricity from solar source in specified sectors of energy use.

5.9 In the potential categories to be notified like star hotels, hospitals, residential complexes with more than 50 kVA total connected load the use of solar water heating system shall be made mandatory.

4.6 Creation of mechanisms like Battery banks, centralized banking of energy etc for decentralized distributed generation of infirm energy.

5.3 A tariff incentive for consumers opting for solar generation shall be offered with respect to non-solar consumption subject to prefixed levels of usage. 5.4 Incentive for people’s representatives 28

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

6. ‘Feed-in-Tariff’, ‘Net Metering” and ‘Pooled Cost of Energy’ of the utility

applicable to Solar energy Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KSERC) will notify the normative Feed-in-Tariff of solar power for procurement by KSEB in case of offsite commercial installations. For all agencies that consume grid power and have installed solar installations with some form of Government subsidy only net metering shall be applicable. However for consumers with monthly consumption of 30 units and below efforts shall be made involving welfare departments of Government and LSGIs to solar enable them and in such cases a special feed-in-tariff scheme shall be notified. KSERC will also annually notify the Pooled Cost of power Purchase of the utility as applicable to solar power sector, as required under CERC (Terms and Conditions for Recognition and Issuance of REC for Renewable Energy Generation) Regulations 2010, to facilitate investors tap the Renewable Energy Certificate market.

7. Request for connectivity Plants requiring grid connectivity shall make application to the utility as per the standards in place and the utility shall provide connectivity if found feasible as per the interconnection standards in practice, after collecting a processing fee. 8. Procurement Policy on grid connected solar plant KSEB will have first right of refusal for the power from the plants established in private lands / premises, except in cases of self/captive use. In such cases the sale of power to KSEB shall be as at a tariff decided by KSERC or at the pooled cost of the power purchase of the utility or net metering. 9. Reservation of land for the renewable project Government shall endeavor to assess clearly the land suitable for the development of solar installations in the possession of either Government or private individuals. Such identified lands shall be offered to the developers for grid connected solar installations. Lease rentals fixed by revenue department shall be payable to the land owner. Only lands which do not have an immediate productive use shall be thus identified.

10. Settlement of Energy charges All settlement associated with the energy charges for the grid connected plant between the developer and the utility shall be settled on a monthly basis.

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11. Incentives and facilities under this policy a. Evacuation facility KSEB shall create necessary evacuation facility beyond the pooling station for the projects with capacity less than or equal to 10 MW. For higher capacity plants, KSEB shall construct the evacuation facility on deposit work basis. b. Open access Charges There shall be no open access charges for solar projects for wheeling the power within the state. c. Wheeling charges and T&D losses Wheeling charges and T&D losses will not be applicable for the Captive Solar generators within the state.

Council (KSCSTE) (ix) Director of Industries (x) Land Revenue Commissioner The committee shall also have the following responsibilities. a) To suggest necessary amendments to the policy to remove difficulties in implementing the policy. b) Give approval for the developer requiring land allocation from the government. c) Approval for utilization of land designated by ANERT for development of renewable energy d) Specifying the time schedule of eligible projects for which land had been allocated

d. Exemption of electricity Duty

e) Any other function which may found necessary

The energy generated from the plants under this policy shall be fully exempted from the Electricity duty.

b. Agency for Non-conventional Energy and Rural Technology (ANERT)

e. Banking facility

ANERT is the nodal agency for the non conventional energy in the state. In administering this policy ANERT will have the following responsibilities.

Conditional Banking facility shall be available to captive generators after considering system constraints. f. Facilitating for subsidies from MNRE ANERT being the nodal agency for the non conventional energy in the State, shall act as a facilitator for the developer for making available the subsidy from MNRE or any other central agency. 12. Agencies involved and their role under this policy

a. State Level Empowered Committee (SLEC) Administration of this policy shall be entrusted with the State Level Empowered Committee (SLEC) constituted for that purpose. The committee shall have the following constitution. (i) Principal Secretary ( Power), GoK Chairman (ii) Chairman, KSEB (iii) Member (Generation Projects), KSEB (iv) Member (Transmission & Generation Operations), KSEB (v) Member (Distribution), KSEB (vi) Director, EMC (vii) Director, ANERT - Convener (viii) Exe. Vice President of the Kerala S&T

(i) To act as the linking agency between all the stake holders in matters related with this policy (ii) To empanel the system providers in solar technology after due process (iii) To assess the solar energy potential in the state and prepare area map of renewable energy potential of the state (iv) To act as the nodal agency for the Offgrid solar applications in the state. (v) To facilitate in providing incentives and subsidies to the investor in the off grid application. (vi) To be part of the joint mechanism with KSEB in the administration of Roof-Top solar installations with grid connectivity. (vii) To short list and maintain the data base on the system provider in the case of solar plants with LT connectivity and prescribe maximum permissible installations under each system provider in proportion to their financial strength and infrastructure capability.

c. System Provider/Integrator Being new technology and considering safety requirements due to complexity of the system, the

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assistance from the system provider is essential throughout the life period of the plant. This is necessary to instill confidence among potential small scale investors and roof top owners in the initial phase of technology adoption, which could be reviewed periodically based on the maturity achieved by the technology and the level of deployment. Thus the system provider will have the following responsibilities. (i) To register itself with the ANERT through their due process to enable itself to provide service in the state. (ii) On completion of the project, enter into a tri-partite agreement involving also the facility owner of the roof top solar plant and KSEB, ensuring continued technical support to the plant. (iii) Conduct periodical maintenance to the plant as per the standards and provide report of the same to the investor as well as to KSEB. (iv) In case investors under him opt for REC mechanism, to play the role of facilitator for the purpose.

d. Kerala State Electricity Board Being the integrated utility on transmission and distribution in the state, KSEB shall have the following responsibility under this policy. (i) To mainstream solar applications by pioneering installations in canals, reservoirs (floatovoltaic), public spaces etc (ii) To evolve and update standards of grid connectivity for the Solar Power Systems at LT and HT level and notify to promote decentralized solar power generation. (iii) To assess the feasibility and provide connectivity to grid connected solar projects in a timely manner. (ii) Resort to tariff based bidding for solar energy in meeting RPO, if required. (iii) To develop necessary transmission infrastructure based on a renewable master plan. (iv) To provide banking facility for solar energy, incentives in the form of exclusion from open access charges, wheeling charges, T&D loss for solar power (v) To act as single window service provider to all grid connected solar plants in association with other state agencies

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PEDA Invites You To Invest In Solar Power Projects In The State Of Punjab The Land Of Exciting Opportunities Saumya Bansal Gupta - EQ International

he State will support setting up of 300 MW (under phase - I) Solar Photovoltaic (PV) power plants for direct sale of power to PSPCL, Punjab for which PEDA will select solar power developers. Selection of these Solar Power Projects shall be through tariff based competitive e - bidding process as per the directives of Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC). Department of Science, Technology, Environment and Non- Conventional Energy Sources (NCES), Govt. of Punjab has issued a “New and Renewable Sources of Energy (NRSE) Policy – 2012 vide notification no. 10/174/2012/STE(3)/4725 dated December 26, 2012 to promote and develop new and renewable source of energy and to promote energy conservation measures / efficiency in the State of Punjab.

Fiscal Assistance / Benefits Available for Developers under the NRSE Policy 2012: a. 100% electricity duty for power consumed from State licensee during construction and testing of the project shall be waived. b.

Octroi on NRSE fuels to be used for energy generation and NRSE devices / equipment / machinery for NRSE Power Projects shall be fully exempted. Similarly Octroi on self - consumption of power by captive power plants in the same premises or thru wheeling by open access to same group companies shall also be exempted.

c. To promote usage / generation from NRSE, manufacturing & sale of NRSE devices / systems and equipments / machinery required for NRSE Power Projects shall be exempted from Value 30

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

Added Tax (VAT) and any cess there upon. d. 100% Exemption from entry tax in respect of all supplies (including capital goods, structure and raw materials) made for setting up and trial operations of the projects. e. 100% exemption from payment of fee and stamp duty for registration / lease deed charges for the land required for the project. f. Agricultural land shall be allowed for setting up of Renewable Energy Power Projects in the state and no Change of Land Use (CLU), External Development Charges (EDC) / or any other charges / fees for the same shall be payable. g. Solar PV Power projects shall be exempted from obtaining any NOC / consent under Pollution control laws from the PPCB.

Total Capacity and Portfolio of Solar PV Projects: The total aggregated capacity of the grid connected solar projects to be developed under Phase - I shall be 300 MW. All the Grid Connected Solar PV Power Projects under Phase – I shall be installed in the State of Punjab only. The total capacity shall be divided into two categories as under: i) Category – I: Total 50 MW to be

allotted for newly incorporated / existing companies. The minimum capacity of the project shall be 1 MW and the maximum capacity shall be 4 MW. The allotment of project capacities under this category shall be in multiples of 1 MW only. ii) Category – II: Total 250 MW to be allotted to Existing Companies. The minimum capacity of the project shall be 5 MW and maximum capacity shall be 30 MW. The allotment of project capacities under this category shall be multiples of 5 MW only.

Technology: a) The Bidder is free to choose any Solar PV power generation technology viz. Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell Modules / Thin Film Modules / Concentrated PV Modules / any other technology which can be sourced from any country. b) MoU or any type of agreement with technology provider / partner is not required along with the response to RfP. The Bidder has to submit their proposed technology in format 6.11 along with the response to RfP. PSERC adopts the CERC RE tariff for solar PV power projects as per historical precedence.

Selection of Bidders: The selection of bidders shall be based on net availed tariff after providing discount on generic tariff notified by CERC for Solar PV Power Projects for FY 2013-14, which is adopted by PSERC as per historical p r e c e d e n c e ’s , i r r e s p e c t i ve o f availing Normal Rate of depreciation / Accelerated Rate of depreciation. PEDA

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will shortlist the bidders based on the net tariff arrived in Rs. Per kWh after reduction of discount offered by the bidder (Refer format 6.9 A for Category I Projects and format 6.9 B for Category II Projects). The bidder offering the lowest net availed tariff shall be selected as L1 and so on till the total aggregate capacity as per Clause 3.1 is reached. The bids of bidders offering tariff above the bench mark tariff notified for F.Y. 2013-14 shall be summarily rejected.

Illustration: (Based on F.Y. 2013-14 RE Tariff) If two projects, one opting for normal rate of depreciation and another opting for accelerated rate of depreciation, the bidder quoting lowest net availed tariff will be selected first and so on.

Eg.: (i) Bidder 1: Tariff Opted: Normal Rate of depreciation Tariff applicable: Rs. 8.75/ kWh Tariff Discount: Rs. 1.00 / kWh Net Availed Tariff: Rs. 7.75 / kWh

(ii) Bidder 2: Tariff Opted: Accelerated Rate of depreciation Tariff applicable: Rs. 7.87 / kWh Tariff Discount: Rs.0.50 / kWh Net Availed Tariff: Rs. 7.37 / kWh Then, the bidder 2 shall be selected, as the bidder is offering lowest net availed tariff. In case, two or more Bidders offering same net availed tariff irrespective of opting Normal rate of depreciation or Accelerated rate of depreciation, then the selection of Bidders shall be by draw of lots and the Bidder selected first shall be ranked higher, than the second Bidder.

Time Schedule:

+5% tolerance is allowed on the capacity of the project. E.g. 1 MW capacity project can have 1.05 MW as DC capacity based on the rated capacity of PV modules at STC conditions (1000 W/m2, 25Â°C, AM 1.5). No negative tolerance is acceptable.

Number of Response to RfP by a Company The Bidder may submit single bid in the prescribed format for a maximum of 3 (three) projects at different locations subject to maximum aggregate capacity of 4 (four) MW for Category I Projects and 30 (Thirty) MW for Category II Projects. It is important to note that irrespective of the maximum aggregate capacity (30) MW allowed for allocation to a Bidder, the maximum plant capacity at single location cannot exceed 20 MW. The different locations means Projects (maximum up to three nos.) situated at three different locations. However, each individual project shall have separate PPA, interconnection (at 11 kV or 66 kV) and separate metering arrangement with the PSPCL.

Technical Criteria: Category I (Newly Incorporated Bidding Company / Existing Bidding Company): The Bidder under this Category does not require experience in executing solar power projects. Category II (Existing Bidding Company): The bidder or in case of consortium, a member thereof should have installed and commissioned at least single project having capacity of 5 MW or higher grid connected capacity which is in operation for at least 1 (One) year before the last date of submission of e-bid anywhere in the world.

Due Date The Bidders should upload the response to RfP as specified in e-tender notice by 12:00 Hrs (IST) on April 25th, 2013. Time Schedule for Commissioning of Solar PV Power Projects

Capacity of each Project The total capacity to be allotted is divided into two categories which are as under: In case of shortfall of bids in any category from the total capacity announced, the excess capacity in that category shall not be interchanged to the other category.

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EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

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

Uttar Pradesh RFS for 200MW Grid Connected Solar Power Plant Saumya Bansal Gupta - EQ International

PNEDA will support setting up of Grid connected 200 MW Solar PV Power stations if established in Uttar Pradesh for the direct sale of power to UPPCL. UPNEDA on behalf of UPPCL, will select solar power producer for setting up of minimum 5 MW capacity Solar PV Power Plants (total capacity 200MW) and the maximum capacity of the Project shall be up to 50 MW. The plant capacity shall remain in multiples of 5 MW. The total capacity of Solar PV Projects to be allocated to a Company including its Parent, Affiliate or Ultimate Parent or any Group Company shall be limited to 50 MW. Minimum Equity holding/Equity LockIn The aggregate equity shareholding of the Selected Bidder in the issued and paid up equity share capital of the Seller shall not be less than Fifty One percent (51%) from Effective Date up to a period of three (3) years after commencement of supply of power.

Due Dates Sl.No. Event 1. Date of issue of RfP 2. Submission of written clarification / amendments if any, on the RfP / RfP Documents by the Bidders. 3. Pre-Bid Meeting 4. Revision of RfP and RfP Documents (if required) and issuance of revised RfP and RfP Documents 5. Bid submission and opening of NonFinancial Bid 6. Financial Bid Opening 7. Approval of Bids and Issue of LoI to Successful Bidder(s) 8. Signing of PPA

Renewal of PPA 180 Days prior to expiry of this agreement, SPP can renew this agreement with UPPCL for a further period of 15 years at the then prevailing APPC. However the budgetary support form UP State Government as incentive as per provision in the solar policy will be available only for initial 10 years of PPA and will not be available for the extended PPA of 15 years.

Minimum CUF Limits The Projects developed on conventional solar PV technology should have a minimum CUF of 15% in any given contract year. In case the developers fail to supply energy pertaining to minimum CUF in a contract year then the developer shall pay a penalty equal to 10% of the project tariff to the Procurer, for such shortfall in units.

