EQ International April 2013 Edition

EQ State Distribution Utilities First Annual Integrated Rating

MNRE invites Comments on Draft Guidelines for setting up of 750 MW Grid Solar PV power projects with VGF under JNNSM Phase-II, Batch-I

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INTERNATIONAL

Green Infra’s Solar PV Project Under JNNSM Batch II Nominated For Special Award

By Mnre - Mark Of Excellence In Project Execution At Green Infra

www.EQMaglive.com Advanced Energy Increases Growth Opportunities With Acquisition of Three-Phase String Inverter Product Line

ABB To Acquire PowerOne To Become A Global Leader In Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Inverters

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

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EDITORIAL

T

he Indian Solar Industry was surprised when Andhra Pradesh announced a sudden change that it will be willing to sign Power Purchase Agreements (PPA’s) with Solar Power Developers (SPD’s) @ Rs.6.49 per kWh. This has shaken the confidence of National & International SPD’s towards the state of Andhra Pradesh. AP had carried out bidding process under a 1 GW tender wherein the developers were expected to follow L1 process by meeting the lowest developer for a given substation. Given the investors confidence in AP and its profitable DISCOM which meant strong timely payment assurance, the tender received overwhelming response. The industry has recently witnessed that in Rajasthan where the state has fixed the tariff at sub Rs.6.5 per kWh, there were few developers taking the Accelerated Depreciation Advantage and may be naturally hedged towards foreign currency borrowings signed PPA’s for just 75 MW and in Tamil Nadu against the Tender of 1 GW only around 250 MW of PPA’s were signed after state fixed tariff at sub Rs.6.5 per kWh with an excavation clause of 5% p.a. for next 10 years.

The Central Government flagship program Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) Phase 2 Draft Guidelines were floated by the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) . There are many gray areas such as what will be the capacity under the Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) and NONDCR. Also even if MNRE plans to keep the quota of DCR to 250 MW’s it will be a huge challenge for the industry to get Indian Made Cells and for SPD’s and Lenders to rely on them. Another gray area is in what states can a SPD set up the project and will it depend on the possibility that the state DISCOM will be willing to sign the Power Sale Agreement (PSA) with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). The Payment security mechanism will be another gray area given the understanding that SECI will eventually depend on the state DISCOMS to pay in time. MNRE had invited comments from the Industry and Stakeholders and is expected to roll out the final RFS by end of May 2013.

REC Mechanism saw many projects built in the financial year 2012-2013.

More that 100 MW of Projects got accreditation and around 25 MW projects which were built before/around MArch 31, 2013 are waiting to get accredited with MNRE. Developers with an AD benefit has been aggressive in this route. Its worthwhile to notice that the buy bids received at the two power exchanges (IEX & PXIL) for Solar REC’s were around 40 MW and with the current capacity climbing more than 100 MW’s, its easily foreseeable around 15000-20000 Solar REC’s getting issued every month and the mechanism might prove a big disappointment to the developers and lenders. The question remains that whats the best way for an obligated entity to meet its Solar RPO given that the enforcement is strong enough. These companies might plan setting up their own plants or doing a private PPA’s in view of the favorable economies.

Under these circumstances and given the huge power shortage and craze for Solar Energy in India, the SPD’s will have a challenging road ahead.

We are pleases to present the April Edition of EQ International Magazine and Welcome your Feedback & Comments.

Anand Gupta Editor & CEO

CONTENTS

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QUARTER RESULTS

INTERNATIONAL

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

VOLUME 3

EDITOR & CEO:

Saumya Bansal Gupta

Saumya Bansal Gupta

TRENDS & ANALYSIS

26 State Distribution Utilities First Annual Integrated Rating

28 Jinko Faced Significant Challenges Due To Continued Module Oversupply And The Economic Uncertainties

ANAND GUPTA anand.gupta@EQmag.net SAUMYA BANSAL GUPTA saumya.gupta@EQmag.net

ANIL GUPTA

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Saumya Bansal Gupta, Chetan Vyas, Middleton, Nikhil, Dr. Jaya Singh, Harish Sharma, Ankur Rajan, Jignesh Shah, Rajesh Shah, Rushil shah, N Balasubramanian and Mridula Bharadwaj , Dr. Marco Trova, Martin Hackl, Rahul Gogia , Umashankar S, Narang N. Kishor

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52 Conversion Of Barren Roof Tops Into Power Generators

58 New PV Backsheet From KREMPEL Ready To Go Into Production : For Solar Modules With Rear-Side Contacting

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Cover “Nuevosol Energy is a Mounting Systems Solution provider for Solar Photovoltaic Plants, offering turnkey services of Design,Supply and Installation.Over 150 MW of installations Nuevosol has been trusted by global clients like Juwi, Solairedirect, Azure, Refex, EMMVEE, WAAREE, Harsha Abakus and many more. Nuevosol product portfolio ranges from Mega Power Plants to Specialized mounting like Car ports and Rooftops. With optimized designs and turnkey services, Nuevosol is best positioned to provide mounting solutions at highly competitive prices and impeccable quality.”

SOLAR ENERGY

INTERVIEW

CONTENTS

Dr. Jaya Singh

36 Director, Solar Business, Schneider Electric India.

44 Solar Resource Assessment: Making Sense of Data

PV INVERTERS

Sandip Ghosh

Eq Business & Financial News 6-19

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS 20-27

POLICY & REGULATION

Martin Hackl

SMART GRID

66 Fronius Unveils Its Hybrid Inverter For The First Time

Narang N. Kishor 76 “Renewable Integrationin Smart Grid Deployments”

32 MNRE invites Comments on Draft Guidelines for setting up of 750 MW Grid Solar PV power projects with Viability Gap Funding (VGF) under Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), Phase-II, Batch-I

SOLAR ENERGY 38 ACVA Solar Pvt. Ltd. Installs The First Darfon Microinverter Based PV System.

40 Spice Village Resort, India 42 Specialized Roof MountingChallenges and Optimal Solutions 46 Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) from Solar Power Project (SPP) Perspective 48 Green Infra’s Solar PV Project Under JNNSM Batch II Nominated For Special Award By Mnre - Mark Of Excellence In Project Execution At Green Infra Green Infra Limited’s Solar Photovoltaic Project At Phalodi, Rajasthan

50 “Solar Solar” Commisions Solar PV Project For MFI (Muslim Foundation Inc.) Using Microinverters

SOLAR THERMAL 54 Solar Steam Cooking Made Possible In The Treacherous Regions Of Leh-Ladakh

PV MANUFACTURING 60 Poly-Silicon Process for Photovoltaic Industry 62 SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES Offers at SNEC Shanghai Extensive Knowledge for the Key Production Steps for CIGS Thin-Film Solar Panels

BATTERIES & STORAGE 63 Lithium Dreams And Dreamliner Batteries

PV INVERTERS 64 Novel Circuit Topology And Modular Design Approach For Large Commercial And Utility-Scale Inverter Systems 67 AEG Power Solutions Extends Its Range Of Solar Inverters With The New Protect PV.800 Integrating Grid Stabilizing Features 68 Ensuring Good Power Quality With Grid Integration Of Solar PV Inverter Using Srf Theory 70 SMA Will Be One Of The Few Companies In The Solar Sector Offering A Dividend 72 Advanced Energy Increases Growth Opportunities With Acquisition of Three-Phase String Inverter Product Line 74 ABB To Acquire Power-One To Become A Global Leader In Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Inverters

SMART GRID 78 Urgent Need for Energy Efficient Distribution System in India

& EQBusiness Financial Emmvee commissions first phase of path breaking 20MW solar plant in Hindupur, AP Emmvee Photovoltaic Power Pvt Ltd has connected the first 5MW of its path breaking 20MW Solar Power Plant to the grid in Hindupur, Andhra Pradesh. This important milestone has been achieved in a mere 12 weeks. It’s also a first-of-its-kind project in Andhra Pradesh under the pioneering Open Access programme. The Hindupur solar plant is the latest testament of Emmvee’s expertise in project design, supply chain management, engineering and project execution.

By month-end a further 10MW will be connected to the grid, giving the plant power generating capacity of 25 million units per annum. This is equivalent to an annual saving of 23,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. The remaining 5MW will brought on line in the coming months The plant has been developed as part of a long-term Power Purchase Agreement

with various Industries under the Open Access programme. This enables solar power generators and their investors to sell electricity directly to the grid or to third parties such as manufacturers. They also benefit from accelerated depreciation and tradable Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs).

The Open Access programme offers exciting opportunities for small investors to profit from the growing solar sector. The minimum required investment to participate in such projects begins at less than Rs 2 Crores. and with an order pipeline of 50MW in Andhra Pradesh alone, Emmvee is providing even more opportunities for investors to partner in delivering sustainable solar energy at a healthy rate of return.

reputation and expertise in solar power plants, having commissioned a number of major projects in Europe. In 2012, Emmvee developed a 11.4 MW Solar PV Power park in Bronkow, Germany.

Expressing his thoughts on this latest achievement, Founder and Managing Director of Emmvee group, Mr. D.V. Manjunatha says “It is a milestone for Emmvee to commission a 5 MW Solar PV Power plant in India and it gives us great pride. Being a long-term player in the solar industry this project has shown our technical expertise and commitment to turnkey projects. With this new business platform we are confident of significant further investments from investors and look forward to developing more solar parks with both existing and new partners”.

Bengaluru-based Emmvee has a global

5 MWp Solar Photo-Voltaic (PV) Project of NTPC Synchronized with Andaman & Nicobar Island Grid A 5 MWp solar photo-voltaic (PV) power project, NTPC’s first renewable power project in Port Blair in Andaman & Nicobar islands has been synchronized with the grid today.

It is the first Grid connected Solar PV Project in A&N Islands and also the first greenfield renewable solar PV Project of NTPC. Overcoming serious challenges of

lack of resources like skilled manpower and machinery and inclement weather conditions at Andaman & Nicobar Island, NTPC achieved the commissioning of the 5MWp Solar PV Power Project in a record time of 6 ½ months. Skilled manpower and equipments were arranged from the mainland through road, rail and sea route. 10 hectares of land has been givn by Andaman

& Nicobar Island Administration on lease for the project and the land was made available to NTPC at Garacharma Hills / Village in Port Blair in Andaman & Nicobar islands in the month of September 2012. Mono crystalline cells (235 Wp x 21312 Nos) technology has been used for setting up the 5 MWp solar PV project.

CMD, NTPC inaugurates commencement of commercial operation of 5 MW solar power plant at NTPC, Dadri Shri Arup Roy Choudhury, CMD, NTPC Limited inaugurated the commencement of Commercial operation of 5MW Solar Power Plant at NTPC Dadri on March 30, 2013. This is the first Solar power plant of NTPC, a new beginning in renewal energy sector.

Speaking on the occasion ShriChoudhury said that NTPC plans to set up the Solar Power Plants in line with 2% clean energy policy of Govt. of India. ShriChoudhury further said that NTPC plans to add 300MW Solar capacityin 12th Five Year Plan.

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EQ INTERNATIONAL - April 2013

Shri N.N. Misra, Director (Operations), Shri A.K. Jha, Director (Technical), Shri A.N. Dave, RED (NC&CA), Shri MKV Rama Rao,

ED(Commercial), Shri D.K. Sood, GM (I/C) and senior officials of NTPC were present on the occasion. ShriSood briefed about the salient features and operation of the solar power plant.

The solar plant, built-up at a cost of Rs. 48.59 crore. is spread over in 27 acres of area. The solar plant is estimated to generate 7.26 million units of power annually. The electricity generated by this solar plant will be supplied to Odisha based public sector power purchasing company GRIDCO under the PPA.

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& EQBusiness Financial Sterling And Wilson Commissions Largest Solar Project Under Rec Mechanism Giriraj En terp ris es, Pune b a s ed conglomerate, with interests in FMCG, amusement, hospitality and Wind power recently announced that it is foraying into solar power by putting up 33 MW plant under REC mechanism in Rajasthan. This project shall generate around 53 thousand solar RECs and hence satiate tremendous demand which exists for Solar RECs. This project will instill much needed investor faith in this market mechanism and will aid various obligated entities to meet solar RPOs, which as per sources will be strictly enforced with heavy penalties for non-compliancein the coming times.

Giriraj Enterprises has chosen Sterling and Wilson as their Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) and Sunrays

Power Solutions Pvt. Ltd. as their Project Management Consultant (PMC) for this project. Rajesh Malpani, Director, Malpani Group mentions “As this is our first foray into this exciting field, our major consideration was to choose a partner with proven track record and resource mobilization capabilities.

After several rounds of discussions Sterling and Wilson proved to be a synergistically fit partner for us”. This ground mounted solar plant based on state of the art technology and world class engineering will create favorable impact on environment by offsetting approximately 47520 tons of CO2 every year,enablingIndia to achieve long term targets under NAPCC. Power generated will be sold to local discom at APCC bridging demand supply gap in the

state. The power generated is equivalent to providing green electricity to more than 1 lac rural households across the state.

Sterling and Wilson’s Solar Head Mr. BikeshOgra also mentions “We have developed highly capable decentralized inhouse design teams over the past 2 years, which coupled with existing execution teams puts us in a very good spot as a premium and largest pure play solar EPC company in the country. We are now looking to execute more than 200 MW capacity of Solar PV in FY2013-14 by developing Solar Parks across various states in country including Rajasthan, MP, AP and TN.”

REC powers a new 5.8 MW solar plant in Rajasthan, India REC, a leading global provider of solar electricity solutions, delivered 5.8 MW of solar panels for a power plant owned and operated by BMD Pvt Ltd, a market leader for automotive furnishings and part of the LNJ Bhilwara Group.

The ground-mounted system is located at Gajner, south-east of Bikaner, Rajasthan and was officially inaugurated by Mr L N Jhunjhunwala, Chairman Emeritus of the LNJ Bhilwara Group, at a ceremony on April 20, 2013 with close to 50 guests. “We are delighted to have provided REC Peak Energy Series solar panels for this project in record time”, commented Anil Yadav, Head of India Market, REC. “We expect the plant to operate efficiently for more than 25 years and to reduce CO2 emissions by around 7,272 tons per year.”

“The solar panel supplier has to meet specific criteria of performance & reliability and we are happy that REC fulfills all of them,” said ShantanuAgarwal, Executive Director, BMD. “One of the decisive factors for selecting REC solar panels was that we get the maximum yield which in turn translates to more tradable Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). Since these certificates have a fixed price in a specific time frame, the aim is to maximize the return of investment within this time period and therefore, REC is the right choice.”

1.6 to 1.8 GW in 2013, as the country gets ready to enter Phase II of its National Solar Mission. “The market in India has strong potential since solar electricity solutions are needed to power India’s future. At the same time, however, there is a lot of uncertainty in this young market because financing is still challenging and due to the emerging trade dispute”, underlines Luc Graré, Senior Vice President Solar Sales and Marketing, REC. “We strongly believe in open and fair competition, and a trade war is not in the interest of the Indian solar industry.”

REC expects the Indian market to grow to

Built by AEG Power Solutions Group, the plant comprises 23,200 REC Peak Energy Series solar panels and is expected to generate over 9,700 MWh of clean, green electricity every year. The construction of the installation was completed in just four months from start to finish.

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EQ INTERNATIONAL - April 2013

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& EQBusiness Financial First Solar Sets CdTe Module Efficiency World Record, Launches Series 3 Black Module 16.1 Percent Total Area Efficiency Module Confirmed by NREL; Enhanced Series 3 Module Platform Certified for Desert Conditions & Field Durability; Production Module Efficiency Roadmap Accelerated and Extended to 16.4-17.1 Percent for 2017 First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR) announced it set a new world record for cadmiumtelluride (CdTe) photovoltaic (PV) module conversion efficiency, achieving a record 16.1 percent total area module efficiency in tests confirmed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The new record is a substantial increase over the prior record of 14.4 percent efficiency, which the Company set in January 2012. Separately, First Solar also set a record for CdTe open circuit voltage (VOC), a critical parameter for PV performance, reaching 903.2 millivolts (mV) in NREL-certified testing. This new record marks the first substantial increase in CdTe VOC in over a decade of international R&D. The new records come just six weeks after First Solar announced a new world record for CdTe solar cell efficiency of 18.7 percent.

Transferring its success in the R&D lab to its commercial modules, First Solar also launched a new evolution of its proven Series 3 thin-film PV module platform, the Series 3 BlackTM, which incorporates First Solar’s latest advances in conversion efficiency as well as additional features to enhance its performance in utility-scale power plants.

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EQ INTERNATIONAL - April 2013

The all-black module’s change in appearance results from the use of an advanced, allblack edge seal technology combined with an innovative encapsulation material that further enhances its field durability and demonstrates improvements in accelerated life testing results.

The Series 3 Black’s performance in a wide range of operating environments is further validated by its new IEC 60068-2-68 “sand and dust test” certification, which measures durability in harsh desert environments characterized by blowing abrasive sand. The certification complements existing IEC salt mist and ammonia certifications to provide a comprehensive range of independent testing that reflect world-class durability and performance in the harshest operating conditions. The Series 3 Black module maintains all the existing IEC certifications and UL listings for the Series 3 family which enable the 1000-volt system designs that typify the Company’s utility-scale power plants. First Solar began to implement the Series 3 Black enhancements in production modules earlier this year.

Based on the Company’s record-setting technology and robust Series 3 Black platform, the Company also has accelerated its module conversion efficiency roadmap, raising its lead production line module efficiency target for 2015 to 15-16.2 percent. First Solar also extended its module conversion efficiency roadmap to 2017, with targets for lead production line module efficiency of 16.2-16.9 percent in 2016 and 16.4-17.1 percent in 2017.

“We are especially proud of this new efficiency record because the technology was created for production-scale implementation, as evidenced by our accelerated efficiency roadmaps,” said RaffiGarabedian, First Solar’s Chief Technology Officer.

“Measurements in the lab are an important benchmark, but our R&D mission is to deliver technology that is designed to shine in real-world conditions as part of our integrated power plant systems, engineered to deliver the best performance, reliability and value for our customers. The Series 3 Black is a testament to our integrated approach to product development, combining technological advances from the lab with years of real-world data and experience operating utility-scale power plants in harsh environments.”

Since it began commercial production in 2002, First Solar has produced more than 90 million of its advanced thin-film solar modules with a capacity of over 7 gigawatts (GW), enough to provide clean electricity for more than 3.7 million homes and displace approximately 5 million metric tons of CO2 annually, based on world averages. If laid end-to-end, the modules would circle the equator nearly three times. First Solar utilizes a continuous manufacturing process which transforms a sheet of glass into a complete solar module in less than 2.5 hours, contributing to the industry-leading energy payback time and low carbon footprint of systems using First Solar PV modules.

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& EQBusiness Financial KSK Energy Ventures And MiaSole Announce Commissioning Of 11.6MW Solar Project In Rajasthan, India KSK Energy Ventures, a leading India power development and generation company, and MiaSole, the leading manufacturer of copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) thin-film photovoltaic solar panels and system solutions, today announced that the commissioning of an 11.6MW solar photovoltaic project occurred on February 26, 2013. The project is under India’s Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission and is one of the largest solar power plants in Rajasthan, India.U.S. Export-Import Bank will provide $9 million of debt financing for the project, marking the second MiaSole project in India that the U.S. Export-Import Bank has supported. “This project financing facilitates exports from MiaSole’s California manufacturing center, will boost California’s economy and help to create hundreds of local jobs,” said U.S. Export-Import Bank Chairman Hochberg.

The KSK project highlights MiaSole’s ability to scale solar technology at a price that is

attractive for both solar developers and utilities and underscores the company’s position as the leading supplier of highefficiency CIGS modules and solar solutions in India. Over the past year, MiaSole has completed projects in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, making MiaSole one of India’s leading providers of solar energy.”We are pleased to partner with MiaSole to deliver clean energy to our customers and drive continued growth for us in this market,” said Anil Kumar Kutty, Director of KSK. “MiaSole CIGS solar panels have proven to deliver the best solution for our project and are a compelling solution for the India market.”

“India represents a tremendous opportunity for renewable energy, and we are pleased to partner with a leading company like KSK in its efforts to deliver clean energy resources in Rajasthan,” said John Carrington , CEO of MiaSole. “In 2013, we will expand our global footprint and our business model to

invest in projects, acquire project pipeline and partner with leading developers and EPC companies in sustainable markets like India. Ex-Im Bank’s support of MiaSole’s technology lowers the cost of project financing, and will expand the deployment of our California-made solar modules in projects globally.”MiaSole’s headquarters and manufacturing are located in California, where the company employs approximately 200 people. In 2013, the company plans to hire over 200 additional employees in California to expand its manufacturing, research and development and commercial activities.

MiaSole panels have been used in a variety of projects globally, from large scale projects utility scale fields to commercial and residential rooftops. MiaSole is also developing a flexible solar solution, and last year announced a new flexible solar photovoltaic efficiency world record of 15.5 percent.

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& EQBusiness Financial Speech of the Prime Minister at the 4th Clean Energy Ministerial Following is the text of the Prime Minister DrManmohan Singh’s address at the 4th Clean Energy Ministerial in New Delhi today:

meeting their energy requirements through fossil fuel based energy, we know that the impact on the global climate would be simply unsustainable.

on Climate Change. Unfortunately, progress in these negotiations is painfully slow. The goal of stabilising global temperatures at acceptable levels is nowhere in sight.

“I am very pleased to inaugurate this Fourth Clean Energy Ministerial in New Delhi. This is the first time this Ministerial meeting has been convened in India. I take this opportunity to welcome all the participating Ministers and members of their delegations, and also the representatives of international organizations, the private sector and nongovernmental organizations participating in this important meeting.

This poses a global challenge. We can only meet the challenge by responding in two ways. First, we must contain the total growth in energy associated with the growth of GDP by improving energy efficiency. Second, we can work to shift from conventional to nonconventional or clean energy.

However, while we must work to ensure that the UN Framework Convention process reaches some acceptable outcome, individual countries have to take action to increase energy efficiency and also promote clean energy. There is need for inter-country consultation and discussion in these areas to promote information exchange and to identify possible areas of collaboration, and also to learn from each other’s experience in addressing common problems. The Clean Energy Ministerial has made a major contribution to such discussions.

Both actions help to mitigate emissions and both involve costs. But, the costs are borne

The search for clean energy is extremely important for two reasons. First, energy is both scarce and expensive and yet it is vital for development. If developing countries are to meet their developmental objectives they have to expand all sources of supply, including both conventional and non-conventional energy. Second, clean energy is especially important because it can progressively substitute for fossil fuel based energy, which brings with it the collateral damage associated with emissions of CO2 and other green house gases.

Greater use of clean energy obviously contributes to sustainability of the development process, and this issue will become more important in the years that lie ahead. Developing countries account for

82 percent of the world’s population and they use 55 percent of the available global supply of energy. They must aim at faster growth of their GDP to improve the living standards of their populations and this will entail an expanded demand for energy. If they follow the industrialized countries in 12

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The initiative for launching the Ministerial was taken by Dr. Steven Chu, U.S. Energy Secretary. Dr. Chu, a very distinguished Nobel Laureate, has announced his intention to return to academic life. We are therefore fortunate in having him with us today, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his contribution and to wish him well for the future. I have no doubt that he will continue to contribute to evolving a consensus on the important issues which the CEM has been grappling with.

by the country taking the actions whereas the benefits extend to the whole world. An optimal level of mitigation on the part of all countries can come only through globally coordinated action. An acceptable global energy strategy must also be based on equitable sharing of the burden of mitigation and adjustment.

On any principle of equity, the industrialized countries have to bear a large share of the burden. They are historically responsible for the bulk of the accumulated GHG emissions and this alone suggests a greater responsibility. They also have high per capita incomes which give them the highest capacity to bear the burden. They are technically the most advanced, and to that extent best placed to provide workable solutions not only for themselves but for the entire world.

These issues have been the focus of intense discussion in the Climate Change Negotiations being conducted under the auspices of the UN Framework Convention

In the three years since it was first launched, the Clean Energy Ministerial has promoted a number of initiatives in the area of expanding supplies of clean energy and promoting technologies for energy efficiency in a cost effective manner. I am very happy to state that India is an active participant of several of these initiatives.

Our 12th Five Year Plan recognises the importance of evolving a low carbon strategy for inclusive and sustainable growth. We have set ourselves a national target of increasing the efficiency of energy use to bring about a 20 to 25 percent reduction in the energy intensity of our GDP by 2020. The Plan also envisages an expanded role for clean energy, including traditional sources of clean energy such as hydel power and non conventional sources such as solar and wind power.

The full exploitation of hydel power has long been a part of India’s energy strategy, though there are environmental limitations in this regard owing to problems of submergence of forests and the need to rehabilitate affected populations. We will work to resolve these

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& EQBusiness Financial problems.

We are also taking steps to exploit non conventional clean energy sources such as solar and wind power, and also energy from the bio mass. It is proposed to double the renewable energy capacity in our country from 25000 MW in 2012 to 55000 MW by the year 2017.

