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

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May 2018

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May 2018

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

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CONT EN T

VOLUME 10 Issue # 5

INVERTERS GRAND INTRODUCTION of Next Generation of String Inverters by TBEA

ELECTRIC VEHICLES Ola Plans To Get 1 Million E- Vehicles On Its Platform By 2021 Mostly E-Rickshaws

ELECTRIC VEHICLES ABB launches world’s fastest e-vehicle charger at Hannover Messe, strength-ening its leadership...

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

May 2018

10 INDIA Azure Power Commissions 40 MW Project in Uttar Pradesh

12 INDIA Hero Future Energies sets up country’s first hybrid renewable power plant

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56 ELECTRIC VEHICLES ABB powers e-mobility with launch of first 150350 kW high power charger

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS Tumbling Costs for Wind, Solar, Batteries Are Squeezing Fossil Fuels

ENERGY STORAGE Battery Makers Worry lithium will replace oil in the import bill

60 ENERGY STORAGE

ELECTRIC VEHICLES ADS-TEC showing world’s first “High Power Charging” at Intersolar Europe:

Why the future of commercial battery storage is bright

ROOFTOP & OFFGRID

Sova Solar Panels Installed on Raj Bhavan Jammu

Yamaha Motor India upgrades its solar power plant in Chennai

ROOFTOP & OFFGRID

Infosys sets up 760 kW Solar Car Port in the Jaipur Development...

14 INDIA SC decision in ReNew Power case a major positive: www.EQMagPro.com

26 TECHNOLOGY

Enphase Energy and Solaria Corporation Announce High-Performance AC Modules

28 TECHNOLOGY

EQ NEWS Pg. 07-39

LONGi sets solar industry record for R&D spending

May 2018

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

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india

Banks stare at $38 bn new bad loans from power sector: Bank of AmericaMerrill Lynch report

The banking sector, which is already reeling under a mammoth pile of bad loans, is looking at potential dud assets of $38 billion from the power sector, as $53 billion of the $178 billion bank loans to the sector are already stressed, said a report. he $178 billion (around Rs 11.7 trillion) of debt of the power sector, $53 billion (around Rs 3.5 trillion) are already under stress (primarily to the generation sector) and of this, as much as $38 billion (around Rs 2.5 trillion) have the potential of being written-off as bad loans,” the Bank of America-Merrill Lynch report said. The report is based on the fact that as much as 71 gigawatt (gw) of private sector coal-based projects are facing bankruptcy filings at various NCLTs, implying probable resolution from June 2019 and it expects an average 75 percent writeoff in these loans.Of the $178 billion loan, the distribution companies have $65 billion, generation companies have $77 billion, and transmission firms have a debt burden of $36 billion, says the report penned by BofA-ML research analysts Amish Shah and Sriharsh Singh. Of the $53 billion of stressed loans, as much as $50 billion are to the generation sector alone, says the report, adding loans to the distribution sector, which were earlier stressed, are now better off given quasi-state guarantees and restructuring under the government’s Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (Uday) scheme. Of this $178 billion debt mountain, banks have the largest at 53 percent of the total loans, followed by non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) at 35 percent and the balance from the states.

About 43 percent of loans are extended to the power generation sector, followed by distribution at 37 percent and transmission at 20 percent, the report said. It can be noted that the power, steel, roads, mining and telecom sectors are the most tressed accounts for banks whose bad loan burden has crossed Rs 11 trillion or 10.5 percent of the system as of December 2017. The report further notes that the $116-billion national power utilities lose around $9 billion annually but can turnaround without hiking consumer tariffs and also continue to offer the present average subsidy of 2 percent if the many of its cost-inefficiencies are resolved.

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It also states that tariff hikes are not the way forward for the sector to turnaround as already tariffs for industrial and commercial consumers, who constitute 37 percent of demand, are very high compared to its regional peers. But the report is critical of the reforms introduced to address inefficiencies saying they expect limited progress. As per the report, of the $116 billion expenditure incurred by power distributors annually (as of March 2016 – the latest available data for national distributors), 54 percent is related to operations and maintenance/other expenses across the value chain (administration costs, employee expenses, taxes, marginal profits etc), fuel comprises only 20 percent of the cost, borrowing cost is only 19 percent and freight charges are at a low 7 percent. And surprisingly subsidies to farmers constitute only 2 percent of the cost of the states on a national level barring for Punjab and Haryana where its 7-8 percent. Farmers are the second biggest consumer segment for the discoms with 22 percent of total power consumption as agricultural power tariff is only Rs 1.7 per kilowatt hour (kWh) against the cost of Rs 6.3 per kwh. Though some states provide free power to farmers, the expenses are paid by the respective states to distributors from their annual budgets. “Our analysis suggests, while at the national level, power subsidy comprises 2 percent of all states’ annual expenditure, but for Punjab and Haryana, it 7-8 percent,” says the report. The sector has a $5 billion import bill as onesixth of the fuel needs are met by imports. For power generation companies, this comprises $24 billion in annual costs, while coal accounts for 87 percent of this cost. Besides,$4 billion of such fuel is imported which is around 5 percent the country’s non-oil and non-gold imports), comprising $3 billion of coal and $1 billion of LNG.

May 2018

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India’s safeguard duty on solar cells faces criticism at WTO India’s decision to impose safeguard duty on imported solar cells drew criticism from the European Union and Japan at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), with the two trade giants criticising the conduct of investigation and the initial findings even as New Delhi joined seven WTO members to back China in lodging a protest against US import duty on steel and aluminium products.

afeguard duties are imposed temporarily on products which cause, or threaten to cause, serious injury to the industry. At a meeting of the WTO’s Safeguards Committee, the EU recalled that safeguard measures should only be imposed under exceptional circumstances, particularly if the imports causing problems come from predominantly one source. The EU representative at the meeting slammed India for its “casual analysis” and added that the injury analysis of imported solar cells was inconclusive since injury to other domestic producers needed to be assessed. The trading bloc went on to warn that the actions will create serious domestic shortages and even risk the environment. Japan suggested that there were flaws in the investigation process, which involved reasonable public notice. "Indian officials, however, countered the charges saying that in January, a preliminary safeguard duty of 70% was notified to WTO and that this was followed by a challenge to the measure in the domestic courts, sources said." "But the key focus was on US duty hike on aluminium and steel products, which several members led by China said was safeguard action although the Trump administration had imposed “under the guise of national security”.

Chinese representative at the WTO meeting said that the US action will severely damage the stability of the multilateral trading system and distort international supply chains, with considerable negative follow-up effects. China argued that the US decision to exempt certain exporters from the tariffs violated the WTO’s principle of nondiscrimination between members. India said such unilateral actions have no place in the international trading system and that it was watching the situation closely, refusing to divulge its plan even as China sought action against the US. While the US denied to classify the move as a safeguard action, it attacked China for “rebalancing tariffs of 128 American products”, saying it was unjustified. The American delegation believes that China did not appear to be addressing this issue, but was instead seeking to increase state intervention under its ‘Made in China 2050’ industrialization and innovation programme.

May 2018

IBC SOLAR Commissions 27-MW-plant in the Indian State of Odisha While states like Rajasthan, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh already have a large share of solar power with more than 2 Gigawatts installed capacity each, the state of Odisha lags behind with approx. 90 MW installed capacity (by autumn 2017) and has only recently begun to try and pick up speed.

ith the newly connected PV plant, IBC SOLAR is supporting Odisha to increase its share of solar power by around 30%. This is an important step for the economic development in Odisha and, in particular, for the district of Kalahandi where the new solar plant is situated.

Mr Shailendra Bebortha, Managing Director of IBC Solar in India, explained that this project will bring western Odisha prominently in the solar map of India and contribute to increase the standard of living in the area by creating many local opportunities both during the construction and operations phase. He also expressed his thanks to all the Contractors, State Government departments, SECI, lenders and local public for this success. IBC SOLAR´s Sadipali project is part of a 270 MW PV tender floated by Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) in the state of Odisha in August 2016, and a 25-year PPA was awarded to IBC SOLAR through a competitive reverse auction process. Non-recourse project financing was concluded with L&T Infrastructure Finance Company Limited in March 2017. Following the securement of 111 acres of land in August 2017, the local electric power transformation substation had to be upgraded to manage the soon-to-be generated energy, a transmission line for approx. 8 km was built and construction of the solar plant then started in November 2017.

“With this project, we have consolidated a strong know-how in project development, land securitization and grid connection in Odisha, a state with a high potential for solar PV build-up,” says Mr. José María Llopis, CEO of IBC SOLAR Energy GmbH. It is not only the company’s largest single location plant, but also its first project in India that was fully developed, financed, constructed and commissioned by IBC SOLAR alone. The solar plant meets the high-quality standards of IBC SOLAR as well as it fulfils stringent international standards of health and safety.

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india

Green certificate sales on IEX, PXIL up 42 pc in April Sales of renewable energy certificates (RECs) jumped 42 per cent in April to 10.62 lakh units on the Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) and Power Exchange of India (PXIL) compared to 7.46 lakh in the same month a year ago, as per official data.

he Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) is mandated by central/state regulatory commission and is applicable to power distribution companies, open access consumer and captive consumers. They are under obligation to buy RECs from renewable energy producers to meet this norm. The auction of RECs is conducted once by the two exchanges on the last Wednesday of every month. IEX and PXIL sold 7,81,130 and 2,81,531 RECs respectively, totalling 10,62,661 RECs for the month of April in the auction con-

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ducted yesterday, as per the official data released by the exchanges. Last year in April, PXIL and IEX had sold 2,93,420 and 4,53,353 RECs respectively, totalling 7,46,773 RECs, as per data available on both the exchanges. IEX said in a statement that the major buyers were open access consumers and captive power producers, followed by distribution companies and utilities such as Tata Power, BEST and Torrent Power which came forward to fulfil their RPO compliance. In the trading session held on April 25, 2018, IEX saw trade of 7,81,130 RECs comprising 6,44,151 solar and 1,36,979 non-solar RECs. The trading session saw a 72 per cent increase over April 2017 when 4.53 lakh RECs were traded, comprising 88,533 solar and 3,64,820 non-solar RECs, it said, adding that a total of 884 participants traded in the trading session.

PXIL said,”Nearly, 2.81 lacs RECs were cleared at PXIL leading to market share of 26 per cent and clearing ratio of 31 per cent.”

May 2018

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Azure Power Commissions 40 MW Project in Uttar Pradesh Azure Power (NYSE: AZRE), one of India’s leading independent solar power producers, announced the commissioning of a 40-megawatt (MW) solar power plant in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Spread across an area of approximately 225 acres, the project has been setup under the government’s National Solar Mission Phase-II Batch-III Tranche III.

Diu Smart City becomes first to run on 100% Renewable Energy during Daytime Diu Smart City has become the first city in India, that runs on 100% renewable energy during daytime setting a new benchmark for other cities to become clean and green.

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iu had been importing 73% of its power from Gujarat until last year. It has now adopted a two-pronged approach whereby a 9 MW solar park spread over 50 hectares rocky barren land has been developed besides installing solar panels on the roof tops on 79 government buildings thereby generating 1.3 MW annually. To further enhance its solar capacity, Diu offers its residents a subsidy of Rs 10, 00050,000 for installing 1-5KW roof top solar panels. Diu is saving about 13,000 tonnes of carbon emissions every year. Due to low-cost solar energy, power tariffs have been cut in residential category by 10% last year and 15% this year. To improve traffic management in Bengaluru Smart City, a prototype of an intelligent traffic management solution is currently being tested in

ollaboration with the Electronics City Township Authority (ELCITA). It will provide traffic informa-

tion that is currently unavailable, and help improve management of commuter traffic. It involves capturing video streams from several cameras and processing them using artificial intelligence so that typical traffic management tasks such as vehicle detection, traffic density estimation and control of traffic lights can be automated for real-time performance. To revitalise urban public spaces and socially activating the area besides generating economic activity, Jaipur Smart City Ltd (JSCL) has planned to develop night bazaar at Chaura Rasta, in the heart of Pink city. The JSCL would register up to 700 vendors who will be allowed to set up stalls, including eateries, between 9pm and 1am. The project will provide entertainment, culture and shopping to citizens after office hours.

May 2018

he project was auctioned by Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), a Government of India enterprise which has a AA+ debt rating by ICRA, a Moody’s company. Azure Power will supply power to SECI for the next 25 years at a levelized tariff of INR 4.92 (~US 7.7 cents) per kWh, which is inclusive of Viability Gap Funding (VGF). Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in India and has a large peak energy supply deficit, according to the Central Electricity Authority. In addition, CRISIL projects that over 10 million unelectrified households will be connected by 2019. Azure Power is one the largest solar developers in Uttar Pradesh and built the first utility scale solar project in Uttar Pradesh in 2015.

Speaking on this occasion, Inderpreet Wadhwa, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Azure Power said, “With the commissioning of this plant, we have once again demonstrated our strong project development, engineering, and execution capabilities. We are delighted to make a contribution towards the realization of our Hon’ble Prime Minister’s commitment towards clean and green energy, through solar power generation. Our sincere gratitude to SECI and the state of Uttar Pradesh for all the cooperation and support extended.”

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May 2018

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Many of the solar panels have been installed in the spaces between the turbines, Rahul Munjal, chairman at Hero Future Energies, said while inaugurating the project.

Hero Future Energies sets up country’s first hybrid renewable power plant Hero Future Energies has commissioned the country’s first large-scale hybrid renewable energy project — a combination of sun and wind power — in Karnataka’s Raichur district.

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he company has added a 28.8 MW solar project to an existing 50 MW wind project set up two years ago. A hybrid project has several advantages over a standalone solar or wind project, including saving on land, company insiders. Solar projects need about five to seven acres of land per megawatt depending on the technology used, and though Hero did acquire some additional land for the solar project, it was far less than it would have had to for a standalone project of similar size, officials said. Also, both wind and solar are ‘infirm’ sources of power in that their supply varies according to the speed of the wind or the intensity of solar radiation. By combining the two the project can supply steady power for a longer period in a day than standalone wind or solar plants, and improve its overall plant load factor (PLF). Wind speeds are usually highest early in the morning and at night, while sunshine is available only during the day. The project is a group captive one, with a number of private companies buying power from it directly at mutually agreed tariffs. Siemens Gamesa was contractor for both the solar and wind projects, and also provided wind turbines for the plant. Though the combined plant has a total capacity of 78.8 MW, the transmission line so far is capable of evacuating only up to 50 MW. If hybrid projects make more sense, why has it taken so long since India began its renewable energy programme for the first hybrid project to come up? It is because the government has no policy for such projects yet.

May 2018

“It helps to smoothen out the supply to the grid,” Munjal said. “It also optimises transmission cost. We have a single 24 km long line that goes from here to the substation. If we had two separate projects, we would need two separate lines, run by two separate teams. A hybrid project also helps in forecasting and scheduling, making forecasting more accurate,” he said.

Draft guidelines for hybrid projects were circulated in mid-2016, but it was not finalised. There is no clarity yet on the tariff such projects can charge, and no stateowned discom will buy their power.

“I wish we could sell to discoms, but we can’t since they don’t have a price,” said Munjal. “Everyone is waiting for a government policy, for a tender or a document or a price, which has not happened. Hybrid plants cannot sell to the government yet. You can build one if it is a group captive project.” Nor can those interested in hybrid projects participate in either solar or wind auctions, because the terms have not been set. The main challenge for hybrid projects is finding locations that have both strong winds and good solar radiation. “If you want to optimise on both, there are very few places,” said Munjal. “Wind power is available in only eight states in the country. Solar is everywhere. It is possible to get a great wind site with decent solar, but it will be rare to get a great wind site with great solar as well.”

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india

India defends safeguard measures on solar cells opposed by EU, Japan in WTO India has told a WTO committee that it followed global trade rules while imposing safeguard measures on imported solar cells even as the European Union and Japan have criticised the move. The issue came up at the meeting of the safeguard committee of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva.

ndia stated that it has followed “WTO rules and regulations on the imposition of safeguard measures”, the official added. Under the WTO norms, a member country can impose safeguard duty to restrict imports of a product temporarily with an aim to protect domestic industry from an increase in imports of any product which is causing or threatening to cause, serious injury to the industry. In the meeting, the EU has stated that safeguard measures should only be imposed under exceptional circumstances, particularly if the imports causing problems come from predominantly one source. It added that India’s actions will create serious domestic shortages and even risk the environment.

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India’s preliminary safeguard on imported solar cells drew criticisms from the EU and Japan, which criticized the conduct of the investigation and the initial findings, a Geneva-based trade official said.

On this, India “noted that it informed members in January that a preliminary safeguard of 70 per cent was notified to WTO members in January and that this was followed by a challenge to the measure in the domestic courts, so the matter is sub-judice”, the official said. Source: PTI

May 2018

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World’s largest solar park SC decision in ReNew Power Shakti Sthala launched in case a major positive: Solar industry body Karnataka The first phase of the world’s largest and first ever solar park, Shakti Sthala, was launched by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

he solar park is spread over a total area of 13,000 acres (53 square kilometers) and has been set up with an investment of Rs.16,500 crores. The Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd (KREDL) and the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) established a joint venture company, the Karnataka Solar Power Development Corporation Ltd (KSPDCL), in March 2015 to implement solar power projects in Karnataka. The Pavagada Solar Park is financed and co-developed by the Union Ministry of New Renewable Energy (MNRE), the state government and developers who pay upfront charges.This mega project of 2000 MW capacity has been set up using the barren lands of farmers which has been obtained on lease from the farmers. Not a single inch of land has been acquired. Pavagada was chosen as the site for the project for several reasons. Apart from high solar radiation and availability of land, the region receives very little rainfall. The region is also scarcely populated and most of its residents are poor farmers.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, “Karnataka has emerged as the third largest producer of renewable energy in the nation and was taking ‘bold strides’ towards emerging as an energy surplus state.”

May 2018

ourt had also slapped a penalty of Rs 119 million on the company for delaying the commissioning of a 51-Mw solar project in the state by over 210 days. The firm had won the project through competitive bidding in 2015 at a tariff of Rs 5.45 per unit. Madhya Pradesh Power Generation Corporation (MPPGCL) had issued a termination notice in August 2017.

ReNew challenged the decision in the High Court which disallowed the termination. The state government had later moved the apex court. “The Supreme Court has passed a landmark judgment wherein it has upheld the order of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in favour of ReNew Power, which labelled the termination of the contract by MPPGCL as unlawful and arbitrary,” Pranav Mehta, Founder and Chairman of NSEFI said in a statement. He added that the judgment has come as a shot in the arm for the renewable sector as it is an investment intensive sector and the Independent Power Producers (IPPs) put in substantial capital investment upfront – to the tune of $1 million per Megawatt of installed capacity. “In this backdrop, it is imperative that the sanctity of the PPAs signed with various IPPs is maintained. Otherwise, it will dampen the image of India as a preferred investment destination for renewables,” Mehta said.

Source: ANI

The latest judgment by Supreme Court that set aside the cancellation of a Power Purchase Agreement signed by Madhya Pradesh government with Renewable energy producer ReNew Power is a shot in the arm for companies, industry body National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI) has said.

Source: energy.economictimes.indiatimes

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May 2018

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NIIF partners UK govt for Green Growth Equity Fund The government’s National Investment and Infrastructure Fund of India (NIIF) on Wednesday announced a partnership with the UK government to launch Green Growth Equity Fund (GGEF), an alternative investment fund registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi).

IIF and the UK government have committed £120 million each for the fund which will be managed by EverSource Capital, a joint venture of home-grown private equity firm Everstone Group and Lightsource BP. Everstone is a multi-asset investment firm with assets under management of about $4 billion while Lightsource is a global market leader in renewable energy development and management with $3 billion of capital invested across over 2 gigawatts of solar projects globally. British oil and gas major BP Plc owns a 43% stake in Lightsource BP. Green Growth Equity Fund aims to raise £500 million from international institutional investors to invest in areas such as renewable energy, clean transportation, water, sanitation, waste management, emerging technologies and other similar industries in India.

The joint initiative and commitment of India’s National Investment and Infrastructure Fund and the UK government to invest in and develop green infrastructure in India is a unique and amazing investment opportunity. By using a pooled investment vehicle and a public plus private partnership approach, global investors will get the opportunity to be part of this exceptional investment platform,” said Sameer Sain, co-founder and chief executive of Everstone Group. On 5 April, Mint reported that NIIF was in talks with private equity firm Everstone Group for a tie-up to manage the Green Growth Energy Fund. NIIF, an institution sponsored by the government of India, is a collaborative investment platform for international and Indian investors. The government had set up the Rs40,000 crore NIIF in 2015 as an investment vehicle for funding commercially viable greenfield, brownfield and stalled projects.

May 2018

Everstone’s capabilities of building successful operating companies in India and Lightsource’s global renewable energy experience will provide a strong platform for EverSource Capital to successfully execute GGEF’s investment strategy,” said Sujoy Bose, chief executive officer of NIIF. Everstone Group and Lightsource BP will collectively invest £20 million in the fund.

