Saur Energy Magazine August 2019

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SAUR ENERGY AUGUST 2019 | Rs. 200

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

DCP LICENSING NO. F.2(S-29) PRESS/2016 l VOL 3 l ISSUE 12 l TOTAL PAGES 64 l PUBLISHED ON 1ST OF EVERY MONTH

EV’s Have Charmed The Government. Will The Markets Follow? With Rihand Approval, India’s Floating Solar Ambitions Soar Inside:

MOHANDAS MEKANAPURATH Bosch Energy & Building Solutions

ROHIT KUMAR REC India

ATUL ARYA

Panasonic India Huawei | IESA | Microlyte | Ather | Fortum | Move-in-Sync | Blowhorn | Lithos | Magenta Power




FROM THE EDITOR

SAUR ENERGY I N T E R N A T I O N A L GROUP EDITOR PRASANNA SINGH prasanna@meilleurmedia.com

The last month has been a month for sending signals. The MNRE's multiple missives and announcements to show support for renewable power producers, be DIRECTOR MARKETING PRATEEK KAPOOR it payment mechanism, or PPA sanctity, the pity is prateek@meilleurmedia.com that the government has had to do these basics. Our cover story features a similar zeal and EDITOR commitment for Electric Vehicles, delving into MANAS NANDI the industry reaction to this support, and more manas@meilleurmedia.com importantly, will it be enough? After all, the solar sector will recognise the signs too well, and EV ASSOCIATE EDITOR MANU TAYAL makers would be ell advised to hold off from manu@meilleurmedia.com the champagne. STAFF WRITER Elsewhere, we look at the big numbers in AYUSH VERMA what was a laboratory version of the solar editorial@meilleurmedia.com sector till last year. Floating solar plants. The speed at which interest, and now award MANAGER- MEDIA SOLUTION of projects is happening in this area has GIRISH MISHRA girish.mishra@meilleurmedia.com been impressive, giving rise to hope that floating might just deliver whee rooftop DESIGN HEAD solar has struggled. SANDEEP KUMAR Like you, we also look forward to September and October, when WEB DEVELOPMENT MANAGER the biggest industry events of the JITENDER KUMAR year, REI Expo and RE-INVEST take WEB PRODUCTION place.Despite their widely different BALVINDER SINGH ownership, they fill very important roles for the sector, and we look SUBSCRIPTIONS forward to bring you some KULDEEP GUSAIN amazing coverage from both subscription@meilleurmedia.com soon.

Saur Energy International is printed, published, edited and owned by Manas Nandi and published from 303, 2nd floor, Neelkanth Palace, Plot No- 190, Sant Nagar,East of Kailash, New Delhi- 110065 (INDIA),Printed at Pearl Printers, C-105, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase 1, New Delhi.

Prasanna Singh prasanna@meilleurmedia.com

Editor, Publisher, Printer and Owner make every effort to ensure high quality and accuracy of the content published. However he cannot accept any responsibility for any effects from errors or omissions. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Editor and publisher. The information in the content and advertisement published in the magazine are just for reference of the readers. However, readers are cautioned to make inquiries and take their decision on purchase or investment after consulting experts on the subject. Saur Energy International holds no responsibility for any decision taken by readers on the basis of the information provided herein. Any unauthorised reproduction of Saur Energy International magazine content is strictly forbidden. Subject to Delhi Jurisdiction.


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CONTENT PAGE

14

ATUL ARYA

Head Energy Systems Panasonic India

28

18

ROHIT KUMAR

MOHANDAS MEKANAPURATH

Head of Indian Subcontinent REC Solar, and Director, REC India

Business Head Bosch Energy and Building Solutions

COVER STORY

22

EV’s Have Charmed The Government. Will The Markets Follow? POLICY

08 SLDC to Pay for Irregular Curtailment of RE SC Garg Moves from Finance to Power Ministry

06

AUGUST 2019

MNRE Clarifies on Payment Security Mechanism SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL | VOL 3 l ISSUE 12

MARKET

54 Land, Infra Major Roadblocks for Wind Projects India Leads APAC With Lowest Renewable Cost


CONTENT PAGE

58

17

GOSUN CHILL PORTABLE SOLAR FRIDGE

WHAT WILL BE THE IMPACT OF ANDHRA GOVERNMENT’S ACTIONS ON RE INVESTMENTS?

34

WHAT IS THE SMART I-V CURVE DIAGNOSIS 3.0

PROJECTS

STORAGE

44

27

SECI Floats Tender for 1500 MW Solar Projects

Energy Storage to Grow 122-Fold in Next 2 Decades

AMP Energy India Begins Work on UP Project EESL Tenders for 5 Million Smart Meters

Tesla’s New Battery for Utility Scale Energy Storage VOL 3 l ISSUE 12 | SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL

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AUGUST 2019


POLICY UPDATES

SLDC TO PAY FOR IRREGULAR CURTAILMENT OF RE The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) has issued an order making State Load Dispatch Centers (SLDCs) liable in case of irregular curtailment of renewable energy i.e. wind and solar power. As per Indian Electricity Grid Code 2010 and various State Grid Codes/ Regulations under the Electricity Act 2003, ‘Must Run’ status has been accorded to renewable energy (wind and solar power). As per the existing instructions, wind and solar power can be curtailed only for reasons of grid safety and security, after communicating reasons (in writing) to power generation companies. The move came after power ministry notices that these rules have been violated by some SLDCs, and they are resorting to large scale backing down of wind and solar power. The ministry stated in a notification that “it is reiterated that the ‘Must Run’ status of wind and solar projects be honored in letter and spirit and curtailment of such power be done only for reasons of grid safety and security and that too after

communicating instructions detailing reasons for curtailment to the generators in writing.” It further added that, if any SLDC curtails wind or solar power for any reason other than grid safety or security or as prescribed in respective grid code/ regulation, they shall be liable for making good the loss incurred by the wind or solar power generators towards deemed generation. So, the SLDCs may be advised accordingly, MNRE said.

HARYANA TO DISTRIBUTE 50,000 REVIEWING PPAS TO ENSURE SOLAR PUMPS TO FARMERS COMPETITIVE PRICES: REDDY

08 AUGUST 2019

Fifty thousand solar pumps will be given to farmers and 'gaushalas' in Haryana with the assistance of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), according to the Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy Banwari Lal. The minister made the announcement while speaking at an event in Kadipur village of district Mahendragarh. He also revealed that around Rs 1,696 crore will be spent on this special scheme. He further indicated that about 238 megawatt of green energy will be generated in the state with the installation of these solar pumps. “This will not only save the diesel used to run the pump, but also prevent pollution caused by the diesel pump.” Providing the cheapest energy is the priority of the government. A solar energy-based project of about 413 MW capacity has been set up by the government in the state. The state government has approved 672 MW of solar projects, which will be completed this year, he was quoted as saying in an official statement. The minister said in order to increase the income of farmers, the government has prepared a draft for the pilot project in districts Karnal and Yamunanagar. Under this scheme, 11 agricultural feeders have been selected, under which 468 electricity-based tube wells will be converted into solar energy-based tube wells. The extra electricity produced from these solar energy-based tube wells will be provided to the farmers. About Rs 26 crore is estimated to be spent on this scheme, he added. SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL | VOL 3 l ISSUE 12

The new Andhra Pradesh government's move to re-negotiate power purchase agreements (PPAs) signed with renewable energy producers in the last five years under the TDP government, was only aimed at ensuring competitive prices and pass on the accruing benefit to the people, Chief Minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy informed the state assembly on July 24, 2019. Amid a raging controversy over the move, he also said there had been a lot of 'false' propaganda on the PPAs which has no substance or basis. The YSR Congress Party government has decided to review PPAs worth over Rs 30,000 crore signed by the previous TDP government, and the industry is in a fix about the investments that had been made already in the state. The decision to review has also triggered big rating cuts for power projects in question. Former chief minister and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu had earlier termed the review move as a “recipe for disaster”, saying it will hurt the state’s prospect to attract investment. Rejecting the claims, Reddy said the move to renegotiate PPAs was aimed at passing on the benefits to the poor through welfare schemes. “What we are planning is to bring in power at a competitive rate. If we buy power at a higher rate and that becomes the tariff, then industries will shy away from buying power at a premium price." He alleged some people were spreading canards on the issue saying no industry would now come to AP. It’s the work of vested interests. There is no truth in it as our policy is clear. We want to ensure power supply in a cost-effective manner, Reddy added.


POLICY UPDATES

SC GARG MOVES FROM FINANCE TO POWER MINISTRY In the first major bureaucratic shuffle in its second term, the Narendra Modi government on July 24, 2019, has confirmed the transfer of Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg to the power ministry, while appointing Atanu Chakraborty as economic affairs secretary. The shuffle in the finance ministry comes less than three weeks after the Union Budget was presented in the Lok Sabha and a day after it was passed by Parliament. The shuffle saw top bureaucrats across 12 ministries, departments and agencies, with secretaries of finance, power, telecommunications, parliamentary affairs, and textiles, among others, seeing new names. Garg will assume the power secretary, replacing Ajay Kumar Bhalla, who will

take over as officer on special duty (OSD) in the home ministry, leaving the door open for him to become the next home secretary once the incumbent, Rajiv Gauba, retires on August 31. Garg’s departure from North Block will also lead to a new finance secretary being named soon. According to

protocol, the most senior officer among five secretaries in the finance ministry – economic affairs, revenue, expenditure, financial services, and Dipam — is designated as finance secretary. Currently, Revenue Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey and Financial Services Secretary Rajiv Kumar are the most senior, from the 1984 batch. A finance secretary being transferred to a ministry like power is a rare occurrence, though not unprecedented, as they are usually moved to one of the other Raisina Hill posts like defense or home (external affairs is for diplomats). However, considering the sheer scale of financial engineering and challenges the power sector faces, perhaps it is just as well that Garg will have a chance to make an impact here.

MNRE CLARIFIES ON PAYMENT SECURITY MECHANISM The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) has issued a clarification on the power ministry’s latest directive for power distribution companies (Discoms) to mandatorily open and maintain adequate Letter of Credit (LC) as payment security mechanism for power generation companies. As per the June 28, 2019 order of Ministry of Power, in the event power is not dispatched for any reason as described in the notification, the distribution licensee will continue to pay ‘fixed charge’ to the generating company. On this, MNRE clarified that the fixed charge in case of solar, wind and small hydro power will be the tariff on which the power is being purchased by the distribution licensee as it reflects the cost of installation, operation and maintenance of the power plant. It further said that the energy generated during the non-dispatch period shall be calculated on the basis of Capacity Utilization Factor (CUF) as declared by the generators in Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), and for projects having more than one-year operation, the power not-dispatched shall be calculated on the basis of pro-rated actual energy

generated in the last twelve months. Therefore, the government order, which is applicable from August 1, 2019, is expected to help power generating companies in getting timely payments from Discoms. Earlier, generating firms were struggling to cope up with their huge outstanding on the back of unpaid

power bills from Discoms. It also helps gencos in making timely payments for their pre-paid expenses such as fuel and transportation, which in turn would lead to surge in power generation. It will also help in reducing load shedding due to shortage of power generation. VOL 3 l ISSUE 12 | SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL

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AUGUST 2019


POLICY UPDATES

NO SLOWDOWN IN SOLAR GENERATION POST SGD India generated over 81 thousand million units (MU) of solar power in the last three financial years (2016-17 to 2018-19), Minister of State for Power and New and Renewable Energy, R K Singh has informed the Rajya Sabha. Answering a question on whether there was any decline in the amount of solar power produced in the last financial year due to the imposition of the safeguard duty (SGD), the minister stated that the sector witnessed no slowdown in generation capacity. And that according to data furnished by the Central Electricity Authority, there was increase in the power generated from solar power plants by 13,797 MUs in the financial year (18-19) from the previous year (17-18). "No, Sir. There was an increase of 13,797.13

MU in the solar power generation in 201819 as compared to the year 2017-18,� the minister stated in his written response. In his response, the minister also highlighted

the rate of safeguard duty imposed on solar panels and with it the reasons for its implementation. According to the data tabled in the parliament, solar power generation in 2016-17 was 16,499.41 MU, this increased to 25,871.07 MW in 2017-18, ridding on the wave of energy transition initiatives of the government. And in 2018-19 the total generation fell just shy of 40,000 MU, with 39,268.20 MU generated. This increase could largely be accredited to the solar projects that had gone into construction well before the duty announcement in July of 2018. The real slowdown in the generation of solar power due to the duty will perhaps be better gauged by the generation figures from the present and next few years.

UP GOVT CLEARS STATE’S 1ST FLOATING PV PROJECT

M'RASHTRA GOVT PLOTTING NEW SOLAR POLICY

The Uttar Pradesh cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has cleared a floating solar PV power plant on Rihand Dam with an investment of Rs 750 crore. It will be the first floating solar power plant in the state and the biggest in the country by capacity. The state cabinet cleared the project that will fetch investment of Rs 750 crore, UP government spokesman Shrikant Sharma told reporters. He said the water surface floating solar PV power project will generate 150 MW power and will be completed in the next 21 months. "It will be first such project of UP and biggest in the country," Sharma said. Renew Solar Power, a subsidiary of ReNew Power had won the right to develop 100 MW of the project, Shapoorji Pallonji Infrastructure Private limited will generate the remainder of the 50 MW capacity for this project. UP Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) has signed the power purchase agreement (PPA) with the two developers for a period of 25 years. The tariff fixed for the duration of the agreement is Rs 3.36 per unit, which the state believes will benefit the citizens. In June, state Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan told the Legislative Council in a written reply that the backwater of Wardha, Bebala, Khadakpurna and Pentakli dams has been selected for setting up the floating solar panels as per the Swiss Challenge method. He said the estimated investment per megawatt is Rs 4.45 crore, with a total installed capacity of 500 MW. Recently, NTPC has invited bids for the development of 20 MW floating solar power project at the reservoir of NTPC Auraiya Gas Power Plant at Dibiyapur in Uttar Pradesh.

The Maharashtra government is readying to prepare a policy wherein vacant plots and agriculture land will be taken on lease to set up solar energy projects. An energy department official said that many people have shown interest in leasing out their land for a period of 30 years to set up solar projects. The land can be leased on rent at 8 percent as per the ready reckoner rates, the official said. The state's capacity for solar power generation is 1,500 MW, of which the current production is about 700-800 MW, the official added. The state has set a target of generating 14,400 MW power through non-conventional means. For this, apart from the vacant lands, water bodies will be used to set up floating solar panels through private partnership. Recently, Central Electronics Limited (CEL) had issued a tender for the development of 50 MW grid-tied solar PV plants ranging from 500 kW to 10 MW at various locations in Maharashtra. The scope of work for the selected bidders will include the design, engineering, supply, construction, erection, testing, installation and commissioning of the solar power plants. In June, we reported that Maharashtra was all set to get floating solar power generation plants in four dams, state Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan told the Legislative Council. In a written reply to a question, Mahajan stated the backwater of Wardha, Bebala, Khadakpurna and Pentakli dams has been selected for setting up the floating solar panels as per the Swiss Challenge method. He said the estimated investment per megawatt is Rs 4.45 crore, with a total installed capacity of 500 MW.

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AUGUST 2019

SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL | VOL 3 l ISSUE 12


POLICY UPDATES

IRENA, UNFCCC TO ACCELERATE RE AS CLIMATE SOLUTION The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and UN Climate Change (UNFCCC) are jointly ramping up efforts to fight climate change by promoting the widespread adoption and sustainable use of renewable energy. The new strategic partnership builds on a long history of cooperation that aims to ensure a low-carbon climate-resilient world in line with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. In a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in Bonn between the heads of IRENA and UN Climate Change, the two organisations have agreed to step up the exchange of knowledge on energy transition, collaborate more closely at expert meetings, increase capacity building to promote renewables and undertake joint outreach activities. Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) said that

the rapid transition to clean energy is crucial to meet the central goal of

the Paris Climate Change Agreement, which is to hold the global average temperature rise to as close as possible to 1.5 degrees Celsius. “Time is running out – we are already seeing worsening climate change impacts around the world –including unprecedented heatwaves - and we need to grasp all opportunities to rapidly deploy clean, renewable energy at scale to prevent the worst climate scenarios form becoming a reality.” Francesco La Camera, DirectorGeneral of IRENA added that the falling technology costs have made solar, wind and other renewables the competitive backbone of energy decarbonisation and, together with energy efficiency, the most effective climate action tool available. The new agreement is designed to build on this work, and to expand regional activities in the field of clean technology.

T'GANA PLANNING ONE TIME SETTLEMENT OF POWER DUES The Telangana government has said that it would go for one-time settlement of dues of panchayats and municipalities to state-run electricity organisations and warned that henceforth heads of local bodies will be 'punished' for non-payment of bills on time. Chief Minister K Chandrasekar Rao, who presided over a review meeting on the power sector, said the government will bear the expenditure for the supply of free power to farmers and for the lift irrigation projects and a special grant will be made in the budget for the purpose. Rao suggested that solar power, available at a cheaper rate, should be procured to meet the heavy demand due to the Lift Irrigation schemes and asked the officials to invite tenders for 1000 MW of solar power. The review meeting was held on the eve of the implementation of Letter of Credit system for power purchases from August 1, 2019, as mandated by the Centre, an official release said. Noting that gram panchayats and

municipalities have to pay "heavy power dues", Rao said the government would go for a one-time settlement of all the dues till date. "Dues of electricity organisations will be bought to zero level. Discipline should come in as far as usage of the street lights are concerned in the villages and

towns. Ensure that no street light is on during the day time, the release quoted the chief minister as having said. He said if the bills were not paid on time, the sarpanch and the village secretary in villages and the chairperson and commissioners in municipalities will be punished, but did not elaborate. VOL 3 l ISSUE 12 | SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL

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AUGUST 2019


POLICY UPDATES

MNRE EASES BIDDING NORMS ON SOLAR PROJECTS The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has issued amendments to the guidelines for tariff based competitive bidding process for procurement of power from grid-connected solar PV power projects. The guidelines, which were last modified on January 9, 2019, are meant exclusively for grid-connected solar projects. The following changes have been made: i. As per the amendment, the Performance Bank Guarantee (PBG) submitted by a solar power generator can as always be encashed to recover any damages/dues of the generator in terms of the PPA. But now, the damages/ dues recovered by the intermediary procurer by encashing the PBG, upon the default of the generator under the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), shall be credited to the Payment Security Fund (instead of being passed on to the end procurer) to be maintained by the intermediary procurer under the

‘Guidelines for Tariff Based Competitive Bidding Process for Procurement of Power from Grid Connected Solar PV Power Projects”. ii. T he successful bidder, if being a single company, shall ensure that its shareholding in the SPV/project company executing the PPA shall not fall below 51 percent at any time prior to

3 (earlier 1) years from the commercial operations date (COD), except with the prior approval of the procurer. In the event the successful bidder is a consortium, then the combined shareholding of the consortium members in the SPV/project company executing the PPA, shall not fall below 51percent at any time prior to 3 (earlier 1) years from the COD.

