September 2016 by Saur Energy International

SAUR ENERGY I N T E R N A T I O N A L EDITOR

MANAS NANDI Editorial@saurenergy.com

Editorial... E

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WEB PRODUCTION

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EDITORIAL CONTENT

The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. While the publisher makes every effort to ensure that the contents in the magazine are correct. However, he can accept no responsiblity for any effects from errors or omissions. Any unauthorised reproduction of Saur Energy International content is strictly forbidden. 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. SAUR ENERGY.COM l SEPTEMBER 2016

September is a month when festival season begins in India. The mood is upbeat and optimistic. Sharing a toast amid the vigorous changing renewables glories of the country, this month is also set to welcome the much-coveted REI mega show which is ought to congregate the entire industry discussing some real opportunities and business. Reiterating certainty, India is in a position to show the value of renewable energies to developing economies. India’s new targets on renewables, government policies, alongside other factors, seem to be moving it into the renewable energy age. Making myself a more prying onlooker on the manoeuvre of our Central Government and its custom procedures for the sector - I thought of checking the last one month’s announcements from Govt. on this sector. The findings were passable: • Wind Solar Hybrid Policy to Strengthen Energy Security of India • Rs 142 Crore allocated to for National Biogas and Manure Management Programme • More than 44235MW accumulative capacity of Renewable Energy installed in the Country • Electricity to Railway Stations by Solar Energy • INDO-US Clean Energy Fund • Rs.142.00 Crore Sanctioned for ‘Biogas Programme’ in 2016-17 • Scheme Sanction for 1,000 MW CTU Connected Wind Power Projects in the Country • 4604 DDG Projects Sanctioned for Covering 4745 Villages & Hamlets All these information was given by Mr. Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines in written reply in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. Mr. Goyal, on 4th August said that total accumulative capacity of over 44235 MW has been installed in the country from various renewable energy sources. These sources include 27151 MW of Wind Power, 7805 MW of Solar Power, 4304 MW of Small Hydro Power and 4975 MW of Biopower. So with all this I find the industry have a real festival season ahead. Looking at the buoyant frame of mind in the industry we are also announcing two new sections in Saur Energy International Magazine: • I-Surya Mitra Section • Solar And Semiconductor Lot’s more inside. Hope to See You All in REI-2016. Happy reading!

ManasNandi manas@saurenergy.com

CONTENTS NATIONAL NEWS

- Master Plan For Making Chandigarh a Model Solar City Prepared: Piyush Goyal - West Bengal working on a new solar policy to meet its target of 4500MW - Tata Power Solar commissions 100 MW solar project for NTPC in Andhra Pradesh - Azure Power installs 10MW rooftop solar PV project in Mohali, Punjab

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

- Vivint Solar Expands Solar Energy System Sales And Financing To Three of Its Existing States - SunLinkPowerCare team has expanded its installation services into the Northeastern US

SMART GRID â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 14 HOW SMART IS INDIA?

- Firestone Solar to install 19.8 MW solar power project in Buckingham County, Virginia - AES to install and commission two energy storage arrays totaling 37.5 MW for SDG&E

MARKET RESERCH - Solar Rooftop Market in India to Grow at 60% till 2021: TechSci Research

- World Solar Encapsulation Market Opportunities and Forecasts, Research and Markets

- 5 Trends That Will Shape The Global Solar Market For The Rest Of The Year

EXCLUSIVE: SOLAR & SEMICONDUCTOR

SAUR ENERGY.COM l SEPTEMBER 2016

CONTENTS 20

Nimish Jain

Lalit Jain

Deputy Director APAC, Jinko Solar

Group Chief Commercial Officer & CEO (Solar International & Wind),

Hindustan Power

EVENTS INSIDE

- Industry gears up for Renewable Energy India 2016

FUTURE OF SOLAR IN INDIA

- IPPAI announces the17th edition of the Regulators and Policymakers Retreat

INNOVATIONS

I-SURYA MITRA SECTION

- Researchers develops Tiny HighPerformance Solar Cells that Turns Power Generation Sideways

PRODUCTS - Ascent Solar launches Kickr 7FL and Kickr 10FL, lightest consumer solar chargers - Steca introduces new inverter range