The pace at which we can expand our reliance on these new energy sources is constrained by the fact that they are more expensive than conventional energy. However, costs are falling. The cost of solar energy for example has nearly halved over the last two years, though it remains higher than the cost of fossil fuel based electricity. If the cost imposed by carbon emissions is taken into account, then solar energy is more cost effective, but it is still more expensive.

However, with costs expected to fall further in the years that lie ahead, it will soon be fully competitive at the margin.

Counting on the probability of falling costs in this area, we have launched a Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission with the objective of developing 22,000 MW of solar capacity by the year 2022 covering both solar photovoltaic and solar thermal. The cost differential is being covered by different forms of subsidy and cross subsidy. A solar capacity of about 1500 MW has already been installed in the country, and an additional 10,000 MW will be implemented by the end of the 12th Five Year Plan, ending in 2017.

Solar energy has the advantage of permitting decentralized generation which is cost effective in serving people in the remote rural areas where extension of the grid would be rather expensive.

As we expand our reliance on solar energy, we are keen to ensure induction of the best technology and also to encourage domestic production of the equipment needed. India is potentially a large market for production of such equipment. It is also a potentially competitive and attractive production base for supplying other countries. We therefore strongly encourage global manufacturers to set up production facilities in this area.

As part of the Solar Mission we are setting up a National Institute of Solar Energy, which would be a global level R&D centre, which could draw upon international cooperation as well, to enable the cre¬ation of more affordable and convenient solar

power systems, and promote innovations that enable the storage of solar power for sustained, long-term use. It is expected that this Institute will be in position by the year 2015.

India’s wind potential in both onshore and offshore areas is being re-assessed to draw a long term plan for exploiting this source of energy. It appears that our potential for harnessing wind power is much larger than was earlier anticipated, though the potential is concentrated in certain parts of our country.

Expanding grid interactive renewable power requires supporting improvements in technologies of grid management to deal with the expected fluctuation in generation from these energy sources. There are fluctuations within the day as in the case of solar energy, and also fluctuations over seasons in the case of wind. How are we to manage a system where important components fluctuate significantly is an important focus area for our Government. Battery storage is one solution and pump storage another. Here too costs are critical but there is scope for cost reduction. We are keen to learn from international experience in this regard.

The Government has also launched a National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency to focus on energy efficiency in sectors ranging from appliances, buildings, transport and industries. The Mission focuses on establishment of standards and also on market related incentives based on the imposition of mandated efficiency standards in selected industries with tradable energy certificates incentivising companies to do better than the standard.

I am sure other countries participating in this Ministerial have similar initiatives. We are keen to learn from their experience and would be happy to share ours.

We are in the process of raising fuel efficiency standards in our transport sector. We have already decided to mandate 5% blending of ethanol in the motor spirit.

We are also launching a National Mission on Electric Mobility and I am happy to state that the Government of India will be joining the Electric Vehicle Initiative of the Clean Energy Ministerial.

One of the critical issues in promoting expansion of clean energy is financing of

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green energy. Investments in green energy are subject to technological, commercial and regulatory risk. For the moment green energy is not viable on its own without subsidy or regulatory incentives. Investors obviously need assurance that these incentives will continue. Market forces alone will not provide sufficient financing in this environment unless the risks of policy change are appropriately addressed. I am happy that the Ministers have scheduled a separate session on financing. We need to know more about what each of us is doing and this Ministerial is an excellent platform for experience sharing across the countries.

These are early days in our effort at developing a workable strategy and much remains to be done. I have no doubt that your deliberations will go a long way in developing a workable agenda for energy efficiency and expansion of clean energy for the world.

I wish you all success in the course of your deliberations over these two days and I hope you will all enjoy your stay in New Delhi, and perhaps even get a chance to see some of our country.”

Allocation for Renewable Energy A Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) of Rs.1521 crore has been provided to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) during 2013-14, in comparison to GBS of Rs. 1385 crore and Revised Estimates of Rs. 1150 crore during 2012-13, for development and promotion of renewable energy activities.

An expenditure of Rs.1106.79 crore was incurred by MNRE for development and promotion of renewable energy sources, which is about 80% of the GBS and over 96% of the Revised Estimates for the year 2012-13. Against the target of 4125 MW grid connected capacity and 126 MW offgrid applications, the achievements have been 3163 MW and 147 MW respectively during 2012-13.

The Government is continuing various incentive schemes to promote the new and renewable energy sector generation based incentives, viable gap funding etc. to further support the Renewable Energy sector.

This information was given by Minister for New & Renewable Energy, Dr. Farooq Abdullah in the RajyaSabha.

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& EQBusiness Financial The Rise And Fall Of Suntech: How A Trailblazing Solar Company Went From Dominance To Insolvency In Two Years Suntech Power’s epic plunge from solar module dominance to bankruptcy comes as the result of misplaced investments, a misguided pricing strategy, antidumping action in the United States and a potential new willingness by the Chinese government and banking system to cast off detrimental manufacturers, according to the IHS Solar service at information and analytics provider IHS (NYSE: IHS).

China’s Suntech on Wednesday said its main operating subsidiary, Wuxi Suntech, had been pushed into bankruptcy by eight Chinese banks. This represents a major fall from grace for Suntech, which as recently as 2011 was the world’s largest supplier of photovoltaic (PV) solar modules.“The seeds of Suntech’s fall were planted during its rise to market leadership,” said Mike Sheppard, senior PV analyst with IHS. “In 2009, at a time when the solar market was reeling from bloated inventories and cash-flow concerns, Suntech was one of the few companies willing to brave the uncertain business conditions and invest aggressively in manufacturing capacity. This bold strategy resulted in Suntech becoming the world’s largest PV module supplier in 2011. However, in retrospect, the company failed to invest in all the correct areas, specifically in wafer manufacturing. By failing to vertically integrate in this fashion,

Suntech was caught in a cost squeeze between falling system, module, and cell pricing and steady wafer expenses—making the company uncompetitive.”

From premium to discount Suntech worked hard to earn its price premium status. As the first Chinese company to do so in the PV market, it was considered at the same level at top-tier U.S., European and Japanese producers.

Turbulence began to occur for the company in 2012 with the U.S. antidumping trade case, led by SolarWorld, gaining traction against Chinese producers. Investors in the United States afraid of retroactive elements of the antidumping action avoided Chinese modules in their installations.This had the most negative impact on Suntech, which was the No. 1 module supplier in the U.S. market with 600 megawatts worth of shipments during the year.

Compounding this issue were financial concerns over the global solar fund, which is still being investigated for alleged illegal activities. The net effect of these two events hurt the company, significantly eroding the price premium earned by the company. By the time news from internal power struggles and the exit of Dr. Shi Zhengrong, Suntech president and CEO, had come to light, it was too late for a company so laden with debt.

Sacrificial pawn “This potential insolvency is an indication that China’s central government may no longer be willing to support any manufacturer in any condition anymore,” said Stefan de Haan, principal PV analyst with IHS. “A little bloodletting may help soften the trade case in the EU. And with a major player folding, China can demonstrate it is not fully supporting these companies anymore.

This means that the consolidation in the PV industry will continue, since there are still many hundreds of suppliers and there is still a fundamental overcapacity in the market.”

PV growth to continue In the short term, Suntech’s potential insolvency strengthens the position of other leading suppliers. However, looking further out Chinese-based banks may be reluctant to provide funding for other Chinese Even so, IHS Solar does not expect an immediate shift in the supply and demand balance. Although consolidation among suppliers will continue, a turnaround in the PV industry is expected to occur this year in light of growing end markets, stabilizing prices and revenues, and positive single-digit margins for best-in-class manufacturers.

Suntech Announces That Wuxi Court Accepted Petition For Restructuring Of Chinese Subsidiary Wuxi Suntech Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (NYSE: STP), or the “Company”, today announced that the Wuxi Municipal Intermediate People’s Court in Jiangsu Province, China has formally accepted the petition for the insolvency and restructuring of the Company’s Chinese subsidiary Wuxi Suntech Power Co., Ltd. (“Wuxi Suntech”).

The Court has appointed an administration committee, consisting of local government representatives and accounting and legal professionals, to administer the restructuring of Wuxi Suntech. The insolvency and restructuring procedure is designed to

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facilitate an orderly process for both Wuxi Suntech and its creditors. The primary goal is to restructure Wuxi Suntech’s debt obligations, while continuing production and operations.

products to meet customer orders. Suntech and the administration committee are committed to maintaining all of Suntech’s product warranty obligations.

Wuxi Suntech is the Company’s principal operating subsidiary in China engaged in the manufacture of photovoltaic (PV) cells and PV modules. Wuxi Suntech will continue operations through the restructuring period.

Furthermore, the Company has additional wholly owned or partially owned subsidiaries with cell and module production facilities that continue to produce high quality solar

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& EQBusiness Financial Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. Announces Petition Of Insolvency And Restructuring Of Its Chinese Subsidiary Wuxi Suntech Power Co., Ltd. Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (NYSE: STP), or the “Company”, today announced that on March 18, 2013, a group of eight Chinese banks filed a petition for insolvency and restructuring of its Chinese subsidiary Wuxi Suntech Power Co., Ltd. (“Wuxi Suntech”) in the Wuxi Municipal Intermediate People’s Court in Jiangsu Province, China. Wuxi Suntech today notified the Court that it will not file an objection against the petition. The Company expects that the Court will decide whether or not to accept the petition in the next few days.

Wuxi Suntech is the Company’s principal operating subsidiary in China engaged in the manufacture of photovoltaic (PV) cells and PV modules. The Company has additional cell and module production facilities at wholly owned or partially owned subsidiaries in Wuxi,Shanghai and Luoyang and, in the event insolvency and restructuring of Wuxi Suntech is approved by the Court, the Company intends to continue production of solar products to meet customer orders. In addition, management will work with any Court-appointed administrators to ensure all of Suntech’s product warranty obligations are met.

“While we evaluate restructuring initiatives and strategic alternatives, we are committed to continuing to provide high-quality solar products to our global customer base,” said David King, Suntech’s CEO. “During this period, we will continue to work closely with all of our stakeholders and take the necessary steps to put Suntech back on track for growth.”

The insolvency and restructuring procedure is designed to facilitate an orderly restructuring plan for both Wuxi Suntech and its creditors. In such proceedings, the Chinese court would typically appoint administrators to Wuxi Suntech to administer the restructuring, including negotiations with existing bank lenders and other creditors. Wuxi Suntech will apply to the Court to continue operations under the supervision of the administrators.

Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd., the ultimate parent company of Wuxi Suntech, has not commenced insolvency proceedings, nor have any of the Company’s other principal operating subsidiaries. The Company is not aware of any similar proceedings regarding any of its other entities.

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& EQBusiness Financial Renewable energy a reality in some states, still a pipe dream in others When planning for a vacation, we all scout for locations that are green and serene. We

all want to enjoy the fruits of nature but when it comes to rescuing and fighting for it, we tend to look the other way. This I realized

while compiling the report on the state of renewable energy in the country.

The report titled “Powering Ahead with Renewables: Leaders and Laggards” looks at Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) targets of all states and their achievements.

RPO targets decide how much electricity produced in the country should come from renewable sources and hence is a good judge of the improvements being made in clean energy. Sadly, only seven states out of 29 showed a commitment towards building a greener country. And the capital offender has been Delhi.

Infographic on Renewable Energy The national capital, despite having a good potential for solar energy, set a meager target of producing only 2% electricity from renewable energy sources. The actual achievement was even more shocking. It managed to produce only 0.01%, a deficit of 1.99%. Tamil Nadu, on the other hand, set a

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9% target and achieved 19.14%, indicating that some states are taking the issue of green electricity seriously and some are hurting it with their dismissive attitude.

The government wanted to generate 7% electricity from renewables but gave state governments the freedom to decide the figure. Result: the national target was downsized to 5.44%. RPO policy could have been a tool to bridge the demand-supply gap in the energy sector across the country. Had the state utilities stuck to their targets, 18,300 million units of extra electricity would have been produced which would have powered nearly 7.25 million households. But the toothless mechanism combined with targets that are not ambitious has failed to give any impetus to renewables in India.

Delhi as the national capital should have been a trendsetter but it has set the trend in the reverse direction. It could have fulfilled its RPO target by setting up rooftop solar panels in a big w ay. Howev e r, keeping in line with the tradition i n t h e In d i a n government where non-performance is rarely penalized, Delhi too got away for not meeting its goal. Worse, states like Tamil Nadu a n d K a rn a t a k a who worked hard towards making renewable electricity a reality have been disheartened on not being rewarded for their achievement.

a way that it makes me wonder why only states with high resources are being forced to generate electricity from renewables.

Consider Rajasthan. It is among the country’s poorest states yet the onus to lift the national renewable energy target has been put on its resources. Now take Delhi. It is a rich, developed with high energy consumption and even higher per capita income. Then why is Delhi or Punjab, who have the potential and the money to invest in renewable energy, not sharing the burden with Rajasthan or Tamil Nadu?

It is time for a course correction and it must start by building a more equitable RPO mechanism. Each state must develop an RPO target which is based not only on the resources available in the state but also takes into account its economic growth, per capita income and prevalent energy demand. An effective compliance mechanism needs to be set in place which penalizes non-action and encourages commitment. Financial support needs to be provided to state electricity boards, which due to their huge losses, shy away from “expensive” renewable energy.

Until this overhaul happens, “go green” will only be a dream.

Map on Renewable Energy in India The RPO mechanism has been built in

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& EQBusiness Financial Pew Report Finds Global Clean Energy Investment Declined, Capacity Grew In 2012 The global clean energy sector is undergoing geographic and technological shifts as new markets emerge and renewable capacity grows, according to research released by The Pew Charitable Trusts. The sector demonstrated resilience in 2012, registering a record 88 gigawatts, or GW, of additional generating capacity, even though investment levels declined 11 percent, to $269 billion, from 2011. Among the Group of 20 nations, China reclaimed the top spot from the United States, attracting $65.1 billion, a 20 percent increase over 2011 and 30 percent of the total for the G-20.

The 11 percent decline in clean energy investments compared to 2011 levels was due in part to curtailed incentive programs in a number of countries, among them Spain, Italy, and Germany. Elsewhere, continuing support for clean energy led to record levels of investment in a number of nations, including China and South Africa. Renewable energy installations grew by more than 11 percent to 88 GW, which reflected price reductions inwind, solar, and other technologies.

“Although the United States invented many of the leading clean energy technologies, it continues to underperform in investment and deployment relative to the size of its economy and its history in the field,” says Phyllis Cuttino , director of Pew’s clean energy program. “The United States installed record amounts of wind and solar, even though investment declined by more than one-third. Policy uncertainty in the United States has caused investment patterns to fluctuate sharply in recent years. Our research shows that strong, steady policies are essential for spurring private investment, as well as manufacturing and job-creation opportunities.”

The clean energy race In the global clean energy race, China established itself as the leader in attracting investment in wind, solar, and other renewables. China added 23 GW of clean energy generating capacity, bringing its total to 152 GW, the most of any nation.

The United States fell to No. 2 as investment in the sector declined 37 percent, to $35.6

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billion. The nation was in second place for wind energy investments ($13.9 billion), third for solar ($16.5 billion), and first place for investment in biofuels and low-carbon and energy efficiency technologies. Solar was a bright spot. With innovative third-party financing mechanisms, small residential solar investments increased 42 percent and helped spur deployment of a record 3.2 GW of solar generating capacity. All told, in 2012, 49 percent of new electric generating capacity in the United States was renewable.

The United States maintained its standing as a hub for innovation, attracting $4.3 billion, or 78 percent, of all venture capital/private equity investments. Across the G-20, this category, which includes all money invested by venture capital and private equity funds in the equity of companies developing renewable energy technology, declined by 34 percent in 2012 to $5.6 billion.

In third place, Germany curtailed incentives and saw investment decline 27 percent, to $22.8 billion. Still, 7.5 GW of solar generating capacity were added in Germany—the most of any G-20 country.

Shifting markets and technologies Reflecting the trend toward emerging markets, clean energy investment is shifting from the West to the East. The Asia and Oceania region has grown nine straight years and in 2012 became the leading regional destination for clean energy investment, growing 16 percent to $101 billion and accounting for 42 percent of the global total.

In contrast, policy uncertainty in Europe and the United States resulted in investment declines of 22 percent in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa region, and 31 percent in the Americas.

Clean energy investment is also shifting across technologies. For the second year in a row, solar technologies attracted more financing than any other technology by a wide margin: $126 billion was invested in the subsector in 2012, or 58 percent of the G-20 total. China, Europe, and the United States were top markets for solar investment.

Japan reemerged as a top destination for clean energy investment as national efforts to develop alternatives to nuclear energy gained momentum after the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear disaster in 2011. Clean energy investment in the nation increased 75 percent, to $16.3 billion, almost all in the solar sector, which added more than 2 GW of generating capacity. These projects propelled Japan into the No. 5 spot in investment in 2012, with the 27 countries of the European Union that are not separate members of the G-20 at No. 4.

Wind energy, which has garnered the majority of clean energy investment for most of the last decade, saw 14 percent less investment across the G-20, but it still attracted $72.7 billion. Among G-20 countries, wind energy investment was down 14 percent, with declines in historically large markets such as China, Germany, India, and Brazil. But the United Kingdom and United States saw gains in wind energy investment, with a substantial increase in the United States to a record 13.6 GW of wind power generating capacity, spurred by uncertainty about the potential expiration of the production tax credit. At year-end, Congress renewed this important tax incentive for the U.S. wind industry through 2013.

South Africa was the fastest-growing market in the G-20, with investment growing from less than $30 million in 2011 to $5.5 billion in 2012. The South African solar sector attracted $4.3 billion in 2012, or 80 percent of the total. Another $1.1 billion went to the nation’s wind sector. Rapid investment growth positioned South Africa as the ninth-leading destination for clean energy investment, behind Italy, the United Kingdom, andIndia.

Continued reductions in the price of wind and solar helped boost worldwide installed clean energy capacity to 648 GW. A record 48.6 GW of wind and 31 GW of solar generating capacity were deployed in 2012. Installed solar capacity of 104 GW is four times the level in place in 2009. In the United States, renewable energy sources accounted for 49 percent of new generating capacity in 2012, while in Europe more than 70 percent of new capacity was renewable.

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& EQBusiness Financial Mahindra EPC tops Merit List for early commissioning of projects under National Solar Mission Awarded by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) & NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN) Three Solar Power Projects constructed by Mahindra EPC, which is part of the USD 15.9 billion Mahindra Group, and the largest solar EPC in the country this year, have been recognized by the Central Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and the nodal agency for Phase I of the JNNSM â&#x20AC;&#x201C; NVVN (Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission -NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam), in their recently announced merit list for early commissioning of solar power projects.

The Highest Reliability and Uptime for the Lifetime of the Plant

The 5MW Solar PV power project constructed by Mahindra EPC for Mahindra Solar One near Jodhpur, Rajasthan, has been listed in the top slot under the merit list for Phase I, Batch I. In addition, two projects constructed by the company for Fonroche, France with a capacity of 5MW and 15MW near Bikaner, Rajasthan, have been listed as first and third ,respectively on the merit list for early commissioning for Phase I, Batch II. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am happy to note that Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s installed capacity for grid connected solar projects has crossed 1500 MW and several projects have been commissioned ahead of schedule in Batch II of Phase I of the JNNSM,â&#x20AC;? said Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Honourable Minister, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE).

Commenting on this recognition, Basant Jain, CEO, Mahindra EPC, said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are honoured to be in the prestigious merit list of MNRE and NVVN for early commissioning of solar projects in both batches of JNNSM Phase 1. We have commissioned 60 MW of solar projects in 4 months which is a clear indication of our ability to execute large scale solar plants within record time while ensuring the highest quality standards in every aspect of project execution.â&#x20AC;?

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The three solar PV power plants put together are equipped to supply more than 45 million units of clean and green energy annually and are expected to displace nearly 36,000 metric tones of CO2 annually. The plants employ high output thin film technology Solar PV modules from First Solar, USA and high-end crystalline silicon PV technology from SunPower, USA. They are spread across a cumulative area of almost 200 acres.

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RESEA RCH &I NT A NA ERV L YI SI EW S

Japan to Install More than 5 Gigawatts of PV Systems in 2013 – Overtaking Germany and the US

year—and forecast to exceed 5 GW for the whole of 2013. This would see Japan leapfrog ahead of Germany, Italy, and the U.S. to become the world’s second largest PV market.

London, U.K. (March, 18, 2013) – The Japanese photovoltaic (PV) market is set to grow by 120 percent in 2013 and install more than 5 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity, according to a new report, “The PV Market in Japan,” from IMS Research, now part of IHS Inc. (NYSE:IHS). Benefiting from the world’s most attractive PV incentive policy, Japan’s solar market is currently booming, with installations expected to exceed 1 GW in the first quarter alone, causing it to become the second largest market in 2013.

A Lifeline for Japanese Manufacturers

Overly Generous Incentives Spurs a Booming Market Japan’s PV market currently benefits from a feed-in tariff (FIT) paying up to ¥42 per kilowatt hour, even though this is likely to be reduced by approximately 10 percent beginning April 1.

“At ¥42 Japan’s FIT is by far the most attractive globally—overly generous perhaps, which could lead to overheating of the market,” explained Ash Sharma, senior director of solar research at IHS. “And while a 10 percent reduction in tariffs is widely expected by industry players, this will have little effect on both internal rates of return and market demand.

Furthermore, many systems that have already applied for the higher FIT are able to benefit from this rate of ¥42 even if they are installed after April 1,” The report reveals that installations are estimated at over 1 GW in the first quarter of 2013—the final quarter of Japan’s fiscal

IHS research found that domestic PV installations are proving to be a lifeline for struggling Japanese companies that are able to sell both modules and inverters at high margins, despite their competitiveness at an international level falling behind their overseas peers. Providers of residential ‘system kits,’ EPCs and project developers are also seemingly enjoying the high margins that come with a generous FIT and its resulting high system prices.

“Residential system prices in Japan are roughly double than those installed in Germany. The ability to sell modules and inverters at significant premium compared to the rest of the world, coupled with high demand and growth, provides a much-needed profit stream for Japanese suppliers,” commented Frank Xie, report co-author and IHS senior analyst for PV and solar research.

Although Japan has been reportedly attempting to attract foreign PV companies to its shores in order to help accelerate supply—and hence, installations—the report found that it remains a tough market for nonJapanese companies in which to compete.

“While many Chinese and even U.S. module suppliers are now serving the Japanese market, they remain the minority and have largely needed to resort to OEM agreements and partnerships with Japanese manufacturers, despite being highly regarded

First Solar Ranked Largest Photovoltaic EPC in 2012 as European Companies Falter

a major shift in global rankings occurred in 2012 due to the explosive growth witnessed in Asia and the Americas at the expense of Europe. Just four European EPCs appeared in IHS’ top 10 rankings for 2012.

London, U.K. (March 26. 2013) – For the first time First Solar became the world’s largest photovoltaic (PV) EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contractor in 2012, with more than 500 megawatts (MW) of projects completed – an increase of 50 percent over 2011, according to a new report from IMS Research, now part of IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS). The report also revealed that

U.S. Companies Come Out On Top

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Two other US-based EPCs – SunEdison and SunPower also featured in the top fifteen, installing 390 MW and 190 MW respectively.

“Because of the dramatic shift in demand away from Europe, non-European

brands in the rest of the world. Simply put, Japanese customers want to buy Japanese modules. Non-Japanese inverter companies have found it even harder to serve this market as tough regulations from the certification board—JET—and even more stringent requirements from utilities have meant that substantial product redesigns are required before they are able to target this market effectively. As a result, the market is currently suffering from a bottleneck in inverter supply,” observed Sharma.

Mega Demand for ‘Mega Solar’ – But for How Long?

Projects more than 2 megawatts in size—or ‘mega solar’—in Japan are a major driving force behind the country’s tripledigit growth rate, but this is expected to be short-lived, according to the report, and the projects will face a decline after 2013.

“These so-called ‘mega-solar’ projects are being deployed at a rapid rate, and we expect they will account for approximately 25 percent of total demand in 2013,” Xie noted. “Government policy is in clear support of these projects while the country grapples with severe energy shortages following its shunning of nuclear power. However, this is likely to be short-lived and decline after 2014 once the current pipeline of approved projects is completed, largely because of a shortage of land in the country.”

Sharma concluded: “Another segment of the market that gets fewer headlines, but should not be neglected, is commercial rooftops. Systems in the range of 10-50 kilowatts are in very high demand in Japan due to high incentives, high electricity prices, power shortages for commercial properties and relatively simple regulations for installations of this size.”

companies are now completing vast numbers of PV projects around the world. Last year, just four of the top 10 EPCs and system integrators were based in Europe due to the large project business of US, Chinese and Indian companies. Back in 2010, seven of the top 10 EPCs were European,” commented Ash Sharma, senior director of solar research at IHS. First Solar and SunEdison were found to have benefitted from the huge utilityscale PV pipeline being constructed both in the US and many other countries over a number a years, including the 550 MW Topaz

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THE NEW ULTRA: DRIVING DOWN LCOE OF PV POWER PLANTS

Solar Farm and the 290 MW Agua Caliente Solar Project.

