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

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ELECTRIC VEHICLE

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

C ONTEN T

VOLUME 10 Issue # 7

SURPRISING Resource Implications From The Rise Of Electric Vehicles

68 ENERGY STORAGE

Stanford researchers have developed a waterbased battery to store solar and wind energy

46 BUSINESS & FINANCE

$300 Million World Bank Operation to Help Scale Up India’s..

48 BUSINESS & FINANCE

Azure Roof Power Announces US$ 135 Million Financing

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

July 2018

ACHIEVEMENTS

SWELECT Solar PV Modules join the Global List of Tier-1 Ranking

Amplus Solar Conferred With European Award for Best Practices 2018

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62 INTERVIEW WITH MR. SAURABH BHANDARI SOLAR MAXX

ENERGY STORAGE Demand For Lithium Is Growing Rapidly As LIION BATTERIES ...

72 46

INVERTER

SOFARSOLAR Shows Strength In Intersolar Exhibition And...

TECHNOLOGY

GCL SI Unveiled New High-efficiency Modules Featuring MBB Technol

FUCHERED China’s Bombshell Solar Policy Shift Could Cut Expected...

PV MANUFACTURING Heraeus assists Solarspace to join the 10GW Club Solarspace

TECHNOLOGY 20.66% – LONGi Solar Sets Another World Record For 60-cell ...

12 33

INDIA

ROOFTOP & OFFGRID

National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy Released : Synergies of Energies

CleanMax Solar Donates a Solar Plant to Ahinsa Sthal in Delhi

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TECHNOLOGY Hanwha Q CELLS to Launched Q.ANTUM Solar Module Series Q.PEAK-G5..

EQ NEWS Pg. 07-29

July 2018

LONGi Solar is a world leading manufacturer of high-efficiency mono-crystalline solar cells and modules. The Company is wholly owned by LONGi Group. LONGi Group (SH601012 )is the largest supplier of mono-crystalline silicon wafers in the world. Armedand powered by the advanced technology and long standing experience of LONGi Group in the field of mono-crystalline silicon, LONGi Solar has shipped approximately 4.6GW products in 2017. The Company has its headquarters in Xiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;anandbranches in Japan, Europe, NorthAmerican, India and Malaysia. With strong focus on R&D, production and sales & marketing of mono-crystalline silicon products, LONGi Solar is committed to providing the best LCOE solutions as well as promoting the world widead option of mono-crystalline technology.

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July 2018

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TECHNOLOGY

JinkoSolar Receives PID Certification from TUV Nord for Entire Portfolio of PV Modules

LONGi Solar Launches Half-cut Bifacial PERC Hi-MO3 Module rated at 320W on the Front-side

global leader in the solar PV industry, announced that its entire portfolio of PV modules has passed the Potential Induced Degradation (“PID”) resistance test under the conditions of 85 Degrees Celsius/85% relative humidity (“double 85”) as required by TÜV Nord’s IEC TS 62804-1 standards. As a global leader in the solar PV industry, JinkoSolar recognizes the harm brought about by PID and has devoted resources over the course of its history towards increasing the PID resistance of its entire portfolio of modules. In August 2012, JinkoSolar became the first PV company to pass the anti-PID test under double 85 conditions. In January 2013, JinkoSolar unveiled the world’s first double 85 certified PID-free solar module. In November 2016, JinkoSolar became the first PV module manufacturer to guarantee anti-PID under double 85 conditions. In July 2017, JinkoSolar became the first PV module provider to guarantee that all its standard mass produced PV modules meet IEC62804 double anti-PID standards.

at SNEC 2018, LONGi Solar released its Hi-MO3, an innovative half-cut bifacial n-mono PERC module. This is another advanced PERC cell and module construction by LONGi Solar which follows on the heel of its Hi-MO1 PERC low-LID module in 2016 and Hi-MO2 bifacial PERC module in 2017.

Mr. Kangping Chen, JinkoSolar’s Chief Executive Officer, commented, “Through our relentless efforts over the years, we are pleased to announce that all our regular mono and polycrystalline PV modules meet TÜV Nord’s IEC TS 62804-1 double 85 anti-PID standards. I believe this demonstrates our leadership position when it comes to developing and promoting global PV standards.

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We have made great progress in improving our system voltage and in developing anti-PID technology in order to guarantee that our products operate reliably under the toughest conditions and ensure the investment return for our customers and the constant and stable output of our PV systems.”

i-MO3 uses half-cut techniques to reduce the operating current of the cell by half, effectively reducing resistance losses and increasing power by 5-10 watts on average. With bifacial technology, the front-side power of the module reaches 320W (60-cell), and the bifaciality is higher than 75%. Under shaded conditions, Hi-MO3 yields more energy than a full-cell module array. The advantages of Hi-MO3 include lower hot spot temperature that reduces LCOE by a factor of 10% or more compared to conventional products at all irradiation levels.

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“This 3rd generation of Hi-MO with higher power, higher yield, lower hot spot effect further improves product efficiency and performance which in turn accelerates the reduction of LCOE,” Zhong Baoshen, Chairman of LONGi, said. “It’s the result of the R&D team’s relentless focus in technological innovations. We expect that the launch of Hi-MO3 can bring new breakthroughs to the development of the industry.”

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“PV power generation as a strategic emerging industry in China has huge development potential for the future. PV companies must have a sense of responsibility and mission to continuously make innovations and progress,” said Li Junfeng, former director of National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation.

Shi Dinghuan, Former Counselor of the State Council and honorary chairman of China Renewable Energy Society, added, “the advancement of energy revolution and green revolution requires the promotion of technical innovation in PV products, continuous improvement of photoelectric conversion efficiency and PV investment value, and further acceleration of grid parity.

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LONGi has continuously increased R&D investment in the science and technology of mono-crystalline. In the past five years, the company invested a total of RMB 2.464 billion. In 2017 alone, the company invested RMB1.108 billion, 6.77% of its sales, into R&D, the highest among PV companies in the world. With continuous R&D investment, LONGi Solar has made remarkable technological progress. Since September 2017, In 2017, LONGi Solar shipped 4.66GW monocrystalline modules, ranking first in the world in monocrystalline cell and module shipments for three consecutive years. The release of Hi-MO3 is expected to further accelerate the progress of PV grid parity.

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July 2018

TECHNOLOGY

GCL SI Unveiled New High-efficiency Modules Fea- JinkoSolar Breaks turing MBB Technology at SNEC PV Power Expo World Records New Products To Power Expansion Into Emerging Markets for both P-type and N-type PV Module Power

CL System Integration Technology Co., LTD. (SZ: 002506) (“GCL-SI”), a subsidiary of GCL Group, China’s leading energy service provider, has premiered four new monocrystalline and polycrystalline modules featuring Multi-Busbar (MBB) technology at the SNEC PV Power Expo in Shanghai. The company also revealed its plans to place equal emphasis on both module types and expand into emerging markets across the globe. The new additions to GCL-SI’s high-

efficiency portfolio come in two series, normal single-glass photovoltaic (PV) modules and glass-to-glass bifacial modules. The power output of the single-glass MBB polycrystalline modules hits 305W in mass production, making them the normal-type polycrystalline modules with the highest output in the world. The wattage for the single-glass monocrystalline modules has reached 315W, 10W higher than the standard output in China’s Top Runner Program.

“Our new lineup of modules that feature MBB technology are game-changers for us. They allow us to offer high efficiency, reliability and application flexibility at lower production costs, which makes them accessible to a wider range of potential customers,” said Luo Xin, the president of GSL-SI.

“Our overseas sales volume has doubled in the past year. Going forward, we will expand our operations into emerging markets, especially countries that fall within China’s Belt and Road Initiative, by developing or investing in industrial parks, with the goal of achieving 50% of our sales overseas by the end of 2018, and 70% by 2020.” MBB technology brings a 2% increase in cell efficiency and 30W increase in power output to modules. In addition, the glass-to-glass bifacial modules vastly increase the power generation potential of each surface. These new products showcase not only the company’s technological advancements, but also a variety in product lineup. A portfolio of both monocrystalline and polycrystalline modules will create an advantaged position in the industry for GCL-SI, leading to growth in market share. The emergence of new technologies such as Polycrystalline Black Silicon PERC, Monocrystalline PERC, N-type Monocrystalline and many others, along with highly differentiated products and technology breakthroughs,

July 2018

have cut production costs and boosted performance and efficiency. As a result, the PV market is enjoying steady growth and emerging markets especially are growing rapidly. The world’s leading manufacturer of PV modules, GCL-SI serves both domestic and global markets with various needs and application conditions with high-efficiency cell modules. The company is able to address specific customer needs by creating tailor-made integration system solutions. GCL-SI has been making inroads in smart manufacturing, improving product performance and production efficiency with new technologies such as automation, digitalization and the Internet of Things.

JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. (NYSE: JKS) (the “Company,” or “JinkoSolar”), a global leader in the solar photovoltaic industry, announced that the 60P version of its P-type PV module peak power broke the world record again with power exceeding 370w and the N-type PV module peak power reaching 378.6w. Both records were certified by the TUV Rheinland (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

-type mono modules contain JinkoSolar’s world record high efficiency cells. These cells combined with low electricity loss technology, which reduces the module internal resistance and improves its fill factor, allowing peak power to exceed 370W. N-type dual glass modules, leverage passivating contact technology achieve high efficiency with front-side peak power reaching 378.6W. With its excellent bifacial factor, this N-type module can improve outdoor power output per unit dramatically.

Dr. Jin Hao, Vice President of JinkoSolar commented, “Every technological breakthrough results from a strong pioneering spirit and constant search for excellence. Companies with strong independent innovation capabilities are able to grasp opportunities in fiercely competitive markets and establish leadership. JinkoSolar always applies advanced technologies to large-scale applications rapidly to accelerate the popularization of PV applications.”

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July 2018

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TECHNOLOGY

20.66% – LONGi Solar Sets Another World Record For 60-cell Module Conversion Efficiency Jolywood Partners with Imec to Develop Bifacial Solar Cells Jolywood (Taizhou) Solar Technology Co. Ltd (“Jolywood” or “the Company”), a leader in the research, development and mass production of N-type bifacial solar cells, has collaborated with Imec,

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he world-leading research and innovation hub in nano-electronics, energy and digital technology, on developing industrialized bifacial solar cells with an average front-side conversion efficiency up to 21.9 percent. As part of the collaboration, Imec has also demonstrated screen-printed monofacial nPERT cells with the conversion efficiency up to 22.8 percent.

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“Jolywood is at the forefront of the n-type industrial technological developments in the PV industry, so we’re very satisfied with the close collaboration with Imec, the world-leading PV research institution,” said Dr. Zhifeng Liu, R&D Director of Jolywood.

“And we’re very delighted with the excellent progress in the development of the high-efficiency bifacial n-PERT solar cells that have come as part of our collaboration. With our strong commercialization capabilities and experience, we look forward to transferring the achievements into commercial production.” The new bifacial cells developed by the two parties use narrow (~40 μm) printed silver (Ag) fingers on the front side and printed aluminum (Al) fingers on the rear, the latter making contact with the emitter. By using Al instead of AgAl for the rear contacts, the cost per cell is lowered to US$0.01/Wp. On a batch of M2-sized cells (area: 244.3 cm²), an average conversion efficiency of 21.9 percent was demonstrated, with the best cell topping 22.1 percent. Used in bifacial operations under standard front illumination conditions in conjunction with an additional 0.15 sun rear illumination, these cells can achieve an efficiency of 25 percent. Additionally, Imec also fabricates screen-printed monofacial n-PERT cells with efficiencies up to 22.8 percent, which is a state-of-the-art result for an industry-compatible fabrication process. Also, the PV module has been proven compliant with the essential requirements, and a certificate from TÜV SÜD, the prestigious German product testing organization. Jolywood is the world leader in the development, production and marketing of high-efficiency mono-crystalline N-type bifacial solar cells. The company is the #1 N-type Bifacial Cell Manufacturer in the world, and focuses on cutting-edge technology innovation to further improve cell efficiency and to lower the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). Imec, on the other hand, is an international R&D and innovation hub, active in the fields of nanoelectronics and digital technologies.

July 2018

LONGi Solar announced that China General Certification Center (CGC), an authoritative, independent testing organization, has validated that LONGi Solar’s 60-cell bifacial shingling module achieved a front-side conversion efficiency of 20.66%, the highest in the world to date.

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ased on the high conversion efficiency of single-sided PERC, bifacial PERC cells generate power from both the front and rear sides, adding 10%-25% higher yield at a cost similar to single-sided PERC. In the future, the market share of PERC bifacial modules will increase rapidly. This is the third time this year that LONGi Solar has led the industry and broke the world record for PV module efficiency. The achievement can be attributed to the company’s high R&D investments. In 2017, LONGi set a new record in the PV industry for R&D expenditure, investing USD 175.7 million, 6.77% of revenue in R&D. LONGi Solar will gradually bring its innovative technologies to mass production and apply these advanced technologies to its products to provide customers with world leading efficient mono-crystalline solutions.

Dr. Lv Jun, Vice President of LONGi Solar said, “this breakthrough in module conversion efficiency further confirmed the development potential of monocrystalline PERC. We firmly believe this will completely replace mainstream products in the next three years and effectively improve PV system’s power generation efficiency and reliability, which in turn reduce LCOE and brings customers more benefits.” “Technological innovation is the soul of LONGi,” Li Wenxue, President of LONGi Solar said. “Oriented to the market and customers, our module technologies have successfully balanced power and efficiency, and taken into account both costs and benefits. LONGi promotion of monocrystalline modules will bring customers higher return on investments, and contribute to green energy for the world.”

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TECHNOLOGY

BIG SUN Energy’s new dual axis tracker + bifacial module shows up to 60% gains in solar power generation

The new amphibious power generation champion: iPV Tracker

IG SUN Energy’s patented iPV Tracker, when compared with a fixed tilt system, has shown a 30% increase in power generation. When iPV Tracker is combined with a bi-facial module there is a further 10% increase. BIG SUN Energy has further researched various underlying surfaces — discovering the rates of reflection with natural ground cover, cement or mirror-like reflective surfaces. Reflection rates of grass, sand or mud will increase the power generation between 5-10%, while white cement will provide a 15% increase. When mirror-like reflective surfaces such as water or snow are used, the gains reach 20-30%. By installing an iPV Tracker over a water surface using bi-facial modules, the increase in yields achieved can reach 60% over fixed tilt systems utilizing mono-facial modules. Summer Lou, inventor of iPV Tracker and chairman of BIG SUN Energy noted “Two thirds of the earth is covered by water, by extending the application of iPV Trackers over water surfaces we will help increase power generating efficiency without impacting the local environment. iPV Trackers are able to harvest 60% of light transmittance and increase power gains by 50%. In shallow waters, the Aqua Solar solution will elevate the light transmittance 70-80%.” Summer noted “it is an eco-friendly system that provides space facilitating routine activities around the floating and mounted modules.”

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The effectiveness of PV power generation has three essential factors, inclination angle, height and ground reflection.

The inclination angle is the optimal angle that power generation systems are able to track and absorb sunlight. Tracker height describes the necessary room to collect reflected and diffused sunlight on the rear side of a module when paired with a bi-facial module. Ground reflection can boost the rear side power generation in bi-facial modules, with different advantages for different types of ground cover. Solar tracking power generation systems have become an important choice when building solar power stations. The world has focused on the power generation efficiency of the bi-facial module in conjunction with the solar tracking systems. BIG SUN Energy was awarded the “Top 10 Highlights” at 2017 SNEC PV Power Expo in Shanghai for the highly efficient power generation features in the dual glass, bi-facial, dual axis iPV Tracker. BIG SUN attended this year’s SNEC PV Power Expo held in Shanghai (May 28-30th) located in W1 Hall, booth #008. On display werw the iPV Tracker in conjunction with high-efficiency bifacial modules from two prominent suppliers, demonstrating it as a highly adaptive and highly efficient power generation system.

July 2018

TECHNOLOGY

Hanwha Q CELLS to Launched Q.ANTUM Solar Module Series Q.PEAK-G5 at SNEC 2018 The Q.PEAK-G5 high-performance solar module combines Q CELLS´ proprietary Q.ANTUM cell technology with six bus-bars to achieve higher yields Hanwha Q CELLS will also present its high-end Q.ANTUM DUO solar modules and the innovative steel frame solar module Q.PEAK RSF L-G4.2 The new generation Q.ANTUM DUO technology combines Q.ANTUM half-cell technology, wiring technology and six bus-bars, providing higher yields, system performance as well as lower LCOE

July 2018

uring the exhibition, Hanwha Q CELLS will introduce the ‘Q.PEAK-G5’ series to the Chinese market. These monocrystalline solar modules combine Q CELLS’ proprietary Q.ANTUM cell technology with six bus-bars. Thanks to Q.ANTUM technology’s long-term yield security, featuring Anti-PID technology, Hot-Spot Protect, Traceable Quality Tra.Q™ and Anti Lid Technology (LID and LeTID), the Q. PEAK-G5 series will not only come with high power classes, but also function excellently in low-light or high-temperature conditions. The six bus-bar technology provides better efficiency and reliability by narrowing the distance between the bus-bars. The powerful combination of these two advanced technologies results in the Q.PEAK-G5 series, which deliver outstanding performance under real conditions. Thus, the 60-cell Q.PEAK-G5 will reach power outputs of up to 310Wp, and the 72-cells Q.PEAK L-G5 produces up to 370Wp. It is worth mention-

ing that by the first quarter of 2018, Hanwha Q CELLS reached a total of 8 GW of its proprietary Q.ANTUM solar cells from commercial mass production, which demonstrates its industry leadership in PERC technology. Furthermore, Hanwha Q CELLS is the only enterprise that owns mass production technology of six bus-bar technology. It is the optimal combination of these unique technologies that creates the superior solar module Q.PEAK series. In September 2017, Hanwha Q CELLS launched its Q.Partners Program in China. The Company‘s international brand reputation, high-quality products and wide range of services has been attracting many installers and wholesalers. At the SNEC exhibition, the Company gave a detailed introduction of the Q.Partners program and provided a convenient collaboration platform for the customers.Both the Q.PEAK G5 New Product Launch and Q.Partners Program Introduction were held on the afternoon of May 28. The Company also held events over the course of three days, in which participants could engage in various games to win prizes.

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Achievements

SWELECT Solar PV Modules join the Global List of Tier-1 Ranking

Ranked as Tier-1 Solar PV Module Manufacturer by Bloomberg New Energy Finance WELECT Energy Systems Limited (PV Module Brand – HHV Solar) has been recognized as “Tier-1 Solar PV Module Manufacturer” by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF), the highly recognized global industry standard in classifying solar Photo Voltaic module manufacturers. This landmark achievement marks yet another milestone in SWELECT’s journey of solar manufacturing excellence, adding to their 30 years’ of experience in Energy and Power Conditioning Systems and 6 years’ in Solar PV Systems. BNEF evaluates Solar PV module manufacturers based on “Bankability or Financial Stability of the projects” as a key criteria and SWELECT’s recognition to Tier-1 rating serves as an independent validation of their performance as a “Sustainable and Reliable Solar Business Partner”. SWELECT is among 34 Global Solar Module Manufacturers to have attained this Tier-1 status. This recognition is bestowed for their 110 MW State-of-Art World-Class Solar PV Module Manufacturing facility at Dabaspet, Bangalore, Karnataka, which offers “High Quality, High Efficiency and Highly Reliable Solar PV modules combined with Bankability” in the brand name “HHV Solar” at varying capacities with International Certification and compliance to IEC Standards. SWELECT Energy Systems Limited (formerly known as Numeric Power Systems Limited) is one of the leading Solar Power Systems Company with a strong presence in global energy market for over 30 years.

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Message from R. Chellappan, MD of SWELECT: SWELECT has been known for its product quality and excellence in manufacturing. This has again been well demonstrated through the Tier-1 accreditation by BNEF. With this as a yet another milestone, SWELECT will strive to consistently upgrade the systems and practices and offer the best of products and services to its customers. We are proud to say that every customer will now be able to buy bankable modules from SWELECT. SWELECT’s core strength lies in technical expertise which is strongly backed with state of art manufacturing facilities for Solar PV Modules (HHV ST), Solar PCUs, structural and electrical Balance of Systems (BOS) such as Module Mounting Structures (MMS), AJBs, etc. and a Network of Project offices. With more than 30 years of field experience and with a team of experts in Power Electronics, SWELECT, always stays close to its customers and caters to their Energy needs through continuous technological innovation, rich expertise and customer centric approach. SWELECT has the ability to implement solar power projects in small as well as large scales with utmost understanding of customer requirements and customized solutions. SWELECT has installed over 4500 Roof Top Installations and over 100 MW of Utility scale SPV Projects and growing in the Renewable Energy space rapidly.

July 2018

Achievements

Amplus Solar Conferred With European Award for Best Practices 2018 The European Society for Quality Research (ESQR) have conferred on Amplus Solar ‘The European Award for Best Practices Award 2018’ in a glittering ceremony held at Le Plaza hotel in Brussels on May 12, 2018.

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uropean Society for Quality Research with the head office in Switzerland recognizes the companies, public administration, organizations and individuals with best practices and results in quality management strategies from 51 countries such as Japan, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and many more. The India headquartered Amplus Solar, a brand under Amplus Energy was among the winners who gained recognition for its stalwart adherence to the highest standards of quality in both design and execution. One of the leading providers of solar energy solutions, Amplus Solar serves diverse set of industrial and commercial customers in 200 locations.

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“We are delighted to be recognized by ESQR for the best practices and quality management strategies to provide reliable energy solutions across India. This award reiterates our commitment to meet the ever-evolving energy needs of the clients with leading quality and safety levels,” said Mr. Sanjeev Aggarwal, Managing Director & CEO, Amplus Energy.

Amplus continues to remain committed to Indian distributed energy market. It has seen its portfolio scale from 6 MW to over 300 MW in the last 24 months. Amplus is diversifying in new avenues such as Battery Storage, Energy Efficiencies, and concentrated solar power technologies among others.

July 2018

CleanMax Solar Bags Transformational Business Awards 2018 by Financial Times (FT) / The International Finance Corporation (IFC) Financial Times (FT) and International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, announced CleanMax Solar, India’s most trusted sustainability partner for the corporate segment, as the winner in ‘Achievement in Transformational Infrastructure’ at the Transformational Business Awards 2018.

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ompany was selected from among 189 entries received from 126 countries, and received the award for its rooftop solar project at the Tata Motors factory in Sanand, Gujarat. CleanMax Solar is the first Indian company ever to win the award. The award was presented by Ms. Stephanie Race, CEO, Crop Performance Ltd. to Mr. Kuldeep Jain, Founder and Managing Director of CleanMax Solar, during the awards ceremony held in London. This is the fifth edition of the FT/IFC Transformational Business Awards, the global programme highlighting innovative, long-term private sector solutions to major development challenges. In 2015, CleanMax Solar provided a solar rooftop solution to the Tata Motors facility where the Tata Nano car is manufactured. The rooftop solar plant was developed on a ‘build-own-operate’ model, which enabled Tata Motors to switch to solar power in zero-capex and risk-free manner. Through this project, Tata Motors not only reduces its carbon footprint by 2700 tons annually for a period of 25 years, but also locks in a large fraction of its electricity cost from solar power, at a discount to grid electricity tariffs. It is estimated that Tata Motors is saving INR 3 million annually from the project. The solar plant has also reduced the indoor temperature of the factory and generated longterm local employment opportunities.

Commenting on the award, Mr. Kuldeep Jain, Founder and Managing Director, CleanMax Solar, said, “We are extremely humbled and honoured to receive this prestigious and globally recognised award from Financial Times and IFC. It gives us motivation to continue working towards a sustainable future by providing innovative solutions which are also viable for corporates. I would like to thank FT/IFC Jury members for recognizing our endeavours and also all the employees and stakeholders at CleanMax Solar who work relentlessly to ensure quality project delivery.”

CleanMax Solar has installed more than 250 projects for over 70 corporates in India, with combined rooftop capacity of 100 MW, and has also commissioned more than 300 MW of grid connected solar farms for its corporate consumers. CleanMax Solar’s investors include Warburg Pincus, the global private equity firm, as well as International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, and was IFC’s first rooftop solar investee globally.