Grid Connectivity The responsibility of getting connectivity with the transmission system owned by the Discom/STU will lie with the Project Developer. The cost of the transmission line up to the “feed in substation” viz the point of interconnection where the metering is done shall be borne by the Solar Project Developer. Schedule Zero Date Zero date + 10 days

Date 15/03/2013 25/03/2013

Zero date + 19 days Zero date + 26 days

03/04/201 10/04/2013

25/04/2013

Zero date + 56 days Zero date + 87 days

10/05/2013 10/06/2013

Zero date + 105 days

Exact date will be communicated to successful bidders.

Completion of the following tasks:

Zero date + 315 days

a. Financial closure of the project.

(LoI date + 240 days)

b. Land Allotment/ Land Purchase. 10.

c. Grant for Grid Con Commissioning of Solar PV Power Plant EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

As mentioned in clause 2.28.

For the projects coming in Bundelkhand region of the state of Uttar Pradesh, expenditure on the construction of transmission line and substation at the Transco / Discom end will be borne by Government of Uttar Pradesh as mentioned in the Solar Policy of Uttar Pradesh 2013.

Meters As per state metering code, for measurement of solar energy supplied by Solar generating stations within the State, meter shall be provided on each outgoing feeder at the power station designated as main meter for billing purpose. Check meter hall be provided along with main meter on each outgoing feeder. Meters shall also be provided on the other end of the above 33kV feeder to serve as secondary back-up meter. Meters on each generator and each auxiliary transformer shall work as backup meters. The consumption recorded by main meter shall be compared with the consumption recorded by secondary backup meter on 33kV feeder to work out transmission losses as well as to monitor the correct functioning of both meters. Procurer will be liable to pay the project developer the tariff as signed in the PPA. Out of the total per unit tariff the tariff which has been arrived from the Latest Finalized

Zero date + 41 days

(LoI Date + 30 days)

This transmission line shall be constructed by the STU or Discom, whoever owns the feed in substation. However the entire cost of transmission including cost of construction of line, wheeling charges, losses etc. will be borne by the Project Developer and will not be met by the STU/Discom.

Case – I bidding for conventional power project as conducted by UPPCL will be paid from the UPPCL kitty and the balance amount will be rooted through UPNEDA to UPPCL and will be paid to the developer on monthly basis for the entire duration of the PPA. Quoted Single tariff = (tariff arrived from Case I bidding for conventional

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power project + balance amount paid by UPNEDA). UPPCL and SPP shall agree for renewal of this agreement for further 15 years. And with the tariff for the sale of power to UPPCL at the then prevailing Average Pooled Purchase Cost. However the budgetary support form UP State Government as incentive as per provision in the solar policy will be available only for initial 10 years of PPA and will not be available for the extended PPA of 15 years.

Late Payment Surcharge In the event of delay in payment of a Monthly Bill by the Procurers thirty (30) days beyond its due date, a Late Payment Surcharge shall be payable by the Procurers to the Seller at the rate of 1.25% per month on the outstanding amount calculated on a day to day basis. The Late Payment Surcharge shall be claimed by the Seller through the next Monthly Bill.

Payment Security Mechanism Letter of Credit (LC): The Procurers shall provide to the Seller, in respect of payment of its Monthly Bills, an unconditional, revolving and irrevocable letter of credit (“Letter of Credit”), opened and maintained by the Procurers, which may be drawn upon by the Seller in accordance with this Article. The Procurers shall provide to the Seller draft of the Letter of Credit proposed to be provided to the Seller two (2) months before the Scheduled Commissioning Date. Not later than one (1) Month before the start of supply, the Procurers shall through a scheduled bank at Lucknow open a Letter of Credit in favour of the Seller, to be made operative at least 15 days prior to the Due Date of its first Monthly Bill under this Agreement. The Letter of Credit shall have a term of twelve (12) Months and shall be reviewed every year, in the month of January and revised w.e.f. April for an amount equal to: i) for the first Contract Year, equal to the estimated average monthly billing;

Date, the Procurers and the Seller shall execute Default Escrow Agreement (referred as “Default Escrow Agreement”) for the establishment and operation of the Default Escrow Account in favour of the Seller, through which the revenues of the Procurers shall be routed and used as per the terms of the Default Escrow Agreement. The Procurers and the Seller shall contemporaneously with the execution of the Default Escrow Agreement enter into the Agreement to Hypothecate Cum Deed of Hypothecation, whereby the Procurers shall agree to hypothecate, Incremental Receivables to the extent as required for the Letter of Credit as per Article 10.4.2. The Default Escrow Agreement and the Agreement to Hypothecate Cum Deed of Hypothecation are collectively referred to as the “Collateral Arrangement”. Provided that the Procurers shall ensure that the Seller shall have first ranking charge on the Receivables in accordance with the terms of the Agreement to Hypothecate Cum Deed of Hypothecation. •

The Default Escrow would come into operation if, i) The Letter of Credit is not recouped by the Procurers to its required value by the 7th day of its operation;

ii) The Seller is unable to draw on the Letter of Credit on the Due Date, if the Procurers fail to pay by the Due Date. iii) Non-restoration of Escrow Arrangement by the 7th day of the Due Date. Third Party Sales by the Seller •

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, upon the occurrence of any of the following event(s), the Seller shall be entitled to regulate power supply of Solar PV power; Default in making payment by the 7th day from the Due Date,

ii) Non-recoupment of LC by the 7th day of its operation. iii) Non-availability of LC for operation and for its required value by the 7th day of the Due Date.

ii) for each subsequent Contract Year, equal to the one point one (1.1) times the average of the monthly Tariff Payments of the previous Contract Year.

•

The Seller shall issue the Notice for Regulation of Power Supply on the date above and shall give a notice of 7 days to start the regulation on the 8th day.

Collateral Arrangement

•

Regulation of Power Supply would be on pro-rata basis i.e., in the ratio of amount due and unpaid to total amount

As a further support for the Procurers’ obligations, on or prior to the Effective

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due against the relevant Monthly Bill. In case of shortfall in amount of LC available, the right to regulate shall be in the ratio of shortfall in LC maintained /available to the total amount of LC required. •

In order to avoid any doubts, it is illustrated that:

i) In the event of a bill amounting to Rs. 25 Crore is unpaid to the extent of Rs. 10 Crore, The Seller would have a right to regulate and sell Procurer’s allocation of the power to third parties to the extent of 40% (i.e. 10/25x100). ii) If LC required to be opened/ maintained by Procurers is to the extent of Rs. 25 Crore and LC opened/maintained/ available is to the extent of Rs. 15 Crore only i.e. LC available is short by Rs. 10 Crore, The Seller would have a right to regulate and sell Procurers’ allocation of power to third parties to the extent of 40% (i.e..10/25x100). The Seller shall have the right to divert the Solar PV power or part thereof and sell it to any third party namely; i) Any consumer, subject to applicable Law; or ii) Any licensee under the Act; The Seller shall request the concerned SLDC/UPLDC to divert such power to third party, as it may consider appropriate. Provided that such sale of power to third party shall not absolve the Procurers from its obligation to pay in full to the Seller for the solar power and capacity charge liability for conventional power and any other outstanding payment liability of the Procurers as per this Agreement. The amount realized from the diversion and sale of power to third party shall be adjusted first against the pending liability of the Procurers.Sales to any third party shall cease and regular supply of electricity to the Procurers shall commence and be restored within two (02) days from the date of clearing all the outstanding dues payable to the Seller for the Solar PV power under this Agreement. Further, that the liability of the Procurers to make the Tariff Payments to the Seller as per Energy Accounts shall start from the day of such restoration of supply of power and shall continue for such periods wherein such power was made available to the Procurers.

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

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

Karnataka RFS for 130MW Grid Connected Solar Power Plant Saumya Bansal Gupta - EQ International

In line with the Renewable energy Purchase Obligations (“RPO”) set out by Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (“KERC”), GoK intends to undertake development of 130MW of solar thermal and/or solar PV power plants in the State of Karnataka in the second phase. The minimum capacity of the project proposed by the Bidder shall be at least 3 MW and the maximum capacity shall be 10 MW.However, the maximum capacity to be allotted to any Bidde including its Group Business Entity (ies) either bidding as Single Business Entity or as a Consortium shall not exceed 10 MW.

1.3. Schedule of Bidding Process Members of the Consortium shall collectively hold at least 51% of subscribed and paid up equity share capital of the SPV at all times until third anniversary of the Commercial Operations Date of the Project.

Financial Close The Selected Bidder shall within 180 (Hundred and Eighty) days from the date of signing of the Power Purchase Agreement shall Achieve Financial Closure

Sharing of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Benefits The Project shall be compatible to CDM claims and all such CDM claims shall be 34

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

Sl No

Event Description

Date

Last date for receiving March 12, 2013 , 1430 Hrs queries

Pre-Bid Conference

March 12, 2013 , 1430 Hrs

Bid Due Date

March 28, 2013 , 1630 Hrs

Due Date for hard copy March 29, 2013 , 1630 Hrs submission of Bid

Opening of Bid (except April 01, 2013 , 1100 Hrs Financial Bid)

Opening of Financial Bid

To be intimated later

Issue of Letter of Award

To be intimated later

Issue of Allotment Letter, To be intimated later if required

Bid Validity Period

10.

Signing of the Power 30 days from the acknowledgement Purchase Agreement of LOA or Allotment Letter as the case may be

180 days from Bid Due Date

reported to the Authority periodically. The proceeds of carbon credit from approved CDM project shall be shared between Developer and concerned ESCOM in the following manner: a. 100% of the gross proceeds on account of CDM benefit to be retained by the Developer in the year after the date of commercial operation of the generating station

after the proceeds shall be shared in equal proportion, by the Developer and concerned ESCOM.

Commission of Project The commercial operation date (“Commercial Operations Date”/“COD”) for the Project shall be achieved by the Developer within 12 (twelve)/24 (twenty four)5months from the date of signing ofthe Power Purchase Agreement.

b. In the second year, the share of the concerned ESCOM shall be 10% which shall be progressively increased by 10% every year till it reaches 50%, where

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The WorldÂ´s Largest Exhibition for the Solar Industry Messe MĂźnchen, Germany Intersolar Europe gives you an insider advantage on cutting-edge information about the dynamic markets of the solar industry Connect with 1,500 international exhibitors Learn everything about the latest innovations Keep up with future trends for continued business success Get inspired

Top information for your visit in Munich, Germany

QUA RT ER RESUL T S

Trina Solar’s Fourth Quarter And Fiscal Year 2012 Results Saumya Bansal Gupta - EQ International Trina Solar’s Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2012 Results Fourth Quarter 2012 Financial and Operating Highlights : •

Solar module shipments were approximately 415 MW for the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to approximately 380 MW during the third quarter of 2012, a sequential increase of 9.0%

•

Net revenues were $302.7 million, an increase of 1.6% sequentially

•

Gross profit was $5.6 million, an increase of 139.1% sequentially

•

Gross margin was 1.9%, compared to 0.8% in the third quarter

•

Operating loss was $70.4 million, compared to an operating loss of $76.0 million in the third quarter of 2012

•

Operating margin, including a provision for doubtful receivables of $14.5 million, was negative 23.3%, compared to negative 25.5% in the third quarter of 2012

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

•

Net loss was $87.2 million, compared to a net loss of $57.5 million in the third quarter of 2012

•

Loss per fully diluted American Depositary Share (“ADS”) were $1.23, compared to $0.81 in the third quarter of 2012

Full Year 2012 Results Financial and Operating Highlights : •

Solar module shipments were

approximately 1.59 GW, compared to the Company’s previous guidance of between 1.55 GW to 1.6 GW, an increase of 5.4% from 2011 •

Total net revenues were $1.30 billion, a decrease of 36.7% from 2011

•

Gross profit was $57.2 million, a decrease of 82.8% from 2011

•

Gross margin was 4.4%, compared to 16.2% in 2011

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leading global technology developers. Our efforts were recently recognized by Fast Company Magazine, which named Trina Solar in their list of The World’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in China. We believe that because of these factors, Trina Solar will continue to solidify its position as a brand and partner of choice across multiple geographies and end user segments.”

During the fourth quarter of 2012, the Company:

•

Operating loss was $264.9 million, compared to operating income of $31.0 million in 2011

•

Net loss for the full year was $266.6 million, compared to $37.8 in 2011

•

Loss per fully diluted ADS for 2012 were $3.77, compared to $0.54 in 2011

• Announced the duty rates determined by the U.S. Department of Commerce in the anti-dumping and countervailing duties investigations on crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells from China assembled into modules and that the U.S. International Trade Commission (the “ITC”) also made negative findings with regard to critical circumstances in this investigation, such that no retroactive duties would be imposed on Trina Solar.

also encouraged by recent announcements in Asia, most notably in China and Japan, that governments are strengthening their commitment to solar energy and raising the target for solar power contribution to the

“While realizing sequential improvements in shipments in the fourth quarter, our bottom line continued to be adversely impacted by a supply-demand imbalance and aggressive pricing by some competitors,” said Mr. JifanGao, Chairman and CEO of Trina Solar. “Amidst these commercial conditions, our focus on profitable sales, inventory management, and on-going expense reductions allowed us to achieve positive operating cashflows. During the fourth quarter we also made progress in the global development of our in-house system business, and expect to commence grid-scale opportunities in China and the Americas later this year.” “Looking ahead, we believe that the further decrease in module and total system costs will drive increased global demand for the PV industry in 2013, despite the decrease in favorable government policy in traditional European markets. Meanwhile, we are seeing a ramping up in PV adoption and planning in new markets within Africa, the Americas and the Middle East. We are

national grid capacity.” “As solar-generated power increasingly competes against traditional energy forms for large-scale power purchase agreements, we continue efforts to expand our project systems business as a percentage of our overall business, while continuing to deliver innovative products and services through increasing partnerships with the PV industry’s

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The Company also announced that it is currently evaluating whether it is necessary and prudent to appeal these final determinations issued by the ITC. •

Announced that its APMEA (Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa) headquarters in Singapore has begun its formal operations. EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

such as the availability of network transmission and interconnection facilities, and the attainment of certain project rights, including land use rights and the right to access local manufacturing facilities.

•

Announced it obtained Carbon Footprint Verification for the Company’s solar PV modules from the British Standards Institution, a leading international standards and certification body. The verification process involved assessing the Company’s carbon footprint throughout various stages of the life cycles of our products, suggesting the carbon payback time for its module products during their usage period. Announced that it obtained the Client Test Dat a Program certification from Underwriters Laboratory (“UL”). The Company is the first global solar PV company to receive this cer tification, which will allow it to independently conduct testing programs and issue UL-recognized test data without the on-site presence of UL-dispatched engineers. Announced the donation of solar modules to three health care centres in Malawi servicing over 85,000 people. Together with its partner, Innovation: Africa, Trina Solar makes clean energy available to two remote medical centers and a community-based organization offering HIV/AIDS support, vocational training, adult education, orphan care and more. EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

•

Announced that its PV modules have obtained certification for salt mist, sand blast and potential induced degredation (“PID”) testing from leading certification bodies. TUV NORD has certified Trina Solar’s modules to the latest IEC61701:2011 Severity 1 standard for salt mist corrosion testing. The Company’s modules also excelled in the most rigorous blowing sand test conducted in accordance with the DIN EN 60086-2-68 LC2 standard by SGS, a world leading inspection, verification,

testing and certification company. Trina Solar’s multi-crystalline panels also recently received PID Certification from PV Evolution Labs.