RAJASTHAN ENVISIONED AS A HUB FOR SOLAR ENERGY

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AUGUST 2019

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has said that his government will bring in a policy to make the state a hub of solar energy. He said efforts are being made to generate 10,000 megawatts of additional power in the state in the next five years. "The government is going to introduce a new solar and wind energy to make the state a hub of solar power," Gehlot said. The chief minister said a 1,000 MW solar park is being developed in Nokh, Jaisalmer, by the Rajasthan Solar Park Development Company Limited. About Rs 3,450 will be invested in it, he added. The people of the state will greatly benefit from the solar park, the chief minister added. Presently, Rajasthan is on the third position in the field of solar power and efforts are on to bring it to number one, Gehlot said. Recently, we reported that the Maharashtra government is contemplating to prepare a policy wherein vacant plots and agriculture land will be taken on lease to set up solar energy projects. SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL | VOL 3 l ISSUE 12

An Energy Department official said that many people have evinced interest in leasing out their land for a period of 30 years to set up solar projects. The land can be leased on rent at 8 percent as per the ready reckoner rates, he said. The state’s capacity for solar power generation is 1,500 MW, of which the

current production is about 700-800 MW, the official added. The state has set a target of generating 14,400 MW power through non-conventional means. For this, apart from the vacant lands, water bodies will be used to set up floating solar panels through private partnership.



THE CONVERSATION

ATUL ARYA

Head Energy Systems, Panasonic India

Storage Solutions Can Change The Outlook Of India’s Telecom Industry

Storage solutions can change the outlook of India’s telecom industry by enabling integration of renewable energy and providing future expansion of rural telecom reach, for small cell cities and energy management services on the cloud, believes Atul Arya, head energy systems, Panasonic India, an Indian arm of Japanese electronics major. In conversation with Manu Tayal, associate editor, Saur Energy International, Arya shared his views on various topics related to his company’s product offerings such as urban microgrids, future expansion plans, scope of energy storage market etc. Following are the excerpts from the interview.

Q

What is Panasonic’s Urban Microgrids stored energy. and how will it help in fortifying the The solutions come with unique remote energy infrastructure in India? monitoring and data analytics feature over webpage and smartphone platforms. We have recently introduced urban A single microgrid by Panasonic has the microgrids, hybrid Energy Storage capacity to light up multiple homes and Systems (ESS) with end to end solutions buildings, and generate power. for the Indian market. The integrated The proposed system offers multi-faceted solar power microgrids feature efficient, benefits in the operation as follows: reliable, and intelligent power storage • Reduce/eliminate dependence on solutions to power up urban residential grid; continuity of load. and commercial areas. With its usage • Superb cycle performance and highly apt across multiple applications such as self-consumption, peak shaving and energy arbitrage, the microgrids provide complete solutions enabling uninterrupted power supply to enhance power distribution. Urban microgrids are essential to the energy ecosystem in the country as it not only decentralises the distribution system but also makes it local. It offers a better system for energy distribution and is economically more viable for the end consumer, while also reducing carbon emissions.

Q

What are the key benefits of this Hybrid ESS with integrated solar power solution? And who are the target customers?

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AUGUST 2019

Panasonic’s intelligent hybrid Li-Ion ESS has numerous advantages such as stable power output, backup power source during outages and most importantly a significant cycle performance along with an efficiency rate of more than 95 percent leading to large recovery of the SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL | VOL 3 l ISSUE 12

We plan to partner with utility companies not only in India but also in South East Asia, Middle East and Africa.

efficient (> 95 percent) leading to large recovery of the stored energy. • Solar self-consumption system. Time of use tariff scheduled charging and energy arbitrage. • Renewable energy source leads to a lesser carbon emissions and thus promote sustainability. The market opportunity is huge and we plan to partner with utility companies providing services to commercial buildings such as hospitals, hotels, malls, industrial buildings and construction industry not just in India but also South East Asia, Middle East and Africa. We recently collaborated with BYPL, the leading utility company to provide services in the Delhi region. Through this partnership, we aim to create energy storage capacity of 60 MWh over the next three years which will not only help with grid stabilization, management of peak power demand but also reduce diesel consumption of 4.3 Million litres and 11 thousand tons of CO2 emissions annually.

Q

How do you see the impact of this solution on Panasonic’s further expansion into energy solution business? Our energy business is one of our key strategic pillars to drive growth in the country and we have recently expanded our portfolio across mobility solutions and microgrids with the recent launch of Urban Microgrids. We have been steadily ramping up our energy business and with our strong legacy of producing cutting edge technology products and R&D


THE CONVERSATION

capabilities, we believe, we are uniquely positioned to cater to this growing demand of providing sustainable and end to end energy solutions in the country. With the new microgrid solution that we have launched, we expect it will help us further fortify our presence in the energy storage solutions market. Microgrids help ease the strain of the larger grid system by allowing entire sections of the grid to disconnect entirely and operate independently. This flexibility not only helps lessen the effects of larger grid incidents but also improves uptime for the individuals and businesses within the microgrids service area. The newly launched system by Panasonic consists of Li-ion batteries, hybrid bi-directional inverters, solar charge controllers, EMS and other supporting equipment. The grids will be available in multiple energy storage options: 5kW, 10kWh, 6kWp solar. With this, we aim to build a robust energy storage capability in the country.

Q

How do you see the growth of India’s renewable energy market till date? What kind of future opportunities this market will offer in next 2 to 3 years down the line? India is investing steadily in renewable energy and microgrids are at the centre of this growth. One clear factor driving this industry is the government’s increasing focus on sustainable energy and programs around electrification for all. Electrification at affordable rates has been a key focus for the government during its budget announcement, and this will bring greater avenues and opportunities in the market. According to Climate Scope, India ranks second in a list of over 100 countries on its preparedness for investing in renewable energy. Rooftop solar alone is estimated to represent a USD 23 billion investment opportunity in India as per Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The country has the world’s largest auction for renewable energy, and has recently embarked on major incentives for renewable energy development, including microgrids. Furthermore, many opportunities will come with the expansion of the renewable energy market. Storage solutions can change the outlook of India’s telecom industry by enabling integration of renewable energy and providing future expansion of rural telecom reach, for small cell cities and energy management services on the cloud. Panasonic Microgrids are independent of any power source and we are hopeful that the industry size will double to Rs 120 crore in the next couple of years with further steady growth expected for the next 5 years.

Q

What is your outlook on the energy solution through microgrids in India? Distributed generation is the quickest and most economical method for providing electricity to rural India. However, the major challenges involved for the establishment of a micro grid segment in the country have been reliability of storage and operation & management of multiple installations. To assist with this challenge, we have


THE CONVERSATION

Q

introduced a solution called ‘Off Grid’ How much revenue is Panasonic 2.0, an offering which is ready for grid targeting via urban microgrids connectivity and when the need arises, solution in next 3 years? add on tools for management of multilocation, grid connected distributed Panasonic has an increased focus towards generation systems can be provided solar renewable energy and the solution on demand. Owing to greater focus on works as a backup to store extra energy infrastructure development by Indian generated during the day. Government and with power deficit Panasonic India is dedicated towards in few areas, diesel consumption is establishing a firm position in setting poised to grow at 6 percent in FY2019- up robust energy infrastructure. We 20; around 18 percent of which would have made significant investments be in non-transport and building sector. for competency building in terms of This increased consumption would result development of high capacity solution in increased emission resulting in poor range, compliance certifications, and air quality and pose health hazards. automation & data analytics. Microgrids have large potential of We have already deployed this product offsetting this emission from diesel by at BSES Yamuna and in Jharkhand with providing critical backup or mitigating the an aim to make energy accessible to the diesel usage by means of multiple cycling local communities and they have seen per day. E.g. A microgrid penetration of considerable improvements in efficiency 50 percent in the building sector would and better management of power supply. result in reduction of diesel consumption We are in talks with similar other players by 0.63 MMT per month of the overall to deploy our solution. We are keen on 7MMT per month. With a factor of 3.186 collaborating with the Government of kg CO2/kg Diesel, this is equivalent to India and various utilities on its initiatives reduction of 2MMT of CO2 equivalent around electrification and developing emission per month. sustainable energy eco system.

Q

How suitable is the regulatory framework and market structure for energy storage in Indian renewable sector? In terms of cost per kWh of storage, where do you see prices in 2020? The impact of storage price drops in India? With India aiming to set up 175 gigawatt (GW) of renewable energy capacity by 2022, it is important to make improvement in storage technology, making it more energy efficient with easy integration with the grid. Energy storage can easily support transformation of our grid infrastructure to integrate renewable energy with lower initial investment.Furthermore, to strengthen Government of India’s recently launched National Energy Storage Mission, we will continue to support on behalf of the storage sector and wait to see the outcome of the policy measure. Energy is a key focus area for the company, and we will continue to make adequate investments in resources towards addressing this. The National Storage Mission will help us prepare a roadmap for India to leverage its size to produce innovative, competitive multi-modal mobility solutions to be deployed globally.

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POINT OF VIEW

What will be the Impact of Andhra Government’s Actions on RE Investments? Amid the row over the new Andhra Pradesh government’s formation of high-level committee to renegotiate power purchase agreements (PPAs) which were entered into by the previous government with solar and wind projects, here are some industry views and voices: Renewable energy should get first access to grid, so it needs to be technically verified that curtailment is happening despite the regulation. If they aren’t getting (grid access), JASMEET KHURANA then that’s an issue. The risk of curtailment was Manager for Mobility World Business Council for higher for older projects due to their higher Sustainable Development tariffs. There’s a fiscal incentive for discoms to in India curtail power from projects with higher tariffs.

Grid curtailments can dent revenue of solar producers by 10-15 percent. Curtailments are usually planned in advance but there have been instances when they were arbitrary too.

SUBRAHMANYAM PULIPAKA

KAMESWARA RAO

Chief Executive Officer National Solar Energy F ederation of India

Partner (Energy, Utilities and Mining) PwC

Grid curtailment tends to be higher in countries with rapidly growing variable renewable energy. (Source: BloombergQuint) VOL 3 l ISSUE 12 | SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL

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THE CONVERSATION

MOHANDAS MEKANAPURATH Business Head, Bosch Energy and Building Solutions

Government Can Create Better Awareness By Highlighting Various Technologies To Promote Energy Efficiency The government could go one step further and create better awareness by highlighting various technologies that aid in improving energy efficiency in industries and buildings. In addition, the success of Bureau of Energy Efficiency’s Perform-Achieve-Trade (PAT) scheme can also be scaled up to other sectors at faster rate than is happening today. These coordinated activities will go a long way in enhancing adoption of energy efficient techniques, believes Mohandas Mekanapurath, business head, Bosch Energy and Building Solutions, an arm of Bosch Limited that helps enterprises in monitoring energy consumption, source clean energy and improves energy efficiency in their facilities. In conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Saur Energy International, Mekanapurath shared his views on various topics related to technology, company’s offerings, achievements etc. Following are excerpts of the interview.

Q

Can you shed some light on Bosch’s Energy and Building Solutions business in India.

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Rising energy costs and carbon footprint are driving several organizations across the nation to change the way they operate. To develop a future-proof energy infrastructure, it is critical to have a reliable partner on board who provides solutions addressing all possible aspects of energy management. Since 2011, Bosch Energy and Building Solutions (BEBS), a business division of Bosch Limited, plays the role of this partner by providing solutions that help enterprises monitor their energy consumption, source clean energy and improve energy efficiency in their facilities. For access to clean energy, BEBS provides turnkey services for implementation of solar power plants, from design and engineering to installation and commissioning. In addition, BEBS also realizes significant energy savings for enterprises through our Energy Efficiency Solutions - where experts study processes and utilities and implement solutions that cut down specific energy consumption. Each of these solution offerings are customized depending upon the customers’ need and facility limitations. Energy experts at Bosch Energy and Building Solutions customize these SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL | VOL 3 l ISSUE 12

Apart from reduction of carbon footprint, energy efficiency must be used as a key growth lever that will realize significant profitability improvement for organisations.

solutions for commercial and industrial requirements by combining them with innovative applications and bringing in our internal quality and safety principles. As of 2019, BEBS has enabled over 200 enterprises in generating 58 crore kWh of solar power, Rs 430 crore in cost savings and offsetting over 4,00,000 tons of CO2 emissions so far.

Q

Name a few major achievements of Bosch in the solar PV domain in recent past? What is the installed capacity till date? Using its engineering competence, Bosch implements solar power plants that optimize space usage – like rooftop solar plants, water-lagoon based solar plants, carport solar plants etc. As of June 2019, Bosch has successfully commissioned over 200 MW of solar capacity across India. Throughout our journey in India, Bosch has set several benchmarks in the solar industry in technology, design aspects, and quality and safety parameters. For example, Bosch conceptualized the use of handrails, walkways and lifelines in rooftop solar power plants, when it wasn’t the norm in India. Bosch has established other best practices like using tensile structures and mounting solar panels on membrane roofs for complex applications as well.


THE CONVERSATION

The most popularly known solar project commissioned by Bosch has been the 12 and 2.4 MWp solar project implemented for Cochin International Airport, which made it the first airport in the world to be fully powered by solar energy. Subsequently, Bosch also implemented a 11 MWp solar plant for the airport, which included a 5 MW solar plant mounted on a 3 km stretch of canal. Similarly, BEBS also implemented a 2.5 MWp ground-based solar plant next to the active runway, a 440 kW carport solar plant in front of the corporate office and a 14.4 MWp ground-based solar plant on open access mode for Bangalore International Airport Limited. The 14.4 MWp solar plant has been touted as a benchmark in the industry for its power generation output. The primary focus area for BEBS is rooftop solar plants for enterprise clients. For example, since 2018, Bosch has served as the energy partner for Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India by implementing over 25 MWp rooftop solar projects across 4 of their facilities in India. Similarly the Siemens manufacturing unit in Mumbai is also benefiting from a state-of-the-art 2.2 MWp rooftop + carport solar plant implemented by Bosch in 2018. Bosch Group has committed to becoming carbon neutral across all its facilities worldwide by 2020. Bosch Energy and Building Solutions has been a key enabler in realizing this commitment, with over 22 MW of solar projects implemented across Bosch facilities in India. The Nashik plant of Bosch generates around 20 percent of the power required by the plant each year. Similarly, the Bidadi plant is able to cover around 30 percent of its energy needs with its own solar power plant.

Q

What are the latest technologies available in India to check the energy efficiency of buildings? By using them, up to what percentage of energy can be saved? Over 50 percent of the power generated in India is consumed by commercial and industrial units. This energy is utilized for various applications like process heating, equipment operation, air-conditioning, lighting load etc. While the way industries and building operate have evolved to a large extent, there still exist inefficiencies in the way energy is utilized across facilities. These inefficiencies are a resultant of either usage of old equipment, imbalance in energy systems, improper maintenance, improper equipment sizing or a combination of one or more of these issues. Bosch Energy and Building Solutions also specialises in identifying and reducing these inefficiencies with the help of its innovative energy efficiency solutions. The certified energy experts at Bosch have studied over 200 facilities across India to design these solutions. The most common areas where our experts have observed significant areas for energy reduction are steam generation and distribution, hot water generation and HVAC systems. We have been able to successfully reduce energy consumption in the range of 12-50 percent in these utilities with our current solutions. Our solution portfolio is only expanding and we foresee further scope for energy reduction depending on the customer sector. BEBS typically begins by conducting a detailed energy assessment of the facility and identifying improvement areas VOL 3 l ISSUE 12 | SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL

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THE CONVERSATION

across utilities and operations. These improvement areas are then analyzed for techno-commercial feasibility of our energy efficiency solutions. The feasible solutions are then specially customized based on the facility requirements and limitations.

each stage by an internal quality and safety expert. This ensures that the approved design, quality parameters and safety guidelines are adhered to at all stages of project execution. The same approach is used when working with sub-contractors for specific work packages. Bosch deploys its quality What are your key suggestions for experts to engage with contractors the government in order to promote right from the beginning and ensure energy efficiency? that sufficient quality considerations have gone into the design stage. The government has already made great strides in encouraging energy Other initiatives taken at the design stage efficiency across different sectors. The include use of mock-ups for structures Bureau of Energy Efficiency’s Perform- that are mounted for complex projects Achieve-Trade (PAT) scheme is one such great example. Many other government agencies and PSUs have come forward in developing technologies, launching financing schemes and coordinating drives centered on energy efficiency. The Energy Conservation Building Code released in 2017 is another initiative by the government that outlines energy consumption thresholds for various types of buildings. These and many other initiatives by the government have established a strong foundation for energy efficiency to take center stage. The government could go one step further and create better awareness by highlighting various technologies that aid in improving energy efficiency in industries and buildings. In addition, the success of the PAT scheme can also be scaled up to other sectors at faster rate than is happening today. These coordinated activities will go a long way in enhancing adoption of energy efficient techniques.

Q

Bosch Group has committed to becoming carbon neutral across all its facilities worldwide by 2020.

Q

As any solar power plant has a life span of approx. 20-25 years, how do you ensure the quality and safety of the plant?

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The success of all renewable energy projects lies in their quality and safety during execution and operation. To ensure this, Bosch uses its specially developed quality gate approach while executing such solar projects. Bosch’s quality gate approach poses filter stages during the project execution that allow work progress only after review of critical deliverables at SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL | VOL 3 l ISSUE 12

like rooftops and carports. These mockups help in analyzing and improving the structural stability of the solar plants and ensure long-term durability. Safety is an integral part of the Bosch DNA and this has been absorbed into each and every activity of the EPC process. Regular safety trainings and adherence to safety procedures are followed with the help of dedicated safety engineers at each site. More importantly, before the project kick-off, the safety officers in Bosch conduct a detailed Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA) and Failure

Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) for project safety during execution and post execution as well.

Q

In the current scenario where India is among the leading emitters of CO2, how important is the adoption of energy efficiency in a country like India? What level of awareness about energy efficiency do you see in the country? For commercial and industrial organizations, the drive for energy efficiency is no longer an option. While there is wide-spread acceptance, the actual importance given to energy efficiency in organizations is not satisfactory. Annual budgets allocated for energy efficiency initiatives are not always encouraging and management teams don’t always pay attention to such topics. We see large organizations, especially ones that have a multinational footprint, that are far ahead on this curve and invest regularly in these initiatives. But commitment in other organizations is still lagging. Apart from reduction of carbon footprint, energy efficiency must be used as a key growth lever that will realize significant profitability improvement for organisations. Hence, enterprises must commit to a focused and consistent approach towards energy efficiency - an approach that entails regular management involvement, dedicated teams who persistently evaluate state-of-the-art technologies and solutions and budget allocations that take into account the long-term benefits from these solutions. The unmet demand will define the future of the industry. The ecosystem for this demand to manifest is already in place, including reputed service providers, affordable technologies, conducive government policies and attractive financial models. With this impending demand and available ecosystem, the energy efficiency market will only grow stronger in the years to come. While much damage has been inflicted on the environment so far, energy efficiency holds the potential to reverse this damage and create a much more sustainable environment in the future.