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July 2018

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Achievements

A Path breaking Journey in Renewable Energy through last 4 years 1.

Last 4 years have been path-breaking in India’s renewable energy landscape. Renewable power installed capacity has already reached over 70 GW. Over 40 GW renewable power capacity is under construction/tendered. Globally, India stands 4th in wind power 5th in renewable power and 6th in solar power installed capacity. Solar energy capacity increased by over 8 times from 2.63 GW in 2014 to 22 GW.

Wind energy capacity increased by 1.6 times from 21 GW in 2014 to 34 GW. Trajectories for bidding 115GW renewable power projects upto March 2020 have been announced. We are well on track to achieving 175 GW target of installed renewable energy capacity.

Trends suggest that the target will not only be achieved but exceeded. New schemes at advanced stages of being launched:

KUSUM (KisanUrja Suraksha evamUtthaanMahabhiyan)Scheme: 27.5 lakh solar pumps (17.50 lakh standalone + 10 Lakh Gridconnected)

10 GW of Solar Power Plants of intermediate capacity of 0.5–2 MW 50,000 Grid-connected tubewells/lift irrigation and drinking water projects SRISTI (Sustainable Rooftop Implementation for Solar Transfiguration of India) – new scheme for solar rooftop being formulated.

Round the Clock renewables policy has been finalized. For realising 175 GW target a number of policy measures have been taken.

Transparency is an overarching guidelines principle of our government. Transparent bidding and facilitation for procurement of solar and wind power through tariff based competitive bidding process have led to significant 8. reduction in cost of solar and wind power. In the year 2017 competitive bidding guidelines for procurement of solar and wind power have been notified. The lowest tariff of Rs. 2.44 per unit for solar and Rs. 2.43 per unit for wind discovered. The first solar plant bid at Rs. 2.44 will be inaugurated in August 2018. 9. We have waived the Inter State Transmission System charges and losses for inter-state sale of solar and wind power for projects to be commissioned by March 2022. This will encourage setting up of the projects in states that have greater resource potential and availability of suitable land. It also helps in creating a pan-India renewable power market, as generation in excess of the state’s own requirement could be transmitted to the resource poor states without additional financial burden;

order to harness this potential we have formulated offshore wind power policy and expression of interest for initial 1GW off-shore wind power have already been issued; Creating an ecosystem for domestic manufacturing of solarcells is our priority. We have issued expression of interest for setting up solar PV manufacturing capacities linked with assured off take of 20GW. This stimulus is expected to kick start domestic manufacturing in solar energy space; The Green Energy Corridor projects seek creation of grid infrastructure for renewable power evacuation and to reshape grid for future requirements.The intra state transmission scheme (InSTS) being implemented by eight renewable rich States with an investment of Rs. 10,141 crores will set up about 9400 ckm transmission lines and Substations of total capacity of approx. 19000 MVA to be completedMarch 2020.

10. Over US$ 42 billion investment was made in renewable energy in India during last 4 years. New opportunities have In our efforts to send right signal about emerged- altogether new business space government of India’s commitment has been created. Indian companies towards renewables we have notified have begun to explore foreign stock Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) exchanges as a source of funds. India is trajectory upto the year 2019. We are in a progressively becoming a most favored process to notify RPO trajectory upto the destination for investment in renewyear 2022; ables. Foreign investors can enter into For mainstreaming renewables, we joint venture with an Indian partner for have introduced Renewable Generation financial and/or technical collaboration Obligation (RGO). This provision will and for setting up of renewable energyencourage coal based thermal power based power generation projects. 100% generators to diversify in renewable foreign investment as equity qualifies energy portfolio; for automatic approval. Government of India is also encouraging foreign InvesFor optimizing land use and harnesstors to set up renewable energy-based ing solar and wind energy potential power generation projects on buildoptimally, we have notified Solar-Wind own-operate basis. hybrid policy. This policy will help in bet11. Renewable energy projects set up in last ter harnessing of renewable energyre4 years have created around 10 million sources and to an extant also addressreman day’s employment per annum. The newableenergy variability, The Ministry Suryamitra program was launched for has also brought out one tender for creation of a qualified technical worksetting up 2000 MW solar-wind hybrid in existing projects; force in 2015 and over 18,631 Suryamitras have been trained under the programme Target for Solar Parks has been up to 31 March 2018. enhanced from 20 GW to 40 GW. 41 Solar Parks in 21 States with aggregate 12. For quality assurance we have notified capacity of over 26 GW have already standards for deployment of solar phobeen sanctioned. Largest Solar Park of 2 tovoltaic systems/devices; and GW capacity in Pavagada, Karnataka is under implementation. New Solar Park 13. On 6 December 2017, the International Solar Alliance (ISA) has become first policy has been announced to encourinternational intergovernmental orgaage participation by private parties and nization headquartered in India. ISA is CPSUs in setting up Solar Parks. part Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India’s vision to provide clean Off-shore from Tamil Nadu and Gujarat and affordable energy to all. coast provides among the best locations from wind power generation.In Source: pib.nic.in

July 2018

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PV MANUFACTURING

Record 410 watt module with heterojunction solar cell technology CEA INES team, in collaboration with Meyer Burger, achieves new heterojunction 72 cell module performance record at 410W.

Pre & Post Test for Defect Free Modules

Most Advanced Automated Inline Production Setup

Certiﬁed by International Laboratories

Automatic Stringer & Lay up used for making PV modules

Consistent Quality and Committed Deliveries

Continuous Innovation in Product Design and Eﬃciency

he record module integrates heterojunction cells manufactured on industrial 2400 wph Meyer Burger cell manufacturing equipment on the CEA INES pilot line with an average HJT cell efficiency of 23.4%. Achieved within the framework of the strong CEA – Meyer Burger partnership on heterojunction technology, the CEA INES pilot line for heterojunction cell manufacturing integrates Meyer Burger’s PECVD and PVD equipment. The record module was manufactured in Thun on Meyer Burger’s SmartWire Connection Technology (SWCT™) manufacturing equipment using materials based on the newest generation SWCT™. This result highlights the very high potential of heterojunction technology and the 15 years of expertise of the CEA INES team on heterojunction technology strengthened by its partnership with photovoltaic equipment supplier Meyer Burger.

Excellent Energy Generation in Low Light

Highest Grade Raw Material from Renowned Suppliers

Winner of: Mission Energy Awards-2017 Rising Star Solar Module Company of The Year Utility Scale 2017 Rising Star Solar Module Company of The Year Utility Scale 2018 Visit Us At: Hall No. 9 Booth No. 9.93 18 - 20 September, 2018 India Expo Centre, Greater Noida

Manufactured at Rajasthan’s First fully Automatic Plant....!!

Insolation Energy Pvt. Ltd. www.insolationenergy.in www.EQMagPro.com

1800-212-1806

info@insolationenergy.in EQ

July 2018

PV MANUFACTURING

Meyer Burger divests its Solar Systems business to Patrick Hofer-Noser As part of the optimisation programme regarding the Thun manufacturing site and the company’s product portfolio which was communicated Meyer Burger Technology Ltd (SIX Swiss Exchange.

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BTN) announced that it will transfer its Solar Systems business (“Energy Systems”) and the 32 impacted employees to 3S Solar Plus AG, a company which will be newly created and which has been sold to Dr Patrick HoferNoser. in the past few months Meyer Burger had evaluated various strategic options for the business which mainly addresses the Swiss market with its MegaSlate® products. The sale will result in a loss for Meyer Burger in the low single-digit million range including a goodwill recycling of around CHF 1 million. Completion of the contract which has been signed with Dr Patrick Hofer-Noser is subject to standard closing conditions and expected to be completed in the first half of 2018. Both parties have agreed to maintain confidentiality regarding the transaction price.

Patrick Hofer-Noser: “Together with my employees and partners I look forward to further developing and expanding the market position of the aesthetic and reliable MegaSlate® solar roof and facade system which has been manufactured in Switzerland for more than 15 years and to making a contribution to protecting the climate.”

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Source: meyerburger

July 2018

The STRINGER TT1600 ECA uses new adhesive technology and low process temperatures to join high-efficiency bifacial HJT (heterojunction) cells. This process reduces thermal and mechanical stress on the sensitive cells and results in a high string quality.

eamtechnik, a worldwide technology leader in stringer systems for connecting solar cells, based in Germany with subsidiaries in China, has developed the process itself and brought it successfully to market. The Stringer TT1600 ECA is designed for reliable series production with high unit volumes. The production system connects HJT cells with light-capturing ribbons (LCRs) at a cycle rate of 2.25 seconds. ECA is an abbreviation for “electrically conductive adhesive”. In this process a conductive glue is applied to both sides of the cell using a screen-printing technique. It is then fully cured at a temperature of roughly 160ºC together with the LCRs. On stand E3 365 at SNEC 2018 teamtechnik exhibited its two highperformance systems, the Stringer TT2100 and TT4200GIGA with IR light-based soldering technology for mass production of high-quality solar cell strings with monocrystalline, polycrystalline and PERC solar cells.

S.Korea takes dispute on U.S. tariffs on washing machines, solar panels to WTO

Hans Brändle, CEO of Meyer Burger: “By selling the Solar Systems unit to Patrick Hofer-Noser, we have found an industrial and especially also local solution for the MegaSlate® business and the employees.”

Patrick Hofer-Noser is a long-time, internationally respected specialist in the solar industry. He was a founding member and later Delegate of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of 3S Industries AG, in Lyss/Switzerland, which merged into Meyer Burger Group in 2010. Thereafter he was Chief Technology Officer and member of the Executive Board of Meyer Burger Group until 2012. Patrick HoferNoser was Head of Energy Systems and until he left Meyer Burger the position of Policy Liaison Officer.

Teamtechnik presents successful adhesive tech-nology for HJT cells

South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said in a statement that it has delivered its request for bilateral consultation to the U.S. side to start a dispute settlement process.

outh Korea said that it has taken a dispute to the World Trade Organization (WTO) against the United States for imposing tariffs on washing machines and solar panels as the measure was deemed to be in violation of the WTO agreement. South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said in a statement that it has delivered its request for bilateral consultation to the U.S. side to start a dispute settlement process. The move is a set of measures that the South Korean government had taken after U.S. President Donald Trump slapped a steep tariff on imported washing machines and solar panels in February to protect American manufacturers. South Korea said it notified its plan to suspend tariff concessions on imported U.S. goods worth $480 million following U.S. tariff measures against South Korean imports. The ministry said it will respond to unfair import restrictions taken by the country’s major trading partners against South Korean companies. Source: reuters

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July 2018

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PV MANUFACTURING

SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES and SERIS on track to reduce cost of heterojunction solar cell manufacturing SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG (SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES) and the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) are entering a second phase in the joint research collaboration on developing cost-effective manufacturing tools with lower cost of ownership.

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fter an initial phase proving that an inductively coupled PECVD (ICPECVD) plasma source concept works, a new agreement was signed in which both parties continue their joint research and development efforts to industrialize highly efficient solar cell concepts. The aim of the collaboration is to develop innovative, cost-effective processes on SINGULUS’ novel mass production tools for the fabrication of crystalline silicon heterojunction solar cells.

Dr Thomas MUELLER, SERIS’ Head of Heterojunction Cell Development, said: “SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES is a strong industrial partner for SERIS with a proven track record in high-tech tool manufacturing sectors like high-capacity storage, semiconductor and solar, by implementing novel and effective manufacturing concepts in cost-effective packages. SERIS is adding its longstanding expertise in heterojunction device structures to develop the processes on the new platform, so that the PV manufacturing industry has a short learning curve when deploying the new platform”.

Dr Marco Huber, Product manager PECVD at SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES, added: “We are delighted to team up with SERIS for this challenging task. In many discussions with customers we have learned that the industry is seeking cost-effective, novel solutions for this decisive process step. The broad process expertise combined with the institute’s outstanding analytical capabilities make SERIS a powerful partner in developing the innovations required to advance heterojunction solar cells to the mass production level”.

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Prof Armin ABERLE, SERIS’ CEO, said: “Solar energy is the most accepted renewable energy source for the future. City states like Singapore don’t have much space and thus need to focus on high-efficiency technologies. Heterojunction solar cells have been a niche market so far due to their complex fabrication process and consequently higher investment costs. This research has the potential to be a game changer, by significantly lowering the manufacturing costs of high-efficiency solar cells and thereby reducing the LCOE of renewable energy in urban environments such as Singapore”. Both parties will join forces to conduct further studies on heterojunction solar cell fabrication using the SINGULUS ICPECVD pilot production tool for amorphous silicon (a-Si) layers. The work packages include the proof of concept for an economic PECVD mass production tool as well as further development of TCO layers. The collaboration is scheduled for the duration of 18 months and the results shall foster the GW scale roll-out of heterojunction solar cells, which is a promising candidate for highly efficient solar cells for both monofacial and bifacial applications.

Source: SINGULUS

July 2018

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PV MANUFACTURING

SCHMID Group reports high PV order volume in the first half of the year and presents its trend-setting process solutions at the major SNEC trade show From May 28th to 30th, 2018, SCHMID Group presented itself and its production equipment to the international business audience at the SNEC in Shanghai (booth E3-535).

CHMID Group looks back on a successful first half of the year in the Business Unit Photovoltaics. In particular, increased CSi expansions of Asian customers led to the high order receipt. Over the last six months, 56 Single Side Etch lines of the new InfinityLine generation have been ordered from SCHMID. All of them will be delivered in 2018. The thin-film segment also provided the SCHMID Group with a large amount of new orders, both for wet process

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equipment and thermal processing systems. New production technologies of the SCHMID Group offer its customers decisive advantages over competitors and are increasingly in demand. The Alkaline Edge Isolation and Polishing system offers the world’s only process for edge isolation without any nitric acid (HNO3) as well as rear side polishing of high-efficiency cells. The likewise unique DW PreTex process for the texturing of diamond-wire sawn multicrystalline wafers enables subsequent processing with the standard texture HF / HNO3. SCHMID’s proven APCVD

(Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition) technology offers solar cell manufacturers a groundbreaking perspective for the future: The atmospheric process is ideally suited for the mass production of high-efficiency cells and, for example, the doping of n-type solar cells with boron. Detailed information on these process technologies and other production equipment of the SCHMID Group can be obtained at www.schmid-group.com as well as within the scope of the SNEC at the SCHMID booth E3-535.

Source: schmid-group

July 2018

PV MANUFACTURING

Heraeus supports China’s effective strategic efforts for clean energy, creating “global tipping point” for renewable energy Performance gains, continual innovation and critical mass of adoption puts renewable energy on inevitable path to becoming the cheapest form of generating electricity, Heraeus Photovoltaics president Liebheit says. Andreas Liebheit, Heraeus Photovoltaics President that the world’s energy picture is reaching a global tipping point that will establish solar energy and other renewable sources as the most affordable ways to produce electricity. The driving factor giving momentum to this effort is China’s ambitious renewable energy program, which encompassed over 130 billion USD in 2017, more than all other countries combined. Liebheit noted that these strategic investments are having a global domino effect that continues to increase adoption of renewable energy.

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ith a significant energy portfolio encompassing photovoltaics (PV), wind, fuel cells and battery technology, Heraeus has been a leading driver of efficiency and innovation in the renewable energy industry. Within the past six months, Heraeus helped customers achieve several world records for solar cell PERC efficiency. Overall, all Chinese companies collectively achieved an absolute increase of 1.24% in p-type mono PERC cell efficiency. At a briefing at the 2018 SNEC International Photovoltaic Power Generation and Smart Energy Exhibition and Conference, Liebheit shared company insights on the long-term future for renewable energy and its continued growth and adoption.

According to Liebheit, China’s strategic policies and massive investments have clearly positioned China as “the owner of the global PV supply chain.” The continued adoption and growth of PV in China is reaching critical mass, enabling costs to become comparable to and eventually cheaper than traditional forms of energy. In 2016, Heraeus projected a 50 percent decrease in the levelized cost of renewable energy within five years, from which 27% have already been realized after just two years. “We predicted a cost reduction glide path, but the cost drop is significantly ahead of projections. It is faster than a glide.” Renewable Wind and PV energy price at auctions in Mexico and Saudi Arabia have already reached prices below $0.018/ kWh. Another compelling trend is China’s success in improving air quality. One of its best known initiatives, called Beijing Blue Sky, has seen a significant improvement in air quality from “grey” to “blue sky” days in the Beijing region. With the doubling of use of PV/solar energy and cutting coal use by half during that period, the region saw 226 blue sky days in 2017 compared to only 176 in 2013.

July 2018

China’s renewable energy strategy has integrated into its Belt and Road initiative. China announced plans to build renewable energy manufacturing plants in about 20 countries within their Road and Belt map. Liebheit points out this strategy has a three-fold effect: He says, “China reinforces its world leadership in PV, drives further adoption of renewable energy and economically strengthens its trading partner relationships in the region.”

Liebheit also discussed China’s national effort to become the world leader in energy transmission and storage capabilities. China’s investment in energy storage technology represents more than 50% of the world market and they currently produce more than three times the world’s battery capacity. The investments are paying dividends: average battery pack prices continued to fall, down to $209/kWh in 2017, a 24% decrease. He said, “China’s build-out of a smart, integrated grid that maximizes the generating capabilities of all these renewable sources is, for me, the last piece of the puzzle.” Liebheit points to another factor helping renewable energy to close the “cost gap” with fossil fuels: the innovation ceiling of legacy energy. He notes that coal and fossil fuels are mature and “there is little that can be done from an innovation perspective to attain more performance and efficiency.” Renewable energy, Liebheit observes, is not burdened with an innovation ceiling. He says, “Across our own renewable energy solutions portfolio, which includes silver metallization pastes, PV cell optimization services, fuel cells and battery technology, we achieve significant innovation and performance gains regularly. The same can be said of the industry overall.” With innovation and adoption on a continued upward trajectory and cost per-kWh declining, Liebheit adds, “global adoption of renewable energy as the best, most flexible and cheapest way to generate electricity is not just possible in the next decade, it is inevitable.”

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PV MANUFACTURING

Daqo New Energy Receives Government Approval for Entire Phase 4 Capacity Expansion Daqo New Energy Corp. (NYSE: DQ) (“Daqo New Energy” or the “Company”), a leading manufacturer of high-purity polysilicon for the global solar PV industry announced that it has received government approval of its Phase 4 capacity expansion plan in its entirety and signed an investment agreement with the local government.

he Phase 4 expansion plan will expand the Company’s manufacturing capacity in Shihezi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, by a total of 70,000 MT in two Phases, Phase 4A and 4B, which will each consist of 35,000 MT expanded manufacturing capacity. We began the design, construction and installation of the new facilities for Phase 4A in early May 2018, with pilot production expected to commence in the fourth quarter of 2019 before ramping up to full 35,000 MT annual production capacity in the first quarter of 2020. Phase 4A compliments Phase 3B of the Company’s capacity expansion which will increase the total annual production capacity from 18,000 MT to 30,000 MT by the first quarter of 2019.

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Mr. Longgen Zhang, Chief Executive Officer of Daqo New Energy, commented, “Government approval of Phase 4 in its entirety is another milestone in our long-term expansion plan and demonstrates our commitment to meeting the surging demand for ultra-high purity polysilicon from our customers.

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As part of our investment agreement with the local government, our electricity rate will decrease to RMB0.20/kwh (VAT included) when we fully ramp up our Phase 4A project in Q1 2020. Our current electricity rate is RMB0.29/kwh (VAT included), which is expected to decrease to RMB0.24/kwh (VAT included) when we fully ramp up our Phase 3B project in Q1 2019. The reduced electricity rates and the additional capacity will improve our manufacturing efficiency and strengthen our leadership position in terms of cost structure. With grid parity rapidly approaching, I am confident that demand for our ultra-high purity mono-crystalline-grade polysilicon will remain strong going forward. We will continue to strategically plan for our future as we further improve our cost structure and polysilicon purity, and expand our capacity to strengthen our leadership position in the industry.” Source: daqo

July 2018

PV MANUFACTURING

Heraeus assists Solarspace to join the 10GW Club Solarspace aims to increase its capacity threefold in two years Heraeus Photovoltaics, the worldwide leading supplier of metallization solutions to the PV industry, announced a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement with Jiangsu Zhongyu Photovoltaic Technology Co., Ltd. (“Solarspace”) at the 2018 SNEC International Photovoltaic Power Generation and Smart Energy Exhibition & Conference.

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he agreement covers not only Solarspace’s conventional additive texturing (on DWC wafers) and MCCE (on black silicon) processes, but also its forthcoming high-efficiency technologies such as monocrystalline passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC), selective emitter (SE), and heterojunction (HIT) solar cells. The two companies also agreed to open a key laboratory together to develop new materials and processes. Going forward, Heraeus will provide highly efficient metallization pastes and a full range of optimized solutions to improve efficiency while addressing costs.

“The sound and sustainable growth of Solarspace from 2010 to 2018 is attributed to our principle of putting quality first. Right from the beginning, we have maintained a close cooperation with Heraeus in the development of products, applications and technology roadmaps. Heraeus has always been with us at many of our key growth stages: for example, it offered 9641B-1188 paste to help us move from conventional screens to highmesh 440 screens in the very beginning to achieve a 0.05% efficiency gain, and customized 9651D140 paste for us in response to higher challenges for printability and adhesion on the DWC wafers to meet the requirements of our production lines,” said Mr. Liu Guyan, general manager of Solarspace, at the signing ceremony. “The next two years will see Solarspace growing rapidly. With the strong support of Heraeus, we are fully confident of our follow-up development plans.”

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July 2018

Dr. Zhang Weiming, Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President of Heraeus Photovoltaics, said, “The long-lasting cooperation between Heraeus and Solarspace has been good for our respective growth. Based on our in-depth and open cooperation, we have removed numerous technical barriers and witnessed the booming of Solarspace. We are now well prepared to help Solarspace grow sustainably by meeting its requirements for improved efficiency in a timely way.” The partnership can be traced back to 2010 upon the inception of Solarspace. From the earliest single printing on slurry-cut silicon wafers to the current single/dual printing on addictive DWC wafers and black silicon, Heraeus has been involved in each technical upgrade of Solarspace, with generations of metallization pastes, including 9610X, 9621X, 9631X, 9641X and 9651X. Heraeus also provides long-term in-plant services and customized products, and carries out regular exchanges on R&D, promptly troubleshooting Solarspace launched a plan called “10GW in 2020” to expand its annual capacity from the current 2GW to 10GW within the next two years. In the same timeframe, highefficiency technologies such as mono PERC, SE and HIT will be introduced. As for this new development plan, Heraeus will collaborate with Solarspace in the next-generation process upgrade, reduce costs and improve efficiency in monocrystalline technology all the while mapping out a plan to tap into the applications of low temperature pastes. Numerous Heraeus patents in pastes will also enable Solarspace to provide industryleading customers with the latest technical solutions.

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PV MANUFACTURING

Meyer Burger’s SmartWire Connection Technology selected by Panasonic Solar for evaluation in the manufacture of its innovative high efficiency solar modules Meyer Burger Technology Ltd (SIX Swiss Exchange: MBTN) announced an agreement with Panasonic Solar for the installation and accelerated evaluation of its SWCT™ platform for the connection of HIT™ cells. ith its heterojunction cell technology, Panasonic is Panasonic’s technology – industry-leading high perforone of the pioneers in the development and man- mance technology

ufacture of high efficiency solar cells and modules. By implementing Meyer Burger’s SmartWire Connection technology to connect its HIT™ cells, Panasonic expects to further increase the strength of its high efficiency PV modules.

SmartWire Connection Technology (SWCT™) – the natural evolution in cell connection technology Meyer Burger’s ground-breaking SmartWire Connection Technology employs an innovative foil-wire electrode with up to 24 perfectly aligned wires to connect solar cells. This reduces silver consumption per heterojunction solar module by over 50% which in turn reduces production costs for solar module manufacturers. The resulting structure of a SWCT™ module significantly strengthens its stability and enhances its lifetime. This powerful combination of higher energy yield, longer module lifetime and lower manufacturing costs make SWCT™ the most cost effective method of connecting solar cells on the market.