Project Development : The Company has entered into framework agreements with local municipal governments for multi-year power plant development projects in all four of its commercial operating regions. Commencement of the projects is expected in 2013 and 2014, but is conditional upon a number of factors, some of which are beyond the Company’s control,

In the fourth quarter of 2012, the Company entered into a long-term land use rights lease agreement with authorities in Eastern China for the development of a large-scale, multiphase utility project, which is expected to commence in 2013. In January of 2013, the Company obtained approval from China’s Gansu Provincial Development and Reform Commission to develop a 50 MW grid-connected solar power plant project in Wuwei, Gansu.

First Quarter and Fiscal Year 2013 Guidance For the first quarter of 2013, the Company expects its shipment volume for PV modules to be between 420 MW and 430 MW.The Company expects its overall gross margin for the first quarter of 2013 will be low single digit in percentage terms, taking into account wafer and cell requirements

outsourced to third party suppliers . Such guidance is based on the average exchange rate between the Euro and U.S. dollar from January 1, 2013 to February 26, 2013. For the full year of 2013, the Company expects total combined PV module shipments and system deliveries between 2.0 GW and 2.1 GW, which would represent an increase of 25.5% to 31.8%, respectively, from 2012.

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EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

QUA RT ER RESUL T S

Yingli Green Energy Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2012 Results

Saumya Bansal Gupta - EQ International

Fourth Quarter 2012 Consolidated Financial and Operating Summary o Total net revenues were RMB 2,902.9 million (US$466.0 million). o

PV module shipment increased by 40.6% from the third quarter of 2012.

Gross loss was RMB 247.8 million (US$39.8 million), representing a gross margin of negative 8.5%. Excluding the impact of a non-cash inventory provision of RMB 121.0 million (US$19.4 million) in this quarter, gross margin of PV modules in the fourth quarter of 2012 would be negative 3.5%.

o Operating loss was RMB 1,130.4 million (US$181.4 million), representing an operating margin of negative 38.9%,

which reflects the negative impact of the inventory provision mentioned above, a non-cash impairment of long-lived

assets, a non-cash provision for bad debts and a loss of disposal of certain equipment in an aggregate of RMB 484.7 million (US$77.8 million). o

Net loss was RMB 1,249.0 million (US$200.5 million) and loss per ordinary share and per American depositary share (“ADS”) was RMB 7.98 (US$1.28). On an adjusted nonGAAP basis, net loss was RMB 908.3 million (US$145.8 million) and loss per ordinary share and per ADS was RMB 5.80 (US$0.93).

Fourth Quarter 2012 Financial Results Total Net Revenues 40

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

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In this quarter, the Company recognized a non-cash impairment of long-lived assets of RMB 200.5 million (US$32.2 million) related to the equipment of Fine Silicon, a non-cash provision for bad debts of RMB 101.4 million (US$16.3 million) and a loss of RMB 61.7 million (US$9.9 million) related to disposal of certain equipment. In addition, the increase of operating expenses in the fourth quarter of 2012 was partially attributable to the increase of PV module shipments.

Total net revenues were RMB 2,902.9 million (US$466.0 million) in the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to RMB 2,237.0 million in the third quarter of 2012 and RMB 2,567.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2011. PV module shipments in the fourth quarter of 2012 increased by 40.6% from the third quarter of 2012. The sequential increase in net revenues was primarily attributable to the increased PV modules shipment, which was partially offset by the continuing industrywide decline in the average selling price of PV modules in this quarter.

Gross Loss (Profit) and Gross Margin

impacted by an inventory provision of RMB 121.0 million (US$19.4 million) . Excluding the impact of the non-cash inventory provision mentioned above, gross margin of PV modules in the fourth quarter of 2012 would be negative 3.5%.

Operating Expenses Operating expenses were RMB 882.6 million (US$141.7 million) in the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to RMB 423.8 million in the third quarter of 2012 and RMB 3,861.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Operating expenses as a percentage of total net revenues was 30.4% in the fourth quarter of 2012. Excluding the impairment of long-lived assets, the provision for bad debts and the loss of disposal of certain equipment mentioned above, operating expenses in the fourth quarter of 2012 would be RMB 518.9 million (US$83.3 million) representing 17.9% of total net revenues. Operating expenses as a percentage of total net revenues was 18.9% in the third quarter of 2012 and 18.0% in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Foreign Currency Exchange Gain (Loss) Foreign currency exchange gain was RMB 26.7 million (US$4.3 million) in the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to RMB 52.1 million in the third quarter of 2012 and foreign currency exchange loss of RMB 134.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2011. Given that the Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Euro-denominated assets and liabilities are in a net asset position, the foreign currency exchange gain was mainly due to the appreciation of the Euro against the RMB in this quarter.

Balance Sheet Analysis As of December 31, 2012, the Company had RMB 3,051.7 million (US$489.8 million) in cash and restricted cash, compared to RMB 3,720.5 million as of September 30, 2012.

Gross loss was RMB 247.8 million (US$39.8 million) in the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to gross loss of RMB 507.8 million in the third quarter of 2012 and gross profit of RMB 77.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2011. Gross margin was negative 8.5% in the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to gross margin of negative 22.7% in the third quarter of 2012 and gross margin of 3.0% in the fourth quarter of 2011.Gross margin in the fourth quarter of 2012 was negatively

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EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

41Â

As of December 31, 2012, accounts receivable were RMB 3,918.7 million (US$629.0 million), compared to RMB 3,220.5 million as of September 30, 2012. Days sales outstanding was 121 days in the fourth quarter of 2012, a decrease from 130 days in the third quarter of 2012. As of December 31, 2012, accounts payable were RMB 3,680.3 million (US$590.7 million), compared to RMB 3,670.2 million as of September 30, 2012. Days payable outstanding was 105 days in the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to 120 days in the third quarter of 2012.

Europe Trends Revenue contribution of sales to Europe in Q4 2012 decreased from 60% to 46%

Romania, UK, Turkey and Ukraine has been creating incremental demand opportunity in Europe as German demand resets closer to Government policy corridor.Module ASPs stabilising although continued reduction in

solar PV incentives applies pressure along the whole value chain.New self-consumption and net metering business models undergo validation and testing in countries with

also partnership with leading OEM to manufacture Ontario-compliant panels has been established to fulfill 125MW Canadian pipeline for 2013.

Strong Momentum in China

The feed-in-tariff of 1 RMB/kWh continues to be valid for utility scale projects. From March 1, 2013, the State Grid will provide free grid connection services for distributed generation projects with a capacity lower than 6 MW. However, the steady development of the utility market and the quickly growing distributed generation segment will likely catapult China to become the largest solar market in 2013. The company expects to increase the module shipment volumes to China in 2013 by more than 40% compared with 2012. They have secured 288 MW of modules under the Golden Sun Program to delivery in 2013.

Business Outlook for Full Year 2013

sequentially due to demand from emerging markets particularly China. Sequential increase in shipment volumes to Europe was seen as demand rebounded.Nearly 50% of revenues generated from sales outside of Germany in Q4 2012 versus historical share of 25-30% as new markets gained traction. However, demand in Germany was stable in early Q1 2013 although winter weather hampered installations during last few weeks and recent political statements creating some uncertainty with respect to the German Renewable Energy Act. Demand for Q1 2013 was supported by project installation deadlines at end of March in UK, Greece and Spain.New and developing markets in Israel,

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EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

good solar resources combined with high electricity prices.

Large Contracted Pipeline in Canada & the U.S. and Steady Growth in Latin America 2012 Successes in the America as sales in Latin Americas increased to nearly 40 customers in 13 countries. They have supplied 24MW for the largest solar project in the Caribbean in Guayama, Puerto Rico. Projects like the 25MW PSEG Queen Creek Solar Farm in Arizona contributed to 25% utility sector YoY growth. The company expects over 300% utility growth in 2013 with contractually binding utility sales of over 325MW for delivery in the U.S. And

Based on current market and operating conditions, estimated production capacity and forecasted customer demand, the Company expects its PV module shipment target to be in the estimated range of 3.2 GW to 3.3 GW for fiscal year 2013, which represents an increase of 39.4% to 43.7% compared to fiscal year 2012.

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Renewable Energy India Expo 12-14 September 2013 2013 EXPO IndiaExpoCenter,GreaterNoida,India

Organised by

REI

Promoting a Democratic Industry Forum

6RODU 39 _ 6RODU 7KHUPDO _ :LQG _ %LR _ *HRWKHUPDO _ 6PDOO +\GUR _ (QHUJ\ (IÃ&#x20AC;FLHQF\

5DMQHHVK .KDWWDU _ 3URMHFW 'LUHFWRU _ 0 _ ( UDMQHHVK NKDWWDU#XEP FRP www.renewableenergyindiaexpo.com EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13 43Â www.EQMagLive.com

QUA RT ER RESUL T S

First Solar’s Fourth Quarter And Full-Year 2012 Financial Results Saumya Bansal Gupta - EQ International

•

Record net sales of $1.1 billion for the fourth quarter and $3.4 billion for 2012

•

GAAP earnings per fully diluted share of $1.74 for the fourth quarter and loss of $1.11 for 2012

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Non-GAAP earnings per fully diluted share of $2.04 for the fourth quarter and $4.90 for 2012

•

Cash and marketable securities of $1 billion

•

Guidance of $0.70 to $0.90 per fully diluted share for first quarter 2013

First Solar announced financial results for the quarter and year ended Dec. 31, 2012. Net sales were a record $1.1 billion in the quarter, an increase of $236 million from the third quarter of 2012 and $415 million from the fourth quarter of 2011. The increase in net sales from the third quarter of 2012 was primarily due to increased revenue recognition for the Topaz project, and an increase in third-party module sales. Net sales for 2012 were $3.4 billion, up 22% from 2011.

restructuring charges. The fourth quarter of 2012 was impacted by pre-tax charges of $25 million (reducing EPS by $0.30), relating to previously announced restructuring actions. The Company reported a full-year GAAP loss of $1.11 per share for 2012, including the impact of pre-tax charges of $529

million (reducing EPS by $5.99), relating to previously announced restructuring actions and costs in excess of normal warranty. NonGAAP net income per fully diluted share was $2.04 for the fourth quarter and $4.90 for full-year 2012.

The Company reported fourth quarter GAAP net income per fully diluted share of $1.74, compared to $1.00 in the third quarter of 2012 and a loss of $4.78 in the fourth quarter of 2011, which included $454 million in pre-tax goodwill impairment and 44

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

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lines to $0.64 per watt (excluding underutilization), down from $0.69 in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Cash and Marketable Securities at the end of 2012 were $1 billion, up from $717 million at the end of the third quarter of 2012. Cash flows from operations were $328 million in the fourth quarter, and $762 million for the full-year 2012.

Thailand. •

Set new world record for CdTe cell efficiency at 18.7%.

•

Increased average module efficiency to 12.9% for the fourth quarter of 2012,

First Solar acquired Solar Chile and established subsidiaries in India, the Middle East, South Africa and

Surpassed 250 MWAC of grid-connected power at Agua Caliente, making it the world’s largest operational solar power plant.

•

Surpassed 7 GWDC of cumulative production, enough to provide clean electricity for approximately 3.5 million homes and displace 4.7 million metric tons of CO₂ annually.

•

For a reconciliation of non-GAAP measures to measures presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. (“GAAP”), see the tables below.

2013 Outlook The Company provided guidance for the first quarter of 2013 as follows:

First Solar’s achievements over the past year: •

•

up 0.7 percentage points from the fourth quarter of 2011. •

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Reduced the average module manufacturing costs on its best

•

Net Sales of $650 to $750 million

•

Gross Margin of 25-27%

•

OPEX of $90 to $100 million

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Operating income of $70 to $100 million

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Tax rate between 11% and 13%

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EPS of $0.70 to $0.90 per fully diluted share

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Cash flow from Operations of $0 to $100 million

•

CAPEX of $80 to $100 million

“Despite a very challenging market environment, we continued to make meaningful progress in all critical value drivers for the Company,” said Jim Hughes, CEO of First Solar. “We exceeded our module and balance-of-systems cost reduction targets for 2012, as announced in December 2011, further increased module efficiency and field performance, and achieved several key objectives in our strategy to develop and service new sustainable energy markets. We expect the market will remain turbulent for some time to come, but we have seen some evidence of improvement and believe we have the right strategy in place to retain our industry leadership by providing the best value for our customers.”

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

QUA RT ER RESUL T S

Canadian Solar Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2012 Financial Results Saumya Bansal Gupta - EQ International Fourth Quarter 2012 Highlights : •

Solar module shipments were 404 MW, compared to 384 MW in the third quarter of 2012.

•

Net revenue was $294.8 million, compared to $326.0 million in the third quarter of 2012.

•

Revenue derived from the Company’s total solutions business represented 12.8% of total revenue, compared to 21.5% in the third quarter of 2012.

•

Gross margin was 5.0%, compared to 2.2% in the third quarter of 2012.

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Cost of revenue included a $6.8 million depreciation charge for underutilized assets, representing 2.3% of revenue.

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Diluted loss per share was $2.43, compared to diluted loss per share of $1.01 in the third quarter of 2012.

•

Non-GAAP adjusted diluted loss per share was $1.01, compared to nonGAAP adjusted diluted loss per share of $1.00 in the third quarter of 2012. A table that provides a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP measure is available at the end of this press release.

•

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash balances at the end of the quarter were $564.3 million, compared to $690.8 million at the end of the third quarter 2012.

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

Fiscal Year 2012 Highlights : •

Solar module shipments were 1,543 MW, up 16.6% from 1,323 MW in fiscal year 2011.

•

Net revenue was $1.3 billion, compared

to $1.9 billion in fiscal year 2011. •

Gross margin was of 7.0%, compared to 9.6% in fiscal year 2011.

•

Diluted loss per share was $4.53, compared to diluted loss per share of

Revenue by Geography Q4 2012 Europe

Q3 2012

4Q 2011

FY 2012

FY 2011

US$M

119.7

40.6

156.2

47.9

220.5

46.5

656.5

50.7

1,233.2

65.0

America

58.8

20.0

81.1

24.9

127.3

26.9

342.3

26.4

334.9

17.6

Asia and others

116.3

39.4

88.7

27.2

126.3

26.6

296.0

22.9

330.8

17.4

Total

294.8

100.0

326.0

100.0

474.1

100.0

1,294.8

100.0

1,898.9

100.0

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$2.11 in fiscal year 2011. • Non-GAAP adjusted diluted loss per share was $3.04, compared to adjusted diluted loss per share of $1.68 in fiscal year 2011.