COVER STORY

EV’s Have Charmed

Will The Mar

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SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL | VOL 3 l ISSUE 12


COVER STORY

d The Government.

rkets Follow?

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COVER STORY

Dr Rahul Walawalkar President India Energy Storage Alliance

Awadhesh Jha VP-Charge & Drive & Sustainability Fortum India

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Sunil Bhatnagar Country Head Energy Division Microlyte Energy

Deepesh Agarwal Co-Founder & CEO Move-in-Sync

On July 5, when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman rose to present the Union budget for 2019, expectations were somewhat mutedin the understanding that with an interim budget already presented, there was little scope for big announcements. As it turned out, the minister did make a few announcements on the taxation front as well as others, that have caused more than just a little heartburn. However, one announcement among just a few for the electric vehicles (EV)sector, where she managed to truly surprise, was the income tax benefit for purchase of electric vehicles. An exemption of upto Rs 1.5 lacs was proposed on the interest component of a loan taken to purchase an EV. This, coming along with other predicted moves like reducing the GST (Goods and Services Tax) rate from 12 percent to 5 percent, and rationalisation of duties on imports of parts, besides the subsidies under the FAME 2 program, which add up to almost Rs 10,000 per KW. This effectively meant India is doing as SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL | VOL 3 l ISSUE 12

Maxson Lewis Managing Director Magenta Power

Tarun Mehta CEO & Co-Founder Ather Energy

Gautam Seshadri Head of Strategy Blowhorn

much, if not more, than some of the world’s biggest auto markets when it comes to pushing for faster EV adoption. Welcoming the move, Ather Energy, the Bengaluru-based electric vehicle company which makes electric scooters, said that tax rebate will be a major sop for consumers to buy EVs. The move “addresses the concern of upfront cost of purchasing which would result in the income-tax benefit to the end-customer and could be up to Rs 7,000-8,000 per vehicle. It now becomes imperative that OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) chalk out plans to allow the industry to scale up and meet the demand for compelling products. These reforms will definitely boost the adoption of EV as now the price gap between an EV and internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle has narrowed down a lot more. EV two-wheelers will now also be in the consideration set of a potential buyer,” Ather Energy CEO and co-founder TarunMehta, said. For good or bad, the government has

Aditya Ganjapure Co-Founder Lithos Motors

certainly made its preferences clear. Of course, government support has rarely guaranteed success in India, as the agriculture sector and many other smaller sectors, will testify. Even the renewables sector, so closely related to the EV drive, with its objectives for green energy, has suffered from the heavy government overhand in terms of policy flip flops, price controls and more in the past year. In fact, the famous heavy hand of the government has already been on showwhen the NITI Aayog, its top policy making and monitoring body, called on existing ICE two-wheeler manufacturers to come up with a plan for the next 5 years in June this year. When the top three failed to respond in five weeks, the body threatened them with the possibility of having to pay for pollution beyond the EV adoption deadline for two wheelers, proposed for sometime in 2025 as of now. And this forced a manufacturer to speak its mind. “Since the last two years, there have been lots of flip-flops as far as government policies are concerned. Sometimes they


COVER STORY

blow hot, sometimes they blow cold. Sometimes they make very definitive statements. Their own colleagues contradict their statements. And people in the industry are quite confused actually,” Rajiv Bajaj, managing director of Bajaj Auto was quoted as saying in the company’s 12th annual general meeting on July 26 by news web site moneycontrol.com. The question is, will it work? The deadlines are tough, by any stretch. In fact, if you consider the view of incumbent ICEvehicle manufacturers, the deadlines are downright impossible, silly, or even counterproductive. Be it the time scale, the sheer volume of market that needs to be moved, or even the employment of millions at stake in an already struggling auto sector, the incumbents have reasons to resist. “Currently, more than 95 percent of companies are just trading EVs, buying it from China and selling it here. Because of this clause, the government is encouraging the manufacturing of EVs in India, which will also help job creation. But the duration of FAME II is for three years, which is not a long time to get a new product once you start. There must be little more predictability in policy at least like 6-7 years then only it will allow OEMs and Vendors to invest,” said Aditya Ganjapure, co-founder of Lithos Motors, an electric two-wheeler manufacturing company. At a time when the auto sector is reeling from one of its worst slowdowns in memory, with over 350,000 job cuts already implemented, the industry is getting a hearing too. However, for the new upstarts trying to steal a lead, without legacy investments in the ICE space, this is not the time for the government to bend too much. “As Tesla did for the U.S. market, startups in India are poised to make huge contribution towards adoption of EV. Free from any legacy baggage, they are well in position to offer pure electric vehicles which is also evident on road particularly in 2 and 3-wheeler sector. Traditional OEMs have also pulled up their socks and are readying themselves to hold on to their market share. Clearly, we can see that Indian EV industry is well prepared to join the bandwagon and offer a pollution freeand affordable EV

experience to Indian customers. With India poised to become third largest auto market of world, none of the players would like to miss the huge opportunity,” said Awadhesh Jha, VP, Charge & Drive & Sustainability at Fortum India. So why is manufacturing important for India? In the case of EV’s, the reasons go well beyond the obvious. Besides the case for creating jobs and aiming big in an all new sector where we have a strong domestic market too (especially in two wheelers), readers should realize that the whole logic of EV’s is built on this being a green alternative, and helping the country meet its climate goals as well as reduce pollution in its cities. Cities that have earned a global reputation by now for their air pollution, with 15 of the top 20 most polluted cities from the country, according to a detailed survey by the IQAir Group, done in association with Greenpeace. “Everyone is aware of the fact that we have to address the climate change impact if we have to make lives of our future generation sustainable. This is forcing every one of us to adopt more environment friendly habits. Same is the case in transportation as well. Having committed with the Paris Accord to reduce carbon intensity, government has rightly made it abundantly clear that it wants an electric vehicle-future in India as road transport along with energy production constitute to almost 2/3 of CO2 emission,” said Jha. By green, we are talking about a product that not only claims to have a lower carbon footprint over its lifecycle, but also a lower resource requirement for manufacturing. The current market reality, especially in two wheelers and three wheelers, of importing and selling kits from China is not only a missed manufacturing opportunity for India butalso means that the effective carbon footprint of these vehicles is not as low as it is claimed to be. A poor maintenance and service network due to the ‘kit’ culture further exacerbates the problem, reducing the actual lifecycle of these imports and further messing up their green pretensions. On the other hand, the three things that everyone does seem to agree on as the biggest challenges to EV adoption in India are: price, infrastructure, and range

anxiety. In meeting after meeting, and across all responses we received from players in the sector, these three rang out loudly every time. “There are a few bottlenecks when we add new technology. Main hurdle here is talent as EV is quite a new subject to India and we have very few technically rich people to handle EV construction, Lithium battery manufacturing, BLDC motors of higher range, etc. Apart from this, another big issue is charging infrastructure. Range is a big concern with most EVs as a typical e-bike would run 80-120kms, an e-auto 80-90kms, e-car 100-250kms, e-bus-100-180kms so they need charging stations on the way. India is an upcoming market for EVs so charging infra is not in place and even if it comes today than its utilization is very low as density of EVs in not that much. Charging infra is need of hour and a big challenge to deploy,” said Sunil Bhatnagar, country head, energy division at Microlyte Energy. Range Anxiety, or the fear of running out of power in the middle of a trip, has accompanied the second coming of EV’s worldwide. Currently, besides improvement in technology, it is being tackled by building charging infrastructure as well as improvements in battery technology that are delivering ever higher range. But for India, the big issue is actuallyprice anxiety. Today, even with the incentives, electric vehicles can be anywhere between 80 to 100 percent more expensive than comparable ICE powered vehicles. In a price and value sensitive market, that can be a killer hurdle. “India is a very price sensitive market with 55 percent of sales coming from the sub-$8,000segment, making it the world’s largest small car market. A typical EV variant costs 2-3 times that of its ICE sibling. For EVs to be adopted on a massscale, it is imperativethat the price be very competitive with the ICE variants as high capital expenditure isa barrier,” said Deepesh Agarwal, Cofounder and CEO, Move-in-Sync, a Bangalore based office commute platform. The government is obviously hoping for a jumpstart to initial volumes through subsidies and later through technology improvements, especially in battery technology and local sourcing,to tackle VOL 3 l ISSUE 12 | SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL

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this challenge. A huge step in this direction has been the trend among logistics players, delivery fleets and their move to shift to EV’s. The government’s own stated ambition and efforts to convert its fleet to EV’s is also a support. “The National Mission for Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage aims to provide a push to the entire e-mobility ecosystem that includes electric vehicle manufacturers, charging infrastructure development companies, fleet operators, service providers, etc. The goal of 100 percent is now changed to 30 percent by 2030,” said Dr Rahul Walawalkar, president of India Energy Storage Alliance. On infrastructure, or more precisely, charging infrastructure, the challenges are bigger. India, even today, has one of the thinnest charging infrastructure facilities among leading EV markets of the world. Not only is this a consequence of a late entry into the market, but going forward, will also be linked to the need to enhance the overall grid network to handle EV charging. “The charging infrastructure and EVs are running into the classic chicken and egg problem. The absence of one is fueling the lack of another. Companies aren’t setting up the EV infrastructure at scale because there aren’t enough vehicles to use the infrastructure, and in turn, a lack of infrastructure is an impediment to more vehicles adopted. We are glad that the government is encouraging setting-up of an expansive network equipped to meet the charging requirements of both private and public modes of transportation,” said Mehta of Ather Energy. One of the biggest challenges has been the availability of land linked to quality power sources. While land availability in major metros is a matter of very high prices, the country’s hinterland has an issue of power quality. Making it even more difficult is a still evolving policy environment, especially when it comes to standardization of charging infrastructure. “In Union Budget 2019, government announced to facilitate the setting up of mega manufacturing plants of Li-ion batteries and solar chargers. This is a very important step to ensure energy security for India to avoid over-reliance on imports of key components of EVs. We expect that setting up of these Giga factories will also help India in expanding the market SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL | VOL 3 l ISSUE 12

for stationary energy storage projects for supporting renewable integration and reducing the usage of diesel for backup power generation,” said Gautam Seshadri, head of strategy at Blowhorn, an intra-city logistics company. In China, for instance, public charging points have grown from zilch to 412,000 in June 2019. In large markets like Europe, firms from startups like char.gy to Fortum have aggressive targets on setting up charging points, with options both innovative as well as backed by huge capital investments. Char.gy, for instance, has a solution to attach a charging meter at public electric poles where parked cars can be charged based on duration and even buy subscription plans, if the pole is close to their homes. In the Indian context, with power ending up in state control, the government will need to bring all stakeholders across states on board to ensure a uniform policy as far as possible; be it for pricing power for EV’s, standardisation of plugs and sockets, and of course, ensuring progressive policies like ensuring the announced reservation of 20 percent parking slots in residential societies with a charging point are actually implemented. For unlike ICE vehicles, EV’s do have this pressing need for acharging facility that is ubiquitous, and close to a place where the driver can pursue other work. After all, the fuel in this case is present everywhere unlike diesel/petrol or gas, and the time taken to charge a vehicle, (between 20 minutes to 6 hours) effectively means that the old distribution model of fuel retailing is not the future here. “The government has been pushing for EV charging infrastructure and this has raised theamount of discussion that is happening. This will bring more investors into this space. Butoperationally, some ground level alignments are pending and they span across Ministries. For e.g.,the standards on AC charging in India are ridiculously favoured to the impractical and to governmenttenders only. Why would a 3-output socket be mandatory on an AC charger when an EV ownerrequires a single socket? The standard for AC 001 needs to consider single socket points as well. Wehave developed practical EV charging solutions Made in India and Made for India for e.g. theChargeGrid

Pro series, but these hit the bottlenecks of existing standards which are skewed andcreate artificial bottlenecks to setting up the infrastructure,” said Maxson Lewis, managing director of Magenta Power, a green energy solutions provider. So, with so much going for it, will India realize its EV ambitions? As always, the biggest reason for the push for EV’s, to manufacture in India, remains the biggest challenge. Manufacturing is not a matter of incentives for a year, or even three, as FAME 2 envisages. It is a long-term investment, and needs policy clarity for a long-term period. Importantly, the risks in manufacturing in the country remain high, due to other structural issues, be it the labour laws, pollution norms and approvals etc, some of which the government is tackling now. However, with a typical cycle of 1 year plus for all approvals before production, the time taken remains too long, in an ever changing sector. Past experience indicates that the minimum gestation period to profitability is probably 5 years and above, preferably 10 years even if one considers China as a template. Right from availability of land, to permissions, to the related success of India’s battery manufacturing push, India’s EV ambitions for scale require multiple stakeholders to pull together. In fact, one of the last pending demands has been to bring duties on modern batteries too down to the same 5 percent levels as the electric vehicles. Right now, that might have been delayed due to the application and uses of the same batteries in other sectors too. But there is no doubt that it will happen, sooner rather than later. Switching to an “electric vehicle is a technology and lifestyle transition which requires anecosystem to fall in place. The current EV growth in India is ‘in-spite’ of a lack of an ecosystem.Various aspects are falling in place but I believe we have another 12-18 months of hard on theground realities to be sorted before we can truly say we are ready to grow the EV scenario. Variousaspects of regulatory, policy, technology and infrastructure have to fit in this time,” said Lewis of Magenta Power. -MANU@MEILLEURMEDIA.COM -PRASANNA@MEILLEURMEDIA.COM n


STORAGE UPDATES

ENERGY STORAGE TO GROW 122-FOLD IN NEXT 2 DECADES Energy storage installations around the world will multiply exponentially, from a modest 9GW/17GWh deployed as of 2018 to 1,095GW/2,850GWh by 2040, according to the latest forecast from research company BloombergNEF (BNEF). The 122-fold boom of stationary energy storage over the next two decades will require $662 billion in investment, according to BNEF estimates. It will be made possible by further sharp declines in the cost of lithium-ion batteries, on top of an 85% reduction in the 201018 period. The report, ‘Energy Storage Outlook 2019’, predicts a further halving of lithium-ion battery costs per kilowatt-hour

by 2030, as demand takes off in two different markets – stationary storage and electric vehicles. The report goes on to model the impact of this on a global electricity system increasingly penetrated by low-cost wind and solar. Just 10 countries are on course to represent almost three quarters of the global market in gigawatt terms, according to BNEF’s forecast. South Korea is the lead market in 2019, but will soon cede that position, with China and the U.S. far in front by 2040. The remaining significant markets include India, Germany, Latin America, Southeast Asia, France, Australia and the U.K. The report further added that there is

a fundamental transition developing in the power system and transportation sector. Falling wind, solar and battery costs mean wind and solar are set to make up almost 40% of world electricity in 2040, up from 7% today. Meanwhile passenger electric vehicles could become a third of the global passenger vehicle fleet by 2040, up from less than half a percent today, adding huge scale to the battery manufacturing sector. The total demand for batteries from the stationary storage and electric transport sectors is forecast to be 4,584GWh by 2040, providing a major opportunity for battery makers and miners of component metals such as lithium, cobalt and nickel.

WFEC, NEXTERA SIGN PPA FOR TESLA’S NEW BATTERY FOR UTILLARGEST U.S. HYBRID PROJ ITY SCALE ENERGY STORAGE Western Farmers Electric Cooperative (WFEC) has announced that it has entered into a power purchase agreement with a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, for the largest combined wind, solar and energy storage project in the US. Gary Roulet, chief executive officer for WFEC said that “with the price of wind and solar energy lower than ever, we are now able to pair it with battery storage to make more affordable, renewable energy available to customers for more hours of the day – even when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining.” The combined wind, solar and energy storage project is the first of its kind announced in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), the electric grid region that includes Oklahoma and 13 other states in the central U.S. covering 546,000 square miles. It is also the largest co-located wind, solar and energy storage project in the U.S. The project will come online in two phases, and will be developed in Garfield, Alfalfa and Major counties in Oklahoma. Phase-I: • Skeleton Creek Wind (previously announced) – 250 megawatts (MW) of wind energy, expected to begin operations by the end of 2019 Phase-II: • Skeleton Creek Solar – 250 MW of solar energy, expected to begin operations by the end of 2023 • Skeleton Creek Storage –200 MW, 4-hour battery energy storage project, expected to begin operations by the end of 2023 “Pairing renewable energy with battery storage presents a tremendous advantage for Western Farmers and its customers,” said John Ketchum, president and chief executive officer of NextEra Energy Resources.

Two years ago, Tesla built and installed the world’s largest lithium-ion battery in Hornsdale, South Australia, using Tesla Powerpack batteries. Since then, the facility saved nearly USD 40 million in its first year alone and helped to stabilise and balance the region’s unreliable grid. Battery storage is transforming the global electric grid and is an increasingly important element of the world’s transition to sustainable energy. To match global demand for massive battery storage projects like Hornsdale, Tesla has designed and engineered a new battery product specifically for utilityscale projects: Megapack. Megapack significantly reduces the complexity of large-scale battery storage and provides an easy installation and connection process. Each Megapack comes from the factory fully-assembled with up to 3-megawatt hours (MWh) of storage and 1.5 MW of inverter capacity, building on Powerpack’s engineering with an AC interface and 60 percent increase in energy density to achieve significant cost and time savings compared to other battery systems and traditional fossil fuel power plants. Using Megapack, the company can deploy an emissions-free 250 MW, 1 GWh power plant in less than three months on a three-acre footprint – four times faster than a traditional fossil fuel power plant of that size. Megapack can also be DC-connected directly to solar, creating seamless renewable energy plants. The company has developed its own software in-house to monitor, control and monetise Megapack installations. All Megapacks connect to Powerhub, an advanced monitoring and control platform for large-scale utility projects and microgrids, and can also integrate with Autobidder, Tesla’s machine-learning platform for automated energy trading. VOL 3 l ISSUE 12 | SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL

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THE CONVERSATION

ROHIT KUMAR

Head of Indian Subcontinent, REC Solar, and Director, REC India

Reverse Bidding Is Not Always The Best Friend For Quality

Reverse bidding is not always the best friend for quality specifically in the Indian context, and this was also highlighted recently by PI Berlin study tour where the PV consultancy PI Berlin issued a report highlighting serious safety concerns, poor installation practices on system output monitoring, as well as a worrying lack of warranties. We foresee that these issues will only multiply in future and though the government is trying to bring in standardisation through BIS, they have not been able to address this problem in its entirety, believes Rohit Kumar, Head of Indian Subcontinent, REC Solar, and Director, REC India. In conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Saur Energy International, Kumar shared his views on various issues which the renewable sector is currently dealing with alongwith his company’s latest product offerings, technological upgradation, future expansion plans if any etc. Following are the excerpts from the interview.