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Panasonic produced PV modules HIT™ have a unique silicon heterojunction structure composed of crystalline silicon substrate and amorphous silicon layers. This technology performs the junction formation needed for solar cells by surrounding the crystalline silicon wafer with an amorphous silicon layer. With industry-leading conversion efficiency and excellent temperature coefficient characteristics, Panasonic achieves high power generation even in a limited space. Panasonic has started to supply HIT™ cells with partners in addition to PV modules. Panasonic will expand BtoB business with partners globally.

HIT™ is a registered trademark of Panasonic Group.

The delivery and installation of Meyer Burger’s SWCT™ equipment at Panasonic’s R&D facility located in Osaka, Japan is planned in the second quarter of 2018 and is an initial step towards extending the adoption of SmartWire Connection Technology to other manufacturing locations.

July 2018

inverter

GoodWe Launches Smart Solution for Module-Level Monitoring, Rapid Shutdown and Optimization

Following last year’s announced cooperation with Tigo, GoodWe is now launching the DNS and SDT rapid shutdown inverter series with MLPE functionalities

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

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

July 2018

GoodWe DNS and SDT series smart inverters can offer a cost effective and reliable solution that matches perfectly with smart modules. This enables end users to harness more system data for valuable insights about real-time analysis in both Tigo and GoodWe’s monitoring platforms and also enables cost-effective datalogging to collect operating information from the inverters as well as each smart module. “With the launch of GoodWe Tigo CCA-embedded smart inverters, integrators can benefit from reduced installation time, service risk, and ultimately cost,” said Huang Min, CEO of GoodWe. “GoodWe DNS and SDT series with MLPE functionalities offer customers a flexible solution which realizes greater energy production and roof usage, while providing a higher ROI.”

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inverter

GoodWe 20 kW SDT Series Brings Power Density to Unprecedented Levels GoodWe is rolling out its new compact 20 kW SDT series inverter for both three-phase households and commercial applications with high power density, which includes two MPP trackers and a wide input voltage range to ensure design flexibility and compatibility with high-output PV panels.

he new 20 kW SDT series allows 130% DC oversizing to fully maximize capacity. In addition, with 110% AC overload and a start-up voltage of 180 V, it guarantees an earlier generation of power and a longer working time for maximum energy harvest. Thanks to its smart fan cooling technology design, the inverter runs full load and reliably cool in -25 – 60 °C temperatures. As residential rooftop PV projects continue to expand toward larger systems up to 20 kW, three-phase string inverters are gaining an increasing market share in both household and commercial projects. The use of single-phase inverters in a three-phase environment might cause faults due to unsymmetrical grid issues. While it is technically possible to install both single and three phase inverters if you own a three-phase property, many network operators will not allow an imbalance across the phases. Therefore, the only solution

is either to install three single phase inverters for each phase or one three phase inverter that will work across three phases. Furthermore, high-efficiency module technologies – e.g. bifacial, mono PERC – are also seizing market share and setting the stage for even higher efficiencies to come, which requires inverter manufacturers to catch up with these new technologies. However, some residential three-phase inverters in the market are heavy, bulky, and difficult to install. Compared with equivalent competitor products, the new GoodWe 20 kW SDT series inverter is the most compact and lightweight inverter in the market with the highest power density and maximum efficiency of 98.6%. With a weight of just 26 kg, the new SDT series is easier to handle and install than any other similar three-phase inverters currently available.

Increasing power. One innovation after another.

DuPont continues to set the pace of innovation in the solar industry. We’ve introduced more than 130 new Solamet® pastes in the last nine years alone, consistently helping to boost the power output of solar panels. It’s one reason why more than 200 billion solar cells have been made using Solamet® pastes over the past 30 years. Materials Matter

solamet.dupont.com

™

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July 2018

inverter

Enphase Energy Announces 4.5MW Solar Installation in India Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENPH), a global energy technology company and the world’s leading provider of solar microinverters, and Waaree Energies Ltd., India’s largest Tier 1 solar panel manufacturer, announced a 4.5 MW solar power plant installation using Waaree Enphase AC modules. This solar power plant, located in Hosapet, India will be the largest Enphase microinverter-based solar installation globally.

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ystem’s owner, an independent power producer (IPP) chose the Waaree Enphase AC module (ACM) due to its ability to generate solar power in low-light, diffused light or shaded conditions, maximizing its energy harvest in India’s harsh, dusty environment. Occupying 18 acres and powered by 13,235 Enphase Energy™ microinverters, the system is expected to provide more than 7,500 MWh of clean power annually to businesses in Bangalore and the state of Karnataka through a mix of short- and long-term power purchase agreements. The combination of Waaree’s high quality and high reliability monocrystalline solar PV modules with Enphase Microinverters attached to the back will make the installation of 13,235 solar modules easier and faster than with conventional solar system components.

This 4.5MW power plant installation represents Enphase’s entry into India’s utility scale photovoltaic (PV) segment, and proves that Enphase’s value proposition of outstanding reliability, safety and performance translates to large scale systems,” said David Ranhoff, vice president and chief commercial officer at Enphase Energy. “This is a truly exciting opportunity for Enphase as it furthers our expansion into India.” “I am thrilled to join Enphase during its pivotal growth stage in India,” said Ramesh SubbaRao. “India has set a target to deliver more than 100GW of grid-connected solar power projects by 2022, offering Enphase an opportunity to build a strong footprint and expand its share in one of the world’s largest and fastest growing solar markets. I look forward to working with the talented team to implement innovative go-to-market strategies that will further strengthen Enphase’s position, customer base and value proposition.” “We are delighted to install Waaree’s mono-crystalline ACMs with Enphase Energy’s microinverters,” said K. Shreedhar, founder and director, Diwakar Soltec Pvt. Ltd. “Enphase’s made for India microinverter technology ensures superior performance under hot and humid conditions, and delivers increased yields because of its higher system availability. The system will provide us peace of mind due to its module-level monitoring capabilities.”

July 2018

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Enphase also announced that Ramesh SubbaRao has been appointed Vice President and General Manager, India Commercial Operations. Mr. SubbaRao will oversee Enphase’s commercial operations in the India region, with a focus on the country’s dominant commercial and industrial (C&I) segment. “We are pleased to have Ramesh join our team in India,” said David Ranhoff. “He brings to Enphase many years of managing C&I and utility operations for the India market and experience leading international teams. With Ramesh joining Enphase, we are adding executive-level leadership to help grow our customer base in India, while leveraging his C&I and utility experience to strengthen our commercial operations worldwide.” Ramesh has more than 23 years of semiconductor and renewable energy experience. Prior to joining Enphase, he was the chief operating officer for Asia at Lightsource BP, Europe’s largest solar developer with more than 1.3GW developed and 2GW assets under management. Before his role at Lightsource BP, Ramesh was managing director, APAC operations at SunEdison where he led a team of 150 people responsible for the engineering, construction and commissioning of over $1 billion in solar and wind projects across India, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia. Ramesh received his Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from Birla Institute of Science and Technology, Pilani.

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“The Waaree Enphase AC module is a highquality product that provides an efficient and cost effective installation process,” said Hitesh Doshi, chairman and managing director, Waaree Energies Ltd. “We are pleased to be working with Enphase to offer our IPP customer unmatched reliability, as well as leading intelligence and control capabilities desired by commercial and industrial asset managers.” Source: Enphase Energy, Inc

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July 2018

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inverter

Sungrow India Roadshow Technical Seminar – Bangalore

Solar energy is one of the known renewable forms of energy & Sungrow is one of the known global leading solar company. Sungrow, successfully organised it’s 7th Solar technical seminar in Le Meridien hotel, Bangalore. Sungrow, demonstrated its LIVE Product in unique Mobile Showroom, for the better understanding of String and Central inverter technology and its working.

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ndia is on course to emerge as a solar power hub, and Sungrow will help India in becoming one of the largest green energy producers in the world. This can be clearly seen from the fact that India has become the second-biggest solar-energy installer in the world, in last two years and out of total projects, 2GW is installed by Sungrow India. Also, according to estimates, Indian solar-energy capacity will get increased by 300 percent this year and next. Guest, specially members from KREDL and BESCOM visited this Technical seminar, appreciated sungrow efforts for giving the understanding for the selection of, string and central

July 2018

inverter at the time of project execution, highlights the latest R&D in solar technologies and market-ready applications (in India and overseas) with focus on the role of Utility and String Inverters and the future products of Sungrow and also appreciated Sungrow technical team, the way they present in these seminar with the Global references and relevant data, helps in clearing all there doubt and give them the better understanding of solar technology. Customers, shared their worries regarding the service of inverter at the project site, and appreciated the Sungrow Service team for their commitment of after sales service.

The current market penetration and the prospect on becoming costeffective in future. With a mission of “Clean power for all” & with a vision of become a global leader of power conversion technology, SUNGROW is always committed to optimize all kind of resources to better meet our customer’s needs. With such unique roadshow technical seminar, we exchange knowledge and understand customer point of view to better serve for long run. Over 90+ business partners and solar expert took part in seminar, with an eagerness and excitement to learn new things, Followed by networking evening, cocktail and dinner.

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Inclusion of renewable energy projects in the priority lending sector has improved the ease of doing business and securing finance for the renewable energy sector, says Smt. Rajasree Ray, Economic Advisor, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance The 4th Smart Cities India Expo 2018/3rd Solar India 2018 expo, co-organised by the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), NASSCOM Centre of Excellence – IoT and Exhibitions India Group sees participation from experts, government representatives, and industry leaders

he recent push by the Government of India to boost energy production in the country and achieve the goal of 175 gigawatts of installed renewable energy capacity by 2022 has put the country on course to emerge as a major solar power hub. Over 300 million people in India still have no access to electricity, which is why solar power is being seen as a viable, long-term solution for clean energy. Solar energy, a clean renewable resource with zero emissions, has tremendous potential waiting to be harnessed to meet the energy requirements. A series of conferences held during the 3rd Solar India 2018 expo on the theme, “Solar Energy for a Sustainable Future,” brought together several experts, government representatives, industry leaders who discussed India’s immense potential to tap renewable energy sources and capitalise on emerging opportunities existing in the solar industry.

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Speaking during a panel discussion, Smt. Rajasree Ray, Economic Advisor, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, said, “A majority of the capacity addition in India for renewable energy has taken place over the past four to five years, with a vast pipeline of projects being announced in the past few years. The International Solar Alliance (ISA), which was formed during the 2015 Paris Climate Summit, has evolved into a highly efficient intergovernmental organisation in just a little over two years. To meet the country’s renewable energy requirements, the government has also introduced competitive bidding mechanisms, which have in turn driven the prices of tools and technologies significantly. Furthermore, the inclusion of renewable energy projects in the priority lending sector has improved the ease of doing business and securing finance for the country’s renewable energies sector.”

In addition, the Alliance has been committed to developing more progressive international price mechanisms for renewable energy technologies to make them easily accessible to smaller, developing economies.

Shri Anand Kumar, Chairman, Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission, India, during a panel discussion on India’s solar policy roadmap, said, “The central government and our Prime Minister have formulated a highly ambitious plan for enhancing renewable energy production. Gujarat already has a massive capacity of over 8,000 MW, which includes 7,000 MW from wind and more than 1,500 MW from solar. In the near future, our capacity will see a substantial rise now that the government has committed to add around 2,000 megawatts each year, thereby reaching a capacity of up to 10,000 megawatts by 2022.”

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India is expected to become one of the largest green energy producers in the world considering the fact that the country is now the second-biggest solar-energy installer in the world. Also, according to estimates, India’s solar-energy capacity will see a 300 percent rise by the end of 2018. As part of its blueprint for energy security, the government plans to launch five funds of USD 5 billion each, targeted at promoting green energy sources. The centre has envisioned generating 40 GW through roof-top grid interactive solar power to fulfil the 100 GW target of solar power. For The International Solar Alliance has been working towards realis- the period up to 2019-20, the government has allocated INR 5,000 Crore (USD 0.75 billion) for implementation of: 4,200 ing the common goal of more than 170 countries in the world to MW of solar rooftop systems and grid-connected rooftop reduce the cost of finance and the cost of technology in implesystems. In addition, the Centre has set an ambitious target menting renewable energy projects across various nations. For of generating 100 GW (1 lakh MW) of solar power by 2021this purpose, the ISA will help mobilise more than USD 1,000 22 under the National Solar Mission, which is expected billion worth of investments by 2030 for massive deployment of to generate 60 GW ground mounted grid-connected solar solar energy, and pave the way for future technologies to meet power. the growing energy requirements across the globe.

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July 2018

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Cabinet approves National Wind-solar hybrid policy: Biofuel Policy Setting up adequate evacuThe Cabinet approved the National Policy on Biofuels which allows doping of ethanol produced from damaged foodgrains, rotten potatoes, ation network critical, say corn and sugar beet with petrol to cut oil imports by ₹4,000 crore this year alone. experts

ill now only ethanol produced from sugarcane was allowed to be mixed in petrol. A meeting of the Union Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the new policy which categorises biofuels as First Generation (1G), which produce bioethanol from molasses and bio-diesel from non-edible oilseeds. Second Generation (2G) ethanol can be produced from municipal solid waste and Third Generation (3G) fuels like bio-CNG.

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“The Policy expands the scope of raw material for ethanol production by allowing use of sugarcane juice, sugar containing materials like sugar beet, sweet sorghum, starch containing materials like corn, cassava, damaged food grains like wheat and broken rice, and rotten potatoes,” an official statement said.

It also allows use of surplus food grains for production of ethanol for blending with petrol with the approval of National Biofuel Coordination Committee, it said. Under the policy, “a viability gap funding scheme for 2G ethanol bio refineries of ₹5,000 crore in 6 years in addition to additional tax incentives, higher purchase price as compared to 1G biofuels” will be provided, it said. The policy also encourages setting up of supply chain mechanisms for biodiesel production from non-edible oilseeds, used cooking oil and short gestation crops. Mixing of one crore litre of bio-ethanol in petrol saves ₹28 crore of foreign exchange on oil imports. “The ethanol supply year 2017-18 is likely to see a supply of around 150 crore litres of ethanol which will result in savings of over ₹4,000 crore of forex,” the statement said. Besides, it will lead to 30 lakh tons of lesser carbon emissions. “By reducing crop burning and conversion of agricultural residues/wastes to biofuels there will be further reduction in Green House Gas emissions,” it said. It is estimated that annually 62 million tonnes of municipal solid waste gets generated in India. There are technologies available which can convert waste/plastic and municipal solid waste to drop in fuels. One ton of such waste has the potential to provide around 20 per cent of fuel. The statement said ₹800 crore is investment needed to set up a 100 kilolitre per day bio refinery. At present Oil Marketing Companies are in the process of setting up 12 2G bio refineries with an investment of around ₹10,000 crore. Further addition of 2G bio refineries across the country will spur infrastructure investment in the rural areas and create jobs, it added.

“By adopting 2G technologies, agricultural residues/waste which otherwise are burnt by the farmers can be converted to ethanol and can fetch a price for these waste if a market is developed for the same. Also, farmers are at a risk of not getting appropriate price for their produce during the surplus production phase. Thus conversion of surplus grains and agricultural biomass can help in price stabilization,” the statement said. Source: PTI

July 2018

Even as the recently announced national wind-solar hybrid policy is expected to boost renewable power generation, setting up adequate number of evacuation network will be critical, experts say.

nder the new policy, the government intends to auction wind-solar hybrid projects on tariff based competitive bidding, and these can be set up anywhere across the country depending on feasibility and land availability with bidders.

“Consistent forecasts from analysts suggest that the country will face major grid integration issues in the coming years if evacuation infrastructure is not improved at the same rate as renewables capacity additions,” Vijay Khandwekar, headmodule mounting structure business, solar projects, Tata International, told PTI. The government has set an ambitious target of achieving 175 gw of renewable capacity by 2022, of which solar would be 100 gw, and the rest 60 gw would be wind. The installed capacities of 20 gw of solar and 35 gw of wind at present, however, is far from the combined target of 160 gw. Rating agency Icra in its recent report had said that the adequate evacuation network availability would be critical for new hybrid projects as well as for hybridisation of existing wind or solar projects, given the higher generation profile expected. According to PwC, the country has been developing solarwind hybrid projects since the past five years, with an installed capacity of 20 gw.

Amit Kumar, partner-clean energy, PwC India told PTI that the challenges expected while integrating solarwind hybrid systems would include producing the power of high quality and reliability, which needs to be synchronised with local grid. “Issues of dispatching the variable energy shall also arise; which have to be dealt at the load dispatch centres,” he said.

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As per the policy, the tariff would be initially feed-in tariff. It would be very low since evacuation infrastructure would be shared. However, the policy also mentions competitive bidding, which might keep the tariffs in check, according to PwC. The policy also promotes usage of battery storage in hybrid projects for optimising the output and reduces the invariability. Kumar said this would not only reduce the variability of solar and wind technologies, but would also provide higher energy outputs for the given capacities; thus ensuring availability of firm power for a particular period of time. At the state level, Andhra had issued its draft solar wind hybrid policy in 2016, which clearly earmarks extensive efforts for promoting this technology. Source: PTI

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National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy Released: Synergies of Energies India is one of the largest and most attractive renewable energy market globally. Several factors contribute to India’s leading position such as – world’s largest renewable energy expansion plan, world’s fourth largest installed capacity for wind & sixth largest for solar, and commitment to pursue economic growth that relies on clean sources of energy and sustainable development as an early entrant to the Paris Climate Accord.

ith over 1000 GW potential for solar and wind energy, India has been pushing to set up infrastructure and provide incentives to foster these industries. In a landmark move, India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has released the National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy to promote and incentivise wind-solar hybrid projects in India. The main objective of the policy is to promote large grid connected wind-solar hybrid system. Hybrid projects encourage optimal and efficient utilization of transmission infrastructure & land, reduce the variability in renewable power generation and achieve better grid stability. This policy aims This year, the hybrid space had already started seeing signifiat encouraging new technologies, methods and way-outs cant traction. In January 2018, Solar Energy Corporation of India involving combined operation of wind and solar energy. (SECI) has invited expressions of interest (EoI) from engineering, procurement and construction contractors to develop a 160 Promotes both new hybrid projects as well as hybridisation of MW large-scale solar wind hybrid project with an energy storage system in Andhra Pradesh, India. With a strong commitment existing wind/solar projects. to develop the hybrid sector, SECI applied for USD 200 mn The power procured from the hybrid project may be used for in funding from the International Bank for Reconstruction and fulfilment of solar Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) and Development and the Clean Technology Fund for the cost of innovation and project development. In April 2018, Hero Future non-solar RPO. Energies commissioned India’s first large-scale hybrid project No additional connectivity or transmission capacity charges in Karnataka, adding 28.8 MW of solar energy to an existing 50 will be levied by the respective transmission entity for the MW wind farm. The policy envisages to supplement this interest hybridization at existing wind or solar projects. and offer benefits to support this field. MNRE plans to augment Battery storage can be added to the hybrid project to reduce the policy by releasing over 2 GW capacity tenders for hybrid projects – opening yet another untapped investment opportunity the variability of output power from wind solar hybrid plant; in the Indian renewable energy sector. and ensure availability of firm power for a period.

Key Highlights of the Policy

NTPC puts off solar projects auction amid developers concerns on evacuation State-run power giant NTPC has deferred auction of 2,000 MW solar capacities to the first week of June as developers have sought resolution of inter-state connectivity issue before going ahead with the sale, sources said.

esides, the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) is likely to extend the bid submission for 2,000 MW solar capacities scheduled for the first week of June, industry sources said. The sources said that the NTPC’s 2,000 MW solar bid submissions scheduled on May 21, 2018, has been deferred to June first week after considering concerns expressed by developers about difficulties being faced for getting power evacuation connectivity through the inter-state transmission system. The Solar Power Developers Association had written to the Ministry of New and Renewable (MNRE) to extend solar auctions till the issue related to grant of connectivity through inter-state transmission system is not resolved. Developers had also raised the issue in the pre-bid meeting with MNRE

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and SECI officials last week. Power regulator Central Electricity Regulatory Commission approved the procedure for grant of connectivity through inter-state transmission system in its order. However, the sources said that the industry feedback is awaited on the approved guidelines whether all concerns raised on the draft procedures have been resolved in the final order. The government has planned to auction 60 GW solar capacities in 2018-19 and 2019-20 in view of its ambitious target of having 100 GW solar energy capacity by 2022. The auction of 60 GW solar capacity by March 2020 is important because it takes about 15 months to implement solar project after signing power purchase agreement. India has already achieved 22GW of solar capacity.

July 2018

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PRAAPTI App and Web portal launched by Minister of State (I/C) for Power, Shri R.K. Singh for bringing transparency in electricity payments to Generators. A Web portal and an App namely PRAAPTI (Payment Ratification And Analysis in Power procurement for bringing Transparency in Invoicing of generators), www.praapti.in, has beenofficially launched by Hon’ble Minister of State (I/C) for Power in the presence of Secretary, Shri A.K. Bhallaand other senior officials of Ministry of Power, Chairman & Managing Director, PFC, CMDs of other Power Sector PSUs and various officials of Power Sector.

RAAPTI App and web portal has been developedto bring transparency in power purchase transactions between Generators and Discoms. The App and Web Portal will capture the Invoicing and payment datafor various long term PPAs from the Generators. This will help the stakeholders in getting month-wise and legacy data on outstanding amounts of Discomsagainst power purchase. The app will also allow users to know the details related to the payments made by tthe Discoms to the power

generation company and when they were made. PRAAPTI will also enable the consumers to evaluate financial performance of their Discoms in terms of payments being made to the generation companies. The Portal would also help DISCOMs and GENCOs to reconcile their outstanding payments. The portal would facilitate relative assessment of various State DISCOMs on “Ease of making payments” to various Generation Companies, and will also help make transactions in the power Sector more transparent. Source: pib.nic.in

CERC norms for renewable energy projects positive, need adequate transmission infra: ICRA The first wind auction scheme by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) awarded in February 2017 created a rush of connectivity applicants at the Tirunelveli sub-station in Tamil Nadu and Bhuj sub-station in Gujarat, as most of the winners under this scheme propose to connect their projects to these substations.

ower regulator CERC’s norms on inter-state connectivity for renewable energy (RE) projects are a positive for developers but adequacy of transmission infrastructure is critical, rating firm ICRA said. The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), on May 15, notified the procedure for grant of connectivity to RE-based projects proposing to use the interstate transmission system (ISTS). The regulations have been notified amidst significant uncertainty over the grant of connectivity and long-term open access for winning developers in the recent wind power auctions held by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI).

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“The notified regulations are positive for developers in the renewable energy sector, as they provide clarity on the procedure and timelines for securing approval for connectivity from the central transmission utility,” said Sabyasachi Majumdar, Senior Vice President & Group Head, ICRA Ratings. “Moreover, the regulations accord priority to projects holding letter of award under the tariff-based competitive bidding for granting connectivity,” he said.

ICRA said however that uncertainty on availability of adequate infrastructure to evacuate power from the wind power projects bid out by SECI over the past 15 months persists, given that the existing inter-state transmission infrastructure in the states with high wind potential may not be sufficient to provide connectivity to the 5.1 GW bid out by SECI so far. Further, the augmentation of transmission infrastructure would take about 24-36 months, whereas the winning developers must commission the wind

July 2018

power projects within 18 months from the date of issuance of letter of award/signing of PPAs (power purchase agreement), it added. The first wind auction scheme by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) awarded in February 2017 created a rush of connectivity applicants at the Tirunelveli substation in Tamil Nadu and Bhuj sub-station in Gujarat, as most of the winners under this scheme propose to connect their projects to these substations. Since the applications received at both the substations were more than the capacity available and as connectivity is provided on first come first serve basis, the connectivity applicants that applied late would have been granted connectivity for an under-implementation or a new substation, it said. The construction of a new substation is expected to take much longer at 24-36 months against the SECI stipulated timeline of 18 months for commissioning the wind power projects, it added. “Thus, prolonged delays in securing connectivity would impact the project commissioning timelines and in turn viability of the projects for the winning developers, as delays beyond 6 months from scheduled commissioning date would result in reduction in PPA tariff,” Majumdar said.