Fourth Quarter 2012 Results Net revenue for the fourth quarter of 2012 was $294.8 million, down 9.5% from $326.0 million in the third quarter of 2012 and down 37.8% from $474.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2011. Total solar module shipments in the fourth quarter of 2012 were 404 MW, compared to 384 MW in the third quarter of 2012 and 436 MW in the fourth quarter of 2011. Total solar module shipments in the fourth quarter of 2012 included 15.7 MW in the Company’s total solutions business, compared to 21.1 MW in the third quarter of 2012 and 16.3 MW in the fourth quarter of 2011. By geography, in the fourth quarter of 2012, sales to European markets represented 40.6% of net revenue, sales to North America represented 20.0% of net revenue, and sales to Asia and all other markets represented 39.4% of net revenue, compared to 47.9%, 24.9% and 27.2%, respectively, in the third

quarter of 2012 and 46.5%, 26.9% and 26.6%, respectively, in the fourth quarter of 2011. Gross profit in the fourth quarter of 2012 was $14.9 million, compared to $7.3 million in the third quarter of 2012 and $41.4 million in the fourth quarter of

2011. The sequential quarterly increase in gross profit was primarily due to higher shipment volume and a continued reduction in manufacturing costs. The year-over-year decline in gross profit was primarily due to a lower average selling price partially offset by lower manufacturing costs. Cost of revenue in the fourth quarter of 2012 includes a $6.8 million depreciation charge for underutilized assets, representing 2.3% of revenue. Gross margin in the fourth quarter of 2012 was 5.0%, compared to 2.2% in the third quarter of 2012 and 8.7% in the fourth quarter of 2011. Total operating expenses were $106.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to $41.8 million in the third quarter of 2012 and $62.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2011. Selling expenses were $25.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2012, up 16.8% from $21.4 million in the third quarter of 2012 and up 18.4% from $21.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2011. The sequential increase in selling expenses was primarily due to higher shipment volume as well as an increase in headcount required to expand the Company’s project development team targeting opportunities in Japan, China, the U.S. and Canada. The year-over-year increase in selling expenses was due to increases in transportation unit costs, as well as increases in sales and project development headcount and related salary expenses. Research and development expenses were $3.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2012, down 7.5% from $3.4 million in the third quarter of 2012 and down 37.6% from $5.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2011. The year-overyear decline in research a n d d ev e l o p m e n t expenses was due to the successful completion of several key research and development projects at the end of 2011. As the Company accelerates the build out of its solar power

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project pipeline in Ontario, Canada, a greater proportion of its short-term borrowings are being used to finance the construction effort and the resulting interest expense is capitalized under project assets and then expensed through cost of revenues when their sale is recognized. Interest income in the fourth quarter of 2012 was $3.7 million, compared to $3.6 million in the third quarter of 2012 and $1.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2011. The Company recorded a gain on change in fair value of derivatives of $2.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to a loss of $5.3 million in the third quarter of 2012 and a gain of $2.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2011. Net foreign exchange loss in the fourth quarter of 2012 was $10.8 million compared to a net foreign exchange gain of $7.0 million in the third quarter of 2012 and a net foreign exchange loss of $14.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2011. Net loss attributable to Canadian Solar in the fourth quarter of 2012 was $105.0 million, or $2.43 per share, compared to net loss of $43.7 million, or $1.01 per share, in the third quarter 2012,and net loss of $59.9 million, or $1.39 per share, in the fourth quarter of 2011. Excluding the impact of the non-cash provision for the arbitration decision and the bad debt allowance, on an adjusted non-GAAP basis, net loss attributable to Canadian Solar in the fourth quarter of 2012 would have been $43.7 million, or $1.01 per share.

Financial Condition As of December 31, 2012, the Company had a cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash balance of $564.3 million, compared to $690.8 million as of September 30, 2012. Operating cash flow was approximately negative $36.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to negative $57.6 million in the third quarter of 2012. Excluding the impact of the cash outflows for the Company’s previously disclosed acquisition of solar power projects in Ontario, Canada, adjusted operating cash flow, a non-GAAP measure, was negative $13.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2012 compared to positive $11.0 million in the third quarter of 2012. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had $301.6 million in total stockholders’ equity, compared to $402.6 million as of September 30, 2012. Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and Chief

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

Executive Officer of Canadian Solar, remarked: “2012 was a difficult year for the entire solar industry. Despite the headwinds, we maintained our practice of balancing the desire to expand with the need for prudent business management and cost control. As a result, Canadian Solar has fared better than most of our competitors. We have further increased our market share, and rapidly established our total solutions business with investments in the mid- and downstream segments. We have, at the same time, achieved one of the lowest production costs among our peers, and we also achieved a more evenly balanced geographic distribution. We are especially proud of our success in the Japanese market where our shipments tripled during the year. Moving forward, we are uniquely positioned as we do not have to carry the baggage of underperforming polysilicon manufacturing assets and the liability of large long-term supply contracts that some of our competitors have. Our light manufacturing strategy combined with targeted investments in our downstream total solution business puts us in a good competitive position to

financial results do not fully reflect our progress given the non-cash charges that negatively impacted our results. From an ongoing operations standpoint, we are encouraged with our results. Sequentially, our solar module shipments were up, our gross margin more than doubled despite underutilization charges, our inventories were reduced by $43.3 million and our short-term borrowings were reduced by $31.6 million. We are focusing on profitability over growth and on markets where we can generate the best returns. In addition, we are starting to see signs of price stabilization across the value

chain, which is reflected in our better than expected gross margin in the fourth quarter. We are encouraged by the rapid expansion of our total solutions business. Finally, we are pleased that the groundwork that we have laid over the past several years has paid off with our proven ability to finance the purchase of projects and their construction before sale.”

Utility Scale Project Pipeline Update

emerge from the current industry cycle as a stronger leader.” Michael G. Potter, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Canadian Solar commented: “Our fourth quarter 2012 48

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

As previously announced, the Company acquired 16 utility-scale solar projects from SkyPower Limited in June of 2012. During the fourth quarter of 2012, the Company entered into an agreement with SunEdison Power Canada Inc. (“SunEdison”), a subsidiary of MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc., to acquire four solar power projects for an aggregate

transaction price of approximately C$37.0 million (US$38.0 million). These acquisitions augment the 9 green-field projects which the Company had previously been awarded, and expand Canadian Solar’s utility-scale pipeline in Ontario, Canada to 29 projects, totaling approximately 400MW DC. Of these projects, 2 have been completed and are now in the testing phase before completing the sale to an investor, 7 are expected to be completed in 2013, 18 in 2014 and 2 in 2015. The Company expects to recognize revenue using the percent of completion method for all projects, except the 9 sold to TransCanada. As a result, of the 18 projects expected to be completed in 2014, 15 will start construction and contribute to revenue in 2013. The Company estimates that the resale value of its Ontario project pipeline, once built into grid-connected solar power plants and sold to investors, will exceed C$1.50 billion (US$1.47 billion). In addition to its own projects, the Company is currently in the process of building three solar power plants totaling 29MWdc as Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractor on behalf of Penn Energy Renewables Ltd. The Company expects to complete these projects in the second half of 2013. In the U.S. market, Canadian Solar has expanded its utility-scale project pipeline to approximately 255MW DC. In fiscal year 2013, the Company expects to complete construction of solar power plants totaling 100MW DC in the U.S.

Recent Developments Very recently the Company announced an 85 kW sales agreement with Zara Solar, a Tanzanian company specialized in solar PV importing, retail and installations. Including this new order, Canadian Solar will have supplied more than 350 kW of its solar modules to Zara Solar for off-grid PV projects in Tanzania. The Company also informed that it has invested in and partnered with Strata Solar on a suite of utility-scale solar power projects located in North Carolina. The projects, developed jointly, will total approximately 85MW divided amongst 15 unique solar installations.

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in the second quarter of 2013, with the project expected to be fully operational by the fourth quarter of 2013.

Business Outlook The Company’s business outlook is based on management’s current views with respect to operating and market conditions, its current order book, and the challenging industry environment, which continues to result in customer demand uncertainty. Management’s views and estimates are subject to change without notice. For the first quarter of 2013, the Company expects photovoltaic module shipments to be in the range of approximately 290MW to 310MW, with gross margin expected to be between 8.0% and 10.0%. For the full year 2013, the Company expects photovoltaic module shipments to be in the range of approximately 1.6GW to 1.8GW, including modules used in our total solutions business. The Company announced that Credit

anticipated to address all of the critical

Suisse will provide up to $40 million, one year tenor loan. The loan will be used to finance Canadian Solar’s previously announced acquisition of 4 solar projects in Ontario, Canada.

limitations of current, first generation AC micro inverters in the market.

The Company launched its next generation ResidentialAC system. Canadian Solar’sResidentialAC system combines the Company’s highly efficient 250W PV module with a state of the art next generation Micro Inverter to provide solar system installers, investors and homeowners with a breakthrough solution that delivers high quality and cost-effective performance. Canadian Solar’sResidentialAC system was designed from the ground up and is

Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Solar, remarked: “Clearly, our strategic decision to focus on the downstream total solution business several years ago has proven to be the right one. This is highlighted by our success at building scale in this business in low risk countries such as Canada, Japan and the U.S. Our total solutions business capability and project pipeline, supported by our low cost manufacturing capability, position us well for the next phase of growth in the solar power industry. Our focus for 2013 is on returning to profitability on a full year basis.”

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The Company’s subsidiary, Canadian Solar Solutions Inc., signed a 10 MW AC Module Supply Agreement with Algonquin Power Co. (“APCo”), to provide Canadian Solar modules for a utilityscale solar power project in Cornwall, Ontario. Construction is scheduled to begin

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QUA RT ER RESUL T S

ReneSola Ltd. Exceeds Guidance And Achieves Gross Profit Margin Of 3.3% In The Fourth Quarter Saumya Bansal Gupta - EQ International

eneSola Ltd, a leading global manufacturer of solar photovoltaic (“PV”) modules and wafers, announced its unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter and the full year ended December 31, 2012.

Fourth Quarter 2012 Financial and Operating Highlights •

Total solar wafer and module shipments in Q4 2012 were 713.2 megawatts (“MW”), exceeding Company guidance and representing an increase of 33.9% from 532.8 MW in Q3 2012.

•

Q4 2012 net revenues were US$306.5 million, exceeding Company guidance and representing an increase of 40.5% from US$218.2 million in Q3 2012.

•

Q4 2012 gross profit was US$10.3 million with a gross margin of 3.3%, compared to gross loss of US$39.2 million with a gross margin of negative 18.0% in Q3 2012.

•

Q4 2012 operating loss was US$23.8 million with an operating margin of negative 7.8%, compared to an operating loss of US$82.8 million with an operating margin of negative 38.0% in Q3 2012.

•

Q4 2012 net loss was US$49.8 million,

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

representing basic and diluted loss per share of US$0.29, and basic and diluted loss per American depositary share (“ADS”) of US$0.58. •

Cash and cash equivalents plus restricted

cash were $268.1 million as of the end of Q4 2012, compared to US$335.2 million as of the end of Q3 2012. •

Q4 2012 net cash inflow from operating activities was US$25.8 million compared

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to net cash outflow of US$46.0 million in Q3 2012.

Full Year 2012 Financial and Operating Highlights •

Total solar wafer and module shipments for the full year 2012 were a record 2.2 gigawatts (“GW”), in line with Company guidance and representing an increase of 70.6% from 1.3 GW for the full year 2011.

•

Full year 2012 net revenues were US$969.1 million, a decrease of 1.6% from US$985.3 million in 2011.

•

Full year 2012 gross loss was US$35.7 million with a gross margin of negative

3.7%, compared to a gross profit of US$96.1 million with a gross margin of 9.7% in 2011. •

•

Full year 2012 operating loss was US$179.0 million with an operating margin of negative 18.5%, compared to an operating income of US$11.5 million with an operating margin of 1.2% in 2011. Full year 2012 net loss was US$203.4 million, representing basic and diluted loss per share of US$1.18 and basic and diluted loss per ADS of US$2.36.

t e c h n olo g y, low production costs and global sales teams, contributed to a positive gross margin of 3.3% in the fourth quarter of 2012,” said Mr. Xianshou Li, ReneSola’s chief executive officer. “L a s t year, we leveraged our core competitive strength in wafer manufacturing to greatly expand our solar module business and made inroads in several key markets, including Australia, the United States, India, China and across Europe. In addition, we continued to make progress with downstream products like our Micro Replus micro inverter and plan to offer residential PV solutions soon. Although we delivered record shipments in the fourth quarter, the selling prices for solar modules and wafers continued to decline as a result of the global supply-demand imbalance. While we believe prices are beginning to stabilize, we will continue to focus on lowering our costs, an area in which we have excelled, to improve our margins and better position us once conditions improve. Furthermore, we will continue to invest in new technology and expand our solar module business to attract new customers and grow our business in 2013.”

Recent Business Developments •

ReneSola announced that its installer and EPC customers may now offer leases to qualified residential customers without a down payment through Sunnova’s leasing program.

•

ReneSola began offering SolarSafe warranty insurance, which offers both performance guarantees and warranties of product quality, for its solar PV modules.

•

“The fast growth of our solar module business, driven by our proprietary Virtus

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ReneSola announced it had shipped over 100 MW of PV modules to customers in Australia since January 2012.

•

ReneSola introduced its new PV home kit solution at the 6th International Photovoltaic Power Generation Expo in Tokyo, Japan.

•

ReneSola announced it had established a Japanese subsidiary, ReneSola Japan Ltd., in October 2012 to drive sales and business development in Japan. In addition, the Company applied for its products to be listed by the Japan Photovoltaic Expansion Center for eligibility to receive installation subsidies from the Japanese government.

•

ReneSola announced its 72-cell polysilicon modules were listed by Underwriters Laboratories (“UL”) as meeting required standards for use in PV systems up to 1,000 volts. At the same time, its 60-cell and 72-cell modules were listed by UL as meeting required standards for use in PV systems up to 600 volts.

•

ReneSola announced that a total of more than 100 MW of its PV modules had been distributed, installed and connected to the grid in Greece since November 2011.

•

ReneSola announced its 60- and 72cell polysilicon and monosilicon solar modules exceeded their power output guidelines when assessed by a thirdparty flash test.

•

ReneSola showcased its latest solar energy-based solutions at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

•

ReneSola announced that it had been awarded its first contract in the Middle East, by Taibah University in Medina, Makkah Province, Saudi Arabia, to provide 15 kilowatts of solar modules to be used to test off-grid solutions.

Outlook For Q1 2013, the Company expects total solar wafer and module shipments to be in the range of 660 MW to 680 MW, with solar module shipments expected to be in the range of 280 MW to 300 MW. Revenues are expected to be in the range of US$260 million to US$270 million and gross margin is expected to be positive. For the full year 2013, the Company expects total solar wafer and module shipments to be in the range of 2.7 GW to 2.9 GW, with solar module shipments expected to be in the range of 1.4 GW to 1.6 GW.

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SO L A R ENERGY

Mobile Portable Analyzer For Photovoltaic Modules AWS TRI- KA Stephan Stutterheim (Head Business Development AW Solution GmbH)

he demand on performance and quality control of installed PV systems in India is increasing. The client wants to ensure his firmly planned yields over 20 years. If deviations, errors or defects occur, they expect that these are easily identified and quickly remedied. The STC characteristic curve analyser AWS TRI-KA enables such a quick error analysis directly on site, measuring the actual output of the PV system and comparing it with the nominal output under standard test conditions, the STC ideal characteristic curve.