The Rise of Asia Asian EPCs also featured heavily again in the 2012 rankings, most notably Chinese companies linked to state-owned utilities and industrial companies that benefited from massive domestic demand in ground-mount projects.

“Four of the ten largest EPCs last year were Chinese companies. There were another eight that appeared in the top 30. These companies are likely to see continued gains as their domestic market continues to grow rapidly and the Chinese market remains largely impenetrable to foreign firms,” explained Sharma.

European EPCs Won’t Disappear Despite European EPCs slipping down the rankings, the vast majority of PV EPC and system integrators are still located in Europe. In fact, 11 of the 30 largest EPCs last year were European, installing 2 GW of new capacity between them. These same companies are also becoming increasingly active in new emerging markets around the world including Latin America and Asia.

“Despite all of the dramatic changes in the EPC landscape in 2012, one thing remains constant: the industry remains incredibly fragmented. First Solar’s EPC business represented just 2% of the total market and the top 30 EPCs only accounted for 24% of the global projects business – roughly the same as 2011,” concluded Sharma.

Interestingly, an Indian company, Larsen & Toubro, appeared in the top 10 ranking for the first time. Larsen & Toubro is estimated to have completed nearly 200 MW of projects in 2012, nearly double the amount completed the year before. Like their Chinese counterparts, Indian EPCs remain in an excellent position to capitalize on the high growth of domestic ground-mount projects.

Global PV Installations to Exceed 35 Gigawatts in 2013; Asia & Americas More than Compensate for Ailing Europe London, U.K. (April 8, 2013) – Global photovoltaic (PV) installations are forecast to exceed 35 gigawatts (GW) in 2013, equivalent to growth of 12 percent, according to recently released analysis from IHS (NYSE: IHS). IHS also reaffirmed its earlier prediction that global PV installations surpassed 30 GW in 2012, with final analysis showing that installations, in fact, grew 14 percent to reach 31.4 GW last year.

These findings and the latest PV demand projections for 2013 and beyond were recently issued by the IHS solar team, which comprises analysts from the IHS acquisitions of IMS Research, iSuppli, and Emerging Energy Research. Contrary to many other more pessimistic predictions for the industry, IHS foresees the PV industry to continue along its double-digit growth path in 2013 and to exceed 35 GW for the first time.

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“We often see quite pessimistic forecasts at the start of each year for PV installations, due to a seasonal slowdown and talks of major incentive cuts as Europe reassesses its PV policy typically after yet another year of record growth,” said Ash Sharma, senior director of solar research at IHS. “However, our analysis of more than 60 countries around the world shows that demand outside of Europe will more than compensate for the fall in the Continent, and installations will go on at any rate to hit 35 GW this year.”.

Q4 ’12 surge in Asia: a sign of things to come Asia surged in the fourth quarter of 2012 and installed more than 4 GW during the period, an amount close to half the global total. Asia’ importance to the global PV market is predicted to continue, according to IHS, and Asia in 2013 will become the largest region for PV installations for the first time in 10 years. PV installations in Asia are forecast to grow to 15 GW this year, in the process exceeding Europe, which is predicted to drop to 13 GW. For the China market, however, IHS is less optimistic than others on likely

installations for that country this year: “We predict China will install at least 6 GW of new PV capacity this year,” noted Sharma. “This is some way lower than the 10 GW figure that has been widely circulated around the industry as China’s target for 2013. The continued issue of grid-connecting megawatt-scale PV projects, as well as delays in developers receiving FIT payments, is likely to hold back China from installing more this year. Even so, a dwindling European market and restrictions on Chinese modules could well drive higher domestic installations.”

Installations or connections?

Although IHS confirmed that global PV installations surged past 31 GW last year, its analysis showed that grid-connected PV capacity was actually lower than 30 GW. “When analyzing PV demand, some people talk of installations while others talk of connections. This often causes confusion, and so IHS tracks both to fully understand the market dynamics,” Sharma noted. “Connections were lower in 2012 than installations, owing to lengthy delays in connecting major projects in countries such as China and India. For instance, up

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to 2.5 GW of PV projects were completed but not connected to the grid at the end of 2012 in China”.

IHS analysis showed that global PV connections in 2012 amounted to just over 27 GW.

Europe’s dominance set to end While Europe accounted for 70 percent of PV installations in 2011, IHS found that this fell to 57 percent in 2012 and is predicted to slide further to 37 percent in 2013, especially as the region becomes outflanked by Asia. Almost all of Europe’s so-called mature PV markets are predicted to decline in 2013—a development forecast to take place despite bright spots of growth in countries such as the U.K., Turkey and the Netherlands. As a result, IHS predicts that installations in Europe will fall from 18 GW in 2012 to 13 GW in 2013.

accounted for nearly two-thirds of European installations in 2012—growth here looks impossible,” Sharma said. “Changes to Germany’s EEG and Italy’s ContoEnergia are already in place, and a contraction in these two big markets is predicted in 2013. Moreover, looming antidumping measures against Chinese manufacturers are taking their toll on Europe, resulting in price increases and additional registration paperwork that will further temper solar demand this year.”

Despite Europe’s dramatic decline in 2013, IHS maintains that double-digit growth will occur again in global installations. Growth rates of 250%, 50% and 65% are forecast for Middle-East & Africa, Americas, and Asia respectively, supporting global growth, but continuing the industry’s geographic fragmentation.

China’s Yingli Tops PV Module Supplier Rankings in 2012; Suntech Slips to Fifth

The chart below shows the Top 10 PV suppliers of 2012 and their annual module shipments; processing services or OEM shipments are not included.

El Segundo, Calif. (April 11, 2013)— Yingli from China became the largest global supplier of photovoltaic (PV) modules in 2012 based on annual merchant shipments, while previous leader and besieged fellow Chinese producer Suntech Power dropped to fifth place, according to the latest analysis from information and analytics provider IHS (NYSE: IHS).

Leading module suppliers grow slower than the market

course,” explained Stefan de Haan, principal analyst for solar at IHS. “SunPower and Trina grew at a slower pace, while Suntech, First Solar and Sharp from Japan saw declining shipment volumes. Global PV end markets increased by a robust 14 percent in 2012, so on average the leading module suppliers effectively lost some ground.”

“While hopes in the past could have been pinned on Germany or Italy—which

In a year that proved very challenging for the entire PV industry, Yingli managed to increase its merchant shipment volumes by 43 percent year-over-year to leapfrog Suntech as well as U.S.-based First Solar, the two largest suppliers of 2011. First Solar managed to defend its position as the No. 2 module manufacturer, while Suntech lost significant ground and was displaced to fifth position behind Trina Solar and Canadian Solar. REC, the only Top 10 supplier headquartered in Europe, grew faster than most of its Chinese competitors in 2012. Increasing its module shipments by 31 percent year-over-year to 757 megawatts (MW), REC strengthened its position as a leading player in a highly competitive environment.

Although the PV industry is consolidating and many players have exited the business, many of the Top 10 module suppliers lost

The fall of debt-burdened Suntech had become apparent by the third quarter last year, when the company closed factories and cut production significantly. On March 20, 2013, the manufacturing unit of the company announced insolvency.

According to the IHS Q1 PV Integrated Market Tracker, the entities gaining share from the Top 10 companies were the large, but not yet leading, players that continued to aggressively scale up their operations during a phase of general pessimism.

Source: IHS April 2013

market share in 2012. While the Top 10 in 2011 had accounted for 46% of global module shipments, the group last year only achieved a combined share of 40 percent.

“Canadian Solar, as well as Jinko Solar and Hanwha SolarOne were the only Top 10 companies that managed to grow merchant module shipments at a double-digit rate in 2012—in addition to Yingli and REC, of

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“Japanese suppliers Solar Frontier and Kyocera expanded output and shipments massively in 2012, and both benefited from the current boom in Japan,” de Haan added.

“Solar Frontier climbed from No. 14 in 2011 to 11th place in 2012, while Kyocera rose from No. 17 to No. 12.”

Strong performance was also recorded for Chinese suppliers Renesola, Astronergy, Hareon Solar, and JA Solar, increasing EQ INTERNATIONAL - April 2013

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module shipments by more than 200 MW for each in 2012.

strategies of top players are increasingly branching out,” de Haan explains.

Business strategies are branching out

Yingli generated 24 percent of its 2012 revenue in China. Jinko is another winner in this market, shipping approximately 400 MW to China alone in 2012 while also building up a strong presence in South Africa. For its part, Canadian Solar generated 26 percent of 2012 sales in the U.S. market and is also one of the strongest imported brands in Japan. Leading U.S. supplier First Solar, on the other hand, is anchoring

Until 2011 it was sufficient for the leading module suppliers to focus on very few key markets in the world—above all on Germany and Italy—in order to maintain a successful business. However, this situation has changed.

“As a reaction to the shifting of global installation volumes away from Europe, the

PV Inverter Revenue Expands to $7 Billion in 2012, as Asia Arises as Growth Driver London (April 17, 2013) – Energized by a surge of shipments in Asia, the global photovoltaic (PV) inverter market in 2012 bucked weak worldwide solar industry conditions to expand by 5 percent and break the $7 billion level for the first time.

Global PV inverter market revenue last year rose to $7.1 billion, up from $6.7 billion in 2011, according to the latest PV inverter market report from IMS Research, now part of IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS), as presented in the attached figure.

“Despite lower PV installation growth and rapid price declines, inverter sales have managed to generate growth, all be it at just low single-digit levels—a notable achievement amid such weak market conditions in the solar market,” said Sam Wilkinson, PV inverter research manager for IHS. “Growth was driven by a strong increase in sales in Asia in the fourth quarter, which managed to offset a sequential decline of more than 20 percent in the Europe/Middle East/Africa region (EMEA). This helped to drive annual shipments to 31 gigawatts (GW) in 2012, up from 27 GW in 2011.”

Revenue growth was somewhat restrained by intense price competition and a shift toward more sales in lower-price markets such as China, India and Eastern Europe. These regions tend to prefer larger inverters that have lower prices, driving a significant decline in average blended pricing and resulting in much more modest revenue growth for the year.

Asia drives 2012 growth Asia was the only major region whose

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PV inverter revenue grew sequentially in the final quarter of 2012. Quarterly shipments in this region jumped by almost 1 GW, expanding annual shipments by 63 percent compared to the same time in 2011.

This strong growth was caused largely by China and Japan, both of which enjoyed record shipment levels in the fourth quarter.

“China and Japan are expected to account for a growing share of global demand, but these markets are notoriously difficult for non-domestic suppliers,” Wilkinson said.

“Developing successful strategic partnerships and obtaining local certifications for products will be critical steps required for suppliers to succeed in penetrating these markets.”

Demand for PV inverters in Asia will expand by more than 60 percent again in 2013, IHS predicts.

European suppliers slip The PV inverter industry in 2012 continued to be dominated by European and U.S. suppliers. However, IHS analysis shows that this landscape is changing rapidly.

With the market shifting to Asia, the position of European suppliers slipped in 2012. The combined market share of the three largest European suppliers fell dramatically, declining to less than 30 percent in the fourth quarter of the year, down from almost 50 percent in the first quarter.

Top 3 suppliers unchanged, but leaders’ market share dips in 2012

itself to the Latin America market with the acquisition of a Chilean-based developer and its portfolio. These are a few examples highlighting the importance of timely and appropriate reaction for PV suppliers in a rapidly changing environment.

“A good granular understanding of the supply-and-demand dynamics in tens of individual markets—encompassing mature and emerging spaces alike— will be key to sustainable profitability,” concluded de Haan. pressure near the end of the year.

“SMA, which once was the undisputed market leader, saw its market share fall below 20 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012,” Wilkinson said. “That’s the lowest level that we have on record in over six years of analyzing the market. SMA has taken action by acquiring a stake in a Chinese supplier and aggressively targeting the Japanese market, and these are important steps in protecting its leading position in the PV inverter market. However, it remains to be seen if these actions will be aggressive enough as the PV market continues to fragment.”

Smaller suppliers surge The ranking of suppliers below the three leaders changed significantly.

Four of 2012’s largest suppliers made big increases in their rankings: Coloradobased Advanced Energy, Enphase Energy of California, Danfoss Solar Inverters from Denmark and Omron from Japan. These companies all gained at least four places in the rankings.

Just one European supplier in the Top 10—Danfoss—was able to increase its global ranking in 2012, reflecting the changing supplier landscape as markets outside of Europe begin to account for a growing share. An Asian supplier and a microinverter supplier also appeared in the Top 10 for the first time in 2012.

For the second year running, SMA of Germany; California-based PowerOne; and Kaco, also of Germany, were the world’s three largest PV inverter suppliers. However, these suppliers’ absence from the fastest-growing major markets of Japan and China put their market share under considerable

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PV Storage Market Set to Explode to $19 Billion in 2017; Germany leads Again The worldwide market for PV storage is forecast to grow rapidly to reach $19 billion in 2017, from less than $200 million in 2012, according to a new report entitled ‘The Role of Energy Storage in the PV Industry’ from IMS Research, now part of IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS).

Following the introduction of an energy storage subsidy in Germany, global installations of PV storage systems are forecast to grow by more than 100 percent a year on average over the next five years, to reach almost 7 gigawatts (GW) in 2017 and worth $19 billion. Germany will account for nearly 70 percent of storage installed in residential PV systems worldwide in 2013.

However, opportunities also will exist in other regions and applications in the future and Germany’s share of the global market naturally will fall as a result.

The attached figure shows the IHS forecast for global PV storage system market revenue.

Subsidy to accelerate growth in Germany Germany’s long-awaited subsidy for PV storage systems is due to launch on May 1st.

IHS predicts that the subsidy will promote rapid growth in the German residential sector, and result in almost 2 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of effective storage capacity being installed during the next five years.

“Because domestic electricity rates now significantly exceed residential feedin tariff rates, there is strong interest in increasing self-consumption in residential PV systems to maximize the financial return of the system,” said Sam Wilkinson, PV analyst at IHS. “As a result, 8 megawatts (MW) of PV systems were already installed with storage in Germany in 2012, prior to the subsidy being released. The introduction of the widely anticipated subsidy will quickly accelerate uptake by making the lifetime cost of PV systems with storage cheaper compared to those without it.”

had more than offset the savings created by increased self-consumption, and PV systems without storage offered a more attractive return.

Will other countries follow Germany’s lead again?

While Germany is forecast to remain one of the largest markets for PV storage, energy storage solutions will also be deployed in a wide range of other regions, the report found. Germany was the pioneer of the FiT for PV systems and along with Japan initially drove the PV market’s development.

As the first country to introduce a subsidy for PV storage, Germany will inspire other countries to follow suit, if the scheme proves successful, IHS expects.

“We do expect that other countries will follow Germany’s example and adopt similar subsidy schemes to promote the use of PV energy storage—particularly where there is a case for promoting self-consumption

and grid stability,” Wilkinson said. “Even without subsidies though, storage can be an attractive proposition in conjunction with residential PV systems in some markets, such as the U.K., where the market is forecast to begin growing quickly in 2014, when the price of batteries is predicted to have fallen sufficiently to make PV storage financially viable.”

Storage is also predicted to be used in larger systems, in order to improve the integration of PV into the grid, increase the financial return of PV systems and meet the increasingly demanding connection requirements that some countries are imposing on intermittent electricity sources like PV. Utility-scale PV systems with storage are forecast to grow to more than 2GW annually by 2017 according to the report, with Asia and the Americas dominating this market.

Although the rates are not confirmed yet, the proposed subsidy will reduce the average 20-year cost of a PV system with storage to 10 percent less than a system without it.

Previously, the high cost of batteries

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EQ INTERNATIONAL - April 2013

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State Distribution Utilities First Annual Integrated Rating Saumya Bansal Gupta - EQ International

T

he Integrated Rating methodology for State Power Distribution Utilities was developed by Ministry of Power (MoP) and unveiled in the State Power Ministers conference held in July 2012 (Appendix). The methodology was developed

by MoP keeping in view poor financial health of State Distribution utilities and the need to base future funding exposures on an objective rating mechanism. The main objectives of developing the integrated rating methodology for the state distribution utilities are: •

To devise a mechanism for incentivising/ dis-incentivising the entities in order to improve their operational & financial performance.

•

To facilitate realistic assessment by Banks/FIs of the risks associated with lending exposures to various distribution utilities and enable funding with appropriate loan covenants for bringing improvement in operational, financial and managerial performance.

•

May serve as a basis for Govt. assistance to the state power sector through various schemes like R- APDRP, NEF, etc. MoP has mandated Power Finance Corporation (PFC) to co-

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planning, etc carry the maximum weightage of about 60%.Efficient Regulatory practices is the second most important factor holding weightage of 15%. These include Issue of regulatory guidelines, Issue of tariff guidelines, Timely filing of tariff petition;& Timely issue of tariff order. Other parameters The broad parameters that have been relating to submission of audited accounts, used for the rating are as follows: metering, IT &computerisation, no default to Banks/FIs, Sr.No. Parameters Weightage Renewable energy purchase 1 Financial Performance 63 obligations compliance, etc 2 Audited Accounts 5,-12 account of around 25%. Certain 3 Cross Subsidy 0,-2 parameters carry negative 0,-5 4 Reform Measures scores on non compliance like - Unbundling Non auditing of accounts (upto &Corporatisation minus 12%), SEBs unbundling 5 Regulatory Environment 15,-15 (upto minus 5%), Non filing of 6 Forward looking 5,-1 tariff petition (upto minus 5%), parameters Deterioration of AT&C loss (upto 7 Incentive / Bonus marks 12 minus 5%), Untreated revenue gap (upto minus 5%), Increase in payables, presence of regulatory Scores have been assigned both on the assets, negative net worth (each upto minus basis of absolute & relative improvement 3%). in operational and financial performance The rating has been based primarily on parameters. Financial performance data submitted by the SEBs / State distribution parameters like subsidy received, cost utilities in response to questionnaires sent coverage ratio, AT&C losses, financial ordinate the rating exercise, which in turn has appointed ICRA & CARE to carry out the rating exercise. The exercise does not cover State Power/ Energy Departments and private sector distribution utilities.

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by the rating agencies. Other sources of data accessed include Audited Accounts, Annual Administrative Reports, assessment of Financial Resources for Annual Plan submitted to the Planning Commission and Tariff Orders issued by the SERCs. The data collected, as above, has been supplemented with meetings with key officials of the SEBs / State distribution utilities.

Grading Scale And Grades The proposed grading scale of ‘A+ to C’ is different from the prevalent rating scale adopted by CRAs (AAA to D) as the prevalent rating measures the degree of safety regarding timely servicing of financial obligations based on “probability of default”; however, current grading exercise analyzes the operational and financial health of the

distribution entities based on the rating framework approved by Ministry of Power.

Further, credit rating for distribution utilities entails comparison with other corporates, as compared to the integrated rating exercise wherein comparison of the entity is done with other distribution utilities only.

UTILITY-WISE GRADES

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EQ INTERNATIONAL - April 2013

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QUA RT ER RESUL T S

Jinko Faced Significant Challenges Due To Continued Module Oversupply And The Economic Uncertainties Saumya Bansal Gupta - EQ International •

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Total solar product shipments were 301.9 megawatts, consisting of 252.3 MW of solar modules, 25.3 MW of silicon wafers and 24.3 MW of solar cells. This represents a decrease of 9.9% from 335.2 MW in the third quarter of 2012 and an increase of 33.0% from 227.0 MW in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Total revenues were RMB1.17 billion (US$187.3 million), representing a decrease of 12.2% from the third quarter of 2012 and a decrease of 2.6% from the fourth quarter of 2011. The Company entered into certain sales contracts with retainage terms (the “Retainage Contracts”) in the third and fourth quarters of 2012, under which customers were allowed to withhold payment of 5% to 10% of the full contract price as retainage for the specified period which generally ranges from one year to two years (the “Retainage Period”). In the third quarter of 2012, the Company recognized the full contract price including the retainage as revenue, and on that basis it previously reported total revenue of RMB1.39 billion for the quarter. Given the limited experience the Company has with respect to the collectability of the retainage under EQ INTERNATIONAL - April 2013

Retainage Contracts, the Company has concluded deferring such revenue was the appropriate accounting method and as such has deferred the revenue recognition of the retainage until the customers pay it after the Retainage Period expires. Accordingly, the Company has revised its total revenue for the third quarter of 2012 to RMB1.33 billion by deferring RMB59.8 million from the Retainage Contracts. The total amounts of retainage under the Retainage Contracts that were not recognized as revenue were RMB59.8 million and RMB62.0 million for the quarters ended September 30 and December 31, 2012, respectively. In addition, due to the change in revenue recognition as described in this paragraph, the Company has also revised the previously reported accounts receivable, net - third parties, current assets, total assets and net assets as of September 30, 2012 to RMB2.00 billion, RMB4.95 billion, RMB9.00 billion and RMB2.12 billion.

•

Gross margin was positive 3.8%, compared with positive 5.8% in the third quarter of 2012 and negative 4.4% in the fourth quarter of 2011.

The Company’s gross margin for the third quarter of 2012 has been revised

from the previously reported 9.9% as a result of the change in the Company’s revenue recognition with respect to the retainage under the Retainage Contracts.

•

In-house gross margin was 5.6%, compared with 8.3% in the third quarter of 2012 and 5.8% in the fourth quarter of 2011. The Company’s in-house gross margin for the third quarter of 2012 has been revised from the previously reported 12.6% as a result of the change in the Company’s revenue recognition with respect to the retainage under the Retainage Contracts.

•

Loss from operations was RMB733.7 million (US$117.8 million), compared with a loss from operations of RMB111.3 million in the third quarter of 2012 and a loss from operations of RMB316.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2011. The Company’s loss from operations for the third quarter of 2012 has been revised from the previously reported RMB51.5 million as a result of the change in the Company’s revenue recognition with respect to the retainage under the Retainage Contracts.

•

Net loss attributable to JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.’s ordinary shareholders was RMB761.1 million (US$122.2 million), compared with a net loss

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attributable to JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.’s ordinary shareholders of RMB114.5 million in the third quarter of 2012 and a net loss attributable to JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.’s ordinary shareholders of RMB366.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.

The Company’s net loss attributable to JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.’s ordinary shareholders for the third quarter of 2012 has been revised from the previously reported RMB54.8 million as a result of the change in the Company’s revenue recognition with respect to the retainage under the Retainage Contracts.

•

•

•

Diluted loss per share was RMB8.58 (US$1.38), compared with a diluted loss per share of RMB1.29 in the third quarter of 2012 and a diluted loss per share of RMB4.06 in the fourth quarter of 2011. The Company’s diluted loss per share for the third quarter of 2012 has been revised from the previously reported RMB0.62 as a result of the change in the Company’s revenue recognition with respect to the retainage under the Retainage Contracts.

third quarter of 2012 has been revised from the previously reported RMB27.8 million as a result of the change in the Company’s revenue recognition with respect to the retainage under the Retainage Contracts.

•

Diluted loss per American depositary share (“ADS”) was RMB34.32 (US$5.51), compared with a diluted loss per ADS of RMB5.16 in the third quarter of 2012 and a diluted loss per ADS of RMB16.24 in the fourth quarter of 2011. Each ADS represents four ordinary shares. The Company’s diluted loss per ADS for the third quarter of 2012 has been revised from the previously reported RMB2.48 as a result of the change in the Company’s revenue recognition with respect to the retainage under the Retainage Contracts.

Non-GAAP net loss attributable to JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.’s ordinary shareholders in the fourth quarter of 2012 was RMB699.5 million (US$112.3 million), compared with a non-GAAP net loss attributable to JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.’s ordinary shareholders of RMB87.6 million in the third quarter of 2012 and a non-GAAP net loss attributable to JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.’s ordinary shareholders of RMB370.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2011. The Company’s Non-GAAP net loss attributable to JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.’s ordinary shareholders for the

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Non-GAAP basic and diluted loss per share in the fourth quarter of 2012 was RMB7.88 (US$1.26). Non-GAAP basic and diluted loss per ADS of RMB31.52 (US$5.06) in the fourth quarter of

2012.

Full Year 2012 Highlights •

Total solar product shipments for the full year 2012 reached a record high of 1,188.3 MW, consisting of 912.4 MW of solar modules, 197.4 MW of silicon wafers and 78.5 MW of solar cells, an increase of 25.0% from 950.5MW for the full year 2011.

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29

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•

Total revenues were RMB4.79 billion (US$769.6 million) for the full year 2012, a decrease of 35.1% from RMB7.38 billion for the full year 2011.

has been the only Chinese solar company to date to have successfully issued corporate bonds in 2013, reflecting strong market confidence in our long-term growth potential and sustainable business development.

•

Gross margin was 4.8% for the full year 2012, compared with 15.6% for the full year 2011.

•

Net loss attributable to JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.’s ordinary shareholders was RMB1.54 billion (US$247.6 million) for the full year 2012, compared with a net income of RMB273.3 million for the full year 2011.

•

Diluted loss per share for the full year 2012 was RMB17.38 (US$2.79), compared with a diluted loss per share of RMB1.23 for the full year 2011.

•

Diluted loss per ADS for the full year 2012 was RMB69.52 (US$11.16), compared with a diluted loss per ADS of RMB4.92 for the full year 2011.