Q

What are your latest product offerings for Indian customers? Currently what opportunities does REC see in the Indian solar market? At REC, we have always been pushing the technology envelope and with the breakthrough REC Alpha Series, we have set new benchmarks for the industry and ourselves. The Alpha delivers industry-beating power of up to 380 wattpeak (Wp), making this the world’s most powerful 60-cell solar panel. Based on proprietary panel design with revolutionary cell technology, the new product is already acknowledged by a granted design patent. We are planning to bring this amazing panel to the discerning Indian customers very soon and shall be showcasing it during REI.

Q

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On what technological advancements has REC been focusing? We have forever strived to stay ahead of the technology curve be it the innovative TwinPeak design, getting N-Peak and now Alpha which is truly a unique product emerging from REC’s leadership in half-cut cell technology. Alpha is built around 120 halfcut heterojunction cells (HJT) and advanced connection technology, SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL | VOL 3 l ISSUE 12

designed by engineering experts from Germany and Singapore. With HJT, REC combines the benefits of crystalline silicon solar cells with those of thin film technologies for much higher efficiency and energy yield, even at higher temperatures. Innovation is in our DNA! We have been delivering innovative products that are also accessible to a larger customer base and that’s been our driving motivation; to see more and more people adapting and shifting to high-quality solar systems. By riding the technology innovation wave, we are empowering people and corporations with clean solar energy and energy autonomy.

Q

Currently, what new technology trends you see in the module industry and how ready is REC for the same? There are some very discernable trends that we spot currently in the market and it can be categorized as increasing focus for P Type Mono, incorporation of multiple- busbars and increasing wafer sizes. The industry is also moving towards higher watt-peak products and higher efficiencies in general. At REC, we are moving one step ahead of this and with Alpha, we have been able to create a tr ul y nextgeneration product for rooftop customers who seek the best.


THE CONVERSATION

Q

What type of tests does REC solar modules have to pass-through before going on sale? To say that we are obsessed with quality would not be understating the matter. Manufacturing excellence is something that REC is proud of and we are extremely particular about the testing, quality & standardisation of every single one of our modules. During the development of a product, all components are rigorously tested and the module undergoes qualification testing to 3 times the IEC standards. These tests include the standard IEC certification tests, e.g., mechanical load, thermal cycling, humidity-freeze etc. Further to that, REC subjects each module type to a combined cycle test that includes all of the above and more – twice over! This is the best representation of performance in the real world where a single module can be exposed to all types of climatic conditions. Besides this, REC’s module qualification process also includes the highest protocol PID and LeTID testing, as well as LID, a hot-spot endurance test, snail trail test, transportation testing, and more. So a whole range of design, safety, quality and performance testing that covers the whole spectrum expected of a solar module. Our dedication to quality does not stop there though. After the development, when a product is in mass production, the testing continues with various stage checks, including two EL tests on every module. A visual inspection at the end ensures that every REC solar module leaves the factory in line with our stringent visual specifications. Likewise, production modules are pulled out at regular intervals to undergo reliability testing. Here, the modules are subjected to testing in excess of the certification protocol at REC’s TDAPcertified internal laboratory to ensure consistent compliance with expected standards – the TDAP certification means that REC’s test lab performs testing within the same constraints and standards as external certification laboratories. We also have ongoing performance tests at our own sites and third-party sites to monitor real-world performance and gain a better overview of how REC modules perform in the field. With this kind of feedback coming into us, it places REC in the position of being able to quickly make changes and update our testing regime to really reflect the conditions seen

towards higher technologies. This is mostly on account of very low tariffs that you see in the utility scale making it unviable to bid with better technologies. Also, the ancillary infrastructure is not in place and the supply side is not organized. Moreover, we also have been witnessing a policy whiplash of a kind where in the past one year alone, we have seen Safeguards, BIS, GST and now re-negotiation of longterm PPAs! All this makes it a very tough call and that’s why we have seen many Do you have any manufacturing companies having existing MOU with the facility in India? Are there any new state governments and land permits not plans for India? moving ahead. in real life. All of this enables us to provide solar professionals and end-users modules with a record low claims rate of far below 100ppm. Our industry-topping product (20 years + 5 years extra for installations carried out by REC certified installers) and power (at least 85.5 percent after 25 years of operation) warranties are a testament of this high-quality. For the Indian side, we were one of the first manufacturers to be certified by the BIS and the first European manufacturer in India.

Q

Q We are planning to bring REC Alpha Series solar panels to the discerning Indian customers very soon.

We are currently manufacturing our solar panels from only one location and that is Singapore. This has been REC’s strategic decision to ensure that we have the advantage of location and extremely high-degree of manufacturing automation with Industry 4.0 standards, but also highprofile engineers. All REC panels supplied anywhere in the world are made at the Singapore factory.

Q

Presently, how easy or difficult is it to set-up a manufacturing facility in India for an overseas manufacturer? The decision on manufacturing is strategic and based upon the holistic right environment. The biggest dilemma for most of the manufacturers having a plan for India is though it’s a huge market, the demand here is still for the legacy products whereas the industry is moving

As safeguard duty on import of solar equipment will drop to 20 percent from the current 25 percent in some time, what will be the impact? The stipulated 5 percent drop in the prices won’t have much effect as the global prices have seen price- stabilisation in the last quarter. Also, the change would affect the timelines for the shipments, as people would like to take advantage of this, but won’t really change the market demand significantly. The impact would be higher in the Utility segment and not substantial in the rooftop segment overall.

Q

Recently, tariffs dropped to Rs 2.48/ kWh from approx. Rs 2.6/kWh in SECI auction, almost a year after we saw the price of Rs 2.44/kWh. Is quality going to be an issue at these costs? How does it impact the market sentiment overall and rooftop specifically. Reverse bidding is not always the best friend for quality specifically in the Indian context, and this was also highlighted recently by PI Berlin study tour where the PV consultancy PI Berlin issued a report highlighting serious safety concerns, poor installation practices and system output monitoring as well as a worrying lack of warranties. We foresee that these issues will only multiply in future and though the government is trying to bring in standardisation through BIS, they have not been able to address this problem in its entirety. Also, there are spill-over effect that happens where these low bids impact the mindset of the rooftop customers into thinking that these rates are feasible for this segment as well. Which is rather improbable. VOL 3 l ISSUE 12 | SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL

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DIAGEO COMMITS TO A RENEWABLE FUTURE IN AFRICA British multinational alcoholic beverages companyDiageo has announced that it will invest GBP 180 million in renewable energy resources across its African sites to ensure that its breweries are the most carbon and water efficient. The alcohol multinational said biomass boilers using sustainable fuels would be installed at three breweries in Kenya and neighboring Uganda, replacing dirtier sources of energy production. Wood chip, bamboo and rice husk would create steam power, cutting emissions and creating jobs with local farmers providing the raw materials. Solar panels would be rolled out at facilities in six countries, starting with Kenya and Ghana, producing up to one-fifth of each breweries' energy needs. Recovery, purification and reuse facilities at five breweries, meanwhile, including in Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria, would save two

billion cubic litres of water a year, Diageo said. Fifty-million pounds would be provided upfront to kickoff the projects spanning 11 breweries in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Seychelles, Nigeria and Ghana. Diageo chief executive Ivan Menezes said in a statement “we’ve set ourselves ambitious environmental targets, aligned with the United Nations global SDG’s, and our efforts to deliver on these by 2020 continues at pace. Progress has included a 45% reduction in our carbon emissions and a 44% reduction in our water consumption over the past decade, while we also now look to the future and how we extend beyond 2020

with this investment.” Its newest facility, in the western Kenyan city of Kisumu, already has solar and water recycling capabilities. Another plant bottling the Kenyan beer Tusker operates on 100 percent renewable energy, the company says.

ENBW LAUNCHES GREEN BONDS WORTH €1 BILLION

STERLING AND WILSON IPO SQUEAKS THROUGH

Energie Baden-Württemberg AG (EnBW), a publicly traded electric utilities company headquartered in Karlsruhe, Germany, has launched its first two green hybrid bonds on the capital markets with a total issue size of €1 billion. Making the utility the first German green hybrid bond issuer. Rating agencies Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch classify 50 percent of each of the hybrid bonds as equity for EnBW. The proceeds from the Green bonds are to be used exclusively to fund climate-friendly projects. Increasing numbers of institutional investors prefer sustainable investments. This growing financial weight alone further enhances the strategic importance of climate-friendly activities. CFO Thomas Kusterer said that the company is investing increasingly in climatefriendly growth projects. A second issuance of green bonds is therefore a logical next step for us. EnBW launched its first green bond with an issue size of €500 million on October 24, 2018. The proceeds from the two new hybrid bond issues are earmarked for expanding offshore and onshore wind power and photovoltaics. “The new bonds were several times oversubscribed within a very short time. That demonstrates the capital markets’ confidence in us and the recognition of our strategy. The equity component of the hybrid bonds also has a positive impact on our credit profile.” With the issuance of the green bonds, the company aims to help direct capital flows towards climate-friendly financial products that support the development of sustainable business models.

The initial public offering (IPO) of Sterling & Wilson Solar Ltd finally closed successfully on August 8, after the firm cut down the issue size. The IPO, much awaited due to the firm's track record as well as promoters background, had run into rough markets as Indian markets took the brunt of the happenings in Kashmir and the US-China trade war last week. The IPO from the solar engineering and construction arm of Shapoorji Pallonji Group got bids for nearly 19 million shares for the IPO of 22.17 million shares, excluding the anchor portion. The IPO size was originally pegged at Rs 4,500 crore but was revised to Rs Rs 3,125 crore before the share sale opened. The selling shareholders will now raise about Rs 2,850-2,875 crore, including the shares sold to anchor investors on August 5. While the portion set aside for qualified institutional buyers was subscribed 1.02 times, the quota reserved for noninstitutional investors, such as corporate houses and affluent individuals, was subscribed nearly 90%. Retail individual investors, whose bid application cannot exceed Rs 2 lakh in value, bid for only 30% of the portion reserved for them, underscoring low demand as well as possibly low awareness of the solar sector broadly. All eyes will be on how the stock performs post listing now. The IPO included a sale of 40.06 million shares by chief executive Khurshed Yazdi Daruvala and promoter entity Shapoorji Pallonji and Co. Pvt. Ltd.

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FINANCE UPDATES

REC SALES DOWN 61 PERCENT IN JULY Sale of renewable energy certificates declined by 61 per cent to 6.29 lakh units in July as compared to 16.18 lakh in the same month a year ago due to lower supply, according to official data. Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) and Power Exchange of India (PXIL) are the two power bourses in the country which are engaged in the trading of renewable energy certificates (RECs) and electricity. According to official data, IEX saw total trade of 4.92 lakh RECs in July as compared to 10 lakh in the same month last year. Similarly, PXIL recorded sale of 1.37 lakh RECs in the month as compared to 6.18 lakh in July 2018. IEX data showed that the decline in the volume and increase in prices has mainly been due to continuing crunch on the inventory/supply side since March 2019. Under the renewable purchase obligation (RPO), bulk purchasers like discoms, open access consumers and capacitive users are required to buy certain proportion of RECs. They can buy RECs from renewable energy producers to meet the RPO norms.

The proportion of renewable energy for utilities is fixed by the central and state electricity regulatory commissions. The REC mechanism is a market-based instrument to promote renewable sources of energy and development of market

in electricity. It provides an alternative voluntary route to a generator to sell its electricity from renewable sources just like conventional electricity and offer the green attribute (RECs) separately to obligated entities to fulfil their RPO.

EBRD FINANCES LARGEST P2P SOLAR PLANT IN JORDAN The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has announced that it will together with its partners support a pioneering energy project in Jordan with a financial package of up to USD 35 million. The project will enable the telecoms operator Orange Jordan to cover part of its demand with clean energy generated in solar plants. The investment will be the largest private-to-private (P2P) solar project in Jordan yet, benefiting from new regulations that allow private consumers to establish their own energy facilities under a process known as “wheeling” that transports electricity from within the grid to facilities outside the grid’s boundaries. The solar plants have been developed by the Jordanian company Kawar Investment, engineered, procured and constructed by Kawar Energy and are located in the King Hussein Bin Talal Development Area, the Mafraq governorate and the Amman governorate, with a total capacity of 37 MW. The operation and maintenance arm of Kawar Energy will be handling the O&M of all three solar parks for the next 20 years. The financing is provided by the EBRD with a loan of up to USD 15 million, the Jordan Kuwait Bank PSC (JKB) with USD 9.0 million, the Arab Jordan Investment Bank (Qatar) with USD 6.0 million and the Climate Investment Funds’ Clean Technology

Fund with USD 4.6 million. The three plants are expected to generate around 70 GWh per year in total, reducing CO2 emissions by 41,500 tonnes annually. With support from the EBRD, the local renewable energy sector has increased capacity from around 20 MW to over 1,000 MW between 2012 and 2019, with an estimated 1.2 GW under construction or development. VOL 3 l ISSUE 12 | SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL

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SGRE DOUBLES NET INCOME IN FIRST 9 MONTHS OF FY19 Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) has reported the results of the first nine months (October-June) and the third quarter (April-June) of fiscal year (FY) 2019. The company has reported that it doubled net income to €88 million in the first nine months of FY 2019, while net income in the third quarter was €21 million. Net debt amounted to €191 million at 30 June, driven by the increase in working capital ahead of peak wind turbine activity in the fourth quarter. Revenue increased by 12% year-on-year in the first nine months of FY 2019, to €7,283 million, and by 23% year-on-year in the third quarter, to €2,632 million, driven by strong performance in all businesses, with record activity in offshore. The main impact on profitability was persisting lower pricing in the order backlog during the period, emerging market volatility and execution challenges in some onshore projects,

partly offset by synergies, improvements in productivity and higher year-on-year sales volume. Commercial activity remained sound during the period, supported by strong growth in all business units, particularly new offshore markets such as Taiwan. The company attained a record wellbalanced backlog of €25.1 billion

(+8% YoY), driven by its highest-ever single-quarter order intake, amounting to €4.7 billion, up 42% YoY, and sound order intake in the last twelve months amounting to €12.3 billion, up 2.2% YoY. This lends visibility to the remainder of the fiscal year, with 98% of the mid-point of the revenue guidance covered at the 9-month mark.

US DOE GRANTS $16 MN FOR 14 ENERGY INFRA PROJ

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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced more than $16 million in funding for 14 tribal energy infrastructure projects through DOE’s Office of Indian Energy. The investment will help Native American and Alaska Native communities harness their vast energy resources in order to reduce or stabilise energy costs, as well as increase their energy security and resilience. In addition to the $16 million in funding provided by DOE, approximately $23 million will be cost-shared by tribal communities. These projects, valued in total at up to $39 million, are the result of a competitive funding opportunity announcement (FOA) announced March 11, 2019. Office of Indian Energy Director Kevin R. Frost said that the selected projects are consistent with the principles of tribal sovereignty and self-determination, with fuel- and technology-neutral energy strategy that recognises the breadth of energy resources on tribal lands, and each tribe’s right to use them as SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL | VOL 3 l ISSUE 12

they see fit. “Combined, these projects add up to over 13 megawatts of installed generation that will impact over 900 tribal buildings, with combined annual savings of approximately $7.5 million— significant investments that will yield tangible results to improve the quality of life for these communities.”

Through these grants, the DOE Office of Indian Energy hopes to continue its efforts to maximise the deployment of energy solutions in consultation with American Indians and Alaska Natives. Specifically, the projects will install energy systems for tribal buildings and provide autonomous operation for increased community resilience.


GRID UPDATES

DELHI REDUCES TARIFF FOR CONSUMERS/EV CHARGING Delhi's power regulator, Delhi Electricity Regularity Commission (DERC) has announced the new electricity tariff for 2019-20, significantly bringing down fixed charges while raising energy charges for higher energy consumption. In a step to curb pollution in the city, DERC has cut down the rates of charging stations for e-rickshaws and other electric vehicles. People who charge their vehicle at home, (low-tension e-vehicle users) will pay Rs 4.5 per kW instead of Rs 5.5. Meanwhile, people who charge their electric vehicle at public charging stations (high-tension users) will pay Rs 4 instead of Rs 5. DERC chairman Justice (retired) S S Chauhan said the new rates would be applicable from August 1, 2019. As per the new rates, the fixed charges up to 2 kilowatts (kW) has been reduced from Rs 125 to Rs 20, while the charges above 2 kW but less than 5 kW has been slashed from Rs 140 to Rs 50. The fixed charges for more than 5 kW and less than 15 kW have been reduced from Rs 175 to Rs 100, Chauhan said. The energy charges in the domestic

category for those who are consuming above 1,200 units have been raised from the existing Rs 7.75 per unit to Rs 8 per unit. All domestic category consumers will have savings from Rs 105 up to Rs 750 per month after the implementation of the new rates, DERC officials said. In the non-domestic category, which is above 3-kilo volts-amperes (kVA), the existing rate of Rs 8 per unit has been

raised to Rs 8.50 per unit.For low-end shopkeepers consuming up to 3 KVA, a new sub-category has been created and they will be charged at a rate of Rs 6 per kW instead of Rs 8.50 kW. In order to promote pollution-free transportation, the tariff for charging stations of e-rickshaws and other electric vehicles has also been reduced, the DERC chairman added.