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Cabinet approves MoU signed Cabinet approves between India and Morocco on Indiawith France, Morocco in Morocco cooperation in field of Renewable Energy The Cabinet gave its ex-post facto approval to two separate memorandum Renewable Energy of understandings (MoUs) with France and Morocco for cooperation in the field of renewable energy. “The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approval to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and France in the field of Renewable Energy” an official statement said.

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approval for the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Morocco on India-Morocco Cooperation in Renewable Energy.

oth sides aim to establish the basis for a cooperative institutional relationship to encourage and promote technical bilateral cooperation on new and renewable energy issues on the basis of mutual benefit, equality and reciprocity. The MoU envisages establishing a Joint Working Committee to review, monitor and discuss matters relation to areas of cooperation. The MoU aims for exchange of expertise and networking of information. The MoU will help in strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries. .

Source: pib.nic.in

oth sides (India and France) aim to identify research/ demonstration/ pilot project between National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), India and Commissariat a I’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA), France in the mutually identified areas. Based on mutual agreement, both parties will work for implementation & deployment of pilot project in ISA member countries. Collaboration may occur through several means, including joint research projects, R&D, workshops, Research and Technology exchange, including exchange of domain experts. The MoU also aims for exchange of expertise and networking of information, it added, saying that the MoU will help in strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

“The Union Cabinet…has given its ex-post facto approval for the MoU between India and Morocco on India-Morocco Cooperation in Renewable Energy. The MoU was signed on April 10, 2018 in New Delhi,” according to an another statement. Both sides aim to establish the basis for a cooperative institutional relationship to encourage and promote technical bilateral cooperation on new and renewable energy issues on the basis of mutual benefit, equality and reciprocity, it said. The MoU envisages to establish a Joint Working Committee to review, monitor and discuss matters relation to areas of cooperation. The MoU aims for exchange of expertise and networking of information. It will help in strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries, the statement added.

Grid connected clean energy capacity reaches 70 GW in April India added 269.64 MW of renewable energy capacity the total grid connected clean energy capacity to 70,053.81 MW, a government report has said.

ccording to the report by the ministry of new and renewable energy, India added 34,165 MW of wind energy, 21,885.1 MW solar energy including rooftop solar, 4,489.80 MW small hydro (of up to 25 MW) and 8,700.80 MW Biomass (Bagasse) Cogeneration as

on April 30. The nation also witnessed 674.81 MW of Biomass (nonbagasse) Cogeneration)/Captive Power and 138.30 Waste to Power till April 30. India also installed off grid clean energy of 40 MW in April taking the total installed capacity in this segment to 1046.93 MW at April end this year. Under the grid connected renewable capacity, India did not add any capacity of Waste to Power and Biomass (Bagasse) Cogeneration). Similarly, under the off grid clean energy capacity, nothing was added in waste to energy and biomass gasifiers segment. However as much as 40 MW of solar photovoltaic (SPV) capacity was added in April this year. India has set and ambitious target of having 175 GW of renewable energy capacity including 100 GW of solar and 60 GW of wind energy by 2022. Source: PTI

Source: UNI

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July 2018

ROOFTOP & OFFGRID

Hartek Solar launches customised rooftop solar kits

Solar power solutions provider Hartek Solar launched customised 5-10 kWp plug-and-play rooftop solar kits suitable for kanal houses, housing societies, nursing homes, small commercial establishments, hotels and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Founder-director Simarpreet Singh said the company plans to install at least 100 units in residential, commercial and industrial areas over the next six months, targeting the Tricity as well as industrial clusters in Ludhiana, Baddi, Dera Bassi and Mandi Gobindgarh.

Harkek Group is looking at the potential for growth in the rooftop market in the country. Singh said these plug-and-play kits, which will cater to both gross metering and net metering consumers, promise to be a game changer in driving the demand for rooftop solar owing to the advantages they offer. Not only do these solar kits offer lower labour and maintenance costs on account of the optimised design, their noninvasive structure with roof protection pads also rules out any damage to reinforced cement concrete (RCC) roofs, he said. Moreover, the per unit generation cost from solar works out to be less than half as compared with diesel gensets. Best suited for 1-kanal houses, a typical 5-kWp solar kit can produce 20 units of electricity every day, which is enough to run 10 fans, three laptops, three television sets, one air-conditioner, one refrigerator, 10 CFL and 10 LED bulbs and even a microwave oven and a 1-Hp water pump.

Hartek Group chairman Hartek Singh said, “We are going all out to tap the small-scale solar market by adopting a cluster-based approach to reach out to end consumers. Besides approaching commercial establishments and medical, hotel and restaurant associations, we will also be conducting door-to-door campaigns to draw on the residential category.” There are 1.75 lakh electricity consumers in the domestic category in Chandigarh. While shortage of space in the city is a major constraint, the adoption of rooftop solar in the residential category can make all the difference, he said.

July 2018

CleanMax Solar, sustainability partner for India’s leading corporates, has donated a rooftop solar plant of 6.4 kWp to Ahinsa Sthal, a prominent Jain temple in Meherauli, Delhi.

artek Solar’s rooftop solar kits come with an option of a unique remote sensing technology tailor-made for small-scale solar plants. The launch comes at a time when the Chandigarh administration has decided not to extend the deadline for installing solar plants in houses, commercial and industrial units.

The administration had made installation of rooftop solar power plants mandatory for houses and commercial and industrial units measuring 500 sq yards and above. “Around 1,000 applications have been received for solar rooftop installation against a capacity of 7,500 such building structures,” Santosh Kumar, director, environment, science and technology and renewable energy of the Chandigarh administration, said. “Those who have not sought installation of solar rooftop plants in Chandigarh now face action for violation of building bylaws.”

CleanMax Solar Donates a Solar Plant to Ahinsa Sthal in Delhi

ith this installation, Ahinsa Sthal has taken a step towards environment conservation by adopting solar energy. The temple is estimated to save Rs 50,000 on its electricity expenditure every year by replacing more than 35% of the temple’s electricity consumption. This recently commissioned plant is also equipped with net-metering facility, allowing the temple to export 25% of the solar energy back to the grid.

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Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Kuldeep Jain, Founder & Managing Director, CleanMax Solar, remarked, “India is a diverse and pluralistic nation with countless temples, mosques, gurudwaras, churches and other institutions, reflecting the devotion of their respective communities. When such institutions move towards sustainability, they set an example for the public to adopt sustainable ways of living. We are extremely happy to help Ahinsa Sthal reduce its dependence on conventional sources of energy and adopt rooftop solar projects to meet their daily power needs.”

Mr. Vinod Jain, Trustee, Ahinsa Sthal expressed, “We are thankful to CleanMax Solar for donating this solar plant to our temple. We believe the future is in preserving nature and utilizing renewable resources to meet our daily needs. Due to this installation Ahinsa Sthal is replacing more than 35% of its electricity consumption. As the disciples of Lord Mahavira, we believe in nonviolence towards not only humans but also nature. This initiative is a significant step towards reducing carbon footprint without harming any natural resources.” Source: CleanMax Solar

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ROOFTOP & OFFGRID

Tata Power CGPL provided Greenlight Planet Wins the Economic Times Most Promis- households with rooftop solar PV in Tunda, Gujarat ing Brand 2018 Greenlight Planet has been recognised by Economic Times as the “Most

Promising brand 2018” at a ceremony. he Promising Brands platform was an endeavour by the Economic Times to recognize brands, which have stood firm in the winds of globalization and have truly become a part of popular culture and day to day lives. With 1.3 billion individuals across the globe and 31 million households in India still living without electricity, Greenlight Planet’s solutions provide a powerful mechanism for large-scale, sustainable impact. This award is the result of 9 years of continuous innovation in Greenlight Planet’s product portfolio and unique distribution models that have led to it emerging as a global market leader in the off-grid sector. The company has sold more than eight million of its high-quality Sun KingTM solar range of portable lamps, home systems, fans, radios and televisions benefitting more than 30 million individuals across 65+ countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. In India alone, more than 2 million rural homes have replaced unsafe and expensive fuel based sources of light with bright, cost-effective, and environment friendly Sun KingTM solar powered systems. These products have led to significant social and economic benefits including dramatic improvements in study-time for children, productivity of small business owners and household savings for families.

Receiving the award, Dhaval Radia, Global Business Leader said, “We are grateful and humbled to receive this recognition from The Economic Times. It is a testament to the hard work & impact created by all of our immensely talented teams, globally. We will continue to set a benchmark for the accessibility and proliferation of decentralised renewable energy to the people who need it the most. Having nearly doubled the revenues during FY17-18, we are currently the only company in the sector to have demonstrated consistent profitability over the last three years, establishing that our business models are sustainable and scalable. Our fundamentals are firmly in place, and encouraged by the positive measures undertaken by the government in the solar sector. Greenlight Planet is poised to enter a new growth trajectory.”

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To enable the most cash-constrained households to afford Sun King solutions, Greenlight Planet’s newest offering EasyBuyTM is a payment solution that enables unbanked customers to buy Sun KingTM products on an installment plan. With innovative products and services in the pipeline, the company hopes to further increase its distribution presence through strategic partnerships with financial institutions, governmental organizations, NGOs and companies with rural distribution networks. The company most recently won the coveted Rural Marketing Association of India award for ‘Best Sales Promotion campaign of the Year’.

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Tata Power, India’s largest integrated power company has been a pioneer in utilisation of renewable energy for the development of urban and rural areas, alike.

aking this oath forward, Coastal Gujarat Power Limited (CGPL) in partnership with Tata Power Community Development Trust (TPCDT) has identified the first of its kind project called ‘Suryoday’ where an entire village of Gujarat will be adopting universal rooftop solar installation. There are a number of initiatives like solar powered street lighting, water pumping, and solar farms that are connected with larger power grids, however, there are not many organized rooftop solutions with net-metering covering an entire village community.

Commenting on the ‘Suryoday’ project, Mr. Ashok Sethi, COO & Executive Director, Tata Power, said, “At Tata Power, we are committed towards a greener and cleaner future with focus on renewable energy. We continue to seek potential areas across India for the development in the sector. To execute this vision, we aim to initiate growth in capacity through organic and inorganic means to achieve 30-40% generation capacity of Tata Power from clean energy sources.” He further added, “The initiative in Tunda, Gujarat is an affirmative step towards providing clean energy to our communities.”

This project which targets 100% households in the region will give individual houses rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system which would be connected to the grid without having battery banks. This initiative furthers the company’s efforts of a cleaner environment for the society. Under this project, Tunda village, has been identified as the model village by CGPL. Being close to the plant it takes forward the philosophy of “Neighbour of Choice”. In consultation with the Gram Panchayat the Tunda community has agreed upon processes to enable 200 Households of Tunda with solar power. Gujarat Energy Development Authority (GEDA) approved vendor has been identified to install the rooftop facility. Till date, 17 household installations have been completed and connected to the main grid line.The total cost for per household/1 KWp will be Rs. 69,500 with significant contributions from Central Government, State Government, CGPL and TCDPT and the village community. This initiative has fostered the value of working together in the direction of sustained growth. Source: tatapower

July 2018

SOLAR PROJECTS

Azure Power Wins 130 MW Solar Power Project in Maharashtra

Azure Power (NYSE:AZRE), one of India’s leading independent solar power producers, announced that it has won a 130 MW solar power project which was recently auctioned by Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL), rated A by ICRA, a Moody’s company. MSEDCL supplies electricity to 22 million consumers in Maharashtra and was declared as a load shedding free state in December 2012.

EDCL supplies electricity to 22 million consumers in Maharashtra and was declared as a load shedding free state in December 2012. Azure Power will sign a 25 years Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with MSEDCL, at a tariff of INR 2.72 (~US$ 0.04) per kWh. The project is expected to be developed by Azure Power outside a solar park and is expected to be commissioned in 2019.

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Speaking on this occasion, Inderpreet Wadhwa, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Azure Power said, “We are pleased to announce our win in Maharashtra and with this, we continue to demonstrate our strong project development, engineering, and execution capabilities and are delighted to make this contribution towards realization of our Hon’ble Prime Minister’s commitment towards clean and green energy, through solar power generation.”

Azure Power has been among the most active participants in several solar power auctions since the launch of the solar power market in India and the majority of the Company’s portfolio are with customers that have some of the best credit ratings in India and are backed by the sovereign Government of India.

L&T Construction bags orders worth Rs 2,440 cr “The power transmission and distribution business of L&T Construction has bagged EPC orders worth Rs 2,440 crore,” L&T said in a BSE filing.

July 2018

ther projects include building grid-connected rooftop solar plants in government buildings under the Alo Shree’ scheme and supply, erection, testing and commissioning of 400kV double circuit transmission lines on turnkey basis in the southern region of India. Shares of L&T were trading 0.33 percent higher at Rs 1,369.30 on BSE.

ACME GROUP STRENGTHEN ITS SOLAR PORTFOLIO BY WINNING 250 MW SOLAR POWER CAPACITY IN 1000 MW SOLAR TENDER ACME Group wins 250 MW Solar power capacity in the bid issued by Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co Ltd (MSEDCL)

CME won 250 MW Solar PV capacity in the reverse auction held on 14.05.2018 invited by Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co Ltd (MSEDCL). Total capacity allotted under the reverse auction was 1000 MW. MSEDCL invited 1000 MW solar tender under Built Own and Operate model wherein successful developer can set up solar project anywhere in India and supply power to MSEDCL under 25 year PPA. This selection process concluded at a very competitive tariff wherein ACME was allotted largest capacity i.e. 250 MW at a tariff of INR 2.72/kWh out of total tender capacity of 1000 MW. As per the tender, the project has to be commissioned within 15 months from PPA signing and would entail investment to the tune of approx. 250 Million USD.

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A continuous effort to innovate and offer most competitive solar tariff to people said Shri Manoj Kumar Upadhyay, Founder and Chairman of ACME Group ACME Solar is an independent power producer, which builds, owns and operates solar power plants in India. It has an operating capacity of over 1500 MW solar projects in India. With this won capacity, ACME’s total portfolio will increase to 2300 MW. With strong inhouse execution and design team, ACME plans to execute this project in self-execution mode.

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SOLAR PROJECTS

Risen Energy starts construction of 121MW Yarranlea solar project in Australia Risen Energy Co., Ltd., a Chinese PV module producer, announced recently that following the acquisition in February of a 100% stake in the 121MW Yarranlea solar farm project located 50km southwest of Toowoomba, in Australia’s Queensland state, construction of the project officially started this month.

Queensland Parliament member Patrick Weir, Toowoomba Regional Council mayor Paul Antonio, Risen Energy Australia project development and investment director John Zhong, and other guests took part in the ground-breaking ceremony. The Yarranlea project, which covers an area of some 250 hectares, features an installed capacity of 121MW. In addition to the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), delivery of modules and the follow-up adjustment and calibration upon completion of the project, Risen Energy will own and operate the completed facility. Construction is scheduled to be completed at the earliest by the end of March of next year. Upon completion, the facility will be connected to the grid under

the management of the National Electricity Market and provide clean electricity to Toowoomba and Darling Downs, with an average annual power capacity projected to reach 264GWh after being put into operation. In terms of energy saving and carbon reduction, the projects will reduce CO2 use by 124,000 metric tonnes, resulting in significant benefits for both environmental protection and economic development. Thanks to a generous subsidy plan, high electricity prices and soon-to-be-expired feed-in-tariff (FiT) subsidies, Australia has become the world’s largest market of energy storage for home use, with market size tripling last year. Increasingly, non-Australian manufacturers and developers are targeting the market by speeding up their efforts in the country, including Chinese leader Risen Energy.

Mr. Zhong said: “We highly value joint development of the Yarranlea project with the Australian government. We are also proud of the fact that the Yarranlea project is our first large-scale EPC project in the country. The project has also received regulatory approval for the development of integrated energy storage. We have set up specific zones for energy storage onsite. The competence in energy storage means spare electricity in the daytime could be stored and used during peak periods and at night, further enhancing profitability and reducing power generation costs of the Yarranlea station. We look forward to close cooperation with leading suppliers to ensure successful completion and operation of the project, with the aim of providing regenerable energy to Toowoomba and Darling Downs.” Mr. Zhong added: “In addition to Queensland, we are targeting other states across Australia, most notably Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia. To facilitate development of the project, we have assigned experienced experts to analyse our ongoing projects, while preparing for development of additional power stations that we will own and operate ourselves. We plan to expand further in Australia over the next five years, with a capacity goal of 1GW.”

Essel Green Energy, IBC Solar Ventures to install solar plants in Odisha Gridco is now purchasing 138 Mw of solar to meet its requirement which includes 63 Mw installed within the state. Aiming to establish its foothold in the country's renewable energy map, Odisha expects the addition of 270 Mw of solar power by September this year. “IBC Solar Ventures India with a capacity of 20 Mw and a 10 Mw by Odisha based Jyoti Infrastructure has been synchronized with the grid. Essel Green Energy, a subsidiary of Subhash Chandra's Essel Group is expected to commission 120 MW (3 x 40 Mw) out of 240 MW solar project it has won through tender from Solar Energy Corporation of India by June”, said an official source.

he balance 120 Mw capacity will be commissioned by September this year, added the official. Gridco is now purchasing 138 Mw of solar to meet its requirement which includes 63 Mw installed within the state. Private sector interest in Odisha's solar power sector is now seeing traction. Solar energy majors are making a beeline for putting up units in Odisha after Gridco has invited bids to select 200-Mw of grid-connected solar power projects. Apart from Essel Group, companies like Acme, ReNew Power, Tata Power, IBC Solar, Sahara Power and Adani Green Energy have already evinced interest. The project will be developed in a non-solar park model, where bidders are given a free hand to choose their land. The capacity may be allotted to bidders with lowest tariffs discovered under the competitive bidding process followed by e-reverse auction. Gridco will enter into a power-purchase agreement (PPA) with the successful bidder for 25 years from the date commercial operations begin.

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Central PSUs have been interested in putting up projects in the state. After NTPC, NLC and North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO), SJVN, a mini-ratna PSU, has evinced interest in participating in the state's solar park programme. Odisha recently cleared a plan by NEEPCO to invest Rs 9.44 billion to set up a 200-Mw solar power plant. The unit is scheduled to start operations in December 2019. It has also provided in-principle clearance for 250 Mw solar power project proposed by NLC at the cost of Rs 45 million per Mw. The government has also offered to sign a PPA with NLC. The latest tariff rate in Odisha for solar is Rs 4.5 per Mw under a scheme of the new and renewable energy ministry.

July 2018

SOLAR PROJECTS

ACME Group bags 50 MW Solar power project “We wanted to learn from this project and use our innovation and execution capabilities to meet the customer expectation. I’m happy that our team has done this. We will build special structure and balance of plant to meet site condition,”

Azure Power Wins Largest Solar Power Project (75 MWs) in Northeast India Azure Power wins 75 MWs, highest allocation out of a 100 MW tender, in Assam

zure Power (NYSE: AZRE), one of India’s leading independent solar power producers, announced that it has won the largest (75 MWs) solar power project in the North Eastern region of India. Azure Power will sign a 25 year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) at a weighted average tariff of INR 3.37 (~US cents 5.2) per kWh. The project will be developed by Azure Power outside a solar park and is expected to be commissioned in 2019. Assam has seen a significant increase in power demand in recent years and has a shortage of electricity capacity. The state has a peak power deficit of 4.2% and energy demand growth was 9% during the year ending March 2018. APDCL currently serves a quickly growing consumer base of more than 3.3 million.

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

July 2018

CME Group today said it has won 50 MW solar power project at Gujrai solar park, Uttar Pradesh in an auction conducted by Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). ACME won the contract in the reverse auction held today, invited by the SECI for Gujrai solar park, a company statement said. The SECI invited solar tenders with cumulative capacity of 275 MW to be executed at multiple solar parks in Uttar Pradesh. According to the statement, the ACME participated in the bidding process for 50 MW at Gujrai solar park in Kanpur dehat district of Uttar Pradesh and won it at a tariff of Rs 3.38 per cent unit. It is a very tough project due to site access, soil condition, difficult contour, high wind speed and lower GHI (Global Horizontal Irradiance). The tariff remains lower than forbearance price of Rs 3.48 per unit.

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“We wanted to learn from this project and use our innovation and execution capabilities to meet the customer expectation. I’m happy that our team has done this. We will build special structure and balance of plant to meet site condition,” said Manoj Kumar Upadhyay, Founder and Chairman ACME Group in the statement.

ACME has 30 MW operational project in UP and decided to expand its footprints in the state. By winning this bid, ACME will now sign a 25 year PPA with SECI who will sell power to state utilities of Uttar Pradesh. Source: PTI

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SOLAR PROJECTS

Def minister inaugurates Tata Power bags 150 MW sosolar power plant at Heavy lar project in Maharashtra Tata Power today said it has bagged the contract for setting up Vehicle a 150-MW solar project in the state from the Maharashtra State Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated a 16 MW solar ‘PV power plant’ set up by the defence PSU Bharat Electronics LTD at the Heavy Vehicle Factory in Avadi.

Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDCL).

he company’s subsidiary Tata Power Renewable Energy (TPREL) has bagged the contract and will sign a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with MSEDCL, a release said. This project is a part of MSEDCL’s 1,000 MW grid connected solar power projects for which the state utility had invited bids through competitive bidding process and e-reverse auction for a period of 25 years.

he power plant set up on a 80 acre land, at a cost of Rs 105 crore, would meet the captive consumption of the HVF and Engine Factory Avadi (EFA). The plant would inject power at 110kV to the Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation Ltd’s 110 kV Sub-Station. This is expected to lead to an annual savings of Rs 45.41 million for HVF. Solar power generated here is given to TNEB (Tamil Nadu Electricity Board) at less than Rs five thus providing over Rs four crore savings. Great contribution by Bharat Electronics and Ordnance Factory at Avadi,” she said in her official twitter handle after formally inaugurating the plant. The new plant would provide green energy to the factory and promote GreenIndia, she said in another tweet.Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL), under the ‘Viability Gap Funding Scheme’, is establishing energy security for the Ordnance Factory Estates, by setting up utility scale grid-connected solar power plants, a press release said. It would also lead to reduction of sulphur di-oxide, nitrogen di-oxide and particulate matter emissions resulting in improvement in air quality, the release said. The carbondioxide avoided due to the solar power plant would be around 26,384 ton per year, it added. BEL Chairman and Managing Director, M V Gowatama, Tata Solar Power Chief Financial Officer, Satish Gupta were among those present on the occasion. Source: PTI

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“Renewables is a focus area for us and we are looking at expanding in this space, especially solar. As we move forward, with the new technology coming in, we expect to do further improvement in PLFs (plant load factors),” Tata Power chief executive officer and managing director Praveer Sinha said in the release.

Tata Power’s vision is to have 35-40 per cent of the company’s total generation capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2025. Currently, the company’s renewable energy capacity has crossed 2,000 MW and green generation portfolio (consisting solar, wind, waste heat recovery and hydro) has crossed the 3,400-MW mark.

July 2018

SOLAR PROJECTS

Vikram Solar commissions 10 MW solar project in Itarsi, M.P Vikram Solar, one of the leading module manufacturer and solar EPC player of India, commissioned a 10 MW Solar Power Project for Bharat Electronics Limited at the Ordnance Factory, Itarsi in Madhya Pradesh.

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his is a captive power plant, and the power generated through this will be used by Ordnance Factory Itarsi. Apart from installation, Vikram Solar will also provide Operations and Maintenance (O&M) service to the plant for a period of 10 years from the date of commissioning.

Mr. Rohit Dhar, Director of Sales-EPC, Vikram Solar, shared on the occasion, “This is yet another milestone for us and an addition to our country’s greener future. The large expanse of black soil in the area posed a challenging environment to work during the monsoon. We understand that no project is without its set of challenges and our team constantly strives to overcome these hurdles by exercising superior operational practices in the field along with robust planning and execution capabilities.