“Broadly a third of the fund would go into the regulated space, which is grid-connected renewable assets such as wind, solar, mini hydel and biomass; a third would go into off-grid strategies and a third into other clean-tech strategies around water, electric mobility etc. The final close of the fund should take about 9-12 months,” said Dhanpal Jhaveri, managing partner (private equity), Everstone Capital. As the economy keeps building out, these sectors will be increasingly more interesting, he said. “These sectors are now operating on a competitive basis where the economic model of all these businesses can be self-sustaining without any requirement for subsidies. And therefore it competes very well with traditional sources of energy and is a big opportunity,” Jhaveri added. Source : Livemint

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T Suntech provides PV modules for Indian first solar-wind hybrid project Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the first time for Suntech to cooperate with Hero Future Energies in Kavithal, India. This project is the first solar-wind hybrid project in India, which Suntech provides 28.8MW modules with high quality V series poly modules. At present, the project has completed all the installation of modules.

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he most significant offering of a hybrid renewables system is its beneficial impact on the grid when compared to single technology renewables projects. The overall energy production will last for a 24-hour period, reducing the variability of renewable energy generation, achieving better stability of the power grid, helping to optimize the use of transmission facilities. Suntech entered into Indian PV market in 2010, from emerging to mature outbreaks, winning the brand reputation in India market with high quality products. Indian PV market will become the second largest market in the world with rapid increase. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll seize the opportunity, expanding the market scale and shining in India at 2018.

May 2018

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Atha Group plans Rs 3,100- crore investment to build 1000 MW ren World’s largest solar park to come up in Gujarat -ewable portfolio Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani approved setting up a 5000

Kolkata-based mining and minerals group Atha will invest Rs 3,100 crore for expanding its renewable energy capacity to 1,000 megawatt (MW) by 2022 from the present 200 MW.

he 60-year-old group targets to achieve it through organic and inorganic routes in India and overseas markets. About 500 MW of the planned capacity will be built in India and the remaining abroad. Through its renewable energy arm AMPL Cleantech, the group is also looking to raise funds from abroad and is also in negotiations to rope in a strategic partner and investors.

MW capacity solar park at the Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR), which would be the largest such entity in the world after its completion.

Gaurav Atha, Director of Atha Group said, “AMPL will create robust solar and wind energy assets that will be the key contributor towards the company’s sustainability goals. The company has already established its presence in the ground mounted Utility Scale plants and now would enter into fast growing rooftop solar segment and grid level energy storage solutions.” He believes that the future growth for the segment would come from both government and private companies. AMPL Cleantech has a presence in Southern Africa and South East Asia— especially Kenya , Tanzania , Mozambique and Namibia— and it will explore growth opportunities in those geographies. In addition, it would expand its focus to South East Asia and Middle East. Brijesh Gupta, Chief Executive of AMPL Cleantech, said, “The company has already built a solar asset base of over 200 MW. Another 200 MW of solar power projects are in pipeline and it is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2019.”

Source: businesstoday.in

May 2018

The project will contribute significantly in achieving Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s target of producing 175 gigawatt of electricity through renewable energy sources by 2022, said Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani

MRPL commissions largest solar project of 6.063 MWp

At present, the company has nine operating solar and wind power plants totaling 200 MW capacity spread across Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. It has wind assets of 12.5 MW in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Rajasthan. Atha Group has already invested about Rs 1,200 crore towards its renewable energy business. It sees big opportunities in the forthcomingbids for the development of solar parks in the country. For a Tamil Nadu project, the company is in the process of investing Rs 800-850 crore, Gupta added. Earlier, there were media reports that Edelweiss and Hero Future Energies were scouting for Atha Group’s solar assets. The management denied any such move.

roposed solar power generation project would be set up in 11,000 hectares of land with an investment of Rs 25,000 crore, said an official release. The chief minister exuded confidence that the solar park would not only provide employment to over 20,000 people, but also open new manufacturing avenues for the entire supply chain in and around the Dholera International City.

With a total capacity of 6.063 MWp, Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited has successfully commissioned largest solar power project in a refinery site, a statement said here.

solar power project is spread across 34 roof tops within the refinery premises comprising both RCC and sloping sheet steel roofs. “Built at a cost of Rs 27 crore by M/s Tata Power Solar Systems Limited, these solar plants generate more than 24,000 units per day amounting to more than 8. 8 million units per annum.

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May 2018

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ROOFTOP & OFFGRID

Chennai solar energy potential at 1.3K MW through rooftop solar photovoltaic (RTSPV) systems Tamil Nadu capital Chennai has the potential to generate close to 1,380 Mega Watt energy through rooftop solar photovoltaic (RTSPV) systems which can help the city reduce power demand by almost 10 per cent as well as help cut down on electricity bills, a study has revealed.

Infosys sets up 760 kW Solar Car Port in the Jaipur Development Center Infosys inaugurated a 760 kilowatt (kW) solar car port in its Jaipur Development Center (DC), as part of the company’s drive for energy sustainability.

roject was inaugurated by Mr. Somesh Gupta, Jaipur DC Head, Infosys. The solar car port is a result of Infosys’ efforts to solve two problems simultaneously, limited parking space within the campus as well as the need to reduce the company’s dependence on the grid power. Spread over 10,000 square meters this car port will generate green energy and also support the company’s objective to identify alternative renewable energy sources to save energy across all its campuses. The 760 kW solar car port is in addition to the existing 250 kW solar photovoltaic (PV) project which was installed in the Jaipur DC in 2011, and will lead to a cumulative output of almost 1 megawatt (MW) of power. Infosys is the only private organization in Rajasthan to generate 1 MW solar power. With this project, 20 percent of all electrical energy consumed on campus will now be generated by the in-house renewable power plant. This will ultimately help in creating a more energy efficient system for the DC. Source: Infosys

May 2018

amil Nadu capital Chennai has the potential to generate close to 1,380 Mega Watt energy through rooftop solar photovoltaic (RTSPV) systems which can help the city reduce power demand by almost 10 per cent as well as help cut down on electricity bills, a study has revealed. The study titled ‘Rooftop Revolution: Unleashing Chennai’s Rooftop potential’ — jointly conducted by Greenpeace India and the Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute (GERMI) — revealed that on an average 3.15 MW can easily be generated per square kilometre of the city through installing rooftop solar panels. It also revealed that the rooftops of residential buildings alone can account for 46 per cent or 635 MW of the city’s total RTSPV. Some of the major landmarks with huge solar potential according to the study include, buildings of the railway station (3.5 MW), Metro Station (1.6 MW) and airport (0.8 MW). The monthly pollution data for 2016 from Tamil Nadu indicates that three cities in the state including Chennai had higher concentrations of Particulate Matter (PM) than the annual average levels prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and World Health Organization (WHO).

“Switching to solar power will not only help Chennai reduce air pollution by bringing down its dependence on coal as a source of power, but also help policy makers, planners and installers in the state contribute to India’s overall rooftop solar PV goal of 40,000 MW by 2022, which is crucial for India’s voluntary contribution to the Paris Agreement,” said Pujarini Sen, Climate and Energy Campaigner, Greenpeace India. Akhilesh Magal, Head of Advisory, Renewable Energy, Environment and Energy Efficiency, Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute (GERMI) said that India is in need of a radical change of policies to achieve the ambitious rooftop solar capacity target of 40,000 MW by 2022. He said that as per their estimate, India’s tier I and II cities has the potential to host over 62,000 MW of rooftop solar power, but it would be “foolhardy to assume that the entire potential is realisable”. Considering the experience of the rooftop solar plants in German cities and United States’s San Francisco, he said that India would be able to achieve only 6000 MW capacity of rooftop solar as against the target of 40,000 MW. Source: Reuters

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ROOFTOP & OFFGRID

Meerut Institute of Engineering & Technology (MIET) selects Orb Energy four times in a row to install a cumulative 728 kilowatt rooftop solar system Orb Energy (“Orb”) announced that it has successfully installed and commissioned the fourth installation of a cumulative 728 kilowatt rooftop solar system at the Meerut Institute of Engineering and Technology (MIET) in Uttar Pradesh. Orb had previously commissioned a 100 kilowatt rooftop system in 2016 and followed it with two installations of 175 kilowatt each in 2017, prior to most recently executing a final installation of 278 kilowatt.

n India, rooftop solar systems offer commercial and industrial customers a three- to four-year payback without any subsidy – an unheard-of return on investment on an unsubsidized solar power system. But many cash-constrained SMEs in India cannot afford the up-front costs of solar without credit. Orb offers collateral-free loan facility to SMEs that matches their payback period, after which all their power is effectively free.

We are extremely pleased that MIET has benefited from owning their rooftop solar system and have realized significant reduction in their electricity costs” said Damian Miller, Orb’s Chief Executive Officer. “MIET’s decision to work with Orb for the fourth time is a great testimony to the quality of our installations and after-sales service.

“We now save approximately INR 5,90,000 per month, and are very happy with the service from Orb’s team. This gave us confidence to continue working with them” said Er. Vishnu Saran, Chairman, Meerut Institute of Engineering & Technology (MIET).

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May 2018

ROOFTOP & OFFGRID

Yamaha Motor India upgrades its solar power plant in Chennai Yamaha Motor India Group, a subsidiary of Yamaha Motor, Japan, has installed 1100 kW rooftop solar power plant at company’s manufacturing facility in Chennai. With this new installation, the total solar capacity of Yamaha’s Chennai plant has increased to 1450 KW and the company has plans to increase the total rooftop solar capacity to 3500 KW by the end of this year.

amaha has installed these solar panels to cover some of the factory building areas and walkways. Yamaha claims that the new rooftop installation would reduce CO2 emission to the extent of 1600 tons/year. Yamaha has partnered with Mahindra Susten for the installation of these rooftop solar panels.

Speaking on the initiative, Riuji Kawashima, deputy managing director, India Yamaha Motor, said, “The installation of the solar power project at our plants further reinstates our commitment towards building an energysaving factory that is friendly to people and the global environment. We also would like to highlight that our Chennai factory is the least CO2 emission factory among the Yamaha Motor Group Companies around the world.” In the first phase, Yamaha had installed 190 KW and 140 KW of rooftop solar panels in the Spare Parts Building and R&D Building in the plant premises in 2015. Yamaha’s Chennai factory, which was inaugurated in 2015, incorporates Zero-water discharge and recycle/reuse of wastewater and maximum use of sunlight. All the buildings are designed to bear load of the solar power system installation. All common utilities are located in the centre to minimize distribution loss and centralized management. Similarly, Yamaha has partnered with the solar service provider, Amplus Solar for installation, operation and maintenance of solar power system at its Surajpur plant. This is claimed to be one of the largest rooftop solar power plants with total capacity of 6200 KW. This project was commissioned in two phases. Phase I was inaugurated in January 2016 with the generation capacity of 4000 kWp (kilowattpeak)

May 2018

and phase II was commissioned in October 2017 with a generation capacity of 2200 Kwp. Recently under phase II, 105 KW capacity solar power plant was installed in the car parking area inside the plant premises. Approximately, 47 cars can be parked under the solar power plant, which is also capable of meeting the future requirement of charging battery operated cars. This particular area has a power generation capacity of 500 Units per day.

Sanjiv Paul, senior vice president, India Yamaha Motor, said, “As the leading two-wheeler manufacturers, Yamaha understands its role in the industrial evolution and its responsibility in reducing the carbon footprints. The solar power project in our plants will definitely take forward Yamaha’s commitment towards enhancing their presence in the sphere of energy efficient companies while focussing on creating solutions around sustainable development.” Yamaha aims to minimize the environmental impact of its business activities by implementing ‘5Rs’ – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Reform, Refuse through ‘3Es’ – Easy to make, Easy to Repair and Easy to Disassemble approach. Yamaha states that its plants in India are certified with Environment Management System ISO 14001:2015 and Occupational and Health Management system OHSAS 18001:2007. Source : autocarpro

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ROOFTOP & OFFGRID

HFM Solar commissions 500 kWp Roof-Top Solar Plant in Lucknow. Solar Power Developer, HFM Solar Power Private Limited has commissioned a 500 kWp roof-top solar project at Integral University, Lucknow.

uilt in collaboration with SECI and MNRE, the rooftop solar plant will help the institute save around Rs 35 lakh per annum. The solar plant will reduce emissions from grid power and backup diesel generators, and will abate The company will provide solar power to Integral University at around 650 tons of carbon dioxide per year.

Dharmendra Jain, Director, HFM Solar said, “Adoption of Renewable Power is the need of the hour in order to save energy and provide a clean and green environment to the society. As an energy company, we have a responsibility to help reduce CO2 emissions and contribute towards the objective of energy conservation. We are proud and honoured to be associated with a distinguished educational institute like Integral University. We are happy to note that the solar power supplied to Integral University will be at a cost which is 36% cheaper than the grid

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tariffs that are cheaper than grid tariff based on the RESCO model. tariff, providing significant cost savings to the university as well. Through our partnership, we are helping Integral University reduce their carbon footprint and electricity costs simultaneously. This is a very compelling proposition to institutes like Integral University, and we hope to replicate it for other premier institutes across the country as well. We aim to continue building solar power plants. The lessons learned in this journey will be enablers in our next phase of growth in the State and Nationwide.

May 2018

ROOFTOP & OFFGRID

Growatt Honored as No. 1 Most Popular Company in China PV Residential Brand Ranking Growatt has been ranked No. 1 Most Popular Company in China PV Residential Brand Ranking by Photovoltaic Brand Lab(Named PVBL) recently. This year, Photovoltaic Brand Lab is also honoring Growatt as one of its Top 10 in string inverters’ ranking in China.

nnual award program is based on PVBL standards. Data comes from official financial reports and external survey and research. PVBL award plays an important role in the most highly anticipated and valuable solar industry in China. Other prestigious honorees this year include Huawei, SMA, Sungrow and Goodwe. Growatt was selected from a list of hundreds of companies. PVBL accolade is famous recognition for the most-awarded solar manufacturer in China. Growatt has now been honored for its work in energy and technological innovation.

Sova Solar Panels Installed on Raj Bhavan Jammu With the help of Jammu & Kashmir Energy Development Agency a 83 KW Rooftop Solar Power Plant has been installed on the roof tops of buildings in Raj Bhavan Jammu.

his Solar Power Plant uses modules explicitly manufactured in India and thus promotes the “Make in India” movement. The 83 KW Solar Rooftop Plant utilised 252 Wp PV Solar (330) modules, one 50 KW Inverter and one 33 KW Inverter. This Plant will generate an average of 1,24,000 units per year and will save Rs. 6.20 lacs per year. This project was executed by JAKEDA within a record time of 7 days. Governor has conveyed his high appreciation to CEO, JAKEDA for the exceptional speed of implementation of the Solar Plant and has requested the Agency to install a similar plant at Raj Bhavan Srinagar. Governor has stressed that the maximum possible use of renewable energy is an imperative, particularly in J&K. He observed that use of Solar energy shall not only reduce the power bill in cash strapped J&K but also save and protect the environment from pollution.

“At Growatt, we never stop working to contribute to the world. We strive to bring smart solar solutions and let more people use clean and easy smart energy,” says Lisa Zhang, Marketing Director. “We are honored to be recognized as No.1 China PV residential brand.” Source: ginverter

May 2018

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May 2018

27Â

TECHNOLOGY

Enphase Energy and Solaria Corporation Announce High-Performance AC Modules Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENPH), a global energy technology company and the world’s leading supplier of solar microinverters, and Solaria Corporation, a global provider of high-performance solar module technologies, announced the introduction of an Enphase Energized™ AC Module, the Solaria PowerXT®-AC.

olaria PowerXT®-AC features the Enphase IQ 7+ Microinverter and delivers high performance and aesthetics through Solaria’s proprietary module technology. The PowerXT®-AC will be available from Soligent at locations around the U.S. starting in June 2018. The PowerXT®-AC is an Enphase Energized AC Module to be built by Solaria at its recently expanded manufacturing facility in Fremont, Calif. The company will integrate Enphase IQ 7+ Microin-

verters with its high-output PowerXT® 355W (60-cell equivalent) modules. Enphase Energized AC Modules allow installers to be more competitive through improved capital management, reduced labor costs and accelerated design and installation times. The PowerXT®-AC can help ensure that solar installers maximize power deployment on customer roofs, which accelerates payback timelines for customers and increases profitability for installers.

“Solaria is excited to work with Enphase to deliver innovative solar solutions to homeowners,” said Suvi Sharma, president and chief executive officer of Solaria Corporation. “Customers who insist on quality AC solar modules will enjoy the many benefits of simplified system design and reduced costs with the PowerXT-AC. By outfitting solar arrays with these modules, we believe installers will bring their customers great-looking, highly efficient solar systems.” “Soligent is proud to carry this exceptional product that combines the best of what two of our strategic partners have to offer,” said Jonathan Doochin, CEO of Soligent Holdings. “We are excited to offer the Solaria PowerXT®-AC to our extensive network of solar installers around the country.” The Solaria PowerXT®-AC is based on Solaria’s all-black, high output PowerXT 60-cell equivalent module and features a black back sheet. The proprietary PowerXT platform uses Solaria’s advanced cell interconnect and module production processes, which significantly boost power generation while avoiding reliability challenges that can reduce conventional PV modules’ long-term performance.

May 2018

The Solaria PowerXT®-AC is based on Solaria’s all-black, high output PowerXT 60-cell equivalent module and features a black back sheet. The proprietary PowerXT platform uses Solaria’s advanced cell interconnect and module production processes, which significantly boost power generation while avoiding reliability challenges that can reduce conventional PV modules’ long-term performance.

“We consider the AC Module collaboration with Solaria to be an important step in bringing next generation clean energy solutions to the roof,” said David Ranhoff, chief commercial officer of Enphase Energy. “Powered by the IQ 7+ Micro, the Solaria PowerXT®-AC combines the innovation prowess of two Silicon Valley companies in partnership with a leading distribution partner like Soligent to offer AC Module value and performance to both installers and homeowners.” AC Modules based on Enphase IQ™ microinverters meet or exceed regulatory requirements set by the National Electrical Code (NEC) and individual states and are certified compliant with NEC 2014 and 2017 rapid shutdown requirements. Unlike string inverters, Enphase IQ microinverters have rapid shutdown built in, with no additional equipment necessary. Enphase IQ microinverters also comply with requirements for distributed solar on utility networks included in Rule 21 in California and Hawaiian Electric Company Rule 14H, such as power factor, voltage and frequency ride-through requirements. Source: Enphase Energy, Inc

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TECHNOLOGY

LONGi Solar Half-Cut Monocrystalline PERC module breaks 360W, Sets A New World Record April 12th, LONGi Solar announced that its 120-cell half-cut monocrystalline PERC module has exceeded 360W, as certified by TÜV-SÜD.

chieves a new world record for the highest power 120-cell half-cut monocrystalline PERC module, adding to LONGi’s world record for 60-cell monocrystalline PERC module for power and conversion efficiency. LONGi’s singular focus on PERC technology significantly reduces the LCOE, thereby advancing grid parity and raising the technological bar in PV. PERC has emerged as a focus technology point, especially in China’s “Top Runner” projects. Experts predict that by 2020, PERC will account for 65GW of capacity and about 40% of shipments.

Dr. Jun Lv, Vice President of LONGi Solar, explained, “LONGi Solar’s 120-cell half-cut monocrystalline PERC module applies our leading PERC technology. Average cell efficiency reached 22%; degradation in the first year is less than 2%, and stabilizing at less than 0.55% per year. PERC has been proven to increase power generation performance in low-light conditions and has excellent resistance to hot spots.” LONGi is accelerating the upgrade of its solar cell production line and expects to complete the move to PERC this year. Concurrently, through strategic cooperation, 8GW of PERC cell supply capacity will be available to fully meet market demand for high-efficiency products. The company will gradually phase into mass production its world record monocrystalline products. LONGi is proud to be a world-class technology-oriented PV manufacturer and is committed to innovations through strong R&D investments across its entire monocrystalline industry chain. R&D spending reached RMB 2.38 billion (USD 380 million) the past 5 years, including RMB 1.108 billion (USD 175.9 million) in 2017 alone. The industry has taken notice and recognized LONGi as a manufacturer with the world’s highest investment in photovoltaic R&D.

Li Wenxue, President of LONGi Solar added, “LONGi has achieved a good balance between high power and high efficiency, focusing and taking the leads in both areas. As a driver and pioneer for high-efficiency and high-quality products, our PERC modules bring customers higher value and return on investment, generate more clean electricity and effectively advance grid parity and the sustainable development of clean energy worldwide.” Source: longi-silicon

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GoodWe distinguished with TÜV Rheinland All Quality Matters Award for three consecutive years GoodWe has been recognized as the winner of the “All Quality Matters” award for its innovative energy storage inverter–SBP series inverter.