EBRD GRANTS €149 MN FOR UKRAINE’S TRANSMISSION The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has announced that it will provide a €149 Million Loan to support the upgrade of Ukraine’s transmission network. The investment will help Ukrenergo upgrade its key transmission infrastructure required for the synchronisation with the European electricity networks. It will also assist Ukraine in aligning its legal framework and operational practices with the EU 3rd Energy Package. Ukrenergo will use the 15-year sovereign-guaranteed loan to acquire up to 26 new transformers and carry out the automation and upgrade of 12 high-voltage substations in key locations of the Ukrainian transmission network. The loan will also contribute to the annual reduction of CO2emissions by 20,500 tonnes. The investment will strengthen Ukrenergo’s capacity to accommodate the growing share of renewables in the Ukrainian grid, with an increasing share of wind and solar power. A flexible, smart grid will be key to the sustainable electricity sector of the future. The EBRD financing is also promoting the commercialisation and institutional development of Ukrenergo through the implementation of a comprehensive Corporate Governance

Action Plan and robust procurement standards. The EBRD is the largest international financial investor in Ukraine. Since the start of its operations in the country in 1993, the Bank has made a cumulative commitment of almost €13.6 billion through 432 projects in the country. Recently, we reported that in order to fulfill the vision of a USD 5 trillion economy over the next few years, India will require an estimated investment of Rs 5 lakh crore in the transmission sector, as per a new analysis by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). VOL 3 l ISSUE 12 | SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL

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TECHNICAL FEATURE

In 2019, Huawei launched the AI Boost Smart I-V Curve Diagnosis 3.0, integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in the field of solar operation and maintenance (O&M) for the first time. The solution uses smart photovoltaic (PV) inverters to scan PV strings to obtain the relationship (I-V curve) between the output voltage and output current. The smart PV management system performs big data-based analysis on the I-V curve of PV modules, applies AI smart diagnosis algorithms, identifies faulty strings accurately, and outputs a diagnosis report. Through AI self-learning, the solution is accumulating I-V experience and optimizing fault models, transferring O&M of solar PV into the AI era.

14 types of faults can be discovered through Smart I-V Curve Diagnosis 3.0.

I-V detection is higher. Besides, the incurred current

What Problems Can Smart I-V Curve Diagnosis 3.0 Solve? mismatch should not be simply considered as faults. It is fully proved that PV module faults are the key factor that affecting the energy yield of PV plants. PV module faults at early, middle, and late stages differ greatly. Manual inspection and traditional supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) cannot accurately locate the root cause of the faults. Traditional I-V detection is offline detection that requires site visits with devices carried. A 100 Mega Watt (MW) PV plant, for example, has tens of thousands PV modules and covers an area equivalent to 300 football fields. As a result, not all PV modules can be scanned. Moreover, generating reports manually is error-prone and timeconsuming. Increasing PV application scenarios, complex terrain, as well as the advent of new types of PV modules such as bifacial PV modules all impede manual detection and raise the costs.

Huawei Smart I-V Curve Diagnosis 3.0 changes the traditional manual sampling detection. The system performs full detection on all PV modules. It takes only 15 minutes to scan a 100 MW PV plant and automatically generate a detection report covering 14 types of faults. The solution applies to a wide variety of PV scenarios, such as large-scale ground, distributed, and residential PV plants. The detection is completed online, sparing the personnel of site visits. This greatly improves the O&M efficiency of PV plants in the entire life cycle and reduces the O&M cost. Compared with monofacial PV modules, bifacial ones, affected by weather and ground conditions, suffer the mismatch effect more. Due to the uneven irradiation on the rear side of bifacial PV modules and ground reflected diffuse, the accuracy requirement of the

Through AI self-learning, Smart I-V Curve Diagnosis 3.0 further adapts with bifacial PV modules, improves the recognition accuracy of bifacial modules' model, and accurately identifies mismatches caused by shading and PV module faults.

Application of Smart I-V Curve Diagnosis

Recognized and highly appraised by customers worldwide, Smart I-V Curve Diagnosis has been deployed globally in large-scale ground, distributed industrial and commercial rooftop, residential rooftop, mountain, floating, solaragricultural, and solar-fishery PV plants with a scale of over 5 GW by now. It is certified onsite by TĂœV Rheinland that Smart I-V Curve Diagnosis has the data precision up to 0.5%. A 100 MW smart PV plant in Golmud, Qinghai witnessed the 15-minute detection for all PV strings with 100% accuracy.

In a 50 MW Indian ground PV plant, Smart I-V Curve Diagnosis was used to scan 9,689 PV strings with 569 ones detected as faulty. The fault rate was 5.87%. Based on the Smart I-V Curve Diagnosis report, O&M personnel had a detailed understanding of the health status of each PV array, which facilitated targeted site maintenance. If all the faults are fixed, the power generation of this plant will increase significantly. AI technology has promoted industrial upgrading and transformation. The renewable energy industry has ushered in a rapid development period of digital transformation. In the field of PV plant O&M, Huawei will take advantage of its innovative technology and extensive experience to greatly improve O&M efficiency, reduce O&M costs, and improve the operating efficiency of the entire life cycle of PV plants. VOL 3 l ISSUE 12 | SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL

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EESL, NOIDA PARTNER TO INSTALL 100 EV CHARGERS The government-backed Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) has entered into an agreement with the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority to fast-track the adoption of e-mobility by promoting robust EV infrastructure and installing around 100 public charging stations. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between EESL’s Managing Director Saurabh Kumar and Ritu Maheshwari, CEO, NOIDA in the presence of Alok Tandon, chairman NOIDA. Commenting on the MoU signed, Kumar said “electric vehicles are a viable solution to combat air pollution and ensure a greener future. We are spearheading EV adoption in India under the Government’s National eMobility Programme. EESL believes that ensuring consumer convenience is critical to accelerate eMobility in India. Developing a robust supporting infrastructure, therefore, is key to catalyse consumer confidence in EVs. We are delighted to partner with NOIDA to accelerate the adoption of EVs by developing robust EV charging infrastructure.” ‘’We are constantly striving to make NOIDA cleaner, greener and more sustainable. Establishing a public charging infrastructure in the city will greatly augment these efforts and will spur EV adoption in the city. With this partnership with EESL, we envisage the eMobility movement to gain traction in the

city,” said Alok Tandon, chairman NOIDA while speaking at the MoU signing ceremony. As per the MoU signed, EESL will make the entire upfront investment on services pertaining to the MoU along with the operation and maintenance (O&M) of public charging infrastructure by qualified manpower. However, NOIDA would be responsible for provision of space and requisite power connection for the charging infrastructure. The initiative is likely to save more than 4.04 tonnes of CO2 emissions per e-car per year.

TATA TO SETUP 300 EV CHARGING STATIONS IN 5 CITIES

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Tata Group’s two leading arms i.e. electric utility giant Tata Power and automotive manufacturer Tata Motors have entered into a partnership to install 300 fast charging stations across five key cities. These charging stations will be installed in Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad by the end of the financial year 2020. To begin with this partnership, Tata Group’s both companies have inaugurated their first 7 fast charging stations in Pune, in order to enable e-mobility drive in the city. Over the next two months, 45 more chargers will be installed across the other four cities. These chargers will be installed at Tata Motors dealerships, certain Tata Group retail outlets and other public locations. The chargers will be operated by Tata Power and will adhere to Bharat Standard (15 kW) for the initial 50 chargers. Going forward, we will also have charging stations that will adhere to 30-50 kW DC CCS2 Standard. These chargers can be accessed by any electric vehicle user, SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL | VOL 3 l ISSUE 12

having cars compatible with the above charging standards. B ot h t h e c o mp a nies ha v e jo int ly developed an attractive charging tariff for Tata Motors EV customers. Speaking at the occasion, Tata Power, MD & CEO, Praveer Sinha said “we are committed to making India EV ready in line with the Government’s ambition of

providing green technology solutions and Tata Group’s vision of reducing India’s carbon footprint. Our aim is to make EV Charging as fast and easy as possible for all Indians and we are very pleased to partner with Tata Motors, with whom we jointly identified high priority locations which could be preferred by the potential EV owners.”


EV UPDATES

INDIA HAS A GAME PLAN FOR FUTURE BELONGS TO EVS: UP EVS: AMITABH KANT TRANSPORT MINISTER India has put in place a game plan for electric vehicles (EV) and its components like batteries to ensure clean cities, reduce imports and utilise solar power, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said. He said domestic battery manufacturing for electric vehicles provides a "massive market opportunity", and also quickens the transition to such environment-friendly transport, which is vital for the country to help combat pollution, congestion, strengthen energy security and create jobs. Addressing a conference on sustainable mobility, Kant said the country's EV focus should mainly be on two-wheeler and three-wheeler vehicles and public transport. “We have a game plan to drive electric vehicles, particularly two and three-wheelers, public transport and manufacturing of batteries in India. Our objective is that we should first work on about 80 percent of components of two and three-wheelers and buses and also push manufacturing of batteries in India,” Kant said. “Our objective is to clean up cities, reduce imports, and utilise the sun and its energy for driving electric vehicles,” he said. “From the perspective of energy security and competitive advantage, new mobility solutions will reduce oil import costs, lower India’s trade deficit and limit our vulnerability to oil supply disruptions,” Kant said. He said to create a unique eco-system to enable ‘Make in India’, and drive the movement for manufacturing in India, the country will require a phased programme across the entire value chain, an efficient fiscal impact structure, and size and scale aligned to the country’s ambition to produce world-class vehicles for domestic and international markets.

Uttar Pradesh transport minister Swatantradev Singh has said electric vehicles are the need of the hour and the future belongs to them. “Electric vehicles have many advantages. Less consumption of diesel and petrol will not only reduce pollution, but it will also save foreign currency which is used to import the fuel," Singh said at a session on electric mobility at the second groundbreaking ceremony for industrial projects worth Rs 65,000 crore in the state. He also added that the state government is providing many facilities to increase the use of electric vehicles. And, that it will soon bring a new policy regarding this and “we would welcome suggestions from investors.” On this occasion, Principal Secretary Aradhana Shukla said because of population and rapid development UP is a big market for these vehicles. “Very soon, we will be using electric buses on short routes,” she said. Recently, we reported that at present there are nearly 4 lakh (3,97,184) registered electric vehicles (EVs) or battery-operated vehicles in India and that more than half (54 percent) of such vehicles are registered in Uttar Pradesh and in the capital city of Delhi. The information was tabled by Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari while responding to a question raised in the Parliament. The minister informed that UP has 1.39 lakh registered electric vehicles followed by nearly 75,746 in Delhi. Karnataka with 31,947 vehicles has the third-highest number of registered e-vehicles and Maharashtra with 19,239 comes next.

5,645 ELECTRIC BUSES SANCTIONED FOR 65 CITIES Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant has revealed that an interministerial panel has sanctioned 5,645 electric buses for operations in 65 cities, a move seen towards environmentfriendly mobility. Earlier the GST Council headed by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman decided to cut the tax rates on e-vehicles from 12 percent to 5 percent with effect from August 1. “The inter-ministerial committee for EVs today sanctioned 5,645 electric buses for intracity operations in 65 cities and for intercity operations to 8 state transport undertakings. This will give huge impetus to automobile sector, clean up our cities & drive Make in India,” Kant said in a tweet. The Centre has been taking initiatives to popularise environmentfriendly electric vehicles. In the Union Budget 2019-20, the government proposed additional income tax deduction of Rs 1.5 lakh on the interest paid on loans taken to purchase electric vehicles. Besides, certain parts of EVs have been exempted from customs duty to further incentivise e-mobility in the country. The Centre has also approved Rs 10,000 crore under the FAME

II scheme, which aims to encourage faster adoption of such vehicles by right incentives and charging infrastructure. The government think tank has proposed that two-wheelers below the capacity of 150cc sold in the country after March 31, 2025, should be electric ones only. It also proposed that three-wheelers sold in the country after March 31, 2023, should be electric. VOL 3 l ISSUE 12 | SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL

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HYUNDAI LAUNCHES SONATA HYBRID WITH SOLAR ROOF

HYUNDAI WORKING WITH IOCL FOR FAST EV CHARGERS

Hyundai Motors has launched the new Sonata Hybrid equipped with a solar roof system. The car also features the world’s first Active Shift Control (ASC) technology. The system recharges the battery to increase travel distance while preventing unnecessary battery discharge. The solar roof system, with 6 hours of daily charging, is expected to increase travel distance by an extra 1,300km annually. The world first ASC technology has been designed and incorporated to further improve the dynamic driving experience and fuel economy of the vehicle. The ASC applies new control logic software to the Hybrid Control Unit (HCU), which then controls the electric motor to align the rotational speeds of the engine and transmission, ultimately reducing gear shift time by 30%. The vehicle’s electric motor delivers a power output of 38 kW and maximum torque of 205 Nm. Combined system power output is 195ps and vehicle also boasts combined fuel economy of 20.1 km/l. Last year, Hyundai had announced that it plans to introduce solar charging technology on selected vehicles. Electricitygenerating solar panels will be incorporated into the roof or the hood of vehicles and will support internal combustion, hybrid and battery electric vehicles with additional electrical power, increasing fuel efficiency and range. The company announced that it is developing three types of solar roof charging systems: The first-generation silicon solar roof system, the second-generation semi-transparent solar roof system, and the third-generation lightweight solar-lid on the vehicle’s body.

Hyundai Motor recently showcased its Kona electric Sports Utility Vehicle, with the Korean car major saying work is on to set up fast charging facilities in select fuel stations in association with the Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL). Hyundai Motor India Limited MD and CEO SS Kim said it was a moment of pride that "Kona Electric, India's first fully electric SUV will be made in Tamil Nadu from our state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Chennai.” For providing fast charging facility, Hyundai was working with Indian Oil to develop infrastructure at select fuel stations in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai, he said. “HMIL will invest on the equipment and installation of these Fast Chargers (CCS Type Single Port). These chargers can charge 80 percent of the battery capacity in less than an hour.” Kim said the car has received an overwhelming customer response with 120 confirmed bookings within 15 days of its launch. “This showcases customers’ acceptance of global electric vehicle technologies and faith in brand Hyundai,” he said. The Kona SUV, priced at Rs 25.30 lakh (ex-showroom), was launched on July 9, 2019, with Hyundai claiming that it has a driving range of 452 km per charge. A Tamil Nadu government release said an MoU was signed at the Global Investors Meet in January this year between the state and Hyundai Motors. As per the understanding, Hyundai committed to invest Rs 7,000 crore for its facility expansion at Sriperumbudur, which will facilitate the manufacturer to make an additional one lakh cars and manufacture electric vehicles, providing employment to 500 people.

JAPAN’S MITSUI INVESTS RS 100 CRORE IN SMARTE

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SmartE, a Delhi-NCR based electric mobility startup, has raised Rs 100 crore in funding from Japan’s Mitsui and Co. The e-mobility service provider, which is a subsidiary of Treasure Vase Ventures, has raised the amount as a part of its series B funding round. Mitsui will bring to SmartE multiple synergies through its existing businesses in the EV domain to enable the company for long-term growth. SmartE, which operates a fleet of more than 1,000 electric rickshaws in Delhi NCR, will use the funds to expand into new markets. The five-year-old startup had raised $5 million in 2017 from Singapore’s Ecotransit Investments International Pte Ltd in a series A fundraise. Until now, the company has raised more than SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL | VOL 3 l ISSUE 12

Rs 132 crore. Goldie Srivastava, co-founder and CEO, said his startup plans to expand its fleet of electric three-wheelers to 10,000. The

startup will also look to enter five new cities in the next two years, which will be divided into three south Indian cities and two cities in north India. “The deployment of electric threewheelers in first and last mile connectivity operations is now a proven business model. We plan to scale up to 100,000 EVs in the next five years with different milestones in between as we grow gradually,” he said. SmartE said it had built India’s largest EV charging infrastructure, spread across five large park and charge hubs with a capacity to concurrently charge more than 800 electric three-wheelers. SmartE is also the official last-mile connectivity partner to Delhi Metro, offering its services across multiple metro stations in Delhi, Gurugram, and Faridabad.


EV UPDATES

GST COUNCIL TRIMS TAX ON EVS, CHARGERS TO 5% The GST Council chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman decided to slash GST rates on all electric vehicles (EVs) to 5 percent from the existing 12 percent and cut the current 18 percent GST on electric vehicle chargers or charging stations to 5 percent. In order to provide more environmentally friendly transportation, the Finance Ministry has also given exemption from GST on the hiring of e-buses by local authorities. This exemption is for those buses which can carry over twelve passengers. According to the Finance Ministry statement, these changes will be effective from August 01, 2019. Reacting to the news, the Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (SMEV) has welcomed the government’s move by saying that it is in line with the government’s actions taken to promote

EVs in the last few months. “The Government is lately showing very clear intentions of promoting EVs and GST reduction is one such measure in line with the series of actions taken by the government in the last few months. We welcome the 7 percent reduction in GST as it will reduce the gap between the EVs and the IC Engine vehicles. If FAME-II was a dampener, the GST reduction is certainly a bright spot in the National EV policy,” said Sohinder Gill, director general of SMEV. While, Panasonic India & South Asia,

President & CEO, Manish Sharma said “lack of a proper infrastructure has been a major impediment in ensuring wide scale adoption of EV’s in India. The decision to exempt GST in the hiring of electric buses of carrying capacity of more than 12 passengers by the local authorities will give the necessary thrust in raising more awareness about EV’s. The landmark announcements will also help lay the foundation in creating a manufacturing ecosystem for the EV sector in India.” Earlier, the budget had provided tax breaks to consumers for buying electric vehicles. With this decision, the government has now walked the talk on supporting EVs and its ecosystem and with all the benefits of the GST cut and tax breaks added, India should now surely be on a path of faster adoption of EVs.

EXIDE, LECLANCHE JV TO BEGIN LI-ION BATTERY MFG

UP OFFERS 25% REBATE ON LAND FOR EV CHARGING

India’s largest storage battery maker Exide Industries is planning to start production of lithium-ion (Li-Ion) batteries from its joint venture plant in Gujarat by end of this calendar year, according to a high-level company official. Aiming at entering India’s electric vehicle (EV) market and grid-based applications, Exide had formed a 75:25 joint venture with Switzerland-based Leclanché SA, one of the world’s leading energy storage solution companies, in June last year. The JV company’s production plant in Gujarat is the first such indigenous facility in the country for manufacturing lithiumion batteries and provide energy storage systems for the EV market, with the government’s push towards promoting electric mobility. “It is inevitable that electric vehicles will come into India. Whether it will be three years or five years or ten years down the line, that can be debated. But we, as a company, want to be fully prepared to address this opportunity,” Exide Industries MD & CEO Gautam Chatterjee told shareholders during the company's 72nd annual general meeting. “The Gujarat plant is going on full stream. It will start operation by end of this calendar year. Around Rs 100 crore has already been invested. Another Rs 100 crore will be pumped in within March next year,” Chatterjee said. He further informed that the plant’s total capacity by end of March would be about 750 megawatt. “We are talking to the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) for electric buses. Tata Motors is talking to us. We are tying up with Ashok Leyland,” he informed.