It is a 10 MW plant project and has 35,360 modules powering the whole unit. Vikram Solar has a prestigious 750 MW (commissioned + under execution) EPC capacity. With proven capacity to handle utility scale projects (130 MW for NTPC at Bhadla-Rajasthan, 80 MW for GIPCL at Charanka- Gujarat, 40 MW for IL&FS at Kachaliya- Madhya Pradesh), innovative projects (India’s first floating solar), and airport installations (Calicut, Kolkata, Kochi) Vikram Solar is contributing to the growth of Indian solar revolution. Vikram Solar favors meticulous strategy in sync with high end technology usage to complete EPC projects. Prestigeous profile and huge client base including names like- NTPC Limited, Gujarat Industries Power Company Limited, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited, Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Company, Bharat Electronics Limited, West Bengal State Electricity Development Company Limited- highlights company’s ability to satisfy conservative clients.

July 2018

Rays Power Infra completes the installation of 620MW of solar power capacity in India An additional 350 MW of capacity is under development in the state of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and will enable the company to commission over 1000 MW of aggregate capacity by the end of FY 2020

ays Power Infra, one of India’s leading solar power development and EPC companies, recently announced the installation of 620MW of solar power capacity across India in aggregate and has additional 150 MW of utility-scale capacity in an advanced stage of development. The company has also initiated development of over 200 MW of ground-mount projects selling power directly to the end consumers, under its subsidiary Rays Future Energy, which are expected to be commissioned by end of FY 2019. Accounting for the projects currently under development, the company is expected to have commissioned over 1000MW of aggregate capacity by the end of FY2020. This reflects the company’s broad presence in the country. With significant value-addition in the Indian solar market, Rays Power is now looking to commence international initiatives.

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Commenting on the milestone, Mr. Ketan Mehta, CEO, Rays Power Infra, said, “We take immense pride in how much we have accomplished within a short period of time. Rays Power Infra is now an acknowledged leading player in providing turnkey solar power producing facilities having worked with leading independent power producers and investors. We look forward to leveraging our continuously growing experience and expertise in successfully implementing solar power plants in India and markets abroad, as we look to expand our reach into new territory that has great potential for solar power generation.”

Rays Power Infra aims to continue its growth in India and is looking to expand into the international markets, with a target of cumulatively commissioning of over 1200 MW by end of FY 2020. The company expects to continue the leverage of its extensive project experience and industry-leading technical expertise to provide more people in India and abroad with innovative, eco-friendly, and cost-effective solar power technology solutions. Source: value360india

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RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

Renewable energy outpaces fossils in India: Reports Wind and solar energy in India are now outpacing fossil fuels as investment opportunities providing on average 12 per cent higher annual returns, 20 per cent lower annual volatility and 61 per cent higher risk-adjusted returns than coal and natural gas, reports said .

nvestors also increasingly see renewable energy as less risky than fossil fuel energy, even though wind and solar are new entrants in the energy mix. This is predominantly because of shortcomings that impact profitability of the fossil fuel energy sector in India, such as sourcing issues, import dependency, long construction periods, environmental regulations and more recently low plant load factors and stranded coal and gas power plants. These are findings from a new series of reports titled “An Assessment of India’s Energy Choices” led by Climate Policy Initiative (CPI), the Indian School of Business (ISB), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Delhi). The series looks at the future of renewable energy in India along different economic dimensions. From a broader macroeconomic perspective, the studies published under this initiative find that there is a close relationship between economic growth in India and renewable energy growth. For example, higher renewable energy generation corresponds to lower unemployment, fewer net energy imports, a lower fiscal deficit and a higher GDP over the next 25 years. Econometric analysis of realistic renewable energy deployment out to 2042 shows that India could add between two million and 4.5 million jobs in wind and solar. Despite these strong economic signals, however, the studies indicate that to meet the official target of renewable energy capacity of 175 GW by 2022, India needs to focus more on strong renewable energy policies and also on strong macroeconomic policies.

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“Assessing the various direct, indirect, and external costs and benefits of all energy resources will reflect the significance of renewables for India’s energy future,”, Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation CEO Krishan Dhawan said in a statement. Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation works to facilitate India’s transition to a cleaner energy future.

potential.”

“Our work shows that meeting India’s renewable energy targets is clearly associated with positive impacts for India’s economy,” said CPI India Director Gireesh Shrimali. “Unfortunately, while it is likely that the sector will continue to grow, there are a range of barriers to it reaching its full

The studies indicate that India should prioritize policies that support a strong fiscal environment. As renewable energy growth is so closely related to economic growth, and vice versa, India can take steps to meet both clean energy and growth goals by focusing not only on strong renewable energy policies but also on strong fiscal policies. The authors recommend that policymakers work to address the main investment risk factors for renewable energy. The study also suggests a near-term path that transitions coal plants to flexibility assets. CPI’s research points out that as renewable penetration grows, overall economic risk of stranding existing fossil fuel assets also increases at the same time that there will be a greater need for flexibility to provide base-load power.

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Utility Spending on Blockchain-based Platforms is Expected to Reach $3.7 Billion by 2026 Blockchain energy platforms must emphasize operational efficiency before the technology can be widely adopted in the energy sector.

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new report from Navigant Research analyzes the market for blockchainbased platforms in the utilities industry, providing forecasts for wholesale energy trading, EV charging and integration, and transactive energy platforms through 2026. In 2016 and 2017, millions of dollars flowed into energyrelated blockchain projects, and the adoption of the technology continues to grow. As decentralized energy markets emerge, these opportunities for energyspecific blockchain applications are an important target for industry.

“The expectations for blockchain in the energy sector are sky-high, helped along by hundreds of millions of dollars in venture capital investments and initial coin offering (ICO) fundraising,” says Johnathon de Villier, Research Analyst with Navigant Research. “However, the technology is still immature and unproven, and utility spending will grow at a much more measured pace.”

Future blockchain development in the utility industry depends on external technological factors, including the penetration of smart meters and networked charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. According to the report, blockchain adoption will not be disruptive until Internet of Things devices and communications technologies are integrated into compatible blockchain networks. This report, Utility Blockchain Applications Market Overview, provides an overview of the developing market for blockchain-based platforms in the utilities industry. The study focuses on wholesale energy trading, certificates of origin, EV charging and integration, meter registration and switching, and transactive energy platforms. Global forecasts of utility spending, segmented by region and use case, extend through 2026. The report also describes the components of a blockchain architecture and explores the competitive landscape and key challenges that must be addressed before blockchain can be widely adopted in the energy sector.

July 2018

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

IEEFA Report: Advances in Solar Energy Accelerate Global Shift in Electricity Generation

Green Shift to Slash Oil Company Income by $19 Trillion to 2040

The global transition to electric vehicles and renewable sources of power will see oil company revenue plummet.

Rapid Cost Deflation, Broad Gains in Scale; Key Momentum in China and India; Crucial Support From International Capital Markets and Tech Giants; Expansion Role Seen for National Governments

A he rollout of 540 million electric vehicles by 2040 will cause oil demand to peak in the mid2020s, slashing income by $19 trillion, according to Oxford, England-based Aurora Energy Research Ltd. Gas and power will provide more than half of final energy consumption, up from 39 percent currently.

The study—“Solar Is Driving a Global Shift in Energy Markets”—details some of the world’s biggest utilityscale and concentrated-solar-power (CSP) projects. It documents prime examples of large rooftop-solar expansions, floating-solar developments, and solarwith-battery-storage projects. It includes an overview of corporate renewable power purchase deals and a rundown of utilities that have taken a critical lead on the renewable energy front.

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Aurora’s “analysis points to a possible energy future of mass electrification, digitization, and new technologies, in which the rise in electric vehicles and continued improvements in fuel efficiency lead to peak oil demand occurring in the mid2020,” Richard Howard, head of research at Aurora, said in the report. “This flips the very idea of ‘peak oil’ — previously hypothesized for the supply side – as electricity grows in importance as a transport energy source.” Oil companies are struggling to find an identity for themselves in a greener, more environmentally aware world. But they recognize that they need to change to survive. Royal Dutch Shell Plc and BP Plc are trying to find ways to offer EV charging alongside traditional gasoline pumps at service stations and are buying up renewable generation. Bloomberg New Energy Finance estimates global power demand will surge 58 percent by 2040 from 2016 levels, with $10.2 trillion of investment needed in the sector. During the same period the growth of electric vehicles is seen displacing about 8 million barrels of oil a day — equivalent to the current total production of Iran and Iraq. OPEC’s strategy will change to increase production to gain market share from one of restricting supply in order to prop up prices, according to Aurora. With demand declining in the 2030s, the company’s “burnout scenario” predicts that oil prices could fall to $32 per barrel in 2040 from about $80 currently. Total fossil fuel revenue will fall to $21 trillion, 10 percent of which is due to coal, as that fuel loses favor in power generation. Prices will collapse to $28 a ton by 2040, from about $90 now, “barely above the marginal cost of production and transport.” Natural gas will probably emerge as the main fossil fuel “winner” as it balances renewables in power generation and is used as a substitute for oil in petrochemicals. Long-term gas demand is set to increase by 15 percent, or by 750 billion cubic meters, compared to business as usual, Aurora said.

report published by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis describes how solar energy is accelerating the transformation of the global electricity-generation sector through gains in technology innovation and price deflation.

“Solar has finally come of age, as can be seen in the many rapid project developments across various technologies and in a broad array of business models,” said Tim Buckley, lead author of the report and IEEFA’s director of energy finance studies, Australasia. “These advances are occurring alongside gains in storage, wind, hydroelectricity and energy efficiency.” “Global energy markets are changing, and fast.”

The report acknowledges recent research by Bloomberg New Energy Finance that puts total global solar installations in 2017 at 98 gigawatts (GW), a 31% increase over 2016. It notes that China was responsible for over half (53 GW) of that total, and that India installed 10 GW of solar in 2017, almost double its record in 2016. Crucially, India’s “Scheme for Development of Solar Parks” has proven successful at attracting foreign capital toward construction of the world’s largest ultramega solar parks. “India and China are hardly alone, however, as electricity markets elsewhere accelerate their uptake of solar,” Buckley said. “Saudi Arabia’s latest announcement of its intentions to develop 200 GW of solar by 2030 through investments from Japanese tech giant Softbank is a great example of the scale at which solar power is likely to expand in the coming years.” The report delineates important trends in corporate renewable Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in which tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft and Apple are relying more on solar and wind-energy plants and on rooftop solar capacities on their own facilities. Manufacturing and logistics companies, airports, railways, and universities are following similar paths.

Source: Bloomberg L.P.

July 2018

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RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

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“As major corporations sign on to such deals, they continue to look to ‘green’ their entire supply chains, many of which sit in emerging markets,” Buckley said. “This activity helps expand access to international capital markets, which historically has been a key constraint.”

Buckley said that as countries grapple with ever-higher shares of variable renewable energy generation, demand for system balancing will require a multitude of technology solutions including improved international grid connectivity, better demand-response management, and more pumped hydro and battery storage. CSP technology, solar-wind hybrid generation, and solar-with-storage have become increasingly valuable for their ability to ensure solar reliability. India, in particular, is exploring a number of innovative initiatives in these areas to build capacity and “learning by doing.”

The report highlights a number of recent milestones: A 1,547-MW project at Tengger, China, setting the record for largest operational solar project. India’s push for development of “Industrial Solar Parks” driving construction on a number of the world’s largest utility-scale projects, including the nearly complete 2,225 MW Bhadla solar industrial park in Rajasthan and the State of Gujarat looking to beat that with an April 2018 announcement of intentions to build a 5,000 MW project. A step-change in the commercially deployed cost of CSP, with SolarReserve, the leading developer of such technology, establishing a pipeline of mega projects in the U.S., China, Australia, South Africa and Chile. Commissioning of the largest operational floating solar project (40 MW), in the Anhui district of China, amid signs of even larger floating solar plants to come as India, Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, Vietnam, and England take advantage of a model that maximises usage of dam reservoirs, wastewater-treatment facilities, fish farms and collapsed coal mines. Global residential plus commercial & industrial (C&I) rooftop solar installations totaling 28 GW in 2017, up 27% year on year from 22 GW in 2016. A record number of corporate PPAs, of which more and more are built around solar. The report emphasises the role governments can play in expanding renewable electricity-generation momentum by constructively managing trade protectionism, domestic solarmodule manufacturing, and transmission networks.

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South Africa Plans to Add Up to $4 Billion of Renewable Projects

South Africa plans to invite bidders for additional renewable power projects that may amount to as much as 50 billion rand ($4 billion) of investment and help stimulate local and black-owned business.

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he fifth bid window for 1,800 megawatts of renewable projects under the government’s independent power producers program will start in November, according to a copy of Energy Minister Jeff Radebe’s speech given at a conference in Johannesburg

“The intention is to enhance local manufacturing to ensure investment and economic growth as well as the opportunity to encourage opportunities for black industrialists and the development of black independent power producers,” Energy Minister Jeff Radebe said. The bid window will require similar generation technology to the so-called expedited round announced in 2015, which has expired, he said.

Under President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is leading a drive to attract $100 billion of investment in the next five years, Radebe revived the national renewable-energy program that was once the world’s fastest growing, but had since stagnated. The minister signed agreements with 27 independent power producers in April after more than two years of delays. The independent power producer program will also aim to “take into account the different needs of the communities where the projects are and which will allow the impact to be measured,” Radebe said. Two coal-fired projects under the program will bring another 40 billion rand of investment to the country, he said. Source: Bloomberg L.P.

July 2018

BUSINESS & FINANCE

$300 Million World Bank Operation to Help Scale Up India’s Energy Efficiency Program The World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved a $220 million loan and an $80 million guarantee for the India Energy Efficiency Scale-Up Program. The Program, to be implemented by the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), will help scale up the deployment of energy saving measures in residential and public sectors, strengthen EESL’s institutional capacity, and enhance its access to commercial financing.

ndia’s climate change commitments to reduce carbon intensity by 33-35 percent by 2030 from 2005 level will require a significant focus on energy efficiency improvements. The investments under the Program are expected to avoid lifetime greenhouse gas emissions of 170 million tons of CO2, and contribute to avoiding an estimated 10 GW of additional generation capacity. This would be over 50 percent of the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency target of 19.6 GW indicated in India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Accord. The key components of the operation include: creating sustainable markets for LED lights and energy efficient ceiling fans; facilitating well-structured and scalable investments in public street lighting; developing sustainable business models for emerging market segments such as super-efficient air conditioning and agricultural water pumping systems; and strengthening the institutional capacity of EESL. Moreover, the Program will help to increase private sector participation in energy efficiency, including through private sector energy service companies. Under the Program, EESL will deploy 219 million LED bulbs and tube lights, 5.8 million ceiling fans, and 7.2 million street lights, which will be supplied by private sector manufacturers and suppliers. As an integral part of the operation, the first-ever IBRD guarantee in India will help EESL access new markets for commercial financing in line with the Bank’s approach of maximizing finance for development. The guarantee is expected to leverage some $200 million in additional financing, to help EESL with its growing portfolio and future investment needs.

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“This energy efficiency Program for Results will help India meet its NDC commitments and move further towards a more resourceefficient growth path,” said Junaid Ahmad, World Bank Country Director in India. “The additional guarantee from the World Bank will support EESL to access new sources of commercial funding, diversify its investor base, and establish a track record for future access to financial markets,” he added.

July 2018

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“India’s energy efficiency market, estimated to be over $12 billion per year, continues to face implementation barriers, particularly in the residential and public sectors, which have some of the largest untapped potential for energy efficiency improvements. Building upon its experience of UJALA and SLNP, EESL is now expanding its initiatives to other energy efficiency measures,” said Ashok Sarkar, Senior Energy Specialist and World Bank’s Task Team Leader for the Program. “The financing under the India Energy Efficiency Scale-Up Program will not only help EESL to continue achieving the results under its existing initiatives but also strengthen its institutional capacity and ability to meet its future expanding needs by leveraging private ESCO industry and increased access to a wider range of external commercial financing sources,” he added.

The $220 million loan, from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) to EESL, has a 5-year grace period, and a maturity of 19 years. The $80 million IBRD guarantee will partially cover re-payment risks to commercial lenders or investors, to enable EESL to raise funds for its program.

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BUSINESS & FINANCE

Trina Solar completes acquisition of Nclave

Morgan Stanley Buys $40 Million Stake in Chinese Solar Firm Daqo

Trina Solar Limited (“Trina Solar” or the “Company”) announced that it has successfully closed the acquisition of Spain-based Nclave Renewable S.L. (“Nclave”), the world’s leading solar tracker system manufacturer.

his is the first time that a Chinese solar company has acquired a solar tracker producer outside of its home market, accelerating Trina Solar’s strategic transformation from a leading PV product supplier to a global smart PV solution provider. The acquisition also marks another solid step towards Trina Solar’s strategic transformation into an enterprise focused on the development of alternative and renewable energy solutions that work in concert with the Internet of Things ecosystem. With the acquisition, Trina Solar’s latest TrinaPro smart PV solutions will directly incorporate Nclave’s tracker products and engineering designs, while Nclave’s leading-edge technologies will also be deeply integrated into Trina Solar’s smart solutions. Nclave was founded by the Clavijo Family and integrated the company MFV in 2017 together with the participation of the fund Q-Growth . Nclave has over 12 years of experience in renewable energy sources, having provided more than 2.5 GW worldwide. It currently has its headquarters in Madrid (Spain), commercial offices in five continents and manufacturing facilities in Navarra (Spain). Nclave is a leading company in the development, design, manufacturing, installation and maintenance of fixed structures and photovoltaic solar trackers, including dimensioning and implementing of all foundation solutions. Nclave offers the widest range of products in the market (fixed structures and single and multi row trackers with any configuration), being adaptable to all kinds of project through solutions with minimum investment cost; as well as operation and maintenance. Its design for core parts and structures have received multiple international patents. Source: Trina Solar Limited

Morgan Stanley (MS) disclosed in a regulatory filing that it now holds a 5.1% stake in Daqo New Energy (DQ).

he banking giant said that as of May 14 it owned 16.4 million ordinary shares of Daqo, equivalent to 656,100 of the U.S.-traded American depositary shares, as each ADS represents 25 ordinary shares. That position makes it the Chinese firm’s fourth-largest shareholder, according to S&P Capital IQ. Daqo, based in Chongqing, manufactures high-purity polysilicon for the solar photovoltaic industry. The ADS has heated up quickly this month. Morgan Stanley’s stake was valued at $39.5 million at the May 14 closing price of $60.26. Based on Daqo’s closing price of $65.52 on Monday, Morgan Stanley’s stake is now valued at $43 million. Morgan Stanley held a mere 19,000 Daqo ADSs at the end of the first quarter, so it must have acquired hundreds of thousands of ADSs in April and early May. The ADSs have made some hay. So far this year, through Monday’s close, Daqo has gained 10%. In August, Morgan Stanley’s own research department rated Daqo an Outperform and highlighted it as a “Top 5 Climate Change Impact” stock.

Source: barrons

Statkraft acquires BLP’s shares Bank of America Raises in SBSS $2.25 Billion in Largest Statkraft, Europe’s largest generator of renewable energy and Bharat Light and Power (BLP), have agreed to end the partnership. BLP has agreed to sell its stake in the Green Bond Deal joint venture Statkraft BLP Solar Solutions Private Limited (SBSS) to Statkraft. SBSS provides distributed solar solutions to the commercial & industrial segment in India. Tejpreet S. Chopra, Managing Director, BLP said, “The transaction is in line with BLP’s strategy of optimizing value across its business lines. BLP and Statkraft have created a leading venture which has successfully commissioned projects across India, and developed a strong brand in the distributed solar space. We wish to thank Statkraft for a fantastic partnership, and wish Statkraft the very best in their future endeavours.” Marthe Hoff, Senior Vice President International Markets, is enthusiastic about the future: “The talented and motivated employees of SBSS are committed to realize Statkraft’s ambition to be the preferred supplier of renewable, innovative and cost efficient energy solutions for Commercial and Industrial companies across India. Statkraft will scale up its effort and combine local expertise with the international experience the company has accumulated from more than 120 years of operation.”

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Bank of America Corp. has issued a $2.25 billion bond to support clean energy projects, making it the largest so-called green bond issuance that the bank has done to date. he Charlotte, North Carolina-based bank has now issued four corporate green bonds, raising a total of $4.35 billion for renewable energy projects since 2013. “We’ve seen tremendous demand in the debt capital markets, with all four of our green bonds significantly oversubscribed,” Anne Finucane, a vice chairman at the company, said in the statement. Source: Bloomberg L.P.

July 2018

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Tata Power Plans $5 Billion Push to Boost Renewable Capacity Tata Power Co., one of India’s largest private power utilities, is planning to invest as much as $5 billion to ramp up its renewable capacity fourfold, according to its top executive. The 103-year-old power utility plans to increase its clean-energy capacity to 12,000 megawatts by 2028, Chief Executive Officer Praveer Sinha said. That would require an investment of as much as 40 million rupees ($594,000) a megawatt, he said. According to Bloomberg calculations, that works out to a total investment of as much as 360 billion rupees. “Renewables is our big space. This is something that we want to go big in,” Sinha said in an interview in Mumbai. “The bulk of the increase will come from solar. It will be utility level large projects as well as residential and commercial rooftops.”

Azure Roof Power Announces US$ 135 Million Financing US$ 135 million investment, largest debt financing in India, to facilitate development of approximately 200 MWs of Azure Roof Power projects

he company has said previously it expects as much as half of its capacity to be based on non-fossil fuels by 2025 compared with about 30 percent now. The green push comes amid a global shift away from dirty fuels and a drive by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to more than double India’s renewable power capacity to 175 gigawatts. It will also help Tata Power, part of the country’s top conglomerate, reduce dependence on its coal-based plants, the biggest of which has long been a drag on its earnings.

Clear Potential : “There’s a policy directive on boosting clean energy. That’s also where foreign capital is flowing in,” Santosh R Hiredesai, a Mumbai-based analyst with Sbicap Securities Ltd. said. “Companies like Tata Power will invest where they see returns and clear growth potential.” Tata Power is also transferring its clean energy assets to a subsidiary, which the company may consider listing in the future or for which it may invite investments from pension or sovereign wealth funds. The rejig makes it easier for an investor to buy into only its green portfolio and not the parent, according to Hiredesai. Albatross : The utility expects to soon break even on its flagship 4,000-megawatt Mundra power plant, once described as an albatross around its neck as the high cost of imported fuel and capped tariffs pushed it into losses for years. In the quarter ended March, Tata Power posted better-than-expected profit on one-time gains due to a reversal of impairment charges on Mundra. “In the next two years, Mundra should be able to break even at profit-after-tax levels,” Sinha said as he counts on falling coal prices globally in the next year or so. With China importing less coal and Europe as well as the U.S. moving away from coal-fired facilities, Sinha expects a glut in supply to push prices down. He ruled out a stake sale in the Mundra power plant that was earlier being planned, but said negotiations were on with state governments — buyers of electricity from the plant — to allow surplus power to be sold at market rates. Power transmission, between cities and between states, is another focus area for the company as are smart metering and home automation services, he said. Source: Bloomberg L.P.

July 2018

zure Power (NYSE: AZRE), a leading independent solar power producer in India, announced that it has tied up US$ 135 million, the largest solar rooftop debt financing in India, with a consortium of Development Finance Institutions. The proceeds will be used to finance approximately 200 MWs of Azure Power’s solar rooftop projects across India. The line of credit was led by International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group and attracted the participation of leading institutions, including FMO – the Dutch development bank, Société de Promotion et de Participation pour la Coopération Economique (Proparco) – the French development finance institution, and Oesterreichische Entwicklungsbank AG (OeEB) – the development bank of Austria. Azure Power signed the agreement with FMO in the presence of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mr. Mark Rutte, Ambassador of the Netherlands to India, Mr. Alphonsus Stoelinga and Chief Risk & Finance Officer, FMO, Ms. Fatou Bouaré.