UV Rheinland, the great provider of technical services worldwide, presented the awards at the 2018 Solar Congress. GoodWe was also the winner of last 2 consecutive years’ awards of the same event with its ES, NS and MT series inverters. The “All Quality Matters ” Solar Congress and Award established by TUV Rheinland four years ago, has become a wellknown brand and a barometer of trends in the PV industry. The annual “All Quality Matters” Award, with its objective and credible evaluation procedures and authoritative and neutral evaluation body, has become the top arena for competition among manufacturers of PV modules, inverters, energy storage system and components. Wining the “All Quality Matters” Award means that products are of an excellent quality. This year’s awards were presented to companies with excellent performance and significant contributions in different aspects of the PV industry. Being the world’s first AC-coupled battery storage retrofit solution with UPS function for both single-phase and three-phase system, the GoodWe SBP series has received this year’s coveted trophy for 3 years running. Compatible with most brands of single phase on-grid inverters, GoodWE’s SBP series inverters manage the PV yield of a system allowing generated electricity to be directed within the home, fed to the grid or used to charge battery storage devices. These characteristics of inverters allow users to store surplus power and sell it back to the grid when it is needed while its UPS function decreases the automatic switchover time of less than 10 milliseconds. With years of experience and significant investments, GoodWe can offer a comprehensive portfolio of products and solutions for residential, commercial and utility scale PV systems. Holding the innovation as its main motto GoodWe continues to focus on product quality and providing best in class with an in-house R&D team of 200 people, technical ability and an advanced quality control system.

May 2018

TECHNOLOGY

LONGi sets solar industry record for R&D spending Leading integrated high-efficiency monocrystalline module manufacturer and ‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member LONGi Green Energy Technology set a new solar industry R&D expenditure record in 2017, not only surpassing the two historical leaders, First Solar and SunPower, but also spending more in one year than any PV manufacturer to date.

ccording to LONGi’s recently released 2017 annual financial report, total R&D expenditure in 2017 almost doubled to RMB 1.1 billion (US$175.7 million), up 96.67% from US$89.2 million in 2016. LONGi reported total revenue of RMB 16.362 billion (US$2.59 billion) in 2017, up almost 42% from the previous year. Therefore, R&D spending accounted for 6.77% of revenue in 2017. According to PV Tech’s long-standing analysis of R&D spending of leading PV module manufacturers, only SunPower has come close when in 2015, R&D spending accounted for 6% of revenue and First Solar topped 5.1% in 2011. However, one of the key metrics is that LONGi surpassed perennial top ranked R&D spenders, First Solar and SunPower, respectively, by a significant margin. Both US headquartered companies cut R&D spending in 2017, the first time for SunPower in four years, while First Solar trimmed R&D spending for the third consecutive year.

LONGi’s total R&D expenditure in 2017 almost doubled to RMB 1.1 billion (US$175.7 million), up 96.67% from US$89.2 million in 2016. In contrast, LONGi has increased R&D spending for six years in row and has maintained a high-level of R&D investment over the last four years.

May 2018

Initially, LONGi was a dedicated monocrystalline ingot and wafer producer but notably since 2015, the company started production of monocrystalline solar cells and modules. Focused on high-efficiency PERC (Passivated Emitter Rear Cell) technology, R&D spending almost doubled each year since 2016.

LONGi Green Energy Technology set a new solar industry R&D expenditure record in 2017, not only surpassing the two historical leaders, First Solar and SunPower but spent more in one year than any PV manufacturer to date. However, in reporting R&D expenditure of US$175.7 million, LONGi also set a new annual solar industry spending record, according to PV Tech’s analysis. First Solar had previously held the record at US$143.9 million, set in 2014. First Solar remains the leader in R&D spending on a cumulative basis, reaching over US$1.11 billion between 2007 and 2017. SunPower remains second ranked at over US$663 million in the same time period. However, LONGi has jumped ahead of several other PV manufacturers to take the third ranked position with over US$390 million in cumulative R&D spending since 2012.

Source: longisilicon

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TECHNOLOGY

Sterling and Wilson announces its foray into Hybrid Power Plants and Energy Storage Solutions Aims 1 GWh of installations globally Hybrid and Energy Storage Business arm to offer hybrid power plant and energy storage solutions globally, focussing on front-of-meter and behind-the-meter public and private sector opportunities, with special focus on lighting up remote islands and reducing carbon footprint of critical power installations running on black power. Mr. Deepak Thakur is appointed as the CEO and Mr. Vishwanathan Iyer would be responsible for the Global Business Development, Strategy and Marketing

terling and Wilson, an Indian multinational engaged in engineering, construction, manufacturing and energy services with over $1Bn in revenue has announced its foray into Hybrid Power Plants and Energy Storage solutions as part of its commitment to consistently expand its range of offerings to reflect the future of energy. The Company, with a cumulative expertise of 8 GW across its energy verticals encompassing Co-generation CHP and Gas based power, Solar Energy and Diesel Powered Generators, is poised to lead the disruptive revolution of energy storage besides fostering adoption of clean energies by critical power installations through hybrid power plants. The newly introduced Hybrid and Energy Storage Business is already in advanced discussions for its first projects in Africa and Europeand is keenly exploring EPC and CoDevelopment opportunities across continents. As part of its global outlook and expansion plans, the business is actively tapping talent worldwide to develop competency centres in target markets. In its inaugural showcase, the team is participating in EES Europe from 20th to 22nd June 2018 in Munich, Germany.

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Sterling and Wilson’s strong intent to invest in the hybrid and energy storage space is backed by a visible global trend of ever increasing need for reliable power and a strong endorsement by developed economies to reduce carbon emission, within a $6 trillion global energy industry that is ripe for disruption . To lead the charge amidst such trends, the company has appointed Mr. Deepak Thakur at the helm of its Hybrid & Energy Storage Business as the CEO. With an experience of 26 years and a proven track record of incubating new businesses from strategy to building strong teams, Deepak has successfully handled various responsibilities encompassing sales, marketing, corporate strategy, business planning and strategic alliances across a wide spectrum of industries. Further by tapping into its internal talent pool, the company has also appointed Mr. Vishwanathan Iyer to lead the global business development, marketing and strategic activities for the new unit. In his previous assignment, Mr. Vishwanathan was spearheading Solar Business Development in India.

Commenting on the new business foray, Mr. Deepak Thakur, CEO – Hybrid and Energy Storage, Sterling & Wilson, said: “The global hybrid and energy storage market is estimated to be around USD 40 billion by 2025. As one of the leading turnkey solution providers in the world, with project management, engineering and delivery expertise of over 8GW of diversified energy offerings across geographies, we are confident of providing our customers value for money through customised hybrid power plants and energy storage facilities.”

May 2018

PV MANUFACTURING

GCL-Poly Establishes 20GW Joint Venture Using CCZ Technology

GCL-Poly Energy Holdings Limited (HK: 3800), a subsidiary of the world’s leading clean energy conglomerate GCL, has entered into a joint venture agreement (“the Agreement”) with the Qujing Municipal Government in Yunnan Province, China to invest 9 billion yuan (US$1.4 billion) to build a monocrystalline silicon project in Qujing’s Economic and Technological Development Zone with a designed capacity of 20 GW. The joint venture (JV) will use its revolutionary CCZ continuous Czochralski monosilicon technology at the new facility.

CZ is a next-generation high-efficiency monocrystalline technology that uses a special Czochralski crystal growing furnace to realize crystal pulling while feeding and melting. 8-10 rods can be pulled within the life cycle of a furnace. At present, RCZ recharged Czochralski technology is used most commonly throughout the industry. Compared with RCZ, the crystal rods produced by CCZ are of better quality, and the resistivity is more uniform and narrower in distribution, making them more suitable for P-type PERC and N-type batteries. Over the past year, GCL-Poly has improved CCZ’s cost efficiency and product quality through domestic equipment and supply chain development and process optimization. By the time of new fab commissioning, GCL-Poly will become the only company in the world realizing the industrialization of CCZ technology and will take the monocrystalline silicon wafer industry to the next technology level. In April 2017, GCL-Poly announced that it had completed the acquisition of SunEdison’s fifth-generation CCZ technology, FBR silane fluidized bed technology, and related assets. “FBR’s high-quality granular silicon is the best material for CCZ; the two technologies are complementary and a synergy effect of 1+1>2 can be achieved,” said Mr. Wan Yuepeng, CTO of GCL-Poly. This high-tech barrier and high-value-added technology will greatly enhance the company’s core competitiveness.

JinkoSolar Named Energy Yield Simulation Winner – Polycrystalline Group at 4th TUV Rheinland All Quality Matters Solar Congress JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. (the “Company,” or “JinkoSolar”) (NYSE: JKS), a global leader in the solar PV industry, announced that it was named Energy Yield Simulation Winner – Polycrystalline Group at the 4th All Quality Matters Solar Congress hosted by TÜV Rhineland in Wuxi, China.

rganized by TÜV Rheinland, a highly respected and objective PV research institute, the All Quality Matters Awards is one of the highest honors given in the solar industry. The sample modules utilized during this year’s energy simulation competition was randomly selected from the mass production lines of participating companies. To simulate the operational environment of countries like China, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and India, the modules’ energy generation performance was tested under a broad array of solar irradiance ranging from 100 – 1100W/m2, temperatures ranging from 15-75℃, and a wide range of incident angles. Ultimately, JinkoSolar emerged from the competition with the top rated module energy yield performance, illustrating the superiority of JinkoSolar products when it comes to performance. Having been recognized with the All Quality Matters Award, JinkoSolar has demonstrated the reliability of its PV products when used in projects and its ability to lead the solar industry’s development.

May 2018

As the world’s top solar module manufacturer, JinkoSolar CEO Mr. Kangping Chen commented that “In 2017, our shipment figures grew by 47% to roughly 10 GWs. JinkoSolar leads the global PV industry as the first company to reach 10 GW. Going forward, we will continue to provide our customers with a diverse and high quality product portfolio.”

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PV MANUFACTURING

Geared up for SNEC 2018 in Shanghai: Heraeus Photovo -ltaics expands expertise beyond paste Significant investments in new products and expanded services will help customers raise solar cell performance and production processes to championship-level efficiency.

eraeus Photovoltaics, a leading technology solution provider for the renewable energy industry, will present an expanded portfolio of solar cell technologies and solutions at the 2018 SNEC International Photovoltaic Power Generation and Smart Energy Exhibition & Conference (Booth W3-510), taking place May 27-30 at the Shanghai New International Expo Center. The company’s new strategic focus represents a significant expansion to support the PV industry value chain. The long-time world leader in silver metallization paste, Heraeus Photovoltaics will unveil an expanded portfolio of silver metallization pastes, products and technical services to help PV customers succeed in the fast-moving solar and renewable energy markets. Andreas Liebheit, President of Heraeus Photovoltaics, stated: “We are expanding our expertise beyond paste. Our goal is to give customers a strong platform of integrated technologies, products and experts to help them get the most out of cell performance and their production processes.”

The company’s expanded focus at SNEC 2018 is a continuation of its holistic approach that began last year. Significant investments in staffing, product development and new services were made to provide more comprehensive support to customers. While three customers achieved world records in PERC efficiency with Heraeus pastes during the past 18 months, Liebheit noted that the company is not content to rest on its laurels, adding, “We believe we can bring our reputation of excellence, expertise and innovation further across the PV value chain.” At SNEC 2018, Heraeus will showcase its new and integrated approach to supporting the growing needs of customers. At the center of the portfolio remains its acclaimed product family of silver metallization pastes. Six new additions will be announced at SNEC 2018, including Black Silicon, PERC metallization package, stack passivation, double/dual-print packages, N-type cells and a low-temperature paste.

As part of its expanded commitment to the PV value chain, Heraeus will also feature several production process products and services to give customers a complete solution package. These include: • HeraGlaze, a high-purity, high-density barrier coating that enhances crucible performance in multi-crystalline silicon solar wafer production; • Soloray infrared radiation heating lamps hat use high quality quartz tube and heating material to provide smoother and more stable optimization of sintering process for the solar cell, allowing customers to achieve greater efficiency; • An electrically conductive adhesive that has <50% silver content, providing proven reliability, fast curing and the ability to be screen printed; • the company’s new Cell Optimization Service, which partners with world-class research institutions to provide customers with a complete solar cell analysis, simulation and process optimization

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Heraeus Photovoltaics will offer several informational presentations during SNEC 2018. From May 28-30, Heraeus technical experts will speak daily on important topics, including: • SOL9651:Heraeus New Generation of Metallization Paste • Advanced solar cell analysis service for cell production line optimization • Next generation cell interconnections for PV modulesHow to improve ingot quality Heraeus Photovoltaics will also feature a schedule of events and activities at its exhibition booth during the conference. Timo Boll, one of the world’s most popular table tennis champions will be at the Heraeus Booth on May 29 to meet fans for photos, autographs and a chance to play a few volleys with the world champion. Additionally, the popular Solar Super Heroes will return for an encore live performance.

May 2018

PV MANUFACTURING

Meyer Burger enters into Preferred Partnership Agreement with Mondragon Assembly to collaborate on module equipment development and outsource the manufacture of its SWCT™ equipment

Meyer Burger Technology Ltd (SIX Swiss Exchange: MBTN) announces that it has entered into a Preferred Partnership Agreement (PPA) with Mondragon Assembly Group, a global specialist in the development of automation and assembly solutions and an internationally recognized producer of equipment for the manufacture of solar modules.

oth Meyer Burger and Mondragon view this as an important strategic milestone which further strengthens two global technology leaders in the PV module market. Mondragon Assembly is part of the Mondragon Group, a leading global industrial company, and it specializes in the development of automation and assembly solutions and the manufacturing of equipment in a wide range of industries. Mondragon Assembly produces machinery for PV systems including core equipment for solar module production and it is also a leading integrator and international turnkey contractor for module lines. With its expertise in integration and contract manufacturing, Mondragon is ideally positioned as outsourcing partner for the production of equipment for Meyer Burger’s SmartWire Connection Technology. The preferred partnership agreement enables Meyer Burger to benefit from Mondragon’s international manufacturing network and established supply chain. For Mondragon, it is an opportunity to produce manufacturing equipment for the most cost effective cell connection technology on the market both for mono- und multi-crystalline solar cells. According to the agreement, Mondragon will start production of SWCT™ equipment for Meyer Burger at the latest by end of the fourth quarter 2018. At that time, Meyer Burger will cease its own manufacturing of SWCT™ equipment at its production site in Thun, but will continue to drive Research & Development as well as marketing and sales of the SWCT™ technology going forward. Patents, marketing and all sales activities regarding SWCT™ will continue to be managed by Meyer Burger.

May 2018

Luis Mari Imaz, CEO of Mondragon Assembly commented, “We strongly believe that our partnership with Meyer Burger will be of mutual benefit to both companies. We are excited about the working together with such a recognized solar technology leader.”

Daniel Lippuner, COO of Meyer Burger Technology Ltd, stated, “Collaboration with Mondragon with their strong experience in contract manufacturing and automation ideally complements our in-depth PV module equipment expertise. By outsourcing the production of our SWCT™ equipment to Mondragon, we are able to benefit from their flexible, cost-competitive manufacturing structure. This will help us to expedite the industrialization of our innovative SmartWire Connection Technology.”

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PV MANUFACTURING

SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES Reports Receipt of Additional Double-Digit Million Euro Prepayment for CIGS Production Machines Continued success of CIGS production machines. Order intake for CIGS in 2018 exceeds € 40 million. Total order backlog currently above € 130 million.

The SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG (SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES) has received the agreed prepayment from its customer China National Building Materials (CNBM), China, with respect to the contract signed on December 21, 2017 for the delivery of five selenization machines of the CISARIS type for the production of CIGS solar modules.

ith the delivery of these additional five CISARIS selenization machines the factory in Bengbu, Anhui province, is expanded from a production capacity of 150 MW to 300 MW overall. For this site, in total a capacity of 1500 MW is planned. During the last days SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES has already entered another agreement with a subsidiary of a large, stocklisted energy company and producer of solar modules in China for the delivery of CIGS production machines of the TENUIS II type for wet-chemical coating processes. The volume exceeds € 10 million and the prepayment for this project was already received. Dr.-Ing. Stefan Rinck, Chief Executive Officer, comments: “Our company has received in the first months of 2018 already prepayment with a order volume over million 40 € for CIGS production equipment. We are thus able to further expand our leading position for the delivery of production machines for CIGS solar modules. Our order backlog currently exceeds million 130 €.” Source: singulus

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Fraunhofer ISE and teamtechnik Demonstrate Industrial Maturity of Electrically Conductive Adhesives for Silicon Solar Cells The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE and teamtechnik, an international leader in production technology, report that it is now possible to connect high efficiency solar cells using electrically conductive adhesives in series production.

he results of the joint research project »KleVer« show that the adhesive technology is ready for the market and can be used as an alternative to the widespread soft soldering interconnection technology. Due to the much lower process temperatures of this technology compared to soldering, temperature-sensitive high efficiency solar cells can be connected using adhesives in a gentle and materialsaving process. In industrial production, the throughput is only slightly lower than with soldering. The reliability of the adhesive connection was confirmed in tests carried out in a climate chamber. In the last few years, we were able to greatly expand our expertise in con ecting solar cells using electrically conductive adhesives and test this process on the laboratory scale. With the stringer unit, we were then able to further optimize the lead-free interconnection technology on the industrial scale,« explains Dr. Achim Kraft, project manager and team head of Interconnection Technologies at Fraunhofer ISE. Axel Riethmüller, project manager and Chief Operating Officer of teamtechnik, is also pleased: »As manufacturer of high performance stringers, we are proud to hold a front position in connecting technology for temperature-sensitive heterojunction solar cells on an industrial scale through the development of this unit. We already have first orders coming in for the new stringers using this adhesive technique. This would not have been possible without the joint project with Fraunhofer ISE. Within the »KleVer« project, a stringer with an adhesive unit was successfully put in operation and tested. On this unit, it was demonstrated that solar cells as full or half-cells with three, four or five busbars could be connected using electrically conductive adhesives at a throughput of ca. 1600 cells per hour. The power of the heterojunction modules manufactured up to now with the adhesive technology is 320 watts for a standard size of 60 cells. The process temperature of this technology remains below 180°C, avoiding damage to the hetero layers of the cells. This type of cell, which currently holds the lead in efficiency, cannot be soldered conventionally at temperatures over 200°C. Using adhesives greatly reduces the thermal and mechanical stresses in the cell, resulting in lower material tension. Therefore, the danger of micro cracks and breakage occurring is also reduced. The cycle time for cell interconnection in the teamtechnik stringer is less than 2.3 seconds and is primarily determined by the hardening time of the adhesive material used. The »KleVer« project was financially supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy BMWi. Short Profile: teamtechnik Maschinen und Anlagen GmbH. The teamtechnik Maschinen und Anlagen Gmbh is one of the international market leaders for innovative production technology, assembly and functional test systems. The company, based in Freiberg, Germany, focuses on developing custom automation solutions for the automative, solar and medical technology, in which it is a recognized technology leader. Founded in 1976, teamtechnik now has production sites in Germany, Poland, China and in the United States. With over 1000 employees worldwide, the systems manufacturer achieves a turnover of €170 million.

May 2018

PV MANUFACTURING

Daqo New Energy ANnounces 39,600 MT Polysilicon Supply Agreement with New Production Concept for Buil- LONGi Green Energy Daqo New Energy Corp. (NYSE: DQ) (“Daqo New Energy”, the ding-integrated Solar Modules “Company” or “we”), a leading manufacturer of high-purity polysilicon for the global solar PV industry, announced that it has signed a 32-month 39,600 MT ultra-high-quality polysilicon Drastically Reduces Costs supply agreement with LONGi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd. Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) places high demands on solar PV module design. The aesthetics and freedom of design are just as important as the module efficiency, and in manufacturing today, a conflict often exists between individualized sophisticated design, high module efficiency and low costs.

n the BIPV-Fab project, the equipment manufacturer SCHMID and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE investigated possibilities for manufacturing customized modules in series production. With the newly developed production concepts, the costs of building-integrated PV modules can be reduced by 35 percent. Photovoltaics is an important cornerstone in the energy transformation, and the present PV capacity must be increased several fold for its successful implementation. Buildings play a key role here: Theoretically, building envelopes provide more economically useful area than the required increase in PV capacity demands. In a joint project funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, SCHMID and Fraunhofer ISE examined the design limitations as well as the existing standards, laws and technical regulations for building-integrated photovoltaics. At the same time, they evaluated the effects of each on the module design. Fraunhofer ISE analyzed the building stock and the associated market potential.