“In addition to our improved cash position, JinkoSolar’s advanced technology, high product quality and reputation as a reliable partner has allowed us to establish even stronger relationships with our customers around the globe and, very importantly, attract repeat business.

JinkoSolar recently launched the new “Eagle” series of modules, the world’s first potential induced degradation free modules to be certified under weather conditions of 85 degrees Celsius and 85% relative humidity. The “Eagle” series of modules represent the new world standard JinkoSolar has set for high performance and reliability. Strong sales during the fourth quarter brought our inventory levels down to an industry-low of $84.7 million as of December 31, 2012, a decrease of approximately $50.9 million from September 30, 2012. We now have more than 160 customers and are active in 20 different countries, which is a true testament to the increasing global appeal of our brand.”

•

Non-GAAP net loss attributable to JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.’s ordinary shareholders for the full year 2012 were RMB1.42 billion (US$227.2 million), compared with a non-GAAP net income attributable to JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.’s ordinary shareholders of RMB4.4 million for the full year 2011.

•

Non-GAAP basic and diluted loss per share the full year 2012 was RMB15.94 (US$2.56), and non-GAAP basic and diluted loss per ADS the full year 2012 was RMB 63.76 (US$10.23).

“Our business continued to face significant challenges during the fourth quarter due to continued module oversupply and the economic uncertainties lingering over the global economy,” commented Mr. Kangping Chen, JinkoSolar’s Chief Executive Officer. “Despite these challenges, we were able to maintain positive gross margins while shipping a record high 1,188.3MW during 2012, of which 912.4MW were solar modules.

I believe that these results demonstrate the effectiveness of our strategy and ability to adapt to the changing environment and conditions of our diversified markets and locations.”

“Our working capital has continued to improve during the fourth quarter as we achieved positive operating cash flow. Our financial position improved with the RMB800 million corporate bonds we issued in January 2013. I am proud of the fact that JinkoSolar

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EQ INTERNATIONAL - April 2013

“As the European economies continue to struggle, we are focused on diversifying our presence in emerging solar markets such as China, Japan, the United States, South Africa and India. Although we entered the Japanese market relatively late, we have established a considerable market presence and become a serious competitor in the market. With more than 100MW worth of shipments to Japan already signed, we are confident about future opportunities as we adjust our strategy to Japan’s rapidly maturing market. We also expect the United States market to account for a large portion of the global growth in the coming year. Having adjusted our strategy to accommodate the AD/CVD tariffs, the

United States’ market is poised to contribute a considerable portion of our growth. In addition, in the fourth quarter of 2012, we have secured 60MW sales to India. We also announced last week the signing of a 115MW contract in South Africa, the second large

contract we have signed in that country so far. China presents significant opportunities for us as we expand our project development and EPC business there alongside our module sales. As one of the first solar companies tapping into the growth potential of China’s solar market, we have managed to secure multiple contracts and repeat business. That has allowed us to quickly become one of the best-known PV module brands in China.

Recently, we signed a three-year framework agreement of 600MW modules with China Three Gorges New Energy Corp. following

the 50MW contract signed in October 2012.

With our strong brand name and reputation for high quality and reliability in China, we are well positioned to capture future growth.”

“Although the prospects for the global solar industry remain uncertain, especially

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in light of the recent adverse developments in the industry, we are optimistic about our future development based on our current financial and operational strengths. We believe that our long-term growth prospects will further strengthen as our strong client relationships and reputation, which will bring us new and exciting business opportunities.

We plan to continue to manage our business prudently and leverage our industry leading technology and cost structure along with our improved financial position to seize market opportunities and drive future growth.”

Financial Position As of December 31, 2012, the Company had RMB419.9 million (US$67.4 million) in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash, compared with RMB580.0 million of cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash as of December 31, 2011.

As of December 31, 2012, total shortterm borrowings including the current portion of long-term bank borrowings were RMB2.25 billion (US$360.4 million), compared with RMB2.20 billion as of December 31, 2011, and total long-term borrowings were RMB167.0 million (US$26.8 million), compared with RMB155.5 million as of December 31, 2011.

As of December 31, 2012, the Company’s working capital balance was negative RMB2.25 billion (US$361.6 million), compared with negative RMB1.03 billion as of December 31, 2011.

Solar Product Shipments Total solar product shipments in the fourth quarter of 2012 were 301.9 MW, consisting of 252.3 MW of solar modules, 25.3MW of silicon wafers and 24.3 MW of solar cells. In comparison, total shipments for the third quarter of 2012 were 335.2

MW, consisting of 280.0 MW of solar modules, 28.6 MW of silicon wafers and 26.6 MW of solar cells, and total solar product shipments in the fourth quarter of 2011 were 227.0MW, consisting of 169.1 MW of solar modules, 41.0 MW of silicon wafers and 16.9 MW of solar cells.

Total solar product shipments for the full year 2012 were 1,188.3 MW, consisting of 912.4 MW of solar modules, 197.4 MW of silicon wafers and 78.5 MW of solar cells. In comparison, total shipments for the full year 2011 were 950.5 MW, consisting of 760.8 MW of solar modules, 134.7 MW of silicon wafers and 55.0 MW of solar cells. Total solar product shipments and solar module shipments increased by 27.0% and 20.0%, respectively, from 2011 to 2012.

Solar Products Production Capacity As of December 31, 2012, the Company’s in-house annual silicon wafer, solar cell and solar module production capacity remained at approximately 1,200 MW each.

Recent Business Developments In October 2012, JinkoSolar won a bid from China Three Gorges New Energy Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of China Three Gorges Corporation, to supply 50MW of solar modules for a PV power plant in Gansu Province, China.

In October 2012, JinkoSolar supplied 5.7MW of solar modules for a 11.6MW solar power station located on an abandoned strip mine in Starkenberg, Thuringia, Germany.

In December 2012, JinkoSolar entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with the Guangdong Branch of China Development Bank, which agreed to provide financingcooperation to JinkoSolar (Switzerland) AG of up-to US$1 billion over a five-year period.

In December 2012, JinkoSolar signed a contract with WBHO-Building Energy to supply 81MW of solar modules to a solar PV park project in Gamagara Local Municipality, Northern Cape Province, South Africa.

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In December 2012, JinkoSolar signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Jinchuan Group, a Chinese state-owned enterprise, to jointly invest in and develop a 200MW PC solar power plant in Jinchang, Gansu Province, China. Once connected to the grid, the project will become one of Asia’s largest independent PV solar power plants.

In January 2013, JinkoSolar unveiled a new series of “Eagle” solar modules.

The Eagle series modules represent a new standard for high performance and reliability and were the world’s first potential induced degradation free modules to be certified to operate under weather conditions of 85 Degrees Celsius 85% relative humidity.

In Februar y 2013, JinkoSolar successfully completed the issuance of six-year bonds with a principal amount of RMB800 million. The bonds bear a fixed annual interest rate of 8.99% and will mature on January 29, 2019. The interest rate is based on current one year SHIBOR (Shanghai Interbank Offered Rate) of 4.40% plus 459 basis points (4.59%).

In February 2013, JinkoSolar entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with China Three Gorges New Energy Corp. to deliver, during the three years from 2013 to 2015, a total of 600MW of its high efficiency solar panels to be installed in western China.

In April, JinkoSolar signed a RMB360 million 15-year loan agreement with China Development Bank (“CDB”). The financing will be used to develop its domestic PV solar power plant projects.

Operations and Business Outlook First Quarter and Full Year 2013 Guidance For the first quarter of 2013, total solar module shipments are expected to be between 270 MW and 300 MW. For the full year 2013, total solar module shipments are expected to be between 1.2 GW and 1.5 GW, and total project development scale is expected to be between 200 MW and 300 MW. The Company expects to maintain inhouse annual silicon wafer, solar cell and solar module production capacity at approximately 1,200 MW each by the end of 2013.

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

MNRE invites Comments on Draft Guidelines for setting up of 750 MW Grid Solar PV power projects with Viability Gap Funding (VGF) under Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), Phase-II, Batch-I Saumya Bansal Gupta - EQ International

T

he scope of these guidelines is to select 750 MW grid connected solar projects and provide the necessary policy framework for development of projects under the “Viability Gap Funding scheme for 750 MW of Phase II Batch-I of the JNNSM”.The projects to be selected under this scheme provide for deployment of Solar PV Technology. However, the selection of projects would be technology agnostic and crystalline silicon or thin film or CPV, with or without trackers can be installed.

Already commissioned projects cannot be considered under this scheme. Projects under construction or projects which are not yet commissioned will, however, be considered.

To incentivize setting up of a large number of Solar Power Projects and minimizing the impact of tariff on the distribution companies, various alternatives have been considered viz. (i) Bundling Scheme (ii) Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme and (iii) Generation Based Incentive (GBI) Scheme. Phase-I was largely based on the option of Bundling Scheme and on GBI option to some extent.

In Phase-II Batch-I of JNNSM, the option of “Viability Gap Fund” Scheme has been selected.

Mechanism of Viability Gap Funding in Phase-II Batch-I of JNNSM

The mechanism of operation of Viability Gap Funding shall 32

EQ INTERNATIONAL - April 2013

be as enumerated below: 1) The tariff to be paid to the developer is fixed at Rs.5.45 per kWh. This tariff will remain firm for 25 years project period. In case benefit of accelerated depreciation is availed for a project, the tariff will get reduced by 10% to Rs.4.95 per kWh in line with CERC regulations.

2) The developer will be provided a viability gap fund based on his bid. The upper limit for VGF is 30% of the project cost or Rs.2.5 Cr./MW, whichever is lower. The developer will be required to indicate his preliminary estimate of project cost as per format in Annexure-A. 3) The developer has to put his own equity of at least Rs.1.5 Cr./MW. 4) The remaining amount can be raised as loan from any source by the developer.

5) The VGF when paid by the SECI may be used to return part of the loan or developer contribution (in excess of Rs.1.5 Cr./MW) or a combination thereof as the case may be, in case investments have already been made. SECI will issue a letter confirming release of VGF so that bidder is able to achieve financial closure for full amount if required at the time of signing of PPA. 6)

The VGF will be released in three tranches as follows:

i) 25% at the time of delivery of at least 50% of the major equipment at the site and after inspection by a Committee to be constituted by MNRE. The major equipment will comprise of (a) Modules40%, (b) Mounting Structures-15%, (c) Power Conditioning Units-25% and (d) Switchgear and Transformers-20%. In case the inspection is taking time, SECI may release the VGF due on self- certification by the developer against BG of equivalent amount. ii) 50% on successful commissioning of the full capacity of the plant. The project’s commissioning will be declared by a Committee to be constituted by MNRE. The project would be considered as Commissioned if energy has flown into the grid after the entire plant equipment is installed and connected. iii) Balance 25% after one year of operation meeting requirements of generation.

7) If the project fails to generate any power continuously for 1 year within 25 years or its assets are sold or the project is dismantled during the tenure of the project, SECI will have a right to claim assets equal to the value of VGF granted and paid.

Capacity of Each Project Solar power projects are required to be designed for inter-connection with

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transmission network of STU/CTU at voltage level of 33 kV or above. Given this requirement, the Project capacity shall be at least 10 MW in case of Solar PV Projects and the maximum capacity of the Project shall be up to 50 MW. The plant capacity shall remain in multiples of 10 MW. The capacity shall mean the AC output at the project bus bar located within project premises.

Request for Selection for Short-listing of Projects Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) shall invite project developers to participate in the bidding process against the Request for Selection (RfS) for development of Solar Photovoltaic Projects under this scheme. The Project Developer shall submit the RfS within 30 days of the invitation by SECI.

Processing Fees The Project Developer shall submit along with the RfS non-refundable processing fee of Rs. 1 Lakh for each Project upto 20 MW capacity and of Rs.2 Lakh for each project above 20 MW capacity.

Number of Applications by a Company and capacity limit The total capacity of Solar PV Projects to be allocated to a Company including its Parent, Affiliate or Ultimate Parent-or any Group Company shall be limited to 100 MW, out of the total capacity of 750 MW to be added under batch-I Phase-II. The Company, including its Parent, Affiliate or Ultimate Parent-or any Group Company may submit application for a maximum of three projects at different locations subject to a maximum aggregate capacity of 100 MW. The Company, including its Parent, Affiliate or Ultimate Parent-or any Group Company shall submit one single application in the prescribed format detailing all projects at multiple locations for which the developer is submitting the application.

Waiting List A waiting list of up to 100 MW may be maintained by SECI up to date of Financial Closure. SECI may allocate projects to the waiting list developers after approval of the quantity to be allocated by MNRE. Only developers who agree to be in waiting list will be kept there. SECI will retain EMD BGs for the waiting list developers.

Qualification Criteria for Short-Listing of Solar PV Projects A. Financial Criteria

Net Worth:

The Net Worth of the company should be equal to or greater than the value calculated at the rate of Rs2 Crore or equivalent US$ per MW of the project capacity upto 20 MW. For every MW additional capacity, beyond 20 MW, additional net worth of Rs. 1 crore would need to be demonstrated.

Technical Criteria Under the VGF scheme in Phase II Batch-I of the JNNSM, it is proposed to promote only commercially established and operational technologies to minimize the technology risk and to achieve the commissioning of the Projects. The detailed technical parameters for Solar PV Projects are at Annexure-B.

Connectivity with the Grid (i) The plant should be designed for interconnection with the transmission network of STU/CTU or any other transmission utility at voltage level of 33 KV or above.

The Project Developers should indicate to the transmission - licensee the location [Tehsil, Village and District, as applicable] of its proposed project. In this regard, the Project Developer shall submit a letter from the STU / CTU/Transmission Utility along with RfS confirming technical feasibility of connectivity of plant to substation. (ii) The responsibility of getting connectivity and open access with the transmission system owned by the STU / CTU or any other transmission utility, as may be required, will lie with the Project Developer. The transmission of power up to the point of interconnection where the metering is done for energy accounting shall be the responsibility of the SPD at his own cost. Interconnection with the Discom network may be accepted in exceptional cases where the Discom is the ultimate buyer of the entire quantity of power from that project; and SPD has signed Power Purchase Agreement with that Discom and Discom agrees to an agreed interconnection point and at an agreed voltage. This arrangement would be subject to arrangement of energy accounting with the SLDC. The maintenance of Transmission system upto the interconnection point shall be the responsibility of the Project Developer. (iii) The arrangement of connectivity can be made by the SPD through a dedicated transmission line which the SPD may construct himself or get constructed by STU or Discom or any other agency. The entire cost of transmission including cost of

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construction of line, wheeling charges, losses etc. from the project upto the interconnection point will be borne by the Project Developer and will not be met by the STU/Discom.

This connectivity can also be achieved through a shared line with any agency or any existing line of Discomor STU, provided the energy accounts are bifurcated and clearly demarcated for the power generated at solar project and are issued by the STU/ SLDC concerned. (iv) The Project Developer may, however, shift interconnection point closer to his project if 33 kV substation comes closer to project during the tenure of PPA provided that the interconnection shall be maintained at 33 KV or above and energy at solar project is clearly demarcated for the power generated at solar project and energy accounts are issued by the STU/ SLDC concerned. The costs associated with this arrangement will also be borne by the project developer including the wheeling charges and losses up to the interconnect point. In case of nearby projects with Pooling point arrangement, the Project Developers may decide to share the cost of transmission charges and other associated charges from the pooling point up to the inter-connection point, amongst themselves.

Domestic Content Requirement Out of the total capacity under Batch-I Phase-II, some capacity will be kept for bidding with Domestic Content Requirement (DCR). Under DCR, the solar cells and modules used in the power plant must both be made in India.

Selection of Projects in the VGF scheme of Phase-II Batch-I l

Based on the notification issued by SECI, the financial bid will be submitted separately by the developer. They will clearly indicate the per MW VGF required from SECI in Indian Rupees.

l

After financial bids are opened, these will be arranged in ascending order of per MW VGF. The lowest VGF bid will be identified and marked L1. The lowest bid without claim of AD will be identified and marked L1A.

l

Selection of projects for allotment will start from L1 and go up to the level where 750 MW is reached or L1A bid price plus 10% is reached, whichever is earlier. In case L1A bid price plus 10% is reached and 750 MW capacity does

EQ INTERNATIONAL - April 2013

33Â

not get allotted then the bidders over L1A plus 10% will be given an offer to match L1A plus 10% within 15 days from the offer. l

In case the bidders matching L1A plus 10% is more than the left out capacity, then the bidders having the lowest original bids will be allotted project till the capacity of 750 MW is reached.

Power Purchase Agreement l

A copy of Draft Power Purchase Agreement to be executed between SECI and the Project Developer shall be provided by SECI along with invitation for submission of RfS. The SECI shall simultaneously issue letters to all the State Utilities/Discoms inviting “Expression of Interest” from willing State Utilities/Discoms, who would be purchasing the solar power under VGF scheme @ Rs.5.50/ kWh (including Trading Margin of SECI @ 5 paisa/kWh) and sign the Power Sale Agreement (PSA) with SECI. Within 30 days of the date of issue of Letter of Intent (LoI), the Power Purchase Agreement between SECI and the Project Developer for purchase of power from the project will be executed. Back-to-back Power Sale Agreements will also be executed between SECI and the State Utilities/ Discoms during this period for sale of solar power to them.

Bank Guarantees The Project Developer shall provide the following Bank Guarantees to SECI in a phased manner as follows: l

Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) of Rs. 10 Lakh/MW in the form of Bank Guarantee along with RfS.

l

Performance Bank Guarantee of Rs. 20 Lakh/MW at the time of signing of PPA.

In addition to the Performance Bank Guarantee of Rs. 20 Lakh/MW to be provided at the time of signing of PPA, the Bank Guarantee towards EMD will also be converted into Performance Bank Guarantee.

The Project Developers are required to sign PPA with State Utilities/Discoms in line with the Timeline given in the guidelines.

In case, the Project Developer refuses to execute the PPA within the stipulated time period, the Bank Guarantees towards EMD shall be encashed by SECI as penalty. In

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EQ INTERNATIONAL - April 2013

case the Project is not selected, SECI shall release the Bank Guarantees within 15 days of the issue of LoI to selected Projects. All the Bank Guarantees shall be valid for a period of 16 months from the date of signing of PPA for the Projects

Minimum Equity to be held by the Promoter The Company developing the project shall provide the information about the Promoters and their shareholding in the company to SECI indicating the controlling shareholding before signing of the PPA. No change in the shareholding in the Company developing the Project shall be permitted from the date of submitting the RfS till the execution of the PPA. However, this condition will not be applicable if a listed company is developing the Project.

After execution of PPA, the controlling shareholding (controlling shareholding shall mean more than 50% of the voting rights and paid-up share capital (including fully, compulsory and mandatory convertible Preference shares/Debentures) in the Company/Consortiumdeveloping the project shall be maintained for a period of (1) one year after commencement of supply of power.

Thereafter, any change can be undertaken under intimation to SECI.

Financial Closure/ Project Financing Arrangements The Project Developer shall report tieup of Financing Arrangements for the projects within 180 days from the date of signing Power Purchase Agreement. At this stage, the Project Developer would furnish within the aforesaid period the necessary documents to establish that the required land for project development is in clear possession of the Project Developer (minimum 2 ha per MW) and the requisite technical criterion have been fulfilled. The Project Developer would also need to specify their plan for meeting the requirement for domestic content. The developer may make financial arrangement for at least the project cost minus the VGF agreed for this project.

In case of delay in achieving above condition as may be applicable, SECI shall encash performance Bank Guarantees and shall remove the project from the list of the selected projects.

be accepted by SECI subject to the condition that the minimum capacity for acceptance of part commissioning shall be 10 MW and in multiples thereof. The PPA will remain in force for a period of 25 years from the date of acceptance of respective part commissioning of the project.

Commissioning Schedule and Penalty for Delay in Commissioning: In case of Solar PV, the Project shall be commissioned within 13 months of the date of signing of PPA. In case of failure to achieve this milestone, SECI shall en-cash the Performance Bank Guarantee (BG) in the following manner: l

Delay up to one month - 20% of the total Performance BG on per day basis and proportionate to the Capacity not commissioned in lots of 10 MW each.

l

Delay of more than one month and up to three months – SECI will encash remaining Performance BG on per day basis and proportionate to the Capacity not commissioned in lots of 10 MW each.

l

In case the commissioning of the project is delayed 3 months, the prefixed levelized tariff of Rs.5.45 per unit shall be reduced at the rate of 0.50 paise per unit per day of delay for the delay in such remaining capacity which is not commissioned. The maximum time period allowed for commissioning of the full Project Capacity with encashment of Performance Bank Guarantee and reduction in levelized tariff shall be limited to 24 months from the date of signing of PPA. In case, the Commissioning of the Project is delayed beyond 24 months from the date of signing of PPA, the PPA capacity shall stand reduced / amended to the Project Capacity Commissioned and the PPA for the balance Capacity will stand terminated and shall be reduced from the selected Project Capacity.

The funds generated from the encashment of the Bank Guarantees shall be deposited in a separate working capital account to be maintained by SECI under the guidance of MNRE. The decision regarding usage of this fund shall be communicated by MNRE to SECI separately.

Commissioning Part Commissioning: Part commissioning of the Project shall

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I NT ERV I EW

One on One Sandip Ghosh,

Director, Solar Business, Schneider Electric India.

EQ : How many MW’s of Solar Inverters have been supplied by your company in India and how does the future look like.

SG : Schneider Electric started its solar Journey in India in 2011 and in last 2 years our installed base has reached around 130 MW in different projects.

The Solar market is slowly maturing and the future looks good. The plant operation challenges experienced on existing installations is expected to strengthen Schneider’s position in the market due to requirements of proven quality and prompt services for inverters.

and eliminating any other disconnector requirement for connection to transformer.

Our inverters are designed for touch safe operation while doors are open and the unique air flow design enables better cooling.

Our inverters are highly

reliable for Indian conditions as all electronic cards are conformally coated and also they do not require any UPS supply for low voltage ride through.

Overall our MPPT has unique feature to avoid “run away”.

EQ : Please enlighten our readers on the debate of “Central vs. String Inverters Design”. Which concept is best suited for India and why?

SG : The Central Inverters are typically used for

EQ : Please enlighten our readers on the unique technology aspect of these inverters installed in India and its performance.

SG : Schneider Electric installed its first Inverter in the beginning of 2011 and till now we have not received any complain from the developer. Also in last two weeks of February 2013, our commissioning team has installed close to 100 inverters.

As far as technological superiority of our Inverters is concerned, we offer maximum efficiency for better yield, make safer products by integrating proven Masterpact ACBs 36

EQ INTERNATIONAL - April 2013

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Utility Scale PV installation and are well proven for this application worldwide. The String Inverters are used for roof tops and small grid connected installations. With advent of new technologies, inverters are getting more reliable and performance and efficiencies are improving. Also, with spread of the PV plant population in India, the service centers for inverters near to the plants are also getting viable. In view of this, uptime of Inverters are improving thereby resulting in more power generation.

Further, Central Inverters are more aligned to grid codes and are able to handle the challenges faced with Indian Grid. On the other hand, due to dual MPPT and environmental protection and ease of installation, String Inverters scores over the Central Inverters in Roof top applications.

In my view, for ground mounted PV plants, Central Inverters are better suited whereas for roof top applications String Inverter are a better choice on count of distributed roof top, shading and very small generation expectation.

EQ : What are the other products and solutions for Solar PV plant provided by your company and what are its technological features?

SG : Schneider Electric believes in bringing global technologies and adapting it to local requirements. Going by that that philosophy, Schneider offers a complete product basket of Balance of equipment (BOS) which includes DC cable harness, String monitoring s y s t e m , Inverters, Transformers MV equipment, SCADA, G r i d

Substation and upto 220KV Evacuation Substation.

In the two years of work in the Indian Solar Industry, Schneider Electric has realized that it is imperative to have solutions which enable considerable reduction of installation of plant and allows quick commissioning and synchronization with Grid.

In view of that, Schneider Electric has introduced in the market ‘ Solar Inverter Sub Station’ which is a containerized plug and play power conversion system adapted to customer requirements and local standards.

In PV plant installation, it operates between DC field and AC MV grid connection point.

The Solar Inverter Substation by Schneider Electric performs the DC power concentration, the DC/AC conversion and the AC voltage elevation to the grid voltage level. It ensures safety of people involved in maintenance and installation against electrical faults such as short-circuit and lightning. This box is manufactured in India and designed as per Indian environment and grid codes.

We also introduced in the market our prefabricated DC cable harness to reduce the time of installation and improve the quality of connections.

Schneider Electric manufactures its Inverters, Solar Inverter Substations, Transformers, DC Cable Harness and Array boxes in India only.

EQ : What are the resources in terms of manpower for sales, O&M and other aspects developed and present in the Indian market?

SG : Here I would like to touch upon one of the unique offering Schneider Electric offers to its customers in Solar PV plants and that is - ‘Service Proximity’. Being spread all over India, we have developed a unique 3 tier service model, with the first located very near to the installation site backed up by expert support located region-wise, who are supported by Global experts on 24 X 7 basis and with a person specifically located out of India.

At Schneider, we always believe in setting up the suitable infrastructure to support our service.

distinguishing factors.