Linda Broekhuizen, Chief Investment Officer FMO said “FMO is committed to making a positive impact on green financial development. Earlier, we had invested approximately US$ 30 million in Azure Power, and this will be our second investment in the company, which is testament to FMO’s commitment to clean energy initiatives in India and our support of Azure Power.”

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Commenting on the occasion, Inderpreet Wadhwa, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Azure Power said, “We are pleased to announce the largest solar rooftop financing in India. This financing will enable us to rapidly expand our Azure Roof Power platform in India and lower the energy bills of our customers by providing clean and sustainable solar energy. We are delighted to make this contribution towards the realization of India’s ambitious rooftop targets and our Hon’ble Prime Minister’s commitment towards clean and green energy, through solar power generation.”

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July 2018

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Magenta Power sets up India’s first Solar Based Charging Station for Electric Vehicles Electricity demand from ELECTRIC VEHICLES to help power utilities earn $11 billion

Plans to set up 100 EV charging stations by the end of 2018

The overall electricity demand from large-scale adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in India is projected to touch 69.6 terawatt hours by 2030, helping power utilities earn an additional revenue of USD 11 billion, a report said.

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he joint study by Assocham and Ernst & Young LLP added that increasing adoption of EVs across India will be instrumental in transforming the country’s power sector and reduce emissions by 40-50 per cent, helping the country in achieving carbon emission reduction targets. Moreover, it said, the mass adoption of electric mobility is expected to help the power and utilities sector realise net cost and revenue benefits from both demand and supply side.

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“By 2030, EVs are expected to reduce emissions by 4050 per cent, compared to internal combustion engine vehicles in an aggressive renewable energy scenario,” the study said.

However, the report added that even if the grid continues to be coal-heavy, emissions are likely to reduce by 20-30 per cent. The report highlighted rapid transformation underway in the country’s power and utilities sector via reducing the dependence on imported coal, rising energy independence with renewables, reducing plant load factors and national grid integration. It suggested a national regulated rate that can be applicable to all charging stations across India, observing that the government will have to quickly facilitate standardisation of charging infrastructure and incentivise R&D for advanced charging technologies. “We expect the government to take active measures to streamline regulatory challenges and provide further policy impetus to drive uptake of EVs,” noted the report. It also said that while success of India’s EV mission depends upon development and proliferation of domestic manufacturing ecosystem, absence of an EV supply chain in the country demands an urgent investment in research and development and local manufacturing capabilities. The report also noted that clear policy guidelines are essential for EV market to take-off, given the huge capital investments involved.

July 2018

agenta Power, one of the leading service providers of renewable energy solutions in association with Exicom, installs India’s first to boast Solar Charging Station (DC Fast Charge) for Electric Vehicles in Turbhe, Navi Mumbai.The event was graced by Mr.Ganesh Naik, Ex MLA and Member of NCP. Called as Magenta Charging Station- 3, the new charging station will cater to four-wheelers. The newly installed chargers will enable electric car users to charge their cars at any time safely and conveniently. The grid-connected charging station will be powered by solar,which in turn makes the entire ecosystem totally free of fossil fuel. By reducing the carbon emissions to zero, it is the right solution for an eco-friendly environment.

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES

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Speaking at the event, Mr. Maxson Lewis, CEO Magenta Power said, “We are very proud to set up our first solar based Electric Vehicle Charging Station in Navi Mumbai. It is also India’s first Solar based EV charging station. Solar panels and electric vehicles are the perfect match that are certainly going to play a key role in the energy systems of the next 25 years. As the nation moves towards clean and affordable power for all, it is our attempt to provide customers with the best solutions for a greener tomorrow”. The Government undoubtedly has been encouraging the move towards Electric Vehicles and the shift shall be more evident by 2030, understanding which Magenta already has begun its plan to build the seamless network of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations, enabling easier adoption among the audience with proximity and making them future ready. Magenta has aggressive plans in EV space and aims to set up 100 charging stations at various locations in Mumbai and is in discussions with various stakeholders to this end.

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Delta Electronics India Launched Mumbai’s first DC Fast-Charger for Electric Vehicles at Maharashtra Mantralaya Delta, Powering Green Mobility installed 15 kW DC Fast-Charger EV Charging Station at Maharashtra Mantralaya

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elta Electronics India Pvt. Ltd, a leading Power and Energy management company, launched Mumbai’s first DC Fast-Charger station at Maharashtra Mantralaya.The EV Charging Station was launched by Dr. Harsh Vardhan Union Minister for Science & Technology & Earth Sciences, Government of India and Mr. Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

Mr. Akshaye Barbuddhe, Business Head of EV Charging Solutions business of Delta Electronics India said “With our new range of electric vehicle charging solutions, we intend to support the GOI’s mission to drive electric mobility. Our entire suite of solutions in EV Charging including the Bharat Chargers will complement the Indian e-mobility initiative providing a reliable technology and backing of the Delta brand.

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The DC Fast Charger station that is provided by Delta at Mantralaya has the capacity of 15 kW and is made based on the Bharat EV specifications standard. Delta’s comprehensive portfolio of energy efficient advanced EV charging stations will offer solutions to all kind of e-buses, e-cars and commercial electricvehicle(EV), including the newly launched e-cars such as Tata Tigor and Mahindra Verito. Once fully charged the car battery is able to sustain up to 100 to 120 km. ARAI certified these chargers are designed and manufactured locally further supporting GOI’s Make in India initiative”

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July 2018

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Maharashtra Govt Rolls Out E-Mobility Programme; Signs MoU with EESL EESL to lease out electric vehicles, and install chargers in Maharashtra government offices

nergy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a Super Energy Service Company (ESCO) under the administrative control of Ministry of Power, Govt of India, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the General Administration Department (GAD), Government of Maharashtra to lease out electric vehicles and install EV chargers in state government offices. The vehicles would be provided under the Government of Maharashtra’s Electric Vehicle and Related Infrastructure Policy – 2018.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Government of Maharashtra; Dr Harsh Vardhan, Hon’ble Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Shri Diwakar Raote, Hon’ble Minister for Transport, Government of Maharashtra; Shri Erik Solheim; Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme and Shri Saurabh Kumar, Managing Director, EESL.

Marking the commencement of e-mobility era in Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis flagged off the first set of 20 EVs at the Gateway of India in Mumbai. The Government of Maharashtra announced its Electric Vehicle and Related Infrastructure Policy – 2018 with a vision to establish the state as a globally competitive destination for electric vehicles and component manufacturing while simultaneously promoting their wide-spread adoption. The MoU between EESL and Maharashtra will support the state government’s vision of generating investment worth Rs 25,000 crore in EV and component manufacturing, assembly enterprises and charging equipment manufacturing. The policy also entails increasing the number of registered EVs in the state to 5 lakh and creation of one lakh jobs.

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“E-mobility is the future of our cities. Maharashtra’s leadership in promoting electric vehicles is a big step towards cities that can breathe, and where innovation thrives!”, said Erik Solheim, Executive Director, UN Environment.

July 2018

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Speaking on the occasion, Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Government of Maharashtra, said, “, Maharashtra embarks on the path of e-mobility marking an important milestone in its trajectory of growth. Through this MoU with EESL, we are ushering in an era of clean, green and future-oriented technologies in the state. The EV programme will enable sustainable transport and further enhance our state’s stature as a favoured economic destination.”

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Shri Saurabh Kumar, Managing Director, EESL, said, “It is our endeavour to contribute to the Indian Government’s e-mobility mission. Maharashtra is among the top contributors to the Indian economy and its transition to e-mobility will have a positive effect on national goals related to climate and sustainable growth.

Under this MoU, we will provide EVs to state government offices and install charging equipment enabling a smooth and sustainable transition to a future-oriented mobility solution. We are pleased to forge this significant partnership with Maharashtra and look forward to collaborating with other states as well. EESL is confident of successfully implementing its e-mobility programme across the nation continuing its winning streak of transforming markets with innovative business models and advanced technologies.”

Earlier this year, the Government of India launched the National E-Mobility Programme to provide an impetus to the entire e-mobility ecosystem including vehicle manufacturers, charging infrastructure companies, fleet operators, service providers, etc. EESL is aggregating demand by procuring electric vehicles in bulk to leverage economies of scale. These electric vehicles will replace the existing fleet of petrol and diesel vehicles of the Central and State Governments. EESL plans to leverage efficiencies of scale and drive down costs through its innovative business model while supporting local manufacturing facilities, gaining technical competencies for the long-term growth of the EV industry and enabling Indian EV manufacturers to emerge as major global players.

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Energy Storage

Long-term policies needed to attract investments in battery sector: Report

Dynapower and Raychem RPG Announce Technology Transfer & Licensing Agreement to Bring Dynapower Energy Storage Technology to India and Neighboring SAARC Countries Dynapower and Raychem RPG are pleased to announce they have executed a technology transfer and licensing agreement to bring Dynapower’s energy storage inverter technology to India and neighboring SAARC countries. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently hailed energy storage of solar energy in India as, “[the] next big technological revolution.”

The report also suggested that in order to achieve significant electrification and automobiles by 2030 and beyond, India needs a robust and competitive battery manufacturing supply chain.

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ack of clear long-term policies, low mineral reserves and absence of major electric vehicle battery producers have become deterrent to attract investments in battery storage sector in India, according to a report by EY and Assocham. The report also suggested that in order to achieve significant electrification and automobiles by 2030 and beyond, India needs a robust and competitive battery manufacturing supply chain.

“As per a report by NITI Aayog and Rocky Mountain Institute, India would require to set up a minimum of 20 Gigafactories to produce batteries at an investment of US$100 billion for meeting India’s EV targets,” it said.

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announcing the agreement, Dynapower and Raychem RPG also announced the commissioning of India’s first 1MW microgrid featuring Dynapower’s CPS-1000 inverter at the Central Electronics Limited (CEL) facility in Sahibadad, Uttar Pradesh, India. CEL manufactures solarphotovoltaic (SPV) cells, modules and systems. The Central Electronics Limited microgrid project is a locally controllable power system composed of distributed generation combining solar and diesel gensets alongside energy storage connected to the main grid power system. The commercial and industrial microgrid can work both in on-grid connected mode for frequency regulation, PV smoothing and peak shaving to curb CEL’s electric bills, and in “islanded” grid forming mode in the case of a grid disturbance. The system features Dynapower’s patented Dynamic Transfer technology which monitors the grid and seamlessly transitions the CEL facility from grid-tied to back up battery power in the event of a grid disturbance.

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However, lack of clear long-term policies, technology uncertainty, low mineral reserves and absence of major EV battery producers are preventing investments in battery storage technologies in India, the report added. Twowheelers is the largest segment of the Indian automotive industry representing 80 per cent of country’s automotive sales in FY18 (20.2 million units) and owing to the vastness of this segment, it has a huge potential to promote emission-free mobility in the country, the report said. The electric two-wheeler segment witnessed a dip with a withdrawal of subsides by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. While the policy and regulatory framework for battery storage system does not exist at the Central Government level, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana have, in particular, proposed some policies for battery storage in their EV policy draft, the report added.

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“Dynapower is proud to work alongside Raychem RPG to help realize this revolution,” said Peter Pollak, Dynapower CEO. “For over 50 years we have deployed our power electronics around the world and pioneered the development of energy storage inverters, including the first UL-1741 listed smart inverter. We are excited to bring our technology and know-how to India as well as the SAARC countries as part of the agreement.”.

“We selected Dynapower to partner with because of their global leadership with over 400 MWs of EMS PCS installed,” said Ramani Kasi, President & CEO —Raychem RPG Ltd. “Dynapower’s differentiated technology such as its patented Dynamic Transfer as well as their agile business model, unique positioning in the C&I segment (offering both inverters and fully-integrated systems) as well as their focus on solutions and aggressive growth mindset aligns perfectly with the Raychem RPG business model.”

Source: globenewswire

July 2018

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GST likely to get centralised AAR for uniform rulings India is looking at creating a centralised Authority for Advance Rulings (AAR) for the goods and services tax (GST) after divergent rulings on identical issues fuelled confusion over applicability and the rate of tax. A recent case in point being the divergent rulings by Karnataka and Maharashtra AARs on the issue of solar projects.

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We are looking at an issuebased central authority with officials from states and the Centre,” a top government official told ET. “If more than one appeal is filed on the same issue in different jurisdictions it can be taken up by this body.”

he AAR is a quasi-judicial body that allows assessees to get guidance on their potential tax liabilities relating to any transaction beforehand. The rulings by the AAR are case-specific, but they have a persuasive impact on tax assessment in cases of other firms under similar circumstances. This is the key reason behind the government contemplating such a move. “AAR decisions are specific to the case, but they do have some precedence value,” the official said. The previous indirect tax regime had a centralised body ensuring consistency in orders.

GOVERNMENT WARY OF VARIATIONS Maharashtra AAR ruled in a recent case that solar project contracts are “works contracts”, taxable at 18% as a deemed supply of service, instead of a “composite supply” that would have attracted 5%. Karnat aka AAR, on the other hand, reaffirmed in a case that engineering and procurement contracts are composite contracts and taxable at a concessional rate of 5%. The government is wary of such variation in rulings that could sow further confusion. The structure of the proposed centralised authority will be decided once a decision is taken to set it up, the official said. It may require a change in the GST laws and all the states would need to come on board.

Experts said the initial experience of the AAR mechanism in the case of GST has not been very encouraging for businesses and backed a centralised body for consistency. “On aspects like taxability of solar power plants, liquidated damages, exemption on sale by dutyfree shops at airports, etc, the authorities have taken a view which is not in line with the industry practice, globally accepted principles or government’s own intention while framing the laws,” said Pratik Jain, indirect taxes leader,PwC. “Further, there is likelihood of different states taking a divergent view on the same issue.” Jain said there is an immediate need to have a centralised mechanism, either by changing the structure itself and bringing it at par with earlier central taxes or by building a control system under the GST Council’s aegis to ensure consistency and quality. “Given that each AAR can potentially decide differently on an issue, it makes sense to create a central AAR which will take up issues where more than one AAR has been approached on a similar issue,” said Bipin Sapra, partner, EY. “In such a scenario, a mechanism needs to be created where all AARs should be listed on the GST portal and in case of similar applications, the state AAR should refer it to the central AAR.” India implemented GST on July 1 last year as to turn the country into a common market and erase interstate barriers.

July 2018

China’s Bombshell Solar Policy Shift Could Cut Expected Capacity by 20 Gigawatts Demand in China exceeding expectations? Analysts say “that is not going to be the case anymore.” China’s recently announced changes to national solar policies will bring significant impacts for the global PV market and possibly the first contraction in global PV demand since before 2000, according to GTM Research.

he country’s National Energy Administration, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance released new guidance that terminates any approvals for new subsidized utility-scale PV power stations in 2018. China will also reduce its feed-in tariff for projects by RMB 0.05 per kilowatt-hour (a fraction of a U.S. cent), cap distributed project size at 10 gigawatts (down from 19 gigawatts), and mandate that utility-scale projects go through auctions to set power prices. Projects connected to the grid past June 1 will not receive feed-in tariffs. In all, the changes will significantly chill growth in a country that’s driving the global solar market. The changes could cut China’s capacity forecast by 40 percent, to 28.8 gigawatts from 48 gigawatts, according to GTM Research. Wood Mackenzie projects a cut of 20 gigawatts this year, down to just 30 gigawatts. Other projections put 2018 capacity closer to 35 gigawatts.

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“When the industry talks about China, it’s always about how demand in the region exceeds expectations,” said Jade Jones, a senior solar analyst at GTM Research. “That is not going to be the case anymore.” Because of China’s outsized positioning, the global market will certainly take a hit, at least in the short term. Three years ago, China became the world’s leader in solar capacity. In 2017 it accounted for nearly 54 percent of global PV installations. The policy changes are an effort to stem the country’s ballooning subsidy costs, which rang in at RMB 100 billion (about $15.6 billion) last year. China hasn’t been able to pay out those sums. Wood Mackenzie projected they may reach RMB 250 billion (about $39 billion) by 2020. Wood Mackenzie called it a “shock to the industry” that China has aggressively supported in recent years through national policy and incentives. The unexpected June 1 announcement also spurred a drastic 15 percent drop in share prices for solar companies in the days following. With the change in policy, it appears that some responsibility will now shift to local governments to approve projects, as the directive asks for “DG projects not realized by the central government to seek financial support from respective local governments.” But it’s unclear how local governments will proceed. Oversupply issues and opportunities GTM Research analysts said that the reduced demand from China will lead to an oversupply in the global market. “This not only sets the market up for an oversupplied second half of the year, but since China is such a large driver of global demand, it also suggests that suppliers need to slow down manufacturing investments,” said Jones, “lest [they] extend the oversupply cycle beyond 2018.” Roth Capital projects the oversupply in 2018 at 34 gigawatts. Jones said oversupply pressure will likely push prices down 32 percent to 36 percent, more severely than the last cycle in 2016 when prices dropped 28 percent. While demand in the global market had been high, a shortfall from China means that’s no longer the case. But that drop in demand could help the industry, especially in emerging markets, because of a subsequent fall in costs and Chinese developers looking for international investment. “We’re also likely to see an increase in the number of Chinese PV developers participating in other global markets as their home market slows,” said Heggarty.

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“As well as the demandside effects, there’ll be an impact on module costs and tariffs emerging from PV auctions, too, with large volumes of modules that had been destined for the Chinese market now looking for a home elsewhere,” said Tom Heggarty, a senior solar analyst at GTM Research. INTERNATIONAL RAMIFICATIONS GTM Research solar analyst Benjamin Attia said developers have already shown piqued interest. Heggarty said increased competition, along with lower module costs, could push auction prices down. Attia said record-low solar bids may dip below $20 per megawatt-hour in the next 12 months. That may negatively impact some markets, like in Kenya and Nigeria, where Attia said “new very low module prices may cause regulators to seek to unilaterally reduce PPA rates or seek to renegotiate a lower tariff, as had already started to happen before the changes in Chinese policy, delaying projects and possibly causing some of them to stall out altogether.” According to Wood Mackenzie, the change may also drive an increased focus on quality with competitive auctions pushing innovation. Falling costs could also accelerate China achieving grid parity with advanced technologies and new projects by 2020. Much like the solar tariffs that initially racked the U.S. market with angst, these policies could create a softer blow than initially expected. While Wood Mackenzie acknowledges the changes will “cause near-term market turmoil,” they’re also likely to accelerate grid parity and foster higher PV penetration in newer markets.

July 2018

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Telangana announces final DSM regulations for wind and solar Recently TSERC announced regulations on wind and solar forecasting, scheduling regulations, 2018. This is the final regulation and with this Telangana became the sixth, and latest, state to implement Forecasting and Scheduling regulations.

The detailed summary of the regulations is as below:

itle of the Regulation: Telangana State Electricity Regulatory Commission (Forecasting, Scheduling, Deviation Settlement and Related Matters for Solar and Wind Generation Sources) Regulations, 2018.The Telangana Forecasting regulation has been finalized within two months of the release of draft regulation. Applicability:

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From the date of publication in the official gazette. Forecasting tool to be established in three months period. Levy and collection of DSM Charges shall commence after six months from the date of publication in the official gazette.

Regulation Applicable on: All grid-connected Wind and Solar Power Generators (except Rooftop PV Solar Power Projects) connected to a pooling substation of the capacity not less than 5 MW irrespective of commissioning date. Deviation Accounting: The deviation accounting will be carried out based on the Available Capacity: Absolute Error in % = 100 x Actual Generation – Scheduled Generation ⁄ Available Capacity (AvC) Point of Forecasting: Pooling Station or STU Feeder where the injection is made. Aggregation: Unlike in Karnataka and AP, Telangana’s order of F&S does not have a provision to provide an aggregated forecast.

July 2018

Role of a QCA:

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Provide day ahead, week -ahead schedule generator wise and aggregated schedule for each pooling station and the periodic intraday revisions. Coordination with DISCOM/STU/ SLDC for metering, data collection, communication/issuance of disp atch/curtailment;

Provide day ahead, week- ahead schedule generator wise and aggregated schedule for each pooling station and the periodic intraday revisions.

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Coordination with DISCOM/STU/ SLDC for metering, data collection, communication/issuance of dispatch/curtailment; De-pooling of charges among generators: Commercial settlement of DSM charges on a weekly basis and All other ancillary and incidental matters.

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After recovering DSM amounts, if there is a gap between the actual commercial impact for the state as a result of deviation of wind and solar generation, such amount will be further recovered from each generator. The wind and solar generator or the QCA will provide payment security to SLDC by the way of BG or revolving LC which will cover the DSM payment for 6 months. De-pooling will be done in proportion to energy injected in each time block by each generator. The QCA will only be forecasting on PSS level. Aggregation to create a virtual pool/aggregate of multiple substations is not allowed. States like A.P and Karnataka have allowed Aggregation in their final regulations.

Important Differences Between Intrastate And Interstate Transactions:

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Revisions:

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16 revisions are permitted for Wind Generators starting from 00:00 Hrs of the day. • 9 revisions are permitted for Solar Generators starting from 05.30Hrs of the day. Other Key Points:

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DSM Settlement will be done on a Weekly basis, with Meter data to be provided by SLDC, and verification to be done in coordination with SLDC.

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The deviations for Inter-State and Intra-State transactions at Pooling Station will be accounted for separately. Separate schedules have to be sent for the interstate to SLDC and RLDC. The Inter-State transactions will be settled on the basis of their scheduled generation and will be considered only if the Inter-state capacity is connected to the STU via the separate feeder. The Generator will pay the Deviation Charges for under or over injection applicable within Telangana in case of deviations in the State DSM Pool.

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featured Deviation Charges In Case Of Under Or Over-Injection For Sale/Supply Of Power Within The State Sr. No

Absolute Error

Dsm Charges Payable To State Pool Account

≤ 15%

None

>15% but ≤ 25%

At Rs. 0.50 per unit

>25% but ≤ 35%

At Rs. 1 per unit

>35%

At Rs. 1.50 per unit

Deviation Charges in case of under or over-injection for sale/supply of power outside the State Inter-state Deviation Charges will follow the same mechanism as defined by CERC (PPA linked). However, the final deviation settlement for Inter-state generators shall be done by SLDC on the basis of deviations and its impact at state periphery. The TSERC Regulation for Forecasting & Scheduling, 2018 has provided a summary of timelines designating the activities to QCA and SLDC, to be accomplished within the following stipulated duration. Sr. No.

Activity/Milestone

Action By

Duration (Months)

Technical Specification and Information Sharing protocol by QCA to SLDC

SLDC

Forecasting tool, alternate means of communication, formats for submission

SLDC

Forecasting tools to be established by QCAs

QCA

Guidelines for registration of QCA, data exchange between QCA and SLDC

SLDC

Manner of making State Pool Account and settlement thereof

SLDC

Detailed Procedures covering plan for data telemetry

SLDC

Trial Run –During this period all parties shall comply with the above

All

Commencement of commercial arrangement.

All

Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and a group of influential billionaires are investing in 2 startups that could solve the biggest problem with renewable energy Bill Gates, Jack Ma, Mark Zuckerberg and others are committing up to $1 billion too develop new energy storage technologies.

• • •

Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and a group of billionaires are investing in two energy storage startups through their fund, Breakthrough Ventures. Energy storage is one of the biggest bottlenecks in the widespread adoption of renewable energy. Breakthrough Ventures’ fund is designed to be “patient capital,” which means it doesn’t mind waiting a long time to see returns.

Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and a host of their uber-rich compatriots are investing in two energy startups that could solve one of the biggest problems with renewable energy. They’re investing through a $1 billion fund, Breakthrough Ventures (BEV), which announced last year that energy storage would be one of its main focuses. Launched in 2016, the fund also includes LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, Alibaba CEO Jack Ma, and David Rubenstein, executive chairman of the private equity giant Carlyle Group. Part of BEV’s mission is to provide “patient capital.” That means BEV is willing to forgo returns on investment for up to 20 years to give the scientists and engineers at these startups enough lead time to develop world-changing technologies. Quartz revealed BEV’s first two investments: Form Energy and Quidnet Energy. Both startups have developed different techniques to store energy – one of the biggest bottlenecks in the widespread adoption of renewable energy sources. Quidnet Energy’s technology uses water to store energy in a novel way. Using excess electricity, Quidnet pumps water into repurposed or unused oil-andgas wells within shale rock formations. When the liquid is pumped in, the water fills cracks in the rock, creating pressure. To generate electricity, Quidnet releases the water, and the pent-up pressure is used to run turbines and generate electricity. Form Energy – which counts an MIT professor and a former Tesla engineer among its leadership – is working on developing a super-efficient battery that could store large amounts of energy for long periods of time . Batteries costs are generally measured by how much it costs to store a kilowatt-hour of energy. Form Energy is developing battery technology that could cost as little as $10 per kWh – the cheapest batteries are around $200 per kWh, reports Quartz. That ultimately has the potential to bring down the cost of electric vehicles by making it cheaper to produce the batteries, in addition to extending vehicle range. It could also make powering homes through solar more cost-effective.