Typical applications of the AWS TRI-KA

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Simple identification of errors and defects in PV systems and modules in case of malfunction messages

•

Support in verifying the optimal PV system site

•

Acceptance protocols to verify the correct nominal output of the PV system without restrictions, handover of the system to the client

•

Quality-assuring maintenance protocols of the PV system with output target adjustment of the PV system during

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customer service •

Output comparison of a system over several years

To determine the performance at an installed PV system you need the AWS PV analyzer. The measurement of modules can be performed directly on the site. The meter allows power measurements carried out under current environmental conditions. Those values are converted over a internal CPU into comparable standard testing conditions (STC) of solar modules. After a measurement values like rated p o w e r,

temperature, current solar radiation and additional parameters and characteristics are available. These measured

values under real conditions are compared with the nominal valuesof the PV system design. Finally the solar module tester gives an indication of different errors in the photovoltaic system and monitors the PV performance. During the measurement, a characteristic string of PV modules is opened with the DC circuit breaker and

disconnected from the i n v e r t e r. H e r e the characteristic measuring device is connected.The ultimateU/I curve of the PV array is characterized by the following main points:

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•

open-circuit voltage

•

point of maximum power (maximum power point MPP)

•

short-circuit current

•

fill factor, the filling factor is the product of the UMPP and IMPP divided by the product of the open circuit voltage and short circuit current

•

by the shape of the curve itself

Since all points on the characteristic of the ambient conditions - irradiance at module level and temperature of the cells in the modules - depend, these two parameters

can be taken at the time of the characteristic measuring over attached sensors. An initial evaluation may be obtained by comparing the measured values with the reference values from the data sheets of the PV modules. For this purpose in the instrument itself is integrated an extensive database of available solar modules. The comparison takes place through extrapolation of measured values to STC rating and then compared directly with the data sheet specifications. The device enables EPC companies, solar consultancies and solar module producers to

facilitate an accepted performance check of installed solar modules on site and compare them with the performance characteristics of the PV modules.

Availability: The AWS TRI- KA PV Analyzer is from now on available for sale in India over AW Solution. AW Solution (www.aw-solution.in) represents the AWS Tri-Ka solar array analyzer in India. For more details please contact our sales team in India.

Typical measurement curves of mobile solar array tester in solar power plants Green: measured characteristic curve Red: measured characteristic of AWS TRI-KA extrapolated to STC with sensor data Blue: STC curve of the module manufacturer Typical Curves

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Result

Remedy

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

SO L A R ENERGY

BELECTRIC Inaugurates Germany’s Largest First Solar Thin-Film Solar Power Plant In Alt Daber (Wittstock) Jitendra Singh, Dy. Manager- Business Development Belectric Photovoltaic India Private Limited

Project Overview: On 12th March 2012, the 2010 and 2011 global EPC leader BELECTRIC officially inaugurated one of the largest thin-film solar power plants of 67.805 MWp capacity in Europe located in Alt Daber near the city of Wittstock, Germany. Martin Zembsch, Chief Sales Officer of BELECTRIC GmbH highlighted the short construction period of just 7 months and expressed his gratitude to the employees for their above-average commitment: “We installed up to 80,000 modules of the leading manufacturer First Solar a week. Without our BELECTRIC employees, who worked in the pouring rain and in the burning sun, we would never have been able to complete the power plant in record time.”

System Components: 1. First Solar Thin Film Panels 2. SMA 800 CP outdoor inverter stations 3. BELECTRIC substructure and DC wiring system

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4. PADCON power plant technology and RealTime monitoring system



Total Annual yield generated per year is approx. 71,400,000 kWh which corresponds to the requirements of 19,372 four-person households.



The Power plant contributes to the environment by reducing 44,000 tonnes CO2 per year.



Safety and scheduled contract completion were always the top priority and now the renaturalization and simultaneous commercial use of the conversion real estate can begin.



The protected premise offers rare species of animals and plants a new habitat.

5. AC connection technology in cooperation with katek GmbH

EPC Challenges: - The project site was a former Soviet Air force Base built during Second World War. Prior to the construction, BELECTRIC invested a sum in the low one-digit million Euros in complex substrate checks, the removal of warfare material and contaminated soils and in the demolition of obsolete buildings. This constituted a significant ecological improvement to the 133-hectare site equivalent to over 162 football pitches.

Success Story: 

The superior energy yield of the First Solar modules and the modern inverter and power plant technologies (SMA SC 800CP Outdoor) of SMA Solar Technology AG and PADCON GmbH ensure a reliable and economical operation over the next decades.

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North Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Premier Exhibition and Conference for the Solar Industry Moscone Center, San Francisco The solar hotspot for connecting 19,000 visitors from 80 countries and 800 international exhibitors Meet the decision makers who are shaping the solar market Identify prospects and implement your business strategies Tap into the incredible potential of the U.S. solar market Go solar at North America's most-attended solar event

Exhibit now!

Co-located with

SO L A R ENERGY

MNRE RFID Mandate: Serving The Purpose Ujwala Seethamraju - Operations Head, Coresonant Systems Pvt. Ltd.

“

Until March 2013, the RFID can be inside or outside the module laminate, but must be able to withstand harsh environmental conditions. However from 1st April 2013 onwards; RFID shall be mandatorily placed inside the module laminate” –MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY.

module in multiple projects to claim funding, subsidy or other benefits are completely pre-empted.

Challenges to solar module manufacturers: Under lamination of an RFID tag poses a real challenge to manufacturer as the tagging has to happen at the beginning of the module production, while encoding of data happens at the last stage, after flash testing.

The above MNRE mandate raises many questions in the minds of manufacturer as it involves technical challenges in incorporating RFID tag across the production line. Now, why RFID tags are mandated by the MNRE when barcode labels are available with few technical information. What are benefits of using RFID for manufacturer?

Why RFID by MNRE? From April 2013, MNRE has mandated that all the module manufacturers to use RFID tags inside the lamination of the module. The RFID tag should contain all the electrical parameters of the module at the time of manufacturing. As per the Mr. Vidyasagar, Director sales, Coresonant “the primary reason behind 56

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

mandating RFID in solar modules is for real time testing of module performance at site in addition to avoid any fraudulent practices by beneficiaries”. He further added that manufacturers can take unique advantage of the RFID requirement by utilizing the same RFID tag for Work In Progress tracking, Finished Goods tracking, etc. This would significantly improve production process and reduce costs to manufacturers. Performance test: For MNRE, performance of the module over a period of time is very important. Therefore RFID tag is suppose to hold all the electrical parameters along with manufacturing details. This is so as to compare the data in the tag with actual performance data at any point of time during the project period. Catch fraudulent practices: As RFID is fixed permanently inside the solar module any fraudulent practice of reusing the same

Manufacturers need to keep below points firmly in mind while selecting an RFID tag for under lamination. Chip protection: Chip is the main heart of am RFID tag as shown in (Fig (a) with small dot). It carries memory & retains data. It is supposed contain all electrical data pertaining to the module at the time of manufacturing. Chip is very sensitive part

and need to be protected with multiple layers including a Polyester layer. Data retention: As per MNRE all the modules & equipment used in solar project is to be guaranteed for 25 year. Ideal RFID tag for inside lamination should be guaranteed for 25 year data retention Lamination Temp: Normally the module lamination temperate will be around 150°c for 15 to 20 min. Ideal RFID tag has to withstand up to 155°c of lamination temperate

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easy inventory management and tracking in & out of modules.

At project site: •

Track, Trace & Audit

RFID enables automated audit of project performance over the years. It is also easy tacking of module performance warranty. Sun simulator integration: As RFID encoding is an additional task, manufacturers need to ensure that RFID encoding software is integrated with sun simulator as it should not in any way reduce the through put. Further the system should be automated to avoid any manual entry. Site conditions: Site condition will always vary. The tag has to withstand extreme weather conditions within short period of time in a day. Further the tag is laminated inside the module, so it will have more protection than when pasted outside the laminate.

Overcoming challenges: According to Mr. Srikanth Reddy, Sr. Business Development, PVID Sales, Coresonant, who has successfully overseen above 12 MNRE inspections for solar manufacturers and helping them comply with MNRE RFID requirement, mentioned that “In response to the ongoing challenging market situation in the photovoltaic sector, Coresonant is offering affordable prices for the PVID system software and inside laminated tags which is strictly in compliance with MNRE mandate. Despite the challenging market, Coreson ant’s momentum rem ains undiminished in its research and development activities for photovoltaic identification technology as it continue to increase its technological edge and the process integration between their PVID system software and sun simulator (Module flash tester). Coresonant has experience of integrating their PVID system software with 12 different kind of sun simulators including Spire, Pasan, Enduas, Autosys, Boost solar, etc. “Coresonant is one of the leading RFID technology providers to solar industry in India having 40+ clients including manufacturers & EPC with the experience of supplying RFID tags & solutions to over 200MW solar projects” says Mr. Srikanth Reddy.

Additional benefits of using RFID in Solar module: Solar manufacturers can take real advantage of RFID mandate by streamlining the production line. They can reduce the operational cost using RFID tracking mechanism. Record keeping can be enhanced by RFID tracing mechanism. This is of particular importance to meet international ISO requirements.

At manufacturing facility: • WIP tracking Currently manufacturers are using the paper work for tracking the production process. In this at each stage the operator will be mentioning the details about QC test

•

Quick identification of electrical parameters

It is quick and real-time identification of all the electrical parameters of the solar module without any database requirement or file checking. With the use of RFID, information can be gathered about each module offline •

Panel Access control

By using same RFID tags project maintenance companies can extend it to benefit of access control. It mean that module theft can be avoided with the use of RFID tracking. •

Guarding the site

Control of security person’s performance can be known by use of same RFID tag. Monitoring the security worker location & attendance to designated location made easy with guard control system.

he did. This can be done through the online process and can be tracked easily using RFID and WIP application software. •

Finished goods tracking

Finished Goods tracking is of serious concern for the manufacturers. Based on the multiple orders received from the customers & based on the priority they might have to deliver the modules in lots. Particularly when modules are of different grades, by using RFID mechanism stores manager can enhance the delivery of same grade ordered by the customer. By using same RFID tag it will be easy to match the delivery to order then avoiding any supply discrepancies. It is also makes

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Conclusion: This article’s main aim is to give a better understanding of RFID tag and its advantages to the solar industry. The ideal RFID tags can add immense value to the solar module manufacturers in India, though incorporating RFID in to production line is a challenge as sited in the article in addition to making them compliant with JNNSM guidelines and MNRE mandate.

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SO L A R ENERGY

265W Multi-C Double 85 PID Free Solar Module In Mass Production Arturo Herrero CMO-Jinko Solar Co., Ltd. H Jin, Y Liu, F Jiang, and K Chen - Jinko Solar

JINKO introduces a new solar module product, feathered with high power output (up to 265W (60 cells)) and potential induced degradation (PID) free under 85% humidity and 85. Now the new module is named as ‘EAGLE’ and under mass production. The high power eagle module contains of many innovative characters, including wafers with low dislocation and small uniform grains (We call it H+ wafer), cells with selective emitters, double printed contact, and novel design of modules. In module aspect, the temperature co-efficiency, weak light effects are also improved. The improvement in wafers, cell process and module encapsulation all contribute to anti-PID effect. The anti-PID function will give customs more output especially under highly extreme environmental conditions. A technology roadmap for further development of Eagle module is suggested. Higher power output is always a direct reflection of our advancing technology. In module, color difference between cells will be eliminated and the module stability will be largely improved. Jinko solar is the first company in the world achieving the PID free certification under 85% humidity and 85 degree conditions by TUV in Aug, 2012. In Jan 2013, Jinko first unveiled the world’s first PID free mass produced ‘Eagle’ modules to under weather conditions of 85 Degrees Celsius 85% relative humidity. More explanation: It was found that under long term impact of high negative voltage for P type cell, or positive voltage for n type cell, leakage current through the front glass and encapsulation material leads to accumulation of motion ions at the surface of the cells. The surface passivation provided by the front surface field of these cells degraded. The fill factor (FF), short-circuit current density(Jsc) and open-circuit voltage (Voc) were significantly reduced, therefore resulted in decline of module electrical performance, which is called Potential Induced Degradation (PID). PID was firstly observed on high efficiency cells and modules, such as sunpower’s IBC cells. But with the efficiency increase of normal screen printed cell, PID started to be noticed. Once a module is PID affected, 58

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

Figure 1 EL picture of module before PID test(left) and after PID test (right). PID mainly occurs in the cells close to the frame.

the output power will normal withdraw to about 20-70% of its original power. Thus the whole solar system will suffer with a tremendous power loss. Picture 1 shows the el picture of a normal module (with 60 multi-cells) before and after PID. Hot and humid conditions will deteriorate and accelerate PID effects. In addition

to high voltages, PID severity depends on temperature and relative air humidity which are the two climatic culprits that accelerate the amount of leakage current. It is expected that PID is a greater threat in most regions especially of higher average temperatures and humidity. PID occurs when the module surface is wet while exposed to rapidly rising

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air temperature. A good example is a module in the cool early hours of the morning without PID. The panel is damp due to condensation and gets quickly heated up in the rising sun, rendering PID. In 2012, a few solar companies already announced its anti-PID product. But the majority of them are PID free at room temperature (25 degree) and 25% humidity). However, anti-PID at harsh environmental conditions is demanded, in consider of the operation of solar systems. A solar PV system is expected to reliably produce electricity for over 25 years. The existence of PID has detrimental effect on power output. PID does have a serious impact on module performance over time, regardless of whether the module has a high efficiency at the start of its life. With the increasing age of PV solar plant, the degradation effect of PID appeared in some plants with lone service time. If PID is not addressed, the actual power output of the plant and interest of investors suffers greatly, and the ROI is far below as what is originally expected. In addition, the manufacturer will be troubled by higher claim rate and bad reputation caused. In this talk, we introduce a new solar module product, called ‘eagle’, and feathered with high power output (up to 265W (60 cells)) and potential induced degradation (PID) free under 85% humidity and 85℃. Normally the approach of PID free at 25 degree and 25% is relatively easy. Only some development in module encapsulation materials can help. However, revolution in wafer quality, cell property, and module materials has to be poised for our anti-PID product at double 85 conditions. The eagle module contains of many innovative characters, including wafers with low dislocation and small uniform grains (We call it H+ wafer), cells with selective emitters, double printed contact, and novel design of modules, to make the product with high output power. The H+ wafer technology is focus in the casting area which is achieved by improve ingot quality and leads to cell efficiency improved for about 0.3%; the Selective Emitter technology is achieved by selective doping of the PN junction to achieve high light response especially at short wavelength band, the cell efficiency would increase more than 0.3%; at the module side we optimize the cell IQE and module material matching and improve the total light transmission into the cell.In module aspect, the temperature co-efficiency, weak light effects are also improved. A technology roadmap for further development of Eagle module is suggested. Higher power output is always a direct reflection of our advancing technology. In module, color difference between cells will be eliminated and the module stability will be largely improved. JInko solar is the first company in the world achieving the PID free certification under 85% humidity and 85 degree conditions by TUV in Aug, 2012. In Jan 2013, Jinko first unveiled the world’s first PID free mass produced ‘Eagle’ modules to under weather conditions of 85 Degrees Celsius 85% relative humidity. Eagle has Passing anti ammonia and anti salt mist guarantee Eagle modules to deliver full performance in agricultural holdings or coastal areas.