The Uttar Pradesh government announced its decision to give a rebate of 25 percent on the market rate of land for establishing charging units for electric vehicles. The state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has cleared a policy in this regard. "Three points are taken in the policy. First, more and more electric vehicles are made in the state. Secondly, preparing network of charging stations and thirdly creating a demand of these vehicles," UP government spokesperson Sidharth Nath Singh told reporters. “Twenty-five percent rebate will be given on circle or market rate of land, which is less for setting up charging units.” Singh said the state was expecting Rs 40,000 crore investment and employment generation for 50,000 people in the electric vehicle industry. "In the first phase, it is planned to run 10,000 electric buses and old ones will phased out. By 2024, 70 percent commercial vehicles will be electric and 2 lakh charging stations will be set up," he added. In June, the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) had issued an Expression of Interest (EoI) for setting up of charging stations for electric vehicles (EV) in cities and highways/ Expressways in Uttar Pradesh. More recently, in another major decision the state cabinet cleared a floating solar PV power plant on Rihand Dam with an investment of Rs 750 crore. It will be the first floating solar power plant in the state and the biggest in the country by capacity. VOL 3 l ISSUE 12 | SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL

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Mono vs Poly An introspective simulation study Solar installations in India have seen an average year-on-year growth of 82% since 2012. With India currently standing at around 28 GW of solar installation and with more than 95% installations utilizing crystalline technology, this trend is not to change in the next few years. To a novice, crystalline solar module comes in two technologies, i.e. mono crystalline & poly crystalline which could be easily identified by their shape and/or their colour. While such identification is relatively easy, selecting the right kind of technology for your project could be highly perplexing. This is primarily because of the advantages each technology has,be it the cost advantage of utilizing poly crystalline versus the efficiency advantage of mono crystalline technology. While there has been a lot of debate over this topic and with over hundreds of articles online, a perfect answer to this conundrum is still missing. Further, with the location and its climatic conditions having a subsequent affect over the plant’s performance, a clear guideline considering all the performing indicators in a power plant seem clearly lacking. My view hereis to educate readers on a complete technical and commercial evaluation of a mono crystalline versus poly crystalline module. The idea is also to enable the end customer/ investor/or an EPC to make correct decision when selecting a technology for their power plant.

summers and extreme winters with fairly clear sky throughout the year with cloud cover of less than 50%. • Cold &cloudy climatic zone:A climatic zone with pleasant summers and extreme winters with overcast weather throughout the year except in summers (for a brief period).

Methodology

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Solar modules are known to have varied performance throughout the day due to varying weather conditions. Such variations throughout the year vary distinctively across countries. The performance of the solar modules thus differ accordingly which makes it important to have a complete study across each climatic zones. India,the 7th largest country in the World,houses almost all the type of climatic conditions which could be experienced and hence makes a perfect choice for the study. Primarily, India can be divided into 6 climatic zones (refer Figure 1) as mentioned below: • Hot & dry climatic zone: A climatic zone with extreme summers and extreme winters with minimal rainfall. • Warm &humid climatic zone: A climatic zone with moderate summers and moderate winters with heavy rainfalls. The zone also typically has high humidity throughout the year. • Moderate climatic zone: A climatic zone with moderate summers, moderate winters and moderate rainfalls. • Composite climatic zone: A climatic zone with extreme summers and extreme winters with moderate to heavy rainfalls. • Cold &sunny climatic zone: A climatic zone with pleasant SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL | VOL 3 l ISSUE 12

Figure 1: Division of climatic zones in India (Source: IIT Bombay)

Designing a solar power plant is a tedious task given the fact that there are numerous calculations alongside various considerations to be made before arriving at a final blueprint. However, at initial stages, there could be two basic divisions in deciding on the design on the power plant: a. Plant based on fixed area b. Plant based on fixed capacity Understanding and designing a power plant based on the above parameters enables a novice to perfectly evaluate its performance along with their commercial returns. In many of cases, where we have a fixed area chalked out for the solar PV plant, it needs to be ensured that the designer accommodates maximum capacity of PV plant to ensure


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theenhancementofthe plant’s commercial return. There are however few cases where one need to have a power plant of fixed DC capacity, say due to limited evacuation capacity, policy or regulatory limitations and limitations due to tenders. In casessuch, it is of primeimportancethat the plant is designed in a way that its energy output is optimized to ensure enhanced commercial return. For a thorough understanding, a single location was considered from each of this climatic zone with further the power plant consideration based on fixed area (1000 m2) and fixed capacity (1 MW). Theenergy gains, gains from temperature losses and commercial savings wereanalysed by utilizing mono crystalline versus poly crystalline technology. In order to understand the gains only from the module technology, the balance of system (BoS) for the entire study was kept same.

While the above results were for the power plant based on fixed area, let us understand the result for the plant based on fixed capacity. While a similar behaviour from power plant based on same name plate capacity was expected, the actual results varied a lot. Firstly, a significant savings in energy loss due to temperature i.e. 1,030kWh/month (average) was realized when utilizing mono crystalline modules in power plant, with maximum difference to the tune of 1,331 units realized in summer season. Further, the PR for mono based power plant was found to be 81.70%, which is at an average 0.62% higher than poly based power plant. Overall, it was found that implementing mono crystalline modules would enable the end customer to annually generate 13.7 MWh (refer Figure 3) more.

Results and Discussion Hot & dry climatic zone

Found in the western and few central parts of India, hot and dry zone have summers with high to very high temperatures. This zone further also has moderate to extreme winters. The extreme temperatures directly affect the performance of the power plant. Specifically during summer, due to high ambient temperatures of around 42~46 °C, the operating temperatures of the solar module increases rapidly. Mono crystalline modules, which are known to perform better in higher temperatures, loses 4.95% less energy due to higher temperatures when compared to poly modules. Overall, an energy boost of around 18% in summer can be realized while utilizing mono technology. Performance Ratio (PR) of a mono based power plant is found to be 83.16%, which is 3.09% more than that of poly based plants. Energy injected into the grid by mono based plant is deemed to be 17.8% or 52 MWh higher (refer Figure 2) which directly enhances the plant’s financial returns.

Figure 3: Energy generation in hot & dry climatic zone – power plant based on fixed capacity

Warm and humid climatic zone

Figure 2: Energy generation in hot & dry climatic zone – power plant based on fixed area

Found mostly in coastal areas of India, this zone is mostly recognized by its humid climatic conditions around the year. Further, they may experience summers with temperatures ranging from 35~42 °C coupled with moderate winters. Accounting to mostly moderate to sometimes high temperatures around the year, the power plant utilizing mono modules are expected to save 0.84 kWh/kWp/day attributed to temperature losses. Compared to summer, the winter experiences 5.10 % gain in the PR, thanks to the clear skies. Further, mono crystalline based power plants experience a gain of 2.95% over the plants utilizing poly crystalline modules. Additionally, it is expected that utilizing mono technology shall enhance the output of power plant by 0.16 kWh/kWp/day. This gain when considered for power plant based on fixed area would result in45.5 MWh more (refer Figure 4) energy generated from a mono crystalline module based plant. VOL 3 l ISSUE 12 | SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL

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Moderate climatic zone

Moderate climates are known to be balanced throughout the year. Such climatic zones, other than its intensely cloudy monsoons are considered preferable conditions for a solar power plant. When comparingpower plant in fixed area, we find that the average energy gain of mono over poly stands fairly constant throughout the year i.e. at 17.65%. Owing to the fact the ambient temperature in this zone remains fairly constant throughout the year, the gain over temperature losses remain equivalent to around 1.00 kWh/ kWp throughout the year. The performance of the overall power plant however is known to be much better when a plant usesmono crystalline module i.e. 50,621 units more (refer Figure 6). Further the PR of the plant is known to be 3.03% more compared to a poly crystalline based plant.

Figure 4: Energy generation in warm and humid climatic zone – power plant based on fixed area

The warm & humid climatic zone, given its cloudy conditions around the monsoon experiences a significant reduction (~37%) in generationfrom solar PV. The generation however increases till April given the fact that there is an increase in irradiance in the region. Further, with increase in temperatures the output of the PV plant reduces. The mono crystalline based power plant injects 10.3 MWh (or 7.67%) moreenergy into the grid per MW of power plant installed in such areas (refer Figure 5 for more details). This increase could be directly related to the savings obtained from temperature loss which stands at 9,254 kWh/year. Further a boost of 0.50% in PR is also realized by utilizing mono crystalline based modules.

Figure 6: Energy generation in moderate climatic zone– power plant based on fixed area

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Figure 5: Energy generation in warm and humid climatic zone – power plant based on fixed capacity

SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL | VOL 3 l ISSUE 12

A power plant of fixed capacity in moderate zone is expected to perform best during winters due to lower temperatures. Over and above, a similar observation was made in the month of Marchwhere the zone observes high irradiance and coupled with moderate temperatures. When comparing both the power plants, it was found that a mono based plant annually generates 13,826 units more. A boost in the PR of around 0.60% can be realized while utilizing mono crystalline modules. The difference in temperature losse s follows a similar pattern to the generation curve i.e. the difference in lower during and around monsoon season (average of 650 units from May to October) and higher during other months (average of 1200 units). A total savings in temperature losses of 11 MWh was realized in power plants utilizing mono crystalline modules (refer Figure 7 for more details).


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While the monsoons are coupled with cloud cover, they stay relatively short in this zone. The energy generation during monsoon is around 33% lower than that in winters. The annual energy generation when consideringmono crystalline technology stands at 1683 MWh which is 0.75% greater than that obtained from a poly based plant. The average PR of a mono based power plant is found to be around 82%, 0.57% higher than the poly based power plant. In terms of energy lost due to temperature, a poly crystalline power plant loses 239 MWh while a mono crystalline module based plant loses 228 MWh. Overall, mono crystalline technology outperforms poly crystalline technology by 12.3 MWh in such climatic zones.

Figure 7: Energy generation in moderate climatic zone – power plant based on fixed capacity

Composite climatic zone

Found mostly in central India, places having composite climates constitute more than 30% in the country. This zone typically has the climatic combination of both hot & dry and moderate zone, i.e. it has extreme summers and extreme winters while the monsoon are typically coupled with cloud covers. Pertaining to such extremities, the temperature loss in a mono crystalline plant stays at 23.5 kWh/kWp which is 1.20 kWh/kWp less than that obtained in a poly crystalline based plant. In winters, such loss stays at 18.30 kWh/kWp in a mono crystalline plant, 1 kWh/kWp lower than that obtained in poly crystalline based plant. The PR for a mono crystalline plant is found to be 3.08% higher than that of a poly based plant. Further, the energy injected into the grid is deemed to be 48.5 MWh higher (Figure 8) than poly based power plant which directly affects the commercial returns from such plant.

Figure 9: Energy generation in composite climatic zone – power plant based on fixed capacity

I hope this was useful.Let us all pledge to make solar energy the primary source of energy in the near future. n

SUNIL RATHI Figure 8: Energy generation in composite climatic zone– power plant based on fixed area

Director - Sales and Marketing Waaree Energies Ltd

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PROJECT UPDATES

SECI FLOATS TENDER FOR 1500 MW SOLAR PROJECTS The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has issued a tender for the selection of solar power developers for setting up of 1500 MW grid-connected (including mini and microgrid) solar PV power projects in India (Tranche-II) under the second phase of the CPSU (Government Producers Scheme) Scheme. The scope of work for the selected bidders will include the supply, design, installation, testing, commissioning, of the solar power projects. Land, connectivity and long term open access (if applicable) will also be in the scope of the solar power developers (SPD). The last date for bid submission is August 23, 2019. A pre-bid meeting has been scheduled for August 9, 2019, to address the concerns raised by the prospective bidders. All

interested bidders have to submit an Earnest Money Deposit of Rs 4 lakh per MW and a document processing fee of Rs 5 lakh (+GST) along with their bids. SECI has invited proposals for setting up

of the grid (including Mini & Micro Grid) connected solar PV projects anywhere in India on a “Build Own Operate” (B-O-O) basis for an aggregate capacity of 1500 MW under Phase-II (Tranche-II).

SECI TENDERS FOR 1200 MW RE PROJECTS

NTPC TENDERS FOR 20 MW FLOATING PV PROJECT

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has issued a tender for setting up of 1200 MW ISTS-connected Renewable Energy (RE) projects with assured peak power supply in India. (ISTS-VII) The scope of work for the selected bidders will include the design, supply, engineering, construction, installation, testing, and commissioning of renewable energy projects. Additionally, land, connectivity and long-term open access will also be in the scope of the hybrid power developer. The last date for bid submission is September 17, 2019. The projects can be developed anywhere in India on “Build Own Operate” (B-O-O) basis for an aggregate capacity of 1200 MW, along with assured Peak Power supply. SECI shall enter into a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the successful bidder(s) selected based on this RfS for purchase of power for a period of 25 years based on the terms, conditions and provisions of the RfS. The project installation shall also be augmented with energy storage systems with a minimum rated capacity of the ESS being equal to the contracted capacity of the project as per PPA, in order to meet the above criteria of supply of power during the Peak Hours. Projects selected under this RfS shall be eligible for two-part tariffs. These shall be referred to as “Peak Tariff” and “OffPeak Tariff” as defined in the RfS. Energy generated during the Off-Peak Hours shall be eligible for a flat tariff payment @ Rs. 2.70/kWh, i.e. the Off-Peak Tariff. Energy generated during the Peak Hours shall be purchased at the tariff discovered through e-Reverse Auction as per this RfS, i.e. the Peak tariff.

NTPC has issued an Invitation for Bids (IFB), inviting bids from eligible parties for the development of 20 MW floating solar power project at the reservoir of NTPC Auraiya Gas Power Plant at Dibiyapur in Uttar Pradesh. The scope of work for the selected bidders will include the design, engineering, manufacturing, supply, packing and forwarding, transportation, unloading, storage, installation, testing and commissioning of the solar plant based on open category PV modules and cells. The bidders will also be responsible for supply of floaters, installation, anchoring, fixing of floaters for SPV panels, pathways corresponding to 26.4 MWp (minimum). The last date for bid submission is September 5, 2019, and the techno-commercial bids will be opened on the following date i.e. September 6, 2019. The developers will also be required to provide operation & maintenance services of SPV Plant along with electrical equipment, consumables and spare parts for a period of 3 years from the date of successful completion of trial run. All bids must be accompanied by bid security for an amount of Rs 10 lakh. To be eligible, the bidders should have designed, supplied, erected/supervised erection and commissioned/ supervised commissioning of solar based grid-connected power plant(s) of cumulative installed capacity of 16 MW or higher, out of which at least one plant should have been of 10 MW or higher capacity. The reference plant of 10 MW or higher capacity must have been in successful operation for at least six months prior to the date of techno-commercial bid opening.

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PROJECT UPDATES

AMP ENERGY INDIA BEGINS WORK ON UP PROJECT Renewable energy power producer AMP Energy India has commenced the construction of 120 MWp open access solar power project in the state of Uttar Pradesh (UP). The company said that the estimated investment on the project is expected to be Rs 5 billion and it will be one of the largest open access solar energy projects in the state. Moreover, the company had signed long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for the same for a period of 15-25 years, it added. AMP Energy India had won this project under the Uttar Pradesh Power Transmission Corporation Ltd’s (UPPTCL’s) tender for setting up of 340 MW open access power projects under UP Solar Policy, 2017. The solar energy power producer said that the project is likely to be commissioned in the current financial year in a phased manner, as it is spread across five places of four districts in UP. However, the company did not disclose the names of the four districts and its exact locations. Once completed, the project will supply power to high credit worthy Commercial & Industrial (C&I) energy users and is expected to generate approximately 1,100 to 1,300 jobs in construction, safety and Operations & Maintenance (O&M)

across all locations. On higher expectations for UP to become an attractive destination for investment, AMP Energy India CEO Pinaki Bhattacharyya said, “we are setting up one of the largest portfolios of projects across four districts in UP. It will bring with itself local development as well as lowering power costs for some major industries, which will make the state – a more attractive investment destination.” Post completion, the project will have its economic, social, environmental and other benefits too including job creation for the local community; leased lands will provide long term income to farmers; setting up of Clean Water ATMs and microgrids nearby installations to provide local community with regular power; it

will reduce CO2 emissions of 41,40,000 MT which is equivalent to planting approx. 24 lakh trees over the complete lifecycle of the plant. AMP Energy India is one of the fastest growing integrated renewable energy power producers in the country and is focused upon delivering clean and green energy to C&I customers. With a total portfolio of about 450+ MW and presence across 15 states, the company is providing bespoke solutions to its 40+ leading corporates and govt. bodies. It is backed by global institutional investors and has a diversified client portfolio such as Tata Hitachi, Hero Cycles, Hewlett Packard, AB InBev, ACE Cranes, Britannia, L&T Metro Hyderabad Rail, Kochi Metro Rail Ltd among others.

