EQ Magazine September 2018 Part D by EQ Int'l Solar Media Group

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

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CONT EN T

VOLUME 10 Issue # 9

ELECTRIC VEHICLES Hanergy joins hand with Bollore Group to build solar electric vehicles

64 ENERGY STORAGE

ADDING ENERGY Storage With A Cost-Effective DC-TO-DC Converter Will Maximize...

40 SAFEGUARD DUTY

Safeguard Duty On Solar Cells

72 PV MANUFACTURING

PERC: Critical Measurement Requirements For...

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.

September -Part D 2018

INDIA

ISA a forum to share experiences, technology: V.K. Singh

MNRE seeks exemption from safeguard duty for current solar power ...

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INTERVIEW

WITH MR. Sunil Rathi

Director, Waaree Energies

INTERVIEW

WITH Mr.CHINTAN PATEL

MD-topsun energy

INTERVIEW

WITH MR. VASAN RAMASUBRAMANIYAM

MD, CEO of Prettl India

INTERVIEW

WITH Mr.Saurabh Bhandari

Founder & CEO, Solar Maxx

45 22

INTERVIEW

WITH Mr.JIANFEI LI

Vice President/CTO, Sineng Solar

INTERVIEW

WITH Mr.RAVISHANKAR TUMUluri

Managing Partner,Think Energy

DISTRIBUTED SOLAR

Alia Bhatt Helps Light Up 40 Houses In Karnataka With Solar Energy

INTERVIEW

WITH MR. SUNIL BADESRA

Business Leader, Sungrow India

Director-Saatvik Green Energy

EQ NEWS Pg. 07-32

DISTRIBUTED SOLAR

INDIA

Innovative RESCO tender attracts 31+ domestic and international bidders ...

Nationwide ‘State Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index’ ...

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INTERVIEW

WITH MR. NEELESH GARG

PRODUCTS Pg. 76-77

September -Part D 2018

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September -Part D 2018

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INDIA

Govt to invite bids for 25,000 MW solar project in Ladakh The government will soon invite bids for setting up a 25,000-megawatt (MW) solar project in Ladakh, Power Minister RK Singh said

PM Modi asks officials to ensure solar energy benefits reach farmers he high altitude Himalayan region has a huge potential for solar power generation, Singh said during a meeting of policymakers and business leaders on finding sustainable development solutions organised by the Niti Aayog. Power from the project will be delivered to Una in Himachal Pradesh. The government took a decisive step towards accelerating investments in the green economy with the Niti Aayog roping in industrial houses to find technology and business opportunities that will serve India’s rapid urbanisation drive. The Niti Aayog, along with the Confederation of Indian Industry, will find ways of saving water and cutting down carbon emissions, which could also be exported to other economies facing rapid urbanisation.

Niti Aayog Chief Executive Officer Amitabh Kant said the ownership of technology resulting from the joint effort has to rest with the private sector. “The government will be a facilitator in this mission. We look forward to taking this forward.” Unlike the West which used low-cost energy, India does not have the luxury of cheap fuel, Kant said. He also made a strong case for electric-and hydrogenfuelled cars, and said the local solutions found by Indian businesses would be implemented globally as well. “We make a local solution and it will have a market of over seven billion people in the world, who move from poverty to middle class,” Kant said. India is vigorously pursuing cleaner energy and sustainable development Source: livemint goals.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the progress of key infrastructure sectors of power, renewable energy, petroleum and natural gas, coal, and mining. The two-hour-long review meeting was attended by top officials from infrastructure-related Ministries, NITI Aayog, and Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), read a statement.

n a presentation made by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, it was noted that the installed power generation capacity in India has risen to 344 GigaWatts. India’s energy deficit, which stood at over four percent in 2014, has shrunk to less than one per cent in 2018. Significant capacity additions have been made in transmission lines, transformer capacity, and inter-regional transmission. Prime Minister Modi urged the officials to work towards ensuring that the benefits from an increase in solar energy capacity reach the farmers through appropriate interventions such as solar pumps and user-friendly solar cooking solutions. Comparing to its earlier rank of 99 in 2014, India now ranks 26th in the World Bank’s “Ease of Getting Electricity” Index

Progress in household electrification under the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana – ‘Saubhagya’, was also reviewed in the meeting. Further, there were discussions on last mile connectivity and distribution, in both urban and rural areas. In the new and renewable energy sector, cumulative installed capacity has nearly doubled, from 35.5 GigaWatts in 2013-14, to about 70 GigaWatts in 2017-18. Meanwhile, in solar energy, installed capacity has increased from 2.6 GigaWatts to 22 GigaWatts in the same period. In the meeting, officials expressed confidence that India is on track to comfortably achieve the Prime Minister Modi’s target of 175 GigaWatts renewable energy capacity by 2022. In the petroleum and natural gas sector, it was noted that targets set under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana will be comfortably achieved in the current financial year. In the coal sector, discussions focused on further augmentation of production capacity. Source: ANI

September -Part D 2018

INDIA

ISA a forum to share experiences, technology: V.K. Singh Declaring that India is ready to help countries meet their energy needs, Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh said that the India-initiated International Solar Alliance (ISA) can act as a forum for sharing experiences and technology.

India to comfortably achieve 100 GW solar energy target by 2022: Govt India is all set to comfortably achieve 100 GW of solar energy capacity by 2022 and has already installed solar capacity of 23.12 GW till July this year, Parliament was informed. The data regarding generation of power from various renewable energy projects is consolidated by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA). “The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has planned a detailed trajectory so as to meet the target of 100 GW by 2022. A capacity of 23.12 GW was already installed up to July 2018. Projects of around 10 GW are under implementation and tenders for additional 24.4 GW have been issued,” Power and New and Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha. The country is on track to comfortably achieve the target of 100 GW of solar capacity by 2022,” he added. The minister said solar power projects require around 4 to 5 acres of land per MW and the MNRE monitors the development of upcoming and commissioned renewable energy projects with implementing agencies like Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), state nodal agencies and state governments/UT administrations through regular meetings, video-conferences and on the site visits. Karnataka topped the installed solar energy capacity chart at 5.16 GW followed by Telangana at 3.4GW and Andhra Pradesh at 2.56 GW as on July 31, 2017, the minister noted. In another reply to the House, the minister said the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) has assessed the solar power potential of the country at 748 GW. Solar energy output in the country was 25.87 billion units in 2017-18, which was higher than 13.49 billion units in 2016-17, 7.44 billion units in 2015-16 and 4.59 billion units in 2014-15, it stated. Source: PTI

September -Part D 2018

Speaking at a business outreach programme for solar projects under India’s lines of credit (LoCs), Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh said that countries between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn have great potential for solar energy. “From being an idea and a dream, the ISA has now become a reality,” he said.

aunched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then French President Francois Hollande at the Paris climate summit in 2015, ISA was conceived as a coalition of solar resource-rich countries to address their special energy needs and provide a platform to collaborate on dealing with the identified gaps through a common, agreed approach. It is open to all 121 prospective member countries falling between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. Singh said that till now 68 nations have become signatories to the ISA of which 40 have ratified the framework agreement. Observing that solar energy has improved by leaps and bounds, he said that India has targeted 175 GW of renewable energy of which 100 GW is solar energy. “We have already attained 20 GW of solar energy,” the Minister said. Pointing out that solar energy technology has not yet reached its peak, he said: “ISA provides a forum where we all can share our experiences and technology related to solar energy. From our side, we are ensuring that countries can take our help to meet their energy needs.” Singh also said that India has extended 262 concessional LoCs totalling around $25.7 billion for solar projects in 61 countries in Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean region. Source: IANS

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September -Part D 2018

INDIA

MNRE seeks exemption from safeguard duty for current solar power projects The ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) has urged the finance ministry to exempt solar power projects under implementation from 25% safeguard duty imposed on imported solar equipment We have requested the finance ministry to exempt projects that have already been awarded or were at the implementation stage before July 30, MNRE secretary Anand Kumar told ET. The duty came into effect on July 30.

olar power developers had voiced their concerns about raising additional capital in a recent meeting with MNRE officials, saying they did not factor in safeguard duty while bidding for projects, officials said. With tender activity having picked up significantly in the second half of 2017, solar projects of around 13,000 MW capacity are estimated to be under construction as on July 30, according to renewable energy consultancy firm Bridge to India, including all the recently concluded solar auctions. The finance ministry has notified Directorate General of Trade Remedies’ recommendation to implement 25% safeguard duty on solar panels imported from China and Malaysia for one year. The quantum of duty would reduce to 20% in the next six months, and then to 15% for the following six. While the duty seeks to protect the domestic solar manufacturing industry currently facing the onslaught of cheap imports, project developers have maintained that the duty would increase solar power tariffs by around 40 paise per unit. Almost 90% of solar equipment used in India is imported with 85% of it coming from China. “Project developers are finding it difficult to raise additional costs for the modules,” MNRE’s Kumar said. “In case the pass through is resorted to, it will create logging of the capital.”

While the government has already allowed developers to pass on the additional costs to distribution companies, resorting to the measure is a cumbersome process, officials and industry experts say. “Developers will have to approach Central Electricity Regulatory Commission for availing pass through. The process usually takes around a year and a half,” said an official who requested not to be named.

Vinay Rustagi, managing director at Bridge to India, said even if developers approach the regulator for having a tariff hike approved, the whole process of availing a pass through will involve a lot of back and forth between the regulator, distribution companies and the developers. “The discom, until the end, will keep resisting the extra tariff even if the regulator rules in favour of the developers,” Rustagi said. “In this case, exemption of projects is the fairest solution. Typically in safeguard duty, no exemption like this is given. The question is whether the ministry of finance is sympathetic to this request.” Even as the prices of modules have fallen sharply in the past five months, developers cannot be deprived of the benefit resulting from it, Rustagi said. An executive at a leading independent power producer (IPP) said, “The falling module prices do not really add up as developers are already facing other risks, whether it is in terms of the cost of borrowing, or currency fluctuation.” Source: economictimes.indiatimes

September -Part D 2018

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INDIA

35 developers express interest in country’s first offshore wind energy project The project with a capacity to produce 1,000 megawatt has been planned off the coast of Pipavav port in Gujarat The project is being developed jointly by Central Ministry of New and Renewable Energy(MNRE) and Gujarat government, said Raj Gopal, Principal Secretary, Gujarat Energy and Petrochemicals department, while talking to reporters on the sidelines of ‘Solar Conclave 2018’, organised by Gujarat chapter of CII and Dholera Industrial City Development Ltd.

s many as 35 national and international developers have expressed interest in the country’s first offshore wind energy project, and the process of inviting Request For Proposal (RFP) should take place next month, according to senior officials. As many as 35 national and international developers have shown interest in that project while responding to the call for ‘Expression of Interest’ by the MNRE recently. The process of inviting Request For Proposal (RFP) should take place next month, Gopal added. He said that offshore wind projects allow the developers to install larger capacity wind turbines, which is not possible in the onshore projects due to the transportation constraints. “On land, we can’t put wind turbines larger than 2 MW capacity, mainly because the parts becomes huge as the capacity increase and it is not possible to transport them by road,” he said. “That is the reason why all the high capacity wind mills are installed offshore, as sea route allows easy transportation of such huge machines,” he added. The senior official also hinted at the introduction of a new land allotment policy soon by the Gujarat government to reduce cost of energy generation through solar and wind.

“Both solar and wind projects are land intensive. Our idea is to give government land on lease to the developers at a reasonable rate. This will significantly bring down the investment cost for private players, as they have to just give rent,” said Gopal, adding that the policy will be out soon.

Source: PTI

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September -Part D 2018

INDIA

YES BANK LAUNCHES YES SCALE: CLEANTECH TO SCALE UP STARTUPS IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY, WASTE MANAGEMENT & WATER MANAGEMENT On the occasion, YES BANK, together with YES Global InstiAccelerator is a part of YES BANK’s multi-sector accelerator program - YES SCALE (focused on Smart City Tech, CleanTech, AgriTech, Lifesciences Tech & EduTech) Cleantech Accelerator being launched in association with Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and key industry partners Accelerator to scale startups on energy efficiency, waste management & water management and take them to market in just 15 weeks. The program will provide pilot grant of INR 20 lakhs, in addition to mentorship and technology startup Demo presentations by finalists of Renewable Energy Startup Awards – institutionalized by MNRE & supported by YES BANK & IIMA-CIIE Unveiling of Knowledge Reports on Electric Vehicles & Renewable Energy landscape

YES BANK, India’s fourth largest private sector bank, launched YES SCALE: Cleantech Accelerator, as part of its multi-sector start-up accelerator YES SCALE (Smart City, Clean Tech, Agritech, Lifesciences Tech, Edu Tech). YES SCALE: Cleantech Accelerator will focus on scaling up startups working on energy efficiency, waste management and water management – paving the way for a cleaner future.

ES SCALE platform will provide affiliated startups with access to technology, mentorship, funding and commercialization. Affiliated startups will have access to funding of USD 1 mn through various investment partners and will be one of the few global programs to provide zero equity grant of up to INR 20 lakhs for pilot or proof of concept. The Accelerator was launched at the YES BANK Annual Cleantech Conference 2018 by Shri Praveen Kumar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy. The event also witnessed Demo Presentations by finalists of Renewable Energy Startup Awards – institutionalized by MNRE & supported by YES BANK & IIMA-CIIE. Final winners will be felicitated at MNRE event, later this year. The start-up pitches included innovative solutions on smart design, smart analytics & network intelligence capabilities, IoT & blockchain based solutions, water management & operational intelligence for wind turbines & solar plants.

September -Part D 2018

tute unveiled 2 knowledge publications titled ‘Electric Vehicles: The Colour is Green’ and Renewable Energy: India’s Energy Game Changer’. The former highlights a roadmap for successful transition to Electric Vehicles by establishing electric mobility infrastructure, fiscal incentives, robust market linkages and a strong regulatory framework. The Renewable Energy report underscores the potential, current trends and roadmap to drive the next wave of growth in the sector.

Speaking on the occasion, Rana Kapoor, MD & CEO, YES BANK and Chairman, YES Global Institute said, “With YES SCALE, we will replicate this model across YES BANK's focus sectors like Smart Cities, Agriculture, Clean Energy, Education and Healthcare, to build deep interventions jointly with our corporate clients. This is fully in line with the Bank's vision since inception - which was to cater to the 'sunrise sectors of India's economy' using knowledge banking to deliver impactful ecosystem solutions.”

Shri Praveen Kumar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy said, “Renewable Energy has been recognized as the most important weapon for clean environment. While setting the target to generate 175 GW by 2022, Govt. took a leap of faith which has been responsible for the tremendous growth in the sector. India looks well on course towards achieving the target. If industry and academia come together, solar tariffs could down even further.” The event witnessed participation from Mr. Manoj Kohli, Executive Chairman, SB energy; Prof. V. Ramgopal Rao, Director, IIT Delhi; Mr. Rakesh Kumar, Programme Director & Sr. Consultant, International Solar Alliance; and Mr. Alipt Sharma, Principal, Global Environment Fund.

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September -Part D 2018

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INDIA

Nationwide ‘State Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index’ released; Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab, and Rajasthan emerge as ‘Front Runner’ states As part of its commitment to create awareness about energy efficiency as a resource and also to develop an action plan for energy conservation initiatives, Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) and Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE), today released the ‘State Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index’, which assesses state policies and programmes aimed at improving energy efficiency across various sectors.

he nationwide Index, which is a joint effort of the NITI Aayog and BEE, was launched by Mr. A.K. Bhalla, Secretary, Ministry of Power; Dr Ajay Mathur, DG, TER Iin the presence of senior officials from the Ministry and BEE. The dignitaries also released a set of Energy Conversation Guidelines for energy intensive industries that are covered under the Government’s Perform Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme. Developed by the BEE, these will serve as a standard reference document for energy intensive industries and help them achieve high operational efficiency of energy consuming utilities thereby improving their energy performance.

In his inaugural address of the event, Secretary, Ministry of Power, Shri A.K. Bhalla, said,“Efficient use of energy is the fastest, cheapest and cleanest way to meet India’s rising energy demand and power the nation’s growth. The State Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index will help in implementing national energy efficiency initiatives in states and meet both State as well as national goals on energy security, energy access and climate change.” The State Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index has 63 indicators across Building, Industry, Municipality, Transport, Agriculture and DISCOM with 4 cross-cutting indicators. States are categorised based on their efforts and achievements towards energy efficiency implementation, as ‘Front Runner’, ‘Achiever’, ‘Contender’ and ‘Aspirant’. The ‘Front Runner’ states in the inaugural edition of the Index are: Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab, and Rajasthan based on available data.

September -Part D 2018

The Index examines states’ policies and regulations, financing mechanisms, institutional capacity, adoption of energy efficiency measures and energy savings achieved. The required data was collected from the concerned state departments such as DISCOMs, Urban Development Departments, etc., with the help of State Designated Agencies (SDAs) nominated by the BEE. Apart from the data furnished by SDAs, the AEEE also collected information from various central government sources such as: Central Electricity Authority (CEA) General Review; Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) annual report on the performance of State Road Transport Undertakings (SRTU); BEE programme implementation reports; Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA), Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE); and Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL).

Energy conservation guidelines for energy intensive industries Bureau under the aegis of Ministry of Power is implementing many initiatives for energy efficiency in the energy intensive industries. Perform Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme is a flagship scheme of Government of India to improve energy efficiency of large energy consuming industries. As a part of Indo-Japan Energy Dialogue, Energy Conservation Centre of Japan (ECCJ) and Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)have developed Energy Conservation Guidelines for energy intensive industries covering both large as well as MSMEs. These guidelines will enable the industries to establish a systematic mechanism to improve the energy efficiency for major energy consuming utilities. These guidelines would serve a ready reference of standard and target benchmarked energy performance values for major energy consuming equipment which will improve the overall energy performance of the industry. Source: pib.nic.in

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INDIA

Spot power price up 39% to Rs 3.46 per unit in July According to the NLDC (National Load Dispatch Centre) statistics the all India peak demand touched 168 GW on July 10, 2018, about 1 percent decline over the previous month.

verage spot price of power increased 39 percent to Rs 3.46 per unit in July over a year ago at Indian Energy Exchange (IEX). The price however declined 7 percent sequentially compared to Rs 3.73 per unit rate in June this year.

“The average Market Clearing Price (MCP) discovered at Rs 3.46 per unit (in July) registered 7 percent decline over 3.73 per unit price in June 2018 and 39 percent increase over Rs 2.49 per unit in same month last year,” an IEX statement said.

It said ‘One Nation, One Price’ was realised for 21 days last month. The day-ahead market (DAM) experienced minor transmission congestion of 6 percent mainly in import of power towards northern region.

Besides, two solar generators of up to 6.5 MW sold 0.55 MU (million units) in the DAM. On daily average basis 659 participants traded in the DAM during the month. According to the NLDC (National Load Dispatch Centre) statistics the all India peak demand touched 168 GW on July 10, 2018, about 1 percent decline over the previous month. The electricity market at IEX Term ahead-market (TAM) and DAM combined traded 4,148 MU last month vis-à-vis 5,053 MU in June, and 3,729 MU in July last year.

Good monsoon rains dampened the power demand as well as prices in July this year vis-à-vis the preceding month. The DAM traded at 4,028 MU in July registering a decline of 19 percent over 4,965 MU in June, and 10 percent increase over 3,669 MU in July 2017, it added. On a daily average basis about 130 MU were traded during the month with average daily sell bids at 237 MU and average daily buy bids at 161 MU, it said. Source: PTI

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September -Part D 2018

INDIA

Cost of generation of solar power The cost of generating solar power depends, inter alia, upon intensity of radiation, size of the solar plant, cost of financing, etc. The tariff for solar power is now being determined largely through tendering process. For installation of rooftop solar PV projects, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has worked out benchmark cost as follows: Upto 10 kWp : Rs. 60,000/- per kW 10 kWp – 100 kWp : Rs. 55,000/- per kW 100 – 500 kWp : Rs. 53,000/- per kW

he Ministry of New & Renewable Energy is implementing Grid Connected Rooftop and Small Solar Power Plants Programme, wherein, Central Financial Assistance (CFA) is being provided for installation of rooftop solar PV plants in residential, institutional and social sectors. The CFA is upto 30% of the cost arrived through tender process or the benchmark cost prescribed by MNRE, whichever is less, in case of general category states/UTs and upto 70% in case of special category states/UTs. This information was provided by Shri R.K. Singh, Union Minister of State (IC) Power and New & Renewable Energy in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha.

Niti Aayog suggests single ministry for energy sector: Official Niti Aayog has mooted a proposal to set up an all-powerful umbrella ministry for the energy sector to deal with sectors like petroleum, power, renewable and coal, a top government official said.

he proposal which has been incorporated in the draft National Energy Policy 2030 seeks to ensure better coordination of energy related sectors which currently are looked after by different ministers. The draft was made public last year.

“After inter-ministerial consultations, the policy would be taken up by the Cabinet,” the official told PTI.

Presently, Coal Ministry is looked after by Piyush Goyal, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is headed by Dharmendra Pradhan and Ministry of Power headed by R K Singh. According to the National Energy Policy, which has been in the works since 2015, India’s energy demand is likely to soar around three times by 2040, leading to increase in overall primary energy imports. It had also made a case for a single regulator to govern India’s energy market to make ‘India’s economy energy ready’ by the year 2040.

Source: PTI

September -Part D 2018

Electricity to farmers through renewable energy sources The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) is providing subsidy up to 30% of the benchmark cost of the solar water pumps to the farmers under Off-grid and Decentralized Solar PV Applications Programme. Till date over 1.85 lakh solar water pumps have been reported installed in the country under the Programme.

he Ministry of New & Renewable Energy provides financial support to various R&D/academic institutions for research in the field of solar, wind, biogas, biofuel, storage, etc. for technology development and demonstration leading to commercialization. A comprehensive policy and guidelines for research, development and demonstration (RD&D) for new and renewable energy sector are in place. Under these guidelines Central Financial assistance up to 50% of the project cost can be provided for the projects that involve partnership with industry / civil society. However, for proposals from academic institutions, Government/non-profit research organizations and NGOs, financial assistance up to total project cost can be provided. MNRE sanctioned 112 R&D Projects to various R&D/Academic institutions, industries, etc. with total financial support of Rs. 523.43 crore in renewable energy sector in the country during the 12th Plan Period. This information was provided by Shri R.K. Singh, Union Minister of State (IC) Power and New & Renewable Energy in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha.