Potential uses for BIPV modules with customized designs are, for example, office buildings with large-area facades, says Max Mittag, scientist at Fraunhofer ISE. Based on the market potential and the design requirements, Fraunhofer ISE and SCHMID developed two new customized production line concepts for the flexible series production of BIPV modules. The production lines are equipped, for example, with additional transfer stations and thus are able to quickly adapt to different module designs. From the beginning on, the system concept considers the modifications necessary for building integration such as the module format, glass color and encapsulation material, different thicknesses of glass and variations in the solar cell matrix. The production line enables a cost-saving series fabrication yet offers a wide range of freedom in module design at the same time. During the one year project that focused on industrial applicability, cost calculations were carried out for all of the developed product solutions, proving the great potential. “Our results showed that the combination of series production and freedom of design do not comprise each other. We also demonstrated that we can reduce the costs by an average of 35 percent compared to conventional manufacturing processes of BIPV modules,” says Stefan Sellner, project head at SCHMID. “A flexible, yet cost-competitive, BIPV production that also accommodates the various needs of architects, module producers and system integrators at the same time is now possible.” This new BIPV production concept, developed jointly by SCHMID and Fraunhofer ISE, is now available to interested partners in the field. Source: ise.fraunhofer.de

May 2018

(“LONGi”), the world’s leading mono-crystalline solar products manufacturer with 15GW of mono-crystalline wafer capacity and 6.5GW of mono-crystalline module capacity in 2017.

nder the terms of the supply agreement, Daqo New Energy will supply LONGi with 39,600 MT of ultrahigh-quality polysilicon starting from April 2018 through the end of 2020, for use in the production of high-end mono-crystalline solar products. As part of the supply agreement, LONGi will make an advance payment on the ultra-high-quality polysilicon to Daqo New Energy.

Mr. Baoshen Zhong, Chairman of LONGi, commented, “Daqo New Energy’s polysilicon meets the stringent purity requirements we have for the production of high-efficiency mono-crystalline solar products. This supply agreement with Daqo New Energy will allow us to expand production capacity of our high-efficiency monocrystalline solar products to meet the growing demand from our downstream customers. Daqo New Energy’s ultra-high-quality polysilicon and reliability make them the ideal strategic supplier, and we look forward to building a deeper partnership with them.” Mr. Longgen Zhang, Chief Executive Officer of Daqo New Energy, commented, “I’m pleased that we have signed this long-term supply agreement with LONGi, the world’s leading mono-crystalline solar products manufacturer and one of global toptier solar manufacturers. Chinese solar manufacturers rely heavily on foreign imports of polysilicon. Daqo is one of the very few Chinese polysilicon producers who can produce ultra-high-quality polysilicon domestically. I believe bringing LONGi on board as a strategic long-term customer demonstrates our reputation as a reliable and preferred supplier of high-quality polysilicon. I look forward to working closely with LONGi to further improve our ability to serve the growing demand for highend mono-crystalline grade polysilicon.” Source: Daqo

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PV MANUFACTURING

Sharp Develops 6-Inch-Size*1 Mono-Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell with World’s Highest*2 Full Size Conversion Efficiency of 25.09% This achievement of high conversion efficiency for mono-crystalline silicon solar cell was realized with Heterojunction Back Contact structure, a fusion of back contact structure*3, utilized in Sharp’s high-efficient solar module BLACKSOLAR and heterojunction structure, forming an amorphous silicon film on the surface of mono-crystalline silicon substrate.

Impose safeguard duty on solar cells import: ISMA The association has written to the Commerce ministry favouring the Directorate General of Safeguards (DGS) recommendation of imposition of 70 per cent duty on imports of solar PV cells and modules.

he DGS is mandated to investigate the existence of “serious injury” or “threat of serious injury” to the domestic industry as a consequence of increased import of an article into India. It also submitted its findings to the central government along with recommendations regarding the amount and period of levy of safeguard duty to check injury or threat of injury to the domestic industry. “The consequences of not imposing the recommended duty, and in good time, are very significant not only to the solar manufacturing industry, but also to the nation, considering the strategic nature of solar power to India and perpetuating dependence on China for imports of solar cells and modules,” the ISMA’s letter said. It cited ways to check solar power tariff rise, which is expected due to the imposition of the duty. It is true that the imposition of safeguard duty will increase the prices of cells and modules, inherently because that is the objective of duty imposition, the association said. “However, we are convinced that safeguard duty will not result in any significant increase in solar power tariff. Additionally duty collected will be a revenue to Indian exchequer and can be redeployed in solar power development,” the ISMA said. Adani Group, Vikram Solar and Tata Power are among the top few domestic solar manufacturers in India. India is targeting to 100 gigawatt (GW) solar capacity by 2022. Solar cells, electrical devices that convert sunlight directly into electricity, are imported primarily from China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan.The association said the recommendation for imposition of safeguard duty is not arbitrary but based upon a detailed calculation of costs and injuries to domestic industry.

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his technology accomplishment is supported by the research and development initiative promoted by New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO)*4 under the theme of “Development of Cost Reduction Technology of High Performance, High Reliability Solar Power Generation”. Measurement of the value of 25.09% was validated by the Japan Electrical safety & Environment Technology laboratories (JET) *5. Sharp will continue to work to achieve higher conversion efficiency as well as improving power generating costs in order to contribute to the development of renewable energy.

1. Measure based on full area (240.6cm2) of 6-inch-size solar power cell. 2. As of march 27, 2018 based on Sharp’s survey. 3. A structure arranging the electrodes on the back side of solar cell to increase the light receiving area and amount of power generation. 4. NEDO is one of Japan’s largest public management organizations for promoting research and development as well as for disseminating industrial, energy, and environ mental technologies. 5. JET is an organization that officially certifies energy con version efficiency measurements in solar cells. Source: sharp-world

May 2018

BUSINESS & FINANCE

IEX & JEPX Sign Memod.light Raises $50 Million in randum of Understand- Debt Financing has successfully raised $50 million in funding from the European Investing (MoU) - The Organiza- d.light ment Bank, responsAbility Investments, Social Investment Managers & Advisors (SIMA), SunFunder and another mission aligned investor. tions to jointly explore Opportunities of Cooperation in Electricity Market Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) and Japan Electric Power Exchange (JEPX) sign an MoU. The two organizations set to cooperate in: technology related information, share experience in product development, training with regard to development of electricity trading through competitive market platforms and mutually beneficial commercial initiatives.

The Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) and Japan Electric Power Exchange (JEPX) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 28th March,2018 for jointly exploring the opportunities of cooperation in electricity market.

he Intent of the MoU is to share experience and cooperate with each other in respect of technology and in energy market products development. The scope of MoU includes opportunities for training to augment the electricity trading through competitive market platforms by organizing knowledge sharing programs. These initiatives would help both the organizations in elucidating the electricity markets and in learning the laws and rules pertaining to electricity trading in both the countries. This collaboration would be beneficial for both the exchanges and for the larger good of the power markets in India and Japan.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. SN Goel, Managing Director and CEO, IEX said that “The Power Exchanges in India have high growth potential. As the energy markets in India and Japan both have potential to grow, expand and diversify, I believe this collaboration with JEPX will ultimately benefit overall market development in both countries.” Speaking on the occasion, MR. Takashi Murakami, Chairman and CEO, JEPX said that “We are very much pleased to have close relationship with IEX in order to share experiences regarding full liberalization of electric power market.”

May 2018

he new investment will enable the global forprofit social enterprise, which has already sold 19 million solar products, to continue its rapid scale-up globally, launch new appliances and solar home system offerings, and to provide financed “Pay As You Go” solar home system products to millions of additional customers in existing and new markets.

“We are thrilled to unlock debt financing at a significant scale, which takes us to the next level of our evolutionary journey,” said Ned Tozun, d.light co-founder and CEO. “We’ve been able to get to this stage thanks to an unyielding focus on financial discipline and operational excellence to ensure consistent profitability, which has enabled us to access large scale commercial debt financing.” Previously, d.light’s growth was primarily funded by equity. Moving forward, debt funding will provide the bulk of the financing that enables the company to finance its Pay-Go receivables and scale the business sustainably furthering its mission of making solar products universally available and affordable. Since launching its own fully integrated Pay-Go solar home system in 2016, d.light has quickly established itself as a leader in the space with the highest monthly unit sales of financed solar home systems in the industry. The company’s high-scale supply chain capabilities; its vast distribution network of over 15,000 retail outlets; and d.light Atlas, a proprietary back-end payment management system, all contributed to its swift and ongoing success.

“We are deeply grateful for the support of lenders in this latest round of funding. This will help us empower more people and creates a model to scale the business to new heights,” said Kamal Lath, Managing Director of India and Global Financing. “We hope to draw from the expertise of our investors and continue innovating to solve the challenge of energy access in the developing world.”

“I am delighted that the EIB has signed this new financing with d.light in Africa for an off-grid solar project that will have a major economic and social impact on people and micro-entrepreneurs,” said EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle. “The EU bank is determined to implement the Paris climate agreement and to cooperate to achieve the sustainable development goals, particularly when it comes to ensuring access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy for all. With its unique technical and financial expertise in the support of solar projects, the EIB will mobilize new investments to develop renewable energies in Africa.”

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BUSINESS & FINANCE

Wells Fargo Announces $200 Billion Sustainable Financing Commitment

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) announced it will provide $200 billion in financing to sustainable businesses and projects by 2030, with more than 50 percent focused on clean technology and renewable energy transactions that directly support the transition to a low-carbon economy.

he company also detailed its commitment to transparency in its methodology for accounting, project inclusion, and the carbon intensity of its credit portfolio, and will regularly report on the social, environmental, and economic impacts of the lending. More than half the commitment will support transitioning to a low-carbon economy with rest to sustainable agriculture, recycling, conservation and other sustainable businesses; Company also commits to transparency and robust reporting

Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan made the announcement during his keynote at the CECP CEO Force for Good Investor Forum in San Francisco. He said, “Wells Fargo is committed to taking a leadership role in supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy and promoting environmental sustainability through our products and services, operations and culture, and philanthropy. With this commitment, we are combining a strong financial goal with enhanced transparency and disclosure practices that we believe will lead to sector-wide progress on responsible, sustainable finance. More than $100 billion in financing offered by Wells Fargo will support the transition to a low-carbon economy by funding clean technologies, clean energy (renewables), green bonds, and alternative transportation. The remainder of the $200 billion will support companies and projects focused on sustainable agriculture, recycling, conservation, and other environmentally beneficial activities. In addition to the financial pledge, Wells Fargo has committed to sector-leading transparency around its sustainable financing accounting and inclusion practices, annual impact reporting, and reporting on contributions toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and progress in implementing the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure. Additionally, the company will engage with sector peers and other organizations interested in advancing a common approach to responsible, sustainable finance. Wells Fargo further pledged that it would revisit the commitment periodically to make any adjustments necessary based on progress made and/or developments in best practices for transparency and disclosure.

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Wells Fargo’s new commitments are significant and add to the growing momentum by the financial sector to commit hundreds of billions of dollars in clean energy investments and to improve transparency through greater disclosure of climate-related risks and opportunities,” said Mindy Lubber, CEO and President of Ceres. “More and more investors and companies understand the economic imperative and strategic long-term benefits of keeping global temperature rise to well-below 2-degrees Celsius. The commitment builds on Wells Fargo’s leadership in clean technology and renewable energy financing. The company’s 2012 sustainable finance goal of $30 billion by 2020 was met five years early (in 2015). In 2016, projects owned in whole or in part by Wells Fargo produced more than 9 percent of all wind and solar photovoltaic energy generated in the U.S., and in 2017, the company invested $12 billion in sustainable businesses.

Wells Fargo is also a financial services leader in operational sustainability: In 2017, the company began meeting 100 percent of its global electricity needs with renewable energy and met its 2020 carbon-reduction goal of 45 percent from a 2008 baseline. It also logged progress against other sustainability goals focused on water and energy efficiency, waste reduction, and LEED certification. Wells Fargo’s award-winning Innovation Incubator is a $30 million philanthropic program with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory that speeds the path to market for promising clean technologies and entrepreneurs focused on energy efficiency and sustainability. A signature piece of the program is the opportunity for certain technologies to beta test within the Wells Fargo footprint on their way to the commercial marketplace.

May 2018

featured

2017 Global Solar Inverter Ranking: Huawei Leads Three Years in a Row, String Inverters Overtake Central Inverter for First Time he third-party international authoritative consulting institute GTM Research released its report on global solar inverter market shares and shipments in 2017.

he top 10 solar inverter vendors in 2017 are: Huawei (26.4%), Sungrow (16.7%), SMA (8.7%), ABB (5.6%), Sineng (4.6%), TBEA SunOasis (3.9%), Power lectronics (2.9%), TMEIC (2.8%), Schneider Electric (2.6%), and SolarEdge Technologies (2.5%). 2017 witnessed a record of 98.563 GW of solar inverter shipments, with a 23% growth compared with 2016. The top-20 vendors shipped over 1 GW of products, accounting for 93% of global shipments, the highest since GTM began to keep track in 2010. The concentrating market has reinforced the Matthew effect. Top vendors with accumulated advantages continue to expand fast. The top 4 solar inverter vendors have maintained the ranking from 2015 to 2017, with Huawei on top of the list for three years in a row. In terms of the segment market, three-phase string inverter shipments hit 46.233 GW in 2017 and grew 49% year-over-year. Central inverter shipments reached 42.382 GW. It is the first time that string inverter shipments exceeded those of central inverters by nearly 4 GW.Thanks to the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technology, string inverters achieve a better performance in energy yields, adaptability to complex environments, management granularity, reliability, and maintenance costs. They have gained more popularity in large ground-mounted power plants. Taking China’s Top Runner program, for example, string inverters have taken up more than 80% in power plants. The GTM report is also a proof that string inverters have become the mainstream for large ground-mounted power plants.

May 2018

Growatt and Minnesota State University (MNSU) sign technical cooperation agreement for research on renewable energy and micro network systems Growatt has concluded a cooperation agreement with Minnesota State University (MNSU), encompassing the study of renewables and micro systems.

enewable energy and microgrid system laboratory at MNSU was built in 2012 and the scope of research undertaken there embraces the modelling, simulation, prototyping and validation of power electronic systems in applications linked to renewable energy generation and integration, power management, and microgrid systems. The objective of the project covered by the agreement is to build, over the next two years, an intelligent renewable microgrid with state-of-the-art converter and devices. The cooperation between the parties will combine Growatt’s technology and marketing expertise with the scientific research discipline and related technology from MNSU’s renewable energy and microgrid system lab. The two organisations will commit themselves fully to developing a new topology leading to improvements in advanced control technology for solar and energy storage devices, including protection and control technology for connecting renewable energy to a micro grid. The partnership will also involve shared R&D, demonstration projects, academic forums and training. During the coming years, big data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence will continue to be rapidly introduced to the market and Growatt plans to take advantage of the opportunity to bring about a transformation in intelligence by independently exploring new technology, thus maintaining its leadership status in technology and product innovation. The two parties will closely monitor trends in domestic and international technology development, building market demand for the creation of a significant demonstration project, which will ultimately deliver a series of scientific and technological breakthroughs. Growatt was founded in May,2010, over 8.5 GW installation worldwide, a fast-growing and professional company, focusing on photovoltaic inverters and storage solution, famous as a world leading manufacturer and provider of cost-effective photovoltaic inverters with high efficiency. Growatt offers a full range of solar inverters from 1kW to 2.52MW, and energy storage solutions for on-grid and off-grid applications, as well as smart home energy management solution. Growatt’s solar inverters has exported to more than 100 countries in Europe, North America ,Australia, Asia, Africa and Latin America, and get much appreciation from global clients. Growatt keeps the leading Chinese inverter manufacturer and fights for the largest user-side intelligent energy solution provider. Source: ginverter

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featured

GCL Group and Softbank invest $930 million to establish a joint venture in India ReNew Power acquires Ostro Energy Strategic investment reinforces ReNew Power’s position in the fast-growing renewables sector Combined capacity will exceed 5600 MW of green energy assets

ReNew Power, one of India’s leading clean energy companies, announced the acquisition of Ostro Energy Private Limited. This strategic investment helps ReNew Power further consolidate its position in the fast-growing, Indian clean energy sector.

eNew Power currently has green energy assets of more than 4500 MW, which include a commissioned capacity of approximately 2800 MW. Ostro Energy has a total capacity of more than 1100 MW, out of which nearly 850 MW is already commissioned. With the acquisition of these assets, ReNew Power’s capacity will now exceed 5600 MW. Over 65% of the combined portfolio capacity (ReNew Power and Ostro Energy) is already operational. ReNew Power’s growth has been mostly organic till now and it has grown into one of the leading energy companies in India in a span of seven years. This is the largest acquisition for the company till date and reinforces its already strong position in the Indian market. The addition of the Ostro team and assets to the ReNew family will further strengthen the company’s vision of contributing to the Government of India’s 2022 goal of 175 GW of renewable energy. Ostro has built an impressive business with diversified geographical spread; good quality infrastructure; and stable long term PPAs. Ostro Energy’s assets are spread across Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. The Ostro portfolio is also diversified by off takers and also by OEMs, further complementing the ReNew Power portfolio. Concurrent with this transaction, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) is investing an additional US$247 million to support ReNew Power’s financing for this acquisition. As a result, the CPPIB’s combined investment in ReNew Power now stands at US$391 million, following an earlier investment of US$ 144 million in January 2018.

GCL System Integration Technology Co., LTD (SZ: 002506) (GCL-SI), a subsidiary of the world’s leading clean energy conglomerate GCL announced that, GCL Group signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Softbank Vision Fund (SBVF) through its manager Softbank Investment, a subsidiary of Softbank Group.

he main content of the memorandum is that GCL Group and Softbank Investment have agreed to establish a joint venture company in Andhra Pradesh, India, either directly or through their respective affiliates or subsidiaries, of which Softbank Investment accounts for 60% and GCL Group 40%. The equity ratio of the joint venture would be adjusted accordingly if a third-party partner were introduced later on. The composition of the board of directors of the joint venture will be consistent with that of the equity structure. The joint venture company expects a total investment of 930 million U.S. dollars, and the two parties have not yet identified the source of funds. The joint venture plans to have a production capacity of 4GW, which will be implemented in two phases with 2GW per phase. The main business involves the production and sale of PV ingots, wafers, batteries and modules.

Source: edelman

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Source: GCL System

May 2018

featured

Apple Now Globally Powered by 100 Percent Renewable Energy As part of its commitment to combat climate change and create a healthier environment, Apple® announced its global facilities are powered with 100 percent clean energy.

his achievement includes retail stores, offices, data centers and co-located facilities in 43 countries — including the United States, the United Kingdom, China and India. The company also announced nine additional manufacturing partners have committed to power all of their Apple production with 100 percent clean energy, bringing the total number of supplier commitments to 23.

We’re committed to leaving the world better than we found it. After years of hard work we’re proud to have reached this significant milestone, said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We’re going to keep pushing the boundaries of what is possible with the materials in our products, the way we recycle them, our facilities and our work with suppliers to establish new creative and forward-looking sources of renewable energy because we know the future depends on it.”

May 2018

Renewable Energy Projects Apple and its partners are building new renewable energy projects around the world, improving the energy options for local communities, states and even entire countries. Apple creates or develops, with utilities, new regional renewable energy projects that would not otherwise exist. These projects represent a diverse range of energy sources, including solar arrays and wind farms as well as emerging technologies like biogas fuel cells, micro-hydro generation systems and energy storage technologies. Apple currently has 25 operational renewable energy projects around the world, totaling 626 megawatts of generation capacity, with 286 megawatts of solar PV generation coming online in 2017, its most ever in one year. It also has 15 more projects in construction. Once built, over 1.4 gigawatts of clean renewable energy generation will be spread across 11 countries. Since 2014, all of Apple’s data centers have been powered by 100 percent renewable energy. And since 2011, all of Apple’s renewable energy projects have reduced greenhouse gas emissions (CO2e) by 54 percent from its facilities worldwide and prevented nearly 2.1 million metric tons of CO2e from entering the atmosphere.

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featured Supplier Commitments Apple’s renewable energy projects include: • Apple Park, Apple’s new headquarters in Cupertino, is now the largest LEED Platinum-certified office building in North America. It is powered by 100 percent renewable energy from multiple sources, including a 17-megawatt onsite rooftop solar installation and four megawatts of biogas fuel cells, and controlled by a microgrid with battery storage. It also gives clean energy back to the public grid during periods of low occupancy. • Over 485 megawatts of wind and solar projects have been developed across six provinces of China to address upstream manufacturing emissions. • Apple recently announced plans to build a 400,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art data center in Waukee, Iowa, that will run entirely on renewable energy from day one. • In Prineville, Oregon, the company signed a 200-megawatt power purchase agreement for an Oregon wind farm, the Montague Wind Power Project, set to come online by the end of 2019. • In Reno, Nevada, Apple created a partnership with the local utility, NV Energy, and over the last four years developed four new projects totaling 320 megawatts of solar PV generation. • In Japan, Apple is partnering with local solar company Daini Denryoku to install over 300 rooftop solar systems that will generate 18,000 megawatt-hours of clean energy every year — enough to power more than 3,000 Japanese homes. • Apple’s data center in Maiden, North Carolina, is supported by projects that generate 244 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy per year, which is equivalent to the energy used by 17,906 North Carolina homes. • In Singapore, where land is scarce, Apple adapted and built its renewable energy on 800 rooftops. • Apple is currently constructing two new data centers in Denmark that will run on 100 percent renewable energy from day one.