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SO L A R ENERGY

Lapp Kabel Unveils First UltraFlexible Industrial EthernetCat.6 Acable At Hannover Messe Fast, Secure Data Transfer - Lapp Kabel

ased in Stuttgart, the Lapp Group is using this year’s Hannover Messe to unveil its first ever ultra-flexible, torsion-resistant Ethernet cables that enable the transfer of data at speeds of up to 10Gbit/s. The new ETHERLINE® Cat. 6Ais ideal for use in applications such as wind turbine facilities, robotics and moving mechanical parts. As production processes become faster, the new cabling is the optimal solution for customers looking to transfer large quantities of data as quickly as possible. Ethernet has been the established standard in office communications systems for some time. Increased demands in terms o f transfer speeds and data rates mean that the Ethernet protocol is now being used more and more in automation alongside bus technology. In the past, however, the market has only offered stiff or flexible cables with the characteristics and electric performance of Cat. 6A, according to ISO/

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

IEC 11801, EN 50288-2-2, IEC 61156-1, IEC 61156-6 and DIN EN 50173-1 standards (i.e. with a data transfer rate of up to 10Gbit/s). At the same time, ultra-flexible cables were only able to offer transfer rates of up to 1Gbit/s. The new ETHERLINE® Cat. 6A, on the other hand, is incredibly flexible and delivers data transfer speeds of up to 10Gbit/s. One of the major development challenges was finding a solution for both the screening of individual

twisted pairs and the overall screening that would be sufficiently hardwearing to withstand the unique strains placed on cables that are constantly in motion. Over the course of several tests, a wrapping process was developed in which the film is run around the individual pairs at the optimum angle. A copper braid is used for theoverall screeningand is reinforced with a foil-laminated fleece. The high-quality screening ensures extremely reliable data

transfer in areas where electromagnetism is a problem. The Lapp Group has developed this new cable in response to customer demand for a solution that can be used in fields such as robotic monitoring and the inspection o f

manufactured products via camera systems. Two versions of the ETHERLINE® Cat. 6Aare available. The first data cable is suitable for use in power chains with at least one million bending cycles, and the other is specially configured for high-torsion applications. Both cables conform to the PROFINET standard, are UV and flame resistant, and can be used in both dry and damp environments. Furthermore, the RJ45 and M12 x-coded connectors in the Lapp Group product range is suitable for Cat. 6A,meaning the company can now offer a complete system from connector to cable.

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SO L A R T H ERMA L

Solar Thermal Marking New Frontiers Thermax Solar BU

hermax Ltd., Pune has in January 2013, commissioned a Solar Hybridis ation projec t for a multinational engineering company at their plant in the state of Mysore in Karnataka. The project captures heat energy from the sun for industrial Process Heating. Breakthrough Solar Thermal technology is being employed for critical operations which eventually contribute to not just the greening of the plant operations and reducing emissions but also contributing to the bottom-line. The application here is a critical Phosphate conversion coating (Phosphating) process. Forty SolPac™ P60 Parabolic Trough Collectors concentrate Solar Heat Radiation onto a receiver tube at the focal line of the collectors. Water as the heat transfer fluid is preheated to a temperature of about 120°C, which is connected in series with a Hot Water Generator and then it flows through a closed loop. The specialty about this installation lies in its seamless integration with the existing system keeping its reliability and uptime intact. During sunny hours, the solar field preheats the water which isfed into the Hot Water Generator, where water temperature increases from 120°C to 140°C. This hot water is then sent to the Phosphating tanks and the closed loop process. Steam formation is prevented in this pressurized hot water system through the usage of inert

gases like N2 which maintain steam pressure. The working principle for the same is that steam formation is avoided maintaining the pressure of the liquid above the pressure

which translates to nearly INR 5 Lakhs/yrall benefits considered, and that amounts to a total payback period of around 5 years. This investment will yield multifold returns for the

corresponding to liquid temperature,.During non-sunny hours, the Hot Water Generatoren sures steady supply of hot water in the system, thus a fail-safe mechanism is set in place.

company over time, in addition to improving its energy security. A similar Solar Hybridisation project is also underway for another wellknown auto major in Maharashtra, wherein Thermax’s SolPac™ NI30(Non-Imaging) Collectors will be used to provide hot water supply at 80°C for a Component Washing and Degreasing process which will lead to significant These milestone installations are small steps in Thermax’s efforts towards creating a greener planet.

The entire project cost approximately INR 70 lakh and was supported by a direct government grants of nearly INR 14 Lakh, in addition to Accelerated depreciation benefits. The complete system enables fuel savings of about 13,000 litres of diesel per year

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EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

SO L A R P V O F F GRI D

Solar VFD-based Solutions for Pump & Motor Loads “Enolar Systems Marketing Pvt. Ltd.“

NOLAR has introduced new solar VFD-based solutions for pump and motor loads. All industries today face the issue of surge loads due to pumps and motors. Enolar VFD solutions eliminate surge loads and provide clean energy from the sun to power the pumps and motors. An array of solar panels connected in series and parallel configuration generate the power and voltage required for the VFD (variable frequency drive) controller to drive the motor. The DC to AC frequency converter in the solar drive converts the DC voltage input to the drive to variable 3-phase AC voltage and frequency. The MPPT algorithm extracts maximum power available from the solar panels during the day and operates the motor at variable speed based on the power input to the drive. As the sunshine varies d h g the day, power input to the drive varies and the VFD drive generates variable V/F ratio thus controlling the speed of the motor, which in turn regulates the pump impeller speed. For pumps and motor applications that require constant speed, the solar controller has been designed to accept both the solar DC in~uatn d also the AC input from the grid. in a situation where in the power from the solar array is not completely sufficient to provide a stable power output to the motor, the controller monitors the same and the preferential logic built in the controller allows the solar energy on priority and the allows the balance power to be supplied by the grid or DG. This hybrid system helps in reducing the power consumption from the grid during the day. A minimum of 70% grid energy can be saved during the day. During power cut, proportional power delivered from the solar PV array allows the system to run at variable speed. Variable

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

speed operation means VFD Driws for Motors / Pumps there is no in-rush or surge of energy during the pump motor start-up, helping to eliminate wear on the motor and pumping system. One of the main causes of pump motor failure is the stress applied to motors during a full voltage start-up.

Appliances that can be powered on solar VFD technology:

solar energy levels •

System can be used for existing pumps and motors and hence no replacement of new loads

•

Accepts both solar and grid input; works completely on solar during the day and on grid during the night; and built-in preferential logic gives first priority to solar energy

•

Water pumped even in morning, evening and in cloudy weather at low speed flow for over 12 hours Per day

•

Long term, environment friendly, economic solution with proven technology based on variable speed drive

•

During rainy season or cloudy weather, the water pumping system can be powered by grid supply

•

In-built protection in the VFD controller from - lightning, panel reverse polarity, short circuit, over load and over voltage

•

Multiple pumps can be connected to single controller, and DC power meter included.

1. Surface pumps 2. Submersible pumps 3. Vacuum pumps 4. Air compressors 5. Sewing machines 6. Spinning mills 7. Grinding machines 8. Petrol pumps 9. Effluent treatment pumps

Salient Features •

Can be used for any kind of motor or pump loads ranging from 1 HP to 100 HP

•

Uses MPPT (maximum power point tracking) to deliver energy at various

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Meyer Burger Technology AG

With the introduction of its revolutionary SmartWire Connection Technology (SWCT), Meyer Burger is taking PV technology to the next level. Customers using this patented technology can significantly lowertheir photovoltaic production costs while boosting the energy yieldof their PV systems by up to 10%.

martWire Connection Technology electrically connects solar cells using thin copper wires on both sides of the cell thereby replacing the classic 2 to 3 busbars. Typically, 30 very fine copper wires are used for cell connection generating up to 2,000 contact points per cell.

5% higher module power and 10% more energy yield (kWh/ kWp) SWCT’s fine copper wires reduce shading on the solar cell by 3% in comparison to cells with 3 busbars. Coupled with its 2% lower series resistance, SWCT technology increases the power output of a solar module by 5%. The round copper wires used in SmartWire technology increase the amount of sunlight reflected onto the cells resulting in SWCT contacted modules beginning to produce electricity earlier in the day and stop producing electricity later in the day. This leads to an increased energy yield of about 10% (kWh/kWp) compared to busbar technology. SWCT increases cell stability and reduces the impact of possible microcracks on the power of the solar module. Micro-cracks are the most common cause of energy loss in solar modules

Reduction of production costs up to -0.25 USD/cell The proven SWCT technology significantly reduces the cost of production by eliminating the busbars on both sides of the cell and optimising finger widths thus reducing silver quantity by up to 80%. Based on the current price of 30 USD/troy ounce for silver, this reduction in silver results in up to 0,25 USD/cell lowermaterial costs.

Universal cell compatibility

SWCT is compatible to all crystalline siliconcell technologies: selective emitter, PERC and Heterojunction (HJT) in both p- and n-type silicon cells. Wafer thickness can be as low as 100 µm and thinnest finger widthscan be used in SWCT technology.This very future oriented technology can also be applied to the next generation of finger metallisation technologies.

SmartWire ConnecIllustration of a SmartWire cell (courtesy Meyer Burger) tion Technology and Heterojunction cells The SGS Fresenius Institute has already – high performance combina- certified Heterojunction (HJT) modules tion with the innovative SmartWire Connection Heterojunction (HJT) cells are very sensitive to high temperatures above 180°C that are typical of traditional busbar soldering. The innovative SWCT copper wire process takes place at lower temperature which not only enables contact to be made with high performance HJT cells, the lower temperatures further reduces energy costs during module production.Modules combiningHJT cell technology with the SmartWire Connection Technologyhave achieved active area efficiencies of over 20%. The SWCT process is self-aligning and omits complicated ribbon lay-out on the contact surface of the cell. The SmartWire Connection technology rounds out Meyer Burger’s product portfolio and combines the advantages of leading PV technologies to increase the overall performance of cells and modules and to achieve a sustainable reduction in the cost of solar energy.

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technology and Meyer Burger’s laboratories have successfully performed 4-fold IECcompliant damp heat and 8-fold temperature cycles. Meyer Burger’s revolutionary SmartWire Connection Technology (SWCT) significantly lowers photovoltaic production costs and boosts PV system energy yield. SWCT offers customers up to: •

5% higher power output compared to best-in-class 3BB technology

•

10% higher energy yield (kWh/kWp)

•

80% less silver consumption and a reduction in TCO of up to 0.25 USD/ cell

•

Self-aligning process omits complicated ribbon lay-out on contact surface of the cell

•

Compatibility with current and future c-Si cell and next generation finger metallisation technologies EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

P V M A N UFA CT URI N G

Meyer Burger’s Revolutionary Smartwire Connection Technology Significantly Lowers Photovoltaic Production Costs And Boosts PV System Energy Yield By 10%

P V I N V ERT ERS & BO S

Internet-Based System Monitoring Via Wlan Richard Baldinger, Product Marketing, Fronius International GmbH

emands on monitoring solutions for photovoltaic systems will continue to grow in the coming years. This is equally true for smaller systems, with operators looking to optimise selfconsumption and see the relevant data presented in an engaging format. Internet-based solutions are becoming an ever more attractive option, particularly if the inverter can be connected directly to the internet via WLAN.

What are the benefits of an internet-based system monitoring package? By storing and analysing system data through an online portal, the customer can access the data from any device with an

Changing times from external dataloggers to online solutions Two fundamental steps are involved in monitoring a system: storing and then evaluating data. In the past it was usually the case that the data would be recorded by an external datalogger and subsequently evaluated on a computer using analysis software. The most important data could be read from an external display or directly from the inverter. This often meant a large outlay in time and effort to install external components, while at the same time having to tolerate limited visualisation options. Furthermore, the data was only available locally. System monitoring will look completely different in the future. Inverters are becoming progressively more communicative, with local data storage and evaluation being increasingly replaced by internet-based solutions that bring a range of advantages in their wake. 64

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internet connection - not just a local PC. Whether on your PC at work, on your smartphone while out on the road or on your tablet while relaxing at home, PV system performance can be viewed from anywhere. The data can be accessed in one of two ways: via the online portal through an internet browser or through special apps, such as those developed for smartphones and tablets with the Android or iOS operating system. These tools allow users to check their system quickly and easily from anywhere in the world. Presenting the system data in such an easy and engaging manner meets another customer need: that of not wanting to be overwhelmed by figures, but to obtain a clear

overview of how the system is operating quickly and without any fuss. Online solutions also dispense with the burden of additional hardware costs (e.g. for an external display). Data visualisation for a public audience, such as in a company’s reception area, is realised in a much more professional and timely manner by using web-based tools. Innovative providers already offer special web applications to visualise systems on flatscreens and display the system data in an extremely attractive format. Data evaluation on the server also allows system yield to be compared against weather data from a database or against other systems in the region. If yield fails to meet expectations, a message can be sent to the system operator immediately to prevent yield losses. A connection to the inverter manufacturer’s online portal facilitates technical support from the manufacturer by granting access to a faulty system at the click of a mouse, allowing troubleshooting and repair measures to be performed without delay. Data backup is yet another benefit of an online portal. This is carried out by the portal operator, thus saving customers time and money while securely managing their data.

WLAN – the easiest route to the internet

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Using these internet-based solutions

requires the inverter to have an internet connection. As a result, a growing number of inverters are being fitted with interfaces. Several manufacturers already equip their inverters with an Ethernet interface to provide a direct connection to the internet. This approach dispenses with the need for additional components to log the data and transfer it to the internet, again saving time and money. Especially attractive in this respect is a direct wireless connection between the inverter and the internet, as this cuts the time and effort required for installation even further. Less cabling lends the inverter a particularly professional appearance. The ideal solution here is a WLAN interface in the inverter that provides a straightforward internet connection - after all, there is a reason why WLAN is also the current standard for wireless internet connections. The advantages of WLAN are obvious. It offers a good range, quick data transfer

rates and a high level of

security. Furthermore it has been designed for multipoint connections (unlike Bluetooth) and is therefore ideal for an internet connection. Unlike WLAN, devices with a Bluetooth interface require additional hardware to connect to the internet. A further strength of WLAN is its ability to display web pages, meaning that an attractive inverter web interface can also be accessed wirelessly by integrating a web server in the inverter. Current system data and settings can be clearly displayed on such an interface. As WLAN is intended for IP-based data transfer, it is not only perfect for wireless internet connections but for communicating using IP-based protocols as well. These will become increasingly prevalent in the photovoltaics sector in future and can be implemented by a simple software update, provided an Ethernet or WLAN connection is available. A future-proof configuration for the system operator is the result. Examples

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of these protocols include IEC 61850, IEC 60870-5-104 or Modbus TCP, which are set to become more heavily used, whether for communicating with grid operators or for linking to house control systems. Summary Innovative technical developments continue to make system monitoring easier to use and more reliable. Internet-based solutions give operators of photovoltaic systems easy access to their system - even from mobile devices. Data is processed and displayed in a clear and engaging format. Yield losses can also be actively avoided. In addition to wired solutions using Ethernet, wireless options based on WLAN are ideal for linking systems to local networks or the internet - especially when integrated directly in the inverter. This reduces the time and effort required for installation, prevents an unsightly tangle of cables around the inverter and also cuts costs.