Climate Change Finance Unit The functions of Climate Change Finance Unit are to prepare chapter on Climate Change and Sustainable Development for the Economic Survey; to serve as the nodal point on all Climate Change Finance matters in the Ministry of Finance, to participate in the discourse on climate finance issues in the multilateral climate change regime and other international fora such as G20; and provide analytical inputs for the National Climate Policy Framework.

he Climate Change Finance Unit does not implement programmes/schemes directly. However, as the nodal point for Climate Change Finance matters in the Ministry of Finance, Climate Change Finance Unit has been representing the Government of India in various international fora including negotiations at the Annual Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and G-20 forum. The Unit has also been providing analytical inputs on climate finance for National Climate Policy Framework. This was stated by Shri Pon Radhakrishnan, Minister of State for Finance in a Written Reply to a Question in Rajya Sabha. Source: pib.nic.in

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September -Part D 2018

19Â

distributed SOLAR

TERI powers over 50,000 households in rural Bihar with clean energy India has evolved from being a power-deficit country to having surplus power. Further, the Central government’s Saubhagya scheme is working towards ensuring full village electrification by 2019. Public-private partnerships (PPP) can help realise that vision by plugging the gaps in the power-supply chain and providing clean, reliable, and affordable energy through distributed renewable energy (DRE).

n line with this, and under its Lighting a Billion Lives (LaBL) campaign, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has built a partnership with Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society’s (BRLPS) JEEViKA programme through an innovative institutional model to make clean energy products affordable to local women-based Self Help Groups (SHGs). Till date, the programme has benefitted over 50,000 households across Bihar by providing access to Solar Home Lighting Systems (SHLS) and clean cookstoves. The programme aims to complement the government’s vision of enriching rural livelihoods by providing reliable electricity to every household. Under this PPP model, 60 per cent of the funds are tapped from the savings of the SHGs of the JEEViKA programme, and the remaining 40 per cent mobilised by TERI through grants and CSR funds. The programme beneficiaries – located across Gaya, Khagariya, Madhubani, Purnia and West Champaran districts – suffer from erratic grid power supply. In Purnia alone, 28, 261 households benefitted from the programme. TERI’s efforts not only helped upgrade the cooking and lighting systems of the communities, they also enhanced education and good health. Additionally, the programme also helped improve the livelihood opportunities through small enterprises such as weaving, sewing, vending, etc., made possible due to the additional hours of lighting in the evening brought about by solar products.

Shri Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Hon’ble Minister for Energy, Govt. of Bihar, said at the regional conference on ‘Accelerating Rural development through Enhancing Energy Access’ organised by TERI, in association with JEEViKA, “Surveys show Bihar has high potential for non-conventional energy. We need new thinking and new approaches for this. There should be a survey on how we can generate solar power even in flood-prone areas of Bihar, and find out future possibilities that are realistic, keeping geographical considerations in mind.“

Speaking at the press briefing, Dr Ajay Mathur, Director General, TERI, said, “The TERI-JEEViKA project demonstrates that a strong decentralised model, which brings together the state government agency, local communities and the private sector, can plug the energy gap that exists even in grid-connected villages. Distributed renewable energy, combined with the grid, provides reliable and quality electricity supply to rural communities, while also providing voltage stability at the end of the grid.“ The TERI-JEEViKA programme in Bihar operates on an entrepreneurial model of energy service delivery in which TERI has trained and mentored around 20 energy entrepreneurs who procure the solar home systems and clean cookstoves from accredited manufacturers, install them at house-holds, and ensure maintenance with the support of a network of around 300 solar technicians. After-sales services and complaint redressal are managed through a centralised call centre and a WhatsApp-based service connecting consumers to local technicians in their areas. With the success of this programme, similar grid-connected plus distributed RE solutions can be replicated in other states to provide energy security to underserved rural households. TERI initiated Lighting a Billion Lives (LaBL) campaign in 2008 with the objective to replace the use of kerosene with solar energy and engage local entrepreneurs for efficient and reliable energy delivery. The campaign also addresses the major issue of indoor air pollution by promoting clean energy devices. The use of kerosene oil for lighting and traditional stoves for cooking causes indoor air pollution, which affects the health of poor families, especially women and children. While the UK government’s Department for International Development (DFID) provided a grant to support the TERI-JEEViKA programme, corporates such as Power Finance Corporation (PFC), Agriculture Insurance Company (AIC) of India Limited, etc. have also provided funding under their Corporate Social Responsibility. Source: teriin.org

September -Part D 2018

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INDIA

Policy for RD&D in green energy sector in place: Power Minister In a written reply to a question in the Lower House, Minister of State for Power and New & Renewable Energy R K Singh said under these guidelines central financial assistance up to 50 per cent of the project cost can be provided for the projects that involve partnership with industry and civil society.

A comprehensive policy and guidelines for research, development and demon stration (RD&D) for new and renewable energy sector are in place, the Lok Sabha was informed .

However, for proposals from academic institutions, government, non-profit research organisations and NGOs, financial assistance up to total project cost can be provided, Mr Singh said. the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) is providing subsidy up to 30 per cent of the benchmark cost of the solar water pumps to the farmers under Off-grid and Decentralized Solar PV Applications Programme. Source: UNI

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September -Part D 2018

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Seci favours lowest bid in recent solar auctions, cancels rest The nodal agency for National Solar Mission, Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has canceled mostly all but the lowest bid project in its mega solar auctions held in July.

India’s import dependence for solar equipment over 90 per cent in last 3 fiscal years India’s import dependence for meeting its solar equipment demand was more than 90 per cent in past three financial years, Parliament was informed As per the Report dated July 16, 2018, from Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), the quantum of imported solar cells/ modules is around 90 per cent,” Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. According to the reply, India met 92.11 per cent requirement of its solar equipment through imports in 2017-18 while the proportion was 91.57 per cent and 95.31 per cent in 2016-17 and 2015-16 respectively. Referring to the report, the minister further said, “imports of solar cells/ modules PUC are taking place at very low prices resulting in drop in sales realisation of domestic industry thereby hampering the domestic industry’s ability to compete and make and sell the solar cells/ modules. However, this report has not commented on the issue of dumping.” The value of solar cells/photovoltaic cells whether or not assembled in module/panel, imported from China jumped to USD 3.41 billion in 2017-18 from USD 596.73 million in 2013-14, the minister informed. The minster also told the House that the DGTR in its report has recommended imposition of safeguard duty on imports of solar cells/ modules into India for a period of two years which would be 25 per cent ad valorem in first year, 20 per cent ad valorem in the first half of second year and 15 per cent ad valorem subsequently. The minster also said that the DGTR in its report has noted that levy of Safeguard duty would not only lead to mitigation of serious injury to the domestic solar cell/ module manufacturers but would also improve viability of the upstream and downstream industry associated in the value chain of the manufacturing of solar cells /modules. In a separate reply to the House on domestic component policy, the minister said, “In few schemes under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), a provision of Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) of solar cells and modules was made with an aim to promote local industry.” He further said,”The United States of America (USA) represented against India on this policy of DCR in World Trade Organization (WTO). India lost the case. The Government appealed against the decision, which was also not considered favourably by the Appellate Body (AB) of WTO. Accordingly, provision of DCR has been stopped.” Source: PTI

September -Part D 2018

he decision to cancel 2400 MW solar capacity out of 3000 MW came to light at a meeting of developers with government officials and SECI on August 1st, 2018. Out of all the tenders, only ACME solar won 600 MW for quoting INR 2.44/unit. The government felt all the other bids were too expensive and not competitive enough. Among the canceled projects were 1100 MW by SB energy (a Joint Venture between Japan’s Softbank, Taiwan’s Foxconn & Bharti Airtel), 500 MW by Renew Power, both of which quoted INR 2.71/unit and lastly 300 MW each by Mahindra solar and Mahoba solar (Adani group) who quoted INR 2.64/unit. The developers felt that if they quoted below INR 2.71/unit, it would be not feasible for them to sustain. Recently an auction in Uttar Pradesh was also canceled for 1,000 MW without stating any reasons. Post the Safeguard duty implementations, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has also requested the Finance Ministry to exempt the ongoing solar power projects from the 25% safeguard duty imposed on imported solar equipment. The developers showed their concern over the increase in capital of the projects. While the duty seeks to protect the domestic solar manufacturing industry, project developers have mentioned that the duty would increase solar power tariffs. Looking at the trend of the competitive tariff over the past years, tariff prices have dropped drastically, and the developers have gone weary of the ongoing trend and believe that they won’t be able to sustain the long-term agreement. However, the government is of the opinion that the tariff is too high and not competitive enough yet. Source: reconnectenergy

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September -Part D 2018

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Gujarat BSF out-posts to use solar energy to fight electricity crisis Alia Bhatt Helps Light Up 40 Houses In Karnataka With Solar Energy When she entered the industry with Karan Johar’s Student of The Year, much was said about how Bollywood promotes family over talent. With time, however, Alia Bhatt has proved her mettle as an artist, thanks to films like Highway, Udta Punjab and Raazi. After helping Aamir Khan’s Paani Foundation, Alia has now shown everyone that she also has a heart of gold with a new project to help brighten up villages with solar lights.

i Wardrobe is Su Wardrobe,a campaign Alia Bhatt launched earlier this year at the Stylecracker Night Market, enables fans to buy handpicked favourites from her personal closet, for charity. Recently, the proceeds from this first wardrobe were used to light up homes of 40 families in Kikkeri village of the Mandya district of Karnataka, through the Liter Of Light program which is run by Bengaluru based organisation, AROHA. Through this program AROHA recycles plastic bottles to provide solar lamps to economically backward communities that have limited or no access to electricity.

Speaking about the project, Alia said, “So many families in India continue to live in darkness and Liter of Light’s eco-friendly solar lamps are an innovative and sustainable way to light up homes. They work with local communities, using locally sourced materials to assemble and install the lamps, thus empowering the community and improving the quality of life. The project in Kikkeri will benefit 200 lives and through Mi Wardrobe is Su Wardrobe we plan to work with many such organisations, creating a brighter future for many more.” On the work front, Alia was recently seen in Meghna Gulzar’s Raazi in which her work was widely appreciated and the film also went ahead to become one of the top grossers of 2018. She will new be seen in Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy featuring Ranveer Singh. Alia is currently working on Ayan Mukerji’s Brahmastra which also stars rumoured boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor, Mouni Roy and Amitabh Bachchan and Kalank starring Varun Dhawan, Madhuri Dixit, Sanjay Dutt and more. Source: desimartini

September -Part D 2018

In an innovative effort to fight electricity crisis in forward areas, Gujarat Frontier of the Border Security Force (BSF) is all set to use solar energy for its out-posts located in remote border areas, where no electrification is possible till date. Union Minister of State for Home and top BSF officials confirmed that Gujarat frontier will soon set up a five mega watt solar energy plant and also separately electrify 20 Border Out Posts (BoPs) by solar energy.

“Gujarat frontier BSF has given me a proposal about the solar power project. It will come up soon,” Haribhai Chaudhary, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs told PTI over phone. Chaudhary however did not divulged details like cost of the same project. “I can only tell about the cost aspects once I will reach Delhi,” the minister said. Inspector General of Gujarat Frontier of BSF Santosh Mehra said there are two projects on solarisation, one is a five megawatt solar plant in Nalabet area in border district of Banaskantha and in another project 20 BoPs will be lightened up with solar energy. In Nalabet area we are going to have about five megawatt solar plant. Some progress is there. The land has been identified and this solar plant will come up,” Mehra told PTI. “In another project, we have identified about 20 BoPs (in Banaskantha and Kutch districts),which will stand alone on solar power generation system. No electrification has taken place in these BoPS. Only source of electricity over there is generator,” he said. “Now, for generators we have to send diesel through tankers. But if the generator is not working there then there would be no electricity,” he added. BSF officials said that electricity produced from this plant will be used in various centres of BSF. The photo-voltaic system is a method of converting solar energy into direct current of electricity by using the semi-conducting materials. BSF Gujarat frontier, which consists of three sectors namely Barmer in Rajasthan, Gandhinagar and Bhuj sectors, is securing an border area of 741 kms sharing with Pakistan. And unlike other frontiers of BSF, Gujarat frontier has three distinct types of topography like desert, marshy region and creek areas, due to which electrification has not become possible. Source: PTI

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Sunsure commissions Haryana’s first Captive Open Access Solar Plant with Single-axis tracking Sunsure Energy turned on the power from a 5.5 MegaWatt Solar Power Plant in the Hissar district of Haryana Owned by Merino Panel Products Ltd. (MPPL), this is the first Captive Solar Power plant in Haryana to deliver power under the Open Access mechanism.

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PPL will draw more than 9 million units (kWh) of electricity from this plant every year for consumption in its manufacturing unit in Bahadurgarh, Haryana. Not only is this plant first of its kind in terms of the power delivery model, it is also the first to use single- axis tracking at this scale (5.5 MW) in the State of Haryana. This design enables the plant to deliver up to 15% more energy than the more common fixed-tilt plants. In a recent order, Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) has waived all transmission and distribution charges on Solar Open Access plants, thus, making this a very well timed investment for MPPL.

“In the Merino Group, we are now drawing from over 8.2 MegaWatt of installed solar plants on our rooftops as well as in open access across India. Overall, solar is now serving over 75% of our power requirement and this move has given us immense benefits. Over 90% of the power in our Bahadurgarh unit is now from our Solar plants and we wish to replicate this in our other units as well. Power costs have come down drastically and we are offsetting massive amounts of carbon from the environment. Sunsure has been the instrumental partner in this journey over the last 2 years,” said Shri CL Lohia, Chairman of the Merino Group of Companies.

Shashank Sharma, Founder & CEO of Sunsure Energy stated, “Merino Group is a true leader in harnessing Rooftop Solar power and they are now leading the Open Access movement in the State. It has been our privilege to architect this journey and hopefully Merino will soon be running on 100% Solar Energy. Haryana has a burning need for Open Access Solar. With the successful commissioning of this 5.5 MW plant and the HERC Open Access policy in place, we are flooded with inquiries from large industries of Haryana as it has become a very viable solution to secure against the ever increasing cost of power.”

September -Part D 2018

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Innovative RESCO tender attracts 31+ domestic and international bidders for 35 MWp Solar rooftop project in Madhya Pradesh. Madhya Pradesh has achieved spectacular bid results with its innovative Solar Rooftop RESCO program.

his has laid down path for fast track adoption of solar rooftops in the country. Solar rooftop sector has been struggling with issues like significant upfront cost for individual consumers and lack of enabling framework for Independent Power Producers (IPPs) to develop scalable business model. The bid results for 35 MWp Solar Rooftop tender are testimony to numerous policy, contractual and procedural innovations deployed in the RESCO program to find solutions to these gaps.

Madhya Pradeshâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s RESCO tender attracted 31 international and domestic bidders, who oversubscribed its 35+ MWp rooftop tender capacity by more than 630%. Amongst all State Government buildings, the lowest rate is for municipal bodies, which would get power at Rs. 1.69 per unit. Tariff of Rs. 1.74 per unit has been discovered for medical colleges, which is about one fourth of what they are presently paying. PowerGrid, a Central Government PSU, was also a beneficiary in the tender and has got a rate of Rs. 1.58 per unit, which is the lowest in country so far. Police establishments all over the State would enjoy power at Rs. 2.33 per unit. All government engineering colleges, ITIs and polytechnics would get power at Rs. 2.35 per unit. The lowest rate amongst private institutions have been Rs. 2.28 per unit. RESCO model facilitates the beneficiary consumer to enjoy solar power with zero upfront investment and at rates much below the prevailing DISCOM rates. The beneficiary consumer pays for the electricity as it is generated by the selected contractor, who undertakes design, supply and installation, along with comprehensive Operation & Maintenance for 25 years. The selection of the Contractor is made on the basis of the lowest tariff offered in transparent electronic bidding.

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Under this tender, 291 government colleges across the length and breadth of the State would have a total of 5399 kW of solar systems set up, ranging from a 80 kW system in Motilal Vigyan Adarsh Mahavidyalya, Bhopal to a 10 kW system in Government College in Deosar town of Singrauli district, a good 675 km away from Bhopal adjacent to Sonbhadra district in UP, and a 15kW system in Govt. Mahaveer College in Petlavad town in Jhabua, 211 km away from Bhopal adjoining Gujarat. These Government colleges would have to make no capital investment at all and would get solar power at Rs 2.21 per unit, which is one fourth of their present rate. This would lead to first year saving of Rs 3.95 crore to government colleges of the State, which can be used to improve their educational infrastructure. Similarly, Government universities in Bhopal, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Rewa, Ujjain and Sagar, as also Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya at Bhopal, Agriculture University in Jabalpur, Ambedkar University of Social Science in Indore, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University at Amarkantak and Sanskrit University in Ujjain, would have a total of 4000 kW systems with solar power at only Rs 1.91 per unit with a first year saving of Rs 2.31 crore. Medical colleges in Gwalior and Sagar would have solar systems of 1000 kW each, and Rewa would have a 1500kW solar system without any capital cost. They would get solar power at Rs 1.74 per unit at less than one-fourth of their present cost. This would lead to an annual savings of Rs. 2.10 crore to these medical colleges and a total saving of Rs 76.5 crore over project life, which can be used to address their important needs. 156 police establishments all over the State would have a total of 3458 kW of solar systems set up; they would get solar power at Rs 2.33 per unit leading to an annual saving of Rs 2.30 crore and Rs 84 crore over project life. All government engineering colleges, ITIs and polytechnics would have a total of 2168 kW of solar systems set up; they would get solar power at Rs 2.35 per unit, leading to an annual saving of Rs 1.07 crore, which could be used to strengthen them. Water pumping stations of municipal bodies of Gwalior, Devas and Balaghat would have solar systems installed with a total capacity of 5200 kW. They would get solar power at Rs 1.69 per unit leading to an annual saving of Rs 2.46 crore.

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September -Part D 2018

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Annual savings of electricity cost (Rs.)

Colleges under Dept. of Higher Educations in MP

2.21

3.95 Crore

Govt. Medical Colleges under Dept. of Medical Education

1.74

2.10 Crore

Institutions of Central Government/ National Importance

1.67

3.01 Crore

Beneficiary consumer group

Govt. Universities in MP

1.91

2.31 Crore

MP Police Establishments

2.33

2.30 Crore

Govt. Engineering/PolyTechnic/ITI Colleges in MP

2.35

1.07 Crore

Municipal Corporations/Nagar Palika Parisad in MP

1.69

2.46 Crore

Central Gov. Undertaking – PGCIL

1.58

1.31 Crore

Private entities

2.28

1.73 Crore

The RESCO project in MP is being implemented as a part of the larger Rooftop Solar Program of GoI with support from World Bank and International Solar Alliance. The idea is that the good practices of Madhya Pradesh should be replicated in other States as also ISA member-countries. The International Solar Alliance live webcast the proceedings of the pre-bid in New Delhi on their site to their 121 member countries. Earlier, the National Focal Points of ISA Member countries had visited Madhya Pradesh and showed a great interest in the rooftop program and also other solar programmes in the state.

* First year tariff will escalate at 3% per annum over 25 years project life

Numerous policy, contractual and procedural innovations and best practices were deployed and followed by MPUVN in this RESCO program, some also emanating from the learnings of the Rewa project, which has made this low tariff possible. Pre-identification of 643 project sites and grouping them into 27 project groups created the much needed market. This saved bidders from spending their energy in identifying procurers that have sufficient electricity demand and space for rooftop solar solutions. Further, it enabled good economies of scale, efficient material procurement, project execution planning and efficient financing. MPUVNL had extensively collaborated with the beneficiary consumers to obtain pre-clearance on the terms of Power Purchase Agreements, which usually comes in the way of implementation of a typical RESCO project. First time in India for the ease of doing business, unique data room is created and made accessible to the bidders to address information asymmetry. This includes information like google coordinates of the buildings, indicative Solar PV array layout superimposed on Google image and electricity consumption history. The bidders even knew the number of panels and inverters, and the length of cable needed to implement the project. This greatly reduced the risk profile of the projects and enabled more informed bid participation. This data room was developed with Technical Assistance from the World Bank. Complete contractual clarity was provided to the bidders on effecting change of law, facilitative cash flow, outcome driven project monitoring, early monetization, deemed generation, payment security, compensation on early termination, etc. The documents have an appropriate risk allocation between building-owners, RESCO developers and MPUVN. Extensive pre-bid consultations were held with the prospective bidders during the conferences held at Bhopal and Delhi. Discussions were also held with prominent lenders for enhancing bankability of project contracts. Workshops for commercial and industry consumers were conducted in four cities in MP to generate interest from private entities for solar rooftops and so as to facilitate concessional financing.

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The Hon’ble Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has stated that Madhya Pradesh plans to be in the forefront to fulfill the commitment made by the Prime Minister to the world, of having 100 GW solar by the year 2022. He recalled that 750MW project at Rewa implemented by Madhya Pradesh had been recognized the world over as a model project and had for the first time brought down the price of solar energy below grid parity. He expressed satisfaction that, even with small rooftop projects, Madhya Pradesh has breached another frontier. He said that the savings made in government colleges, medical colleges, engineering colleges, police, ITI, polytechnics, etc. would now be used for the betterment of these institutions, apart from showing a path to other States. Tender capacity oversubscribed its tender capacity by more than 630%. Tariff range quoted between Rs. 1.69 per unit and Rs. 2.35 per unit.

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Foundation Laying Ceremony of 1MW PV Solar Power Plant by Chief of Brahma Kumaris Rajyogini Dadi Janki, Chief of the Brahma Kumaris and Dadi Ishu, Joint Chief of Brahma Kumaris performed “Foundation Laying Ceremony”(Bhoomi pujan) at 1MW PV Solar plot, near India One Solar plant, near Shantivan, Abu Road. BK Lalit, C.A, BK Sudhir, BK Jaysimha, Mr Manish Kumar, Director of Samhita Technology and his other team members were present at the program.

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On this auspicious occasion Dadi Janki, gave blessings saying that Whatever God makes us do, we see that success follows dancing it. By the inspiration of Respected BK Nirwair, General Secretary of the Brahma Kumaris and BK Brijmohan 1 MW, new PV Solar Plant, was established. This was an important step on the path of Clean and Green Energy Production. It has been aimed to complete this project in just two months and supply electricity. Source: cmhglobaltimes.cmhglobal.in

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PathwaysGroup of Schools Collaborate with Godrej& Boyce for Solar Power Plants At Pathways, we strive to promote sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. We are widely accoladed as the global pioneer in setting up green educational campuses. We are the first and only school chain in the world that has been conferred with the highest accolade for environmentallyresponsible design - the Platinum certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED-EB) by the United States Green Building Council. In our endeavour to further make our operations environmentally friendly, we have decided to invest in setting up solar power generation facilities in our Aravali, Gurugram and Noida campuses. We will be installing a total capacity of 1.5 MW across the campuses, which is likely to fulfil 70% of all our energy needs. Through this investment, we expect to reduce our carbon footprint by approximately 2124 tons per year. Message from the desk of Director, Pathways Group of Schools: Mr. Pranay Jain

Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd. has continued showing excellent track record in the solar industry. G&B is one of the most trusted organization known for complying & maintaining all the quality standards, statutory laws, safety measures and MNRE standards with the timely completion of its projects and achieving topmost customer satisfaction & we will continue serving the solar Industry with customized solutions. We strive and continue to work with a common purpose to provide best-in-class service to our customers. Message from the desk of Associate Vice President& Head – Power Infrastructure &Renewable Energy,

Mytrah Energy Commissions Rooftop Solar Project In Maharashtra Mytrah Energy (India) Pvt. Ltd. (MEIPL), India’s leading independent power producer, today announced the completion of the 103.5kWp rooftop solar project for Suretech Hospital and Research Centre, a nursing training institute in Nagpur, Maharashtra.

he institute runs up an annual electricity bill of close to Rs. 15 lakhs based on the current tariff. The rooftop solar plant installed by Mytrah will help reduce the hospital’s electricity bill and will lower the average room temperature by 2-3 degrees Celsius in the summer. This solar project is based on the OPEX or RESCO model whereby Suretech has not invested in the installation but will pay the charges based on the electricity consumption.