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To get to 100 percent renewable energy for its own facilities, the company worked to set an example for others to follow. Apple also announced that 23 of its suppliers are now committed to operating on 100 percent renewable energy, including nine new suppliers. Altogether, clean energy from supplier projects helped avoid over 1.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gases from being emitted in 2017 — the equivalent of taking more than 300,000 cars off the road. In addition, over 85 suppliers have registered for Apple’s Clean Energy Portal, an online platform that Apple developed to help suppliers identify commercially viable renewable energy solutions in regions around the world.

New supplier commitments include: • Arkema, a designer of high-performance bio-based polymers, which manufactures for Apple at its facilities in France, the United States and China. • DSM Engineering Plastics, which manufactures polymers and compounds in the Netherlands, Taiwan and China that are used in many Apple products, including connectors and cables. • ECCO Leather, the first soft goods supplier to commit to 100 percent clean energy for its Apple production. The leather that ECCO produces for Apple is of European origin, with tanning and cutting occurring at facilities in the Netherlands and China. • Finisar, a US industry-leading producer of optical communication components and vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), which power some of Apple’s most popular new features like Face ID®, Portrait mode selfies and Animoji®. • Luxshare-ICT, a supplier of accessories for Apple products. LuxshareICT’s production for Apple is predominantly located in Eastern China. • Pegatron, which assembles a number of products, including iPhone®, at its two factories in Shanghai and Kunshan, China. • Quadrant, a supplier of magnets and magnetic components in a number of Apple’s products. • Quanta Computer, one of the first Mac® suppliers to commit to 100 percent renewable energy for Apple production. • Taiyo Ink Mfg. Co., which produces solder masks for printed circuit boards in Japan. Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Apple’s four software platforms — iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s more than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.

May 2018

RESEARCH

Global Solar PV Installations to Surpass 104 GW in 2018

Key findings from GTM Research’s latest Global Solar Demand Monitor.

global solar PV market will add over 100 gigawatts of capacity for the first time in 2018 — and there is no looking back. According to the latest Global Solar Demand Monitor from GTM Research, installations will reach 104 gigawatts this year, representing 6 percent annual growth. After that, annual installations will easily exceed the 100-gigawatt milestone through at least 2022. The year-over-year growth is due in part to geographic diversification, as the top four markets are anticipated to collectively decline by 7 percent.

“Trade-restrictive measures continue to be a barrier to growth in the U.S. and India,” said GTM Research solar analyst Rishab Shrestha. “Although the availability of tariff-free modules in the U.S. and the announcement that compensation will be provided to Indian developers negatively impacted by tariffs and duties provides some encouragement.” According to the report, the U.S. market is expected to add 10.6 gigawatts of solar PV in 2018 while India will install 7.1 gigawatts.

Installations in China will fall from 53 gigawatts in 2017 to 48 gigawatts in 2018, although China alone will account for 47 percent of global demand this year. For the first time in China’s history, annual distributed solar installations (<20 megawatts) are expected to surpass 50 percent of the nation’s annual installed capacity. Source: Global Solar Demand Monitor, Q1 2018

In 2018, Latin America will add 5.6 gigawatts and the MENA region (Middle East and Africa) will add 4.7 gigawatts, representing explosive year-over-year growth of 61 percent and 281 percent, respectively. Up to 1 gigawatt of projects awarded through Mexico’s A1 auction are expected to come online this year, as is Egypt’s 1.8-gigawatt Benban solar park. These two markets will top their respective regions in 2018. According to the analysis, Egypt and Brazil will become gigawattscale markets for the first time in 2018. This year will also see the re-emergence Spain. Meanwhile, France, which will firmly establish itself as one of Europe’s top three largest markets.

May 2018

Source: Global Solar Demand Monitor, Q1 2018 Source: greentechmedia

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event

POST SHOW REPORT – TBEA SMART PV TECHNOLOGY EXCHNAGE CONFERENCE (6th APRIL 2018, IBIS NEW DELHI AEROCITY)

BEA XÍAN ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY CO. LTD., is the world’s leading PV-inverter manufacturer having its India Headquarters in Gurugram, has started a global initiative of conducting technology exchange conferences across India for spreading technology awareness. India’s first TBEA smart PV technology exchange conference was conducted on 6th April 2018, at IBIS New Delhi Aerocity and similar seminars will be conducted in all major cities of India with plan to extend conferences across the globe. Company takes this opportunity to understand the requirements from customers so that specific solution can be offered,

and treats this event as a platform to showcase the company capability, project references and establishments, business progress in India and to share the upcoming plans. The sessions of technology exchange conference were comprised of brief introduction about TBEA Group & its Inverter division setup in Xián, China, R&D capabilities and achievements, presence across the globe, manufacturing and testing facilities available, progress of TBEA Inverters in India till date, roadmap of TBEA in India market with regards to installation base and concluding with further plans for India market.

Some picture of TBEA Smart PV Technology Exchange Conference, 6th April 2018 Session also included introduction to TBEA new launched products for Indian PV market i.e of 1500V 3.75MW & 5MW Outdoor Solution which is based on new technology of inverters explained during the conference. The seminar concluded as a success with guests

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interacting with TBEA team putting up their queries & concerns after session. The customers provided a positive feedback for the seminar and recommended to have more such seminars to spread the awareness and serve customers at its best.

May 2018

inverter

GoodWe Launches Smart Solution for Module-Level Monitoring, Rapid Shutdown and Optimization Following last year’s announced cooperation with Tigo, GoodWe is now launching the DNS and SDT rapid shutdown inverter series with MLPE functionalities.

The TS4 platform utilizes two key components that are compatible with any PV module: a base that is integrated into the module, and five separate detachable covers housing varied levels of MLPE functionalities. Customers can mix and match TS4 covers according to their ideal budget and system requirements. The TS4 platform offers the option to selectively deploy the exact functionality needed to maximize system performance, all while guaranteeing the lowest cost with the greatest ROI. The retrofitting process can be completed quickly just with changeable solar junction box covers which do not require any screws, allowing easy upgrading or fast replacement in case of damage. Furthermore, thanks to the integration of Tigo’s Cloud Connect Advanced (CCA) datalogger, users can reduce hardware costs avoiding the need to purchase an additional datalogger. Fewer components reduce potential points of failure and risk, and simplifies service when it is required.

treamlined solution for the optimization of energy yields on the module level which is perfectly adequate for complex system designs and partial shadings – using optimizers on shaded modules recovers an average of 36% energy loss due to mismatch. Offering from shutdown code compliance to module-level diagnostics and maximized energy harvest, the Tigo TS4 platform works seamlessly with both GoodWe DNS and SDT inverters. Compared to other traditional optimization systems in the market which require MLPEs on every module even when it is not necessary, GoodWe offers a highly efficient solution with fewer BOS components which lowers the overall cost of the system and is easier to install.

May 2018

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inverter

“With the launch of GoodWe Tigo CCA-embedded smart inverters, integrators can benefit from reduced installation time, service risk, and ultimately cost,” said Huang Min, CEO of GoodWe. “GoodWe DNS and SDT series with MLPE functionalities offer customers a flexible solution which realizes greater energy production and roof usage, while providing a higher ROI.”

GoodWe DNS and SDT series smart inverters can offer a cost effective and reliable solution that matches perfectly with smart modules. This enables end users to harness more system data for valuable insights about real-time analysis in both Tigo and GoodWe’s monitoring platforms and also enables costeffective datalogging to collect operating information from the inverters as well as each smart module. Source: Goodwe

Sungrow to expand its production facilities into India Sungrow, the global leading inverter solution supplier for renewables, recently announced it would strengthen its global delivery capability by establishing a new factory in Bangalore, India.

ew manufacturing facility, having an annual production capacity of 3 GW of central and string inverters, can support Sungrow’s rapidly growing customer base in regions across the world. In 2017, Sungrow shipped over 16.5 GW of PV inverters worldwide, an increase of over 48% from 2016. Demands from India, the US, Europe, Japan, and other APAC countries drove much of the growth.

“Sungrow is always committed to optimizing all kinds of resources to better meet our customers’ needs. With our same level of unmatched manufacturing and operational capabilities, the addition of a new factory in India will significantly enhance our delivery capability locally and elsewhere in the world,” said Professor Renxian Cao, Chairman of Sungrow.

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With most of its production facilities based in China, the new factory to be launched in the second half of 2018 will be Sungrow’s first factory outside China.

May 2018

inverter

Solis Technology pioneered the launch of 4th generation inverter technology

Ginlong introduced the break-through 4G Solis inverter product line

On April 12, 2018, the “Solis Brand New 4G Inverter”product launch conference went successfully at The Park Hotel Hyderabad in India. The significant technical breakthrough of Solis 4G Inverter based on the new 4th generation of Inverter platform in aspects of performance, security and grid- friendliness was perfectly demonstrated during the event. The conference has attracted great attention from PV industry insiders. Together with nearly 120+customers and EQ news media groups from solar industry and internet portals such as EQ attended this new product release conference. The industrial insiders and media groups witnessed this major technical breakthrough and showed their interest and anticipation for the technology innovation. At 9:30 am, the new product launch conference kicked off by Mr. Heng Zhang. Solis was also honored to have all the attendees from solar industry present at the conference as well. Solis 4G Inverter Unveiling Ceremony was held during the conference at 10:30 am and 2KW 4G solar inverter unveiled jointly. The media reporters and conference audiences present witnessed this exciting moment with great applause. During the conference, customers from Mexico, US and Sweden highly praised Solis via videos for their quality products and attentive service ever delivered, and at the same time, expressed their anticipation to Solis new 4G inverters. Solis team has dedicated over 1000 days and nights to create this brand new 4G inverter with better performance, better safety and better user-friendliness. They made great efforts and brought out this new product with their sincerity, and won this great achievement which is well deserved. Following a brief introductory , Solis 4g inverter video played , Mr. Heng zhang introduced the new 4G product , In great detail question answer session with audience was held .

“The new 4G string inverters have unique advantages compared to those conventional inverters in the market, Mr. Idrish Khan said he then further explained these strengths as following: The first strength is its performance improvement. 4G represents the 4th generation. The 4G inverter uses brand new 4G inverter technology platform the new product can have a maximum of 2 MPPT tracking; and can be extended to 4 MPPT. Multi-channel MPPT technology is one of the key factors in increasing electricity output. The common single-phase inverters generally can only achieve a maximum of 2 MPPT. The new product uses the latest 5th generation of German Infineon IGBT chip technology, whereas others generally use the 3rd generation product. The 5th generation of IGBT can increase the efficiency by 0.50.8% compared with the former generation. The new US TI2806 series DSP chip technology was adopted, and its CPU processing speed and PWM resolution have increased 50% over the generally-adopted 2803 series. The switching frequency of the inverter exceeds 30kHZ, whereas the common inverters are usually at 20kHZ or below, and this in turn, will greatly reduce the inductance loss and at the same time results in lower temperature increase. As all know, with the ambient temperature lower for every 10 degrees, the electronic components’ lifespan can be doubled each time. The noise frequency range that can be captured by human being is below 20 kHz, and the 4G product breakthrough the

May 2018

switching frequency of 30 kHz, and hence brings the users a real pure mute mode. The innovated main circuit board design greatly improves EMC+EMS performances of the inverter as well. The second strength is its safety improvement. The product applies hardware dead zone technology and achieves double safety guarantee. Customers can choice to use AFCI anti arc device. Previously there was almost no method to automatically prevent the fire in case the PV system caught a fire. With this technical application, Solis 4G inverter can promptly detect the fire on the rooftop. Even if the components and wire terminals produce arc ignition due to poor contact, the inverter can automatically cut off the circuit within the shortest period of time to put off arc ignition. It can escape the fire by 99%. The third strength is its grid-friendliness improvement. Solis uses a built-in EPM module to realize the intelligent scheduling of the grid. In other words, the grid can realize the intelligent control of the 4G inverter through EPM protocols, and achieve optimal grid dispatch under large scale distributed system grid access conditions. The new active voltage stabilization technology stabilizes the local grid voltage through no-power compensation. At present, the grids in rural areas are generally not in good condition, and the inverter access will cause voltage fluctuation of the grid. The common method used by a conventional inverter is to loosen up its voltage range to passively ada

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SuryaC n 2018

Baddi, Himachal Pradesh

chandigarh

delhi Gurugram lucknow

jaipur neemrana

guwahati

patna

jodhpur bhopal ahmedabad

raipur

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KOLKATA

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MUMBAI pune hubli, karnataka bangalore

coimbatore

vishakapatnam vijaywada

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With Special Focus On Rooftop Solar

ines s u B r Sola hnology, & Tec , Policy nce Fina gulation Re

Organised By

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

Also Includes Topics like Solar Parks, Offgrid Solar & Solar Applications etc... www.EQMagPro.com

May 2018

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inverter

MUMBAI, India May 4th, 2018 / Sungrow India Roadshow Technical Seminar

Sungrow, the global leading inverter solution supplier for renewable energy, In continuous series of Sungrow Technical Roadshows in India, Mumbai Roadshow was a successful event attracted with the unique Mobile Showroom to better demonstrate its String and Central inverters and solar system itself.

T 50

Sungrow India Roadshowtechnical seminar Mumbai May2018 he journey continues to demonstrate the important role that technology, quality and innovation plays in the renewable energy, Sungrow India (http:// en.sungrowpower.com) the event was held at the Orchid hotel, Mumbai. This event, has given the better understanding for the selection of, string and central inverter at the time of project execution, highlights the latest R&D in solar technologies and market-ready applications (in India and overseas) with focus on the role of Utility and String Invertersand the future products of Sungrow. Customers, shared their worries regarding the service of inverter at the project site, and appreciated the efforts of Sungrow specially for committed to after

May 2018

sales service. The current market penetration and the prospect on becoming cost-effective in future. With a mission of “Clean power for all”& with a vision of become a global leader of power conversion technology, SUNGROW isalways committed to optimize all kind of resources to better meet our customer’s needs. With such unique roadshow technical seminar, we exchange knowledge and understand customer point of view to better serve for long run. Over 60+ business partners and solar expert took partin seminar, with an eagerness and excitement to learn new things, Followed by networking evening, cocktail and dinner.

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ASIA - PACIFIC

Sterling and Wilson Plans 300 MW Solar PV Projects in Vietnam Sterling and Wilson, one of the leading Solar EPC companies globally, is planning to construct 300 MW of Solar PV plants in Vietnam by June 2019.

hese projects would be constructed for leading developers in Vietnam with whom the company is under advance discussions, and would attract an investment of USD 250 million. Once constructed, these projects will generate 270 million units annually and thereby reduce CO2 emission of 250000 tonnes per annum. Sterling and Wilson would be hiring local talent to construct and maintain solar projects, thereby contributing to the socio-economic development. It has plans to generate employment for nearly 600-700 people during construction and 50 people during the maintenance phase of 20 years. Sterling and Wilson has already made a remarkable presence in Southeast Asia with over 50 MWp of solar PV plants successfully running in the Philippines which is powering nearly 30,000 homes today, and another 60 MWp project under start of commissioning phase in Bangladesh.

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Bikesh Ogra, CEO – Renewable Energy and Energy Storage, Sterling and Wilson, said, “Vietnam is one of the fastest growing economies in the world with nearly 8-10% annual increase in power consumption by industries who are the largest consumers of electricity in the country. Government is aiming at 0.8 GW of solar power by 2020 which the experts feel has a potential of 7 GW of solar projects in present conditions. We are closely working with leading developers to join the larger aim of bringing affordable and clean energy to Vietnamese.” Sterling and Wilson is one of the leading Solar EPC players globally. It has to its credit close to 5GW of solar portfolio in various geographies including India, Philippines and South Africa. It is currently constructing 1177 MWp of Solar PV plant in Abu Dhabi which is the world’s largest single location Solar PV plant till date. It is also building a number of projects in Zambia, Egypt, Namibia, Niger, Jordan, Argentina and Morocco. Sterling and Wilson is a powerhouse of more than 4000 qualified engineers, project managers and designers.

May 2018

Energy storage

Lockheed says ‘flow’ battery will boost use of renewable power

Lockheed Martin Corp hopes to launch a new “flow” battery made of inexpensive, nontoxic materials that can help utilities save money and use more renewable energy,

Why the future of commercial battery storage is bright The use of stationary batteries to store energy on commercial and industrial sites is on the rise, from about three megawatts (MW) in 2013 to 40 MW in 2016 and almost 70 MW in 2017.

ain reason is that costs have fallen sharply—from $1,000 per kilowatt-hour in 2010 to $230 in 2016, according to McKinsey research. On this basis, we believe the market for distributed battery installations in the United States is set to expand rapidly—as much as 50 percent a year. To date, such installations have primarily been deployed to manage “demand charges”—the monthly payment based on peak demand. Because the whole year’s payments are tied to the highest energy usage on just a few hours on a few days, there is a strong economic incentive to lower costs by smoothing out demand. That is where batteries come in: they can store energy when prices are low and then release it when they are high. The growth of data centers in highcost locations, for example, is likely to encourage the use of battery storage to avoid demand charges. The potential, however, is much broader, including hospitals, universities, hotels, restaurants, retail outlets, and electricity-intensive industries (exhibit). Any customer with high electric bills that include a significant demand charge could use storage to cut costs. There are other possible benefits of on-site battery storage, too, for commercial and industrial customers. One is encouraging the use of solar by allowing its energy to be stored during the day and then released at night; another is back-up reliability and resilience. The aggregation of distributed batteries into virtual power plants could even allow customers to sell power back to the grid. For this to occur, though, the industry needs to reduce installation and customer acquisition costs. This is beginning to happen. Battery manufacturers are creating easier-to-install units and improving their ability to identify the most attractive customers. Source: mckinsey

May 2018

“You open up a chance not only to make renewables more marketable and more useful, you might even change the structure of at least a portion of the utility market,” Leo Mackay, a senior vice president for sustainability and ethics at Lockheed, told reporters at the company’s Global Vision Center in Virginia.

Lockheed did not have an exact date for introduction of the battery or a cost, but Frank Armijo, vice president for energy initiatives, said the company hopes to introduce it in a “little more than a year.”

low batteries, which use chemicals dissolved in water, last longer than lithium ion batteries, which are usually solid. That means they can help utilities meet consumer needs for longer periods during so-called peak demand times such as evenings, when residents use lights, televisions and kitchen appliances. A report in the utility industry press early this year said Lockheed hoped to introduce a flow battery by the end of 2018, but there were no details on what kind of materials it would be made of. Unlike natural gas or coal, which can be burned anytime to generate power, wind and solar power are sometimes most active when consumer demand is down. Affordable storage of power from renewables could help the industry grow faster, but has long been elusive. Armijo said the company is developing a so-called flow battery using proprietary electrolyte chemistry that combines low cost earth metals with chemicals that are also inexpensive. “The challenge with existing flow batteries is that they lean heavily on materials like vanadium and zinc bromide which are extremely expensive and toxic,” Armijo said. “Ours is neither of that.” Armijo said flow batteries can last six to 10 hours compared to about two to four hours for lithium ion batteries. In addition, flow batteries do not have rapid degradation issues that lithium ion has. Lockheed, which has been developing advanced battery technologies for its space program for decades, is competing with other companies in the race to develop batteries for grid storage including Tesla Inc and LG Chem Ltd. Utilities have always had to rely on large power plants for generating electricity during peak hours. Mackay said flow batteries could eventually help utilities become less centralized and more site specific.

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Energy storage

Global battery energy storage pipeline reaches record 10.4 GW in the first quarter of 2018 HIGHLIGHTS

• Annual grid-connected battery energy storage

installations grew by 53 percent, reaching 1.9 gigawatts (GW) in 2017.

• South Korea overtook the United States in 2017, to

become the largest battery energy storage market globally.

• The global project pipeline grew to 10.4 GW at the end of the first quarter of 2018.

• More than 3 GW of battery energy storage is fore-

cast to be deployed in 2018, but uncertainty over supply constraints — and potential cost increases for Li-ion batteries — may create unexpected challenges.

OUR ANALYSIS 2017 was a record year for deployment of grid-connected battery energy storage. The Asia-Pacific region exhibited the strongest growth, led by South Korea, Japan and Australia. The three largest markets in 2017, accounting for over half of all installations globally, were South Korea, the United States and Japan. This continued market growth was backed by an impressive project pipeline for gridconnected energy storage. While the geographic location of planned project activity is diversifying, the largest current pipelines are located in Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States and China.