SG : In continuation with above, would like to highlight the unique soft offering that Schneider Electric provides. Our Solar SCADA (not data logger or DC SCADA or AC SCADA), which is named as ‘Conext Control’ is specifically developed for Solar PV Plants to monitor and control the complete plant. The architecture is so designed that the developer owns all the data and locate the main server in plant or at their head office. This software also enables multi site/ multi location monitoring and the application software is standardized in such a way that it requires very little time to configure the software and adapt for particular site.

SCADA seamlessly integrate plant level operation/monitoring to CEO level dashboard and uses advance database tools to have the long term data storage possibility. This also enables comparison of generation on similar weather conditions in past with present. Integrating this with weather forecasting service provider (other company of Schneider provides this service), developer can accurately forecast the yield expected to the transmission/distribution company.

EQ : What is your Top 5 Advice to a Project Developer in India while choosing the your products for its Solar PV Plant SG : Our Project Developers are quiet experienced by now, however, there are a few things that they should consider while choosing the products: 1. Choose a supplier who is well established in India and can support you for next 20 years 2. Look for service support system of the supplier, in India 3. Do not compromise in quality both in product and Services 4. Pay attention to SCADA and Grid connectivity requirement. This is a long term investment but will enable you to optimize the operation of the plant and quick identification of problem areas.

5. Look for plug & play technologies/ equipment, which enables you to reduce site installation time. This will enable you to do quality work, which will last long.

Please tell us about the unique technological features of your products which are also

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SO L A R ENERGY

ACVA Solar Pvt. Ltd. Installs The First Darfon Microinverter Based PV System.

Chetan Vyas, Managing Director, ACVA Solar Pvt. Ltd. Vadodara [India]. Designers And Integrators Of Premium And Performance Online And Off-Grid Power Packs.

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icro-inverters is a Electronic Unit rated to handle the output of a single panel. Modern grid-tie panels are normally rated between 240 and 260W, but rarely produce this in practice, so micro-inverters are typically rated between 220 and 240 W. Because it is operated at this lower power point, many design issues inherent to larger designs simply go away; the need for a large transformer is generally eliminated, large electrolytic capacitors can be replaced by more reliable thin-film capacitors, and cooling loads are reduced so no fans are needed.

string offline. Combined with the lower power and heat loads, and improved MTBF, some suggest that overall array reliability of a micro-inverter-based system is significantly greater than a string inverter-based one. This assertion is supported by longer warranties, typically 15 to 25 years, compared with 5 or 10 year warranties that are more typical

More importantly, a micro-inverter attached to a single panel allows it to isolate and tune the output of that panel.

Hence, with micro-inverters any panel that is under-performing has no effect on panels around it. In that case, the array as a whole produces as much as 5% more power than it would with a string inverter. When shadowing is factored in, if present, these gains can become considerable, with manufacturers generally claiming 5% better output at a minimum, and up to 25% better in some cases. Furthermore, as a single model can be used with a wide variety of panels, new panels can be added to an array at any time, and do not have to have the same rating as existing panels.

for string inverters. Additionally, when faults occur, they are identifiable to a single point, as opposed to an entire string. This not only makes fault isolation easier, but unmasks minor problems that might not otherwise become visible – a single underperforming panel may not affect a long string’s output enough to be noticed.

Micro-inverters produce grid-matching power directly at the back of the panel.

Arrays of panels are connected in parallel to each other, and then to the grid. This has the major advantage that a single failing panel or inverter cannot take the entire

l To convert the Panel output voltage to AC

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A MicroInverter’s primary functions are: l To extract Maximum Power from its companion Solar Panel using advanced MPPT algorithms.

l This AC power is online and can be either Grid Tied or directly connected to Load

For various reasons, all of the present manufacturers of Microinverters are not Indian companies. We want to bridge this gap by designing and integrating the microinverter based systems in India.

As a result ACVA Solar Pvt. Ltd., a Baroda based company from Gujarat has tied up with DARFON, a Taiwan based company for their Micro Inverters, String Inverter and Smart Trimmer Products. As a direct outcome the first system of 26.52 kWp using micro invertors has been installed over an industrial unit and is functional since last week of March. In this system 102 panels of 260Wp each are mounted with a 240W Darfon Inverters. This eliminates the DC cabling in addition to all the benefits of the microinverters. It is observed that currently this system is generating over 27% extra power over the daily average calculated by modelling the same system for the location with string invertors. Its performance over the time frame is being monitored.

Once again the benefits derived from micro inverters are.. l The system can be modularly upgraded and maintained, by just adding on or working on microinverters without disturbing already existing units. l Installation costs thus can be spread and added in stages. l Reliability assurance of more than 5 years.

Both ACVA Solar Pvt. Ltd. and Darfon Electronic Corp are committed to bringing this solar experience to the technically evolved solar sector in India.

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SO L A R ENERGY

Spice Village Resort, India Middleton - Director of Sales for Renewable Energy, Trojan Battery Company

System specifications: Batteries: (72) Trojan deep-cycle IND294V batteries Dual-Mode Inverters-Chargers: (9) SMA Sunny Island 5048 PV String Inverters: (9) SMA Sunny Mini Central 7000HV Solar modules: (650) 100Wpa-Si thin film PV modules Racking: Space frame structure Spice Village, founded in 1992, is a 56cottage solar-powered off-grid eco-resort on the border of the Periyar Tiger Reserve in the Kerala province of Southern India. Described as “a tribute to ancient ways of life” where “hewn stone replaces shag carpets” and “bird song takes the place of television,” the resort provides comfort for modern travelers while giving them a chance to enjoy a simple “back-to-nature” experience.

Considering the recent trends and growing demand of the global traveler for eco-friendly destinations and properties, the hospitality industry is under pressure to “go green” to ensure the lowest possible environmental impact from tourism. For this reason, the management at Spice Village decided to use energy efficient measures and solar power to make Spice Village a low carbon emissions resort.

In late 2011, Spice Village hired solar company, Team Sustain, to design and install an off-grid photovoltaic (PV) system for the resort. Team Sustain is a leading green technology solutions provider based in Cochin, India. The company offers cost-effective logistics and infrastructure solutions for sustainable resource utilization to markets around the world. Until June 2012, the resort was connected to the electrical grid 100% of the time during grid availability, and it also relied on a diesel generator for backup power due to poor grid quality.

The generator ran eight hours a day to supply power to the cottages and resort buildings. Not only was it noisy, but it was time consuming and costly to maintain, 40

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and expensive to run since fuel had to be purchased and transported from far away. The previous system consisted of two generators with capacities of 125kVA and 200kVA which produced almost 62,000 kwh a year.

By analyzing a compilation of energy audit data and identifying how to reduce the electrical load without compromising the use of necessary facilities or comforts, Team Sustain was able to recommend an improvement in the resort’s energy efficiency, reducing the daily consumption from 750kWh to 200kWh.As a first step, incandescent and florescent lighting was replaced with LED lighting, desktop Computers were replaced with laptop computers, and electrical appliances including ceiling fans, TVs and refrigerators were upgraded to more efficient models. In addition, theeco-resort plans torevamp the laundry and the kitchen are as to include more efficient appliances to help reduce the overall load to achieve the 200 kWh daily goal. The existing diesel gensets will also be replaced by bio diesel gensets in the future to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Once the initial energy efficiency upgrades were made, Team Sustain designed a65kWp battery-based PV system for Spice Village. The system was designed to support the full load of the resort during the daytime after implementing the energy efficiency measures identified in the energy audit. After all upgrades are made the new PV system will generate enough solar electricity to meet 100% of the resort’s power needs. The Bio diesel genset will only be used during the rainy monsoon months for a few hours a day to compensate for the short fall of PV

energy production.

The PV system consists of 650, 100Wp thin film PV modules wired in 108 strings of six modules per string for a total array size of 65kWp. They are mounted in a fixed array with a 16 degree tilt. Due to the high vegetation of the area and adhering to a mandate that no trees could be cut, TeamSustain used a space frame structure to raise the solar array 33 feet above the ground to avoid shading. A space frame structure is a truss-like, lightweight rigid structure designed using interlocking struts in a geometric pattern, and is ideal to span large areas with few interior support requirements. This elevated design also maximizes irradiance and utilizes the area underneath for tennis and basketball courts.

Thin-film PV modules were chosen due to the typical climatic conditions at Spice Village of overcast skies and high temperatures.

The Amorphous silicon (a-Si), thin-film PV modules are expected to provide a 15% higher yield than conventional crystalline PV modules in this environment.

Team Sustain’s AC-coupled micro-grid PV system features a 65 kWp PV array, nine PV string inverters totaling 67.5 kW of capacity for the PV energy contribution in AC energy, and, nine dual-mode inverterchargers in clusters of three for a total capacity of 45kW. The AC energy coming from the PV string inverters is used by the load and/or stored through the three clusters, in three deep-cycle flooded 2V battery banks, each consisting of being 2,722 Ah @ C10 @ 1.80VPC. For the 65 kWp PV array, a SMA PV string inverter, Sunny Mini Central 7000HV (SMC) of 7.5 kW nominal capacity, was selected because the SMC has a high800VDC input voltage capacity, allowing the PV array to be configured with more PV modules in series than if standard PV string inverters were selected. This resulted in reducing the DC cabling size of the PV array and simplifying the PV array installation. In addition, the SMA SMC inverters feature

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one of the best maximum-power-point-tracking (MPPT) efficiency with its Opti Trac Tracking, allowing optimum use of the PV energy produced. An installed Sunny We box allows detailed monitoring of the PV energy contribution.

Three SMA Clusters, each featuring three dual-mode SMA Sunny Island 5048 inverter-chargers, convert the excess of AC energy not used by the load into DC energy to charge the battery banks. When required, the DC energy stored in the batteries will be converted into AC energy to power the AC load. The SMA Sunny Island 5048 is a highly efficient, easy-to-configure dual-mode inverter-charger of 5 kW at 48V. Its intelligent battery management system helps ensure maximum battery life.

The energy produced by the thin-film PV modules is stored in 72 Trojan deep-cycle flooded IND29-4V Industrial batteries. Trojan batteries were chosen by Team Sustain due to their reputation for high quality and reliability, the fact that they were made in the USA and because the size of the Industrial batteries met the specifications of the project design. Flooded deep-cycle batteries were chosen for the project over valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries because of their affordability and durability. Since the resort has a maintenance program in place, watering the batteries periodically with distilled Water will not be an issue. Trojan’s Industrial batteries have wide plates which allow for more electrolyte to be stored at the top of the plates, allowing for longer intervals between watering.

The battery bank size was designed by Team Sustain for a daily usage of maximum 50 percent depth of discharge, with each battery providing a1,361 Amp-hour capacity at C10at 1.80VPC.There are three 2,722 Ah at 48V battery banks in the system, totaling 8,166 Ah capacity. Each 48V battery bank, connected to one SMA Cluster, is configured as two strings in parallel, each string consisting of eight Trojan IND29-4V batteries in series.

Trojan’s deep-cycle flooded battery technology requires simple maintenance to ensure maximum battery life, which includes adding distilled water to the individual cells regularly.

Trojan’s Industrial line of flooded deep-cycle batteries is designed for 1,500 cycles at 80 %depth of discharge and is specifically engineered to withstand the rigorous conditions of renewable energy applications including extreme temperatures, remote locations and the intermittent nature of solar power generation. These batteries are designed to be cycled regularly and are engineered to perform optimally under conditions where the batteries operate in a partial state of charge; a common occurrence in renewable energy applications due to the varying levels of irradiance, temperature, and available sun hours.

The anticipated payback time for the PV system is five years. Spice Village has applied for a 30% subsidy from the Indian government on capital costs as part of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) Rooftop Plant Program. This project is also eligible to earn carbon credits since there is an expected carbon reduction of256 tons of CO2. Overall, Spice Village expects to save nearly $45,000 per year by switching to solar energy.

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SO L A R ENERGY

Specialized Roof MountingChallenges and Optimal Solutions

Nikhil, CTO Nuevosol Energy Pvt Ltd

Rooftop systems in emerging markets are driven more by incentive than innovation. While there is not much scope for innovation in Modules and Electricals, there is a ample unexplored scope for innovation in Mounting Structures. At the same tine there are umpteen challenges in Rooftop mounting which need to be addressed by optimized designs.

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ooftop Mounting can be categorized into three major forms namely Flat Roofs, Inclined Roofs and Car Ports.

Each of these has their own set of challenges which spiral down into the problem of ensuring optimal blend of standardization and customization. This article explores the question of optimization in rooftop mounting.

Each segment will be considered as case study based on Nuevosolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experiences in recent projects.

Photo: 100kWp Nuevo Fix- Non Penetrative Rooftop Mounting System in Mumbai installed on a Skyscraper.

Concrete Inclined / Flat Roofs Main parameter for optimization in Flat roof mounting is area usage, which eventually narrows down to the question of anchor free or anchored roof mounting. Pros of anchor free mounting lie in standardization and ease of installation where more than 100kWp can be installed in a day. Modular structures have low ground clearance and space beneath the structure goes non- useable after installation.

While modular roof mounting structures give the flexibility to configure area usage optimally avoiding shaded spaces but having disadvantage of non-usability of roof after 42Â

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installation. In anchorage structures one finds lot of free space under the modules to use it for inverters and other storage purposes.

One major challenge of installing a solar mounting structure on a concrete roof is ensuring proper anchorage to the existing structure. As far as possible optimal designs insist on an anchor free structure

such as our product Nuevo-Fix. Anchorage can compromise with the integrity of the existing structure due to heavy windloads caused do the elevation which is avoided in the low rise anchor free structures.

If a heavy elevated structure has to be installed on the flat roof, we insist on using the column post of the mounting structure to

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building, as maintenance on industrial roofs has inherent risks.

Various solutions like using the underlying truss structure or clamping the metallic roofs are all viable depending on the health of the existing structure.

Car Ports Model: 50kWp Installations of Car Port Structures in Hyderabad Coming up with a cost effective and eco friendly car parking structure comes with challenges of its own. Firstly one has to solve the problem of what kind of car parking arrangement results in the most economical structure. Thanks to our internal research we have observed that structures with two cars abreast per bay result in optimal usage of structural steel. The number of components used in the making of a solar car parking structure is usually higher when compared to the structures of a regular solar farms.

Also aesthetic appeal of the structure must also be looked into.

be located only on the column/beam of the existing structure. This will ensure proper anchorage depth availability and also the loading on the mounting structure will be transferred to the load bearing members of the existing concrete structure. Also one has to bear in mind that the anchors available in the market insist on anchoring in the concrete. Many installers fail to foresee that a typical flat roof have 40mm to 100mm of Mortar finish for waterproofing and drainage purposes. This layer needs to be chipped locally to reach the actual concrete before anchor holes are made. Fail to do the same and you are risking the structural integrity of the mounting system as a whole.

While this being the question of anchoring vs anchors free installation, the main problem of customization vs standardization remains of key imporatance.

In recent times we have witnessed a major rise in demand for rooftop mounting and simultaneously a rush for customization. The problems of customization are difficulty to fabricate or maintain inventory and hence making the cost unviable. Standardization brings in economies of scale and optimized manufacturing for Just in Time delivery but it has its own set of cons as mentioned above.

Advantages of anchor free standardized

modular structures have been outweighing that of the anchoring type.

Metal roof top Captive power being the necessity of the hour industrial metallic Rooftop Projects have seen a drastic rise in the recent times.

Mounting on trapezoidal roof profiles has been a standard affair in Europe and US for years, but is only a recent phenomenon in India. This calls for immense caution in using the industrial roofs to ensure integrity of existing structure and other safety norms of water proofing.

Primary challenge in providing a metal roof top solution is ensuring structural integrity of the existing structure post installation of the modules. If you are not sure of the load carrying capacity of your existing structure, insist on a carpet style installation of modules as this will not increase the wind loading on the existing structure. Extreme care must be taken to ensure that the mounting system will not hamper the water proof quality of the metal roof. Failing to take care of these aspects will be detrimental to the life cycle of the building. Once installed mounting system must be free of any maintenance for the lifetime of the solar plant and the

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We have translated our learnings from our uniquely designed uni-pole structure used for solar farms to our latest uni-pole car parking structure. This uniquely designed unipole car port reduces the entire structure into only 5 components and 4 types of connections, thus facilitating easy fabrication and also faster installations.

Pivotal role of Mounting in Rooftop Systems While mounting structures for Solar Farms play a crucial role in ensuring grid parity and sustainability, it can be comfortably claimed that mounting structures are pivotal in roof mount systems. There is no rooftop system without a viable mounting solution.

This being the case one should apply caution in designing these structures ensuring all the parameters of safety and durability are considered without going for hasty execution.

At Nuevosol the research team continuously develops various systems for roof mounting with an optimal blend of customization and standardization.

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Solar Resource Assessment:

Making Sense of Data Dr. Jaya Singh - BKC Weathersys Pvt. Ltd.

Accurate assessment of solar radiation is the foundation upon which profitability of the solar energy industry rests. Precise on-site ground measurements with calibrated equipment is the gold standard for ensuring an accurate assessment of solar irradiance. However, what happens when you’ve bought the right equipment and are still not getting the kind of performance you’d expected? Is the equipment at fault? Or have all aspects of the site-geography, environmental conditions, and local weather conditions been considered? This article describes a situation where the measured radiation was out of the expected range and radiation measurement equipment was deemed faulty. BKC found that by taking into account existing weather and environmental conditions for that particular geographical location, the measurements were in fact accurate.

BKC Weathersys Pvt. Ltd. is the leading provider of Solar Resource Assessment and site prospecting in India and offers integrated solutions for accurate measurement of solar radiation and correlation ground observations with satellite data and advanced solar models.

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hile setting up a capital intensive solar power plant, an estimate of accurate solar radiation should be the first step to evaluate the energy output that at a certain site. Initial estimates using historical data (TMY) are a good starting point, but they remain just that--a starting point. For estimates of solar energy yields that can ultimately formulate bankable reports for establishing solar plants, accurate ground measurements onsite are imperative.

Along with solar radiation parameters, meteorological parameters such as wind speed, wind direction, ambient temperature , relative humidity, and other environmental factors such as cloud cover and dust also impact the solar energy at any given site. temperature and relative humidity, and environmental factors such as cloud cover and dust also impact the solar energy at any given site. Thus, accurate measurement of all of these parameters using high accuracy instruments is invaluable for solar project development and R&D purposes. Through 44

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partnership with Kipp and Zonen B.V, The Netherlands, other leading OEMs, BKC Weathersys Pvt. Ltd. provides turn-key solutions for solar monitoring stations and also monitors data output for accuracy.

Ground measurements can also be correlated with satellite data and advanced solar models to ensure accuracy as you will see in the case study below.

A client that had a solar monitoring station on a glacier in the Himalayas was having problems. Something was wrong with their set-up. Off-late, their numbers seemed off, way-off the detection limit of the instruments. Could we please look at the data and decipher what was going on? We did as you will see in the case study below.

Case Study: Reflection of Solar Radiation at Yala Glacier, Himalayas (Nepal).

Introduction: A research institute had installed a solar monitoring station

at a glacier in the Upper Himalayas and reported faulty radiation data. The solar monitoring station included a Kipp & Zonen CNR4 net radiometer that measures shortwave upper, short-wave lower, long-wave upper & long-wave lower radiation along with other weather parameters. They reported a problem in that the solar radiation measured had exceeded a threshold of 1,367 W/m². This solar monitoring station had been recently installed and was functional for a month before problems were reported. The problem was attributed to faulty instrumentation and set-up.

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Instrumentation: The solar monitoring station included 7 sensors including a Kipp and Zonen CNR 4 net radiometer (See Figure 1).

The CNR4 net radiometer is a high quality, reliable instrument with proven performance in polar conditions. The CNR 4 net radiometer consists of a pyranometer pair, one facing upward, the other facing downward, and a pyrgeometer pair in a similar configuration.

The pyranometer pair measures the shortwave radiation while the pyrgeometer pair measures long-wave radiation. The CNR 4 net radiometer measures the energy balance between incoming short-wave and longwave Far Infrared Radiation (FIR) versus surface-reflected short-wave and outgoing long-wave radiation. Apart from radiation measurement sensors, two temperature sensors, a Pt-100 and Thermistor, were also integrated to correct the infrared readings for the temperature of the instrument housing of CNR4. Data output from all sensors was integrated to a RTDL-11 data logger from Real Time Solutions Pvt. Ltd. A solar panel bundled with a battery charger and controller was used to power up the weather station.

Figure 1. Solar monitoring station at Yala Galcier, Nepal. The station includes 7 sensors including a CNR 4 net radiometer from Kipp & Zonen integrated with a data logger and a solar panel bundled with a battery charger and controller to power the weather station.

Data: Fifteen days of data from the solar monitoring station were available for analysis. The data comprised of short wave upward radiation obtained with an upper pyranometer, short wave downward radiation from the lower pyranometer, long wave upward radiation from upper pyrgeometer, long wave downward radiation from lower pyrgeometer, net short-wave, net long-wave, net lower radiation & net upper radiation.

The Problem: The maximum solar radiation at the boundary layer is expected to be within 1367 W/m². Under normal conditions, short-wave upper radiation lies within 1000 W/m² while short wave downward, long-wave upward, and longwave downward radiation do not go beyond 400 W/m. However, during June 2012, the measured short-wave upper radiation exceeded 1,700 W/m².

The Solution: After analysis by our team (see Figures 2 and 3), we concluded that this situation was a rare case that does does not occur in plain geographies. At the glacier, the

measured solar radiation exceeded 1,700 W/ m² because: a. clouds had acted as a mirror; b. snow played a major role in refulgenting as snow can reflect up to 80% of radiation depending upon the type of snow (fresh, melted or old). Because the weather station is surrounded by snow, the reflectivity is much higher than that typically observed by us in regions like Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Figuer 3 shows that each day, the radiation pattern of long wave radiation was similar to that of short wave radiation. Even when short wave radiation values surged, long wave radiation simultaneously increased as well. This could be attributed to cloud particles and snow reflecting radiation which leading to the higher long wave radiation values.

From the available data, it was clear that the radiation value surged instantly from

In summary, we concluded that the radiation data being measured at Yala Glacier was accurate and within range.

These conclusions were arrived at through analysis of ground measurements. While the values seemed high, these observations are not an isolated case. We have had a similar experience with BKC Weathersys’ in-house solar monitoring system in Noida, India in 2011 when during the rainy season, we observed the threshold value of solar radiation being attained in a day. We too observed that radiation had gone beyond 1300 W/m² and the same pattern was followed in this case too. When there are some white cumulus clouds which are not covering the sun, they act as a mirror or reflector, reflecting most of the radiation.

Cloud type and their behavior are known to have a measurable impact on radiation; different types of clouds have different effects on radiation.

low radiation, remained at that level, and then declined to normal values, indicating that before acceleration there must have been a cloud in the sky. Clear sky conditions remained for a short while, before cloud cover arrived again. The reason for the sharp rise in radiation is because the cloud acted as a mirror, reflecting sunlight to the sensor. This accounted for the surge in reading. This happens at high altitudes with a clear sky and some bright white cumulus clouds (not covering the sun).

Figure 2. Plot of short wave radiation over 15 days at Yala Glacier, Himalayas.

Short wave up-welling infrared radiation is in red and short wave down-welling infrared radiation is in blue.

Figure 3. Plot of long wave radiation over 15 days at Yala Glacier, Himalayas.

Long wave up-welling radiation is in red and long wave down-welling radiation is in blue.

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Recommendations: As per the geographical location of the site, there was no ambiguity in the data recorded at Yala Glacier, Nepal. This analysis of reflection of solar radiation under snowy conditions shows that solar radiation may increase to very high values, especially in the presence of white cumulus clouds not covering the sun at the observation site.

Conclusion: The above case study shows local geography, site topology, meteorological parameters, and environmental conditions have a big impact on incoming solar irradiance. All of these factors need to be taken into consideration while validating the final derived data. In addition, this case study endorses the use of the ground observations at the selected site as the most appropriate and accurate metod of carrying out such research or resource assessment.

Our analysis enabled to research institute to not misdirect resources towards fixing “faulty instrumentation” when in fact other conditions accounted for the seemingly faulty out of range data.

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Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) from Solar Power Project (SPP) Perspective Harish Sharma - Vice President, OM, EKIESL

What is CDM? Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), a market based mechanism that creates a way for developed countries and companies operating into it, to offset their emissions by investing in developing country projects that reduce emissions.

The clean development mechanism was designed to meet a dual objective: •

to help developed countries fulfill their commitments to reduce emissions, and

•

to assist developing countries in achieving sustainable development.

What are CERs?

The CDM allows emission-reduction projects in developing countries to earn certified emission reduction (CER) credits, each equivalent to one tonne of CO2. These CERs can be traded and sold, and used by industrialized countries to a meet a part of their emission reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol.

Benefits of CDM projects?

It includes investment in climate change mitigation projects in developing countries, transfer or diffusion of technology in the 46

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host countries, as well as improvement in the livelihood of communities through the creation of employment or increased economic activity.