Source: reconnectenergy

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July 2018

featured

Global solar forecasts lowered as China cuts support policies

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China’s unexpected move to slash incentives for solar power has sent stocks into a free fall and prompted analysts to lower forecasts for global installations this year amid expectations that a glut of excess panels would send prices tumbling.China announced on June 1 changes to the subsidies that has underpinned its rise to become the world’s largest solar market in recent years.

IHS Markit, a market research firm, was preparing to lower its global solar installation forecast for this year by between 5 and 10 gigawatts, or up to 9 percent, analyst Camron Barati said. The impact in China, which accounts for half the global market, could be up to 17 GW, the firm said.

Another market research firm, Wood Mackenzie, said on Wednesday that China’s capacity additions would likely be about 20 GW lower than it had expected. An oversupply of cheap Chinese-made panels that had been destined for domestic projects will help boost demand for solar in other countries and sop up some of the demand lost in China, IHS said. But a drop in prices will leave manufacturers with razor-thin margins as they seek to unload their products.

“There will be a stressful environment for pricing in the near term,” Barati said. “Something like this certainly has global ripples.”

In April, IHS Markit forecast 2018 global installations would hit a record 113 GW, with 53 GW coming from China alone. China is also the world’s largest producer of solar panels. But the Asian nation last week said it would not build any more solar power stations in 2018 and cut its feed-in tariff subsidy, which guarantees a certain price for power. Solar investors reacted by selling off stocks. The MAC Global Solar index is down 7 percent this week. Chinese panel makers Canadian Solar Inc, JinkoSolar Holding Co Ltd and Yingli Green Energy Holding Co Ltd have been hit, as well as U.S. panel makers SunPower Corp and First Solar Inc.

JMP Securities analyst Joe Osha slashed his rating on First Solar shares to “underperform” cut his price target to $46 from $87. The Trump administration’s 30 percent tariffs on solar imports will help support prices in the United States, Osha said, but added that First Solar is seeking to do more business overseas and pricing everywhere could get very competitive. “No business is insulated from market reality,”

July 2018

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Why Softbank’s proposed investment in the Indian solar industry can be a game changer Softbank is expected to invest as much as $50 Billion in making batteries and storage cells, which are the hardware on which the solar panels run.

f the news that the Japanese investment firm, Softbank, is contemplating a $60 Billion investment in the Indian Solar Industry is true, then it has the potential to be a game changer for the sector. With Softbank’s CEO (Chief Executive Officer) Masayoshi Son expected to arrive in India next week and meet the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, over the proposed investment, it sure looks like “sunny days” ahead for the Solar Industry. The proposed investment would be mainly in manufacturing solar equipment and that too, in India, which can provide a fillip to the much vaunted Make in India policy that encourages global firms to manufacture in the country. In addition, Softbank is expected to invest as much as $50 Billion in making batteries and storage cells which are the hardware on which the solar panels run. Indeed, given the fact that the Indian Government, despite its avowed intention of ensuring that nearly 175 GW (Gigawatts) of renewable energy capacity addition is done by 2022, has nonetheless raised import duties on the components of the solar panels, the proposed investment can truly raise the stakes for other investors to stop importing such components and instead, make them in the country. Moreover, experts believe that the proposed investment to be phased in stages by 2030 has the potential to create 200,000 jobs which again is a boost to the efforts of the Indian Policymakers to increase employment in the country. Perhaps the biggest impact of Softbank’s investment would be in changing the perceptions about India being hospitable to global firms which following the Walmart-Flipkart deal can usher in a new narrative for the ruling party, going into an election year.

Having said that, Softbank’s CEO, Son, is seeking a sovereign guarantee from the Indian Government for his investment which is unlikely at the moment and hence, this is one aspect that can upset the apple cart. This calls for some astute and deft negotiating skills from both parties which have to be driven from the top meaning that PM Modi and Son have to arrive at a meeting point.

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featured

BESCOM proposes incentive scheme to bring back HT consumers in the new tariff order 2018-19 BESCOM announced its new tariff order for FY 2018-2019. New points introduced in the order include providing incentives to the HT consumers, for them to return back to state DISCOMs and not purchase power via Open Access. Since HT consumers have been purchasing power via Open Access, the DISCOMs are deprived of the sales to the paying consumers, in turn impacting the finances of the distribution licensees. Base consumption: The monthly average consumption out of energy supplied by BESCOM during the non-peak hours’ period between 10.00 Hours and 18.00 Hours of the day, during the period from 0104-2017 to 31-03-2018 as recorded in Time of Day (ToD) meter will be reckoned as base consumption.

Incentive scheme: Any excess energy consumed by the eligible consumers during the non- peak period between 10.00 Hours and 18.00 Hours, over and above the average base consumption as stated, will be allowed a discount of Rs.1.00/- per unit in the bill, to the eligible consumers. Further, the eligible consumers will be allowed an incentive of Rs.2.00 per unit in the bill for the energy consumed during the period between 22.00 Hours and 06.00 Hours as against the normal ToD rebate of Re.1.00 per unit. CONSUMER

HT2a(i)

HT2a(ii)

HT2b(i)

HT2b(ii)

HT2c(ii)

SLABS

EXITING (PS/UNIT)

0-1 lakh units

665

above 1 lakh units

695

0-1 lakh units

660

above 1 lakh units

680

0-2 lakh units

845

above 2 lakh units

855

0-2 lakh units

825

above 2 lakh units

835

0-1 lakh units

740

above 1 lakh units

780

PROPOSED (PS/UNIT)

665

660

845

825

740

There are also some amendments in the wheeling charges applicable to the renewable generators.

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The RE generators will be liable to pay 25% of the normal transmission charges and/or wheeling charges. They will be liable to bear the applicable lines losses as decided by the commission. Also be liable to other applicable charges including 2% of banking charges. RE PROJECTS

TIME PERIOD

TRANSMISSION/WHEELING CHARGES

LINE LOSSES

Wind projects

10.10.2013 to 0.09.2017

25% normal transmission/ wheeling charges

exempted

Solar projects

On or earlier than 31.03.2017

exempted

The RE projects commissioned on or after 1.04.2018 shall be liable to 25% of the normal transmission and/or wheeling charges, in cash, and the applicable line losses and banking charge, in kind, as determined by the Commission in its Tariff Orders, from time-to-time, in addition to the other applicable charges. The Captive Generators, availing of the benefit of the Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) mechanism, shall be liable to pay the normal Transmission, Wheeling, and other charges, as specified in the Commission’s Order dated 09.10.2013. The order is in effect since 1.04.2018 until 31.02.2020 unless any other order comes into effect.

Source: reconnectenergy

July 2018

featured

Uniform policy & involving discoms, key to hit solar target

CleanMax Solar CEO calls for long-term policy vision

CleanMax Solar, a Mumbai-based developer working on build-own-operate model in which it installs solar plants at customers’ site at its cost and sells the generated power, aims to reach 1GW capacity in the next two-three years, Gajanan Nabar, CEO, has said. Nabar, who took over as CEO in February 2017, told BusinessLine that the company has increased its total installed capacity to 300 MW at the end of FY18 from 96 MW at the end of FY17.

Rapid growth

“Last year, our capex investment was ₹1,200-1,300 crore, and we will continue to keep the same pace,” Nabar said. The company, founded in 2011 by Kuldeep Jain, a former partner at McKinsey & Co, and Andrew Hines, formerly from BP Renewable, had announced $100 million investment by private equity firm Warburg Pincus last year. It may look at raising fresh funds this year, Nabar added.

dobe, Volvo, United Breweries, and Chennai Metro Rail are among the major corporate clients the company added the last financial year. While IT, industrial manufacturing and auto industry remain three major sectors generating demand for CleanMax’s rooftop solar and open access solutions, the ordering activity from other sectors has nearly doubled during last year, the company said.

Incentives to discoms Although both solar rooftop and open access market have grown in the last couple of years, their potential, especially in the corporate segment, remains limited as State policies are uncertain and implementation is often an issue. “Uniform policy-making is required if India wants to achieve its solar target. We also need to think about discoms because corporate players’ wins cannot be at discoms’ loss. They should be in the overall play,” Nabar said.

July 2018

State power distribution companies (discoms) generally consider rooftop solar projects as a threat to their business, especially when a large industrial or corporate client adopts it as the requirement for grid electricity declines, leading to revenue losses for discoms. Karnataka, where open access solar projects have been exempted from wheeling, banking and cross subsidy charges since 2013 till the end of March, 2018 (the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission has recently issued an order imposing the charges on renewable energy projects) has emerged as the leading State in terms of adoption of open access projects. The entire open access capacity of CleanMax Solar, for example, is based in Karnataka, spread across three solar farms.

“In Karnataka, as per existing policy, discoms are not getting any revenue from solar projects, but I would rather have discom in the play as well. It will be more sustainable,” Nabar said.

Need for clarity He added that solar developers are willing to compensate discoms for losses in revenues as corporates adopt solar power by paying wheeling and banking charges. However, he said, the conditions under which discoms are getting compensated should be clear, uniform and long-term. “You need to have a consistent policy with at least 5-10 years’ vision because all our investments are long-term and we sign long-term PPAs with corporate customers,” Nabar said. Several States, including Maharashtra, Haryana, UP, West Bengal and Telangana, have started adopting pro-solar policies, Nabar added. Trends are changing on the corporate side, too, he said, as businesses start adopting large-scale solar projects. “People now come with bigger requirements like 5-10 MW while earlier they would not talk more than 1 MW. So, opportunities just got bigger. Businesses see solar not only as an opportunity for savings, but as a chance to ‘go green’, ” Nabar said. Source: thehindubusinessline

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SB Energy, IL&FS Join Hands to Buffett utility to be first Anchor GoI’s Solar Targets in U.S. to reach 100 percent In a major boost to Government of India’s ambitious target of adding 100GW renewables of solar power by 2022, IL&FS Energy, a subsidiary of IL&FS has partnered with SB Energy (with investments from SoftBank Group International), to jointly develop grid connected solar parks. These parks will be developed across various locations in India.

MidAmerican Energy Co will become the first U.S. investor-owned utility to source 100 percent of its customers’ electricity needs from renewable energy when it completes a $922 million wind farm in 2020, the company said.

L&FS Energy and SB Energy have agreed to facilitate the development of solar parks with aggregate capacity of over 20GW by 2025. IL&FS Energy, a subsidiary of Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited is currently one of the largest operators of conventional and renewable power projects in India and specializes in providing integrated and comprehensive professional services towards development of energy projects. SB Energy has won bids for setting up 1400 MW solar projects in India including 300 MW at the Bhadla III Solar Park developed by “Saurya Urja Company of Rajasthan Ltd.”, a JV of IL&FS Energy and Government of Rajasthan(GoR). The development of solar parks will involve IL&FS Energy taking up the development of solar park infrastructure like substations, grid connectivity and arrangements for long term access for power evacuation in addition to other value added services. SB Energy will take up the installation, EPC and financing of solar projects at these locations. This arrangement will therefore result in a “plug and play” solution for SB Energy.

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“The real capital of the 21st century is renewable energy and connectivity” said Mr Hari Sankaran, Vice Chairman, IL&FS Group. ÏL&FS is making every effort to transcend its traditional business model of asset creation to a model of infrastructure service provision. This transition is in keeping with the requirements of the sector and will help the Group leverage on its rich experience and track record. The partnership with SB Energy is a testimony to this.”

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“We truly believe that India’s developmental agenda would be fully realized through technology-led businesses. Government of India’s thrust on renewable energy is an important component of this agenda and SoftBank is eager to be a stakeholder in this endeavor. Our partnership with IL&FS leverages on the respective strengths of both institutions and will efficiently ground our target roll out plan” said Mr Manoj Kohli, Executive Chairman, SB Energy.

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he utility owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc began investing in wind power about 15 years ago to both hedge against volatile fuel prices and generate more pollutant-free power, its chief executive said, adding that federal tax credits for renewable projects have kept costs low.

}

“We have not had to raise customers’ rates, and that’s a big part of the way we evaluate these projects,” MidAmerican CEO Adam Wright said in an interview. “We’re not building wind just for the sake of building wind.”

The company, based in Des Moines, Iowa, serves 770,000 electric customers. With the completion of the utility’s twelfth wind project, MidAmerican will generate enough renewable energy to equal the amount consumed by customers in its Iowa service territory. Because of the intermittency of electricity generated by wind, the utility will continue to use its existing natural gas, nuclear and coal-fired power plants, MidAmerican said, adding that it is seeking sites to add more wind farms. Wind power accounts for more than 35 percent of the electricity generated in Iowa, more than any other U.S. state. MidAmerican’s 591-megawatt Wind XII project is subject to approval by the Iowa Utilities Board. Source: reuters

July 2018

INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW WITH Mr.Saurabh Bhandari Designation: Founder & CEO

EQ: Tell us a little about SolarMaxx and its products and solutions. SB : SolarMaxx, established in 2008, is a leading manufacturer and supplier of high efficiency Solar PV Modules suitable for utility scale power plants as well as rooftop solar. SolarMaxx is a proud leader in its regional market of Rajasthan and is rapidly expanding across India.SolarMaxx believes in manufacturing in the markets we serve.SolarMaxx Solar PV Modules are a renowned quality offering that undergo multiple stages of stringent quality checks and tests during production before being packed for delivery. Needless to mention our modules are duly tested and approved and hold required IEC and TUV certification from worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one of the most prestigious certification agencies. SolarMaxx Solar PV modules are also MNRE

64Â

July 2018

tested and are an eligible offering for various state and national tenders. SolarMaxx Solar PV Modules are available in wide range of sizes and wattages. Even though our main focus is to produce high efficiency 325+W modules for utility and rooftop sectors, we can also cater to customised requirement for modules from 40W and above. While SolarMaxx Solar Panels are a leading quality offering, SolarMaxx EPC services are revered as amongst the best in aftersales and O&M besides being amongst the fastest to deliver rooftop as well as ground mounted projects. Over the past decade we have attained expertise in EPC with in-house design, engineering and procurement capabilities.

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INTERVIEW

EQ: Please tell us about your manufacturing process, sourcing, quality and innovation.

SB: We are progressively taking steps towards maximum automation in our manufacturing process to evade human interventionas much as possible. This has certainly enhanced "quality" yield of our modules. The wastage has reduced while uniformity of output has increased. This has quite clearly prompted an increase in quality of the product. We focus on efficiency and are producing high wattage panels. We recently introduced half-cut cell panels to increase the output by reducing the cell to module losses. This will certainly lead to reduction of overall project cost of developers and EPCs alike. With the utilization of certified, excellent class raw material, particularly PID resistant cells, our performance is guaranteed overtime. Reasonable price, performance and prompt delivery are our basic strengths. We prioritse sourcing of extremely high quality raw material from among the most renowned global brands. Since solar is our main bread and butter and not a side project to other business interests, our production house srtongly focuses on quality. Our size helps us keep our cost overheads low without compromising on the quality of our product. With increased automation in production, we keep our product offering consistent which is very important for our clients that are mostly renowned EPCs, developers and investors.

EQ: What are your plans for Rooftop Solar Market considering Government Target of 40GW rooftop solar by 2022.

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

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EQ: Tell us more about Solar Maxx.

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

EQ: How do you ensure quality of your product and services?

SB: SolarMaxx Solar PV Modules are TUV and IECcertified from a globally recognized agency. Our modules have gone through a series of stringent tests to get these certifications and approvals.We maintain MNRE approvals for most of our Solar modules that are required for various state and national tenders. Other than getting and renewing these certifications time to time, we stringently control each phase of our manufacturingflow to prevent production of a sub-standard or low-quality module. Production of SolarMaxx solar PV modules is done in a dust free, air-conditioned environment to avoid any outside particlefrom entering the manufacturing cycle. Our raw material is sourced from renowned and universally prestigious providers. Eachraw material is IEC/UL certified by reputed agencies. Other than checking their certifications, we test each raw material in-house before sending them into production. Our in-house testing encourages us to isolate and along these lines dismiss any inadequate or lowqualitymaterial to guarantee every module is of the ideal quality. Every module that we create is visually, technically and electrically tested, plus sorted and packed.

July 2018

65Â

tech article

Incident Angle Modifier Losses Impact In Project IRR

AM losses has significant role to make decision for financing the project. This loss shall come under optical loss and the optical losses always have substantial impact as compared to other losses i.e DC and AC losses. IAM is an optical effect (reflection loss) corresponding to the weakening of the irradiation actual reaching the PV cells surface, with respect to irradiation under normal condition. Sometimes it could be the major losses under optical losses due to the PV module quality. The Incident Angle Modifier losses depend upon the module glass & coating quality. Also, it slightly depends upon the tilt angle & location as well. Generally, it is under optical losses and this loss in between 1 to 3% of the entire generation.

Most of the PV syst designer do not consider the actual IAM losses as per the module manufacturer Declared value valeted by 3rd party and considering default value which is 1 to 2% higher loss which has an impact on the project IRR. The generation prediction error shall be minimized as much as possible to make right decision for project finance.

July 2018

BAMAPADA GAHTAK

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

Even after considering the IAM losses as per the manufacturer recommendation losses( certified by 3rd party) then also, it is a challenge to achieve the exact IAM losses. The reason is, PV module manufacture have two or more different component manufacturer and the same will be difficult to match practically. But the approved component BOM (Especially glass) quality will very near or almost same quality. Hence, IAM losses will be only 0.1 to 0.15 % losses difference in the predicted IAM losses and actuals. It is very clear that, the manufacturer recommended ( certified by 3rd party) IAM value will be always better than the PV syst default value. The incidence loss (reflections due to the Fresnel's laws) is sufficiently well defined by a parameterization proposed by "Ashrae" . You will in principle never have to modify this parameter. Nevertheless, you have also the possibility to define a custom curve described by a set of points. PVsyst will make an interpolation to generate values for all possible angles.

Since Versions -6 limits the maximum values which must be entered in the IAM loss table. Recommended setting depending upon the module manufacturer. PVsyst – version -6 only permits nine users defined with IAM points as mentioned above. IAM import values will be as per the module manufacturer recommended values so that generation will be increased 1 to 2 % which will be increased the project IRR or LCOE will be reduced.

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Energy storage

Demand For Lithium Is Growing Rapidly As

LI-ION BATTERIES Usage Continues to Expand

According to a research report published by Technavio, the global lithium-ion battery market is projected to reach USD 81.65 billion by 2021 and at a CAGR of over 11%. The increased usage of lithium is due to rising demand for batteries to power portable consumer electronics and electric vehicles (EVs).

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Earlier this year Bloomberg reported that Volkswagen AG, the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest carmaker, secured 20 billion euros in battery supplies to support its strong investment in EVs. The move is expected to put more pressure on Tesla Inc. as it copes with production issues for their mainstream Model 3. According to the report Volkswagen plans to equip 16 factories to produce electric vehicles by the end of 2022, compared to three factories presently. Additionally, Volkswagen expects to manufacture 3 million cars a year by 2025. MGX Minerals Inc. (OTC: MGXMF), Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA), Lithium Americas Corp. (NYSE: LAC), FMC Corporation (NYSE: FMC), General Motors Co.

July 2018

67Â

Energy storage

M A recent report published by Industrial Minerals is showing that the increasing popularity of EV’s has translated into a record demand for lithium. Chinese batterygrade lithium carbonate prices have increased to almost record highs. The spot price for battery-grade lithium carbonate (min 99.5% Li2CO3) increased to 150,000-160,000 yuan ($23,676-$25,254) per ton. One of the largest lithium producers in the world, Chilean producer Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (SQM), commented on the industry. Patricio de Solminihac, CEO of SQM, said in the company’s first-quarter results statement this week, “Average prices during the first three months of this year surpassed $16,000/mt given a tight supply and demand balance. We believe that this price pressure will continue throughout the first half of the year.”

PATRICIO DE SOLMINIHAC CEO of Sociedad Quimica y Minera

July 2018

GX Minerals Inc. (OTC: MGXMF) also listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the Ticker (CSE: XMG). Yesterday the company announced breaking news that, “a progress report on its expanding silicon portfolio in British Columbia along with planned 2018 development activities. MGX is investigating the potential to source high-grade silica as a feedstock to be used in industrial silicon metal and solar silicon metal applications. Acquisition of New High-Grade Silicon Property: The Company is pleased to report it has acquired the Gibraltar property (the “Property”) located approximately 95 kilometers northeast of Cranbrook, BC (B.C. MINFILE 082JSW001). The Property features high purity quartzite that has the potential for technological applications, consisting of snow white coloured, high purity silica that contains >98.8% SiO2 and < 1.2% impurities such as Al2O3, Fe2O3, CaO, MgO, Na2O, K2O. The Gibraltar quartzite unit is located in the foreland thrust zone of the Hughes Range of the Rocky Mountains. It covers a sedimentary clastic-carbonate rock package located near the confluence of Kootenay and White River. Sedimentary rocks generally have a north-northwest strike, but locally a north-northeast strike is prominent. Minor folding was noted in the carbonate sequence immediately adjacent to quartzite unit. Two westerly dipping thrust faults (Hay, Carter, 1988) are believed to run north-south close to the eastern edge of the Gibraltar property. The main exploration target on Gibraltar includes a moderately dipping, 20-30 meter wide high purity quartzite bed exposed over a strike length of approximately 420 meters. Fieldwork carried out in 2017 consisted of geological mapping (approximately 10 hectares), geochemical sampling (7 rock chip samples submitted for whole rock geochemical analysis, ALS code ICP06), and GPS surveying quartzite outcroppings. A total of 7 rock chip quartzite samples (ID numbers 15GIBR-1 to 15GIBR-7) were taken from the base of the Main Zone.