Godrej & Boyce Mr. RaghavendraMirji

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

Trina Solar is proud to partner with Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd and Pathways Group of Schools for supplying the solar modules for 1.5MWp Solar Rooftop Project. I am sure this project will not only save electricity for the school but will also benefit school children to understand the benefits of renewable energy. Message from the desk of Director,Trina Solar:

Mr.GauravMathur

September -Part D 2018

Vikram Kailas, Co-founder, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Mytrah Energy said, The project is a shining example of what can be achieved when a proven developer like Mytrah comes together with a progressive client like Suretech. It is an important milestone for the rooftop solar business of Mytrah and reinforces our commitment to growing India’s renewable energy footprint by providing appropriate solutions to a wide variety of clients including other hospitals, clinics, schools, college, commercial buildings and Industries. Mytrah will provide maintenance service for the plant for the next 25 years. This project will help Suretech to meet its power needs through green energy and eliminate its dependence on fossil fuels, while also assuring savings in cost incurred for electricity consumption.

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September -Part D 2018

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MYSUN commissions 397kW and 104kW rooftop solar projects in Rajasthan

MYSUN, India’s leading online rooftop solar platform; specializing in end-to-end solar power solutions and services, has expanded its operations in Rajasthan with notable commissioning of two solar projects: a 104 kW project for a marbles and granite flooring provider; and a 397 kW project for a large polybag maker and with a pipeline of under development projects to more than 10MW.

YSUN is vastly expanding its presence in Rajasthan with cities like, Chittorgarh, Bhilwara, Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaipur becoming local hubs. Through a dedicated team of sales, marketing, operations, installation and services personnel, the company has set up core operational units across multiple cities in Rajasthan, with an aim to build a strong network of commercial and industrial clients.

Commenting on the feat, Mr. Gagan Vermani, Founder and CEO, MYSUN said, We are glad to have expanded our operations in Rajasthan. The state has a high grid tariff and a large industrial base which runs a hefty electricity bill month after month. Our customized solar energy solutions and pioneering maintenance and financial services are designed to suit the local industry here. Chittor Polyfab, a manufacturing industry is amongst the first customers of MYSUN in the state. Elaborating on the journey towards solarization, Anil Palod, Director at Chittor Polyfab added, “Being a start to finish product manufacturing set-up, our power consumption is naturally a big expense. This 397 kWp solar system on our dome-shaped industrial roof has been set up by MYSUN with very high standards of roof safety and optimum space utilization. The project was commissioned in time and we have already started seeing the savings in lacs on our monthly energy bills.” MYSUN’s rooftop solar offerings have optimized power consumption for its clients, reducing the average monthly costs on electricity bills by up to 90% in certain cases. The platform aims to keep up with this trend in Rajasthan and has initially focused its operations on serving commercial and industrial enterprises in the state operating within the consumption range of 50 kW-2MW.

September -Part D 2018

Amplus Energy to invest Rs 2k-cr in UP by FY’21 Amplus Energy Solutions said it plans to invest Rs 2,000 core in Uttar Pradesh by 2020-21 as part of the state’s Solar Policy 2017 and has committed to set up 400 MW solar capacity. In the first phase of investment, Amplus will set up 50 MW ground mounted solar PV projects with an investment of over Rs 250 crore in Mirzapur, the company said in a statement. The announcement regarding the investment was made at the Ground-Breaking Ceremony held yesterday by Uttar Pradesh Government to felicitate its investing partners, it said.

“The Mirzapur project will supply green energy to environmentally conscious industries across the state. Industry in UP has been long demanding direct purchase from renewable energy projects for reducing their carbon footprint,” Chief Operating Officer Guru Inder Mohan Singh said.

n February, Amplus had signed an MoU with the state under the new solar energy policy 2017 for attaining solar energy capacity of 10,700 MW in the next five years. Amplus already has several marquee projects in UP with one of India’s largest rooftop captive solar plants of 6.2 MW on Yamaha factory in Noida. Source: PTI

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Indian Railways takes big step towards clean energy! Solar panels to be fitted on passenger trains; here’s why For the first time, coaches on the Indian Railways would be powered by solar energy, with the national transporter retrofitting its passenger trains with flexible solar panels. This will operate fans, light and mobile charging slots on the coaches, a railway official said. Developed by the Indian Railway Organization for Alternate Fuels (IROAF), such solar panels were earlier fitted in DEMU trains last year. After the success on these coaches, it was felt that solar energy can also be harnessed in railway’s main line coaches for the comforts of common man, the official said. “With this target in mind, Member Rolling Stock (MRS)/ Railway board has directed IROAF to fit Solar PV Panels on rooftop of four passenger trains which face the problem of run down of batteries due to slow running of trains,” he said.

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uch fitment of solar panels has started to operate in Sitapur-Delhi Riwari Passenger train. These panels are light weight and easy to fit and most of these panels have been manufactured in India by CEL Ltd. It is expected that each such coach will generate between 15 to 20 units (KWH) of electricity per day. The total weight of solar panel on these coaches is approximately 120 kg. Along with generation of electricity, these coaches are also fitted with sensors which will monitor parameters of the solar energy being generated.

IROAF plans to fit solar panels on 250 coaches on DEMU and passenger trains, the official said. Out of this, IROAF will undertake the fitment of flexible solar panels in three more passenger trains which face the problem of poor battery charging due to slow running. These trains are 54255/56, Varanasi – Lucknow via Pratapgarh, 54334/33 Lucknow – Varanasi via Faizabad, and 14203/04 Varanasi – Lucknow Intercity, the official said.

September -Part D 2018

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

New technology drives the electric vehicle movement

Just ten years ago, it would have been impossible to imagine that we could command a machine to do mundane chores. But, we have to recognize the “inevitability” of machines taking over our daily chores, as chess champ Gary Kasparov famously said.

Today, “voice-enabled devices” are transiting us into a new dystopian world, which is also impacting the way we move Artificial intelligence is transporting us into unimaginable mind spaces. Today, “voice-enabled devices” are transiting us into a new dystopian world, which is also impacting the way we move. Huge disruptions are unfolding in urban mobility, as globally countries and governments are making a paradigm shift towards smarter and sustainable transportation. Countries are testing “Smart” intelligent highways, roads which will be paved with solar panels, mapping sensors and electric-battery rechargers, and will charge electric cars from the ground up. Autonomous cars are not in the realm of science fiction anymore and neither is a cherry red electric car orbiting our solar system.

I 34

In India too, we need to brace ourselves for the transformation in our urban transport ecosystem. IoT enabled connected cars in the nascent stages in India will grow exponentially. Worldwide, it is expanding at the rate of 35% as customers demand more “connectivity” within and outside the vehicle. These cars can perform a stream of clever activities on their own, such as warning you of an impending collision with another vehicle, or drive you to your office in the mornings, after you belt up. You can also have an IoT enabled, smart battery in an electric vehicle providing daily updates about its health to optimise the use of energy in your car. These batteries are connected to a network that can guide you to the nearest charging or swapping station. Companies around the world are capable of creating newer technologies that allow swapping batteries in a few minutes. This is a reality.

September -Part D 2018

Metro rails and Smart Cities et al have opened the doors for more innovation in technology, energy and infrastructure in the transport sector. In terms of technology, there is traction in mobility-related app services. New players with business models in transportation, such as mobility-as-a-service, offering services customised to suit people’s needs are emerging. Shortly, through an app a commuter can have access to all modes of transport, public and private, allowing them to pick and use the most suitable combinations of travel and pay electronically for it. On the energy front, conventional energy with its attendant soot emitting fuels in the future will be replaced by batteries, solar power, charging infrastructures, and swapping stations. The way energy is produced, stored and consumed will be completely revolutionised. New technologies are being crafted to suit this evolving, tech agnostic and diverse ecosystem such as innovative charging and swapping stations, vehicle-to-grid systems, connected car components, big data, etc. By 2030, this energy market is expected to touch $200 billion. India’s transport industry has always gravitated towards cost-effective and convenient solutions that have often resulted in large-scale adoption.

Electric mobility is one such model, it is emission-free and modular to conform to India’s different requirements, requires less maintenance and suitable for our public transport. But, EVs are currently facing a number of challenges, such as high costs, lack of infrastructure, and long refuelling time, which are blocking its mass adoption. Globally, however, there is a surge in investments by OEMs worldwide in research, development and deployment of EVs, pushed by falling battery prices and innovative energy storage technologies. Today, we have hi-end battery technology capable of storing up to 13.5kWh of electricity. Europe, USA and China are accelerating their drive to adopt more EVs, with investments in EVs from the EU and US automotive industries expected to shoot up to 90 billion Euros in the next five years. Moreover, globally 55% of cars will be electric by 2030. As a nation, we have the opportunity to create a global differentiation and lead this transformation in mobility. We need an “India centric” solution to suit our diverse transport systems, to leverage our growing renewable energy reserves and solve our pollution issues. Can India adopt a different path to address this space and offer it to the world?

(Chetan Maini is the Co-Founder and Vice-Chairman of SUN Mobility. Views expressed above are his own)

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September -Part D 2018

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Hanergy joins hand with Bollore Group to build solar electric vehicles Hanergy Holding Group, a pioneering multinational clean energy company announced that its subsidiary, Donghan New Energy Automotive Technology Co., Ltd., inked a strategic cooperation framework agreement with Bluecar, a subsidiary of France’s Bollore Group to mark the beginning of new era in the field of solar electric vehicles.

he strategic cooperation framework agreement was signed by Mr. Wang Xin, General Manager of Donghan New Energy Automotive Technology Co., Ltd., and Mr. Herve Champion, Vice President of Strategic Cooperation and Purchasing of Bollore Group. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Zhang Bin, executive director and senior vice president of Hanergy Thin Film Power Group, Ding Jian, senior vice president of Hanergy Thin Film Power Group and CEO of Alta Devices.

Third, carry out cooperative business of new energy vehicles in the field of intelligent travel and public transportation. In 2008, Bluecar proposed the concept of Internet-sharing cars and successfully operated on a global scale, with extensive experience in smart travel and public transportation. Hanergy has already landed many transportation projects in ecological cities such as intelligent bus stations in mainland China. The cooperation between the two parties at this stage has already established a good hardware and software foundation. Fourth, cooperate in the development and construction of R&D centers, production bases and other projects in areas of agreements including Asia, Africa and the Americas. The two sides will establish a win-win strategic partnership for sustainable development and believe that through the upcoming strategic cooperation, they can export higher business value and create more environmental benefits.

Zhang Bin, Hanergy’s senior vice president said, “We at Hanergy are happy to lead the solar electric fleet adoption around the globe and are glad to partner with Bollore Group. We are now looking forward to working with Bollore Group to fully guarantee the life and the safety of solar vehicles around the globe.”

Under the aegis of the strategic agreement, the two parties will discuss the possibilities of the collaboration in designing, manufacturing and producing the solar electric vehicles. In the future, through the signing of the following four special agreements, the cooperation between the two parties might be further expanded and deepened: First, according to their core technologies and resources, both the parties will cooperate in the designing, development and production of solar vehicles. While, Hanergy mobile energy strategy has been fully integrated, Bluecar has mature automotive design, R&D and mass production capabilities. The cooperation between the two parties intends to fully guarantee the life and the safety of solar vehicles. Second, innovative cooperation in the development of solar power and solid-state lithium battery energy storage, utilizing solar energy as a source of power for lithium batteries.

September -Part D 2018

Since its entry in the field of thin-film solar energy in 2009, Hanergy has rapidly established its first-mover advantage in the industry through a series of precise overseas acquisitions, and through the subsequent technology digestion and integration, persistent product development, and deeply cultivated industrial chain, it has become the world’s leading thin film solar energy company. At present, Hanergy maintains four world records in the field of thin film solar energy, covering two mainstream technical routes of copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) and gallium arsenide (GaAs), and has applied for more than 5,000 patents for thin film solar energy. Hanergy’s thin-film solar chips have the characteristics of high conversion efficiency, light weight per unit, flexible and bendable, and have created a technical premise for the application of thin-film solar technology in the automotive field. In the past, Hanergy has also cooperated with Audi, BAIC and FAW to develop thin-film solar roofs for various models of the cars. Further, the French Bollore Group is amongst the top 500 companies in the world. Bluecar is the subsidiary of Bollore Group that is principally engaged in the development, production and operation of electric vehicles in Europe, Singapore and the United States. The Bollore Group’s lithium metal polymer solid state battery (LMP®) technology features high energy density, high cycleability and high safety. Since its launch in 2011, Bluecar electric vehicles have been in mass production for 7 years. No burning accident occurred. Source: Hanergy Holding Group Ltd.

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India Expo Centre

18-20 Sep. REI 2018 Huawei Booth: 3.61

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September -Part D 2018

37Â

Energy storage

LDC Laser Direct Cleaving– InnoLas new ablation free cell cutting process DNV GL launches GPM Horizon Wor ld’s first data monitoring platform for integrated wind, solar and energy storage systems

Facing the growing demand of half cut or shingled cells used for lowering the resistance losses in solar module production,Innolas Solutions GmbH has developed a cutting method for solar cells called ‘Laser Direct Cleaving’ (LDC).

DNV GL is launching GPM Horizon, the world’s first data monitoring tool with full integration of current and future renewable energy systems including solar PV, wind and energy storage assets.

PM Horizon enables future-proof fleet management by bringing digitalization technologies and integrated renewables systems together in one tool, which are the key drivers for the global energy transition. To realize the full potential of delivering clean energy in the years to come, integrating renewables systems by using the latest digital technologies will be key. To capitalize on this trend GPM Horizon is designed to deliver a streamlined 360-degree integration of systems and technologies. The Artificial Intelligence and machine learning applications of GPM Horizon enable users to transform their data into actionable insights. The tool gives asset operators a comprehensive control room experience for their renewable assets with key information delivered through dashboards tailored to the needs of each user type. In addition, advanced alarms ensure no exceptional events are missed.

GPM Horizon will accelerate the transition towards a cleaner energy future. A future in which digitalization will be a key enabler for effective performance of renewable assets. But also an increasingly complex future in which it will be more difficult for owners, analysts and operators to access the specific data for managing large portfolios with a mix of technologies said Ditlev Engel, Ceo Of Dnv Gl – Energy. Juan Carlos Arévalo, Ceo Of Green power monitor added: “We now offer the first solution to collect and manage data from multiple assets and multiple technologies in one single tool. It is flexible and easily scalable to accommodate customers who want to expand their portfolios in the future with more assets or new technologies.”

he biggest advantage compared to the conventional scribe and break process is the LDC process does not create any dust as no material is ablated from the surface. Cleaving separates the silicon slices through tension created by the laser even without using any additional process gas or other cooling media. Due to the ablation free process the costs associated with filtration and dust collection can be eliminated completely. Further the solar wafers do not show any damaged or molten areas resulting in a much higher mechanical strength and less breakage rates. As a result of this unique process and the modular machine design, it is not only possible to cut silicon wafers in half, but also divide them into quarters or split them into any number of pieces in high-speed mass production for cutting up to 6.000 wafers per hour. Thanks to the high-precision laser processing station and various vision systems, the machine can achieve lowest tolerances of the cut pieces even in industrial mass production.

DNV GL acquired GreenPowerMonitor in June 2016, uniting its existing expertise in wind energy data with GreenPowerMonitor’s digital solar solutions. To date GreenPowerMonitor is managing 18GW of Solar PV Plants in over 51 countries globally.

September -Part D 2018

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FEATURED

SINENG 3GW Indian Factory inaugurated at Bengaluru The manufacturing base is located at Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka, India, with an annual production capacity of 3 GW to meet the growing demand in India and surrounding overseas market. The operation of the Indian manufacturing base sets a new milestone in the development of Sineng Electric’s business in India and throughout the whole overseas market.

Umakant Shende, COO, Cleanmax: Over the past four years as my role in Cleanmax as COO, I have come across many Inverters makes in Solar Industry. However Sineng has unique technology Distributed central inverter solution. Cleanmax has bought Distributed Central solution from Sineng and very happy to share with you that it has been commissioned recently at one of our Japanese customers for their roof top. Here is the wishing Sineng the best success and hope to see one of the greatest Inverter manufacturing company in India. Wishing the Sineng team Pleasant & profitable future business in India. We hope to you stay here forever.

Mr. Wu Qiang, Chairman of Sineng Electric, said in an interview that the company takes part in India’s vision of “Power for All” & endeavors our contribution to achieve this in sustainable way.From the Indian Factory, Sineng Electric will cater to the local market, UAE & nearby South Asian countries. In near future, Indian factory will become production base for company’s overseas export business.

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Mr. Prashant Gupta, SalesManager, Infineon:It’s my privilege to speak about Sineng Electric Co. Ltd., a pioneer company in solar inverter manufacturing.Infineon has been associated with Sineng for a long time and have been enjoying best relationship as a business partner to Sineng.Last year Infineon have supplied all high power IGBT modules to Sineng in very good qty. in China and this year we expect this no. to grow much higher than last year.Sineng with their best quality products, we expect them to have good market share in India and we wish them a great success.We also assure to provide our best support to Sineng as always.

K.Shridhar, Supply Chain Head, L&T Construction: As the world's leading inverter manufacturer, Sineng Electric has just provided us with 100MW 1500V inverter.Sineng Electric was very supportive from technical and business perspectives. We are willing to develop the markets of Southeast Asia and Middle East and North Africa together with Sineng Electric.I hope that Sineng Electric will continue to innovate and serve the PV market with better technology and better products.

Source: PTI

Mrs Chen Bing,President of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Bengaluru,CEO of CAN GLOBIZ: First of all, on behalf of all members of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Bengaluru, I would like to congratulate the opening ceremony of the plant ofSineng Electric India PVT Ltd. I hope that you can create greater glory in the future.I brought a verbal congratulation of Consul General Tang of Chinese Mumbai Consulate General for factory opening ceremony of Sineng Electric India Pvt Ltd.

September -Part D 2018

FEATURED

How power grid digitalization is unlocking new possibilities F

rom plant to plug, and across demand applications, the digital transformation heralds multiple benefits for all players in the power ecosystem electricity runs the world. Without it, quality of life is reduced, the wheels of industry stop, and overall development, economic progress and social evolution slows down. This mission-criticality of power is the reason why the digitalization of the power grid is rightly referred to as a revolution – it impacts everyone, from individual families and communities to large companies, nations and even the cross-border economy. From plant to plug, and across demand applications, the digital transformation heralds multiple benefits for all players in the power ecosystem. In addition to enhanced grid reliability through access to real time information and remote management, utilities stand to increase savings through operational efficiency and earn income through new revenue streams. Digitalization also transforms the grid from uni-directional to multi-directional, enabling distributed generation and encouraging the integration and consumption of renewable energy. And, across the power value chain, one of the most important developments that digital technology has facilitated, is transparency across the value chain, and through this, access to actionable intelligence. More information is now available on assets, behavior, and demand, and it can be leveraged to create value for everyone.

Prosumers and engaged consumers Everything behind the electricity meter in an average consumer’s house has so far been mysterious to them. But the consumer profile is now changing. Many consumers are now ‘prosumers,’ meaning they have invested in solar, wind and other independent systems and want to sell power back to the grid. There are also large housing complexes that want more control over their power sources to reduce maintenance cost. Consumers are also more knowledgeable and want to be more engaged in the process, rather than simply pay the electric bill. With the grid getting “smarter,” utilities are now looking to deepen their relationship with customers, and this change is a win-win for both. Through mobile apps, consumers have control and choice over how they consume power and can exert environment-friendly decisions by choosing renewable power. They can also take advantage of lower tariffs by planning activities that consume more power during off-peak hours.

Utilities benefit from active partnership with their customers As a result of this transparency, the everyday act of scheduling the home’s washing machine cycle can mean savings for the consumer, but it also allows the utility to shave peak consumption. Why is a simple action like this important? From a larger perspective of power management, if a utility has to balance the generation and supply of power and achieve cost efficiency, peak shaving is critical. Peak shaving is a technique that is used to reduce electrical power consumption during periods of maximum demand on the power utility. One way to do it is to invest in battery energy storage, so that when demand is high, the utility can tap into the stored energy. The other, perhaps more economical, way is to engage consumers in the process instead, so that peak consumption is planned and managed collaboratively. In this new interactive customer dynamic, by playing an active role, consumers can rest assured of uninterrupted power supply and don’t have to invest in invertors and UPS systems.

Transmission assets become ‘smarter’ and offer new possibilities On the transmission side, digitalization of the power grid will revolutionize operations, improving productivity and efficiency. Transparency here implies the ability to ‘see’ into the grid’s vast field installations and infrastructure from remote locations. Edge devices are currently being deployed across various points in the power grid, and alongside this is the fact that greenfield projects are now choosing digitally enabled technologies such as digital substations. In a short while, almost all equipment will have some level of intelligence and the ability to communicate and transmit data. This increased transparency on the health of field assets enables utilities to better monitor, control and maintain their assets and infrastructure. As an example, latst technology is today providing actionable intelligence to monitor a transformer’s health and optimize its operations. With power generation sources and recently introduced substations and transmission lines often located in remote areas, it is critical for data on the health of the plant or equipment to be available in real time. This allows remote maintenance in many instances and helps employees, such as linemen and field engineers, work faster and more safely. The wealth of data available offers untold benefits to power utilities that could help manage their assets and create new business models. Intelligence and meaningful data availability have historically been key factors in bringing about paradigm shifts, and there is vast promise in what digitalization can bring to the power ecosystem. Relationships will change between everyone in the value chain; a new interactive dynamic will emerge that will redefine the experience of transmitting, distributing and consuming electricity. A whole new world of power awaits.

He is responsible for South Asia, Middle East and Africa. He has over 30 years’ experience and has held several leadership roles at ABB, in diverse aspects of the business. In the past he has been a part of the country management team for India, where he served as President of Sales and Marketing. AUTHOR Mr. Venu Nuguri ,President , ABBs Power Grids Division

September -Part D 2018

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safeguard duty

Quote on Safeguard Duty from Mr. Gyanesh Chaudhary, MD & CEO, Vikram Solar

The Safeguard Duty Notification issued by The Ministry of Finance does not provide exemption to the projects which have already been auctioned out (approximately 20-25 GW ). This will completely derail the solar industry. To add on to that, the notification does not provide any relief to Solar cells and modules manufactured in SEZ and cleared to DTA. Currently, 40% of Solar Module Manufacturing Units and 60% of Solar Cells Manufacturing Units are located in SEZs.

n light of the SEZ issue, the notification defeats the very purpose of Safeguard Duty, which is to protect and promote domestic industry. While it may seem logical that SEZs should be exempted, considering that the whole purpose of applying Safeguard duty is to protect domestic industry against imports so why should they pay these duties, unfortunately the policy makers seem to be in dilemma. A recent report by Parliamentary Standing Committee indicated that in recent years solar imports have led to massive job losses. If SEZ units are not exempted from SGD, it will lead to further job losses and harm the manufacturing ecosystem in India, which is already bleeding. Special Economic Zones (SEZs) enjoy certain benefits, primarily to promote exports but also to cater to the Domestic Tariff Area (DTA). If the safeguard duty is applied without exemption as per the notification, the domestic manufacturers in the SEZ will also be liable to pay Safeguard Duty whenever they sell modules in India. This is because SEZs are considered to be outside the Indian Customs Territory and this would, therefore, be counterproductive for the domestic industry. This move will, in fact jeopardise Honorable Prime Minister’s Solar Mission targets.