Status of CDM Market Till date some 6558 projects have been registered under CDM mechanism which are expected to reduce 666.2 million tonne of CO2 by second commitment period i.e.

2020 even from these approximately 120.8 million tonne of CERs have already been issued. It has mobilized USD215 billion of investment in developing countries. Of this amount, USD92.2 billion – roughly equivalent to the combined foreign direct investment in Denmark, France and Germany in 20072011 – is already invested, with the balance expected shortly said Mr. Manish Dabkara, CMD & CEO of EKI Energy Services Ltd.

CER Rates & its future in FY 13-14 & further?

Mr. Harish Sharma, VP-Operations Management – EKIESL informed that however the current price of CER is low as compare to what had been experienced in past but market is still very positive after COP-18. The best outcome of COP 18 was that the Parties agreed to Phase II of the Kyoto Protocol with duration to be between

01 January 2013 to 31 December 2020. In COP 18 It was agreed that Australia, EU, Japan, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway & Switzerland will not use Phase I AAUs to meet Phase II emission reduction targets.

With this ruling about 13 billion surplus AAUs from Phase I may remain unused, which could potentially drive demand for other Kyoto instruments like CERs. Further EU, Australia, Norway & Switzerland pledge to reduce at least 785 million tonnes between 2013 and 2020 and can raise emission reduction targets to pledge reduction of up to 1,422 million tonnes by 2020. About 480 million CERs from industrial gas projects may remain unused as they have been banned by EU, Australia, New Zealand which further would raise the demand and hence price of the CER. In wake of all above positive outcomes of COP 18 Annex I countries may increase their 2020 emission reduction targets by 30 April 2014. Therefore considering a graph of huge demand the investors are very hopeful for the recovery of CER prices in near future and even the long term ERPAs are being signed on a price of 5-8 Euros/ CER , recently EnKing International has signed many ERPAs with Renewable Energy Projects Developers.

CDM Solar Power Projects & How to

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secure Carbon Funds with precautionary measures?

Asking particularly about applicability of CDM to Solar Power projects Mr. Abhishek Kumar, GM-EKIESL informed that there is an exception for Solar power projects which are considered to generate high quality Green CERs due to additionality of emissions as well as high investment cost involved. The Buyers are more interested towards having an long term ERPA in a very good price of Euro 5-8 which in itself is very encouraging as for 1 MW solar power projects considering 20% PLF generates 1752 MWh which in turns can qualify for a revenue of around 12600 Euro annually for a period of 21 years.

Further he informed that CDM; UNFCCC EB approved SPP – PV projects under fast track auto approved registration mode if production capacity is less than 15 MW. This ensures the investors that Carbon funds are 100% secured without any risk of rejection of project registration with CDM Executive Board (additionality clauses).

on or after 2 August 2008, the project participant must inform a Host Party designated national authority (DNA – Indian MOEF ) and the UNFCCC Secretariat in writing of the commencement of the project activity and of their intention to seek CDM status, within 180 days.

1.

Details to be sent by CDM Consideration form are as –

The Board Resolution should clearly tell , 04 things.

1. Name of project proponent (Name, Title, Company, Country)

1. The Project Proponent is having prior knowledge of the CDM before Project decision has been taken.

2. Precise geographical location: (Geocoordinates, Town/City, Country) 3. Brief description of the proposed project activity: (include brief description of technology to be employed )

Precaution 2 – Board Resolution / Decision Note It shows the serious CDM funds consideration i.e. Investor is how much serious during the project conceptualization & whether it has having information of CDM

Every board resolution is unique.

2. This documents is very imp to the CDM Process & should be prepared by the CA / CS or other senior official of the company . Original copy should be maintained in the minute book maintained at the company records.

2. Presence of the decision makers means Board of Directors / Proprietors / Partner, name with signatures shall be there.

3. What are the barriers to the project activity implementation & CDM is helping to overcome it , mention the indicators & benchmark values prepared by the Financial experts of the EnKing International.

4. Process should be started to have ERPA ( Emission Reduction Purchase Agreement) means Forward Trading , it will prove how the PPs are serious to the project funds availability ( its optional) The same document should be submitted to the Bank, DOE or other entity. Ensure that the CDM project information should be reflected in the public document of the year of decision taken & to the Annual report as well as the company webhost same information to the website having column like social responsibility or other so that it people / stake holders know about the green & clean project that the company is promoting.

Chart – CDM Process Cycle (Registration, Verification, Trading)

Precautions to be considered during development of Solar Power Project -

Precaution 01 – Serious CDM Consideration Project activities with a decision date

& how it’s helping to overcome the barrier (financial).

This document shows that Board was aware of the CDM benefits and decision was taken considering CDM as essential part for the implementation of the project.

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EQ INTERNATIONAL - April 2013

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Green Infra’s Solar PV Project Under JNNSM Batch II Nominated For Special Award By Mnre - Mark Of Excellence In Project Execution At Green Infra Green Infra Limited’s Solar Photovoltaic Project At Phalodi, Rajasthan Ankur Rajan – Vice President , Green Infra Limited

suitability for affordable and efficient PV modules. Thin film technology outperforms other technologies for a) low temperature coefficient (works better in high temperature conditions) and b) better response to low light conditions (high light absorptions in sunset and sunrise conditions).

 Green Infra Limited’s Commitment to Green Power GIL shares Govt of India’s vision of reducing the country’s carbon footprint and providing clean energy. In line with this GIL has established a capacity of 300+ MW in the areas of Wind and Solar projects.

As a part of its mission, GIL has set up a 25 MW Solar Power Project in Phalodi, Rajasthan across two SPVs. This project was awarded to GIL under NSM Phase 1 Batch II, through the process of competitive bidding, across two SPVs.

The project has been nominated by MNRE for a special award and is a mark of excellence in project execution at Green Infra Limited.  Project Salient Features  Technology Selection – Value Creation and reduction in Solar Electricity Generation Costs with Best in Class Technology for High Yield.

High Efficiency First Solar Thin Film Cd-Te modules The project is based on First Solar, Thin Film Cd-Te modules. First Solar thin film PV 48

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Outdoor mounted High Efficiency Inverters for Maximum Yields and reduced aux power consumption.

modules are manufactured using an advanced semiconductor technology that offer enhanced

SPV Location

Rising heat with fine dust particles stirred up by stand storms place heavier demands on inverters. The inverters for this project are outdoor mounted, which further

20 MW Phalodi

5 MW Phalodi

Green Infra Solar Farms

Green Infra Solar Projects

Limited

Limited

Bap

V ill a g e,

P h a l o d i , Bap Village, Phalodi, Rajasthan

Rajasthan Latitude & Longitude

27°23’9.60”N

27°23’9.60”N

72°19’1.20”E

72°19’1.20”E

Land Requirement

6.2 Acres

6.2 Acres

No of Solar Modules

2,47,065

64,050

Solar Module Technology

First Solar, Cd-Te, 85wp, Thin

First Solar, Cd-Te, 85wp, Thin

and make

Film

Film

Inverter type & make

SMA 800 CP

SMA 720 CP

Evacuation Voltage level

33 KV

33 KV

Distance from nearest sub-

4 km

4 km

station

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the way can loop in or alternatively facilitate the developers to tie up and build a common infrastructure. This will not only save the right of way but also help in bringing down the overall costs.

reduces the aux consumption of the power plant in terms of no requirements of airconditioning etc. which are associated with indoor inverters. Inverters can even yield a nominal power of 110% till 25 deg C and work at full energy yield till 50 deg C. Even between 50 and 62 deg C inverters continue to feed in with slight reduction in feed-in capacity.

 D e l i ve r y w i t h i n timeframes

d e fi n e d

The project was executed by a dedicated cross functional team, fully empowered to ensure fast and informed decision making.

The differentiating factors have been the early start taken for design, procurement, and construction, well planned execution, innovations and out of box thinking which ensured that the project could adhere to the timelines and got executed within the schedule and as per the quality standards of the company.

 Modular design – Maximum yield and Ease of construction Project has a simple modular design which has been made to ensure ease of construction, repeatability and at the same time to maximize the performance output.

The complete designing of the project was carried out by Juwi India which was also the overall contractor for the project under oversight of Juwi Germany. Complete structure and module installation was carried out through a German contractor having renowned experience worldwide under the direct supervision of expat supervisors from Germany.

 Quality Control, Environment

Health and Safety Quality standards have been ensured in the project with continuous direct quality checks in manufacturing and at the construction site through supervisors from Bureau Veritas and Tata Projects Limited.

Further, the project had well developed QHSE management systems & procedures to take care of impacts on environment and OSHAS and their adherence was periodically checked via safety audits at site.

3. Finance – Achieving financial closure for short gestation projects poses a challenge considering the timelines available to go through all the compliances & procedures.

Green Infra secured financing for this project through ECB route. This task was made possible with meticulous efforts by the team and the team was also awarded the “Deal of the Year Award” for the same.

Green Infra is one of the few IPPs to be accredited with ISO:9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certifications by TUV NORD.

 Challenges Faced Execution has been a roller coaster ride and there were have been hurdles during the installation which have also provided key learnings for us 1. Land Acquisition – Acquisition and land use conversion issues have been a cause of concern and have impacted the project schedule. It has been noticed that with several developers queuing up for setting up the projects in the same area, the stakes increase and land acquisition becomes all the more challenging.

2. Right of way for evacuation line – Availability of Right of way is a major concern in Phalodi with a cluster of transmission lines already laid on the same route. As a mitigation, in areas wherein a cluster of projects are coming up, the state government needs to set up a single line of higher capacity wherein all developers on

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SO L A R ENERGY

Site installation photo – A project by “Sonali Solar” at MFI, USA

“Solar Solar” Commisions Solar PV Project For MFI (Muslim Foundation Inc.) Using Microinverters Jignesh Shah – Head Sales And Marketing, Sonali Solar “Sonali Solar” USA has announced successful completion of recently commissioned unique project of solar power pack. By adding a new feather to their cap, “Sonali Solar” has commissioned 24.65 KW solar PV project using “Sonali Solar” make polycrystalline modules and micro inverters. This successful and innovative achievement has given remarkable position and recognition to “Sonali Solar” in solar industries. The size of the project is 24.65 KW and which is installed at the Muslim Foundation Inc (MFI), Somerset, New Jersey, USA. This project comprises of 105 numbers of 235 Wp “Sonali Solar” make polycrystalline modules. As a specific design and engineering, all modules are connected 50

EQ INTERNATIONAL - April 2013

to 105 numbers of Enphase Micro inverters in the first phase of the Project.

•

Anti islanding protection built into every Module

“Sonali Solar” embarked on this innovative project to demonstrate a very reliable , productive , smart and safe combination of Solar Energy and communication technology using the Envoy communications gateway.

•

Maximizing system efficiency for better energy harvesting

•

Flexibility in terms of System design time , maintenance and expense

•

Web based monitoring system enabled through Power Line communication

Application of Micro invertors in Solar Projects has been popular worldwide and is now gaining popularity in countries like India. This is because Micro invertors offer several advantages including

•

Safety Aspect ensured since no High Voltage DC and minimizing arching Voltage

•

Up to 8% Improvement in the performance of each Solar Module because of MPPT

•

(see photographs of sample reports)

•

Right sizing of Solar installation

•

Simplifying the Balance of System

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“Sonali Solar” approached the not for profit organization namely Muslim Foundation Inc. with the above proposal for providing Solar Powered backup system for their Building Loads. On completion of the entire project, the Installation would be producing an anticipated 446 thousand kilowatt hours of electricity annually and reducing the company’s greenhouse gas emissions by over 7,788 tons over the life of the system.

By entering into a 20 year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), “Sonali Solar” was able to secure their price on electricity for the term of the agreement; helping them save around 25% on electricity in their first year.

On the event of this remarkable achievement and successful completion of project, Mr. Pankaj Desai, President and CEO of “Sonali Solar” shared facts and figures and said, “We are very much excited to add another large installation into our existing installation pipeline. This project and contract will help “Sonali Solar” expand growing presence in the PV market and solar system industries in the United States of America.” Addressing media, he added that, “Sonali Solar” is planning more high capacity installations that are currently being negotiated. With many installations already completed, “Sonali Solar” is excited to have one more notch on their belt.”

Solar Power Generation Data – A project by “Sonali Solar” at MFI, USA

Solar energy production chart – A project by “Sonali Solar” at MFI, USA

Solar energy production chart – A project by “Sonali Solar” at MFI, USA

On completion of the entire project, the 1,267 Numbers of “Sonali Solar” make Solar Modules installed will generate over 90 percent of the electrical use for that building.

“Sonali Solar” has estimated that using the solar panels for electricity is equal to planting over 311 thousand trees.

And hence satisfying their logo statement, “ENERGY INSPIRED BY NATURE”

EXAMPLES OF GENERATION REPORTS ON THE WEB BASED MONITORING SYSTEM WITH ENVOY COMMUNICATION GATEWAY.

Site installation photo – A project by “Sonali Solar” at MFI, USA

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SO L A R ENERGY

Conversion Of Barren Roof Tops Into Power Generators Rajesh Shah - Promoter of Sun Solar Techno Limited

M

ilan Shah the partner of Miltop Exports, Jamnagar was always pondering on how to convert his barren roof tops into some utility. There

plant for Miltop Exports. The total roof top area was 358 sq. meters. Since the load at this point of time was not so high, it was decided mutually to install a 24 KW Grid tied

KWp PV plant on Miltop’s roof top and this being the first roof top PV installation for a private company in Jamnagar. The daily average generation in the month of March was about 110 and in April it was a bumper generation of 147 units per day. The daily solar radiation varies from 4.31 kwh/sq. meter/day in the month of December to 6.70 kwh/sq. meter/ day in the month of April.

Miltop Exports expects the electricity bill to be reduced by at least 45% and thus expects the ROI within 4 years. SSTL can expect more installation on Miltop’s roof top very soon.

were too much of waste accumulated on the roof top as well it has become a scrap yard of Miltop Exports.

Thanks to the JNNSM scheme as well the awareness of Solar in the State of Gujarat that Mr. Shah decided to utilize the roof top to generate solar energy and supply to his load.

Mr. Shah had a consumption of approximately 8000 units/ month. This plant does not have a night shift so a best opportunity for a battery less grid tied plant.

Sun Solar Techno Limited (SSTL) a 30 MW module manufacturing plant in Anand was given the task of building a roof top PV 52

EQ INTERNATIONAL - April 2013

system. Solar being modular in nature, there was always an opportunity to increase the size of the installation looking at the load.

A private bank has sanctioned the finance to support to Miltop Exports.

It took 10 days for SSTL to commission a 24

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REI 2013 EXPO

Renewable Energy India Expo 12-14 September 2013 India Expo Center, Greater Noida, India

Organised by

Promoting a Democratic Industry Forum

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

5DMQHHVK .KDWWDU _ 3URMHFW 'LUHFWRU _ 0 _ ( UDMQHHVK NKDWWDU#XEP FRP www.renewableenergyindiaexpo.com

SO L A R T H ERMA L

Solar Steam Cooking Made Possible In The Treacherous Regions Of Leh-Ladakh Thermax Limited Solar Business Unit

A

popular misconception or myth is that Solar Thermal applications, for example steam cooking or process heating is confined to the regions of our Indian mainland where there is ample amounts of Direct Normal Irradiation (DNI), as opposed to the mountainous cold regions of the north and the north-east. Nothing could be farther from the truth as Global Irradiation mapping data shows that the mountaneous regions of Leh-Ladakh seem to have the right combination on conditions that makeSolar Thermal applications not only possible, but very appealing and sustainable.Proliferation options of solar based steam generation system for cooking application suitable for high altitude and subzero weather conditions like Leh â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Ladakh region to harness abundantly available solar energy to the maximum possible extent, which in turn would reduce dependability on conventional fuel sources like LPG / Diesel oil. Even though these fuels are made available for civil society &defence services at normal costs (as comparable to other regions of India), the actual cost of making available these conventional fuels is exponentially higher due to huge logistical challenges & hostile weather conditions. This makes it even more pertinent to proliferate

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options to replace conventional fuels in such locations with alternate energy options like solar.

Prior Failures and Challenges However, due to the inherently unamicable conditions at these places, certain challenegs have to be faced. Thermax faced

those conditions when it was approached by the renewable agency LREDA for a pilot project for steam cooking at the Jawaharlal Navodaya Vidyalaya. Previously, there had been some installations by other companies for steam cooking, howeverthey had failed misearably because necessary precautions had not been taken.Leh-Ladakh lies in the Himalayan region. Due to the high altitude and the low humidity the radiation level is very high and the global solar radiation is about Thermax Limited 5 6-7 kWh/m2 which is highest in the world making it one of the most ideal locations for harnessing solar energy. However, it needs to be noted that ambient temperature varies from -40 to + 30 deg C across the year.

Let me give you a glimpse how the conditions in the Leh-Ladakh regions are

Structural Damage

1.

High Wind Velocity : of upto 200 kmph,prevail in these regions.

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Piping Burst

Damaged Supports

were required with respect to conventional system. There were some development work involved in the project and learningâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s from this project are as follows: 1. Normal design of reflector stand can withstand upto 180 kmph, looking at higher wind velocity prevailing in Leh region, the system was required to be designed for 200 kmph. Design of Frame, Reflector Stand, Supporting channels for tracking was stress analyzed and required reinforcement was done.

Broken Mirrors

2. Freezing Temperatures : Water freezing and Ice formation necessitates higher insulation without which pipe bursts and extreme pressure/heat losses become commonplace 3. Trecherous conditions for civil activity : Leads to cost escalation Attached below are some pictures of prior installations and how they failed to survive in these treacherous conditions

The Present Thermax Installaiton at JawaharNavodaya Vidyalaya Pursuant to our R&D as to how renewable energy can better be suited for these regions, we collaborated with LREDA after a tender floted by the organization that was designed to facilitate 14 such robust Solar Steam Cooking Installations for schools in this region. Since the project was at Leh - Ladakh region, due to difficult terrain and adverse weather conditions, some changes

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EQ INTERNATIONAL - April 2013

IBR regulations and approved by local IBR authority. First solar based IBR approved system in the region complying code requirement 2. System continuously operated for two days with sub-zero temperature at night.

Due to lower radiation on subsequent day ,system had been drained as precautionary measure 3. System is handed over for operation to end customer and required training has been imparted to their fullest satisfaction.

Present Thermax installation:

2. Freezing of Water and Ice Formation inside the piping: Higher insulation thickness (100 to 150 mm) was used for steam lines / riser and down comer to reduce heat losses.

3. Few areas like receiver and valves /fittings were also insulated to reduce heat loss.

4. System integration (i.e. Standby boiler / Cooking vessel) etc were part of scope and this would form some basis of the design for future installations.

Achievements: 1. System designed, manufactured, installed as per

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B u il d Y o u r Business Bigtime a t I ndia’s Most Pr oduc tive Renewable Energ y E v e nt

Exciting Exhibitor & Sponsor Opportunities

Talk to Preethi

šŘŜśŚ Ŝšśšř

marketing@renergyteda.com

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EQ INTERNATIONAL - April 2013

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P V M A N UFA CT URI N G

New PV Backsheet From KREMPEL Ready To Go Into Production : For Solar Modules With Rear-Side Contacting KREMPEL GmbH

Designed for solar modules with cells for rear-side contacting, AKACON BCF®, which is now being offered by the KREMPEL Group, is a new PV backsheet which is ready to go into production. The specialist in solar materials is thus making an important contribution to further development of this young technology, which will undoubtedly increase the efficiency of PV modules. Thru exploitation of the potential for innovation, an important product group has now been created in a market strongly oriented to prices.

A

s regards contacting, the contacts are only located on the cell rear side. This means that space on the front is freed up so that cell output can be increased. Corresponding cell designs are available, as well as economically efficient process concepts and production lines.

This new technology is still on the sensitive threshold between a promising concept and a marketable product. For companies who are willing to take the next step, KREMPEL is a reliable partner with the appropriate PV backsheet laminates at just the right time.

The new AKACON BCF® (Back Contacting Foil) family of products has everything that is essential for rear-side contacting: highly conductive contact surfaces on the cell side and excellent electrical insulation on the outward facing side. At the same time, the new product reliably performs all the other functions of a classical PV backsheet laminate such as lasting protection against harmful environmental influences. Moreover, AKACON BCF® stands out due to two special characteristics that are technically important in terms of the process involved: outstanding flatness and high dimensional stability; the thermal shrinkage is less than 0.1 percent.

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EQ INTERNATIONAL - April 2013

All this is based on more than four years of intense development work and the Group’s several years of practical experience, including 20 years with solar materials and 30 years with copper materials for fine and very Picture 1: Solar fine conductor technology. modules with rearFor example, KREMPEL side contacting makes materials for flexible printed circuit boards with conductor paths that are smaller than 100 µm, whereas rearside contacting is still in the millimeter range. And to make sure that solar module manufacturers can submit orders flexibly, KREMPEL supplies individual quantities of the new metal laminates Picture 2:Laminating – with a customized equipment for series production of structured form at AKACON BCF® mass-production prices.

KREMPEL machines are now good to go for series-production.

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North America’s Premier Exhibition and Conference for the Solar Industry Moscone Center, San Francisco Tap into the incredible potential of the U.S. solar market Connect with 650 international exhibitors and learn about their latest technological innovations Gain insights to advance your business Take an in-depth look at the industry’s hottest topics at our free workshops Go solar at North America’s most-attended solar event!

Register now!

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Co-located with

EQ INTERNATIONAL - April 2013

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P V M A N UFA CT URI N G

Poly-Silicon Process for Photovoltaic Industry Mr.Rushil shah - Managing Director SHAVO Technologies in Association with TESCOM, USA.

W

ith increasing fossil fuel prices and advanced production technologies. Alternative energy sources like Photovoltaic (PV) becomes more attractive to investors. Experts expect that PV-energy and fossil fuel prices will reach the same level but will be coming from different methods in the year 2014.

The two main ingredients for a Solar CeIl seem to come from unlimited resources, sunlight and sand (Quartz = SiO2). Like with many other things in life, it’s the quality that counts not the quantity. The purity of natural Quartz would not allow any solar cell or computer chip to work.

Natural Quartz can be converted to “Metallurgical Grade Silicon” with 99% purity (Log 2) by a reduction process at 2000°C [Si02 +2C->Si+2CO]. Solargrade Silicon is 4-5 magnitudes “cleaner” than the original metallurgical grade Silicon (Log 6-7). Electronic grade is even 2-3 magnitudes cleaner than Solar grade (Log 9) 99.9999999% purity.

There are several ways from metallurgical grade Silicon to Monocrystalline or Polycrytalline Silicon.

One process is the fabrication purification of Monosilane SiH4 and later Pyrolysis at 800°C in a tube reactor. Monosilane breaks down into elementary Silicon and Hydrogen gas [SiH4 -> Si + 2 H2].

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For this process, Bulk Silane is drawn from trailers with high flow rates from 35 Nm3/h to 100 Nm3/h.

The biggest challenge for this process is the cool down of Silane due to the high Joules Thompson coefficient.

TESCOM has designed special bulk regulators 449-301 (1st stage) plus 44-3200 (2nd stage) with optional 400 Watt internal heating for each stage.

The more common process is the Siemens type reactor for Polychrystalline Silicon deposition.

Approximately 75% of global Silicon production is made with this technology.

Metallurgical grade Silicon powder (99% purity) and HCI are mixed in a Fluidized Bed Reactor at high temperature. In this CVDprocess, TriChloroSiiane (SiHCI3) is formed besides other by-products - [Si + 3HCI = SiHCI3 + H2] and also [Si + 4HCI = SiCI4 + 2 H2]. Hydrogen gas can be separated

and recycled.

TCS (SiHCI3) and STC (SiCI4) are clear, highly flammable and colourless liquids with a boiling point of 32°C for TCS and 57°C for STC and both having an acrid odour.

They are both known to the Semiconductor Industry for wafer Epitaxy. Ultra-High Purity (UHP) TCS must be distilled to achieve the

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desired purity depending on the Polysilicon usage.

After the distillation process high purity TriChloroSiiane will be recombined with the recycled Hydrogen.

The mixing of 1 00% TCS (by weight)

and 4% to 8% (by weight) Hydrogen requires pressure regulators and mass flow controllers for both media with high flow rates. 1.5 metric tons/hr of TCS is the required flow rate in a current project. The TESCOM 15 Series is the perfect regulator for both media since it combines high flow rates with ultra

high purity regulation.

Inside a Bell Jar at 6 bar and 1000°C, Silicon atoms contained in the gas mixture can be deposited on thin Polysilicon wires.

These wires will grow to 200 mm Diameter rods which can be crushed or sold as feedstock.

Only one-third of the Silicon can be grown on to a Polychristalline rod, the remaining two-thirds turn into Silicon TetraChloride (SSTC). STC and Hydrogen can be reconverted to TriChloroSilane. The conversion process is energy consuming with a conversion rate of <20%. Not every jproduction plant using the Siemens type CVD process to produce Silicon is also operating a conversion reactor. The gas panels used for mixing STC and H2 are similar to those mixing TCS and Hydrogen.