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Following are the four major battery energy storage pipeline global trends to watch in the coming year: 2017 was a record year for deployment of grid-connected battery energy storage. The Asia-Pacific region exhibited the strongest growth, led by South Korea, Japan and Australia. The three largest markets in 2017, accounting for over half of all installations globally, were South Korea, the United States and Japan. This continued market growth was backed by an impressive project pipeline for grid-connected energy storage. While the geographic location of planned project activity is diversifying, the largest current pipelines are located in Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States and China.

•

Solar-plus-storage co-location projects currently account for more than 40 percent of the total utility-sideof-meter pipeline, highlighting the future potential of this market. The behind-the-meter segment will comprise more than half of annual installations, from 2023 onward. South Korea and Canada emerged as new key markets for commercial and industrial storage systems in 2017. Battery energy storage is challenging gas-fired peaker plants to meet California’s capacity needs, leading to a significant increase in the outlook for large-scale energy storage in that state. New energy storage deployment targets, and the inclusion of storage in integrated resource planning across the United States, will drive future market growth across multiple states.

The global battery energy storage market gained significant momentum in early 2018. Emerging business models, such as gas-peaker replacement and renewable firming, have been successfully demonstrated, leading to a strong uptick in the global pipeline. This strong industry growth follows a highly active first quarter, with the following encouraging policy developments presaging a bright future for storage: •

• • •

FERC Order No. 841 will remove key regulatory barriers for electricity storage to participate in wholesale markets across the United States, creating a level playing field for storage to access new revenue streams. Irish grid operator EirGrid has published its consultation on the DS3 program, outlining potential six-year contracts that provide frequency response and reserve services to be launched in September 2018. New York State set a target to deploy 1,500 megawatts (MW) by 2025, supported by more than $260 million in funding to accelerate industry growth. Austria launched a federal subsidy program for small-scale solar plus storage, while several states in Germany announced the introduction of support programs for residential battery storage.

By Julian Jansen, senior analyst, energy storage, IHS Markit IHS Markit energy storage research The IHS Markit Energy Storage Intelligence Service provides a detailed and accurate view of the market for energy storage systems across all key segments of the industry, including small- and largescale renewable integration, grid support and behind-the-meter storage. It provides the market intelligence and insight needed to understand developing market trends and capitalize on new opportunities. Source: ihsmarkit

May 2018

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

20,000 EVs to be procured for government use by March 2019 State-run Energy Efficiency Services (EESL) plans to invest around Rs.2,400 crore to procure 20,000 electric vehicles for government use by March next year, a senior company official said.

NITI Ayog submits draft Cabinet note on zero-emission vehicles NITI Aayog has submitted a draft Cabinet note on developing a strategy for zero emission vehicles and ancillary technology, Parliament was informed

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Planning Rao Inderjit Singh said that in order to promote electric vehicles, NITI Aayog in its role as government think tank has proposed the formation of six committees. He said that each committee, to be headed by the respective secretaries, will decide issues pertaining to finalisation of non-fiscal incentive; promotion of last mile connectivity; electric mobility in public transport; technology development of R&D electric mobility; charging infrastructure for electric mobility, and demand and supply-side incentive. “Niti Aayog has also submitted a draft cabinet note on developing a strategy to scale up transformative mobility for uptake of zeroemission vehicles and ancillary technology,” he added. Replying to a separate query, Singh said that NITI Aayog has prepared a report titled ‘Roadmap for Make in India in Body Armour’. He said the major recommendations made in the report covered issues such as the promotion of indigenous manufacturing of body armours including raw material, creating more testing facilities, doption of Indian Standards in Body Armours, setting up of Centres of Excellence for pursuing of R&D in nano-technology materials for lightweight armours and simplification of the permanent process. He further pointed out that the government constituted an empowered committee on January 30, 2018, under the chairmanship of NITI Aayog member to drive and implement various recommendations of the report.

“The empowered committee will examine the proposals that will be received from aspiring products and take suitable decisions,” Singh said. Source: PTI

May 2018

he company is also likely to sign memorandums of understandings (MoUs) with the governments of Maharashtra and Gujarat this month to supply 1,000 and 8,000 electric vehicles, respectively.

We have got a good response for this project. Already 100 electric vehicles are operational in Delhi. In total, we will be procuring 20,000 electric vehicles by March 2019 and we are investing around Rs.2,400 crore for buying them, EESL managing director Saurabh Kumar told PTI. EESL is a joint venture between four other public sector units including NTPC, Power Finance Corporation, Rural Electrification Corporation and the Power Grid Corporation of India. The company had floated a global tender for 10,000 electric vehicles last year to replace the government’s fleet in line with the vision to switch to 100% electric mobility by 2030. The tender, which comprised 500 vehicles to be procured in phase one and the rest in the second phase, was won by Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra. Kumar said the firm has signed an MoU with the Andhra Pradesh government to supply 10,000 cars last month and has already floated another tender of an equal number for this. “The tender process is progressing well and we would be soon entering into agreements with Maharashtra and Gujarat governments,” he added. With these 20,000 electric cars, EESL expects to save over 5 crore litres of fuel every year, leading to a reduction of over 5.6 lakh tonnes of annual carbon dioxide emission. EESL has also rolled out the plan for setting up charging stations across the country. “We have already laid down 250 charging stations in Delhi and a tender has been floated to set up an additional 2,500 stations across the country,” said Kumar.

Source: PTI

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Cabinet may soon consider FAME-II scheme with Rs 9,381 cr outlay The Union Cabinet may soon consider for approval the proposal entailing financial support of Rs 9,381 crore in the second phase of the FAME India scheme spanning five years to boost adoption of energy-efficient vehicles in the country, official sources said.

The Heavy Industry Ministry had circulated a draft Cabinet note entailing the details of the proposed scheme among various related government departments, including power, new and renewable energy, road transport and highways, finance and others, a senior official told . The final Cabinet note incorporating the views of related government departments has been prepared and may soon be taken up by the Union Cabinet for approval, paving the way for the roll out of FAME-II, official sources said. The total requirement of the fund is Rs 9,381 crore spanning five years from 2018-19 to 2022-23. However, the second phase of the scheme will be restricted to new energy vehicles used for public transport, commercial purposes and high-speed two-wheelers, officials said. With an aim to promote eco-friendly vehicles, the government had launched the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric vehicles in India (FAME India) scheme in 2015 offering incentives on electric and hybrid vehicles of up to Rs 29,000 for bikes and Rs 1.38 lakh for cars.

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Under FAME II, the source said demand aggregation will be attempted for city buses, electric three-wheelers and electric fourwheeler taxi segment to bring down the cost of vehicles. Agencies such as EESL, ASRTU (Association of State Road Transport Undertakings) could be considered as potential aggregators.Moreover, large EV components such as motor, drive powertrain and controller which are currently not covered under modified special incentive package scheme (MSIPS) of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology have been proposed to be given capital investment subsidy at a rate of 20-25 per cent of capital investment under FAME II, the source added.

As per the information available from the Start Up Team of Invest India, about 136 startups related to electric vehicles exist in India. However, these startups are not getting access to required finance, as financial institutions are reluctant to extend credit facilities to them, the source said, adding it was one of the main reasons for considering establishment of a venture capital fund related under FAME II. A major reasons for the low intake of credit facility is the high risk associated in this sector. In order to support such high risk startups, it is proposed that the venture capital fund of Rs 500 crore be set up under the second phase of FAME, the source said. The main thrust of the venture capital funding will be for development of zero emission vehicle and its component manufacturing base, making prototype to manufacturing and development of R&D, promoting work on alternative battery chemistries among others, the source said.

May 2018

55Â

asset management

BAMAPADA GAHTAK

AVP – Engineering ( Ground- Mounting Project) Amplus Energy Solutions Pvt. Ltd

PV Power Plant Analysis & Recommendation to Maximize the System Performance

May 2018

nstalled capacity of large grid connected Solar Power Plants in India is almost 15.6GW as on 30th September 2017. These systems are installed under Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), state level solar policy and REC framework, open access (including rooftop) etc.The sudden scaling up of grid connected PV market in India through government support has created an unhealthy competition among project developers, construction companies, equipment suppliers and service providers andthe unfortunate consequence is that quality standards in project design, selection of equipment’s and balance of system, installation and even O&M practice being compromised in many instances. A considerable number of large grid connected power plants are reporting poor performance due to over generation assessment, faulty design, inferior qualities material & poor constructions.Many developers and investors are desperate to improve their power plant performance but failed to understand the reason for underperformance, which is not merely related to regular operation and maintenance issues.

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asset management

What determines PV Power Plant Performance? The amount of energy delivered by the PV system depends on a number of factors, but the primary factors are:

Poor system design relating to the PV array and inverter also force inverter to operate very inefficiently. In many cases, ownerhas been givena prediction of unrealistically high energy yield from their PV system.This usually occurs due to ignorance or poor estimation of system losses by the system designer or the consultant. Even few PV plants are over designed and extra materials have been used which will Some of these losses are easy to rectify but some require in-depth understanding and testing of the system and components.

Why PV Power Plant Audit? In general PV systems are exposed to a variety of losses some due to environmental factors, some due to device limits and others due to manufacturing defects. The losses will include things such as soiling (dust), shading, manufacturer’s tolerance, temperature, voltage drop, inverterefficiency, orientation and tilt angle of the module, degradation of solar modules, reactive power injection, plus any other location specific factors that could have impact on the array’s performance. But these are not only the factors that determine PV system performance. Favourable solar radiation and best of the equipment’s cannot alone perform well if the system is not designed or installedin a technically competent way. Some of the factors responsible for under performance of a PV power plant are -

Poor system design Poor quality equipment and materials Under sizing of equipment’s Improper installation and integration of equipments Mismatching of different parameters Unstable grids Frequent equipment failure and shut down Potential Induced Degradation (PID) Inadequate O&M planning etc. Low power factor or reactive power injection

The objective of PV plant audit is to ensure grid safety and improve the power plant performance. PV power plant audit is necessary - if

The performance ratio (PR) of the power plant is below 95% of designed/ expected value consider temperature & irradiance correction factor; The plant is not working during peak time; The plant degradation is higher than the expected; There is frequent tripping and shutdown of the power plant for known or unknown reasons.

PV power plant audit identify the root causes of these losses and help to maximise itsperformance. A simple PV audit process starts with the data analysis process with in-depth analysis of the available wind, temperature, irradiation, DC power output and AC power output data. This allows the auditors to understand the system behaviour and conduct the audit in a systematic manner. An analysis of the design documents allows the auditors to validate the design process according to best practices and industry standards. Bill of material audit is also a critical step in ensuring PV plant durability and reliability. This involves benchmarking the quality of installed components with our internally developed metrics and PV audit experience around the globe.

A well designed and installed PV grid-connected system should have fault free operation for many years.Poor system design can result in the PV array operating at voltages outside the inverter voltage window and consequently the inverter disconnects from the grid for long periods.

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May 2018

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

ABB powers e-mobility with launch of first 150-350 kW high power charger As it continues to roll out high impact Electric Vehicle charging solutions worldwide, pioneering technology provider ABB will launch its new Terra HP High Power Charge system at EVS30 in Stuttgart

ith the global number of electric vehicles on the road rising to 2 million in 2016*, the demand for powerful and energy efficient vehicle charging stations is ever increasing. From Stand 43, Hall 1 at the Electric Vehicle Symposium and Exhibition (EVS30) in Stuttgart from 9-11 October, ABB will showcase its newest EV charging solution, the Terra HP, the first 150-350 kW product on the market. Ideally suited for use at highway rest stops and petrol stations, Terra HP’s ultra-high current has the capacity to charge both 400 V and 800 V cars at full power. The 375 A output single power cabinet can charge a 400 V car at full 150 kW continuously. The addition of Dynamic DC power sharing technology, allows a two-power cabinet charging system to charge a couple of EVs simultaneously, with up to 350 kW and 500 A, while dynamically optimizing the available grid connection and the power delivery to the two vehicles.

May 2018

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Commenting on the launch Frank Mühlon, Head of ABB’s Global Business for Electric Vehicle Charging, said: “We are committed to supporting the expansion of electric vehicle charging systems across the globe to drive cleaner environments. Creating innovative state-of-the-art and energy efficient solutions which are scalable to expand and flex with our customers’ needs is at the heart of ABB’s philosophy.”

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Additional power cabinets and charge posts can be added after installation, delivering a costeffective and future-proof solution for expandable charge points that can grow as the EV base grows. To further improve performance, Terra HP delivers the highest uptime due to redundancy on power and communication, and individually cooled charging cables. Having proven its paces in numerous commercial electric bus field installations, the power cabinet is also extremely reliable. For charging operators, Terra HP provides the additional benefit of ABB Ability™ Connected Services, which deliver enhanced functionality, including the ability to easily connect chargers to back offices, payment platforms or smart grids systems. More importantly, remote diagnostics, repair and over-the-air software updates, minimize downtime and keep running costs low. Terra HP delivers a number of additional benefits for consumers, including an intuitive, easy to use touchscreen display and multiple payment options. ABB has provided charging solutions as part of its drive to promote sustainable mobility since 2010 and has sold more than 6,000 cloud connected DC fastchargers around the world for passenger cars and commercial vehicles.

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Ola Plans To Get 1 Million E- Vehicles On Its Platform By 2021 Mostly E-Rickshaws If things go to plan, ride-hailing company Ola could emerge as one of the largest electric vehicle (EV) fleet operators in the world by next year.

fter all, in the next 12 months it hopes to add a whopping 10,000 e-rickshaws and electric auto-rickshaws in its service under its 'Mission: Electric' programme launched today. The company announced that it will be working with driver-partners, cities, vehicle manufacturers, and battery companies to make sustainable technologies cost-effective and viable in daily mobility. That's not all. The Bengaluru-based company is also aiming to get one million electric vehicles on its platform by 2021 to boost the electric vehicle ecosystem in the country. From cycle rickshaws to 'shuttles' and last-mile transport, three-wheelers continue to be a dominant form of daily transit for many across the country as well as "a source of livelihood for millions of people every day". Ola co-founder and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal also pointed out that it represents an immediate opportunity to improve outcomes for all stakeholders while reducing pollution. Last May, SoftBank-backed Ola had launched its first EV project in Nagpur. The project includes electric cabs, electric auto rickshaws, electric buses, rooftop solar installations, charging stations, and battery swapping experiments. Building on this effort, Ola believes that electrification can improve outcomes for drivers, customers, and its business model.

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"After more than 4 million 'electric' kilometres travelled and many lessons learned, we are significantly expanding our commitment to electrify mobility in India..we look forward to working with state governments and other partners to introduce accessible, affordable, and sustainable mobility solutions at scale,"Ola co-founder and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal added.

According to the company, the pilot project provided significant insights into effectively managing vehicles, batteries, and operations. However, The Business Standard cited insiders claiming that the experiment has failed due to the high cost of electric vehicles, lack of charging infrastructure and the driving range of vehicles being lower than anticipated. This explains the focus on electric three-wheelers in the near term.

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hile Ola said it will further expand its EV fleet to three other Indian cities, it has not disclosed the names yet. The company claims to be in discussion with "several state governments to create an appropriate policy environment to deploy electric three-wheelers" as well as "OEM partners and EV innovators globally to bring vehicles on the road in a planned and phased manner". One thing is for sure: As India's largest private vehicle fleet operator, Ola could represent a natural catalyst for EV technology in the country. Now, if only the infrastructure required for such plans would not be quite as slow to play catch-up.

May 2018

59Â

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

ABB launches world’s fastest e-vehicle charger at Hannover Messe, strength-ening its leadership in sustainable mobility B Commercial launch of the Terra HP fast charger places ABB at the forefront of EV-charging technology

May 2018

y operating at powers of up to 350 kilowatts, the newest model from ABB, Terra High Power charger, adds up to 200 kilometers of range to an electric vehicle in just 8 minutes. The new charger is ideally suited for use at highway rest stops and petrol stations. ABB chargers are being installed around the world, and they have recently been selected for use by Electrify America, the biggest electric vehicle infrastructure project to date in the United States. With more than 6,500 DC fast charging stations installed in 60 countries, ABB is a global leader in DC fast charging. ABB’s product portfolio, which includes charging technologies for electric cars, buses and trucks, as well as solutions for the electrification of ships, railways and cableways, firmly establishes it as a global champion in e-mobility. To further showcase its e-mobility leadership through its partnership with Formula E, the world’s first fully electric international FIA motorsport series, a Formula E race car, and driving simulators will be on display to visitors to the ABB booth.

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES

&R, a leading solutions provider for machine and factory automation worldwide, will be participating for the first time at the ABB booth, after being acquired in July 2017, and now integrated into ABB’s Industrial Automation division as its global Machine & Factory Automation business unit. Demonstrating its commitment to helping the international community address the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence and industrial automation, ABB will announce at the Hannover Messe a ground-breaking report with The Economist Intelligence Unit: “The Automation Readiness Index: Who Is Ready for the Coming Wave of Innovation?” The report finds that even the best-prepared countries must develop more effective education policies and training programs.

dditional pioneering technologies across utilities, industries, and transport & infrastructure, highlight ABB’s ability to bring electricity from any power plant to any plug and automate industries from natural resources to finished products. Other innovative solutions that will be on display at Hannover Messe 2018:

B&R’s ACOPOStrak, the intelligent, flexible transport system that’s setting a new standard for smart-factory motion control in the era of mass customization, and B&R’s Orange Box, an advanced analytics solution for brownfield assets, which enables users to access previously unreadable data from digitally isolated machinery. The EVLunic AC wallbox, available with from 4.6 kW to 22 kW of charging power, serving as a high quality, cost effective e-car charging point for home and business use, in addition to the Terra HP line of public-network charging stations for electric vehicles. ABB AbilityTM Power Transformer, with smart devices built into every ABB transformer to enable customers to remotely monitor vital parameters in real time for improved reliability and higher utilization of grid assets and power networks. ABB AbilityTM Digital Powertrain, which ensures efficient operation of powertrain equipment, including drives, motors, bearings and pumps. A suite of monitoring services – including advanced analytics and maintenance planning – enables users to digitally “see” operational variables through an integrated, one-stop portal. ABB AbilityTM, the unified, cross-industry digital capability that empowers customers to know more, do more and do better – together. The complete list of 210 solutions is available in the new ABB AbilityTM Solutions Catalogue, which is being launched at the event.

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a pioneering technology leader in electrification products, robotics and motion, industrial automation and power grids, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport & infrastructure globally. Continuing a history of innovation spanning more than 130 years, ABB is writing the future of industrial digitalization with two clear value propositions: bringing electricity from any power plant to any plug and automating industries from natural resources to finished products. As title partner of Formula E, the fully electric international FIA motorsport class, ABB is pushing the boundaries of e-mobility to contribute to a sustainable future. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 135,000 employees.

STIR, the submersible transformer inspection robot, which makes it possible to internally inspect transformers without draining their oil, making the task safer and less expensive. Gas-insulated switchgear (GIS), which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. With over 30,000 installations worldwide, GIS uses pressurized sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) as its insulating gas instead of air, to enable safer electrical operations in confined spaces. ABB AbilityTM Connected Services, unlocking a world of possibilities in diagnostics, monitoring, predictive maintenance and asset optimization, for up to 25 percent fewer incidents and 60 percent faster response and issue recovery times. YuMi®, the first truly collaborative dual-armed robot and SafeMove2, the safety solution that enables robots to safely share working spaces with human operators while reducing total investment by 30 percent. Source: ABB

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May 2018

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

ADS-TEC showing world’s first “High Power Charging” at Intersolar Europe: storagebased 320 kW fast-charging technology for e-mobility in the low-voltage grid

May 2018

t electrical energy storage (ees), held during Intersolar Europe 2018, ADS-TEC will be presenting the world’s most powerful solution for the fast-charging of electric vehicles in the limitedpower distribution grid in hall B1, booth 230. Furthermore, the battery and IT specialist from Nürtingen will be showcasing its product portfolio of scalable lithium-ion battery storage systems for home, business, industry and infrastructure and demonstrating the unique features of its energy solutions. Based on decades of experience, ADSTEC develops and produces high-quality lithiumion battery storage systems – including energy management systems – under the “StoraXe” label especially for the professional sector in the industrial and energy supply environment. The modular design offers nearly limitless scaling possibilities and extensive IT solutions open new operating and business models. With electromobility, there will be a great demand on high power in the distribution grid. ADS-TEC is already offering intelligent energy solutions and a new dimension of fast charging technology to offer maximum power even in the low-voltage grid in the smallest of spaces.