We strongly recommend that: 1. Government should exempt SEZ to DTA clearance of solar cells and modules

2. Government should exempt Projects which have already been auctioned out from the ambit of duties of Safeguard.

It should also be noted that it has been a year since GST was implemented and developers and EPC contractors are still not able to pass on the additional cost of GST to end consumer due to regulatory and administrative bottlenecks. Therefore, it will be very difficult to pass on the cost to end consumer under change in law clause.”

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Safeguard Duty: Boon or Bane for India’s Solar Mission? Sunil Dayl Indian solar industry stands at a crossroad where the indigenous solar cell manufacturing capacity is just 3.2 GW, whilst aiming to achieve a generation of 100 GW of solar power by 2022. Since there is no local manufacturing of the key input for the cells i.e. solar wafers and polysilicon, most of these pre-requisites are imported from China and Malaysia.

hus the potential of the domestic sector is not being fully exploited primarily because neither the price nor the technology of solar equipment produced in the country is as competitive as compared to that of overseas manufacturers. Therefore the need arose to bring a parity in prices of the indigenously produced technology with the foreign manufacturers to end the financial woes of the domestic manufacturer. The ad valorem safeguard duty imposed by the Directorate General of Safeguards, for two years on solar PV cells is directed to make the Indian manufacturers more competitive by enabling them to recover their cost and earn a reasonable return. Market sales numbers suggest that cheaply available and technically superior imported photovoltaic technology has severely impacted the obsolete and costly Indian technology. Having said that experts have argued whether this in itself is a reason to safeguard the interest of the domestic manufacturers. This is a time to ponder over as to why the indigenous manufacturers have failed to compete with their overseas counterparts and why the input costs are higher. India’s expansion of manufacturing capacity has been sluggish due to higher development cost and hence it is hard for current capacity to catch up with the downstream demand. Several industry leaders have predicted that the payback periods, tariffs and project IRR (Internal Rate of Return) of the Indian RESCO market shall be noticeably impacted. Analyst have forecasted that PV demand shall fall 30% in fiscal year 2018 in India , while cost pressures will mount for EPCs(Engineering, Procurement & Construction) and Project Developers. However, at the same time the only silver lining in the clouds is that such concerns may be mitigated as volumes hit the market. Deployment of solar power has the potential to reduce global warming, carbon footprint and poverty. The view of the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) is that the imposition of safeguard duty has been implemented to safeguard the public interest because it will prevent complete erosion of manufacturing base of solar industry in India which is upcoming and holds promise for a stronger manufacturing base in the country in future. The challenge is to prevent undue escalation of solar power cost and tariff to the final consumer. We hope that with the introduction of this policy the deployment of 100 GW of solar power in India by2022 stays on track undeterred. The focal point of public interest should also be addressed with necessary corrections to the policy because despite safeguard tariffs Chinese manufactured modules will still remain competitive while tariffs will rise atleast for a short while from now. The big question is “Has the public interest been well taken care off ?”

September -Part D 2018

safeguard duty

Safeguard Duty On Solar Cells The Finance Ministry had, on July 30, announced a levy of a 25 percent safeguard duty on solar cells and modules imported from China and Malaysia based on the final recommendations proposed by the Directorate-General of Trade Remedies (DGTR). The duty of 25 per cent was levied for a period of one year, followed by 20 per cent duty for the next six months and 15 per cent duty for another six month. This is a welcome step in the right direction. By doing this Government has done a fine act of balancing between Project Developers & Domestic manufacturers. With this the solar tariffs are expected to increase by at least 50 paisa and the final tariffs will still be less than conventional grid power. Safeguard Duty is a remedial measure for the time being. In fact for long term Government should initiate more measures to boost vertically integrated domestic manufacturing from Silicon to Wafer. Providing protection to the domestic manufacturing cannot be the sole way to achieve that.

Mr. VINEET TYAGI

Head Sales & Marketing, Insolation Energy

By levying the 25% safeguard duty on imports of solar cells (in the hope to promote ‘Make in India’) the Govt. has jeopardised the growth of one of the fastest growing sectors in the country. There are a number of ways ‘Make in India’ could have been promoted by the Govt - by giving tax incentives, cheaper cost of capital, access to better infrastructure and technology for manufacturing, etc. A blanket duty structure is a short term protection doing more harm than good.”

Mr. RIKHAV PARIKH

Director & Ceo, Sunspark Energy

Safeguard will definitely boost Indian agenda of Make in India drive by Govt of India. And also promote domestic cell and module manufacturers. Since there was no regulation by right authority, the sub standard quality of cell and modules were imported which is going stop now. Indian manufacturers will be par with the global quality cells and modules

Mr. RAMESH SHIVANNA, Director, Sadbhavana energy

September -Part D 2018

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safeguard duty

"The implementation of 25% of safeguard duty dissolves the uncertainty brewing over the last few months. The developer community can now factor this in and plan future projects in accordance. While the entire industry was expecting safeguard duty to imply once the stay order from Orissa High Court is lifted, what surprises the industry is the implementation of safeguard during the stay from Orissa High Court. However, while we are in complete support of giving a boost to the domestic manufacturing of solar panels, this move definitely will lead to slowdown in the sector. More than 10,000 MW capacity of solar panels are imported annually from China & Malaysia and this application of the safeguard duty would adversely impact commercial viability of some solar power projects. The increased tariffs will be ultimately passed on to the customers, hampering adoption of clean energy. As a leading developer, we hope that the government maintains its favorable policies to promote the solar sector and help achieve the proposed target of 100 GW by 2022."

Mr. NIKUNJ GHODAWAT CFO , Cleanmax Solar

With the imposition of safeguard duty, the capital cost for a solar PV based power project is estimated to increase by about 15%, which in turn would result in an increase in tariff by about 30-35 paise per unit to maintain a similar level of returns for project developers. The solar bid tariffs largely remained below Rs. 3 per unit in CY2018 varying between Rs. 2.44 per unit and Rs. 2.75 per unit, with expectation of favourable price movement in PV modules following the policy changes in China. The imposition of safeguard duty is thus likely to increase the bid tariffs to Rs. 2.9 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3.1 per unit for the upcoming bids. For the projects bid out post amendment in bidding norms approved in April 2018 (allowing pass-through of changes in taxation, duties and cess) would allow the developers to pass through the tariff increase to the off-takers. However, the timely approval by the regulators and pass-through of the tariff increase to the off-takers would be extremely critical from the cash flow perspective of the project developers. However, for the projects bid out in latter half of CY 2017 and Q4 FY2018, which are now under implementation & having PPAs without change in law, project returns are likely to be affected due to such duty incidence on the modules.

Mr. GIRISHKUMAR KADAM Vice President, ICRA India

India is foolishly toying the idea of protecting domestic manufacturing for which it doesn't have the raw material, technology. India doesn't posses semiconductor based Industry compare to China or other SE Asian countries. It's very simple basic, we should utilise the benefits of China low cost production to pass on the benefits to more than billion end consumers of electricity rather than protecting couple of industrial entities. Better to have it at affordable price than make it at high price and get deprived of having it. It's a choice between loosing few thousand jobs or creating lacs of jobs directly + indirectly. Govt authorities should think of empowering people to have 24x7 electricity at affordable cost. That is now possible with free market participation but not protectionism.

Mr. PRADEEP CHAUHAN Solarpack

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September -Part D 2018

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Operations & Maintenance

O&M in Commercial Systems As the pace of commissioning commercial PV systems increases while in parallel current systems mature, the market is looking at PV systems as more than just a source of clean energy. Instead, PV systems arenow being viewed as long-term investments that need to be closely managed in order to improve their ROI and bottom line. As with any investment, the two main ways to improve the ROI of a commercial PV system is to increase the revenue and decrease the lifetime costs. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s take a deeper look at how this can be done in commercial PV installations.

A AUTHOR : Lior Handelsman VP of Marketing and Product Strategy, founder Solar Edge

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September -Part D 2018

common method for assessing efficiency of a commercial PV site is performance ratio (PR). The PR measures the difference between the actual and theoretical potential energy output of a commercial PV system. The measurement is the percentage ofenergy produced by the system out of the potential energy as calculated by measurement of irradiance and temperature.Operation and maintenance (O&M) activities are performed in order to bring the actual output closer to the theoretical potential output of the system. However, one of the first ways to increase system production is actually during the design and planning process. When analyzing system options, system owners should select a system based on its ability to put more power on the roof. Many standard systems will reduce the number of modules that can be placed on the roof due to design limitations, for instance now allowing for different modules layouts or string lengths, and objects on the roof that partially obstruct sunlight. By selecting a system that is designed to overcome these obstacles and thus allow more modules on the roof, then a commercial PV system already becomes more profitable from day zero. Another key way to improve the PR of a commercial system is to minimize power losses due to module mismatch, and thus increase system production. System owners and EPCs can work to future proof commercial systems by implementing technology that mitigates mismatch and aging losses and protecting against unpredictable environmental changes, new obstruction, (e.g. antenna erected, growing trees, etc.), factors such as soiling and aging. Technology, such as module-level power electronics (MLPE), helps to minimize energy losses to only the effected modules versus impacting the entire string, by optimizing power production per module. However, no matter how much future losses can be diminished,the likelihood is that there will be defective modules that will need to be replaced, even with high quality modules. If a system uses technology that can allow replacement using any module available in the market, versus having to rely on costly stocking of modules, then costs can be further decreased.

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Operations & Maintenance At theO&M level, providing a fast response to any sources that cause decreased production is another important factor in improving system uptime. O&M once used to be a very costly endeavor with slow response times. But with the advent of module-level, cloud-based monitoring systems that allow automatic alerts, real-time detection, and remote troubleshooting, this process has become as simple as a few clicks in an air-conditioned office. Instead of O&M being a labor-intensive process of searching for “a needle in a haystack,” it has become a highly targeted practice. This not onlyincreases system uptime, it alsoimproves the efficiency of O&M and potentially decreases costs. This is why when analyzing O&M solutions for PV asset management, it is particularly important to understand how they can reduce long-term operational costs.

When analyzing O&M solutions, it is prudent to differentiate between the two different types of O&M activities – preventative versus corrective. Preventative maintenance is intendedto maintain the PV system at its highest working condition and limit system downtime. Usually an annual site visit to thoroughly evaluate the components of thePV system and check the system health. Standard systems require that each module be inspected to confirm they are properly working. This is a particularly burdensome, costly, and inefficient procedure. In addition, it can even be dangerous for maintenance personnel working at unsafe heights and with high voltages. During preventative maintenance activity, maintenance personnel often uncover latent problems that have caused the system to have decreased energy production for an extended amount of time.This would then call for corrective maintenance to be performed. Corrective maintenance is conducted after an issue has been discovered and includes the actual repair process. However, monitoring, particularly module-level monitoring can allow pinpointed alerts to system issues in order to reduce trips to the site and time spent on site. This type of monitoring enables O&M service providers to perform site analysis and troubleshooting from the comfort of an office. For example, with such module-level monitoring, if a module has a failed diode, then an automatic alert will notify the O&M provider. The module can be easily identified and a screenshot can be provided to the module manufacturer for a warranty claim. This means that during the next site visit, the O&M provider can already replace the failed module, instead of only learning about its existence. This type of monitoring requires module-level power electronics that is typically not offered by third-party services. More importantly any type of third-part monitoring service will add costs, thus negatively impacting the system ROI. These types of impacts to revenue and costs can be directly related back to the original inverter selection. In the past 5 years, the inverter selection became renowned for its influence on BoS costs, but more recently it has been directly associated with system production and O&M expenses. This is because the inverter manages 100% of system production and controlsO&M expenses. For instance, SolarEdge’s DC optimized inverter solution offers cloud-based, module-level

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monitoring free for system lifetime. Not only does this eliminate a CAPEX cost, it also reduces ongoing maintenance costs and helps to increase system uptime. An apt example of this cost saving is module-level monitoring that offers 50 times better resolution into system production compared to a standard string inverters. This level of monitoring means that there is insight down to the 600W level versus the 30kW level. With this type of insight into not only system and string production, but also module production, O&M providers can improve their efficiency, while also providing better services.The preventative maintenance can be largely conducted on a computer and corrective maintenance requires less time onsite and less trips. With O&M costs being approximately 1-2% of initial system cost, according to our estimates module-level monitoring with remote troubleshooting reduces this cost by 15-25%. More so, these types of monitoring solutions offer reports on performance that are often required by third-parties, such as investors, banks, or utilities. Because of these factors, inverter selection is seen as increasingly important for the ongoing health and production of commercial PV systems. And as the competition heats up for which inverter can best improve the PR of a commercial system, each of these factors becomes more essential. Therefore, when planning a large investment like a commercial PV system, it is crucial to understand how inverters can increase system revenue and decrease costs throughout the system lifetime.

September -Part D 2018

interview

INTERVIEW WITH

Mr.Sunil Rathi Director, Waaree Energies

EQ: Please tell us about your Merlin Modules and how they will be beneficial to the transport system in India?

EQ: Waaree Energies has expanded its manufacturing capacity to 1.5 GW. Can you share some more details on this?

SR: Cementing its position as one of the largest solar module manufacturers in India, Waaree Energies recently expanded its manufacturing capacity from 500 MW to 1.5 GW. Waaree’s new plant, situated at Vapi, possesses a capacity of 1GW, and will be manufacturing 4MW of solar modules per year. This will help it create as many as 400 direct jobs and 1000 indirect jobs, proving to be a huge boon to the local community as well. In addition to that, the plant also possesses the capacity to manufacture monocrystalline and poly-crystalline modules. Through this, the facility will be playing a huge role in contributing to the Government’s ambitious target of generating 227 GW of solar power by 2022.

EQ: What are your growth plans for the capacity; how do you plan to increase your manufacturing capacity further?

SR: Currently, we have a favourable opportunity for growth. If domestic interests are protected, we expect to double our current manufacturing capacity in the coming few years.

EQ: Do you think the imposition of safeguard duty is necessary for the growth of this sector? SR: The imposition of the safeguard duty is not only necessary, but it will actually help encourage domestic manufacturers in the country to become more active players in the solar industry. As a result of that, it will be playing a monumental role in helping promote the “Make in India” movement launched by the Government, leading to considerable growth and development in the sector.

EQ: What would be the impact of safeguard duty on the prices of modules?

SR: Safeguard Duty notwithstanding, earlier in the year, we witnessed an increase of around 20% in tariffs, which is an indication ofthe stabilisation of the sector. As a result, we are expecting a sustainable growth for the sector in the coming days as well. With the imposition of the safeguard duty, domestic manufacturers will now have a chance to showcase their capabilities and compete with international players. The vigilance towards monitoring imports from developing countries, and against dumping, will provide a level playing field to Indian solar manufacturers.

September -Part D 2018

SR: With the view of transforming and revolutionising the commercial transport industry in India, Waaree entered into an association with Merlin Solar, which offers a grid cell-to-cell interconnect solution that helps remove the traditional boundaries of solar energy. Merlin’s exclusive grid solution enables Waaree Energies to manufacture highly rugged, flexible solar panels, without compromising on efficiency, and ensuring their durability. In addition to that, as a result of being lighter and flexible in nature,these solar panels are a highly viable option for any surface, and have a wide variety of applications.

EQ: Do you think it is possible to achieve the ambitious target of 227 GW by 2022?

SR: While we agree that the Government’s target of achieving 227 GW of solar power by 2022 is quite ambitious and difficult, it is certainly not impossible. In order to bring about a transformational wave in the sector that can make it a reality, the Government and the private industry need to work together,collaborating on their research and development. In addition to that, however, the solar industry is also in dire needof sufficient finances to help accelerate its growth, and sustain it for the years to come.

EQ: You also have a franchise model; can you share a few details about it? SR: Waaree Energies is committed towards taking solar power to each and every corner of India. Further to this, we are launchinga number of franchises to have a last mile reach for our products and services. These franchises, called Waaree Solar Experience Centres, are our channel partners, and an extension of our existing product networks. We plan to convert these solar centres into energy centres in the near future, which will play an instrumental role in the energy ecosystem. We currently have 260 centres, and by the end of 2018, we plan on expanding our capacity,by having as many as 1000 centres in the country.

EQ: What is your commitment towards the solar sector in India?

SR: The Indian solar sector has seen phenomenal growth in the last few years. The turning point has been the ambitious target of 227 GW of renewable energy, to be achieved by 2022, that has been set by the Government. This has helped bring about a renewed interest in the sector, which has further helped bring domestic solar manufacturers to the forefront. Waaree Energies has always been on the forefront of furthering the narrative on solar energy in India. A home-grown company, we are now the largest solar manufacturers with a capacity of 1.5 GW. We are committed to not only helping revolutionise solar technology in the country, but also making clean energy more accessible. Whether it is the launch of our DIY Pronto Kits or Waaree Solar Experience Centres, our aim has been to be a partner in India’s transition to a sustainable and green future.

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interview

INTERVIEW WITH

Mr.Sunil Badesra

Business Leader, Sungrow India Pvt Ltd EQ: Congratulations for Your Factory Launch....Please share your emotions related with this great achievement

SB: We are ecstatic, and all geared up to cater Indian and overseas market requirements from our Indian facility. After successful supply of over 70GW inverters globally and 2.5GW in India, this has added another feather to our cap and will mark as a beginning of new chapter for Sungrow in India.

EQ: You have been manufacturing inverters in China and So what made your company decide to start Manufacturing in India...

SB: We all know that India is one of the biggest Solar market in the world and has great future potential and to cater such a big market requirement it’s better to have local manufacturing setup so that customers can be served effectively. Moreover, this will give boost to Make in India initiative of our Prime Minister.

EQ: What were the challenges, obstacles and how did you overcome

SB: Since India has different policies as compared to China, it takes a lot to start everything from the scratch right from the finalization of the site location to the set up of manufacturing lines and testing facility. We need to ensure everything has been done with optimum precision, in manufacturing terms we use more of the terms checklist than challenges and ensure every checklist has been met.

EQ: Which are the team members to whom the credit would go SB: The credit goes to our management who decided to take such a big step and the leaders and team members of the core execution team of Manufacturing plant who made this dream possible.

EQ: What products do you plan to Make in India....The current, and future products which plans to be made in India and what will be continued to be imported from China

SB: Presently we are starting with full range of string inverters production in India and gradually we will take it to the Central Inverters and later MV solution as well.

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EQ: What was the reason to choose Bengaluru as your manufacturing locations...What advantages in your locations? What are the necessary ecosystem for manufacturing inverters in India and what are expectations from Government and Suppliers for smooth functioning

SB: Bengaluru as a location had been finalized due to the manufacturing ecosystem in the region, where there is better availability of the OEM for the Inverter manufacturing and is near to the port for the exports. Although there has been great government support throughout the process of development of the facility, there is still a challenge to procure all the inverters component locally.

EQ:What will be the difference in the quality and pricing of inverters made in India vs. China

SB: There would be no compromise in quality and we would make sure to match quality standards of our China factory. In terms of pricing, we are working to localize main components used in our inverters but as of now we would be getting majority of raw material from China only. Therefore, there would be no effect on pricing but there may be some saving to our customers in taxation part.

EQ:Please tell us more about your factory, its plans and share some photos

SB: Our Bangalore factory has 3GW annual production capacity and as the time passes we have plan to expand this. As mentioned earlier we are going to start with String Inverter manufacturing and take it to the Central as well in near future.

EQ: How much Inverters have you supplied to India till now, what is the target/expectation in 2018-2019 SB: Sungrow have already supplied 2.5GW to India. We aremoving in directionto enhance our market share in India and expecting to touch 3.5GW by 2018-19 end.

EQ: Please share your Road Maps – Pricing, Technology etc…

SB: Sungrow is one of the few companies who manufactures both central and string inverters. Innovation is our strength, we believe in adding value to our customers. We are working on constant development of our product and recently we have come up with a concept of virtual central inverter which has been success in US and Europe and also the biggest block of the solar Industry i.e. 12.5MW.

September -Part D 2018

interview

EQ: Upcoming & Trending Opportunities with Bifacial, PERC, Wind-Solar Hybrid, Floating Solar etc…

SB: We are the pioneers of floating solar in China having commissioned one of the biggest solar floating plant in China. Apart from it, we are associated with projects using bifacial modules and other new technologies. India is really a cost sensitive market with such low tariffs hence technology optimization is one of the key components in meeting new challenges.

EQ: World Market Scenario including China and its impact on pricing and availability of modules in 2018-2019. Expected Pricing & Availability in 2018?

SB: 2018 has been an eventful year in Solar industry globally due to new policies implementations. China and India are two leading countries in terms of solar power generation globally. Recent amendments in policies by government of China has certainly resulted in slowing down things in China which would impact other countries as well because 70% of components used in Solar power plant in India are imported from China. Solar module manufacturers have already reduced their prices by more than 15% which means increase in viability of projects at lower tariffs. Another, major factor is safeguard duty law being implanted by Indian government recently which has raised few questions on viability of ongoing projects. We see it as a challenging year, but things would surely settle down next year after implementation of these policies.

EQ: Currently 10GW + Solar Projects are in the offing, what’s your plan to Capture this opportunity.

EQ: Expectations from Indian Government Budget next year?

SB: We are hoping for clearer policies and guidelines to encourage suppliers/ developers to see a strong potential in future as well.

EQ: Aggressive Bidding despite of many challenges enlisted above, what is your view/ opinion

SB: Every developer has certain financial model on which they work. Some players look to keep their assets for a short term and some looks for a long-term viability. Hence, every player has different approach towards it. Reverse auction has changed the game a lot.

EQ: Present some noteworthy projects, case studies of solar plants built using your solar Inverters SB: SUNGROW India Project

50MW, Chatgaon, Beed, Maharashtra

SB: We were among the top 2 Solar Inverter suppliers last year and we would certainly look forward to increase that with the current opportunities and with our Indian facility setup now it would only go up.

EQ: What according to you is the current opportunities, biggest challenges, in Indian Solar Market.

SB: I think it is a good time to invest in Indian solar industry this is the reason we have taken that step to make in India. Biggest challenge would be to keep on innovating and keeping pace with the change in tariffs to help developers to achieve their targeted IRR’s.

70 MW Bhadla Rajasthan

EQ: Kindly enlighten our readers on the performance of your Inverters in India in various geographic locations, customer feedback,

SB: We have globally installed more than 70GW capacity of inverters. We have good presence outside China as well with global market share of over 15%. In India we have supplied over 2.5GW capacity of inverters. Sungrow has presence across the globe in all continents. Our focus has always been on quality of our products backed by excellent service support as a result we have received lots of appreciation certificates from our customers globally.

September -Part D 2018

80MW, Chalisgaon, Jalgaon, Maharashtra www.EQMagPro.com

interview

EQ: Please describe in brief about your company, directors, promoters, investors, its vision & mission

SB: Sungrow was founded in 1997 by a professor Mr. Cao with a mission of “Clean power for all” by adopting a vision of “becoming global leader of power conversion technology”. Mr. Luke Lu is Managing Director of Sungrow India.

EQ: What is the size of your company in terms of manufacturing capacities, growth chart, future expansion plans, revenues, shipments, ASP’s, financial figures,

SB: We have manufacturing capacity of 3GW/month in our HQ, China. In addition to it, our facility in India can manufacture 3GW per year as of now. 2012-2017 Revenue 51.46% CAGR. Sales revenue in in year 2017 was 1363 Million USD.