EESL TENDERS FOR 5 MILLION SMART METERS The Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) has issued a tender for procuring 5 million smart meters to be installed pan India. India has applied for financing from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) towards the cost of Scaling Up Demand Side Energy Efficiency Sector Project. Part of this financing will be applied to eligible payment under the contract for which this invitation for bids is issued. The scope of work for the selected bidders will include the designing, engineering, manufacturing, testing, inspection, packing, supply, transportation, insurance, and delivery of the smart meters to the project site. The details regarding locations will be intimated to the successful bidders

later. The last date for bid submission is September 17, 2019. The vendors will also be required to provide replacement warranty for the

meters for a period of 5.5 years (after supply) along with operational support post completion of the warranty period for the project duration of up to 10 years. The bid security amount for each lot is Rs 2 crore. The Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) for multiple lots will be the cumulative sum of the individual lots. The bidders can bid for multiple lots based on the qualifying criteria. To be eligible, the bidders or the manufacturers should have the production capacity and should be supplying digital electricity or prepaid or smart meters in the last three years as per the prescribed standards. The bidder should have a minimum manufacturing capacity of 50,000 smart meters per month. VOL 3 l ISSUE 12 | SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL

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EVENTS ICCE 2019: 8TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION ON CLEAN ENERGY website : www. icce2019.iaemm.com START DATE : 12-Aug-2019 END DATE : 14-Aug-2019

Location : Monteral, Canada Phone : +1 613 8301760

THE 11TH GUANGZHOU INTERNATIONAL SOLAR PV EXHIBITION 2019 website : www.pvguangzhou.com START DATE : 16-Aug-2019 END DATE : 18-Aug-2019

Location : Guangzhou, China Phone : +20 2918 8152

E-mail : ICCE2019@iaemm.com

E-mail : janicepv2018@gmail.com

INTERSOLAR SOUTH AMERICA 2019

RENEWABLE ENERGY INDIA EXPO 2019

website : www.intersolar.net.br START DATE : 27-Aug-2019 END DATE : 29-Aug-2019

website : www.renewableenergyindiaexpo.com Location : São Paulo, Brazil Phone : +49 7231 58598218

START DATE : 18-Sep-2019 END DATE : 20-Sep-2019

E-mail : info@intersolar.net.br

E-mail : Pankaj.sharma@ubm.com

THE BIG 5 SOLAR

INTERSOLAR INDIA 2019

website : www.thebig5solar.ae START DATE : 27-NOV-2019 END DATE : 29-NOV-2019

Location : Greater Noida, India Phone : +91 99 90962410

website : www.intersolar.in Location : DUBAI Phone : +971 4 445 3609

START DATE : 27-NOV-2019 END DATE : 29-NOV-2019

Location : Bangalore, India Phone : +49 7231 58598215

E-mail : jessicascopacasa@dmgevents.com

E-mail : feth@solarpromotion.com

SIGMA SUMMIT 2020

THE ENERGY EXPO

website : https://sigmasummit.com START DATE : 06-FEB-2020 END DATE : 08-FEB-2020

website : www.theenergyexpo.com Location : New Delhi, India Phone : +91 93549 33450

START DATE : 12-FEB-2020 END DATE : 13-FEB-2020

E-mail : Info@middleeastelectricity.com

E-mail : mail@TEE2019.com

MIDDLE EAST ELECTRICITY 2020

THE SOLAR SHOW MENA 2020

website : https://www.middleeastelectricity.com START DATE : 24-APR-2020 END DATE : 25-APR-2020

Location : Dubai, UAE Phone : +971 4 4072470

Location : Miami, USA Phone : (305) 412-0000

website:https://www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/solar-show-mena START DATE : 13-APR-2020 END DATE : 14-APR-2020

Location : Cairo, Egypt Phone : +971 4 4402535

E-mail : Info@middleeastelectricity.com

E-mail : Abdelbasset.hfd@terrapinn.com

RENEWX 2020

6TH SMART CITIES INDIA 2020 EXPO

website : www.renewx.in

website : www.solarindiaexpo.com

START DATE : 24-APR-2020 END DATE : 25-APR-2020

Location : Hyderabad, India Phone : +91 98707 46073

E-mail : sheetal.rathod@ubm.com

START DATE : 20-MAY-2020 END DATE : 22-MAY-2020 E-mail : ravim@eigroup.in

Location : New Delhi, India Phone : +91 11 4279 5000


PROJECT UPDATES

WITH RIHAND APPROVAL, INDIA’S FLOATING SOLAR AMBITIONS SOAR On August 6, the Uttar Pradesh state cabinet cleared the ambitious 150 MW floating solar plant on Rihand dam, built on Rihand river, a tributary of the Son. The reservoir of the dam is India’s ; largest artificial lake. It will be the biggest floating solar plant in India and is expected to be commissioned by May 2020. The plant could be the world’s largest floating solar plant when built. In the tender bid process done by Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), ReNew Power got 100 MW while Shapoorji Pallonji got 50 MW at a tariff of Rs 3.36/unit. Floating solar plants look set for a good run in India, on the back of falling costs, advantages like higher power production (due to cooler units), easier cleaning, and in case of plants on reservoirs used for hydro power production, easy access to the transmission network too. This announcement followed the news in July of public sector undertaking BHEL winning a 25 MW order for a floating solar power plant at NTPC’s Simhadri Super Thermal Power Project in Andhra Pradesh. The potential for floating solar plants in India is rated at 300 GW, and what’s more, most of this potential lies in states that have otherwise been laggards in solar stakes - Kerala, Assam, Odisha, and West Bengal. In almost all of these states, land availability has been a huge challenge for normal solar plants due to issues related to land use in agricultural activities. Keeping up with its recent record of aiming high to meet a respectable actual achievement figure, the government has set a target to add 10 GW of floating solar capacity by 2020-21. As of July 31, 2019, only 2.72 MW of floating solar plants were actually commissioned while another 971 MW are in the pipeline for possible tendering soon. Announcements have been made for a further 4,255 MW of floating solar plants by agencies, including NTPC and state entities. Of course, the 10 GW target looks highly unlikely to be metconsidering the delays we have run into with the solar sector overall since last year. Floating Solar Capacities: Till July 31, 2019

Source: JMK Research For floating solar supporters, India’s price-sensitive nature is the biggest challenge as it has already tripped up many a solar tenders in the recent past, not to mention the imbroglio in Andhra Pradesh where the new state government wants to renegotiate virtually all contracts for the past two years. While its benefits have been mentioned above, floating solar does come with higher costs thanks to the requirement of special equipment to enable the float, besides issues like rusting and corrosion. As a relatively new outgrowth of solar, the long term impact of proximity to water on other equipment is yet to be properly analysed and factored in. However, the very fact that it saves on land costs means that the government is willing to give it more leeway on pricing, with a tariff range of Rs 3.29 to Rs 3.36 per unit. Tenders where the tariff range has been lower, at around Rs 3 as tried by MSEDL in Maharashtra, have failed making it clear that the industry is no longer keen to ‘buy’ their way into this niche market. Existing players; from Renew Power to Waaree to BHEL , S&W and Shapoorji Pallonji, have thrown their hats in the ring even as global players and floating consultants like the French specialist Ciel et Terre have also set up shop in the country in anticipation. VOL 3 l ISSUE 12 | SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL

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PROJECT UPDATES

GUJARAT TENDERS FOR 600MW RESIDENTIAL ROOFTOP PV Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Ltd. (PGVCL) has issued an Expression of Interest (EOI) for empanelment of agencies for setting up of 600 MW gridconnected rooftop solar PV systems in residential premises in Gujarat. The scope of work for the selected developers will include the supply, design, installation and commissioning of the rooftop solar systems. The developers will also be required to provide five years of comprehensive operation and maintenance of the plants. The bidders will have a period of 4 months to complete the work on the project. As per the provision of the EOI, two types of the Bidder categories to be empaneled: 1. ‘Category-A’ bidders shall be those bidders who have experience

of successful installation and commissioning of minimum aggregate 100 kW capacity of solar rooftop/ grid-connected systems in any sector viz. residential, social, industrial, commercial, government, under SKY scheme or any other such scheme.

2. ‘Category-B’ bidders shall be those bidders who are new entrepreneurs and/or those bidders who are not covered under Category-A. The rates have been invited are for eleven system capacities/ranges(slabs) of solar system ratings/ capacity from 1KW, 2 KW, 6KW to 10KW, 10KW to 25KW, 25KW to 50 KW, 50 to 100 KW and >100 KW. Bidders are required to quote rates in all the SPV capacities and ranges as mentioned above in the on-line price bid. The Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) to be submitted by the bidders will vary depending on the bidder category. Category-A bidders and Non-MSME units will submit Rs 7 lakh as the EMD amount while Category-B and MSME units will submit Rs 4 lakh along with their responses.

ADANI GREEN ENERGY PLANNING 800 MW RE PROJECTS

SUNSOURCE TO START WORK ON 70 MW SOLAR PROJECT

Adani Green Energy (AGEL) plans to add over 800 MW of renewable energy projects in the current financial year and 3300 MW in two more years, the company said in a statement. “Adani Green Energy plans to add over 800 MW of new capacity of wind and solar projects during the current financial year. The firm is one of the fastest-growing renewable energy firms with over 2000 MW of operational assets and 3300 MW capacity to be commissioned in two more years to become 5,000 MW renewable entity by 2022. It is considering fundraising drive through suitable instruments to finance this expansion,” the company said. Adani Group company has a current project portfolio of 4,560 MW including 46 operational projects and 18 projects under construction. “We are committed to creating a greener future. Our vision is to have a portfolio of 10 GW of renewable energy projects by 2022. We are investing to tap value-accretive opportunities to deliver on this goal. AGEL is the first Indian company to reach the milestone of 4.5 GW organically,” Adani Green CEO Jayant Parimal was quoted as saying in company’s latest annual report issued ahead of its annual general meeting scheduled on August 7, 2019. “The company management has sought shareholders’ nod to raise up to Rs 5,000 crore to fund its existing and upcoming renewable energy projects,” the company said. According to its filing on BSE, Adani Green reported continued to have plant availability in excess of 99 percent for the first quarter of the current fiscal. During this period, its grid availability stood at 98.7 percent, which was 95.5 percent in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.

SunSource Energy, a leading distributed solar energy company, has announced that it is ready to begin work on its 70 MW solar power project under the open access scheme in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 300 crore. The project was allocated under the UPERC CRE regulation, 2014. The power generated by this project will be sold through long term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) to commercial and industrial customers. Once commissioned, it will be one of the largest open access solar power projects in the State of Uttar Pradesh and will offset over 85,000 tons of carbon emissions every year. The company had earlier signed an MOU with the Government of Uttar Pradesh to develop 200 MW solar projects in the state. The company recently won one of India’s largest solar with storage projects in Leh that will supply clean and stable power to the Military Engineer Services, a defence infrastructure development agency in India, by largely substituting their diesel genset power. SunSource’s customers include large commercial companies, manufacturing companies, India’s largest oil company, airports, leading education institutes, textile companies and warehouses. “This project is part of the 200 MW solar projects that the company has committed to developing in Uttar Pradesh with an estimated investment of Rs 900 crore. Through these projects, SunSource will also create over 1,000 direct employment opportunities,” the company said in a statement.

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INNOVATION UPDATES

DEWA & STANFORD PARTNER FOR R&D IN SOLAR ENERGY The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has announced its cooperation with Stanford University in a number of research and development fields including radiation cooling to improve the efficiency and performance of solar panels, utilisation of autonomous robots in monitoring and maintaining solar power plants, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to forecast the performance and production of photovoltaic solar plants in the short term. The cooperation will involve researchers at its DEWA’s R&D centre through its membership in the university’s Energy 3.0 Programme, which is in line with the company’s vision to be a leading sustainable innovative global corporation. Waleed Salman, Executive vice president of business development and excellence at DEWA, underpinned the cooperation programme between DEWA and Stanford University that includes research and development in the fields of renewable energy, smart networks, energy efficiency and storage, and data analysis among others. The programme aims to exchange knowledge and expertise to develop solutions for the world's most pressing

energy problems as well as accelerate innovation and expand research and studies on advanced energy technologies. DEWA’s R&D Centre at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park highlights four major operational areas: electricity generation from solar energy, integration of smart grids, energy efficiency, and

water. The R&D Centre’s projects and programmes comprise internal labs to study and test system reliability, and external field testing of new technologies and equipment, including performance and reliability of solar photovoltaic panels and removing dust.

LOW-COST, ECO-FRIENDLY SOLAR CELLS BECOME POSSIBLE

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A team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT-H) have developed low-cost, environmentfriendly solar cells by employing an off-the-shelf dye used to make kumkum or vermilion in India. According to the research published in the Solar Energy journal, the dye-sensitised solar cell (DSSC) is based on New Fuchsin (NF) dye with aqueous electrolyte and platinum-free counter electrodes. The most familiar solar cells today are made up of silicon and can be seen in the various overhead panels and other places, noted Professor Sai Santosh Kumar Raavi from Department of Physics, IIT-Hyderabad. However, this technology is limited by huge fabrication costs as silicon processing is very expensive and involves very high temperature methods that leave a large carbon footprint, Raavi, who led the project, said. In order to get around the limitations of using silicon, the team started working on solar cells based on organic materials, which were supposedly inexpensive and easy to fabricate. However, there were many drawbacks impeding the organic photovoltaic technology as organics (plastic) are less robust. Many dye molecules developed for efficient DSSC devices SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL | VOL 3 l ISSUE 12

are very expensive and toxic upon ingestion. Also, most DSSC devices tend to get degraded as they come in contact with atmospheric moisture, Raavi added. In their latest work, Raavi’s team consisting of researchers from Department of Physics and Chemistry (IIT Hyderabad), ARCHEM (University of Hyderabad), NIT Kurukshetra and IFSCUSP, Brazil, employed a very cheap magenta-dye called New Fuchsin, which is used to make kumkum or vermillion when grounded with turmeric.



MARKET UPDATES

EUROPE ADDED 4.9 GW WIND CAPACITY IN H1 2019 Europe added 4.9 GW of new wind energy capacity in the first half of 2019, according to figures released by WindEurope. The combined installations of new onshore and offshore wind capacity are up on the same period last year (4.5 GW), but onshore installations were down due to serious issues in Germany. Europe installed 2.9 GW of onshore wind in the first half of the year. This is down on the 3.3 GW installed in the same period last year. Installations were particularly poor in Germany, which had its worst first half of the year since 2000. The industry expects installations to pick up in the second half of the year, but German grid connected volumes for 2019 as a whole will be lower than historical levels. Of all European countries, France had the most onshore installations with 523 MW. The analysis further said that onshore wind installations are typically stronger in the 2nd half of the year. This tendency is particularly pronounced in Nordic countries where installation activity is strongest in summer months. “Turbine orders and market activity suggest we will see significant volumes grid-connected in Sweden and Norway in the second

semester. Large volumes are also expected in Spain on the back of the 4.1 GW auctioned in 2017 and 2018.” In the first half of 2019, Europe invested €8.8 billion in the construction of future

wind farms, €6.4 billion in onshore wind and €2.4 billion in offshore wind. These investments will result in 5.9 GW being installed and grid-connected over the next two to three years. France and the Netherlands led investments.

FUEL SUBSIDIES 3-TIMES HIGHER THAN EV BUDGET

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A new study has revealed that subsidies for Petrol and Dieselin India between October 2018 and June 2019 amounted to almost three times the three-year government budget for electric vehicle (EV) support. The study by Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI) of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) said that the government could redirect the money collected in tax via petrol and diesel towards EVs and see far more growth. Despite the commitment to reduce air pollution and achieve at least 30 percent of new vehicle sales being electric by 2030, the government subsidised conventional transport by Rs 26,957 crore over the last nine months, far outpacing the Rs 10,000 crore outlay put forth under its flagship EV program for the next three years, the SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL | VOL 3 l ISSUE 12

second phase of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME India) scheme. “The cuts to fuel excise and oil company margins announced late last year resulted in a major drop in government revenue.

The money would have been better spent in supporting India’s ambitious agenda to adopt EVs and renewable energy rather than perpetuating dependence on petrol and diesel,” IISD Associate Tara Laan said in a statement. India is heavily reliant on fossil fuels in the transport sector, which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and alarming levels of air pollution. Transitioning to EVs could reduce the level of toxic air pollutants relative to conventional vehicles and shift the source of these emissions away from cities. The main recommendation of the study is to reallocate subsidies for oil and fuel to programs that support India’s clean energy transition, including implementing additional policies that would support the EV market.


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Exhibitors Profile Annual Maintenance Contractors Banks / Financial Institutions Charge Controllers Data Logger Electrical Test & Measuring Systems Emission Monitoring Systems Grid Infrastructure /Management Grid Optimization Hybrid Systems IT & Communication Technology Installers Epc Companies Inverters / Distributors Screen Printing Equipments Metallization Equipments Silicon Feedstock Ingot & Wafer Manufacturing Research Institutions Trade Media Publishing Certification Institutes Solar Products & Technologies Solar Panels Solar Systems Provider Solar Consumer Products Solar Commercial Products Solar Drying & Desalination Systems Solar Energy Storage Solar Park Developers Supported By

SMD Mounting Machines Solar Lanterns Solar Lights / Solar LED Solar Forms / Cities / Homes / Villages Solar Street & Billboard Lighting Solar Software Solutions Solar Cells Manufacturers Photovoltaic (pv) Modules Project Consultants Manufacturing Equipment Vendors Materials And Equipment Monitor, Mounting Systems, Trackers Traffic Lights Equipment Smart Grid Technologies LED Chandeliers , Crystal Lights etc LED Displays LED Assemblies & Products LED Software Solutions LED Manufacturers LED Screen / Video Walls LED Encapsulation Materials LED Manufacturing equipment LED Machinery LED Applications & Lighting LED Signage & Displays LED Components / Chips LED Accessories & Raw Materials LED Products & Fixtures

LED Drivers & Power Supply Liquid LED LED Neon Lights, Indicator lamps, Chandeliers, Crystal Lights etc. LED Spot Lights / Fixtures LED Module Connectors LED Turnkey Solution Providers, etc. LED Architectural lighting LED Automobile Lamps. LED Bulbs / Tubes /O LEDS Solar Batteries Battery Manufacturers Battery manufacturing machines Battery vent plugs & packing jali Battery Containers Battery Raw Materials Automotive Batteries E-vehicles Batteries Battery Separator MC Battery Battery Invertor / Battery Charger Battery Lead Manufacturers Battery Terminal Manufacturers Labs & R & D Battery Chemical & Inks All Batteries Products & Technologies Deep Cycle Application Battery Battery Part Manufacturers

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2/3/4 wheel electric and hybrid vehicle manufactures Commercial, Cargo, Passenger and Personal Electric Vehicle Indian/International Electric Vehicle parts and component Battery Technology companies Charger Manufacturer Accessories Manufacturer Government sector and Departments / Nodal Agencies Homologation/Testing Agencies Banks and financial Institutions Insurance Companies Research and Training Institutes Body/ Chassis Fabricators Solar Power Technology Companies Branding Solution Providers E-Vehicle Manufacturers Automotive and Parts Manufacturers Components manufacturers & suppliers Material suppliers Engineering services / Consultants Testing, R&D and Education Institutions Connectors /Cables Wires and Harness manufacturers and suppliers Manufacturer & Suppliers of Auto Ancillaries Machinery & Equipment Manufacturers Design and simulation Charging station manufacturer Power management companies

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MARKET UPDATES

WIND, SOLAR BRING EXTRA COSTS FOR CONSUMERS A new report claims that despite claims that renewable energy is cheap, wind and solar power generation comes with large, yet often ignored costs that increase electricity prices for residents and businesses. The new study conducted by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank found that while wind turbines and solar panels are relatively cheap to operate—given their fuel source is free—they’re costly to build and connect to the power grid. Pierre Desrochers, Fraser Institute senior fellow, associate professor at the University of Toronto Mississauga said that “electricity systems are complex, and too often policymakers pursue renewable energy sources such as wind and solar without understanding their true costs.” And crucially, because the wind won’t always blow and the sun won’t always shine, they require constant backup sources of power including natural gas-fired electricity plants, which must be kept idling, while consuming fuel and emitting greenhouse gases—so they can start producing power quickly if necessary. These extra costs increase electricity prices for consumers. The study further explains taking an example that as a result of Ontario’s Green Energy Act, which was designed to increase wind and solar power generation, residential electricity rates increased from 5.2 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to 11.55 cents at the end of 2017. Witnessing an increase

of 122 percent in nine years. The study also notes that wind and solar power only benefit the environment when they displace emission-producing forms of generation, but in many Canadian provinces where electricity is generated by hydroelectric dams or nuclear plants, there is no corresponding environmental benefit.