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65Â

P V I N V ERT ERS & BO S

Monitoring and Controlling Photovoltaic Systems Economic and Reliable Dipl.-Ing. Annette Christine Kehrer, Marketing Director, Gantner Instruments GmbH

n large solar power plants monitoring equipment is becoming continuously more complex and important: System operators want to find faults in modules, strings or groups quickly and precisely to ensure that their equipment can continue to operate profitably - as planned. During operation the total of all power generated should be at its maximum and long equipment service life guaranteed by optimal monitoring.

Layout of a Typical System

Moreover the string.bloxx modules are distinguished by the following outstanding properties:

String Level

string.bloxx for precise measurement

String monitoring with string.bloxx modules allows precise control on the DC side of photovoltaic systems independent of the inverter, ensuring early recognition and correction of faults such as: •

Contamination by pollen, dust or soot

The shunt principle used in the string. bloxx modules offers users many advantages for measuring current on PV equipment. A comparison verifies the significantly higher temperature stability in comparison to units operating with hall sensors.

For such demanding measurements Gantner Instruments offers intelligent solutions from the string level to the data and SCADA levels.

•

Shadows in partial areas

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Theft or vandalism

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Effects of weather (hail, snow loads)

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Installation and production faults

The new string.bloxx product series uses a shunt measuring principle to achieve a high accuracy of 0.25 % as well as good stability of 0.01 %/K. This high accuracy is important to allow precision measurement even with minimum solar radiation. Gantner Instruments therefore offers a great advantage in comparison to conventional measurement with hall sensors, which supply considerably less precise and, above all, temperature-dependent results at this point. In a climate chamber a string.bloxx with internal shunt and a unit with hall sensor were both exposed to a temperature of 25°C to 70°C corresponding to the blue (lower) curve. A precision reference current of 10 A was applied to the measuring inputs of both units being compared. The brown (upper) curve shows a deviation of 550 mA at a zero error of 400

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

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modules can be integrated at any time. The intelligent Q.reader data logger has 8 analog inputs for voltage, current, resistance or Pt100/Pt1000 signals. Moreover 16 digital inputs and outputs are available. Data access and configuration are possible via Ethernet TCT / IP or web access. Logging can be configured at intervals of 0.1 seconds for up to 24 hours and measurements can be saved in a 64 MB RAM or on a 2GB SD card. Add-ons are possible with Modbus RTU using additional standard IO modules, connected via the RS-485 bus interface. mA over the temperature change. Based on a measuring range of 20 A, this corresponds to a deviation of nearly 3 % at a zero error of 2 %.

•

1 analog input channel for string voltage (0-1000 V)

•

2 input channels for temperature (panel and switch cabinet temperature)

Easily recognizable is the good stability of the string.bloxx with a deviation of 150 mA, corresponding to approx. 0.01 %/K.

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3 digital inputs for monitoring, overvoltage protection and main switch

Additional arguments in favor of the string.bloxx include:

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1 digital output for actuating the main switch

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Signal conditioning: DC power, linearization, average, scaling, alarm

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Integrated LC display for readings and configuration

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RS485 field bus interface Modbus RTU, ASCII (Option OEM protocol)

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Shunts do not require a power supply, hall sensors do.

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Power can be supplied using the inverter auxiliary voltage over the wide operating voltage range of 10 to 60 VDC.

•

string.bloxx have a zero-symmetrical measuring range of +/- 20 A thus offering the possibility of measuring reverse currents.

string.bloxx modules are consistently designed for 1000 VDC This layout for 1000 VDC offers the highest degree of safety and reliability. All terminals, cables, plugs and housings are designed for 1000 VDC. All inputs are galvanically separated (permanent working voltage 1000 VDC). An external institute has confirmed the excellent signal quality and interference resistance of the string. bloxx modules.

string.bloxx “All in One“ Concept string.bloxx modules combin e measurement of values such as current, voltage and temperature, digital inputs and outputs, relays and an integrated display in one module. •

8 analog input channels for current (+/- 20 A)

With the aid of a generator connection box, the string.CB, containing the string. bloxx modules, the individual strings in a photovoltaic system (consisting of 8, 16 or 24 solar modules) can be connected in parallel and to the inverter using cables with larger cross section. This allows precise monitoring of the DC side of photovoltaic systems, independent of the inverter.

Data Level Intelligent data loggers are designed for precision logging of analog and digital measurements and status values. They allow capture, configurable storage, reduction and transfer of data to higher echelon systems. Whether cable-conducted with modem, Ethernet (LAN) or wireless via GPRS/ UTMS modem (WLAN) - the loggers fulfill all requirements. A standardized Modbus interface allows connection of string.bloxx modules as well as equipment from other suppliers. This means the system grows with the requirements, local Q.series measuring

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Data exchange between the Q.reader data logger and higher echelon level is accomplished using the open standardized field bus, Modbus IP. This allows, for example, simple SCADA integration via OPC server. Data transfer and archiving are possible with the test.node software in combination with the test.viewer software for visualization and display. Various drivers and tools are offered for integration of software from other suppliers.

Synchronous logging of readings in solar installations The string.bloxx offers an ingeniously simple, but effective solution for logging large quantities of measured data in photovoltaic systems synchronously over slow serial bus systems. Generally current and voltage readings are transferred via a serial Modbus in large solar power installations. This means the data transfer speed is limited and the measured data is not logged synchronously; it arrives with a time offset of several seconds depending on the number of strings present. Time for serial polling of all string signals via Modbus To prevent the time offset between the individual measuring points resulting from the slow Modbus transfer, the string.bloxx modules offer the possibility of transferring the readings synchronized. A broadcast message causes all of the string.bloxx modules to freeze the current readings. This can be accomplished within a few milliseconds, whereby all readings

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possible to create custom applications for any type of use, giving system builders, operators and final customers global access to the data via Internet with assigned access rights. Gantner Instruments also offers the server software for reading data out of one or more test controllers. Depending on the configuration, data can be packed, converted and archived in a file on any server in the network or in the Internet.

Conclusion

present in the system are saved synchronously in a Modbus register. Then the controller can call up the â&#x20AC;&#x153;frozenâ&#x20AC;? values in the usual manner. Even when the values arrive at the controller with a time offset, they can still be logged with precise synchronization.

To evaluate and archive collected data quickly, efficiently and concurrently, we offer various tools such as a web portal and server software - allowing appropriate reaction to events worldwide. With the aid of the web portal it is

Solar power plants are commonly considered to be low maintenance systems. Unfortunately LOW maintenance is frequently confused with NO maintenance, and the costs for a good monitoring system are saved. Here Gantner Instruments offers the perfect solution with string. bloxx modules, which provide reliable and precise measurement as well as early, inverter-independent fault recognition for efficient and reliable monitoring and control of photovoltaic equipment. In combination with the intelligent Q.reader data logger and, for example, the web portal the data collected can be evaluated efficiently and concurrently and reduced yields are a thing of the past.

nnn

Procedure: The controller writes the broadcast trigger in the respective register 0302 (sync register) in each string.bloxx simultaneously. All current readings are then written out of register 0059 into the output register 0085 and frozen. The controller then reads all chronologically synchronous readings out of the individual output registers. If a continuous counter signal is written into the sync register, it is then possible to read it out again and check if the broadcast trigger was actually received and the current readings were read out.

SCADA Level 68Â

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P V I N V ERT ERS & BO S

The Largest Central Inverter System: PowerOne’s AURORA ULTRA-1400 Chanchal Bhatnagar- Business Development Power One Renewable Energy Solutions (I) Pvt Ltd

ith an output power of up to 1.4MW, Power-One’s AURORA ULTRA-1400 is the largest central inverter system currently available on the market. Designed with the specific needs of large commercial and utility-scale solar power plants in mind, this liquidcooled inverter offers industry-leading power conversion efficiencies of up to 98.7 percent over a wide input voltage range. Moreover, the inverter system is equipped with multiple MPPT channels optimizing the energy harvesting across a wide array of operating conditions. Another main feature of the new system is its IP65 enclosure with passive liquid cooling. The cooling concept Power-One decided on allows segregating the active parts of the unit in a watertight and pollution-free chamber, further improving the system long-term immunity against aggressive agents in the harshest environments. This also extends the maintenance cycle and reduces the costs of maintenance. The product is equipped with an internal recombiner compartment with up to 24 individually fused inputs. Thanks to its innovative circuit topology the output voltage is 690Vac which allows a significant reduction of AC losses and the possibility of direct coupling with LV/MV standard transformer used in the large wind industry.

Since its modular structure is made of front accessible and extractible subassemblies, installation and maintenance procedures are rather easy. This large inverter system can be monitored via Ethernet communication and two independent RS-485 communication interfaces for inverter and intelligent string

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combiner monitoring. The new product is compliant to BDEW (German Federal Association for Energy and Water) and FERC 661 (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission).

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

P V I N V ERT ERS & BO S

Integrated Concept for Solar Parks: Schneider Electric’s plug and play PV Box (Solar Inverter Sub-Station) Solution Solar Business Unit, Schneider Electric’

chneider Electric’s PV Box is a power conversion sub-station specially designed for utility scale and large commercial rooftop installations. The PV box is a factory integrated, tested & validated plug & play power conversion system that contains two Conext Core XC (XC540/XC630/XC 680) Inverters, two DC fuse-combiner boxes(with flexible input DC fuse options), a 3 winding step-up transformer and MV/LV switchgear with cooling solution. It has been adapted to meet the local installation conditions and one of the main advantages of this solution is the ease and rapidness of installation and implementation on site. In a PV plant installation, it operates between the DC field and AC MV grid connection point. The PV Box performs the DC power concentration, the DC/AC conversion and the AC voltage elevation to the grid voltage level. This optimized solution allows a reduction of the Balance of System (BOS) cost, an increase of the reliability and an improvement of its deployment speed.

Compact design saves time and money 70

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All equipment is housed in one building to allow quick and faultless field wiring from both the solar arrays and the utility grid connection point. This saves operators time, lowers the costs of commissioning their installations and enables a safe and fast maintenance of the system. Moreover, if required they can expand the PV Box by

Schneider Electric relies on a lightweight construction for the PV Box, enabling a compact design and operation even under adverse weather conditions. This allows the package to be transported on conventional carriers and on any type of roads and bridges without the need for a special transport. Schneider Electric also offers the option of customising the PV Box to satisfy regional specifications and requirements. Customers do not have to buy an offthe-shelf solution.

Product Features Easy to Install • Ease in transportation due to its compact and light design adding components for climate control as well as function modules for safety, monitoring the installed equipment and voltage measurement. By individually combining inverters, medium-voltage transformers and electrical switches, customers can customise the PV Box to meet the requirements of their solar park.

•

Solution delivered pre-assembled, configured and tested to reduce on-site labour and project duration

Flexible

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Customizable to be compliant with customer local building codes

Easy to Service

Trouble-free transport

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Fully monitored solution

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•

Convenient and safe enclosure design for maintenance purposes

Product applications Additional services

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Local Schneider Electric Service and maintenance available in 100+ countries

Schneider Electric also offers services for the operation and maintenance of the PV Box. This guarantees operators high installation availability, because by monitoring and controlling its components the experts from Schneider Electric are able to quickly identify and remedy any operational problems that may occur. The monitoring functions transmit all relevant data on the operational status of the solar components and inverters, power generation, as well as error logs and alarms. This makes it possible

Higher Return on Investment

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Compressed construction lead-times through factory integrated solution

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Reduced transportation, off-loading and on-site labor costs

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Enhanced uptime thanks to qualified and reliable designs qualified for harsh environments

Centralised PV Plants

for field service technicians to respond to malfunctions in a timely manner and put your power plant back into operation quickly. Schneider Electric provides bankable photovoltaic solutions for any size installation, together with a long-term support from a global company with over 175 years of experience. Schneider Electric products are present at every stepin the power conversion chain, helping customers get the most efficient solar harvest from their installations thanks to qualified and reliable integrated solutions.

Large Commercial Buildings

B U IL D IN G IN T E G RA T ED P H O T O V O L T A I C (BI P V )

The Most Innovative Product In The Solar Industry: SOLAR TILE Tanmay Bishnoi , CEO - ADS Projects & Systems Pvt. Ltd.

Acquiring energy from the sun and effectively exploring solar energy may be the best routine for the sustainable development of the human race. For the PV industry, the biggest and most cost -effective position for use of solar energy is not places such as desert, island and mountains that are far way from living areas. Instead all kinds of roofs in the densely populated areas of a city where people live, is the place where energy is consumed. The roof and façade of a building are the best positions for power generation through solar energy. Effectively using the roof to generate power is the most feasible way for the PV industry to move forward. Traditionally, this was only possible through Roof Top Solar Power Plants. But now ADS Solar Solutions introduces the Indian Solar Industry to a new product, which is one of the most innovative applications of Solar Power that can be used 72

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in the Infrastructure and Real Estate Sector

•

Rain Proofing Design

of India - Solar Tiles.

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Heat Cooling Design

•

Life Cycle of more than 50 years

Solar Tiles have all the features of traditional tiles that can prevent wind and rain from seeping inside,and an additional feature of generating electricity through Solar Power.

•

A) Better heat-isolating effects PV tiles are well compacted and

The key product features – •

The various advantages of Solar PV Tiles are as following –

have good heat-isolating effects. PV tile

Material used has High Strength and

roofs transform about 20% solar energy into

Low penetrating rate

power and reduce heat gathering on the roof.

Grooved Platform

Also because of the big cooling space on the

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back and good ventilation, the temperature of PV tiles does not rise quickly.

B) Better waterproof function Because PV tiles are well compacted, its water penetrating rate is only 0.5%, less than one-tenth of that of normal tiles. So rain does not penetrate into the tile and inside the roof.

C) Power generation function Using high efficiency solar cell, the power generated by PV tile is about 70100W/m2 (depending on the type of the tiles.)

D) Higher strength and longer life cycle PV Tiles have upto 5000N anti-inflection strength, much stronger than 1200N of normal tiles. Plus because of their extremely low water penetration rate, these tiles remain unaffected by such bad weather conditions as rain, ice, fog and snow – thus making its life cycle longer by almost up to 50 years. Compared with normal firing tile, the maintenance costs of these tiles are a big advantage. For users, higher strength gives them an advantage in terms of decreasing transportation costs and savings on breakage costs.