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

SB: Our aim is to support “Make in India” initiative of our government and in the process supply suitable products to make dream of 100GW Solar Power by 2022 a reality. We see India as a big potential market and export hub as well to target regions like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, USA, Middle East, etc. Sungrow trusts in local Indian talent and with help of our market knowledge and Chinese expertise we are marching ahead to become market leaders in solar inverter segment. Soon we are going to have local R&D setup as well to design as per Indian requirements.

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

SB: zAs said before, innovation in technology is our strength. We are the first inverter manufacturers to have both central and string inverter for 1500V system. Sungrow has wide range of products catering to different segments like utility, commercial, industrial, residential, etc.

EQ: How much is your R&D budget as % of your sales / profits

SB: More than 35% of our employees are in R&D department. We have one of the largest R&D team in PV industry. Around 10% of our revenue is being spent of R&D activities.

EQ: What are the top 5 markets for your company in the past, present and future

SB: China, India and EMEA region are our top 3 markets in the past and will be in the future as well.

EQ: Technology road map in terms of 1500V micro inverters, upcoming game changes technologies

SB: Our Virtual central inverter concept is one such step towards utilizing the advantages of both central and string inverter solution.

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EQ: Explain various guarantees, warrantees, insurance, certifications, test results, performance report of your inverters SB: Our inverters are certified and qualified with necessary tests as required by targeted market. We have inhouse testing laboratories including largest 10m Anechoic chamber in PV &ESS industry, 3MW LVRT testing platform, etc. We focus on 25 years lifetime of inverter and provide standard warranty of 5 years with option of further extending it against certain additional charges till 25th Year.

EQ: Do you also bring financing solutions for your customers?

SB: We do focus on providing a product and solution to optimize LCOE and make whole project more profitable for our clients.

EQ: Please share information of some new orders in hand. SB: Recently we have supplied 450MW of 1500V SG3125HV model. Apart from this, we are also in discussion of closing some major orders for Indianand overseas projects as well. Our total tally in India is already over 2.5GW as of today.

EQ: What are the trends in new manufacturing technology equipment, materials, processes, innovations etc…

SB: New trends in the solar inverter manufacturing equipment is the assembly automation and multi layered board design which have faster lead time and are space saving and energyefficient as well. Globally, the adoption of Solar and other renewable energies is happening at a brisk pace. This calls for the solarinverters to be robust at the macro level in terms of adhering to the stringent variety of electricity codes and regulations and at the same time be flexible enough at micro level to adapt and support the requirements at local grid level. IoT integration with Solar inverters opens a possibility of real time and predictive Grid Support and intuitive O&M as well. Material advancements in the fields of Semiconductor materials havingadvanced switching topologies that retain similar power handling capacity while scaling their footprint, and Efficientcooling designs and heatsink materials that are energy and space efficient are bound to overhaul the complete Solar Inverter design in the coming times.

EQ: Whats your commitment towards the solar sector in India

SB: As we already said that we are committed to support mission of our Indian government and this step of setting up factory here is just a beginning. India is a strategic market for us, hence, in future we would have R&D center as well here.

EQ: What will be the cost, technology trends in solar inverters

SB: Cost of inverters have already come down a lot in past couple of years so now with innovation in technology like with bigger block size of 12.5MW and virtual central inverter concept we are looking to reduce losses and optimize LCOE along with reduction in BOS itself.

September -Part D 2018

interview

INTERVIEW WITH Mr.Ravishankar Tumuluri Managing Partner, Think Energy Partners

EQ: What are the biggest challenges, threats to the growth of solar in India

RT : Given the scale of cost reduction over the years and the technocommercial viability of robust distributed generation models, solar electricity generation today is competitive as compared with other sources of power generation in India. However, the key challenges that need to be overcome to realize the full benefits of solar generation in India are: 1. Open Access Regulations: The economic life of a solar project is 25 years, whereas the open access regulations across various states cover a control period of 5-10 years. This results in uncertainty in the power purchase price that result from solar projects. Moreover, pure third-party open access projects in almost all states and group captive open access projects in some states are burdened with very high open access costs, which makes the projects unviable. Further, open access solar projects result in the Discoms losing a portion of the blue-chip customers, which increases the cross-subsidy funding. There needs to be a concerted effort in streamlining the open access regulations that incentivizes the generator, the consumer and the discoms to encourage open access solar power capacity addition. 2. Credit Risk Mitigation: Credit risk of the purchaser of electricity from the solar project is one of major challenges that would impact the roll out of distributed solar systems. One of the major strengths of solar is that systems can be set up onsite/close to the customer, thus avoiding grid losses. However, management of credit/payment risk at a retail/distributed level would be challenging. Technological solutions viz. automated shutdown of solar systems due to nonpayment is a lose-lose solution and is inefficient. An integrated credit evaluation system which results in non-payment of utility bills having an impact on the credit rating/ CIBIL score of the end user, which would reduce the availability of credit and increase the cost of credit, may be better mechanisms. Further development of derivative credit risk products that insulate the solar projects from credit risks would also enable the solar developers to access lower cost of funding and thus offer lower electricity prices to their customers. 3. Quality: India would need to adopt appropriate quality standards that ensure realization of the full potential of the installed solar systems over their economic life of 20-25 years. As compared to Europe where the irradiation and ambient temperatures are much lower, solar systems in India degrade much faster. Further due to the higher dust levels in India, operations and maintenance is much more involved than in Europe. The guarantees and warranties provided by local module manufacturers need to be backed by appropriate insurance products to make them bankable, which would greatly help in developing the local industry. I suspect that over the next few years, a new business opportunity of refurbishing solar projects that that have quality issues, would emerge. We, as a society, need to move from a lowest cost approach to the highest lifecycle value approach.

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September -Part D 2018

4. Battery Storage: Electricity generation from solar projects happens during the day, whereas the electricity consumption profile is characterized by morning and evening peaks, during which period the generation from solar projects is insignificant. Net metering regulations in some states place restriction on banking of off-peak power and taking credit for such banked off-peak power during peak periods. Further states are now considering moving from net metering to gross metering as well. Battery storage solutions help in managing the mismatch between the generation and the consumption profiles by storing surplus electricity and releasing it during times of deficit. Reduction in the cost of battery storage,which would enable a landed tariff of around Rs.6 Per unit to the consumer and eliminate dependence on the grid would be one of the key factors that would result in a substantial increase in the rate of deployment of solar systems.

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interview EQ: How was your experience of implementation of rooftop projects on government buildings under the SECI scheme?

RT: The initiative to promote installation of rooftop solar projects on government buildings by the Govt. of India is indeed commendable. Think energy was one of the key players that were awarded projects in the 2017 Solar Energy corporation of (India(SECI) tender for developing rooftop solar projects on government owned buildings. The tender was the first of its kind and proved to be an invaluable learning exercise for us. We are building an aggregate of 12.39 Mw spread across over 100 buildings in 4 states, which would be commissioned well ahead of the October 20, 2018 deadline. Think energy was recognized and awarded as rising rooftop developer of the year 2017 by Solar Quarter. We would like to place on record our sincere appreciation of the efforts undertaken by SECI, Ministry of New &Renewable Energy and the state nodal agencies like NREDCAP, MEDA, etc., to take the leadership in encouraging the adoption of rooftop solar systems, which is the most value creating proposition for the solar technology. 1. The responsibility of identification &evaluation of rooftop solar projectsites should be with the developer. Over 80% of the sites being built by us under the SECI scheme have been identified by us. 2. Project implementation timeline for rooftop projects should be increased from 12 to 18 months to provide adequate time for site identification and execution of the power purchase agreements with the identified clients. 3. The SECI bidding process resulted in about 3 successful bidders per state. Thus, even though the tariff was finalized, in some cases, the bidders offering the same tariffs and pre-qualified by SECI, ended up competing for the same client in the state. There needs to be a mechanism of handling this issue say by way of time i.e. who actually pitches first, completes the site survey and confirms the capacity, should get the opportunity as that would lead to speedy implementation. 4. Involvement of the state level nodal agencies, viz., NREDCAP, MEDA, KREDL, etc. would prove to be extremely useful and efficient to ensure a seamless implementation. SECI had charged a fee of Rs.35 Lakhs/MW for its services. Offering a portion of this fee to state level nodal agencies and making them a part of the process would go a long way to realize the tremendous potential that exists in developing rooftop solar.projects on government buildings.

EQ: What is your view on the government of India target of 100GW solar and 75GW wind power by 2022â&#x20AC;Ś.Can we achieve that and what would be the challenges?

RT: The targets though ambitious, are still achievable. However, to realize this, Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) targets, which make it mandatory for large consumers to procure a certain percentage of the electricity from renewable sources, need to be implemented strictly. The penalties for non-achievement of the RPO targets need to be set at a level that incentivizes such large consumers to procure renewable energy. The number of tenders issued by the various state utilities for procurement of solar power have gone up in the recent past. However, besides procurement of solar power through tenders by utilities, it is important to encourage open access and net metering projects as well. With the current level of costs, subsidizing solar generation, through viability gap funding or capital subsidies, is no longer required. On the other hand, governments should consider providing subsidies to battery storage technologies. Decrease in the costs of battery storage to affordable levels, would be key in realizing the ambitious targets set by the government.

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EQ: Policies &regulations : What are the benefits , subsidies given by SECI, central, state and local government, what are the key policy & regulatory features announced by the government

RT: The government has supported and provided significant benefits to solar power since 2008-09 in the form of feed-in-tariffs, must-run status, GBI, tax holiday and accelerated depreciation. Over the years, the incentives have gradually been phased out on account of renewable energy (wind and solar) being more competitive that other sources thanks to the falling supply prices. Further, a number of states have already notified stringent forecasting and scheduling regulations for solar power which could provide short-term revenue losses to the existing solar plants. These regulations should be implemented in a phased manner considering the fact that significant capacities are being built and they would certainly have the stabilization issues. Forecasting models for India are still evolving, and as such scheduling should be applicable only after 3-6 months of stabilization and even after that considering the seasonality involved, an appropriate level of deviation should be allowed without any penalties. While the financial incentives have largely been phased out especially in the ground mounted projects, the overall policies continue to support solar power and other solar applications which would lead to long term economic and social benefits to the country. The tariffs have now turned out to be more sustainable than the conventional power without any risk of price escalations save for any change in law. Also, a good number of solar projects in the present day are coming up closer to the demand centers which is in right direction as it saves on creation of evacuation network and also saves the T&D costs. While on the subject it is a known fact that rooftop solar has been slow in meeting the government capacity augmentation targets. With less than four years left to meet its target of installing 40,000MW of rooftop solar power capacity by 2022, India has installed just about 2,538 MW as of march 2018 which is~6% of target.This is albeit an incentive provided by government to certain category of rooftop solar projects. Few of the states have been giving impetus to large solar projects by providing single window clearances and deemed clearances, making the land conversion process simpler and providing more certainty in the regulations. However, there still are significant challenges on the ground with respect to right of way and getting the approvals within the timelines from government entities. Though the policy till recent times has been consistent with the target of achieving 175 GW, the recent imposition of safeguard duty on modules and cells imported aiming to give impetus to domestic manufacturing may not assist the government target. We believe the timeframe is too small for anyone to install new manufacturing capacity and a number of projects (estimated at 13 GW) awarded prior to the imposition of safeguard duty could get impacted if clarity is not provided. Further, it is also not clear if the SGD will be applicable to solar manufacturing plants in Special Zones (SEZs), which account for 70% of domestic capacity.

September -Part D 2018

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interview

INTERVIEW WITH Mr.Saurabh Bhandari Founder & CEO,Solar Maxx EQ: You are an integrated company with verticals in module manufacturing as well as EPC for large utility scale and rooftop projects. Which of these areas do you find more attractive and why?

What role do you think SolarMaxx can play in emerging trend of EV in India?

s a starter, SolarMaxx solar panels were amongst the very first used to develop a prototype solar car by one of the leading private universities in India. Electric vehicles is the future of transportation. Whether it is India or anywhere else in the world, EVs will tremendously help in not only controlling but also reducing carbon emissions. We already have experience of integration of Li-Ion batteries with solar. One of the most important challenges in the EV segment is to have reliable power at charging stations, some of which may as well be located at remote areas especially on highways. Solar is possibly the best option to power these stations. Not only is Solar easy to install and maintain, it may in fact prove to be cheaper than to draw transmission infrastructure to these stations. With our experience with Li-Ion batteries, we believe we will be able to answer questions this new emerging sector may raise in the near future.

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September -Part D 2018

SB: Solar sector has become extremely competitive in India due to the fact that it has attracted enormous attention from the Govt., investors, entrepreneurs and consumers. We are essentially a manufacturer and then an EPC services provider. Even though both the verticals operate independently, we do leverage synergies. We use SolarMaxx modules in our EPC projects as we are confident of our own quality and performance. This also ensures that we continuously focus on improving our product output. Using our own manufactured modules in our projects gives us the comfort of offering long terms product warranties and generation guarantees. This acts as an added advantage to our clients as they receive maximum support at reasonable price point.

EQ: How do you envision the future for solar in India and what role do you expect SolarMaxx solar to play in shaping the future of the industry?

SB: Govt. of India has set a solar installation target of 100GW by the year 2022. 40GW out of this 100GW is planned for rooftops. I believe Rooftop Solar is an excellent solution for Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s power problems. Rooftop Solar in India is bound to grow at a high rate especially with increased awareness of the associated benefits. Businesses and institutions have understood the economics of Solar rooftop and have started to deploy solar panels on their factory sheds and office roofs. Subsidies have helped making rooftop solar attractive to residential users. It is to be seen how they may react once the subsidies are over, but the overall scenario looks exciting. There are some obvious challenges. DISCOMS are not particularly in favour of implementing or continuing net metering schemes as they directly affect their revenue. RESCO model especially in the private sector is still considered risky. As a module manufacturer, we are aggressively looking at supplying our modules to EPC companies for rooftop installations. At the same time we are actively looking at expanding our EPC business across India with a strong focus on rooftop installations.

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interview EQ: What do you want the company to accomplish in the next couple of years and how would you define success for SolarMaxx?

SB: SolarMaxx is rapidly expanding its network in India. Considering the current scenario, popularity and increased acceptance of our modules and our own growth in the EPC vertical, we aim to increase our manufacturing capacity threefold within the next one year. While we remain the leading manufacturer and provider of Solar Modules in our regional market, we are aggressively looking at expanding our EPC footprint in the neighbouring states. We are glad to be empanelled as a leading manufacturer under MNRE’s subsidy program for the residential and the non-profit sectors. This has not only helped us grow but has also made Solar attractive to sectors where it was earlier found to be unaffordable. Success for SolarMaxx is when Solar becomes a household commodity rather than a prized possession. We aim to introduce quality products and innovative solutions to make Solar more efficient and affordable.

EQ: You have been in the Indian market for nearly a decade. How did you conceive the idea of SolarMaxx?

SB: SolarMaxx was registered as a brand in 2008. A small idea from a milk vendor led to the founding of this current solar venture, SolarMaxx. The goals of SolarMaxx revolve around the vision of a sustainable world. SolarMaxx indulged in import and distribution of Solar lamps for the rural India before diversifying into manufacturing of Solar PV Panels, Solar Water Heating and related Solar Energy equipment. SolarMaxx played the role of a pioneer by taking Solar to the residential sector in 200809 when Solar was perceived as a very expensive and rather an experimental commodity. Having successfully launched residential Solar solutions in the early stages of SolarMaxx, we simultaneously introduced commercial and institutional solutions. By 2012-13, we were the leading Solar brand in Rajasthan with reasonable presence in neighbouring states. It was only in late 2014 that we decided to commence manufacturing of Solar PV Modules and set up our manufacturing facility in record time of less than 6 months. Today, as stated earlier, SolarMaxx solar modules are amongst the most popular modules in our regional market with all required certifications and approvals. Our EPC vertical has completed several small to large rooftop projects, utility scale MW projects and a number of off-grid projects across North India.

EQ: Quality, Costs and Performance are key concerns for Indian consumers and EPC companies. How would you like to address these issues for your offerings in India? SB: We are increasingly looking at automation in our production processes to avoid human intervention as much as possible in the entire production process. This has definitely led to increased “quality” output of modules. Not only is the wastage reduced but also the consistency has increased. This has obviously led to slight reduction with the obvious improvement in product quality. We have always focused on efficiency and are increasingly production higher wattage modules that leads to an overall reduction of cost at a project level. With the use of high quality certified raw material, especially PID resistant cells, our performance is guaranteed for 25 years as per the industry norms. We believe price, performance and prompt delivery are our strengths.

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EQ: As a module manufacturer, how do you ensure the quality checks? SB: SolarMaxx Solar PV Modules are TUV certified by a globally recognized agency. Our modules have gone through a series of stringent tests to receive the necessary IEC certifications. For the satisfaction of Indian consumers, we have also got our modules tested at the MNRE approved test center in India. Besides getting and renewing these certifications on a regular basis, we stringently control each stage of our manufacturing process to prevent the production of a sub-standard or low quality module. Manufacturing of SolarMaxx solar PV modules is done in a dust free, air conditioned environment to avoid any foreign particle to enter the production cycle. Our raw material is sourced from reputed and globally renowned suppliers. Each of the raw material is IEC/UL certified by reputed agencies. Besides checking their certification, we test each and every raw material in house before taking them into the process. Our in house testing facility helps us segregate and thereby reject any defective or low quality input to ensure each module is of the optimum quality. Each module that we produce is visually, technically and electrically tested, plus sorted and packed.

EQ: SolarMaxx offers a broad range of solar solutions; could you highlight your products for our readers?

SB: In its earlier days, SolarMaxx indulged in distribution of Solar lamps with an objective to light up the rural India before diversifying into manufacturing of Solar PV Panels, Solar Water Heating and related Solar Energy equipment. SolarMaxx played a pioneering role by taking Solar to the residential sector in its earlier years when Solar was perceived as a very expensive and rather an experimental commodity. Having successfully launched residential Solar solutions in the early stages of SolarMaxx, we introduced commercial and institutional solutions. By 2012-13, we were the leading Solar brand in Rajasthan with reasonable presence in neighbouring states. It was only in late 2014 that we decided to commence manufacturing of Solar PV Modules and set up our manufacturing facility in record time of less than 6 months. Today, SolarMaxx solar modules are amongst the most popular modules in our regional market. Our modules have acquired all required certifications and approvals such as IEC, TUV and MNRE. Our EPC vertical has completed several small to large rooftop projects, utility scale MW projects and a number of off-grid projects across North India.

EQ: What is the unique value proposition of SolarMaxx and what are your key competitive differentiators?

SB: We focus on sourcing of extremely high quality raw material from some of the most renowned brands globally. We operate as a boutique production house with a strong focus on quality. Our size helps us keep our cost overheads low without compromising on the quality of our product. With increased automation in production, we keep our product offering consistent which is very important for our clients that are mostly renowned EPC companies and developers.

September -Part D 2018

interview

INTERVIEW WITH

Mr.Chintan Patel Managing Director-topsun energy

What role do you think SolarMaxx can play in emerging trend of EV in India?

EQ: Kindly enlighten our readers on the performance of your modules, systems and customer feedback.

CP: Our modules are performing consistently. We have posted few “customer voice” on our website. Your viewers can look into it. They will be happy. And I appeal all EPC companies to follow such practice to build a confidence. Let it be on individual company or on a technology because our philosophy is “growth of all”.

EQ: Upcoming & Trending Opportunities with Bifacial, PERC, Wind-Solar Hybrid, Floating Solar etc…

CP: Way back 2016 REI PERC & Bifacial products were exhibited by Topsun. PERC is promising technology for high efficiency but susceptive to LID to overcome the issue Industry experts are working, in the Indian context for power generation projects IPPS have to take a call, as far as Government bidding projects or other application such as rooftop solar pumps-or any other off-grid solutions there is no guidelines or specifications.I am happy to confirm here that aside the technologies you are asking, Topsun has come up with some UNIQUE offerings by way of PVGU.

September -Part D 2018

EQ: What are the Module Price Guideline on module prices for next Q3-Q4-2018?

CP: Pricing speculation is million $ worth question, cell prices touched bottom and mostly depend on Chinese market strategies. PERC cell technology is under consideration by Chinese domestic market, so more focus shifted to PERC and anticipated short supplies of poly silicon in coming days and $ exchange rate is in raise over and above interim SGD up in the air.

EQ: Present some noteworthy projects, case studies of solar plants built using your solar modules. CP: We as a System Integrator executed some very important projects like Airport Authority of India, Indian Railways, NDDB, NTPC, IOCL, GAIL, ONGC, ISRO etc. Recently we have got important order through our associate to supply 4 MWp solar panels to Petronet. We keep posting “case studies” of important projects on our portal as a reference.

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interview

EQ: The recent aggressive bidding by various EPC companies are too low. … What’s your view on the viability, Costs & timeline pressures, Resource Challenges (Materials, Manpower, Execution, etc..)

CP: You are right. I am with you on such low prices. When you say more than 25 years of life and when you take orders with O&M, prices should be at least at the level where you will be able to render after sales support. You have to be committed and you must deliver your promises.

EQ: What are your plans for Manufacturing set up in India.

CP: Good question. We see huge prospects in manufacturing set up. With the focus of Government on “make in India” overseas companies should must try to come to India because of 100 GW target. At the same time, Government should drive existing Indian manufactures to develop on Technology side. With the speed of growth of India and the way our GDP is increasing, I personally see huge opportunities. India has a HUNGER for ENERGY and we are all set to offer required stuff.

EQ: Solar Trade Wars: What is Your View?

CP: All countries are protecting the interest of their own manufacturers and traders. Let it be U.S or China or Third world. Nothing wrong if India also protect an interest of Indian Manufacturers. By doing so, if we fear on the speed to achieve 100 GW, please take my words. Indian manufacturers are fully capable to meet any challenges. India is struggling in offering jobs to the young generation. Here where you need to become a BRIDGE. Now, you may please compare how many jobs are created in 60 GW v/s 40 GW. You know what I am saying. Adding to this, please think about the new entrants (EPC) in solar and in-direct jobs these companies are creating. Top on everything, Nation comes first than business interest of “so called” energy experts.

EQ: How much is your R&D budget as percentage of your sales / profits.

CP: It's not on the percentage of sales / profits. It should be more how smartly you do R&D. Let me recall the cost of our “MANGALYAN”. This is how it should be rather than percentage of sales/profits. Look at the development of PVGU panel offered by Topsun. I don’t think any Indian manufacturer has done it so far the way Topsun comes out with new technology.

EQ: What are the top 3 markets for your company in the past, present and future?

CP: Outside India we have good foothold in Middle East, Bangladesh and Africa. We are open for new tie-ups / business associations with our extended hands in other countries. As of now we have good market for BIPV, PVGU type of panels. We are working aggressively on “KUSUM” kind of project. We already have executed KUSUM project at APDCL - AP.

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EQ: Technology road map in terms of 1500 V, Double Glass, Bifacial Cells, PERC/PERT Technologies, HIT/HJT, IBC upcoming game changes technologies.