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Energy storage

ased on sum of SiO2%/Total% values, the mean value of the SiO2%/Total% for 6 out of 7 rock chip samples analyzed is 98.8%. The relatively high SiO2 content of 6 out of 7 samples (17GIBR-1 to 3, and 17GIBR 5 to 7) taken along approximately 300-meter strike length of well exposed Mt Wilson Formation quartzite, compares favourably with other silica producers such as Moberly, Hunt and HCJ Properties near Golden, BC. Impurity compounds of interest (Al2O3, MgO, CaO, Fe2O3) approach specifications required for producing ferrosilicon alloy. Based on the range of %SiO2 and impurity values such as MgO, CaO, P2O5, Al2O3, and Fe2O3, it is possible that the Gibraltar quartzite silica is suitable for use as a raw material for ferrosilicon or silicon metal production. As consideration, MGX has issued 100,000 common shares of the Company to the vendors of the Property. The vendors were Glen Rodgers and Andris Kikauka. Mr. Kikauka, is a nonarm’s length party to the Company by virtue of being a Director and Vice President of Exploration of the Company. Mr. Kikauka is entitled to 50% of the purchase price of the Property. The acquisition of the Property was considered a “related party transaction” pursuant to Multilateral Instrument 61101 – Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (“MI 61-101”). The Company was exempt from the requirements to obtain a formal valuation or minority shareholder approval in connection with Mr. Kikauka’s participation in the transaction in reliance of sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(a) of MI 61-101. Wonah and Koot Silicon Project Updates: MGX is also pleased to report it has received permits to conduct drill programs at its Wonah (“Wonah”) and Koot (“Koot”) silicon properties (collectively the “Projects”) located in British Columbia. The Company will complete 13 combined drill holes and along with a metallurgical program to test the Projects for suitability of upgrading to silicon metal and solar grade silicon. At Wonah, the main target includes the ridge where steeply dipping Ordovician age quartzite is exposed over a strike length of approximately 850 meters. Geological mapping, geochemical sampling, and surveying identified a series of white quartzite outcroppings (Wonah Quartzite Formation) that form 2 lenses, the ‘Central Zone’ that has been traced for approximately 500 m, and South Zone traced for 350 m along strike. The Central and South

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Zones consist of a highly competent quartzite unit that trends N to NNE, is approximately 50 meters in width, and has a steep east dip. At Koot, historic Exploration conducted by Cominco (now TeckCominco) during the 1980’s outlined a mineralized zone spanning approximately 400 meters consisting of highpurity silicon dioxide (SiO2). Whole rock analysis of composite samples in six of seven shallow diamond drill holes returned values ranging between 98.7% and 99.3% SiO2 (Assessment Report 10160). The zone remains open along strike and at depth to the north, east and west. Cominco also conducted decrepitation testing of rock fragments at 1,000 degrees Celsius from three quartzite outcrops and noted no decrepitation.” Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA)’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. Tesla has broken new barriers in developing high-performance automobiles that are not only the world’s best and highestselling pure electric vehicles-with long range and absolutely no tailpipe emissions-but also the safest, highestrated cars on the road in the world. According to a blog by the Tesla Team in 2017, Tesla and Panasonic begin mass production of lithium-ion battery cells, which will be used in Tesla’s energy storage products and Model 3. The high performance cylindrical “2170 cell” was jointly designed and engineered by Tesla and Panasonic to offer the best performance at the lowest production cost in an optimal form factor for both electric vehicles and energy products. Model 3 cell production will follow in Q2 and by 2018, the Gigafactory will produce 35 GWh/year of lithium-ion battery cells, nearly as much as the rest of the entire world’s battery production combined. Lithium Americas Corp. (NYSE: LAC), together with SQM, is developing the Cauchari-Olaroz lithium project, located in Jujuy, Argentina, through its 50% interest in Minera Exar. Recently, the company announced the filing of a technical report for the Thacker Pass lithium project, formerly Stage 1 of the Lithium Nevada project. The Thacker Pass Project in Nevada, United States, is 100% owned by Lithium Nevada Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lithium Americas. In addition, Lithium Americas owns 100% of the Thacker Pass Project, and RheoMinerals Inc., a supplier of rheology modifiers for oil-based drilling fluids, coatings, and specialty chemicals.

MC Corporation (NYSE: FMC) has served the global agricultural, industrial and consumer markets with innovative solutions, applications and quality products. The company operates its businesses in two segments: FMC Agricultural Solutions and FMC Lithium. Earlier this month, the company reported first quarter 2018 revenue of $1.2 billion, an increase of 103 percent year-over-year. MC Lithium reported first quarter segment revenue of $103 million, an increase of 57 percent versus the prior-year quarter. Segment EBITDA nearly doubled year-overyear to $50 million in the quarter. Higher volume from debottlenecking projects in Argentina and the hydroxide expansion in China, higher year-over-year prices on all product categories and lower operating costs were the main contributors to growth. The outlook for Lithium for the full year has been increased. Segment revenue for the full year of 2018 is in the range of $430 million to $460 million, an increase of nearly 30 percent at the mid-point compared to 2017, while the outlook for full-year segment EBITDA is in the range of $193 million to $203 million. eneral Motors Co. (NYSE: GM), its subsidiaries and joint venture entities produce and sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Jiefang and Wuling brands. Last year, the company announced how it is executing on a major element of its vision of a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion. Given customers’ various needs, getting to a zero emissions future will require more than just battery electric technology. It will require a two-pronged approach to electrification – battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell electric depending on the unique requirements. GM also introduced SURUS – the Silent Utility Rover Universal Superstructure – a fuel cell powered, four-wheel steer concept vehicle on a heavy-duty truck frame that’s driven by two electric motors. With its capability and flexible architecture, SURUS could be used as a delivery vehicle, truck or even an ambulance – all emissions free.

July 2018

Energy storage

Stanford researchers have developed a water-based battery to store solar and wind energy

Stanford scientists have developed a manganesehydrogen battery that could fill a missing piece in the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s energy puzzle by storing wind and solar energy for when it is needed, lessening the need to burn carbon-emitting fossil fuels.

Tom Abate

Stanford researchers have developed a water-based battery that could provide a cheap way to store wind or solar energy generated when the sun is shining and wind is blowing so it can be fed back into the electric grid and be redistributed when demand is high. The prototype manganese-hydrogen battery, reported April 30 in Nature Energy, stands just three inches tall and generates a mere

70Â

July 2018

20 milliwatt hours of electricity, which is on par with the energy levels of LED flashlights that hang on a key ring. Despite the prototypeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s diminutive output, the researchers are confident they can scale up this table-top technology to an industrial-grade system that could charge and recharge up to 10,000 times, creating a grid-scale battery with a useful lifespan well in excess of a decade.

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Energy storage

CLEVER CHEMISTRY

he team that dreamed up the concept and built the prototype was led by Wei Chen, a postdoctoral scholar in Cui’s lab. In essence, the researchers coaxed a reversible electronexchange between water and manganese sulfate, a cheap, abundant industrial salt used to make dry cell batteries, fertilizers, paper and other products. To mimic how a wind or solar source might feed power into the battery, the researchers attached a power source to the prototype. The electrons flowing in reacted with the manganese sulfate dissolved in the water to leave particles of manganese dioxide clinging to the electrodes. Excess electrons bubbled off as hydrogen gas, thus storing that energy for future use. Engineers know how to re-create electricity from the energy stored in hydrogen gas so the important next step was to prove that the water-based battery can be recharged. The researchers did this by re-attaching their power source to the depleted prototype, this time with the goal of inducing the manganese dioxide particles clinging to the electrode to combine with water, replenishing the manganese sulfate salt. Once this salt was restored, incoming electrons became surplus, and excess power could bubble off as hydrogen gas, in a process that can be repeated again and again and again. Cui estimated that, given the water-based battery’s expected lifespan, it would cost a penny to store enough electricity to power a 100-watt lightbulb for twelve hours.

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Yi Cui, a professor of materials science at Stanford and senior author on the paper, said manganese-hydrogen battery technology could be one of the missing pieces in the nation’s energy puzzle – a way to store unpredictable wind or solar energy so as to lessen the need to burn reliable but carbonemitting fossil fuels when the renewable sources aren’t available. “What we’ve done is thrown a special salt into water, dropped in an electrode, and created a reversible chemical reaction that stores electrons in the form of hydrogen gas,” Cui said.

“We believe this prototype technology will be able to meet Department of Energy goals for utility-scale electrical storage practicality,” Cui said.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has recommended batteries for grid-scale storage should store and then discharge at least 20 kilowatts of power over a period of an hour, be capable of at least 5,000 recharges, and have a useful lifespan of 10 years or more. To make it practical, such a battery system should cost $2,000 or less, or $100 per kilowatt hour.

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Former DOE secretary and Nobel laureate Steven Chu, now a professor at Stanford, has a longstanding interest in encouraging technologies to help the nation transition to renewable energy. “While the precise materials and design still need development, this prototype demonstrates the type of science and engineering that suggest new ways to achieve low-cost, long-lasting, utility-scale batteries,” said Former DOE secretary and Nobel laureate Steven Chu, who was not a member of the research team.

July 2018

Energy storage SHIFTING AWAY FROM CARBON

HIGH CAPACITY, LOW COST

ui said there are several types of rechargeable battery technologies on the market, but it isn’t clear which approaches will meet DOE requirements and prove their practicality to the utilities, regulators and other stakeholders who maintain the nation’s electrical grid. For instance, Cui said rechargeable lithium ion batteries, which store the small amounts of energy needed to run phones and laptops, are based on rare materials and are thus too pricey to store power for a neighborhood or city. Cui said grid-scale storage requires a low-cost, high-capacity, rechargeable battery. The manganese-hydrogen process seems promising.

“Other rechargeable battery technologies are easily more than five times of that cost over the life time,” Cui added.

ccording to DOE estimates, about 70 percent of U.S. electricity is generated by coal or natural gas plants, which account for 40 percent of carbon dioxide emissions. Shifting to wind and solar generation is one way to reduce those emissions. But that creates new challenges involving the variability of the power supply. Most obviously, the sun only shines by day and, sometimes, the wind doesn’t blow. But another less well-understood but important form of variability comes from surges of demand on the grid – that network of high-tension wires that distribute electricity over regions and ultimately to homes. On a hot day, when people come home from work and crank up the air conditioning, utilities must have load-balancing strategies to meet peak demand: some way to boost power generation within minutes to avoid brownouts or blackouts that might otherwise bring down the grid. utilities often accomplish this by firing up on-demand or “dispatchable” power plants that may lie idle much of the day but can come online within minutes – producing quick energy but boosting carbon emissions. Some utilities have developed short-term load balancing that does not rely on fossil-fuel burning plants. The most common and cost-effective such strategy is pumped hydroelectric storage: using excess power to send water uphill, then letting it flow back down to generate energy during peak demand. However, hydroelectric storage only works in regions with adequate water and space. So to make wind and solar more useful, DOE has encouraged high-capacity batteries as an alternative.

July 2018

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Chen said novel chemistry, low-cost materials and relative simplicity made the manganese-hydrogen battery ideal for low-cost grid-scale deployment. “The breakthrough we report in Nature Energy has the potential to meet DOE’s grid-scale criteria,” Chen said.

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The prototype needs development work to prove itself. For one thing it uses platinum as a catalyst to spur the crucial chemical reactions at the electrode that make the recharge process efficient, and the cost of that component would be prohibitive for large-scale deployment. But Chen said the team is already working on cheaper ways to coax the manganese sulfate and water to perform the reversible electron exchange. “We have identified catalysts that could bring us below the $100-per-kilowatt-hour DOE target,” he said. The researchers reported doing 10,000 recharges of the prototypes, which is twice the DOE requirements, but sid it will be necessary to test the manganese-hydrogen battery under actual electric grid storage conditions in order to truly assess its lifetime performance and cost. Cui said he has sought to patent the process through the Stanford Office of Technology Licensing and plans to form a company to commercialize the system. Yi Cui is also a professor in the Photon Science Directorate at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, a senior fellow of the Precourt Institute for Energy, and a member of Stanford Bio-X and the Stanford Neurosciences Institute. Additional co-authors include Guodong Li, a visiting scholar in materials science and engineering who is now with the Chinese Academy of Sciences; postdoctoral scholars Hongxia Wang, Jiayu Wan, Lei Liao, Guangxu Chen and Jiangyan Wang; visiting scholar Hao Zhang; and graduate students Zheng Liang, Yuzhang Li and Allen Pei.

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July 2018

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inverter

SOFARSOLAR

Shows Strength In Intersolar Exhibition And A Number Of Core Products Are Being The Focus

ermany, as one of TOP three brands in shipments of string inverters in China, the leader of power storage inverters, SOFARSOLAR is carrying the solutions for power storage inverter, all-inone inverter, photovoltaic (pv) grid tied inverter, power storage & E-vehicle charging system and on-grid & off-grid system, in the face of global pv enterprises, they compete and show strengths in one stage. SOFARSOLAR has also demonstrated the comprehensive strength of in terms of software and hardware among China's inverter manufacturing enterprises by this opportunity, illustrating the core position of SOFARSOLAR in the field of inverters.

S 74Â

July 2018

OFARSOLAR ac coupling power storage inverter, market oriented in 2016, is very popular in Europe, Australia and other regions. This series machine is a landmark product in SOFAR SOLAR R&D system, after officially marketed, a huge influence of market was brought, it laid a significant foundation for power storage market as well. First of all, this series of products gets the strong function of compatibility, it can improve the existing photovoltaic (pv) grid system, build a new storage system, and can be compatible with lead-acid batteries, lithium batteries, and it is worth mentioning that it also can be compatible with photovoltaic inverters of other brands

Secondly, it is high reliability, scientific design scheme is adopted by internal wiring to ensure efficient operation under low loss. The key internal devices adopt international famous brands to ensure the stable operation of the machine and extend the service life. At the same time, it also has advanced battery management technology to protect the battery life. In a mean time, the system management is intelligent, data analysis and remote control functions are included, by the technology of Internet of things, the power using condition of system can be controlled and real-time viewed by the user at any time throughout the intelligent terminals.

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inverter

OFARSOLAR on-grid & off-grid all-inone machine, the power storage inverter designed and developed for household, industrial and commercial users will be officially sold to the market in June 2018. This series of models will be integrated into the core power storage inverter technology of SORFARSOLAR, which will be a wind indicator for the future power storage market. During the day, the electricity generated by photovoltaic is priority used for the household load, the excess power is stored in the battery. After the battery is full, the excess power can be reconnected to the power grid. At night, the battery packs discharge to the load, reducing the amount of electricity purchased from the grid, the proportion of photovoltaic self-generate and self-use can be increased by 80%, highly reducing the household electricity bill. And the system solution has the function of on-grid &off-grid connected operation, under the condition of the power grid or unstable, seamless switching to off-grid mode, to guarantee the continuous and stable operation of the load, it is suitable for power system instability occasions.

number of photovoltaic grid-connected inverters are on display. As one of the earliest inverter enterprises to enter the European market in China, product quality and brand of SOFAR SOLAR win great popular support. Several kinds of string inverters occupy the main market share in main markets of Europe, in the exhibition, SOFARSOLAR shows the second generation machine of 3-7.5 kW single-phase grid inverter, 4-40 kW three-phase inverter and 50-70 - kW inverter. The second generation machine of 3-7.5 kW single-phase grid inverter gets the comprehensive breakthrough in efficiency, quality and life, for instance,IGBT adopts new generation of American fairchild and Germany's infineon brand, it greatly reduces the switching loss; The fuselage adopts all-aluminum structure and circuit topology was high frequency designed, which greatly reduces the volume and weight of the inverter and improves the user installation experience. At the same time, this series has better heat dissipation, greatly improving the service life of the machine.

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David Zhong believes that SOFAR SOLAR products are popular in international markets because of two reasons. The first is that the quality and efficiency of its products can be ensured. Every product produced by SHENZHEN SOFAR SOLAR co., LTD has 6 parts of 100% tests. Every step is strictly controlled to ensure the quality of products. With continuous innovation and breakthroughs in technology, various kinds of inverters and power storage inverters of SOFARSOLAR have become models of high quality and high efficiency. Secondly, services. In the international market, it has a complete marketing channels and service center, forming the service, sales and storage center of Germany, Italy, Australia, India, covering more than 100 countries and regions of the world. In the future, SOFARSOLAR will put forth effort making more international influence inverter brand, putting more power storage inverter products into the international market, to provide a valuable service for more customers, to promote the change and development of worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inverter technology and power storage technology.

July 2018

75Â

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

SURPRISING Resource Implications From The Rise Of Electric Vehicles Demand for electric vehicles (EVs) is primed for the passing lane. While EVs accounted for only about 1 percent of global annual vehicle sales in 2016 and just 0.2 percent of vehicles on the road, McKinsey estimates that by 2030 EVs (including battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids) could rise to almost 20 percent of annual global sales (and almost 35 percent of sales in Europe). These rates could rise even faster under aggressive scenarios. Already, demography is proving to be destiny. Recent surveys suggest that 30 percent of car-buying individuals and nearly 50 percent of millennials will consider purchasing an EV for their next car instead of one powered by a traditional internal-combustion engine (ICE).1

Increased EV adoption will affect more and different natural resources, as well as multiple industries, different geographies, and levels of carbon emissions. Indeed, ecological concerns figure strongly in most consumers’ decisions to purchase an EV. Wanting to help the environment was the number-one given reason (by a substantial margin) that American buyers chose an EV in a 2017 CarMax survey.2 A study by AAA that same year also found environmental concerns to be EV purchasers’ leading consideration—at a staggering 87 percent rate.3 Yet our research reveals that several common assumptions about EVs and the Earth’s resources are misplaced. And in some cases, the common wisdom is almost entirely wrong.

By : mckinsey

July 2018

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES

FOSSIL FUELS: EVS DO NOT SPELL PEAK OIL

tart with crude oil. More EVs will dramatically depress oil demand—right? Actually, no; having more electric and hybrid vehicles on the road is expected to reduce oil demand only modestly over the next 10 to 15 years. To the extent that there is downward pressure on oil demand, it will come in large measure from improvements in ICE efficiency and from making vehicles more lightweight. Those efficiencies have already increased at about 2 percent per annum since 2005 (raising miles per gallon for an average ICE vehicle in the United States from 26 in 2005 to 32). We anticipate they will continue to rise at more than 2.5 percent a year through 2025. Yet even as internal-combustion-powered vehicles become more efficient and less predominant, global crude-oil demand will continue to grow, all while EVs experience a significant increase as a proportion of vehicles on the road. Increased oil demand will come from a variety of sources, including industries such as chemicals and aviation; growing regions, notably China and other emerging markets; and the sale of more automobiles globally, including more ICE-powered automobiles, and hence more vehicle miles traveled worldwide. EV adoption will, however, significantly affect demand for a different fossil fuel: natural gas. More EVs mean that more electricity will have to be produced. While coal will be part of the equation, approximately 80 percent of the forecast growth in US electricity demand is expected to be met with natural gas. If half of the automobiles on American roads were EVs, daily US natural-gas demand would be expected to increase by more than 20 percent.

LAND: AN UNEXPECTED SQUEEZE?

here are currently more than 400,000 public charging points that support the more than three million EVs now in use globally. This number will have to rise significantly to meet the global EV-adoption increases forecast by 2030 (Exhibit 1). Simply replacing gas stations with charging points or adding more charging points that are the size of gas stations won’t be sufficient to service the expected number of EVs. It will take multiple rapid 120-kilowatt charging stations with eight outlets to dispense a similar amount of range per hour as the standard-size gas station .

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Exhibit 1

The possibility of a land squeeze will be much greater in Europe and China than in the United States. Only 40 percent of European and 30 percent of Chinese EV owners have access to private parking and wall charging, versus 75 percent of US EV owners. Nor is the challenge merely a question of where to plug in or power up; generation and distribution are also factors. ’s power facilities can accommodate tomorrow’s significant rise in the number of EVs, as long as the vehicles are charged off peak. Faster charging during peak demand, however, will indeed have an impact. In fact, peak demand from a single EV using a top-of-the-range fast charger is 80 times higher than the expected peak demand of a single typical household. These potential constraints will likely have to be addressed through a variety of approaches, from innovation to top-down mandates. China has set a target of 4.8 million charging stations by 2020; McKinsey expects that the country’s governmental record of centralized policies and compulsory implementation will ensure the country meets its mark. Funding outside of China, however, will be more challenging. California utilities, for example, look to increase publicly funded investments, with regulated returns. Private funding, on the other hand, could come from companies such as retailers. Several retail leaders are already beginning to consider how to turn the charging experience to their advantage by giving customers the opportunity to purchase while powering up. Just as shopping malls have long conjured images of leading retailers anchoring the buying experience, large retail-driven charging stations may come to mark the commercial landscape.

July 2018

ELECTRIC VEHICLES Ores and metals: Between a cliff and a hard place

t’s not surprising that more EVs on the road will result in greater price pressure for their constituent parts. The cost of an EV can be broken down largely into the cost of its battery (40 to 50 percent), electric power train (about 20 percent), and other elements of the vehicle itself (30 to 40 percent). Of these, battery costs will be the most important in the medium term. And pricing dynamics will reflect more than just demand. Currently, battery costs are about $200 to $225 per kilowatt hour. We estimate that a battery cost of $100 per kilowatt hour will be required to achieve cost parity with ICE vehicles for most C-segment and D-segment vehicles4 and $75 per kilowatt hour for larger ones, unless government subsidies are continued—an unlikely proposition, as subsidies worldwide are already being phased out. If EV sales are to meet forecast levels, battery-manufacturing capacity will need to increase too— by our analyses, threefold by 2020. Technological improvements must also continue apace. Higher EV sales will help reduce battery costs, with major battery manufacturers racing to expand capacity. At the same time, EV growth will put pressure on the costs of crucial battery inputs, including cobalt and lithium, for which demand will rise sharply. That dynamic has already begun to unfold; the costs of cobalt and lithium have more than doubled since 2015, an effect that has resulted in a net increase in EV production costs over that time.

Exhibit 2

Clean Energy Company Fortum wants to see the adoption of electric light vehicles to really take off in India. Commenting on the same, Mr. Sanjay Aggarwal, Managing Director, Fortum India said, “Leveraging its expertise in e-mobility solutions, Fortum plans to transform mobility in India. The Indian Government has a vision to achieve fully electric mobility by 2030. Being a pioneer in providing charging solutions for electric vehicles in the Nordics, Fortum plans to extend their service and be a prominent enabler towards the achievement of this vision in India as well. Will the availability of these materials constrain greater EV penetration? Optimistically, no. Even with the predicted rise in input costs, batteries can still come close enough to the $75 to $100 per kilowatt threshold needed to approach broad ICE price parity. While concerns such as a “cobalt cliff” exist and demand implications could present a temporary speedbump, the constraints and uncertainties should be addressable. Shifting to other battery chemistries can mitigate risks of shortage. Mining more of the raw materials will also be needed, which, we estimate, will require investments of $100 billion to $150 billion. As well, mining’s hard realities will still apply, including lead times of up to several years and ecological and social concerns in regions within Africa and South America where much of these raw materials are found. Even as a green solution, in other words, EVs will have costs as well as benefits for society, our environment, and the resources we consume.

July 2018

He further adds, “India is already an important market for Fortum, which has flourishing solar operations in the country. The collaboration of Fortum and Clean Motion is a step forward to achieve our Company’s vision “For a cleaner world”. Increased adoption of EV also means improved battery technology at affordable price and therefore, this collaboration agreement will further boost the market adoption of electric vehicles.

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES

CLEAN ENERGY PROVIDER FORTUM COLLABORATES WITH CLEAN MOTION TO ACCELERATE ELECTRIFICATION OF THREE-WHEELERS IN INDIA To jointly develop battery swap system for light electric vehicles To complete the pilot during Q4’18

n order to boost the sales of electric vehicles in India, clean energy provider Fortum has signed an agreement with Clean Motion, on offering sustainable mobility solutions through jointly developing a battery swap system, tailored specially for light electric vehicles in India. The goal is to jointly develop a battery swap system for light electric vehicles with the aim to launch a pilot before end of 2018 on an existing Zbee cluster in India before further development and expansion in India. The primary target market for the initiative are the major taxi companies in India, and other organizations with large fleets of vehicles that are in need of high uptime in their operations. The ultimate vision is to enable all manufacturers that make or intend to make light electric vehicles to receive an offer to use the swapping technology in their vehicles.

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Mr. Awadhesh Kumar Jha, Vice President – Charge & Drive & Sustainability, Fortum India said, “Fortum, being a Clean Energy Company, intends to provide green energy solutions to all variants of electric vehicles in India. He further adds that Fortum look at the batteries as containers of electric energy which is quite suitable for swapping in light electrical vehicles. This collaboration complements its pioneer Charge & Drive, which is built for billions, where EV is charged and driven whereas this project instead let you change the energy canister and drive EV.”

Fortum’s vision is to increase the market adoption of electric vehicles by offering suitable business model for the user of EV. This project will address the end customers’ concern of high cost of owning EV by reducing the initial costs for batteries. Fortum will own the batteries and same shall be let out to EV in swapping stations on pay-per-use model, he further added. The two companies believe that to create a largescale transition there must be a cost-efficient alternative for the operators and drivers. High quality batteries with sufficient capacity suffers high initial cost which is one of the major limitation for transition to electric vehicles. “The company wants to increase the utilization of its vehicles, since this is in line with the overall corporate strategy of increased efficiency and use of resources. Hence, we believe that with a partner like Fortum, we can create a system that can really have a great impact on future businesses carried out with light electric vehicles. We believe that Zbee will be utilizing the energy and will be operating in a very cost-efficient way. Göran Folkesson, CEO, Clean Motion AB.”

July 2018

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