LAND, INFRA MAJOR ROADBLOCKS FOR WIND PROJECTS

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Even as the amendments have been made to bidding guidelines for wind projects in India, land acquisition and evacuation infrastructure will continue to remain major impediments for timely completion of such projects, according to a report. Last week, the government made certain amendments to the bidding guidelines for wind projects to fast-track installation of such energy projects in the country. As per the amendments, now the timeline for land acquisition for wind power projects has been extended from seven months to scheduled commissioning date, i.e. 18 months. This, the government said, will help wind power project developers in states where land acquisition takes longer time. In a statement, rating agency Care Ratings said "the revised bidding guidelines which allows wind power developers to acquire land on or before scheduled commercial date (SCD), i.e. 18 months, revise declared capacity utilisation factor (CUF) once within first three years of commercial SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL | VOL 3 l ISSUE 12

operation date (COD) and incentivise early project completion would bode well for the wind energy sector. The report further added that "it opines that the new amendments will benefit wind project developers. However, land acquisition and evacuation infrastructure continue to remain major impediments for timely completion of wind projects." The amendments, the government

had said, intended not only to reduce the investment risks related to the land acquisition and CUF but also to provide incentives for early part-commissioning of projects. The risk of wind power developers in case of delay in signing of PSA has been mitigated by starting time-line of execution of project from date of signing of PPA or PSA, whichever is later, the government said.


MARKET UPDATES

US WIND PIPELINE STANDS AT NEARLY 42 GW U.S. wind farm development activity rose to a new high point in the second quarter of 2019, according to new data released by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). The record 41,801 megawatts (MW) of U.S. wind capacity currently under construction or in advanced stages of development represents a 10 percent increase over the level of activity this time last year. The wind project pipeline grew 7 percent in the second quarter with 7,290 MW in new construction and advanced development activity announced. These findings and the latest industry data are highlighted in AWEA’s newly released U.S. Wind Industry Second Quarter 2019 Market Report. Wind power is expanding rapidly in many regions of the U.S. Over 200 wind projects

are underway across 33 states, and 15 of those states have over 1,000 MW of wind capacity that will come online in the near term. Texas currently hosts the most activity (9,015 MW), followed by Wyoming (4,831 MW), New Mexico

(2,774 MW), Iowa (2,623 MW), and South Dakota (2,183 MW). Notably, half of all U.S. states have enough projects underway to grow their installed wind capacity by 25 percent or more. Offshore wind also saw significant activity in the second quarter with bold new offshore wind targets legislated in Maryland (1,200 MW), Connecticut (2,000 MW), and New York (9,000 MW). New Jersey granted its first offshore renewable energy certificate (OREC) award to Ørsted’s 1,100 MW Ocean Wind project—the largest offshore project planned in the U.S. so far. And the activity hasn’t slowed; early in the third quarter, New York Governor Cuomo announced Empire Wind and Sunrise Wind as winners of the state’s first call for offshore wind project proposals.

GLOBAL SMART METER TOTAL TO DOUBLE BY 2024

SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF CLIMATE BATTLE HINGED ON ASIA

A new report has revealed that the total number of smart meters around the world is expected to almost double over 2017 levels by 2024, opening up new opportunities for customer-side control and analytics. The global smart meter total will rise from 665.1 million in 2017 to more than 1.2 billion by the end of 2024, according to Wood Mackenzie’s H1 2019 report on the market. Accordingly, the cumulative global expenditure on advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) will almost double over the same period, rising from USD 73 billion in 2017 to USD 145.8 billion in 2024. The growth of AMI globally is an important factor in the rise of customer-side flexibility, defined by the report as the orchestrated impact of distributed generation and energy management tools on customer load shapes. The report further added that in regions where AMI is prevalent, utilities gain better visibility into power supply and demand. In areas with high distributed energy resource penetrations, AMI can support better integration of solar power and distributed energy resources into the energy mix, including the orchestration of DERs as an aggregate flexible resource. AMI can allow renewable penetration to climb higher than would otherwise be possible. At the same time, customers can also rely on smart meters for useful insights into their own power consumption and generation India will emerge as an increasingly significant actor in the Asian market, thanks to the recent introduction of a centralised AMI procurement and financing process. As a result, India is projected to surpass Japan as the second largest AMI market in Asia by as early as 2023.

The battle to combat climate change will "succeed or fail" based on what happens in Asia, where growing energy needs are increasing demand for fossil fuels, UN officials said. The United Nations will host a key climate summit next month that has been billed as a last chance to prevent irreversible climate change, three years after the Paris agreement went into force. Commitments from countries in Asia to move towards carbon-neutral economies would be crucial, said Rachel Kyte, a UN special representative for the UN Secretary-General. "It is really in this region that we will succeed or fail in the energy transition in order to be able to meet our climate change goals," Kyte told reporters. The summit hopes to secure commitments to zero net carbon by 2050, but growing demand for electricity in Asia is likely to be one of the key obstacles. "Southeast Asia is one of the fastest growing economic regions in the world. This is where population and urbanisation mean that electricity demand is expected to triple between 2015 and 2040," warned Kyte. “In order to meet this, Southeast Asia is currently turning to fossil fuels, many countries are.” New coal plant projects continue throughout the region, particularly in Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines, and countries including Japan are funding their construction despite criticism from climate groups. But Kyte said the sector should be seen as on its way out. "There is really no future for coal,” she insisted. “It is not competitive by price... and it has such an extreme impact on human health as well as on the planet.” VOL 3 l ISSUE 12 | SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL

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MARKET UPDATES

INDIA LEADS APAC WITH LOWEST RENEWABLE COST

CORPORATE SOLAR INVESTMENTS SURGE IN THE U.S.

According to data furnished in a new report, India has emerged as the market leader with the lowest renewable energy cost in the Asia Pacific region. The report by consultancy firm Wood Mackenzie revealed that the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) using solar photovoltaic (PV) in India has fallen to US$38 (Rs 2,617) per megawatt-hour (MWh) this year, 14 percent cheaper than coal-fired power, traditionally the cheapest source of power generation. Wood Mackenzie research director Alex Whitworth said “India is the second-largest power market in Asia Pacific with an installed power capacity of 421 gigawatts (GW). Solar capacity is expected to reach 38 GW this year. High-quality solar resources, market scale and competition have pushed solar costs down to half the level seen in many other Asia Pacific countries.” The report further reveals that runner-up Australia will see solar costs – which are already competitive against gas power - breaking through the coal-fired power price barrier. Solar LCOE has fallen 42% in the past three years and will reach US$48/MWh in 2020, beating out all fossil fuel competitors. Whitworth added that “maintaining grid stability and reducing curtailment of intermittent generation has been a recurring challenge in Australia. Energy storage is one of the key options available to help balance power demand and keep an uninterrupted supply. While solar costs are falling across the region, the average LCOE for wind and solar in the Asia Pacific are still 29% higher than coal-fired power. And the firm forecasts that this premium will disappear by 2027, greatly increasing direct competition between renewables and coal.

Tech giant Apple is now the leading procurer of corporate solar in the United States with nearly 400 megawatts (MW) of total installed capacity, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association’s Solar Means Business 2018 report. This report puts the power of corporate commitments to clean energy on display, as the world’s largest and most-recognisable companies turn to solar energy in historic numbers. This year’s report contains data from both on-site and off-site installations, tracking more than 7,000 MW of installed solar capacity across 35,000 projects, up from 2,500 MW and 7,000 projects in the 2017 report. Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the SEIA said that the top companies are increasingly investing in clean, reliable solar energy because it makes economic sense. “During the Solar+ Decade, corporate solar investments will become even more significant as businesses use solar to fight climate change, create jobs and boost local economies. When global brands go solar, the rest of the world takes note, and this report puts the power of corporate solar investment on full display.” Tech and retail brands like Amazon, Target, Walmart and Google fill out an impressive Top 10. Considering only on-site solar installations, the top three businesses remain the same as the 2017 report, with Target, Walmart and Prologis leading the way. Falling prices and more flexible financing and procurement structures have led to rapid growth in corporate solar adoption, with more than half of all corporate solar capacity in the U.S. installed since 2016. Today, the 7,000 MW of installed commercial solar generates 10.7 million MWh of electricity annually, enough to power 1.4 million homes.

GLOBAL SOLAR INSTALLATIONS TO REACH 114.5 GW IN 2019

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A new report has predicted that the global solar PV installations in 2019 will reach a record high of 114.5 GW, up nearly 17.5 percent on 2018. As noted in the Wood Mackenzie 'Global solar PV market outlook update: Q2 2019', the market is now back on a strong growth trajectory after a slowdown in 2018. Annual installations are expected to rise to around 125 GW per year by the early 2020s. Commenting on the report, Tom Heggarty, Wood Mackenzie Senior Research Analyst, said “global growth will continue despite a gradual slow-down in China, the world’s largest PV market. The Chinese market peaked at 53 GW in 2017, driven by generous feed-in tariffs. A move towards more competitive procurement of solar SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL | VOL 3 l ISSUE 12

PV will lead to more sustainable annual additions of 30-40 GW.” The report also noted that the market is rapidly diversifying and expanding

in newer markets. Countries which are installing between 1-5 GW annually will be the market's growth engine. In 2018, there were seven such markets. By 2022, there will be 19 - with new names including Saudi Arabia, France and Taiwan. In India, auction activity is starting to recover after a slow-down caused by land and transmission constraints. In the U.S., announcements of new state utility IRPs. The European market will grow strongly as policy markets look to deliver on 2020 and 2030 renewable energy targets. In Latin America, Brazil looks to be the most exciting market of the moment, with both auctioned PPAs with distributors and free-market contracts with large consumers on offer, added Heggarty.



PRODUCTS

1. GoSun Chill Portable Solar Fridge PRODUCT BRIEF: The GoSun Chill is a solar cooler that works without ice. The Chill can keep food cold, frozen, dry, and organised - no ice required. The included PowerBank+ lets you charge devices and power your Chill dayand night. PRODUCT FEATURES: The Chill weighs only 12.7 kgs and has a capacity of 40 litres. The fridge can hold its temperature (80°F) for 14 hours. The portable fridge comes with a power bank that has 3 USB ports for charging of mobile devices and 200 lumens light. The product is well suited for off-grid usage at beaches and boating etc. APPLICATION: Outdoor Fridge/Cooling PRODUCT BENEFITS: The product is comparatively lightweight and has a small design making it the ideal choice for travel. Packed with a lithium-ion battery and charging facility, it performs multiple functions. The device can make ice and hold it stable for 18 hours on a single charge. And comes with an LCD panel and temperature control to monitor and control the operation. AVAILABILITY: The Product is available through the company’s online website and through select e-commerce websites. Retail Price is $749.

2. GoSunSolarFlex 10 Foldable Solar Panels PRODUCT BRIEF: The GoSunSolarFlex 10 is a foldable 10W solar panel and a solar charger for mobile devices. The 10 W solar phone charger connects to any USB based device and when placed under direct sunlight is capable of charging as fast a typical wall charger. PRODUCT FEATURES: The charger weighs 290 grams and folds in half for maximum portability. In folded state, the device decisions are only 73.5 sq. in and an ideal choice for off-grid usage on hiking, boating trips. Charges steadily through USB port at up to 2 Amps to trickle charge directly via available solar power. APPLICATION: Charger PRODUCT BENEFITS: The lightweight and ergonomically design make it easy to carry and use. And with the maximum output of 10 W the solar powered charger can match charging speeds offered by wall chargers while outside. The panels and device are laminated fabricator offering maximum durability and water resistance. AVAILABILITY: The Product is available through the company’s online website and through select e-commerce websites. Retail Price is $59.

3. GoSun Grill

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PRODUCT BRIEF: The GoSun Grill, is a solar powered grill that can bake, roast and steam a meal for 6 people in under 2 hours. The device is the company’s largest solar powered oven at the moment, weighing in at just 13.6 kg. PRODUCT FEATURES: The grill comes with two pans which allows the user to cook anything in sunny or even cloudy weather. The device is ideally suited for camping trips and designed to cook for 4-6 people. APPLICATION: Solar Powered Oven PRODUCT BENEFITS: The grill can achieve a maximum temperature of 232°C and works in most weather conditions perfectly. The reflectors that are used for heating can be arranged and aligned with the sun based on the users’ need. AVAILABILITY: The Product is available through the company’s online website and through select e-commerce websites. Retail Price is $699. SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL | VOL 3 l ISSUE 12



PRODUCTS

4. Havells Glanz 1.5 W Rechargeable Solar Light PRODUCT BRIEF: The Glanz solar light is an instant response bright white light lamp that consumes very low energy and in low running temperature. The device comes with a normal charger and a solar panel fitted on the back which can be used to charge the device. PRODUCT FEATURES: The lamp once fully charged can be run on maximum brightness for a period of approximately 6 hours. The lamp is extremely portable due to the small size and low weight. APPLICATION: Lighting PRODUCT BENEFITS: The product is simple to use and is an excellent choice for carrying during trips or as backup lighting. The battery backup is 6 hours and can be extended by using the light on lower brightness level. The product is extremely portable. AVAILABILITY: The product is available for purchase on amazon.in for a retail price of Rs 400.

5. Hardoll Waterproof Solar Path Lamp PRODUCT BRIEF: The Hardoll solar outdoor lamp has been designed for use in illumination of home gardens. The lamp runs completely on solar power and automatically turns on and off based on the time of the day. The batteries included charge themselves through day using a retrofitted solar panel installed the top of the lamp. PRODUCT FEATURES: Bright clear light shines forth from each LED light. Position them on your path or garden as a decorative piece and safety lighting. The batteries take a minimum of 8 hours of charging before they can be operated. APPLICATION: Decoration and Lighting PRODUCT BENEFITS: The lamps are easy to install and don’t require any connections. Rugged ABS plastic construction gives the product protection from all various conditions. 600 mAh AA size battery provides a brightlevel of illumination for longer time. AVAILABILITY: The product is available for purchase on amazon.in for a retail price of Rs 380.

6. SnowLizardSLXtreme Mobile Solar Powered Charging Case

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PRODUCT BRIEF: The SnowLizardSLXtreme solar powered case keeps your mobile charged through the day. The protective mobile case is fitted with flexible solar panels on the back and can charge the mobile device through the day using solar power and battery backup. PRODUCT FEATURES: The case has solar cells and features a solar power indicator that lets the user adjust the case so it gets the most charge from the sun. The case is waterproof and completely submersible, making it a perfect and compact choice for off-grid usage. APPLICATION: Mobile Case and Charging PRODUCT BENEFITS: The case is extremely rugged, built to MIL Spec 810G Certification the rubberised grips protect against drops and bumps up to 6.6ft/ 2M. Built in screen protector helps prevent scratches to your phone screen. The case also features an integrated battery of 4000 mAh for over 185 percent more power. Adding 16 hours of talk or 12 hours of screen time. AVAILABILITY: The product is available for purchase on amazon.com for a retail price of USD 51. SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL | VOL 3 l ISSUE 12


OPPORTUNITIES

1). Strategy Consultant / Competitive Intelligence Job Description: Lead - Shell

Strategy Consultancy Insights (SCI) team is part of the Group Strategy Consultancy & Portfolio team, which reports directly to Shell’s CEO. Strategy Consulting Insights (SCI) team in Shell provides credible and actionable insights, enabling strategy development and critical decisions. The company is looking for a Competitive Intelligence Lead to join its Strategy Consultancy Insights (SCI) team in Bangalore. Education and experience required: • Commercial / Technical degree; MBA would be an advantage, but a sound industry experience can compensate for not having an MBA. • 7 - 12 years of professional experience in Oil & Gas related industries/ Oil & Gas related research / consulting. Exposure to an Upstream / Integrated Gas business through commercial / research / consulting role will be a significant advantage. • Awareness of key trends and geopolitics in the Oil & Gas space including financial modelling and petroleum economics would be an advantage. Last date to apply for the job is October 31, 2019 and the number of positions required to be filled is 5. The salary package for the selected candidates has not been disclosed by the company. Apply here: http://bit.ly/2OQ6OmB

2). Sales Engineer - Spearhead

Spearhead is urgently required Sales Engineer from Solar/ Thermal background from Delhi and rest of India (West Bengal). Eligibility Criterion: • Exclusively from Solar Power field. • Minimum experience of 3 years & above. • Locations – North, West & South of India. • Designations starting from Assistant Manager & above in Sales &Marketing Department. • Minimum CTC of 4lakhs per annum& above. • BE Chemical or mechanical engineer;MBA in marketing will be added features.

• Responsible for product marketing • Making of product business plan • Competition study • Growth potential of product • Responsible for product profitability • Responsible for product sales , marketing • Responsible for product enquiry generation • Set up a marketing team , dealership ,resident managers across country • Responsible for introducing product features • Good leadership qualities • Should be result oriented Apply here: http://bit.ly/2KFwr4j

3). Tender Specialist – ABB

ABB, a global technology leader in industrial digitalization,is looking for Tender Specialist for Chennai. Eligibility Criterion: • A Bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering or related discipline. • 3 to 5 Years of experience and skill to prepare and support Bid Process. • Knowledge of Power Grid Market & ABB Product & System offerings. • Experience in Renewables/ Transportation/Substation tenders. • Multi culture experience is a benefit. Job Description: • Prepare timely and comprehensive bids. • Determine most technical appropriate and cost-effective solutions. • Customer satisfaction improvement. • Bid & Proposal standardization & Competence development. • Tools and processes development. • Collaborate across the TCC team in offering solutions to country / region specific customers. • Establish and Maintain relationship with Business Units & Divisions, Front End Sales. • Know-how sharing & cross-collaboration. • Analyse customer needs and competitor offers through general market info and information provided by WCFE. • Living ABB’s core values of safety and integrity, which means taking responsibility for your own actions while caring for your colleagues and the business. The salary package for the selected candidates has not been disclosed by the company. Apply here: http://bit.ly/2ZRx3dk

VOL 3 l ISSUE 12 | SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL

61

AUGUST 2019



700MW+ Solar Projects

10MW+

Rooftop Installations

Complete Solution For Ground Base & Rooftop

FASTEST GROWING TURNKEY SOLUTION PROVIDER

EV Charging Station / Infrastructure Provider

Pan India Presence


PROVIDING COMPLETE TURNKEY

SAND TO ENERGY SOLUTION

1. Turnkey solution for lithium cell, module and pack manufacturing lines 2. Consumables for Lithium call, module and pack manufacturing 3. Solution for Energy Storage Systems for Home purpose

4. Back up storage system 5. Energy storage System for Solar Plants 6. Flow batteries for Solar Plants

Bergen Solar Power and Energy Limited

Corporate Office: CBIP Building, 2nd floor, Plot No. 21, Institutional Area, Sector 32, Gurugram, Haryana, India-122018|Tel : +91(0124) 4986400-416 | Fax : +91(0124) 4986405 Email : pv@bergengroupindia.com |Web : www.bergengroupindia.com


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