CP: My dear - Topsun already have 1500 V panels, Double Glass panels, Bifacial Panels, PERC panels since past couple of year. We are working on never before technology and within a couple of quarter, it will be LAUNCHED to change the market scenario. It would be a great surprise to all.

EQ: Do you also bring financing solutions for your customers?

CP: We already crossed a barrier of “grid parity” and it becomes a past. Now with a payback of less than 4 years’ better customer go for upfront payment than finance options as any finance will obviously have “interest rate”. Another example is purchasing a bus for employees for “to and fro” transport v/s taking it on a lease basis. Now you compare what is good for any company? Upfront purchase or Finance. However, If the cost of the product, project or property is beyond the reach of initial investment, you surely need to look at the finance. Typically for a project which goes above 50 to 100 MWp, finance DOES matters and required. For a projects in the range of 500 KWp to 3 to 5 MWp we do have our financers who can finance the project and we are open to it.

EQ: As a manufacturer, kindly share your plans to foray as developer or equity investor in solar pv power projects.

CP: Our main line of activity is manufacturing and applications development Topsun do not want to foray in to other side of the fence. Wants to focus on Core competencies.

EQ: Please share information of some new orders in hand. CP: After our installation of solar system at Rajkot Airport, we got an order of 1.2 MWp grid connected system for VARANASI AIRPORT. We are making our presence in AAI, Railways, IOCL and other important sectors. These are aside our strong foothold in Oil & Gas, DISCOMs, SNAs, Textile, Pharma, Food, Steel, Paper, Mines, Cold Storage, Hotel, Hospitals... to name a few.

EQ: As a module manufacturer provided 25 years warranties….Is it backed up by warranties by cell manufacturer, materials manufacturers? CP: Cell and other materials are intermediary, no cell manufacturer provides back up warranty, it is modules manufactures responsibility to ensure inward supply chain management for sustainable quality, and warranties, that is why industry speaks about design qualified material , Topsun cohere to the dictum.

September -Part D 2018

interview

INTERVIEW WITH

Mr.Jianfei Li Vice President/CTO, Sineng Solar Inverter

EQ: Congratulations for Your Factory Launch....Please share your emotions related with this great achievements

JL: Thank you for wishes. On 22nd Aug this year, we inaugurated Indian factory. In 2016 Sineng Electric decided to expand the business in overseas market &followed extensive research to understand the Indian Solar business structure.After evaluation we realized the opportunities in India & nearby countries for long term business. Since then we put our efforts to relish our new base. This was a long journey which now converted into our Indian base. It gives us immense pleasure that now we are more fortified to cater our prestigious customers in terms of delivery and services.

EQ: You have been manufacturing inverters in China and so what made your company decide to start Manufacturing in India... JL: The Indian Solar market steady increases recent years and has a good policy which is a good opportunity for us. Sineng has a full range of central inverter, central distributed inverter and string inverter. All these inverters are high quality and reliability. In order to providing proactive services and competitive solutions, Sineng localized solar inverter manufacturing and service in Bangalore, which effectively maximize service availability and product performance.

EQ: What were the challenges, obstacles and how did you overcome

JL: India market is changing rapidly, so many inverter companies are coming into India, and so many new techniques andproducts changing so quickly, this also requires us to quick response to the market. Thecompetitionis fiercer than before. The inverter high quality, lower price and good after service are the most important factors for all customers. Sineng will provide the best product for India market.

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September -Part D 2018

EQ: What products do you plan to make in India....The current, and future products which plans to be made in India and what will be continued to be imported from China JL: Central inverters, distributed central inverters, string inverters, AC energy storage converters and DC energy storage converters are planning to be made in India. Power quality products will continue to be imported from China.

EQ: What will be the difference in the quality and pricing of inverters made in India vs.china JL: There is no difference in the quality and pricing of inverters made in India vs. china. Sineng will provide the best products for India market.

EQ: Please feel free to add/delete/modify any questions and choose from below questions JL: 1. How much Inverters have you supplied to India till now, what is the target/expectation in 2018-2019 Sineng has supplied 230MW inverter to India till now. Our sales target in 2018-2019 will be 800MW. 2. Please share your Road Maps â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Pricing, Technology etcâ&#x20AC;ŚAs one leading PV inverter company, Sineng always makes technology innovation to decreasing the inverter cost. It has all kinds of inverter solutions, including central inverter, central distributed inverter and string inverter, with capacity ranging from 3kW to 3.125MW. Sineng develops bigger and bigger central inverter for the India PV market. It launched 1.25MW in 2016 and 2.5MW in 2017. This year 3.125MW outdoor inverter is launched for India market.Besides large capacity central inverter, Sineng has central distributed solution, which is the unique product for PV market. It is the central inverter with distributed multi-MPPTs combiner box, which has the features of string inverter with multi-MPPTs, I-V curve scanning and string level monitoring. However the BOS is lower than central and string inverters and suitable for application in large scale solar power plant.

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interview

EQ: Please tell us more about your factory, its plans and share some photos

JL: Sineng Electric (India) Private Limited is the whole-owned subsidy of Sineng Electric Co., Ltd located in Bommasandra Industrial Area, Bangalore which is two hours' drive from Bangalore International Airport and 300km from Chennai port. All manufacturing and testing equipment are duplicated out of the machineries in Wuxi factory, China. 3GW annual manufacturing capacity can ensure ontime delivery to project sites all across India. The proportion of localized components will be increased up to the max level which can contribute to other manufacturing industries.

EQ: Upcoming & Trending Opportunities with bifacial, PERC, Wind-Solar Hybrid, Floating Solar etc…

JL: Bifacial PV module will be used more and more in the PV plant in the future for its 30% power generation higher than normal module. However the price of Bifacial PV module is much higher thannormal module at the moment, which will limit its wide application, especially in India market where the price of bidding electricity is very low. As theprice of bifacial module decreasing, it will has a huge market after next year. Wind-Solar hybrid has many applications globally. However, the application is limited by the climate. The solution is used a lot in location where the wind resource is good. There are several floating solar projects in some countries and the technology is gradually mature. The project saves land cost. However the floating project need high construction cost and has higher technical requirement for anti-corrosion, water proof and stable floating requirement. The prospect is uncertain.

EQ: World Market Scenario including China and its impact on pricing and availability of modules in 2018-2019. Expected Pricing & Availability in 2018?

JL: China has a new policy for its PV project and the installation will be about 30GW this year, which is much less than 50GW+ of last year. The policy will have an impact on the pricing of PV modules globally. The PV module price will be decreasing 5~6 rupees per watt in 2018 as estimated.

EQ: Currently 10GW + Solar Projects are in the offing, what’syour plan to capture this opportunity. JL: The currently 10GW+ solar projects are goodopportunity for our company. We will focus on the utility PV project for its largest market share in the 10GW+ projects. We have 2.5MW and 3.125MW outdoor inverter for the utility project. Both inverters are high capacity and competitive in India market. We have string inverters of 3kW to 60kW for the rooftop projects which also have a good share in the 10GW+ projects.

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EQ: What according to you is the current opportunities, biggest challenges, in Indian Solar market.

JL: The Indian Solar market steady increases recent years and has a good policy which is a good opportunity for us. Sineng has a full range of central inverter, central distributed inverter and string inverter. All these inverters are high quality and reliability. Wehave factory and production line in Bangalore, which will ensure delivery time. We also have a strong local service team for maintenance and support the costumer project. One of the challenge for us is that India market is changing rapidly , so many inverter companies are coming into India, and so many new techniques and products changing so quickly, this also requires us to quick response to the market.

EQ: Aggressive Bidding despite of many challenges enlisted above, what is your view/opinion

JL: Many international inverter companies enter to India PV market and thecompetitionis fiercer than before. The inverter high quality, lower price and good after service are the most important factors for all customers. Sineng will provide the best product for India market.

EQ: Present some noteworthy projects, case studies of solar plants built using your solar Inverters

JL: Azure power applied 1MW Sineng central distributed inverter for their PV project. The PV project uses different capacity PV modules and the mismatch problem is heavy. As the central distributed has multi-MPPTs function which effectively reduces the mismatch problem. The power yield data from this PV plant shows the central distributed solution has 2% more power generation than central inverter.

EQ: Please describe in brief about your company, directors, promoters, investors, its vision & mission

JL: Sineng was established in 2009 and has a total shipment of 20GW till now. We ranked global no. 5 in terms of inverter shipment in 2017 according to GTM. Our vision is to bring inverter technology development and serve clients with the best products.

EQ: What is the size of your company in terms of manufacturing capacities, growth chart, future expansion plans, revenues, shipments, ASP’s, financial figures, JL: Sineng has 10GW in-house manufacturing capacity in China and 3GW in India. We can enlarge our capacity up to 18GW as per demand. Sineng will set foot to more overseas countries like Middle East, Europe, South America, South East Asia, Africa etc.

September -Part D 2018

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

JL: 100GW is a quite ambitious plan which can attract global manufacturers and investors to settle in India. Solar industry is developing very well and working towards the 100GW target.

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

JL: The various technologies should be applied according to local conditions. Central inverter are mainly used for utility PV plant because system cost is lower and O&M is easier, also the power yield is almost same as ground is flat. Both container solution and outdoor solution are used a lot for utility PV plant. However the outdoor inverter is better at the locations of harsh environment with heavy corrosion of dessert, where higher IP protection is required. String inverters are normally used for commercial or industrial rooftop projects where the project capacity is small and complex direction requiring Multi-MPPTs. Micro inverters are normally used for small residential rooftop. As the price of Micro inverters is a little high, there are not widely used at the moment.

EQ: Technology road map in terms of 1500V, micro inverters, upcoming game changes technologies JL: Sineng develops 1500V of central, central distributed and string inverter. Currently, the central inverter is 1.25MW indoor, 2.5MW container solution and 3.125MW outdoor solution. It will develop 4MW and 5MW outdoor inverter in the next two years. The 1500V string inverter is under development and will be available next year. As bifacial modules are the trend for the PV module, Sineng is devel oping inverters to match the bifacial modules with its unique central distributed inverter which has multi-MPPT function.

EQ: Kindly comment of Energy Storage as a game changer, its technology, cost trends etc…

JL: Energy storage is a must for the future new energy because the energy can be stored and steady output which is ideal solution of the new energy. As the solar power is not stable and can’t be stored, some PV projects set the standard that the PV plant needs to install energy storage system. The energy storage system plays an important role as more and more new energy installation.There are DC energy storage solution and AC energy storage solution for PV plant. The DC energy adopts DC/DC technology which is convenient, economic and high efficiency for PV plant. The AC storage solution adopts DC/AC technology with grid support function, which is used mainly for large scale storage system. As the price of battery is very high and investors can’t get reasonable ROI, the energy storage system is not used a lot for the new energy projects. When the price is decreasing to profitable level, the energy storage will be used in large amount.

EQ: Explain various guarantees, warrantees, insurance, certifications, test results, performance report of your inverters JL: Our inverters have all the third party certificates needed for the India market, including IEC62109, IEC61683, C61727, IEC62116, IEC60068, IEC50530, CEA etc… All the tests are carried out under the harsh conditions, which make sure the application in harsh environment like high temperature and humidity in India.

September -Part D 2018

EQ: Kindly highlight your product, technology & company USP’s, distinctive advantages etc…

JL: Sineng Electric provides customers with of power & electronic products and solutions including gridconnected photovoltaic (PV) inverter, operation and maintenance of PV power plant, development of PV power plant, power quality control, energy storage bidirectional converter and new energy automobiles charging. Sineng Electric is a leading equipment manufacturer and solution provider in power and related industries, with its business scope covering power generation, power supply and power distribution system.As one of the leading inverter manufacturers in the world, Sineng has acquired fortune 500 company’s solar division and integrated their advanced experience in inverter technology that has contributed to Sineng becoming top 5 solar inverter manufacturer globally. In order to providing proactive services and competitive solutions, Sineng localized solar inverter manufacturing and service in Bangalore, which effectively maximize service availability and product performance. Featuring one of the widest portfolios of solar inverters ranging from single- and three-phase string inverters up to MW central inverters and central distributed inverters (MultiMPPT) makes Sineng inverter suitable for the small residential photovoltaic systems right up to multi-MW solar power plants.

EQ: What are the trends in new manufacturing technology equipment, materials, processes, innovations, etc.

JL: The central inverter adopts traditional production line which is semi-artificial for assemble line, because its bigger size and bigger component like reactor, IGBT, ACB. Also the wire connecting is complex for machine. The materials control and process control are electronic flow. The string inverter will be full automatic production including assemble line and testing line, for its compact size and small components is easy to realize automatic manufacturing.

EQ: What’s your commitment towards the solar sector in India?

JL: Sineng has established local manufacturing plant, local sales team, localization service team and 130MW installation in India till now. India will be Sineng’s main market and Sineng will keep focusing on India.

EQ: What will be the cost, technology trends in solar inverters? JL: Central inverter capacity will become bigger which can save BOS cost. Multiple MPPT will be popular as it can increase power generation for some specialapplication site. Cost will gradually come down.

EQ: Are the developers betting on Modules/ EPC Prices or Interest rates? JL: Developers are betting on modules price mainly as they already seen the dramatic drop in modules. Interest rate are more or less fixed unless some big change from investors.

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interview

INTERVIEW WITH

Mr.Neelesh Garg Director-Saatvik Green Energy

w? Your Viee is t a h :W u s s ade Waerss is the foremostAiss a fact, : Solar Tr . en

rers titiv anufactu el e c o mp e NG: Pric lar equipment m s total solar pan o it g s f o in y b th % a d 0 face s 88 -9 mited bre in India. ll import a very li rs s re e tu iv c India sti g fa in ent. This solar PV manu uipment requirem orted eq ora of n p o th ti im le ti p h e it p to s p ac e rce com ber of mpete w it y to co ds to fie il a m b u le a n in ly d e te e Th ima limit price, ult nufacturers for ent. terms of ma V equipm P n r ia la d o In s e e d th a in m h wit dian using In avenues

EQ: How much modules have you supplied to India till now, what is the target/expectation in 2018-19 NG: Saatvik has successfully delivered more than 75 MW solar modules in its first year of operation, which have been successfully installed at various government buildings, government utilities, railway stations, hotels and universities. We are sure that the demand of modules will go over this year, as has already been experienced. We have started getting repeat orders from our customers, who believe in our quality and commitment. We are expecting to supply more than 100MW this year to our existing as well as new customers.

EQ: Please describe in brief about your company, directors, promoters, investors, its vision & mission

NG: Saatvik Green Energy is part of a business group, which is involved in diverse business activities, majorly including manufacturing facilities for extraction and refining of edible oils, oleo chemical processing and soap manufacturing, among other activities. The group has a well-established client base among the topmost FMCG companies in India.At Saatvik Green Energy, we actively support the global effort to energise the world through alternate and greener sources of energy, by manufacturing and distributing world class solar photovoltaic modules, globally. We seek to attain and establish our position as the most reputed, customer centric, significant solar module provider to Solar Industry.

EQ: What is the size of your company in terms of manufacturing capacities, growth chart, future expansion plans.

NG: We are presently operating 200 MW solar module manufacturing plant at Ambala, Haryana. In addition to this, the strength of our company is that apart from existing 200MW PV Module Manufacturing line, we have already constructed Infrastructure for another 300MW Manufacturing line, which is going to be commissioned around Octâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;18. We have already negotiated few orders and some are in pipeline for the feeding our expansion.

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EQ: As a module manufacturer provided 25 years warrantiesâ&#x20AC;Ś. is it backed up by warranties by cell manufacturer, materials manufacturers ?

NG: Since the onus of product failing is always on the solar panel manufacturer as there is no back to back warranty for the raw material used, we have a standardised procedure of on-rolling raw material vendors. Before enrolling any new vendor, we conduct sample checking at our facility to approve or reject the product. Even after enrolment of vendors, every lot is sample checked to ensure highest quality throughout. Apart from that, we have limited the number of vendors for each product, so that the quality of input and output can be easily monitored and standardised.

EQ: Whats your commitment towards the solar sector in India

NG: As the sector is pioused to grow, we believe that it will generate many interesting opportunities for us. Solar itself is developing every day in terms of technology advancement as well as financial advancement, coupled with energy storage, solar hydro and electric vehicle industries taking shape for the next decade. The industry is also growing in terms of its increased applications such as in green buildings, defense equipment, laboratory equipment, vehicles, space satellite etc. The research in different areas is ongoing, and we hope to take the right decisions at the right time.

September -Part D 2018

59Â

interview

INTERVIEW WITH Mr.Vasan

Ramasubramaniyam MD, CEO of Prettl India

EQ: How much Inverters have you supplied to India till now, what is the target/expectation in 2018-2019

VR: Since 2016 we have to the extend of 15 MW equivalent inverters into the Indian market and plan for doubling this by end of this FY 2018/19.

EQ: Please share your Road Maps – Pricing, Technology etc…

VR: We realized that Indian market needed much higher power range of inverters . Therefore we have now successfully launching 100 KW power range with 110 V DC which will reach the market by end this year . These inverter can be used both in ground and roof top application Also we with these inverters with unique features the installation has been made very simple and we target to make the price very competitive.

EQ: Upcoming & Trending Opportunities with Bifacial , PERC, Wind-Solar Hybrid, Floating Solar etc…

VR: We understand that in india , storage solution and fuel save will take higher priority in the near future . we have commenced work on Hybrid controlle for such application which will be needed for the upcoming time.

EQ: World Market Scenerio including China and its impact on pricing and availability of modules in 2018-2019. Expected Pricing & Availability in 2018 ?

VR: With government imposing safe guard duty on imports on module and cells , which will definitely slow down the project implementation.flip side will be motivate local manufacturing on competitive pricing .only qualityneed to be ensured by local manufacturer . One question is will the local capacity be adequate to meet the target set by the Government by 2022 without imports in particular from China ? Will the investors stake be protected ?- answers to these open questions need clarity to the local manufactures.

EQ: Aggressive Bidding despite of many challenges enlisted above, what is your view/ opinion

VR: Aggressive Bidding is acceptable to a certain point, Beyond certain level it will endanger localization plan and we will be at the mercy of imports .Anti dumping duty /safe guard duty must be revoked.

September -Part D 2018

EQ: Currently 10GW + Solar Projects are in the offing, Whats your plan to Capture this opportunity.

VR: With more than 4 decades of our core competence in power electronics , and with robust german technology , we believe in informing customers on the TCO and ROI benefits with REFDUSol inverters. Through our vast population of inverters pan global we are able to convince the customers with live data on the performance of our inverters for past many years. Many customers are moving in this direction .and accept our rationale why our inverters has edge over other players .

EQ: What according to you is the current opportunities, biggest challenges, in Indian Solar Market.

VR: Since we are focusing mainly in roof top segment as our existing product portfolio will best fit into these areas of application , and since the policies on roof top are more clear in most of the states and ease of project implementation – irrespective of project execution model- we see a good opportunity with our nes high power inverters for greater penetration. However we still will have stiff price challenge with other players especially from China and other Asian countries.

EQ: Kindly enlighten our readers on the performance of your Inverters in India in various geographic locations, customer feedback,.

VR: We have proven track now pan India on the performance of our inverters , especially on the energy generation and the efficiency .This is because our unique features of 5 level topology which gives large window for operating MPPT voltage.

EQ: Expectations from Indian Government Budget next year ?

VR: The price trend is very aggressive and the component quality should not be compromised .Govt should bring out control mechanism to prevent the quality /performance are not compromised vis a vis downward price trend.

EQ: Present some noteworthy projects, case studies of solar plants built using your solar Inverters

VR: We have projects in Rajasthan , Pune , Jalgaon , Hyderabad where in the projects size has been more 1 MW. We are monitoring through REFU Log portal and we are satisified on all such site without any major complaints .

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interview

EQ: The recent aggressive bidding by various developers keeping Solar Tariffs in the price range of Rs.2.44-3.3 per kWh in various Solar Tenders…Whats your view on the viability, Costs & timeline pressures, Resource Challenges (Materials, ManPower, Execution, Grid Connection, Land Possession) etc… VR: Recently govt imposed safe guard duty on Modules and cells – resulting in sharp increase in the unit rate . Though this is a welcome move , but the situation was that the local manufacturers were not prepared to this situation – i.e gearing up for local manufacturing to counter the void due to reduced import In the light of the above , the safeguard duty is now put on hold . Exporters will continue to challenge the local manufacturing to level of non- viability .Many will stop participating in those tenders where there are large projects due to uncertainty in holding on the lower tender pricing which may be difficult to manage and the exporters will dictate their terms .

EQ: Please describe in brief about your company, directors, promoters, investors, its vision & mission

VR: Prettl GmbH , is a German based Group companies which has a very strong global foot print both in the energy and other Automotive business sectors . Rich Experience in power electronics , REFU , a 100% subsidiary of Prettl GmbH , has over 250 000 nos of inverters in the global scale since last one decade . Prettl India , also being a 100 % subsidiary unit of Prettl Group , has in its board representation from Prettl management .

EQ: What is the size of your company in terms of manufacturing capacities, growth chart, future expansion plans, revenues, shipments, ASP’s, financial figures,

VR: Currently we are trading with manufacturing location in Europe . We do have plans for local manufacturing which is under business case valuation.

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

VR: Currently our plan is to focus on roof top application with high power inverters through imports .The GOI target by 2022 will challenging but still achievable with support from operational user friendly policies from GOI.

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

VR: Yes a long term goal for local manufacturing will make sense than import of all the components of the system . To maintain the quality level , it will be necessary to have foreign player as JV /business partner in such venture . Volume will play a vital role to make a good business case , which will depend on import price . A stable price and a steady growth will be a key to success for local manufacturing .

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

VR: We focus on string inverters and use the state of art technology – like 5 level topology with patented Ultra Eta technology which makes our string inverters more robust and has high level of performance.

EQ: How much is your R&D budget as % of your sales / profits VR: We have more than 4 decades of power electronics and our innovation has always been our strength and is a continuous process.

EQ: Kindly comment of Energy Storage as a game changer, its technology, cost trends…etc… VR: For india ESS will be the future .Along Fuel Save solution, REFU is also developing products to meet the requirement of the market.

EQ: Explain various guarantees, warrantees, insurance, certifications, test results, performance report of your inverters

VR: Our products have 5 year warranty and is IEC certified for various compliances . We have type test reports at the time of certification and have all the inverters 100% inspected for various load conditions at different ambiance.

EQ: What are the trends in new manufacturing technology equipment, materials, processes, innovations etc… VR: We need to finalize the manufacturing technology and related equipment only after we conclude on local manufacturing.

EQ: Whats your commitment towards the solar sector in India

VR: Provide high level performance and long lasting product life with highest efficiency has been our commitment.

September -Part D 2018

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

The Potential Impact Of Electric Vehicles On Global Energy Systems

Hauke Engel

ELECTRIC VEHICLES ARE UNLIKELY TO CREATE A POWER-DEMAND CRISIS BUT COULD RESHAPE THE LOAD CURVE. HERE’S HOW TO BEND THAT CURVE TO YOUR ADVANTAGE.

associate partner in the New York office.