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EQ INTERNATIONAL - April 2013

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P V M A N UFA CT URI N G

SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES Offers at SNEC Shanghai Extensive Knowledge for the Key Production Steps for CIGS Thin-Film Solar Panels SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG •

Selenisation furnace CISARIS

•

Sputtering machine

•

Buffer layer wet processing equipment TENUIS

•

Wet processing systems VITRUM

Production capacities for CIS/CIGS based cells will further rise in the coming years. Based on the CIGS processes, SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES is able to provide customers all relevant lines and has gained extensive know-how to reduce the production costs together with the customers, to increase the cell performance, and to enhance cell output.

For the development of CIGS solar cells with a substrate size of 300 x 300 mm, SINGULUS offers a modular cluster type tool. With this machine, innovative and largescale implementable production processes for CIGS solar cells can be developed targeting new process combinations. Many research and development areas display the demand for such cost-efficient development tools.

CISARIS Rapid Thermal Processing The CISARIS oven from SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES is an inline rapid thermal processing equipment, designed for the CIGSSe absorber formation on large area glass substrates. The process can safely handle the thermal processing of large glass substrates of over 1 sq. m at temperatures up to 600 °C under toxic and corrosive gas atmosphere. High heating and cooling rates, combined with an excellent temperature and gas homogeneity during all process stages are the key factors which allow the formation

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of an optimal CIGSSe absorber required for the production of high efficiency solar modules.

wet processing systems from R&D over pilot use to full production range 60, 120, 180 and more MW.

CISARIS consists of a handling station, a vacuum tight process section, and a return conveyor and is optimized for the mass production of CIS solar modules. Per year, CISARIS provides a production capacity of over 25 MWp.

Due to new and unique concepts in terms of dosing and temperature control, SINGULUS` developers were successful in reducing the process time by up to 20 %, which has a positive effect and a considerably higher output in production.

Sputtering Systems SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES also offers new processing systems for vacuum coating CIGS thin-film solar cells. The systems respond to the demand in the photovoltaic industry for development and production tools that enhance the efficiency of thin-film solar cells, while cutting production costs by using the state-of-the-art technologies. For PV technology, SINGULUS develops and manufactures coating systems which can apply special layers and layer systems on different materials. Inline sputter systems are significant in today’s thin-film solar cell production.

New Generation of Wet Process Equipment for Economic Processing of CdS/ Alternative Buffer Layer for CIGS Solar Cells SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES presents a promising new development on the way to the efficient wet-chemical coating of thinfilm solar modules made of copper-indiumgallium-diselenide (CIGS) on glass: the second generation of the TENUIS production line has a modular cluster build basis and enables both significant savings in terms of required floor space and the simultaneous one-side coating of two substrates. SINGULUS offers

Inline Wet Process Equipment, Etching, Cleaning & Single Side Coating for Thin-Film Solar Cells The modular design of the SINGULUS inline wet process equipment VITRUM II allows the easy integration of different process steps according to the requirements of CIGS, a-Si or CdTe technology (etching, rear side and substrate edge etching, cleaning, and single side coating).

The design of the VITRUM II features similar piping for all liquid circuits and generously dimensioned installation compartments for optimized maintenance work.

The second generation VITRUM enables homogeneous, reliable and reproducible etching. It features further advantages in comparison to a dipping bath, such as a higher etch length and concentration, a higher process speed of up to 5 m/min, and minimized carryover.

The design of the VITRUM GEN 2 improves the accessibility for optimized maintenance work in a large installation cabinet. Piping is similar for all liquid circuits.

It offers a high cycle rate and is also easy to integrate into existing production lines.

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BA T T ERI ES & ST O RA GE

Lithium Dreams And Dreamliner Batteries N Balasubramanian and Mridula Bharadwaj

L

ithium (Li), the lightest metal known, is what dreams are made of. It is part of the batteries in cell phones, sensors in medical devices, laptops, automobiles, defence equipment and aircrafts. Bolivia dreams of building its economy on its Li deposits. But is lithium-ion battery a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;dream deferredâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;?

Li-ion battery is in the news because of two incidents in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. There was a fire in one aircraft parked in the airport and in the other smoke was detected after take-off. The US Federal Aviation Administration issued a directive to ground these planes and the National Transportation Safety Board is doing a complete investigation. Other countries, including India followed suit and grounded these planes at a considerable financial loss.

Li-ion batteries are reliable and their failure rate is 1 in 10 million cells. Yet fires and recall of equipment do occur due to battery failure. A battery contains several cells. Each cell consists of a cathode, an anode and a separator between the two, electrolyte and current collectors. The cell generates power due to the motion of Li-ions.

The anode is graphite containing Li. A typical cathode (and the one used in dreamliner battery) is made up of lithium cobalt oxide.

The electrolyte contains lithium salts in an organic solvent, which is flammable. This is because Li reacts with water violently.

Li-ion battery delivers high power per volume or weight to start a jet engine fast.

It delivers 250- 340 Watts/ kg compared to 150 W/kg of nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) battery.

This also occupies less space because its energy density is 250-620 Watt hour per litre compared to 50-150 Watt hour per litre of Ni-Cd. But how do we make it safer? Let us analyse the role of each constituent in a cell and the way cells are put together. Energy is generated by a cell due to the motion of Li-ions from anode to cathode through the electrolyte and a separator which is a polymer of micrometer thickness. There are safer cathodes like lithium manganese oxide and lithium iron phosphate, but the voltage and energy density are lower. We at the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy combine quantum mechanics theory and data mining to predict cathode compounds that have high voltage (>4.5V).

In general cathodes with high voltage have high oxidation strength which means poor safety. The trick is to find compounds that buck the trend. There are many factors that lead to a short circuit with a consequent increase in temperature in the cell and ignition of electrolyte. Contaminants from manufacturing processes can form short circuit between electrodes. Overcharging can cause reaction between cathode and electrolyte resulting in gases leading to thermal runaway.

It can drive more ions from the cathode to anode leading to lithium metal plating. Excess lithium can grow needle-like dendrites to short the electrodes. Recently amorphous nano-silicon is being considered for anode to overcome this problem. There are many methods available to switch off the battery when it gets heated. In one approach polyethylene with a melting point of 135 degree C is

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inserted between two layers of separator.

When the temperature rises to this value, polyethylene melts and closes the pores in the separator which prevents motion of Li ions and battery stops. Non-flammable ionic liquid electrolytes can be used.

Dreamliner is the most electrified aircraft using 2 batteries of 28.5 kg each.

In each battery eight cells are packed next to each other in a sealed metal box. Some experts suggest using a large number of small size batteries with spaces in between so that fire does not spread to others in a domino effect. Other steps contemplated are insulating each cell using ceramic materials and using special steel for casing. Airbus has found it prudent to meet its delivery schedules with Ni-Cd while continuing with Li-ion in trial runs. Approaches involving nanomaterials may lead to entirely new systems. Batteries have a role beyond transportation. It has been said that sun does not always shine and wind does not always blow and energy storage is critical to renewable energy and a low carbon world.

With continuing improvements in batteries, lithium may contribute to economies rather than dreams.

EQ INTERNATIONAL - April 2013

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P PV V IINVERTERS NV NT ERV ERT ERS I EW

Novel Circuit Topology And Modular Design Approach

For Large Commercial And Utility-Scale Inverter Systems Dr. Marco Trova, Power-One

A maximum uptime is especially important for large commercial and utility-scale solar plants. Herein the inverter system plays a key role being responsible for the maximum energy harvest. New circuit topologies and cooling concepts help to meet the requirements of large solar parks even better.

F

ailures at the inverter level or at the photovoltaic field often cause downtimes of large commercial and utility applications. By choosing an elaborate inverter system, the uptime can be increased significantly while reducing the cost of BOS. This eliminates plant shutdown, reduces repair time and consequently offers financial benefits in terms of production. However, these are not the only requirements the inverter has to meet: it is also responsible for a maximum energy harvest under different conditions while keeping AC losses as low as possible. But how can maximum power conversion rates be achieved? And can new circuit topologies and cooling systems help to meet plant operators’ needs?

The poor ratio between DC link and AC output voltage is one of the biggest disadvantages most utility-scale inverter systems entail. PV plants are based on a maximum DC input voltage of 1000V, directly connected to the DC input terminals of the inverter. To maintain an operating voltage window which is sufficient for MPPT, in the past this prevented the usage of a direct transformer-less inversion into line voltages above 320 to 360Vac. At that point Power-One came in and developed a novel 64

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circuit topology conceived and designed to specifically address the demanding needs of utility-scale applications. The aim of the patent-pending technology was to remove the intrinsic limitations of direct conversion architectures, thus allowing a voltage conversion at industrial standard 690Vac. At the same time, the conversion efficiency should be maintained or further improved over the widest possible input range. Additional design targets included a modular construction for all main building blocks to ensure easy maintenance and spare parts standardization and a compact outdoor construction.

The innovative multi-level circuit topology has been identified and optimized after accurate simulations. It offers the best efficiency performance of up to 98.7 percent over an input voltage range of 500 – 1000Vdc when inversion is made onto an output voltage nominally set at 690Vac – a remarkably higher voltage with respect to conventional architectures. The DC input voltage can even fall below this limit without significantly affecting the efficiency, while standard single stage direct conversion systems may suffer from production losses.

Moreover, the efficiency increases towards

the middle of the input operating voltage range. System design can be optimized for maximum energy harvesting at the maximum possible string length and minimum DC current, so that DC cable and distribution costs have been reduced as well.

As a consequence of the new inverter concept, accurate evaluation of AC voltage level is no longer needed. Energy losses by suboptimal array configurations can also be minimized as may occur during peak hours and hot climates or as a cause of the module ageing effects. Furthermore, the extended DC input range extends the duty cycle of the PV system and allows maximum energy harvesting under low irradiance conditions in the morning or at sunset, as well as during partial shading. Another advantage of the new topology is the optimized utilization of standard IGBT modules. External clamping or freewheeling diodes are no longer needed, as the body diodes integrated in the IGBT module are used for freewheeling and clamping purposes thus eliminating the need to add expensive external fast recovery diodes.

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Preventing module degradation Depending on the module type used for an installation, irreversible performance degradation effects have been observed especially on amorphous silicon panels (a-Si) caused by a negative potential relative to the ground. While this so-called TCO (Transparent Conductive Oxide) corrosion effect has been extensively analyzed and shall be prevented by negative grounding, a more recent study shows that wafer-based crystalline silicon technology is also not completely immune to Potential Induced Degradation effects (PID) [1]. In addition, other module technologies display reversible phenomena induced by surface polarization effects, which require a positive-grounded array in order to prevent the performance degradation effect. To allow either positive or negative grounding systems usually require an inverter with galvanic isolation, adding costs and weight to the equipment.

Central inverters using the new circuit topology offer a solution for this problem by adding a dedicated control scheme at the grounded terminal without affecting the costs or the system safety. Thus positive or negative grounded systems reach the same performance as traditional ungrounded crystallinebased PV power plants. Furthermore, PV generators can be designed according to the desired schemes with independent PV arrays connected to each inverter to form separate MPPTs. This eliminates the need to combine the arrays of all inverters connected to the same transformer winding in parallel to form a single MPPT.

Modular liquid cooling Even the most efficient and high performance inverter design may fail completely if it does not meet the construction characteristics expected in this professional market segment. An environmental-proof construction using an IP65 enclosure which allows mounting in a free-field installation without additional infrastructures is just one of those requirements. An elaborate cooling concept is even more important.

To respond to these requirements, Power-One decided on using a passive liquid cooling construction. Offering much higher heat-extraction capabilities with respect to forced air-cooled heat sinks, the liquidcooled cold plates are ideally suited for large

inverter systems. An additional secondary air/ inverter technology manufacturers in the water exchanger is used to cool the rest of the future. This new inverter concept for utilitymagnetic and electromechanical components grade applications shows that many inverter that cannot be effectively attached to the cold systems still offer a huge savings potential. plate. This method allow to segregate the Besides optimizing the system-level BOS, active parts of the unit in a watertight and lifecycle costs can be significantly reduced pollution-free chamber, further improving the at the same time, for example by simplifying system long-term Images and captions:} immunity against {B aggressive agents in the harshest environments.

This also extends the maintenance cycle and reduces the costs of maintenance.

To ensure the optim um trade-off between weight, dimensions ((Efficiency vs. input voltage) and the lowest specific costs at maximum efficiencies, the installation, operation and maintenance 350kW single cold-plate IGBT power procedures. modules were selected. The overall weight of the whole power converter assembly has been limited to a maximum of 50kg to ensure {A1} Additional easy maintenance and installation by two operators.

To reduce the deployment and installation costs eve n f u r t h e r the inverter system has been assembled in a compact lightweight single cabinet. Thanks to its modular structure which (ULTRA with retractable solar tent) is made of front accessible and extractible subassemblies, installation and Information maintenance procedures are rather easy.

[1] J. Berghold, O. Frank, H. Hoehne, S. The inverter system can also be monitored Pingel, B. Richardson, M. Minkler: via Ethernet communication and two Potential Induced Degradation of Solar independent RS-485 communication Cells and Panels ; September 2010. interfaces for inverter and intelligent string The efficiency increases towards the combiner monitoring. upper end of the input operating voltage range.

Outlook

To develop savings opportunities well beyond the mere component-level cost reduction is and will remain the mission for

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Copyright: Power-One Power-Oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s liquid-cooled cold plates are ideally suited for large inverter systems.

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PV INVERTERS

Fronius Unveils Its Hybrid Inverter For The First Time F

ronius International GmbH will be presenting its latest developments at the Intersolar trade fair in Munich.

The highlight on the 512 m² stand will be a prototype of the Fronius hybrid inverter, which enables self-generated energy to be temporarily stored with the help of batteries.

Martin Hackl-Head of the Solar Electronics division, Fronius International GmbH.

storing the energy for use at a later time.

This means that green electricity can also be used during the night, for example. Further key advantages include increased selfconsumption along with a more independent power supply. In addition, the power supply is maintained in the event of a grid failure.

Thanks to its modular design, the storage unit can be easily expanded - and the battery retrofitted - at any time. By harnessing innovative communication channels such as web server, WLAN and Ethernet, system operators have an overview of their PV system performance constantly at hand. The device will be available in 2014.

“For Fronius, 2013 is the year of innovations. We are excited to be presenting numerous new products at Intersolar”, says Martin Hackl, head of the Solar Electronics division at Fronius International GmbH. Fronius hybrid inverter - the flexible storage solution for photovoltaic systems The Fronius hybrid inverter is used when there is no immediate demand for self-generated solar power by

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AEG Power Solutions

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EG Power Solutions (AEG PS), a leading global manufacturer of power electronic systems and solutions for industrial power supplies and renewable energies, has enhanced its product portfolio with an 880 kVA central solar inverter, the Protect PV.800.AEG PS has expanded its product spectrum for high-end output solar equipment and integrated grid stabilizing features, answering proactively to a major technical concern on the market.

The PV.800 is a new member of the Protect PV solar inverter family that was first successfully established in 2009 and includes the PV.250, PV.500 and PV.630 in various indoor and outdoor configurations.

The Protect PV.800 is able to support up to 1300 kWp, which extends AEG PS’ existing range of products for multi-megawatt utility scale PV systems.

In designing Protect PV.800, grid stability issues have been taken into consideration. The new solar inverter PV.800 consequently offers improved features for the grid connection such as stabilizing reactive power input in case of load peaks. Fault Ride Through (FRT) capabilities are configurable for voltages and current, and innovative field programming solution allows for specific customization for all grid codes.

Designed for global use, the Protect PV.800 fulfills all requirements in compliance with relevant national standards and guidelines. As with the previous versions,

it can also be integrated in the turnkey container solution, TKS-C 1600, enabling a total nominal AC output of 1600 kVA and connecting to a DC generation capacity of up to 2600 kWp. Further technical highlights include the power stack, PV Core, with a feedback and control technology that was developed inhouse, which provides an input voltage range of up to 1,000 volts and one of the highest power efficiency thanks to the optimized pulse-pattern algorithms. Additionally, active-earthing feature is available on all the Protect PV range and allows Protect PV.800 to operate as well with thin-film modules.

solar applications. The Protect PV series is available in a large scope of power range and in various indoor and outdoor designs, suitable for a wide range of environmental conditions and climates.“Protect PV.800 is setting new technical standards as far as grid connection is concerned, and we are aware this is going to be a growing concern for operators and thus for our customers.

Growth in renewable energies will be more and more linked to the capacity of integrating them into the grid or in smart micro-grids.

Such “Grid-friendly” innovations as the ones featured in Protect PV 800 contribute to such developments, open new markets and create demand for new solutions “, further comments Bob Roos.

“Protect PV 800 is extending our power range of highly efficient solar inverters. We can provide solar power plant developers with systems and solutions for a wider range of applications and flexible design options for their installations”, explains Bob Roos, VP Solar Strategic Business Unit of AEG Power Solutions.

AEG Powe r S o l u t i o n s o f fe r s professional industrial solutions for utility scale and large commercial

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PV INVERTERS

AEG Power Solutions Extends Its Range Of Solar Inverters With The New Protect PV.800 Integrating Grid Stabilizing Features

PV INVERTERS

Ensuring Good Power Quality With Grid Integration Of Solar PV Inverter Using Srf Theory Rahul Gogia , Umashankar S - School of Electrical Engineering, VIT University, Vellore

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he proposed system aims to provide harmonics-free power to load while minimizing the power generated from the grid. It is valid for both three wire and four wire systems.

Block diagram The system consists of a PV array which transfers power at a given temperature and irradiation during the day. The MPPT determines the point of operation for maximum power transfer with the help of the DC-DC converter. This voltage is now boosted and then converted into AC sinusoidal voltage by the voltage source converter. The power is ultimately fed to a linear or nonlinear load.

to operate at the point of maximum power transfer. This ensures that valuable power is not wasted during the day due to the intermittently varying external conditions.

The boost converter now boosts the voltage so as to reduce the losses during power transfer.

The DC voltage output of the boost converter now needs to be appropriately

PWM signal output at each instant which is converted to a sinusoidal response on a continuous basis, ready to be interfaced the grid supply and the load.

However, there are certain major problems associated with this particular topology. The DC link voltage may drop due to changes in temperature and irradiation during the day and hence needs to be

Circuit diagram For simulation purpose, a mathematical model of s solar PV panel is generated based on the circuital representation of a solar cell as shown below.

The panel model also consists of shunt and series resistances which account for conduction losses and losses due to metal contacts. A capacitor at the output terminal is to reduce ripple in the output voltage. For simultaneous changes in temperature and irradiation the following characteristic I-V curves are obtained.

The output is then fed to a boost converter to which pulses are given so as 68Â

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Fig.1. Block diagram of proposed system

converted into AC voltage at 415v so as to be compatible with the grid supply as well as to be fed to the load. The DC link capacitor reduces the ripple in the voltage and AC inductors help to convert the PWM response from the inverter into a sinusoidal form.

The voltage source inverter consists of 6 IGBTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s which ensure fast switching action with lesser losses to generate an AC

regulated. The varying current demands of the load may cause a change in the terminal voltage of the inverter. In addition, non-linear and unbalanced loads may cause distortions, spikes and noise in the source current signals that are being fed to the load. Due to this purpose, we have implemented a control algorithm whose block diagram is shown below.

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of the three phase three wire system have been observed: With a change in solar irradiation from 1000 to 900W/sq. m at 0.7s and an unbalancing of load at 0.75s, a stable, distortion-free response of source current has been obtained. Moreover, the panel voltage, DC link voltage and power transferred from system as maintained as well. A relatively low Total Harmonic Distortion of the source current is observed as well.

Fig.2. circuit schematic of proposed system

Fig.5. circuit schematic of DC-DC boost converter Fig.3. Circuital Representation of Solar Cell

Fig.6. Block diagram of the SRFT control algorithm Fig.4. characteristic I-V curves of solar cell

This control algorithm ensures that the DC link voltage and inverter terminal voltage are maintained at all times. Moreover, the low pass filters (LPF) used lead to the removal of harmonic currents and other noise that has entered the source current signal.

Results The following responses

Fig.7. output response of given system

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PV INVERTERS

SMA Will Be One Of The Few Companies In The Solar Sector Offering A Dividend SMA Solar Technology AG 2012 was characterized by overcapacity on the photovoltaic market, tougher competition, and increasing price pressure.

Highlights 2012: •

7.2 gigawatts of inverter output sold (-5.3%)

•

Sales at € 1.5 billion, near higher end of management guidance (2011: € 1.7 billion)

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SMA has a strong position in international markets as Export ratio rose to 56.3% (2011: 53.6%)

•

Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of € 102 million (2011: € 240.3 million)

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With a net working capital ratio of 18.3% SMA achieved the lower end of the management guidance

•

Proposed dividend of € 0.60 per share

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Solid balance sheet structure with equity ratio of more than 60% and net cash of € 446.3 million(Dec. 31, 2011: € 473.3 million)

•

Despite a difficult market environment SMA generated a positive free cash flow in 2012.

SMA Solar Technology AG attained its sales and earnings forecast in 2012 despite the difficult market environment.

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The company achieved sales of € 1.5 billion (2011: € 1.7 billion) and earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of € 102 million (2011: € 240.3 million) at the conclusion of the fiscal year. At 7.0%, the EBIT margin was significantly below the previous year’s figure (2011: 14.3%). The Managing Board will recommend that the Supervisory Board propose a dividend payout of € 0.60 per share at the annual general meeting on May 23, 2013. With this move, SMA will be one of the few companies in the solar sector offering a dividend. According to estimates of the SMA Managing Board, new PV systems with a total power capacity of approximately

31 gigawatts were newly installed last year (2011: approximately 29 GW). 2012

was characterized by overcapacity on the photovoltaic market, tougher competition, and increasing price pressure. Due to massive changes to subsidies in Europe and purchases being brought forward as a result, the first nine months of 2012 were positive for SMA. The cuts in subsidies implemented in the fourth quarter and the growing uncertainty, particularly on the German photovoltaic market, had a noticeable negative effect on demand for PV inverters. SMA sold inverters with a total output of 7.2 gigawatts in the reporting period (2011: 7.6 GW). Due to the downward trend in Europe, the non-European markets increased in importance. There were significant growth impulses coming from North America, Japan, and Thailand in p a r t i c u l a r, which led to a export ratio of 56.3% (2011: 53.6%). In the reporting period, SMA continued to propel its internationalization rigorously and founded foreign companies in South Africa and Chile. The company is now represented in 21 countries and can thus reduce its dependence on individual markets.

Consolidated net profit was € 75.1 million in the reporting

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period (2011: € 166.1 million). In 2012, SMA achieved a positive free cash flow in a difficult market environment before paying the dividend. This feat underscores the company’s ability to generate cash with its business model, even in a challenging competitive situation. The gross cash flow amounted to € 165.8 million in the reporting period (2011: € 240.7 million). With an equity ratio of 61.8% (Dec. 31, 2011: 57.4%) and net liquidity of € 446.3 million (Dec. 31, 2011: € 473.3 million), SMA continues to have a very solid balance-sheet structure and can finance its further development from its own resources.

“2013 will be a tough year for the solar sector. The photovoltaic market is currently undergoing major changes. However, we focused our corporate strategy on the future requirements of the energy sector at an early stage. Due to our development of innovative system technology and energy management solutions, company-wide efforts to reduce costs and consistent internationalization, we believe that SMA is well positioned to take the opportunities arising in the international photovoltaic markets. One thing is certain: The global transformation in the energy sector from central power plants to decentralized energy production is only possible with innovative system technology. We are focusing strategically on this worldwide growth market,” explains SMA Chief Executive Officer Pierre-Pascal Urbon. The SMA Managing Board confirms the sales and earnings guidance for SMA including Zeversolar for 2013. It predicts sales of € 0.9 billion to € 1.3 billion and a break-even result in the best scenario.

Nevertheless, the Managing Board cannot exclude the possibility of a loss.

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Advanced Energy Increases Growth Opportunities With Acquisition of ThreePhase String Inverter Product Line Advanced Energy Industries, Inc

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dvanced Energy Industries, Inc. (Nasdaq:AEIS) announced it has acquired REFUsol Holding GmbH, a leading provider of three-phase string solar PV inverters for commercial applications.

Three-phase string inverters are ideally suited for rooftop and potentially larger installations and are becoming one of the fastest-growing inverter applications worldwide. This acquisition is expected to accelerate Advanced Energy’s Solar Energy revenue to greater than $400 million in 2014 and should be accretive to earnings in the next 12 months.

“The acquisition of REFUsol is one of the many strategic moves that we are taking to accelerate revenue growth and profitability,” said Garry Rogerson, CEO. “The addition of the three-phase string inverters to our product line is very complementary, broadening our portfolio and extending our geographic distribution. Using our existing 72

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channel in North America and REFUsol’s infrastructure in emerging territories including India, Asia, Mediterranean countries and Eastern Europe, we can more quickly gain access to and penetrate areas with the greatest growth prospects. Combined with our relentless focus on costs, we see this acquisition as instrumental to achieving our strategic goals and returning significant value to our shareholders.”