320 KILOWATT “HIGH POWER CHARGING”: HPC BOOSTER AND HPC DISPENSER

At this year’s ees Europe in Munich, the company is presenting its world-leading, storage-based HPC “High Power Charging” fast-charging technology for existing and future e-vehicles. There is the extremely compact battery storage system “HPC Booster” – a large complete system including battery, inverter, climatisation, control, energy management, security/firewall and communication unit at just below two cubic metres – and the fast-charging station “HPC dispenser” for a DC charging capacity of up to 320 kilowatt. Thus, several hundred kilometres of driving distance can be charged in just a few minutes. The system is easy to integrate and uses the existing distribution grid effectively and without the need for costly grid expansion. With its attractive design, the charging system also fulfils representative purposes.

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES

“POWERBOOSTER”: MINICONTAINER SYSTEM FOR FASTCHARGING STATIONS AND AS DISTRICT STORAGE SYSTEM ADS-TEC offers a further innovative energy solution with its outdoor battery system “PowerBooster” which also delivers high power capacities at fast-charging stations while being recharged at low power at the available grid connection point. This avoids elaborate medium-voltage systems or expensive grids and, in many places, the compact size eliminates the need for building cost subsidies or building permits. Storage system capacities in the standard configurations cover bandwidths of 120 to 240 kilowatt hours. At the same time, the PowerBooster can be set up as a district storage system almost anywhere outdoors and connected to the 400 volt distribution grid. Many useful grid functions such as voltage stability, delay for optimum bandwidth utilisation, frequency regulation, reactive power supply or peak capping are possible. Large energy suppliers and local grid operators are already using PowerBooster successfully for temporarily overloaded distribution grids using volatile producers and consumers such as photovoltaic systems and e-vehicles.

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STORAGE SOLUTIONS FOR INDUSTRY AND INFRASTRUCTURE Storage solutions from ADS-TEC’s “Industrial & Infrastructure” area cover bandwidths between 100 kilowatt hours and multiple megawatt hours and are used, above all, for tasks such as peak-load capping, load management, balancing energy, emergency power applications and in combination with wind power or larger PV systems. For largeformat applications, ADS-TEC supplies customer-specific, turnkey solutions, e.g., in 20 or 40 foot containers, and ensures seamless integration at the customer’s location. The modular design and the comprehensive IT management system facilitate nearly limitless scaling possibilities. High-quality battery cells from the industrial sector allow maximum power and minimum capacity losses throughout the operational life of the systems. FLEXIBLY USE HOME STORAGE Storage Products From AdsTec’s “Home & Small Business” area are designed for private houses, multi-family dwellings as well as workshops, businesses and public facilities. The product portfolio starts with 6 or 9 kilowatt hours of storage capacity for home use, goes to 19, 28 and 47 kilowatt hours as a closed cabinet system for larger houses, commercial use and industry and can be individually expanded into the multi-megawatt range. The exceptional energy density, a high number of cycles and the constantly high performance of all StoraXe storage products enable utilisation concepts that are more far-reaching than the simple optimisation of personal consumption, e.g., for the fast charging of electric vehicles or a central connection to various cloud services via ADS-TEC’s own “Big-LinX Energy” platform.

ADDED VALUE WITH THE “BIGLINX® ENERGY” CLOUD SOLUTION The value with the StoraXe systems from ADS-TEC lies firstly in the power-optimised hardware and secondly, but above all, in IT and the added value provided by the specially developed Big-LinX Energy cloud platform. In Munich, visitors can learn about the various Big-LinX Energy Tools with a live application. These tools take care of monitoring, remote maintenance and data analysis of the storage systems during operation, for example. For ADS-TEC the possibility of recording status information down to cell level is unique. Each individual cell in a StoraXe storage system is monitored over its entire usage life by its own battery management system. If deviations from the agreed operating parameters occur during operation, warnings can be transmitted to the operating company’s management system via the Cloud. The operating company can therefore arrange preventive maintenance work before damage or system failures can occur. The individuality and variety in the application requires maximum flexibility in the adaptation of warranty conditions. For this purpose, ADS-TEC has developed a tool that has been confirmed by cell manufacturers and customers for the transparent depiction of battery storage states. This minimises risks associated with the benefit commitments and maximises economic utilisation. StoraXe energy solutions particularly impress customers with demanding and global tasks in which system availability and reliable operation of the system are top priority. OFF-GRID SOLUTIONS With the StoraXe storage technology, off-grid solutions can be implemented especially effectively and reliably. An optimally matched system with stable control and its own energy management system results, for example, in fossil fuel savings of up to 50 percent with hybrid systems with PV, wind and diesel. ADS-TEC supplies customer-specific solutions in turnkey containers and offers optimal integration in the offgrid system.

May 2018

inverter

GRAND INTRODUCTION of Next Generation of String Inverters by TBEA After ten years of rapid development, China's photovoltaic industry has grown to be an important part of the energy. With fast-changing innovative technologies, "grid parity" in the photovoltaic industry is expected to extend. TBEA and Chinese Renewable Energy Society (CRES) jointly convened "2018 (Xi'an) Seminar of Innovative Solutions on "Grid Parity" in the Photovoltaic Industry", and grandly introduced the next generationof string inverters of TBEA on April 13 for the comprehensive improvement of generated energy at PV power station with 100% MPPT penetration ratio.

PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVELOPMENT WITH WISDOM, "GRID PARITY" JUST AROUND THE CORNER

hotovoltaic "pacemaker" indicates the development direction in the photovoltaic industry, and complicated ground condition and double-faced component are gradually applied at the PV power station by analyzing the successful bidding of the third batch of "pacemakers". As the inverter is the core equipment for the improvement of generated energy at PV power station, only by continuously innovating the technology, taking measures according to local conditions, "energizing" the potential of PV power stations to the maximum extent, reducing system costs and enhancing the generated energy can we achieve grid parity by reducing kilowatt costs and getting rid of subsidies.

64Â

May 2018

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inverter

"ENERGIZATION" EFFICIENT COMPONENTS OF TS80KTL_PLUS STRING INVERTER, IMPROVEMENT OF GENERATED ENERGY OF OVER 4% UNDER COMPLICATED GROUND CONDITIONS

here are string voltage, installation angle, installation orientation and shadow blocking under complicated ground conditions at the PV power station, thus leading to string parallelized mismatch loss, which will significantly exert the power generation efficiency of PV power stations. In responding to string parallelized mismatch loss, it might find ways inMPPT penetration ratio of inverters on the technical aspect. At present, the maximum MPPT penetration ratio of string inverters in the mainstream market is merely 50%. Compared with the traditional string inverter, TS80KTL_PLUS string inverter from TBEA is featured with 12-channel DC input and 12-channel MPPT tracking. The independent MPPT tracking technology is capable of improving string MPPT penetration ratio to 100%, enhancing at least 4% system generated energy under the complicated ground condition and decreasing the parallelized mismatch loss to 0; in the meantime, with the independent MPPT design, the inverter is capable of natural protection of reverse polarity connection, further guaranteeing the system operating safely and steadily. Apart from 100% string MPPT penetration ratio, TS80KTL_PLUS string inverter obtains the highest conversion efficiency (with 99.23% and 98.63% conversion efficiency within the industry and China respectively). In the meantime, with the independent MPPT design, fuse wire at the DC side of TS80KTL_PLUS string inverters is unnecessary. Independently designed boost converters with MPPT of each channel ensure natural protection reverse polarity connection, which is safer and more reliable.

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ouble-faced component, broadly used by photovoltaic "pacemaker", is gaining wider popularity from the industry and investment community in light of its super power gain on the back. As for the double-faced battery, the overload capacity of inverters is only 1.1 times, failing to satisfy the requirements for being the best "CP" of double-faced efficient components, therefore, the power clipping will be presented, leading to the loss of generated energy. As a bridge and link of photovoltaic power generation systems, how the inverter can better put component "effectiveness" to good use and can be the perfect "CP" with double-faced components? With 18 years of the development of photovoltaic inverters and technological accumulation in designing the system solution, TBEA has introduced the best "CP" of double-faced components -- TS75KTL_BF string inverter. It is also featured with 12-channel independent string and 100% MPPT penetration ratio,totally solving the parallelized mismatch loss.In addition, it obtains dynamic overload regulating capacity for perfect matching the double-faced component. In particular, it can meet the long-term output of 1.3 times and 1.2 times overload capacity below 0 and within 45 respectively, which is specially designed for double-faced components.

PHOTOVOLTAIC TRANSFORMATION WITH WISDOM, REVOLUTIONARY CHANGE OVER TECHNOLOGY

s the innovative achievement in grid-connected technology introduced by TBEA in the new product release meeting, the next generation of string inverters totally solve the parallelized mismatch lossfeatured with 100% MPPT penetration ratio, non-fuse design, natural protection of reverse polarity connection (safer and more reliable), over 20% overload capacity output and perfect matching the double-faced component. Such characteristics have brought new energy to the photovoltaic market, given a vigorous boost to the development of the photovoltaic market, and better interpreted TBEA's target of "customer value maximization".

May 2018

65Â

inverter

Means for "energizing"doublefaced components by 1500V string inverter The inverter serves as a bridge and link of photovoltaic power generation systems, and its "effectiveness" has played a particularly important role in the means for better putting component "effectiveness" to good use.

s the plan of photovoltaic "pacemaker" moves forward, advanced technology application for photovoltaic equipment and industrial upgrading have also been remarkably improved, especially in terms of constantly developed new photovoltaic equipment technology, continuously improved conversion efficiency of components, and the process from polysilicon and monocrystalline silicon, ordinary

to efficient component, as well as single-faced to double-faced component. Each technology upgrade will give impetus to the implementation of grid parity in the photovoltaic industry as early as possible. Since the PV power station is comprehensive system engineering, only by perfect "connection" and matching among equipment can their effectiveness be fully performed.

With 18 years of the development of photovoltaic inverters and technological accumulation in designing the system solution, TBEA has

introduced the best "CP" of double-faced components -- 1500V TS100KTLHV string inverter. Fea-

tured with the natural function of anti-reverse connection and 100% string MPPT permeability technology, it is gaining wider popularity and recognition from the industry; in the meantime, the unique design of AC side of TS100KTL-HV inverters and system solution of PV power stations has given this product an edge in proving to be the "energization" double-faced component.

66Â

May 2018

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inverter With the idea of "killing three birds with one stone",making more flexible designs Thanks to the gradual professional and mature technology in the photovoltaic industry, the proportion of DC side in first-, second- and thirdtier cities has been slightly largened. Meanwhile, in the face of super power gain on the back of "double-faced components", its gain is generally in the range of 10%-30% with the industry consensus, which depends on support selection and background information on the arrangement of PV power stations. In order to better put component "effectiveness" to good use, 1.3 times overload capacity at AC side has been designed to TS100KTL-HV. This design ensures the normal operation of inverters under various environments, makes a choice on photovoltaic supports according to local conditions, and guarantees the smooth peak power output at the PV power station, making more flexible designs with the idea of "killing three birds with one stone".

800 Vac rated voltage,higher benefit

Higher return refers to consumption reduction, and improvement on system generated energy. With the rated AC voltage of 800V, TS100KTL-HV string inverter is capable of reducing cable loss at the AC side of 25.61%, improving the system generated energy of 0.5122%, and enhancing the internal rate of return of PV power stations with variable proportions in first-, second- and third-tier cities throughout the country compared with 690V inverter system within the industry under the same power, thus making the investment more valuable, benefit continuously improve, and profit steadily increase.

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3MW PHOTOVOLTAIC ARRAY, LOWER INVESTMENT At present, the specification of string inverters is constantly increasing, so does the array scale. Originally, the array scale was 1MW, 1.6MW during 2015-2016, and 2MW since 2017, and the rated power of TBEA TS100KTL-HV inverter was expanded to 100kW in 2018. The unit array is fully compatible with 2/2.5/3MW array, and AC combiner box is unnecessary for the output side.

TS100KTL-HV string inverter supports 3MW photovoltaic array, and upon detailed calculation, ( ) the array unit scale of PV power stations can be improved to 3MW on the basis of with no changing the original cable wire diameter, and design requirements for line loss of the industry are met. Compared with the traditional 2MW array, it can save over 25% covering area and foundation construction, reduce more than 25% handling and lifting frequencies of on-site equipment and installation work amounts, and lower the quantity of system electrical equipment and kilowatt cost, further lowering the construction cost of PVpower stations, and increasing the benefit.

Innovation pacemaker, intelligent and efficient. Aiming at the characteristic of double-faced components as well as increasingly complicated ground condition and technical indicator of photovoltaic "pacemaker", TBEA TS100KTL-HV string inverter does technical innovation in the design of DC side, AC side and integrated system. Through elaborative detection and independent tracking design of channel branches to the product's DC side, the system generated energy is improved 0.5%; the string MPPT penetration ratio is risen up to 100% with unique independent design in string MPPT of each channel, and totally solve the parallelized mismatch loss, which caused by periodic shading and variation of PV components parameters, to make full use of the system generated energy, and improve at least 4% system generated energy under the complicated ground condition. In order to reduceconsumption, the rated voltage of AC side of TS100KTL-HV string inverter is improved to 800V, and the system generated energy to 0.5122%. In addition, unlimited inverter power design of 1.3 times overload capacity ensures that the double-faced component can better put component "effectiveness" to good use; with the independent MPPT design in terms of safety, the string inverter is capable of anti-reverse connection, further guaranteeing the safely and steadily operated system; the array unit scale of PV power stations improved to 3MW can effectively reduce investment costs, gives impetus to innovation and upgrade of the photovoltaic industry, and accelerate "grid parity" in the photovoltaic industry.

May 2018

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inverter

Who "stole" the generated energy?

nverters with different brands in the same PV power station could make even over 4% comprehensive generated energy", said by the principal of a certain PV power station in Yunnan. Actually, such a gap exists in more than one domestic PV power station. Surprisingly, however, the conversion efficiency is over 98% as for some inverter manufacturers at present in China,why does this large difference in the generated energy exist with a tiny gap of conversion efficiency,? Is it that we ignored other immeasurable or prescient factors? Today, we'll give the answer on a technology level.

Does over 4% generated energy exist due to different inverters?

ith great doubts, we visited a certain PV power station in Yunnan, which locates on a typical Yunnan-Guizhou mountain topography. With abundant and high quality light resources, this PV power station enjoys 2370h of annual average hours of sunshine, with a total annual radiation of 6462.9MJ/m2 at an altitude of 2080m-2360m. This station, as the local key PV power station, is generally planned in 7 phases with the total capacity of 200MWp. Now, we will center on the comparative analysis of Phase 3 with the generated energy of 40MWp.

We adopted power generation data in January and February 2018 by the comparative analysis of measuring data obtained by separate ammeters of the current-collecting cable. Surprisingly, however, three current-collecting cables with different inverters could make a difference in the generated energy of even over 4% in 2 months, and the specific data are as follows:

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May 2018

Taking Phase 3 with the generated energy of 40MWp of this PV power station as an example, it includes three current-collecting cables, and each photovoltaic array is equipped with photovoltaic component of 1.6184MWp. 340W single crystal silicon components in the array are employed from a famous domestic factory, and 20 pieces of photovoltaic component are adopted by each string. In addition, component specification, parameter and series connection configuration are consistent. As the inverter is the core equipment for determining high-low generated energy at PV power station, in order to maximize its benefits, string inverters with two domestic famous brands are applied by this PV power station. 34 domestic 50kW string inverters from domestic manufacturerA are applied in each of the 8 arrays connected by No. 1 current-collecting cable; 9 and 8 arrays are separately arranged in No. 2 and 3 current-collecting cables, both of them are equipped with 34 TS50KTL_PLUS style invertors from TBEA, a long-known domestic inverter manufacturer.

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inverter As it is shown in the photovoltaic array above, each string in No. 2 and 3 current-collecting cable connects separately to inverter 1-channel MPPT, and 2-channel string on average for No. 1 current-collecting cable connects to inverter 1-channel MPPT. It's easy to find that when 1-channel string in the photovoltaic array is blocked or broken, the independent MPPT design of TBEA inverters on No. 2 and 3 current-collecting cables would exert an impact on the related string; however, 2-channel string for No. 1 current-collecting cable will affect the generated energy of 2-channel string. Why does this large difference (4%) in the generated energy exist?

It is universally known that since the PV power station is comprehensive system engineering, only by perfect "connection" and matching among equipment can their effectiveness be fully performed under the finite application environment. However, this project is located in a plateau with typical and complicated mountain topography, there are installation angle, installation orientation and shadow blocking, thus leading to power generation loss. Shadow blocking caused by front-row and back-row string blocking of components, voltage difference between strings resulted from on-site cabling, and blocking of on-site dust, cloud and leaf cannot be avoided at the PV power station, which is also the major "cause" for the at least 4% loss of generated energy.

Why does this large difference (4%) in the generated energy exist? It is universally known that since the PV power station is comprehensive system engineering, only by perfect "connection" and matching among equipment can their effectiveness be fully performed under the finite application environment.

However, this project is located in a plateau with typical and complicated mountain topography, there are installation angle, installation orientation and shadow blocking, thus leading to power generation loss. Shadow blocking caused by front-row and back-row string blocking of components, voltage difference between strings resulted from on-site cabling, and blocking of on-site dust, cloud and leaf cannot be avoided at the PV power station, which is also the major "cause" for the at least 4% loss of generated energy.

Through comparison with the generated energy of January and February of a certain PV power station in Yunnan, we find the significant difference is that inverters produced by two different manufacturers are applied on the current-collecting cable. It is known that 4-channel MPPT string inverter from A manufacturer is applied on No. 1 currentcollecting cable, and the 8-channel independent MPPT string inverter from TBEA is applied on No. 2 and 3 current-collecting cables (the schematic diagram of 8-channel independent and 4-channel MPPT string inverters is as follows).

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As it is shown in the photovoltaic array above, each string in No. 2 and 3 current-collecting cable connects separately to inverter 1-channel MPPT, and 2-channel string on average for No. 1 current-collecting cable connects to inverter 1-channel MPPT. It's easy to find that when 1-channel string in the photovoltaic array is blocked or broken, the independent MPPT design of TBEA inverters on No.

Excellent advantages of TBEA inverter

We continue to analyze technical characteristics of the TBEA inverters in this project on discovering the difference. This product,adopted 8-channel independent MPPT design, the stringMPPT penetration ratio is risen up to 100% , enhances at least 4% system generated energy under the complicated ground condition, totally solve the parallelized mismatch loss, which caused by periodic shading and variation of PV components parameters. in the meantime, with the independent MPPT design in each channel, and natural protection of reverse polarity connection, further guaranteeing the system operating safely and steadily. the inverter's efficiency of 0.2%; compared with the traditional 500V string inverter at the AC side, the rated voltage (540V) of AC side saves 14.3% cable consumption, increasing the system generated energy to 0.286%. The generated energy of even over 4%. Shadow blocking of the photovoltaic array is unavoidable given increasingly complicated application ground conditions in terms of the application environment of PV power stations. From the view of the featured product externally, since TS50KTL_PLUS string inverters were introduced in 2017, the outstanding product performance of on-site application environment has encouraged the company for further innovation and improvement. Consequently, aiming at roofs of the medium-sized industry and commerce, village-level poverty alleviation and double-faced battery, TS36KTL_PLUS/TS60KTL_PLUS/TS70KTL_ BF/TS75KTL_BF/TS80KTL_PLUS string inverters have been introduced successively. As the inverter is the core equipment of generated energy at PV power station, only by adapting to all topographies and application environments, obtaining high conversion efficiency and guaranteeing the long-term reliability service, can the maximized benefit be achieved, and the "stolen" generated energy be regained for the maximum benefit.

May 2018

69Â

inverter

TBEA new product 1500V TS100KTL-HV, the best CP inverter with double-faced battery

igorous promotion of photovoltaic "pacemaker" project plays a significant role in enhancing industry transformation development and iteratively upgrade technology. Efficient photovoltaic power generation technology increasingly prevails in the market, in particular, the rapid development of "double-faced component" technology has been the hot issue of the third batch of "pacemaker" project. In responding to increasingly complicated application ground condition and technical indicator of double-faced component features and photovoltaic "pacemaker" project, TBEA exchanged ideas with various component manufacturers in China and learned prominent technical characteristic and on-site measured data of the double-faced battery, so that the best and first CP inverter of the double-faced battery in the industry was introduced 1500V TS100KTL-HV string inverter.

70Â

May 2018

String MPPT technology, up to string 100% MPPT permeability

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inverter

ompared with traditional string inverter, for the TS100KTL-HV, the string MPPT penetration ratio is up to 100%, totally solve the parallelized mismatch loss, which caused by periodic shading and variation of PV components parameters. Affected by on-site difference of string orientation, installation angle, installation height, reflecting background, gain on the back of double-faced components, etc., the double-faced component can easily lead to parallelized mismatch loss among different strings. In addition, the system generated energy can be easily affected by 1-channel MPPT connected by No. 2 and 3

current-collecting cables Keeping upright and horizontal simulation through professional PVsyst simulation software in the photovoltaic industry, it is found that parallel connection and mismatch loss rate caused by periodic shadow blocking among different strings reached 0.6% or so (excluding the impact of on-site application environment). Taking parallel connection and mismatch loss of component itself and periodic shadow blocking into consideration, TBEA string inverter can enhance 1% system generated energy and 0.3% internal rate of return, hugely improving the investment payback period and investment benefit of PV power station.

nput current for each string reaches 12.5A operating current It is universally known that perfect efficiency indicators for application pacemaker polycrystal and single crystal component are 17.9% and 18.7% respectively in 2018, indicating approximate 310W and 365W component specification for 60 and 72 types. According to data analysis, component peak current of this power section presents 9.1 - 9.5A in general, and TBEA product is compatible with 12.5A operating current, fully satisfying the demand of 30% peak gain on the back of the double-faced component.