AUTHOR : associate partner in McKinsey’s Frankfurt office

Russell Hensley

partner in the Detroit office,

Stefan Knupfer

senior partner in the Stamford office,

Shivika Sahdev

ould electric vehicles (EVs) soon face a different kind of gridlock? With the electrification of mobility accelerating, energy producers and distributors need to understand the potential impact of EVs on electricity demand (Exhibit 1). The good news: McKinsey analysis suggests the projected growth in e-mobility will not drive substantial increases in total electrical-grid power demand in the near to midterm, thus limiting the need for new electricity-generation capacity during that period. Using information from Germany as an example, EV growth is not likely to cause large increases in power demand through 2030; instead, it potentially adds about 1 percent to the total and requires about five extra gigawatts (GW) of generation capacity. That amount could grow to roughly 4 percent by 2050, requiring additional capacity of about 20 GW. Almost all this new-build capacity will likely involve renewables, including wind and solar power, with some gas-powered generation.

September -Part D 2018

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES

RESHAPING THE ELECTRICITY LOAD CURVE

hile the uptake in EV sales is unlikely to cause a significant increase in total power demand, it will likely reshape the electricity load curve. The most pronounced effect will be an increase in evening peak loads, as people plug in their EVs when they return home from work or after completing the day’s errands. However, at a system level, this effect will represent a relatively small percentage at most. Again, taking Germany as an example, we expect an increase in peak load of approximately 1 percent by 2030 and about 5 percent by 2050—increases that the system can likely absorb. However, the changing load curve will lead to challenges at a local level because the regional spread of EVs will most likely vary—in some cases, significantly. McKinsey’s geospatial-analytics forecast of zip-code-level EV penetration shows suburban areas will likely become early EV-adoption hot spots. Therefore, even at still-low nationwide EV-penetration levels, local pockets with significant EV populations will probably emerge (Exhibit

These residential hot spots and other concentration points of EV charging, such as public EV-fast-charging stations and commercial-vehicle depots, will see significant increases in local peak loads. To forecast changes in the load curve in residential areas, McKinsey conducted a Monte Carlo analysis.1For a typical residential feeder circuit of 150 homes at 25 percent local EV penetration, the analysis indicated that the local peak load would increase by approximately 30 percent (Exhibit 3). While significant, the peak-load growth in residential areas is not as dramatic as some assume. That is because while a single EV can easily double peak consumption at the individualhousehold level, the aggregation across many households (those with and without EVs) reduces the relative increase in peak load at a substation, even considering the effects of high-peak outlier days. Exhibit 3 illustrates both maximum and average peak EV-electricity demand experienced by a typical residential substation, assuming no delayed or “smart” (that is, centrally managed) charging.

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September -Part D 2018

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

eyond peak-load increases, the highly volatile and spiky load profiles of public fast-charging stations will also require additional system balancing. We simulated the load profile of a fast-charging station to explore this situation in greater detail (Exhibit 4). In this case, a single fast-charging station can quickly exceed the peak-load capacity of a typical feeder-circuit transformer. Unmanaged, substation peak-load increases from EV-charging power demand will eventually push local transformers beyond their capacity, requiring upgrades.

64Â

September -Part D 2018

Combining data on the distribution of EV penetration per zip code from McKinseyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s geospatial analysis with data on the current utilization of transformers reveals that capitalexpenditure requirements as a function of national-level EV penetration follows an S-curve shape. In other words, while investment needs require very few upgrades at low EV penetrations, they jump rapidly as the number of EVs increases and eventually level off again at high penetration levels. Without corrective action, we estimate that the cumulative grid-investment need could exceed several hundred euros per EV.

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES

EXPLORING POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS

nergy players have several ways to address this situation. They can influence charging behavior: for example, time-of-use electricity tariffs can give incentive to EV owners to charge after midnight instead of in the early evening. Analysis shows this could halve the increase in peak load (Exhibit 5). Easy to implement and proved in trials, time-of-use rates will require oversight because their use can result in â&#x20AC;&#x153;timer peaks,â&#x20AC;? which occur when many people inadvertently set their chargers to start charging at the same time. Alternatively, energy players can deploy more local solutions, such as co-locating an energy-storage unit with the transformer that charges the unit during times of low demand. The storage unit then discharges at times of peak demand, thus reducing the peak load. Another option could be using a small combined heat-and-power plant, which could be an attractive solution if the generated heat has local uses (for example, heating a warehouse as it charges a fleet of delivery vans). As the cost of batteries continues to decline rapidly, using energy storage to smooth load profiles will become increasingly attractive. Other applications include public fast chargers, depot chargers for electric buses and trucks, and residential settings where more EV owners combine rooftop solar panels and home storage. Several factors can drive the business case for installing energy storage. These include shaving peak loads to reduce demand charges (extra fees based on peak loads) and avoid grid upgrades as well as taking advantage of lower power prices at certain times (by charging the battery when energy prices are low). Energy users can also potentially seek compensation for offering flexible services. While some investments in grid upgrades or alternative solutions will be unavoidable, companies can greatly reduce them by tackling their root causes. An example involves avoiding peak-load increases altogether by shifting EV-charging loads. Early insights into the charging behavior and the driving and parking patterns of EV owners suggest that for a significant share of the time that EVs remain connected to the grid, they are not actively charging. This share can range from more than 80 percent of the time for private, residential EV charging to some 25 percent for public charging. This situation creates the potential to shift the charging load and thereby optimize charging times and speeds from a system perspective, thus making charging smart.

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INTELLIGENTLY STEERING CHARGING BEHAVIOR TO CREATE VALUE

entrally coordinated, intelligent steering of EV-charging behavior could create value in several ways. First, it could allow even more effective peak shaving and thus greatly reduce the grid investments discussed. Second, it could allow a reshaping of the load curve beyond peak shaving to optimize generation cost (shifting demand from peak to baseload generation). And, revving charging up at times of excess solar and wind generation or throttling it down at moments of low renewables production could help to integrate a larger share of renewable power production. Finally, by providing demand-response services, smart charging could offer valuable system-balancing (frequency-response) services. A next-horizon refinement of this approach involves vehicle-togrid plans, which not only shift the power demand from EVs but also make it possible for EVs to feed energy back into the grid under certain conditions. Pilot studies have shown a substantial willingness of EV owners to participate in coordinated smart charging. The total value created can be up to several hundred euros per EV each year, depending on local specifics. To realize these benefits, energy players must make some up-front investments in smart-charging infrastructure and work to achieve effective collaboration with other stakeholders. But once these aims are established, EVs will no longer pose a cause for concern from an energy-system perspective. Instead, they will become a source of benefit by making the system more cost-effective, resilient, and green.

September -Part D 2018

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Energy storage

ADDING ENERGY

Storage With A Cost-Effective DC-TO-DC Converter Will Maximize Production& Profits Of Installed North America PV Base Traditional storage plus solar (PV) applications have involved the coupling of independent storage and PV inverters at an AC bus, or alternatively the use of multi-input hybrid inverters. Here we will examine how a new cost-effective approach of coupling energy storage to existing PV arrays with a DC-to-DC converter can help maximize production and profi ts for existing and new utility-scale installations. This new approach leads to higher round trip effi ciencies and lower cost of integration with exiting PV arrays, and at the same time opens up new use cases not possible with traditional AC-coupled storage.

CLIPPING RECAPTURE

Maximize Value Of PV Generated Energy

iven common inverter loading ratios of 1.25:1 up to 1.5:1 on utility-scale PV (PVDC rating : PVAC rating), there is opportunity for the recapture of clipped energy through the addition of energy storage. Using a simplifi ed system for illustrative purposes, consider a 14MWDC PV array behind a total inverter capacity of 10MWAC. Depending on your location and type of racking, the total clipped energy can be over 1,000,000 kWh per year. Without energy storage these kWhs are lost and revenues stunted. With storage attached to the array, the batteries can be charged with excess PV output when the PV inverter hits its peak rating and would otherwise begin clipping. This stored energy can then be fed into the grid at the appropriate time. Note that this ability to capture clipped

DC output is only possible using a DC-coupled storage system. Clipping is a phenomenon where the DCAC PV inverter has hit its peak AC output, for example 1MWAC, and therefore must drive the PV DC array voltage off of the maximum power point in order to effectively curtail the PV array. It is not possible to move or shunt this power to an AC-coupled battery system

September -Part D 2018

because doing so would force the PV inverter to exceed its rating to pass any excess PV energy onto the common AC bus. Instead, using a DC-coupled storage confi guration, the DCDC converter will charge the batteries directly from the DCbus with the excess energy that the PV inverter cannot use. In the simple example of Figure 1 where there is a 1MW AC inverter with a 1.4MW DC array, during that time of day with the array is producing greater than 1 MW DC — perhaps from 10am to 2pm — that excess energy can be used by the DC-DC converter to charge the batteries for discharge through the PV inverter later at a predetermined time when the either the PV output is low or when there is a peak demand on the grid for kWh production.

DC-COUPLED SOLAR PLUS STORAGE REVENUE

STREAMS

The addition of energy storage to an existing or new utility-scale PV installation allows system owners and operators the opportunity to capture additional revenues. Six distinct solar plus storage use cases are discussed below. DC-coupled storage allows project owners to access all six of these use cases, and, as compared with AC-coupling, three use cases are only available with the DC-coupled approach — clipping recapture, curtailment recapture and low voltage harvest.

CURTAILMENT & OUTAGE RECAPTURE Continuous Uptime

hen storage is on the DC bus behind the PV inverter, the energy storage system can operate and maintain the DC bus voltage when the PV inverter is off-line for scheduled or unplanned outages or curtailments. Additionally, when the PV inverter is offl ine or curtailed the energy from the array can still fl ow to the batteries via the DC-DC converter ensuring energy can be harvested for later use. This benefi t may be particularly valuable when a large utility-scale array is curtailed by the ISO or utility. Curtailment is sometimes seen in areas of high solar penetration — such as California — when there is overall excess production on the grid. As one example, a February 2017 memo from the California ISO warned that with high hydro capacity entering 2017, curtailment of solar and wind at any given time could be up to 6 to 8 GW. With a DC-coupled energy storage system, solar production can continue in that scenario with energy being stored and available for discharge when curtailment ends, mitigating system owner downside for both existing and future projects in such resource rich areas of the grid.

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Energy storage

LOW VOLTAGE HARVESTING Make Money On The Edges

V inverters typically require a minimum threshold DC bus voltage to operate. On a 1,500VDC nominal system, this ‘wake up’ voltage may be around 500VDC.As a result of this minimum voltage threshold, available generated energy in the morning and evening when voltage on the array is below the PV inverter ’wake up’ threshold is not captured. Adding energy storage through a DC-to-DC converter allows for the capture of this generated energy from the margins. This phenomenon also takes place when there is cloud coverage. In both cases this lost energy could be captured by a DC-coupled energy storage system. This capability is only available with a DC-DC converter that has voltage source capability.

CAPACITY FIRMING

Turn Solar Energy Into A Dispatchable Asset

dding solar to storage gives the system operator the ability to bid fi rm capacity into merchant markets. That is, storage makes PV generation a dispatchable revenue generating asset. If your storage system is full charged entering the next 24-hour period, system owners can confi dently bid into the day ahead capacity market at any time of day and with no weather contingencies. Depending on the available local capacity market, this may translate to higher overall system revenue than if operated on a traditional fl at $/kWh PPA rate structure.

ENERGY TIME SHIFTING Utilize Generated PV Energy When Its Value is Highest

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September -Part D 2018

Energy storage

RAMP CONTROL RATE

Modulate Power for Continuous Grid Connection

amp rate control is often required by utilities and ISOs for PV and wind systems to mitigate the impact of a sudden injection of power onto the grid or a sudden loss of generation due to the intermittent nature of both generation sources. A ramp rate of 1MW/minute, for example, has been required by HECO in Hawai’i to limit the speed with which a large array can come up to power or trail off in the event of cloud cover. A storage system coupled with PV can monitor PV inverter output and inject or consume power to ensure the net output remains within the ramp requirements allowing for continuous energy injection into the grid. Additionally, with this ramp rate control benefi t, energy otherwise lost when a PV inverter would self-regulate during a ramp up (by manipulating the I-V curve to

curtail power output) can now be stored for later use. That is, not only can the storage system provide a regulatory benefi t during ramp up and ramp down (PV inverters alone can only modulate ramp up events), but there is some revenue recapture from the storage of the excess energy during ramp up. Note that the ramp up phenomenon is much sharper on arrays with higher DC:AC inverter loading ratios. One of the desired effects of a large inverter loading ratio is the “boxier” output curve versus the traditional bell shaped curve we associate with traditional PV systems with closer to a 1:1 DC:AC ratio. The potential negative is that for grid areas where the ramp up is regulated, there is greater potential loss of otherwise sellable kWh during the ramp up. Therefore, coupling PV with storage provides one more opportunity to optimize revenue from your utilityscale PV array.

SYSTEM OPTIONS FOR COUPLING FINANCIAL BENEFIT #1 The Case for Adding Energy Storage with a DC-to-DC Converter

s noted above, there are three coupling system options for adding energy storage to new or existing solar installations — AC-coupled, hybrid solar plus storage inverters and DC-coupled with a converter. Dynapower has extensive experience in developing, manufacturing and deploying inverters and converters for each of these options. Here we outline the benefi ts of our latest solution — the DC-to-DC converter — which is particularly suited for adding energy storage to existing utility-scale solar arrays. The battery capacity (MWh) can be scaled according to the site use cases and project economics.

Maximize all potential value streams

f the previous outlined revenue streams available to PV with energy storage, the DC-coupled approach allows for revenues to be derived from all value streams — guaranteeing maximum value from an installed PV array. Not all revenue streams are available to AC-coupled or Hybrid inverter solutions. By virtue of tying in on the AC side of the PV inverter, AC-coupled solutions by definition cannot recapture clipped DC energy, for example.

FINANCIAL BENEFIT #2

Lower Installation and Regulatory Costs

DC-to-DC Converters are the least expensive to install and can provide the highest effi ciency and greatest revenue generating opportunity when adding energy storage to existing utility-scale PV arrays.

September -Part D 2018

econdly, by adding energy storage on the DC PV bus, costs associated with adding energy storage can be greatly reduced. This includes equipment and EPC costs for AC switchgear, MV transformers and associated trenching. Additionally, because none of the system’s AC characteristics change, there should be no need for a revised interconnection agreement or interconnection study. For developers familiar with the interconnection study process in many jurisdictions, there is a great benefit of not getting caught in a long interconnection review queue or tying up internal or external engineering resources to guide ystems through the process. Likewise, depending on the off-taker, there may be no need to alter an existing PPA.

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Energy storage

FINANCIAL BENEFIT #3

FINANCIAL BENEFIT #4

Greatest Possible Efficiency

Qualify for Tax Credits

he ability for a storage system to qualify for the federal PV investment tax credit (ITC) is based on the percentage of the battery charging energy that comes from the PV array. If charged energy from the array is less than 75% of the total for battery charging, then the battery system does not qualify for any ITC benefit. With a DC-coupled design, the storage system can only be charged from the PV array so there is zero risk of ITC claw back and tax credits are made available to the owner. Furthermore, you eliminate the additional metering and controls needed with AC-coupled storage to verify that the batteries are charged from PV energy, further reducing CAPEX.

chief concern with energy storage design for utility-scale PV integration is optimizing for highest efficiency. As illustrated below, the efficiency achieved via a DC-coupled storage system is greater than for AC-coupled.This stems from the avoidance of funnelling power through two MV transformers in the charging process as is required by AC systems. For the illustrative figures below we have even assumed a slight efficiency advantage in a DC-AC inverter over a DC-DC converter.

Figure 7 This fi gure illustrates the charge cycle (1) has single DC-DC conversion, while the discharge cycle (2) has DC-DC and DC-AC conversions and one transformer conversion. The net is 3 power electronic conversions and one transformer conversion in the round trip. Assuming the following effi ciencies, the net round trip effi ciency = 93.5% (98% DC-DC * 98% DC-DC * 98.4% ACDC * 99% transformer.)

Figure 8 This fi gure illustrates an AC-coupled system where the charge cycle (1) has two DC-AC conversions and two transformer conversions and the discharge cycle (2) has a single DC-AC conversion and one transformer conversion. The net is 3 power electronic conversions and three transformer conversions in the round trip netting a total effi ciency of 92.4%. (98.4% inverter * 99% transformer * 99% transformer * 98.4% inverter * 98.4% inverter * 99% transformer)

AUTHOR : Chris Larsen

Senior Sales Engineer

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Conclusion Dynapower recognizes that each PV installation has its own set of circumstances and considerations. As such we offer a full suite of options — AC-Coupled, Hybrid Solar Plus Storage and DC-Coupled — for coupling energy storage with utility-scale PV installations. The DC-to-DC option can be an attractive option for coupling energy storage with existing PV in many cases. Its ease and reduced cost of installation combined with its ability to bring online all additional value streams make it particularly attractive for the over 20 GW of installed utility-scale PV.

Raychem RPG and Dynapower have signed an agreement to bring Dynapower Energy Storage inverters, DC-DC converters and fully integrated Energy Storage Systems to India.

September -Part D 2018

PV Inverters

WE OPTIMIZE You Capitalize! O

ne of the first large solar PV plant in India was powered by SMA central inverters in 1996. Ever since, SMA has been strongly committed to the Indian PV market and opened its designated sales and service subsidiary in India in 2010 offering products and solutions for centralized and decentralized PV power plants as well as for commercial PV applications. With inverter sales in India exceeding 3.5 GW, SMA’s full range of solar inverters with highest standard of quality and reliability helps it maintain a leading position in the Indian solar market. SMA is contributing to India’s rising energy demand for a rapidly growing economy by offering the industry’sthe most optimized energy management solutions. As a leading global specialist in photovoltaic system technology, SMA is setting the standards today for the decentralized, digital and renewable energy supply of tomorrow. More than 3,000 SMA employees in 20 countries,including 500 working in R&D, have devoted themselves to this task. In collaboration with our partners and customers, we are helping people transition to a self-sufficient, decentralized and renewable energy supply.

September -Part D 2018

ur innovative and optimized solutions for every type of photovoltaic application offer people and companies worldwide greater independence in meeting their energy needs in the most efficient way. SMA clearly understands that the different PV applications have different system requirements and hence the system design needs to be optimized according to the application. The rooftop installations for residential and smaller commercial applications require more design flexibility due to space constraints. Hence the inverters like single-phase Sunny Boy series and three-phase Sunny Tripower series catering to these market segments offer features such as multiple MPPT and Opti Track Global Peak. For large commercial rooftop applications with very high inductive loads, reactive power support from the PV system becomes necessary. to meet this requirement, our higher capacity string inverters are designed to provide full reactive power support with power factor ranging from 0 leading to 0 lagging. These inverters also help in providing required grid support when installed in small or island grids with higher PV penetrations. Large scale utility power plants are facing other challenges. Generally, these large installations are located in remote areas with limited infrastructure; our true outdoor rated inverters bring down the installation cost and time for the inverters. OptiCool®, the intelligent air cooling system, ensures the smooth operation of the inverter in the harsh environmental conditions and the long service life of 25 years. Features like GFDI plus Isolation monitoring option make it possible for inverters to restart automatically after temporary ground fault gets cleared with the help of motorized circuit breaker on the DC side. Such features help O&M activities on site and to reduce the down time of the plant. SMA’s grid-connected storage systems enable the integration of large amounts of intermittent renewable energy into the utility grid while ensuring maximum grid stability.They are designed to compensate fluctuations in solar energy generation and offers comprehensive grid management services, e.g., automatic frequency control. This year at Renewable Energy India Expo in Greater Noida, visitors will have the opportunity to witness the latest best in-class inverters with one of the highest return-on-investment in the industry at the SMA Booth (Booth number 73, Hall 3) from September 18-20, 2018.

SUNNY CENTRAL UP: Global product launch More power per cubic meter

ith SUNNY CENTRAL UP, SMA will be launching a new series of 1500V central inverters at Renewable energy Expo 2018. REI visitors will be privileged to see the new SUNNY CENTRAL UP prior to any other market in the world. With an output of up to 4600 kVA and system voltages of 1500 V DC, the SMA SUNNY CNETRAL UP inverter brings a power output jump of >50%, allows for more efficient systemdesign and reduction in specific costs for PV power plants. A separate voltage supply and additional space are availablefor the installation of customer equipment. True 1500 V technology and the intelligent cooling system OptiCool® ensure smoothoperation even in extreme ambient temperatures as well as a long service life of 25 years. This DC coupling ready inverter enables the PV plus storage application coupled in a single inverter which will take the PV sector beyond grid parity and towards the future of a distributed energy world.

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PV Module SUNNY HIGHPOWER PEAK3

A superior modular solution for utility power plants The new Sunny Highpower PEAK3 is SMA’s latest addition to a comprehensive portfolio of utility solutions. This 1,500 VDC string inverter offers high power density in a modular architecture that achieves a cost-optimized solution for utility-scale PV integrators in large-scale PV plants with decentralized architecture. With fast, simple installation and commissioning, the Sunny Highpower PEAK3 is accelerating the path to sustainable and cost-efficient energy supply. SMA has also brought its field-proven Smart Connected service to the PEAK3, which simplifies O&M andcontributes to lower lifetime service costs. The PEAK3 utility system solution is powered by the ennexOS, cross-sector energy management platform, which is winner of the Intersolar Europe 2018 smarter E AWARD. PEAK3 stands for pure power. With its compact design, the inverter offers the highest power density per device. The advantage is optimal performance at a light weight, which results incost-effective transportation and easier installation. In combination with the project-specific DC Combiner Boxes, the PV array can be oversized up to 150 %. The ennexOS Data Manager completes the system and enables it to fulfil all of the grid operator’s requirements.

SOLID-Q 50 The ideal choice for commercial rooftop and ground mounted solar plants The SMA SOLID-Q series offer you unmatched performance to price ratio. You will benefit from SMA reliability. 3 MPPTs with 10 inputs offer high design flexibility in applications ranging from large rooftops to mountainous regions or shaded installations. The inverters are designed and tested to return high yield also under adverse environmental conditions. You can find out all about the new SMA solutions first-hand at Renewable Energy India Expo in Greater Noida, Booth number 73, Hall 3.

By : SMA SOLAR INDIA

Seraphim Opens 300 MW Module Plant in South Africa Jiangsu Seraphim Solar System Co. Ltd. (“Seraphim“), a world-class solar product manufacturer, recently announced the inauguration of its new PV module manufacturing factory in East London IDZ, Eastern Cape, South Africa.

his new 300 MW factory, developed as a joint venture between Seraphim, ILB Helios Southern Africa and Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa, utilizes the latest fully-automated production technology. The USD $14 million module assembly plant is currently in trial production, ramping up to full production in September.