Founded in 1997, REFUsol is a private company based in Metzingen, Germany. The company develops industry-leading threephase string inverters for commercial customers across Europe and Asia. Its three-phase string inverter offerings range in size from 8kW to 24kW for the commercial market with leading efficiency ratings.

REFUsol pursues a fabless production strategy in order to concentrate on its core competency of best-in-class technology and high quality products.

Under the agreement, Advanced Energy has acquired REFUsol for a purchase price of approximately €59 million in cash, after assuming €9 million of debt and reducing net working capital by €1.8 million. Additionally, there is the potential for an earn-out of up to €10 million, payable in a combination of cash and Advanced Energy stock, if certain stretch EBITDA goals for the combined Solar Energy business are achieved in the first 12 months after closing.

IHS’ solar analyst team’s assessment of US-based Advanced Energy’s acquisition of German supplier, REFUsol.

Advanced Energy’s acquisition of REFUsol is a strategic move to gain presence in core European markets, and further

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develop its product offerings as well as mitigating against the risk of small 3-phase inverters eroding its position in commercial installations.

Strengthens Competitive Position – Expands Outside of North America Advanced Energy has made huge progress in recent years, becoming one of the dominant suppliers in the rapidly growing North American market, following its 2010 acquisition of PV Powered. Having only entered the PV inverter business in late 2007, it has rapidly expanded its position to become the world’s fourth largest supplier in 2012, despite its business being largely limited to North America. In contrast, REFUsol’s business has been largely focused on Europe, where it has consistently held a top ten position in recent years. In 2012, IHS estimates that REFUsol was the sixth largest inverter supplier to the European market. The combination of the two companies’ 2012 businesses would make them the third largest PV inverter supplier in the world with strong positions in Europe and Americas. However, despite ongoing consolidation in the PV inverter market, the supplier base remains relatively fragmented and the combined global market share of the two companies, based on 2012 revenues, will be just over 5%.

Broadens Product Offering Both Advanced Energy and REFUsol have been strongly focused on the commercial sectors of the PV markets in the their respective regions. The commercial market has historically been a very important segment in Europe and is forecast to account for an increasing share of the Americas market in the coming years.

Whilst REFUsol was very quick to develop 3-phase string inverters which revolutionize inverter architectures in commercial PV systems and took massive share away from central inverters, Advanced Energy has been very slow to pick up on this trend and prior to the acquisition did not have any 3-phase string inverters, despite these products making strong advances in the North America market, as they had done in Europe in the past two years.

IHS predicts that annual global shipments of 3-phase string inverters will double in the next four years.

Future Challenges Still Exist Although the combination of the two companies certainly places Advanced Energy in a strong competitive position in Europe and Americas with a portfolio of products well suited for growth, neither of the suppliers have yet made a significant impact in the Asian market.

Driven by dramatic growth in China and Japan, both notoriously difficult for international suppliers to penetrate, Asia is forecast to be the fastest growing region for PV in the next five years and will account for almost over 40% of global demand for PV inverters in 2013. Advanced Energy will undoubtedly see upside from European markets as a result of this acquisition and an expanded product line in North America, but it remains to be seen how this acquisition will help it make advances in emerging markets.

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PV INVERTERS

ABB To Acquire Power-One To Become A Global Leader In Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Inverters ABB Ltd n

The boards of ABB and Power-One have agreed to a transaction in which ABB will acquire Power-One at $6.35 per share or approximately $1 billion equity value, which includes Power-One’s net cash of $266 million

n

Combination creates global leader in the most attractive and “intelligent” part of the PV value chain

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Deal gives Power-One access to ABB’s substantial R&D, global service and sales capabilities and complements ABB’s growing inverter business and leadership in power electronics

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Right time: Solar PV industry is set for 10 percent-plus annual growth as PVgenerated power rapidly approaches grid parity in many countries and will change the energy mix in the long term

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Management continuity ensured

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Integration with proven approach into the Discrete Automation and Motion division

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Transaction expected to close in 2H 2013, subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals

Zurich, Switzerland, April 22, 2013 – ABB (NYSE: ABB), the leading power and automation technology group, and Power-One, Inc. (NASDAQ: PWER), a leading provider of renewable energy and of energy-efficient power conversion and power management solutions, today announced that their boards of directors have agreed to a transaction in which ABB will acquire Power-One for $6.35 per share in cash or $1,028 million equity value.

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The transaction would position ABB as a leading global supplier of solar inverters – the “intelligence” behind a solar PV system – to a market forecasted by the International Energy Agency to grow by more than 10 percent per year until 2021. This rapid growth is being driven by rising energy demand, especially in emerging markets, rising electricity prices and declining costs.

“Solar PV is becoming a major force reshaping the future energy mix because it is rapidly closing in on grid parity,” said ABB’s CEO, Joe Hogan. “Power-One is a wellmanaged company and is highly regarded as a technology innovator focusing on the most attractive and intelligent solar PV product.

The combination of Power-One and ABB is fully in line with our 2015 strategy and would create a global player with the scale to compete successfully and create value for customers, employees and shareholders.”

Power-One has one of the market’s most comprehensive offerings of solar inverters, ranging from residential to utility applications, and a broad global manufacturing footprint.

It also has a power solutions portfolio that is adjacent to ABB’s power conversion business.

Power-One employs almost 3,300 people, mainly in China, Italy, the US and Slovakia.

In 2012, it generated $120 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) on sales of approximately $1 billion.

“This transaction delivers significant value to our shareholders and will enable Power-One to accelerate its growth,” said Richard J. Thompson, CEO of Power-One.

“Together we can better address the growing worldwide demand for innovative, renewable energy solutions and strengthen our global leadership. I believe ABB is the right partner and now is the ideal time for our companies to join forces.”

ABB’s leading portfolio in power and automation, global footprint and service organization make it a natural player in solar PV. For many years ABB has brought its solutions to the solar PV industry and is on track to generate sales of more than $100 million in solar inverters in 2013. Solar inverters are one of the fastest-developing technologies in power electronics, requiring substantial research and development (R&D) resources. In 2012, ABB invested about $1.5 billion in R&D overall.

“The combination of these two successful companies will create significant value-driven growth based on innovation – which means inverters offer opportunities for differentiation – global reach, high quality and technology leadership,” said Ulrich Spiesshofer, head of ABB’s Discrete Automation and Motion division, into which Power-One will be integrated. “The acquisition supports the implementation of the division’s strategy for renewable energy and the goal to build on our strength in power electronics.”

The transaction is structured as a merger and is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including approval of Power One’s shareholders at a special meeting and receipt of customary regulatory approvals. The merger agreement contains certain agreed deal protection

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mechanisms. Investment funds affiliated with Silver Lake Sumeru have entered into an agreement to vote in favor of the transaction.

The transaction is expected to close in the

second half of 2013. ABB will finance the transaction out of its own funds.

ABB’s Power-One acquisition

Power-One’s market share in Italy was pretty significant, they were the number one supplier there by quite a long way.

Monday’s announcement that ABB was to acquire inverter manufacturer PowerOne certainly turned heads. But where will it leave the two companies and how will it impact the photovoltaic market? IHS Solar Research Manager Sam Wilkinson assesses the implications.

Were you surprised by the news on Monday of ABB’s acquisition of Power-One? It wasn’t completely unexpected, but I probably wouldn’t have named Power-One or ABB, or linked those two companies.

Certainly we’ve been saying for a long time that we expected one of those industrial manufacturers to aggressively enter this market. Certainly acquisition is a pretty sensible way to do so. Power-One makes a lot of sense for ABB, it compliments them pretty well. So it wasn’t a surprise, but I hadn’t actually named those two companies as the next pair.

Why do you say that PowerOne suits ABB so well?

ABB has a lot of expertise in large industrial inverters and that’s where they’ve begun to make some progress in the market.

Power-One, although it does have some large inverters, has a pretty complete portfolio of three-phase and single-phase inverters. Really the combination of Power-One’s expertise, on those products, with ABB’s expertise, in the larger products, combined with ABB’s international footprint, in terms of sales, servicing and manufacturing operations, and its financial strength and reputation really creates a pretty strong offering.

The appearance of Power-One in the photovoltaic market and its growth and progress up the inverter rankings has been impressive. What do you attribute its success to?

It’s important to note that Power-One entered the photovoltaic market with an acquisition itself. They bought an Italian inverter called Magnetek, about five years ago. From there they had a very strong hold on the Italian market, which quickly grew to become the second largest photovoltaic market in the world at that time. And

Credit Suisse acted as financial advisor to ABB, and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton

At the same time, Power-One was pretty successful in setting up manufacturing outside of Europe and penetrating the markets as well. They were pretty strong in Germany and other European markets, as well as Asia and North America.

Looking at the financial strength of Power-One, with cash reserves in excess of US$200 million, do you think the price ABB paid for PowerOne is about right?

Certainly Power-One’s financial situation was fairly strong, ABB is a very strong industrial company. It seems to make sense without going very deep into the numbers. My first impression was that given the share price ($6.35/share) ABB paid, it does seem high, but I’m sure ABB has thought long and hard about the acquisition and it’s certainly not a decision that’s been taken overnight.

ABB CEO Joe Hogan, in announcing the news, spoke about the risks posed by the acquisition. There are risks in any deal, but what in particular do you think he was talking about?

I would say it’s the photovoltaic market in general. There are risks involved in any move in the photovoltaic market. We’ve seen rapid changes in the market environment occur almost overnight, caused by something as simple as one political opinion. Things like that can really rock the whole photovoltaic industry. When you observe the collapse of the Czech and Italian markets in 2010, that set a decline of photovoltaic module prices going that lasted two years and we’ve seen prices decline almost by 60%.

Those challenges haven’t gone away for the photovoltaic industry yet. We have seen the industry become more diverse and it is becoming more stable and more and more countries account for a more significant proportion of the market. However, the photovoltaic market remains a very volatile environment. While we have seen some consolidation, it remains a highly competitive environment. So ABB’s move is by no means

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LLP acted as legal advisor. Goldman Sachs & Co. acted as financial advisor to PowerOne, and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP as legal advisor. a guaranteed winning move.

How much strength do you think the ABB brand will now bring Power-One’s offerings?

I do think that without a doubt the combination of the two companies is stronger than the two companies were before. ABB’s brand recognition and strength is key to that. Power-One has a fantastic set of products, ABB has a great set of products for one particular market segment. There’s no massive change in market share: ABB’s was only 1%, so there won’t be a major change in rankings. But it’s a very compelling offering when you combine the expertise of both companies and the product portfolio they now have.

To use a word that is thrown around all over the place in the photovoltaic industry, the bankability of ABB on paper is incredibly strong – possibly the strongest in the photovoltaic industry. (ABB ended 2012 with $8.5 billion in cash, equivalents, marketable securities and short-term investments; it has $10 billion in short and long term debt. The company generated full-year revenues of $39.9 billion, which earned a $2.8 billion net profit last year.)

What are the next steps for the companies now and where do you see them being placed in the future?

It’s going to take ABB and Power-One some time to figure out their strategy, their combined portfolio and how the company moves, going forward. They will obviously want to sort that out as soon as possible, to ensure there isn’t uncertainty with their customers and to ensure they don’t lose any momentum because of this.

Ultimately I see them taking their new product portfolio and leveraging ABB’s strength in new and emerging markets, such as South America, India and Japan – where ABB already has sales, marketing, servicing, manufacturing – for all its other product lines.

So I see the new firms aggressively entering these markets. The global footprint of ABB is a huge strength to the two companies, ABB will be massively well placed to serve those emerging markets. - Source PV Magazine

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“Renewable Integration in Smart Grid Deployments”

Focus On ‘Net Metering’, ‘Grid Synchronization’ And ‘Communication Technologies & Protocols’ Narang N. Kishor - Mentor & Principal Design Architect, Narnix Technolabs

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n INDIA, in the enthusiasm of rolling out one of the most Advanced & Robust Electricity Infrastructures to ensure the “ENERGY SECURITY”, numerous ambitious and grand initiatives have been undertaken; and more initiatives and Pilot Projects are being envisaged in the coming months and years…

Different Communication Technologies & Protocols are being discussed or even advocated as the most suitable or most cost effective communication technologies for the upcoming Smart Grid Deployments. But in India, in all the discussions and deliberations, Two things are most conspicuous by their absence: “Communication Network Architecture” and the “Business Model” for deploying & running the Communication Infrastructure.

The success & failure of the new Electricity Infrastructure shall highly depend on the Electronics, IT & Telecommunication Technologies used & deployed. A single mistake in chosing the wrong technology might result in a set-back that shall take many years to rectify the problems and move forward in the right direction, and thus, jeoperdising the progress of the nation itself…

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Unfortunately, more than Two years have passed since these initiatives were launched by the government and other stakeholders of the Smart Grid Ecosystem, but there is NO progress, whatsoever. And, whatever miniscule work, that has been done, is in a disjointed manner. We are trying to do Pilots without defining the the Standards, Architecture, Interfaces & Protocols for the Communication among different Layers as well as nodes/components of the whole Infrastructure. This is a definite step towards ensuring that the Investments done today in the Pilots shall not be fully leveraged in the Final Smart Grid Deployments.

Interfaces & protocols for smooth Renewable Integration.

Even, a whole lot of Medium Scale & Grid Scale Renewable Energy Generation Projects are being Deployed & Commissioned nationwide; and there is no co-ordination or intervention with such initiatives to enable these Generation Plants to seemlessly Integrate into the Nation-wide Smart Grid Infrastructure.

The relevence of Communication Architecture, Protocols & Interfaces in Renewable Integration can not be ignored anymore. The “NET METER” must also follow the standards & protocols being used by the Electricity Distribution Utilities, as well as by the Consumers for their Home or Building Energy Management System to be able to give relevent data to each stakeholder of the Electricity Eco-System.

In today’s scenario of Smart homes, Smart Buildings and Smart Grid, an Electricity Meter is needed to give relevent Data to all the Three Stakeholders viz: the Utility, the Building Management System and the Home Automation cum Energy Management System; and if the Installed Meter/Net Metercan not cater to this need, Individual Meters shall need to be installed for the other stakeholders of the Energy Management Eco-system.

Solar Energy & Wind Energy are going to play a major role in the Smart Grid Deployments.. both these industries & stakeholders need to understand the expectations on variuos aspects of the Smart Grid Standards, Architecture, Communication

With the proliferation of Distributed Energy Systems around the world, and some of these energy sources getting connected to the distribution network, the topic of ‘metering’ the energy exchange between the Grid and Consumer is assuming new

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proportions. Many regulators and distribution companies have issued policies on metering requirements of this exchange. India too has issued many guidelines on the subject, but they vary from state to state.

As of today in India, the Biomass, Mini Hydel & Wind based Electricity generation, and thus Integration is only at the Energy Export to the Grid level. So, it does not get affected by the “Net Metering” implications.

Even Synchronization with the Grid is completely managable, because all such Generation Plants are set by Organized Sector Only and they employ the most reliable System Components & Manpower to manage the operations. But in case of SOLAR PV Systems, it is an entirely different ball-game. In case of Solar PV, even the Small Scale & Medium Scale Generation Plants make a valid buisness case for the Power Generators, Consumers as well as Distribution Utilities. And this throw lot of Techno-commercial challenges which need to be addressed in totality, before taking any Gaint leaps in this direction.

In case of “Grid-Interactive” Solar PV Sytems, where anybody can Install the System and connect to the Grid for feeding the partial/surplus power generated by the System, there are namely Two major issues that need a very diligent study, analysis and solution: “NET METERING” & “GRID SYNCHRONIZATION”.

“Net Metering”: is it merely the “IMPORT-EXPORT” Metering,as the name suggests? Absolutely NO. Net Metering really encompasses a lot more than merely measuring the energy imported from the GRID & exported to the GRID. When we contemplate the various aspects of ‘Renewable Integration’ in the true sense, the Simple Box being touted as NET METER transcends to a wholly different level. It is expected to measure, compute & generate a lot more data to derive the optimum benefit from the renewable energy generation system installed. The prevelent definition of Net Metering could stillbe argued as valid from the point of view of the Utility, but from consumers’ point of view, it really falls short of expectations/ needs. And, if a meter giving merely import – export data is installed under the name of “NET METER” then the consumers shall have to install multiple meters to give them the true picture of Renewable Integration

and its benefits from their perspective.

Let us review the main drivers of the consumers to Install the Solar PV System and Connect it to the Grid. Is it to make our planet earth more green and save the environment?

No, not really. The major driver is: bringing their respective monthly Electricity Bill down, Subsidy by the Government works as a sweetner; and to top it all, if they get paid by the utility for the surplus electricity generated and fed to the Grid… it really makes a very good business case for the Electricity Consumers to be part of this Ecosystem.

Now, let us understand that when the consumers install such a system what kind of Data do they need from such systems to manage the system most efficiently.

The system should give them data on the Electrical Energy Generated by the system every day, the exact share of electricity consumed from the Grid as well as own Solar System, and ofcourse last but not the least the energy exported to the Grid. Since, you can not Manage what you can not Measure; it becomes imperative for the consumer to measure all these different generation & consumption figures to take a well calculated decision as to how much energy to use from the solar and how much and during which Time Slots to use energy from the grid; whether to export any energy at any perticular day or time to the grid or store it in the Batteries etc for own consumption at the appropriate time…

Thus, unless the “NET METER” can help the Consumers devise their respective ‘Energy Management Strategy’ and also enable them to dynamically alter it “on the Fly”; it would be absolutely under-utilized; and it highly probable that in the absense of any clarity of the benefits of Installing the Solar PV Systems, the consumers get rather disillusioned with such Ideas and Schemes of the Government and the whole Initiative backfires or falls flat with all investements, resources & subisidies gone waste.

“Grid Synchronozation” also has implications of its own, which if not addressed immediately may also bring this Initiative to a grinding Halt. ‘Grid Synchronization’ as we know, is supposed to be the Feature/ Specification of the INVERTER. In High Capacity Inverters, we shall not face any challenge on this aspect as most of such Inverters are Designed and manufactured by

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Organized Sector companies with complete understanding as well as capabilty to provide this feature in the INVERTER, successfully.

But imagine a scenario, when every other consumer gets motivated (by the drivers mentioned above) to install a Solar PV System to reduce his monthly electricity bill and make some extra money by uploading the surplus electricity to the grid..

INVERTERS in India are mainly manufactured in MSME (Micro Small & Medium Enterprise) segment, and lion’s share of this is in the un-organized sector.

This has a severe implication on the High End Features, Quality & Reliability of the Inverters manufactured by this segment. Consumers may buy inverters from such vendors which may not be capable synchronizing with the grid; and hence defeating the very purpose of the Government for such initiatives.

It is MOST IMPERATIVE that complete Specifications and Compliance Criteria for Grid Synchronization of the Inverters be defined explicitly. The STANDARD for “GRID SYNCHRONIZATION” be NOTIFIED, Test Laboratories be equipped for conducting such Tests and complete Eco-System to make this a Success be mobilised before allowing the Consumers to go for the Grid – Interactive Solar PV Systems. Even, a mass awareness campaign to be driven on the Compliance’s Imperativeness and Certified Manufacturers listing to enable the consumers not falling prey to the Spurious products.

It is imperative to explore these crucial aspects of our new Electricity Infrastructure; the challenges, the current Practices & Technologies, Architectures, Interfaces & Protocols; and identify the way forward for Smooth Renewable Integration, as well as Unified & Secure Communication Architecture to provide a Scalable, Versatile & Robust Communication Backbone for the Next generation Electricity Infrastructure.

There is an urgent, rather “most immediate” need to address these issues at the National Policy & Regulatory Level, before moving forward with any further deployments of AMI and Distributed Grid Interactive Renewable projects or investments in these field.

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Urgent Need for Energy Efficient Distribution System in India Ensto Industrial Solutions

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lectricity is the most efficient way of transferring energy to those who need it. However, ensuring that energy is efficiently transmitted is completely a different ball game. The wide-spread blackouts that brought much of India to a sputtering halt in 2012 were a dramatic signal to the power sector that it requires attention. The national government has an ambitious goal to provide electricity to all with particular attention to the poor and vulnerable sections of society. This coupled with the country’s rapid progress in many sectors raise questions regarding the sourcing, transmission and distribution costs of the investments that will be needed to install and operate this infrastructure.

there are problems in overhauling the power sector, since the accountability, operational efficiency, and customer service orientation remains low.

There is a very urgent need for better distribution system in India – before its too late! Electricity demand is growing every day.

The Smart Grid must be introduced in the near future and this means that requirements for reliability of the distribution network are very high. The distribution system has to be developed in order to optimize the three main factors of life cycle costs for reliability and safety – operation, maintenance and losses.

The power ministry has set a target for adding 76,000 MW of electricity in the 12th Five Year Plan (2012 -17) and 93,000 MW in the 13th Five Year Plan (2017-2022).

The Indian power sector is on a springboard, and given the right environment it can help the Indian economy make that big leap. To bring a positive growth environment to a sector as important as power, the Government has initiated several policies to promote and garner investments in the power sector, like National Electricity Policy, Ultra Mega Power Project Policy, etc.

Around 28% of electricity supplied into the state level transmission systems is lost due to technical and non technical reasons. Having said that, a large portion of this problem can be remedied by building a reliable network through perfect distribution network planning, right installation practices and by the use of high quality products, e.g. cable accessories and connectors. An initial investment constructing the right technology for distribution will ensure that energy is transmitted efficiently and the ambitious targets set for the power sector are closer to realization than farther.

The Indian power sector has a Transmission & Distribution network of 5.7 million circuit km, the third largest in the world. The various proposals in generation and transmission are currently under different implementation stages. However,

The main aim of the discoms has to be to increase the life cycle of the distribution network to up to 40 years or more. High standard products are the cheapest in the end.

Products with latest technology and superior quality not necessarily have the lowest

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prices, yet in the long run the total lifecycle cost will be low as compared to inferior quality products the irony is that most of the electricity distribution companies’ purchases happen only through public tendering. This many times ends up in buying poor quality products with drastically higher maintenance costs for distribution network.

High quality products make it possible to construct electricity networks with low failure frequency irrespective of parameter of voltage fluctuation. Products that are safe and consumer friendly are essential to ensure success of distribution systems.

Industrial energy efficiency is essential for strengthening economies, protecting ecosystems and achieving social benefits.

India being such a vast country, needs to be organized from the start to the end, starting with installation of transformers, smart grids and voltage boosters.

The Indian lighting industry is growing at a rate of 10 to 12 per cent from past few years, but the result in regard to energy efficiency is not that fruitful. This growth has somehow created a gap between demand and supply. Hence companies should make it a point to develop a platform where this gap can be bridged. It is mandatory to create an environment where buyers and sellers, government agencies, private players and other institutions linked with energy production and conservation can share some ideas where new methods can be adapted to reduce distribution cost with efficient energy

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management With insufficient investments in reliable electricity distribution networks in India, electricity consumption stretches existing availability to its limits, which leads to lower voltages and poor quality of electricity. Tailor made distribution products and setups not only ensure uninterrupted service but also lower maintenance costs.

The distribution system has to be developed in order to optimize the three main factors of life cycle costs for reliability and safety-operation, maintenance and losses.

Solutions for smart electricity distribution grid, low and medium voltage overhead and underground cable lines; high end industrial enclosures & terminals-plastic and metal; electric vehicle charging and energy efficient buildings are the solutions for reducing nationwide 5,000 mw technical losses that happen during peak hours.

Electricity demand is growing every day.

Smart Grid must be introduced in India at the earliest and this means that the requirements for reliability of the distribution system are very high. Making the Smart Grid project successful is essential by improving the

quality of distribution lines with innovative and high quality products to maximize the life span, reduce outages, save energy by using low contact resistance joints and to reduce the overhauling and maintenance cost to minimal level. Energy saving can be achieved by understanding that the line man is the most important person in this complete chain. We must work towards • Proper planning by understanding the chosen distribution system in details • Proper training on all levels regarding proper installation • Proper tools & techniques to handle the distribution system • Proper planning & scheduling for maintenance of the system •Use of high quality products which fulfil the requirements of the latest standards India being the most problematic country in regards to power transmission and distribution needs to find a way out so that people get use to energy efficient products to survive in sustainable environment. A reliable distribution network can pave the way for energy efficiency in India. It is quite

baffling that distribution loss in India at some places touch 60% of the energy produced.

This is because of the faulty distribution networks and other quality issues such as poor monitoring of lines, low quality of wires used and rampant thefts in the transmission lines.

Technology upgradation is essential to amplify the concept of energy efficient electrical distribution. The Indian market and consumers must be educated about the energy efficiency initiatives and this role is most vital. Urgent policy intervention by both the central and state governments for this industry’s growth is the needed. First and foremost, we should create awareness among the network owners on modules such as ‘selection of connectors’ and ‘aluminium joining techniques’.

A well planned and executed distribution network will definitely keep India’s future power prospects bright.

Clean Power Africa 2013 2nd Annual Solar Market in India 2013 Date: 07-08 May, 2013 Place: New Delhi Organiser: IBK Media Tel.: 91 22 25006681 Email: anita.verma@ibkmedia.com Web.: http://www.ibkmedia.com/events

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EQ International Magazine Editorial Advisory Board

K Subramanyam Former CEO Tata BP Solar

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