Non-fuse design,natural function of anti-reverse connection, to ensure the system safely and reliably

ith the double-faced component coming into being, it was considered that the gain on the back will increase the current to 1.2 times or so, thus leading to larger short-circuit current with reverse connection and higher safe and danger coefficient of the system. When larger short-circuit current passes through MC4 input terminal and 1*4mm2 cable simultaneously, heat capacity will increase sharply, long-time heat emitting advances burn-in of MC4 and cables and thus bring about fires, showing tremendous risks in the course of application of PV power station. Equipped with Boost converters at the DC side for each circuit, string grid-connected inverter of TBEA new energy is capable of antireverse connection, which is safer and more reliable without fire. It is unnecessary to conduct fuse wire design, however, security hidden danger problems of 2 times short-

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circuit current can be easily existed by 1-channel MPPT connected by No. 2 current-collecting cables; in case that the fuse wire design is adopted, 2 strings or 3 strings connects to 1-channel MPPT, there are serious security hidden danger problems of 2 times or 3 times short-circuit current with reverse connection by 1-channel MPPT connected by No. 2 and 3 currentcollecting cables. When No. 2 and 3 current-collecting cables connect to 1-channel MPPT, reverse connection will raise the system voltage to 2000V, and basically 1000V inverter fuse protector is selected, therefore, though relying on the fuse protector scheme, it would possibly happen that protector fuse arc discharge leads to fires under the condition of the intensified current and voltage caused by voltage rise with reverse connection and no reliable breaking of fuse protector.

Innovation pacemaker, intelligent and efficient. TBEA new string inverter TS100KTL-HV is regarded as the product solution focusing on "pacemaker" PV power station. Its string elaborative detection and independent channel branches tracking at DC side promote the system generated energy and benefit; the design of 1.3 times gains on the back of the double-faced component can better put component "effectiveness" to good use; and the dependent MPPT technology contributes to the natural antireverse connection function of string inverter, which enables the safe and stable operation in the system. For more information on TS100KTL-HV string inverter, please dial service hot-line at 400-606-6029

May 2018

71Â

asset management

What Will We Do With All Those Solar Panels When Their Useful Life Is Over?

olar power is having its hockey stick moment. Since the early 2000s, the amount of solar panels being installed worldwide has been growing exponentially, and it’s expected to continue to do so for decades. By the end of 2015, an estimated 222 gigawatts worth of solar energy had been installed worldwide. According to a recent report from the International Renewable Energy Agency, that number could reach 4,500 GW by 2050. But the solar panels generating that power don’t last forever. The industry standard life span is about 25 to 30 years, and that means that some of the panels installed at the early end of the current boom aren’t long from being retired. And each passing year, more and more will be pulled from service — glass and metal photovoltaic modules that will soon start adding up to millions, and then tens of millions of metric tons of material.

As solar power booms, businesses are exploring ways to ensure valuable components don’t end up in landfills.

“It’s not too far off that those are going to be coming off line, and we’re going to have a waste management issue,” says Garvin Heath, a senior scientist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and a solar power expert. “It’s fair to say that it’s starting to become more widely recognized as an issue that we’re going to need to start working on pretty soon.”

As photovoltaic panel installations grow, so does the need for final disposition down the road. © OECD/IEA, Design: Becquerel Institute Editing: Mary Brunisholz, IEA PVPS Analysis: Gaëtan Masson, IEA PVPS Task 1, 2016, A Snapshot of Global PV (1992-2016), IEA Publishing. License: www.iea.org/t&c. Click to expand. The solution many are looking to is recycling. But the ability to handle the coming flow of PV modules is not yet sufficient. “There’s some infrastructure,” Heath says. “I wouldn’t say it’s especially well established at this point.” Part of the problem is that solar panels are complicated to recycle. They’re made of many materials, some hazardous, and assembled with adhesives and sealants that make breaking them apart challenging.

May 2018

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asset management TRAINING AND COST

ntil there’s a steady stream it will be hard for recyclers to focus more of their business on solar panels. In order to make sure they’re ready, though, the solar industry is creating programs to train commercial recycling companies to understand what’s in manufacturers’ products and how to break them down, according to Evelyn Butler, senior director of codes and standards for the Solar Energy Industries Association, a trade group representing solar power companies and photovoltaic manufacturers. Butler says the group is also working with recyclers to share data about what components and materials they’re processing so that they can start to track and forecast their waste.

“The longevity of these panels, the way they’re put together and how they make them make it inherently difficult to, to use a term, de-manufacture,” says Mark Robards, director of special projects for ECS Refining, one of the largest electronics recyclers in the U.S. The panels are torn apart mechanically and broken down with acids to separate out the crystalline silicon, the semiconducting material used by most photovoltaic manufacturers. Heat systems are used to burn up the adhesives that bind them to their armatures, and acidic hydro-metallurgical systems are used to separate precious metals. Robards says nearly 75 percent of the material that gets separated out is glass, which is easy to recycle into new products but also has a very low resale value. Robards says nearly 75 percent of the material that gets separated out is glass, which is easy to recycle into new products but also has a very low resale value. Not only that, but what’s available to recycle is something of a moving target. As solar panel technology improves, manufacturers are slowly finding ways around using components that would have value to recyclers, like copper and silver. “So the underlying commodity value of these things keeps going down,” Robards says. The less value a recycler can extract, the less incentive there is to recycle. Despite the challenges, ECS has been ramping up its photovoltaic recycling capacity. “It’s a semi-decent growth area these next few years but exploding about 2020 and beyond,” Robards says, anticipating the millions of metric tons of panels expected to come off line.

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“We’re still pretty early on in the process, but we’re hoping that in five or 10 years we’ll be able to provide industry data on that,” Evelyn Butler, senior director Of SEIA says.

A recycling facility gives photovoltaic panel producer First Solar a way to extract components from defunct solar panels for eventual reuse. Photo courtesy of First Solar Some photovoltaic companies are leading their own recycling efforts. First Solar, one of the largest photovoltaic providers, has long offered recycling for its products. Over the years, its recycling process has gradually improved, according to Sukhwant Raju, the company’s director of recycling operations.

“Our company has over 100 million modules out installed, but they may be another 10 to 15 years away from getting to their end-oflife stage,” Sukhwant Raju says. “As the time passes, our technology cost is coming down, but at the same time, the volume of the scrap increases. So that gives us economies of scale.” The company’s long-term goal, Raju says, is to make sure the process is cheap and efficient enough to deal with the expected surge of decommissioned panels. “The total cost has to be so low that nobody has to think about any other option than to recycle. Within the last eight years I’ve seen tremendous reduction in that cost,” he says. In conjunction with better recycling methods, the company’s panels are designed to be conducive to recycling. Up to 90 percent of the glass and semiconductor material in its decommissioned panels can be reused in new panels or other glass products.

LAWS AND REGULATIONS In the U.S., most of this progress is happening without the guidance of regulations. There is currently no federal standard or requirement for end-of-life management of photovoltaic panels that don’t meet the standard for hazardous waste — and they they typically do not. No major state rules have been established for these non-hazardous wastes, either. Heath at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory notes that the state of Washington passed legislation last year requiring manufacturers to finance the recovery and recycling of panels sold in the state. It’s the most advanced legislation focusing on solar panel recycling so far, but the regulations aren’t expected to be fully implemented until 2021. Heath also notes that Washington is not one of the largest solar-dependent states. In California, which is a major solar state, legislation is still likely years away.

“I think it is just a matter of time,” says Raju. “I would personally be very surprised if 10 years down the road we don’t have a similar program in place.”

May 2018

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

Tumbling Costs for Wind, Solar, Batteries Are Squeezing Fossil Fuels Latest BNEF study of comparative costs worldwide shows an 18% improvement in the competitiveness of onshore wind and solar in the last year, and new and rapidly developing roles for batteries.

May 2018

oal and gas are facing a mounting threat to their position in the world’s electricity generation mix, as a result of the spectacular reductions in cost not just for wind and solar technologies, but also for batteries – according to research from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). BNEF’s latest report on the levelized costs of electricity, or LCOE, for all the leading technologies finds that fossil fuel power is facing an unprecedented challenge in all three roles it performs in the energy mix – the supply of ‘bulk generation,’ the supply of ‘dispatchable generation,’ and the provision of ‘flexibility.’ In bulk generation, the threat comes from wind and solar photovoltaics, both of which have reduced their LCOEs further in the last year, thanks to falling capital costs, improving efficiency and the spread of competitive auctions around the world. In dispatchable power – the ability to respond to grid requests to ramp electricity generation up or down at any time of day – the challenge to new coal and gas is coming from the pairing of battery storage with wind and solar, enabling the latter two ‘variable’ sources to smooth output, and if necessary, shift the timing of supply. In flexibility – the ability to switch on and off in response to grid electricity shortfalls and surpluses over periods of hours – stand-alone batteries are increasingly cost-effective and are starting to compete on price with open-cycle gas plants, and with other options such as pumped hydro.

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RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

Elena Giannakopoulou, head of energy economics at BNEF, said: “Our team has looked closely at the impact of the 79% decrease seen in lithiumion battery costs since 2010 on the economics of this storage technology in different parts of the electricity system. The conclusions are chilling for the fossil fuel sector.

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“Some existing coal and gas power stations, with sunk capital costs, will continue to have a role for many years, doing a combination of bulk generation and balancing, as wind and solar penetration increase. But the economic case for building new coal and gas capacity is crumbling, as batteries start to encroach on the flexibility and peaking revenues enjoyed by fossil fuel plants.” BNEF calculates LCOEs for each technology, taking into account everything from equipment, construction and financing costs to operating and maintenance expenses and average running hours. It found that in the first half of 2018, the benchmark global LCOE for onshore wind is $55 per megawatt-hour, down 18% from the first six months of last year, while the equivalent for solar PV without tracking systems is $70 per MWh, also down 18%.[1] Offshore wind’s LCOE is $118 per MWh in 1H 2018, down 5%. BNEF’s analysis showed particularly low levelized costs of electricity for onshore wind in India, Brazil, Sweden and Australia, and particularly low levelized costs of electricity for photovoltaics in Chile, India, Australia and Jordan. Taking India as an example, BNEF is now showing benchmark LCOEs for onshore wind of just $39 per MWh, down 46% on a year ago, and for solar PV at $41, down 45%. By comparison, coal comes in at $68 per MWh, and combined-cycle gas at $93. Wind-plus-battery and solar-plus-battery systems in India have wide cost ranges, of $34-208 per MWh and $47-308 per MWh respectively, depending on project characteristics, but the center of those ranges

is falling fast. Seb Henbest, head of Europe, Middle East and Africa for BNEF, said: “Competitive auctions for new renewable energy capacity have forced developers, equipment providers and financiers to bear down on all the different costs of establishing wind and solar projects.

“Thanks to this and to progressively more efficient technology, we are seeing record-low prices being set for wind and solar, and then those records being broken again and again on a regular basis. This is having a powerful effect – it is changing perceptions.” BNEF has been analyzing the numbers on levelized costs of electricity for the different technologies since 2009, based on its database of project financings and work by its analyst teams on the cost dynamics in different sectors. In that nine-year period, the global benchmark LCOE for solar PV without tracking has tumbled by 77%, and that for onshore wind by 38%. LCOEs for older established sources, such as coal, gas, nuclear and large hydro, have seen only very modest reductions, at best, in that time – and in some countries, they have actually increased. BNEF’s lithium-ion battery price index shows a fall from $1,000 per kWh in 2010 to $209 per kWh in 2017. The implications for the future energy mix of these changing cost dynamics will be discussed at the Bloomberg New Energy Finance Future of Energy Summit in New York on April 9-10. For more information about the event, which brings together 1,000 thought-leaders and decision makers from industry,

May 2018

Energy storage

Battery Makers Worry lithium will replace oil in the import bill

nerBlu has only recently started building its first battery manufacturing plant in the US, but its chief strategy officer, Robert Pedraza, is already eyeing the Chennai Metropolitan Transport Corporation as a potential customer.

he Indian market is attractive to domestic companies as well. They are also in the early stages of making manufacturing plants. This includes battery company Exicom, renewable energy company Hero Future Energies diversified company Ravin Group, the Bengalurubased Sun Mobility and Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) and several others. Unlike overseas companies, Indian players are cautious and waiting to see the domestic policy before taking the plunge. Battery manufacturers are basing strategy on potential demand in India once electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy projects take off. According to a 2-year-old study by US’ Variant Market Research, the LiB market in India is to reach $5 billion in 2024, growing 26% a year.

May 2018

Current lithium ion batteries (LiB) cannot operate in extreme temperatures,” Robert Pedraza says. “They have to oversize the batteries too for buses.” Pedraza had been in India last month to explore a joint venture battery production plant." Taiwan-based power management firm Delta Electronics is also making plans for India. It has bought 65 acres in Krishnagiri near Bengaluru for a battery manufacturing plant. If policies work out positively, Delta hopes to roll out LiBs from the unit in about two years. “Beyond 2020 will be too late,” says Hiren Shah, senior director of Delta Electronics India. “Then there will be too many players.”

Creating battery manufacturing capacity would take up a big part of the investment required to create an EV. Japanese auto major Suzuki, along with Denso and Toshiba, pooled $180 million last year to build a LiB plant in India. The economics favours LiBs. Cell prices have dropped 73% — from $1,000 per kWh in 2010 to $272 per kWh in 2016. The US-based Rocky Moun-

tain Institute, in a more recent study, says switching completely to EVs in 2030 can create a domestic battery market of $300 billion. All battery manufacturers now import the cells and assemble the battery, which can capture not more than 30% of this value. If India imports only raw materials lithium and cobalt, about 80% of the value can be captured in the country, they feel.

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Energy storage

WALK, DON’T RUN This is what many manufacturers in the country are now setting out to do, although they are treading cautiously. In the absence of subsidies and incentives — and a clear plan for EVs for the next two decades — most Indian players are unlikely to invest big money immediately. EnerBlu started in California, but moved to Kentucky after it received $30 million in subsidies from the government there. It is now investing $400 million in a new factory, using an innovative technology that can increase the life of the battery, dramatically enhance power and also make it work at high temperatures. EnerBlu touts it as the ideal solution for India, saying it is close to signing up a leading automobile company for a joint venture. If EnerBlu sets up a plant in India, the batteries would be not the usual LiB. It is making what is known as a lithium titanium oxide battery, which uses titanium oxide instead of graphite as the negative electrode. Such a battery can provide higher power and last longer. Its manufacturing had been expensive, but EnerBlu has supposedly developed a process which makes it cheaper. Others are exploring alternative battery chemistry. Delta, for example, is bringing what is known as the NMC battery, which uses nickel, manganese and cobalt in the positive electrode. Ravin Group is investigating the benefits of lithium ion as well as sodium ion batteries. LiB is the most compact possible, but sodium ion batteries have their uses in spite of their bulk. The government has been funding research in sodium batteries in some institutions because sodium is widely available in India. For a long time, there had been a question mark on availability of lithium, as known lithium deposits are concentrated in few countries. The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) achieved $200 per kWh for LiB and expects mass production to further lower costs.

IMPORT MATHS But not everyone is convinced yet. In fact, some automobile industry leaders have even questioned the wisdom of going ahead full steam on electric vehicles because India would then be dependent on lithium imports in large amounts. Vikram Kirloskar, vice-chairman, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, believes the choice is between dealing with the Arabs or Chinese, as India may only end up shifting dependence from oil to lithium in its imports. Battery manufacturers and some analysts provide a more nuanced view. “It is a misconception that lithium will not be available,” says Rahul Walawalkar, head of emerging technologies and markets at Customised Energy Solutions, a US company.Lithium deposits

have not been fully explored. “I will be very surprised if India does not have lithium deposits,” says Walawalkar. Some countries are reluctant to reveal the size of their deposits because lithium is considered a material useful for nuclear fusion.

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AROUND THE WORLD, HOWEVER, THERE IS A RACE TO SECURE THE AVAILABILITY OF LITHIUM. China has taken the lead in this regard, forming partnerships and buying mines, despite the domestic availability of large lithium deposits. India has been a slow starter, but is now exploring ways of signing agreements with South American countries that have large lithium deposits.

“The International Solar Alliance is a golden opportunity for India,” says Mridula Dixit Bharadwaj, principal scientist of the Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy, a think tank. “We scanned 61 countries that have signed the agreement,” says Bharadwaj, “and there are many potential partners.”

THE NEW GREAT GAME Lithium has an advantage over oil in one aspect. Once the battery industry picks up in size, lithium can be recy“Europe doesn’t cled. Industry leaders cite this want to fall into as a big advantage.India’s the China trap,” oil imports bill in 2017-18 is says Sunil Jain, expected to be $90 billion chief executive, and analysts see it slowly risHero Future ing to around $160 billion by Energies. 2030. If India switches to full electric and sets up manufacturing, importing only the raw material, the imports bill is not likely to exceed $60 billion by 2030. Oil imports increase steadily, while lithium imports decrease as recycling picks up. “There is no one-to-one

comparison between lithium and oil,” says Chetan Maini, founder, Sun Mobility. China, the US and European nations are working hard to

provide incentives to battery manufacturers. EnerBlu made a move from one US state to another for a considerable incentive. China is going all out to be world leader in EVs.Early this year, the UK started giving research & development (R&D) grants from a £65-million fund to battery manufacturers.Europe is forming a consortium like Airbus to make its industry globally competitive.

INDIAN MANUFACTURERS EXPECT SIMILAR POLICIES. Maini thinks manufacturing will pick up in three stages. Assembly with imported cells will start in 24 months, with 45% potential for value addition. Cell manufacture can start in 24-48 months, with about 75% value addition potential. In the final phase, Indian companies can begin processing raw material, with value addition as high as 85%. With deep R&D, India can even find materials for batteries with nearly 100% value capture. Over to the Niti Aayog then, to charge things up.z

May 2018

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

lobal solar photovoltaic (PV) demand is forecast to hit another annual record of 113 gigawatts in 2018, propelled by strong demand anticipated in China. According to business information provider IHS Markit (Nasdaq: INFO), burgeoning demand from the Chinese market is expected to persevere on the back of continuing policy support, a successful transition from a market that had been dominated by large ground-mount projects and strong momentum in the distributed-PV (DPV) sector. In particular, the fourth quarter of 2018 — with 34 gigawatts of new PV installations — will be the largest quarter in history.

Global Solar PV Demand Is Forecast to Reach Record 113 GW in 2018, IHS Markit Says Strong demand from the Chinese market is expected to persevere According to the latest edition of the new PV Installations Tracker, global solar installations will grow by 19 percent in 2018, similar to the 20 percent yearover-year growth in 2017. At this rate of installation, module availability will once again be the limiting factor, and prices may limit investment returns on solar projects already under contract to sell electricity at low prices. Stable module prices are expected throughout the year, which is a direct result of continued high demand.

“Demand is not only picking up in China, but also in India, where developers want to secure modules before any additional tariffs are introduced,” Zoco said. “The United States continues to import modules, despite the latest import tariffs. In emerging markets, countries like Egypt, Brazil and Mexico have large PV projects requiring modules in 2018. Several projects that were postponed in 2017, due to high module prices, will need to be installed this year.”

China will once again dominate global PV demand, reaching 53 gigawatts with an upside potential of 60 gigawatts in 2018, and comprising almost half (47 percent) of the total market. “Demand in China will once again shape the global PV market,” Zoco said. “This year China will have feed-in tariff deadlines in the second and fourth quarters, which will create two sharp installation peaks.” Outside of China, India is forecast to overtake the United States as the second largest PV market. Even if project profitability remains highly sensitive to module pricing, the fear of possible future import tariffs is likely to drive developers to complete installations in 2018. Emerging solar markets Mexico and Egypt will make up 1.8 percent and 1.3 percent of the solar market, respectively, replacing South Korea and the United Kingdom in the ranking of the 10 largest PV markets, in terms of annual PV installations.

“This latest forecast is close to the global polysilicon limit manufacturers can supply,” said Edurne Zoco, research and analysis director for IHS Markit. “Tight supply and stable prices will continue throughout the year. Our forecast assumes manufacturers can further ramp up production, to meet demand, in the second half of the year.”

May 2018

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May 2018

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May 2018