This isn’t Seraphim‘s first overseas facility, but it signifies a critical milestone. Our South African initiative is symbolic of our commitment to global customers seeking reliable Tier-1 capacity to support their project pipeline, said Polaris Li, General Manager of Seraphim. “We firmly believe in the bright future of South Africa and the entire continent. “Our manufacturing operation in East London has added value and momentum to downstream installations in South Africa. And, we’ve been an active part of the South African PV industry since 2014,” commented David Núñez Blundell, co-founder of Seraphim Southern Africa. “We’re excited about the capacity increase and the innovation brought to South Africa by Seraphim.” Source: Seraphim

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September -Part D 2018

balance of system

Testing PV Panel Fastening against vibrations

AUTHOR :

Emmanuel Turlot Christian Friedrich Managing director, Araymond Energies

Marketing Manager Araymond China

he number of PV installations grows very rapidly in the last years due to the fast growing PV market (more than 300 million panels per year). In many cases, wind action is intense and repetitive and the risk of panel detachment over the 25-30 years’ lifetime of the installation must be addressed thoroughly to secure PV projects bankability. However, current standards of the PV industry (IEC 61215, UL 2703) or wind tunnel tests may not address sufficiently the vibrations induced panel detachment issue. A standard in the automotive, aerospace and railway industry exists, based on a test method called Junker test. We describe here how we have adapted this test method to the specific case of PV panel assembly and compare the first results obtained with three different fastening solutions. Junker’s test methodology and apparatus described in his 1969 paper1 has since become known as the Junker test and has been adopted into international fastener standards such as DIN 65151 the Junker test is the established method used for analyzing the self-loosening behavior of secured and unsecured threaded fasteners under transverse loading conditions by vibration testing. The purpose of this test methodology has not been developed to reproduce in an accelerated way the wind actions onto a PV panel but rather to set a standard for stressing efficiently the bolted assembly with vibrations. The aim is then to classify the different bolting techniques by their resistance to loosening. The loosening is monitored indirectly via a preload force sensor inserted directly in the bolted assembly. In the case of PV assembly, the standard fastening solution is using bolts (see an example in Figure 2), and the Junker methodology may be applied for the same purpose. However, we propose here to take into account the specific geometry of PV panel frame and rail assembly in order to compare more closely to the application different existing and new fastening solutions.

Experimental setup and methodology

The setup we propose (see Figure 1) is composed of a shaking barrel, a connecting structure (guiding table and connecting plate), a supporting table and the tested assembly. The latter consists in two supporting rails mock-up, a PV panel frame mock-up and four fasteners connecting the PV panel frame to the supporting rails. A preload sensor is placed between the supporting table and the PV panel frame to monitor the “loosening” of the fastening solution tested. Applying Junker’s methodology, the shaking barrel is set to impose a transversal relative displacement between the supporting table and the PV panel frame of 1 mm, at a frequency chosen at 40 Hz, while the preload force is monitored continuously.

Figure 1: pictures of the experimental test setup used to submit a PV panel frame mockup fastened onto a supporting rail mock-up with four fasteners of three different kinds (one screwed and two clipped). The vibration is induced transversally by a shaking barrel connected to the Panel assembly via a connecting plate and a guiding table (left picture). The preload pressure on the Panel assembly is continuously monitored via a sensor bolted onto the Panel assembly supporting table (right picture). Figure 1:pictures of the experimental test setup used to submit a PV panel frame mock-up fastened onto a supporting rail mock-up with four fasteners of three different kinds (one screwed and two clipped). The vibration is induced transversally by a shaking barrel connected to the Panel assembly 72 via EQa connecting Septemberplate -Partand D 2018 a guiding table (left picture). The preload pressure on the Panel assembly is continuously monitored via a sensor bolted onto the Panel assembly supporting table (right

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balance of system We apply sequentially the same methodology to three different fastening solutions (see Figure 2): A standard screwed clamp composed of an aluminum T shaped clamp and a bolt, pressing on the top surface of the PV panel frame. This clamp is a commercial type with a design very popular in the PV industry.The supporting rail design tested is a U shape with an opening of

Figure 1: pictures of the three different fastening solutions tested : a standard screwed clamp Figure 2: pictures of the three different fastening solutions tested : a standard screwed clamp holding the panel frame from  holding the panel frame afrom it upper surface (left picture), clip PowAR Snap S (middle it upper surface (left picture), clip PowAR Snap S (middle picture) and aaclip PowAR Cinch (left picture). Bothpicture) clips are  and a clip Cinch picture). holding the PowAR panel frame from (left its lower surface.Both clips are holding the panel frame from its lower surface. 22 mm. The assembly and the maintenance process require a torque controlled ranch. We use the recommended values here. • A specific product from ARaymond Network2, the PowAR SnapS, composed of spring steel clip that fastens directly the bottom surface of the PV panel onto the supporting rail. The supporting rail design tested is a U shape with an opening of 22 mm width. The assembly process does not require any tool. No maintenance is required. The Clip provides as well the electric bonding between the PV panel frame and the rail. • A specific product from ARaymond Network2, the PowAR Cinch, composed of spring steel clip that fastens directly the bottom surface of the PV panel onto the supporting rail. The tested supporting rail design has a square section with an opening of 25 mm width. The assembly process does not require any tool. No maintenance is required. The Clip provides as well the electric bonding between the PV panel frame and the rail. Results and discussion • The results of these three tests (see Figure 3) show a clear difference between the screwed clamp and the two clips tested: with the standard screwed clamp, the preload force starts decaying after 100 cycles (25 seconds) until it reaches its minimum value (PV panel weight) after 3000 cycles (75 seconds). With the two clips tested, the preload force remains stable even after 6000 cycles (150 seconds), demonstrating thereby a factor 6 stability improvement in these test conditions over the tested screwed clamp.

Figure3: 1: variation of the force Preload force with the number of vibration imposed 40 Hz in the Figure variation of the Preload with the number of vibration cycles imposed at 40 Hzcycles frequency and1 mmatamplitude three cases tested : standard screwed clamp (left graph), PowAR Snap S clip (middle graph) and PowAR Cinchclip (left graph). frequency and1 mm amplitude in the three cases tested : standard screwed clamp (left graph), PowAR Snap S clip (middle graph) and PowAR Cinchclip (left graph).

The stability of the screwed clamp is poor in these tests and is well known for the technology of threaded fasteners: it can be improved using additional techniques (Loctite, two-nuts, …) but with an impact on assembly time and cost. The preload torque is known to be critical to minimize self-loosening and that is why torque control is mandatory to secure the fastening performance over the lifetime of the installation. The clips tested here are not threaded fasteners, the preload is obtained via an elastic element that is designed to bend and absorb the vibrations induced displacement over the lifetime of the installation. Therefore, it does not require any maintenance. The test results show that the elastic deformation of the clip is able to maintain a stable fastening of the PV panel, despite the very aggressive conditions provided by the Junker methodology.

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September -Part D 2018

PV MANUFACTURING

PERC: Critical Measurement Requirements For Manufacturing And Laboratory Testing

Ir. S.J.M. Roest, Ir. W.A. Nawara, H. B. Serreze, Ph.D. Eternal Sun Group, The Hague,the Netherlands Spire Solar, Tyngsborough MA, USA

he solar industry strives to achieve the highest possible module efficiency, with the lowest possible manufacturing costs. Passivated Emitter and Rear Contact (PERC) technology is delivering in both aspects and is therefore projected to dominate future mass production. This development urges for correct performance characterization of PERC-type modules. In this paper three main challenges for PERC testing with simulated sunlight are identified and applied solutions evaluated. 1) The extended spectral response due to the passivation layers sets requirements on the spectral range of the simulated light. 2) The increased capacitive effect due to higher cell open circuit voltage sets minimum requirements on sweep time and flash time for correct IV curve measurement. 3) The pronounced Light Induced Degradation (LID) due to higher boron doping in p-type PERC modules has implications on effective stabilization procedures. INTRODUCTION It is not surprising that PERC production capacity is expanding rapidly worldwide and is projected to keep doing so as shown in Figure 1. The improved efficiency of PERC solar cells is typically about one percent absolute on top of the 20% of today's solar cell efficiencies (an increase of 5% relative). Furthermore, it is relatively easy and inexpensive for solar cell manufacturers to integrate the added procedure in existing production processes.

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September -Part D 2018

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PV MANUFACTURING 1) PERC HAS AN EXTENDED SPECTRAL RESPONSE

he increased passivation at front and back, together with the reflection at the back results in an increased response of the solar cell to shorter wavelengths (‘blue light’) and longer wavelengths (near infrared light). This is shown in

Figure 1: Worldwide market share for different cell technologies [1]. With Si-based tandem cell (Si-TC), back contact (BC), heterojunction technologies (HJT), PERC (including PERL/PERT), and Al back surface field (BSF).

assivated Emitter and Rear Contact (PERC) technology increases conversion efficiency by adding a dielectric passivation layer at the rear side of the cell (shown as the dark blue layer in Figure 2). Various configurations of passivation layer and added back surface field layers exist, resulting in a family of technologies such as Passivated Emitter and Rear Locally diffused cell (PERL) and Passivated Emitter and Rear Totally diffused cell (PERT). The passivation layers at front (emitter) and back (rear contact) reduce the recombination of photo-generated electrons. This way the electrical gradients across the p-n junctions are maximized, which allows for a steadier flow of electrons and higher efficiency levels. In addition, the dielectric back layer reflects any light that may have passed through the cell back into it cell. These longer wavelength photons are given a second chance to generate electron-hole pairs, also increasing efficiency. Furthermore, these reflected photons will not be absorbed by the metal rear contact, resulting in reduced heating.

Figure 3: The internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of a PERC cell compared to conventional silicon cells [2].

igure 3. To correctly measure the performance of a PERC module, the simulated light requires wavelengths between 300 and 1200nm instead of only the 400 to 1100nm which is the range specified in the IEC-60904-9 norm for solar simulator requirements. This way a better representation of the real world performance is obtained resulting in a higher output. Alternative methods using simulators with a limited spectral range exist. The most straightforward is calculating a spectral mismatch factor based on the AM1.5 and simulator spectra, and on the spectral responses of the reference cell and PERC module according to the IEC 60904-7 norm. Other methods involve calibrating the simulator. This could be done against a reference module with the same spectral response as the PERC under test, or against another simulator which has the required spectral range. These methods however all require extra procedures introducing added handling and added uncertainty.

2) PERC HAS AN INCREASED CAPACITIVE EFFECT

he reduced recombination of photo-generated carriers results in an increased electrical gradient across the junction, providing a higher open circuit Voltage VOC. The higher VOC causes an increased charge build-up (capacitance) during the voltage sweep of an IV-curve measurement. This can lead to distorted IV-curves and incorrect maximum power PMAX measurement. The capacitive effect is enhanced by increasing VOC or decreasing the sweep time. The effect of sweep time on PMAX for a high capacitive PERC module is shown in Figure 4.

Figure 2: Schematic cross-section of a PERL type module showing the various layers.

orrect measurement of PERC modules is necessary to assure international agreement on performance characteristics and reliability. Accurate measurement of PERC modules is required for cost effective quality control during manufacturing. These measurements are mostly done with solar simulators, which allow for controllable indoor test conditions. Solar simulators exist in different types and different classifications, each having their own strengths and shortcomings.

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Figure 4: The increase of PMAX as function of sweep time, from Spi-Sun SimulatorTM 3500SLP sweep time sequence measurements of a PERC module.

September -Part D 2018

PV MANUFACTURING

he effect of VOC on the sweep time needed can be derived from Equation 1. It shows a relation between the excess carrier concentration Δn and VOC. For typical values, each VOC increase of 18mV results in roughly a doubled excess carrier concentration, representing a doubled sweep time effect.

Equation 1: VOC as function of excess carrier concentration Δn. Here kT/q is the thermal voltage, NA is the doping concentration and ni is the intrinsic carrier concentration [3].

Figure 6: A module is considered stabilized when three consecutive power measurements, including 5kWh/m2 light soaking intervals, are within 1%.

To correctly measure the performance of a PERC module the sweep time, and therefore flash time, should be long enough with respect to the VOC. Flashing with a single long pulse is preferred since it results in fast, simple, and robust measurements where the user is in control. Alternative methods exist to deal with capacitive effects, but have drawbacks compared to single long pulse. Averaging forward and backward measured IV-curves is invalid since hysteresis causes an asymmetry between these curves. Voltage stepping methods need extra electronics and software corrections, giving the user less control and adding to the uncertainty. Pulsed multiflashing is accurate but time consuming, and causes accelerated lamp aging. Steady state has sufficient sweep time and is accurate, but more optimized for lab R&D applications.

A preferred stabilization procedure would involve one setup for steady state light soaking and simultaneous IV performance monitoring. This way uncertainties and errors due to handling and movement of the modules are minimized. Furthermore, test time is greatly reduced, because module movement is not needed and because monitoring while stabilizing allows one to stop the procedure at the right moment. It is also an operational and cost advantage to have only one machine instead of separate setups.

3) PERC IS AFFECTED MORE BY LID THAN TRADITIONAL P-TYPE SILICON

ight induced degradation (LID) is related to formation of boronoxygen complexes under light. These complexes cause recombination of photo-generated carriers, which results in decreased efficiency and decreased maximum power PMAX. Regeneration methods exist but the effect is only partially reversed as shown in Figure 5. Since p-type PERC typically contains an increased level of boron, the effect is pronounced. Stabilization is needed to have a reliable performance characterization.

Figure 5: Light induced degradation (LID) of PERC cell with and without regeneration treatment [4].

he methods for stabilization have been incorporated in the new IEC 61215 norm [5], published May 2016, for c-Si PV module qualification. This new stabilization norm further increases LID test challenge. A minimum of three power measurements with 5kWh/ m2 light soaking intervals are required. The module is considered stabilized when three consecutive power measurements are within 1% as schematically shown in Figure 6. To achieve the 1% threshold is challenging with setups using a separate light soaker and flasher. Handling and movement of the module introduces uncertainties and errors. A full IEC 61215 qualification involves at least 18 stabilization procedures and thus 72 moves between separate setups. This amount increases when modules turn out to be not yet stable after a light soaking interval.

September -Part D 2018

CONCLUSIONS Three main challenges for PERC testing with solar simulators were identified. Origins of these challenges by showing the strengths and shortcomings of existing measurement methods were explained and possible solutions compared. 1) The increased spectral response due to the passivation layers requires an extended spectrum ranging from 300 to 1200nm. This is more than the range specified in the IEC-60904-9 norm for solar simulator requirements. 2) The increased capacitive effect due to higher cell open circuit voltage requires a longer sweep time and longer flash time compared to commonly applied flash times. Flashing with a single long pulse is preferred since it is fast, simple, and robust. 3) Stabilization norms exist to correctly cope with the effects of light induced degradation. For lab testing, such as a qualification procedure, it is preferred to have one steady state simulator for light soaking and simultaneous power characterization.

TEST EQUIPMENT DEVELOPMENTS Eternal Sun Group, with its subsidiary Spire Solar recognized the needs described above for adequate testing of PERC modules, and developed two solar simulators specifically for PERC module technology: 1. The Spire Spi-Sun SimulatorTM 5100SLP BLUE (introduced in 2016) is based on the established SLP simulator technology for mass production and was designed specifically for in-line PERC module testing. The simulated sunlight ranges from 300 nm to 1200 nm in wavelength with a single long pulse of up to 100 ms duration, and achieves a A+A+A+ classification. 2. The Eternal Sun Large Area Steady-State Solar Simulator (LASS). This AAA accuracy steady-state simulator was recently updated with software functionality for automated stabilization testing of PERC modules. With the AAA-accuracy and continuous IV characterization during light soaking, this setup enables efficient and cost effective stabilization testing according to the new IEC 61215 norm requirements.

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ILIOS™ Solar Module Mounting Solutions Tata BlueScope Steel is an equal joint venture between Tata Steel and BlueScope Steel in the field of coated steel, steel building solutions and related building products. The Company operates in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region. The company consistently works towards “Creating Your New World in Steel!”

Product Introduction Tata BlueScope Steel under its flagship ILIOS™ brand offers premium solar support and PV module mounting systems for ground mounted and roof top applications. These customized structures are manufactured from cold rolled Zn/Zn-Al coated products and offer higher corrosion resistance, weight optimization and quick installation. ILIOS® caters to customers’ requirements from its strategically located plants in Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Bhiwadi (Rajasthan) and Pune (Maharashtra). So far the brand has been successfully associated with major greenfield projects executed by top EPC companies such as Waree Solar, Sterling & Wilson, Tata International, Simcon Solar etc. to name a few.

Product Offerings Ground Mounted Solutions: ILIOS™ offers C and Hat sections for ground mounted application. These high strength structures are manufactured from cold rolled Zn/ Al-Zn alloy coated steel and are available in various coating thicknesses and dimensions as per project requirements.

Benefits: Reduces overall project cost due to weight optimization. Pre Punched Sections ensure faster project delivery. Zn-Al alloy coated steel ensures better corrosion resistance and longer life. High Strength Steel enables better load capacity and longer spans. Light Weight Sections enables ease in handling, transporting & Installation.

Roof Top Mounting Solutions: LYSAGHT® profiles are compatible with ILIOS™ Roof Top Solar Mounting Solutions. Special clips are indigenously designed and developed to suit LYSAGHT® profiles. The clips are tested for the wind uplift forces with safe design factors. Solar panels are directly mounted on LYSAGHT® profiles using these clips.

Benefits: Smart Solution enabling Green Building Construction. Quick and reliable installation. A Fully Integrated Solution.

Solution Differentiator: At Tata BlueScope Steel, we believe in constant innovation through customized solutions that are Strong, Durable and Sustainable. To address the demands of the solar segment in near future, we are equipped to provide optimized and high quality solutions for bridging the demand supply gap. With ILIOS™, we aim to offer customized solutions catering to diverse customer needs.

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Goldi Green introduces the 1500 Volt (1500V) system module. With the decrease in module prices, attention has shifted to decrease the system cost of other components like BOS, combiner boxes etc. The Goldi 1500 Volt system module will eventually lower the cost of large scale utility projects

WHY IS THERE A NEED FOR 1500V MODULES? Module prices have come down faster than inverter and electrical balance of systems (BOS) costs. Over the last four years, module costs have fallen by about 73%, inverter costs have declined by 56% and electrical BOS costs have fallen by 9%. Since module prices have decreased so dramatically, the focus is on inverter and BOS costs because they now make up a larger percentage of total system costs. Unfortunately, it is increasingly difficult to reduce inverter and electrical BOS costs. Many inverter suppliers have already reached economies of scale and applied cost reduction techniques to lower their prices. It’s difficult to go beyond these accomplishments without a significant degree of innovation. Besides, electrical BOS components have their own distinct challenges to drive costs down. For example, combiner and other cabling costs closely follow commodity pricing, which makes it difficult to reduce costs without impacting the already razor-thin margins. As a result, the industry is realizing that in order to achieve the next level of cost reduction, a system level approach is required, rather than continued emphasis on individual components.

September -Part D 2018

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF 1500V MODULES? 1500V modules lead to longer string length and thereby use fewer components as compared to conventional power plants. Raising the system voltage to 1500 volts allows for 50 percent longer strings which eliminate 33 percent of the combiners and wiring in a system. The panel will reduce the amount of total PV electrical materials by 14%, leading to a 10% decrease in the BOS cost. Less volumes of equipment such as inverters or transformers due to higher power density is also beneficial to reducing the costs of transportation and maintenancealong with giving inventory flexibility. Due to less equipment, costs of post-operation and maintenance will be reduced accordingly. Assuming the length and diameter of the cables are confirmed and the resistance R is constant, the cable loss will be 1/2.25 when the current lowers 1.5 times, as Ohm's Law P=I2R. To sum up, equipment loss will reduce and power generation increases when DC-side voltage rises from 1000V to 1500V. Larger array blocks eventually save on the components and on the labour. Due to our in-house stringent quality tests, Goldi 1500V modules will stand the test of time, eventually proving their efficiency, high performance and ruggedness.

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Sineng’s outdoor EP3125-HA-UD is designed for higher reliability higher durability and lower cost INTRODUCTION Sineng Electric Co., Ltd. is a leading solar inverter manufacturer in the world. According to the GTM Research 2017 Report, Sineng Electric is the world's fifth largest solar inverter manufacturer. In 2014, following integration with a Fortune 500 company's PV business, the company became a leader in terms of R&D, management and marketing in the global PV market. Currently, Sineng Electric has completed the establishment of its local sales and service system for the Indian market. The Indian company's annual solar inverter production capacity is expected to reach 3GW. Sineng Electric is capable of meeting the diversified needs of its customers with the widest portfolios of solar inverters ranging from single and three-phase string inverters up to megawatt-sized central inverters and central distributed inverters. This extensive range of solar inverters is suitable for the smallest residential photovoltaic systems right up to multi-megawatt PV plants.

C. Technology Advancements Low system cost , Adopts advanced three-level technology, the highest DC bus voltage 1500V, the maximum conversion efficiency of 99%.Maximum DC/AC ratio can be up to 1.5. Highest power density in all centralized inverters above 3MW. With single capacity of 3.125 MW, the EP-3125-HA-UD is flexible in 6.25MW or 12.5 MW block design.The 6.25MWblock solution uses two inverters to access three winding transformer. The12.5 MWblock solutionuses four inverters to access five windingtransformer. It will greatly reduce the cost of transformers and high-voltage RMUs that is suitable for utility plantsuch as large flat surface and water surface photovoltaic power stations over 25MW. Convenient for O&M Outdoor design without container. Itis designed for easy and fast installation.With all the key components such as IGBT models are in front space and modular design that is convenient for O&M. High reliability& durability As shown in figure, the cold air enters through the filterfollow the heat dissipation channel. Thecold air isguided from top to bottomby the cooling fansto educethe heat produced by the inverter.The key components are sealed and contact the external duct through the radiator.This isolation design improves the adaptability of the inverter to different environments, protects the key components, and ensures the long-term stable operation of the system.

FEATURES AND BENEFITS OF EP-3125-HA-UD A. Product Introduction, In the context of increasingly large photovoltaic power station monomer, the traditional 1000V system is losing its advantage in reducing system cost.Compared with 1000V system, 1500V system’s advantages are as follows: Enhance the dielectric strength level of components, inverters, cables, combiner boxes and other equipments;1500V system has high dielectric strength level thus more modules can be series-connected in one string, then it can save the investment of cable, combiner boxes, transformers and other equipments;Reduce ac-dc side loss and transformer low-voltage side loss. Consider the above advantages,Sineng developed the EP-3125-HA-UD series inverter. It is a compact all-in-one outdoor device which eliminates the need of traditional inverter containers.Compared with the same power inverter, the EP-3125-HA-UD has smallest size, highest power density and highest cost performance.

D. Targeted/ Benefitted Customer Segment As a leader in the industry, Sineng is committed to maximizing customer benefits.TheEP-3125-HA-UD is most suitable for large scale projects,so that they can maximize their solar generation.With the advanced air-cooled design, it can work without derating at 50 °C, which is very suitable for the hot climate in India. High protection performance for outdoor use, IP54 protection level of inverter and IP65 protection level of key components are suitable for all kinds of harsh environments.

B.Technology Specifications Electrical Data

EP-3125-HA-UD

Adjustable displacement factor

0.8(lagging) ~ 0.8(leading)

Max. input voltage

1500V

Max. / European efficiency

99.00% / 98.70%

4106A

Standby consumption

<200W

893~1300V

Dimensions(W × H × D)

2350x2153x1200mm

Weight

2500kg

Operating temperature range

-30~60

Cooling concept

Temperature controlled air-cooling

Degree of protection

IP54

Max. permissible value for relative

0~95%, non -condensing

Max. input current MPPT voltage range No. of MPPTs Rated output power

3125kW

Max. output AC power

3594kW

Rated grid voltage

630V

Optional Grid voltage range

536~693V

Rated output current

2864A

humidity

Max. output current

3294A

Max. altitude

4500m (derating> 3000m)

Rated grid frequency

50Hz/60Hz

Communication port/protocols

Standard: RS485, Ethernet

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September -Part D 2018

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