E)Saving installation costs 1) Because of up to 50 years of life cycle, substituting costs are 3 times that of normal tiles costs. 2) Compared with normal tile to construct solar roof, PV tile roof save steel base costs, water proofing costs and heatisolating costs

F)Keeping architecture ‘s style Using PV tiles to construct solar roofs maintains the color consistency of the whole roof, therefore retaining its original architecture style and beauty. Based on its no color difference appearance, and smooth and consistent material quality, PV tiles help your roof keep its traditional style and at the same time look more beautiful.

•

G) Easy to install For new buildings, PV tiles can be installed as normal tiles, and only need a simple link of circuit cables. These are easy to install and save construction time.

•

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To conclude –

•

PV tiles are especially suitable for the roof construction of low-density civil buildings, and can replace traditional tiles and realize power generation.

As tiles, they have better strength, are lightweight and have a longer life cycle.

•

For BIPV, it maintains the original architectural style and looks more beautiful.

Compared with solar module, they can save installation costs, water-proofing treatment costs and heat-isolating costs.

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B U IL D IN G IN T E G RA T ED P H O T O V O L T A I C (BI P V )

“Sonali Solar” Introduces Range Of BIPV Solar Modules Pranav Sheth - Manager Business Development, Sonali Solar “Sonali Solar” a global company having international office at New Jersey, USA and leading manufacturer of SPV Solar Modules, proudly announced their new range of BIPV (Building Integrated Photo Voltaic) solar panels. Having fully automated and computerized plant of 50MW line to produce SPV modules in range from 3W to 300W, “Sonali Solar” is always committed for best quality products at competitive prices and at defined delivery schedule. To add new feather in the cap,

“Sonali Solar” has come up with BIPV Solar modules with range from 100W to 200W. President and CEO Mr. Pankaj Desai of “Sonali Solar” described elaborately about BIPV solar panels that; “We know that the world has very limited resources of fossil fuel to generate electricity. We are aiming in direction to provide solar products and services like SPV modules, BIPV modules, BIPV Solar systems, Solar Power Plants, Development of solar farm, all are based on renewable energy resources. We always do

business with noble cause to help world to create green environment and to contribute in reducing global warming effect”. In official declaration by “Sonali Solar” about launch of BIPV, facts about BIPV have been described. BIPV are materials that generate solar electricity while at the same time perform the role of conventional building materials in the building envelope such as, roofing, skylights, facades and walls.

Example of installation of BIPV Solar Module

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“Sonali Solar” BIPV Module Main advantages of BIPV can be described as: •

Combining the architectural or structural functions of building products with “green energy” features

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Unique aesthetics value and decent in look

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Reducing the overall cost of building by incorporating dual purpose products

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Improving the net present value of a building

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Increasing value and rating of building

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Use of BIPV reduces consumption of electricity and improves environment

In addition to that “Sonali Solar” describes about various advantages for using BIPV modules. Cost Effective: BIPV is often cheaper than some conventional cladding and glazing materials. Many of the BIPV systems are designed in as part of a building thereby saving money and time in the design process. Enhanced Energy Efficiency: BIPV is producing electricity whilst you go about your business in a building. Generates Income: With Feed-in-Tariffs (FiT), it will be possible to generate tax free revenues from the sun. Energy Security: Relying on getting power only from the grid (electricity companies) is reduced as you generate some of your electricity needs from BIPV. Aesthetics and Creative Designs: Different types of BIPV can be incorporated onto buildings to create unique architecture and interesting designs. PV cells are now available in a range of different colors. Green energy: BIPV is part of your contribution to Climate Change by reducing your carbon footprint, the Green Agenda and (Corporate) Social Responsibility.

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M O UN T I N G SY ST EMS

IBC AeroFix – A Solid Lightweight Mounting System IBC SOLAR’s Aerodynamically-Optimised, Self-Supporting Mounting System Allows For Optimum Use Of Flat Roof Surfaces IBC Solar

IBC SOLAR AG, a global leader in photovoltaic systems, presents its IBC AeroFix, a PV mounting system especially developed for flat roofs with low load capacity. The aerodynamic, materialoptimized system features top-level stability, optimum surface utilisation and ease of installation. IBC AeroFix is available in three different versions and suitable for a wide variety of PV system sizes and roof alignments. Its installation does not require any screw fitting with the roof, so the roof skin remains totally intact. Therefore, IBC AeroFix can also be used for PV installations on bituminous and foil-sealed roofs.

he self-supporting IBC AeroFix is made of corrosion resistant aluminium and stainless steel. It is especially designed for all flat roofs with a solar system which do not tolerate additional ballast. The innovative, aerodynamically optimised solution showed impressive results in tests carried out in approved boundary-layer wind tunnels which simulate realistic environmental conditions according to the strict specifications of the Windtechnologische Gesellschaft e.V. (WTG), a German wind engineering society. Even with heavy wind loads, IBC AeroFix is absolutely windproof. Thus, it meets the latest building inspector guidelines of the German Institute for Building Technology (DIBt). The new mounting system provides a high degree of prefabrication and features 76

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an integrated, non-slip protective membrane. Thus, PV systems can be installed easily and quickly as fewer assembly steps are required. The system does not feature wind-protective side panels. This provides for a reduction in weight and price. The flexible IBC AeroFix enables installers to optimally take advantage of all available surface on flat roofs – from really big roofs to the very smallest, such as garage roofs. This is made possible by the narrow spaces between the individual module rows and low edge distances to the edge of the building. The versatile PV mounting systems shows its strengths especially in East-West installations. For installation and maintenance purposes, installers enjoy easier access to the cables and connectors on the back of the modules thanks to the V-shaped elevation. In addition, installers can make optimal use of

the existing surface, since the module array can be completed with both a rear wall and an additional row of modules. “With the IBC AeroFix mounting system, we are offering our Premium Partners innovative, highly stable mounting solution for roofs that in fact should not be burdened. This includes garages and hall roofs,” says Kristijan Fotak, Product Manager Mounting Systems at IBC SOLAR. “The highquality, long-life materials of IBC AeroFix, the well thought-out installation concept and the attractive price-performance ratio ensure a high level of quality, flexibility and cost effectiveness. IBC SOLAR has poured years of experience with low-ballast flat roof systems into the in-house development of this mounting system.” IBC AeroFix is available in three

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different versions: •

•

IBC AeroFix 15: for large, flat roofs at a height of up to 20 meters, with a minimum of 2x5 PV modules in typical South orientation and 15° module inclination. Standard distance between bottom supports: 1.80 meters. IBC AeroFix 15 Kits : for small flat roofs at a height of up to six meters (e.g. garages), with a minimum of 2x2 PV modules in typical South orientation

and 15° module inclination. Standard distance between bottom supports: 1.80 meters. •

IBC AeroFix 10 : for flat roofs at a height of up to 20 meters, with a minimum of 2x5 PV modules in East-West orientation, 10° module inclination and installation-friendly V-shaped elevation. Completed with sheet metal rear wall (IBC AeroFix 10EW-B) or with an additional row of modules (IBC AeroFix

10EW-M). Standard distance between bottom supports: 2.30 meters. IBC AeroFix is suitable for modules with a width of 950 to 1000 mm and a length of 1630 to 170 mm. It can be combined with the building-authority approved components of the IBC TopFix 200 mounting system. IBC SOLAR offers a 10-year guarantee for IBC AeroFix which is available starting in March 2013 via all IBC SOLAR Premium Partners.

P O ST SH O W REP O RT

PV America 2013 East Show Attedees Urged To Work Together To Drive Solar Energy Growth

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Industry Comes Together To Gain Insights And Share Ideas

V America 2013 East, held February 5–7, provided the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry with the opportunity to see the products and services that will help drive business forward in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. The show also offered an extensive conference program highlighted by the inaugural interactive PV Power Sessions that focused on business growth. PV America East took place in Philadelphia and was presented by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)® and the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA). Glenn Thayer moderated a wide ranging discussion about the challenges facing the PV industry with Julia Hamm, president and CEO of SEPA and Rhone Resch, president and CEO of SEIA covering topics including industry consolidation, policy and marketing. Hamm encouraged the industry to work closely with utilities to find ways to collectively look for win-win policy solutions for utilities, manufacturers and consumers and to understand the perspectives of the utilities. “Look past the challenges and see if you can bring policy solutions together and this will move the needle faster,” she stated.

advantage.” Resch also urged the audience to be knowledgeable about policy and stressed that it is an important part of their business models. In the two other Power Sessions, Brian F. Keane, president, SmartPower and author of Green Is Good: Save Money, Make Money, and Help Your Community Profit from Clean Energy shared his viewpoints on business growth and development, while Scott Klososky, CEO, Future Point of View, discussed how to leverage disruptive innovation for business success. Companies exhibited at PV America to showcase new products, generate new business leads and meet with customers and

colleagues. The feedback for the three-day event was extremely positive. The third Photovoltaic Projects of Distinction Awards were presented during PV America by SEIA and SEPA, to celebrate major achievements of companies, individuals and projects in the U.S. solar energy market. The winners were Generating Clean Horizons Solar Project (Emmitsburg, MD), Keystone Solar (Lancaster County, PA) and the Union County (NJ) Solar Initiative. For the first time, nine additional projects were awarded honorable mentions in recognition of their impressive accomplishments.

“In the coming years, we think solar will be the largest source of new electricity in the U.S. and by 2015 or 2016 we will have 10 gigawatts installed,” Resch remarked. “There is long-term sustainable growth and you should position your company to take 78

EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

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The compact Sirco MC range of switches are available in 25A, 40A rating both for 600V DC and 1000V DC applications, possible with Direct handle or extension shaft operated external IP65 duty handles, having both DIN rail, Back plate OR Door mounting provision with optional accessories, namely Aux contact and Terminal shrouds. Furthermore Sirco MVPV range is in modular construction, from 63A through 160A both in 800V DC and in 1000V DC with wide range of accessories. Finally the Sirco PV range from 100A to 1250A in a robust, highly optimized design that claims one of most competitive watt loss/pole figure

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EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

6th Solar Indonesia 2013

Date: 3- 5 April, 2013 Place: Jakarta Organiser: CEMS Tel.: 001/212/6344833 Email: contact@cems-solarexpo.com Web.: http://www.cems-solarexpo.com/indonesia/

index.html

SolarEx Istabul

Clean Power Asia

Date: 11-13 April, 2013 Place: Istabul Organiser: IHLAS FUARCILIK Tel.: 90 212 454 25 03 Email: info@solarexistanbul.com Web.: http://www.solarexistanbul.com/english/

Date: 29-30 April, 2013 Place: Bangkok Organiser: Clarion Events Pte Ltd Tel.: 65 6590 3970 Email: info@clarionevents.asia Web.: http://www.cleanpower-asia.com/Aboutus

The 7th B4E Global Summit Green Energy Expo Korea 2013

Date: 3- 5 April, 2013 Place: Korea Organiser: Korea Photovoltaic Industry Association Tel.: 82-53-601-5375 Email: pv@exco.co.kr Web.: http://www.energyexpo.co.kr/eng/index.asp

Power & Electricity World Africa

Date: 9-10 April, 2013 Place: South Africa Organiser: Terrapinn Pte Ltd Tel.: 27 (0) 11 516 4015 Email: enquiry.za@terrapinn.com Web.: http://www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/power-

2nd Annual Solar Market in India 2013

Date: 15-16 April, 2013 Place: India Organiser: MCI Management India Tel.: 91 124 4974160 Email: Divyadeep.Verma@mci-group.com Web.: www.b4esummit.com

Date: 07-08 May, 2013 Place: New Delhi Organiser: IBK Media Tel.: 91 22 25006681 Email: anita.verma@ibkmedia.com Web.: http://www.ibkmedia.com/events

Thin-Film Industry Forum 2013

Date: 16-Apr Place: Germany Organiser: Solarpraxis Tel.: +49 30 726296-405 Email: amelie.wachner@solarpraxis.de Web.: www.solarpraxis.de/en/conferences/thin-film-

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industry...

3rd Annual China CSP Summit 2013

SolarEnergy 2013

Date: 10- 12 April, 2013 Place: China Organiser: CBI EVENTS Tel.: +86 21 51550719 Email: yvonnedai@cbichina.com Web.: csp.cbichina.com

Date: 23-25 April Place: Germany Organiser: ProFair GmbH Tel.: +49 5121 206260 Email: messen@messen-profair.de Web.: http://www.messen-profair.de/Solarenergy/

IPPAI

Hydro Power Market In India

Date: 10- 11 April, 2013 Place: India Organiser: IPPAI Tel.: 011 4955 6611 Email: siddharth@ippaimail.org Web.: www. ippai.org

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Power Gen India

Date: 06-08 May, 2013 Place: New Delhi Organiser: Inter Ads India Tel.: 91 124 4524232 Email: info@interadsindia.com Web.: http://www.power-genindia.com/index.html

SOLAREXPO 2013

Date: 06-08 May, 2013 Place: Italy Organiser: SOLAREXPO Tel.: +39 0439 849855 Email: marketing@solarexpo.com Web.: www.solarexpo.com/SE/EN/

Renergy 2013

Date: 26-April Place: India Organiser: Infra Market India, Tel.: 91-22-25182110 Email: nanajee.rao@inframarketindia.com Web.: http://inframarketindia.com/events/index.

Date: 09-11 May, 2013 Place: India Organiser: TEDA Tel.: +91 44 28222973 Email: pr@teda.in Web.: www.renergyteda.com

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

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EQ INTERNATIONAL March 13

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SOLAR PV TECH SOUTH INDIA

EXPO & CONFERENCE Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad, 6-8 June, 2013 Hyderabad International Convention Center (HICC)

International Expo & Conference on Solar Photovoltaics Technology & Investment

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INTERNATIONAL Sponsorship, Speaker & Exhibiting Opportunities Contact : Mr.Gourav Garg Gourav.Garg@EQMag.Net Tel : +91-731-2553883 or +91 93033 43777

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EQ International Magazine Editorial Advisory Board

K Subramanyam Former CEO Tata BP Solar

Thomas wittek Managing Director & CEO Refu Solar Electronics Pvt. Ltd.

Rabindra Kumar Satpathy President Reliance Solar

Shaji John Chief Solar Initiatives, L&T

Rajesh Bhat - Managing Director juwi India Renewable Energies Pvt Ltd

G. Kalyan Varma Country Head TUV Rheinland (India) Pvt. Ltd.

Gyanesh Chaudhary Managing Director Vikram Solar Private Limited

Gaurav Sood Managing Director Solairedirect Energy India Pvt Ltd

Ravi Khanna - CEO Solar Power Business Aditya Birla Group

Shivanand Nimbargi MD & CEO Green Infra Limited

Sunil Jain Chief Exe. Off. & Exe. Director Hero Future Energies Pvt Ltd.

Pashupathy Gopalan Managing Director MEMC-SunEdison

Inderpreet Wadhwa CEO Azure Power

Paulo Soares CFO & Director Inspira Martifer Solar Ltd

THE NEW ULTRA: DRIVING DOWN LCOE OF PV POWER PLANTS