SEPTEMBER 2016 l SAUR ENERGY.COM

NATIONAL NEWS

Master Plan For Making Chandigarh a

Model Solar City

Prepared: Piyush Goyal Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy minister, Piyush Goyal on Friday informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply that master plan for making Chandigarh a Model Solar City under the ‘Development of Solar Cities’ programme of MNRE has been prepared. The solar city cell has also been established. Goyal said that UT Administration, Chandigarh has empaneled 48 Solar Power Aggregators from whom any resident of Chandigarh can install Rooftop Solar Power Plant and can avail 30% subsidy. Solar rooftop power plants of aggregate 7.70 MWp capacities are installed on 145 Government buildings till May, 2016 in this city.

West Bengal working on a new solar policy to meet its target of 4500MW

Azure Power installs 10MW rooftop solar PV project in Mohali, Punjab

The West Bengal government is working on a plan to introduce a new solar policy to meet the Centre’s revised target of generating 4500 MW solar energy by 2022 in the state. Shobandeb Chatterjee, State Power Minister at an interactive session with the Bharat Chamber of Commerce stated that “We will bring a new solar policy, 2016 to encourage investment in the sector. The old policy has failed to boost solar power generation in the state.” The authority has submitted a draft policy and the same will be submitted with the government after public feedback is received. Chatterjee further added that the Centre decided to scale down the solar power generation target for West Bengal from 5200 MW to 4500 MW. He mentioned that state government did not want the power tariff to go up and for the same it was cautious on grid connected solar projects.

Azure Power has installed a 10MW rooftop solar PV project in Mohali, Punjab. The 10 MW solar rooftop project is spread across eight locations in the state. Power produced by the solar plant will be sold to Punjab State Power Corporation Limited under 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) at a tariff of Rs. 7.59/kWh. The company in a statement said that this is one of the country’s largest gridconnected solar rooftop projects. Azure Power currently maintains a leading position in the state of Punjab. Starting from a 2MW project in 2009 in Awan, Azure Power has expanded its total solar portfolio to 225 MW in the state, currently making it the largest owner and operator of solar power plants in Punjab.

SAUR ENERGY.COM l SEPTEMBER 2016

NATIONAL NEWS

Tata Power Solar commissions

100 MW solar project for NTPC in Andhra Pradesh

Tata Power Solar has commissioned India’s largest solar plant with a capacity of 100 MW for NTPC in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh. The plant was completed using domestically manufactured solar cells and modules. In a statement Tata Power Solar mentioned that the company delivered the project in record 80 per cent of stipulated timelines, and nearly three months ahead of the stringent schedule. It is one of the biggest solar projects commissioned using domestically manufactured solar cells and modules. The plant is expected to generate nearly 160 million units of energy per year and help offset approximately 110,000 tonnes of CO2 in the first year. Key highlights of the project were the innovative design of Balance-of-System (BoS) and cabling, along with optimized selection of evacuation systems.

NLC India starts working on 4000 MW solar project in Neyveli NLC India has begun the construction work for 4000 MW solar power plants in Neyveli. The project is being taken under the National Solar Mission, which was announced by the Center. The construction of 65 MW solar power plant on 325 acres in the township has started, with Sarat Kumar Acharya, Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) India CMD formally kickstarting the construction activities. The plant will make use of about 2.38 lakh solar photovoltaic modules (solar panels) each with a power generating capacity of 280/310 watt. The power generated from plant would be synchronized with Tamil Nadu Electricity Board. Also, the State-run NLC is waiting sign the power purchase agreement with the government for its 130 MW solar power project at Barsingsar, Rajasthan.

Madhya Pradesh Government to provide state guarantee for 750MW park Madhya Pradesh is planning to extend its guarantee to developers bidding for 750 MW in the Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Park, so that payments will be met by the government in the case of any default from the off-takers. The project will be one of the biggest in the state, and this has prompted the MP government to offer the guarantee to “give comfort” to developers. The solar park is located at the small town of Rewa and will be segregated into three 250

megawatt plants. The state Cabinet is expected to approve the guarantee this week. Of the power generated, 75 per cent will be procured by Madhya Pradesh Power Management Company (MPPMC), while the remaining 2 percent will be delivered to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). Power Grid Corporation has already started work on a substation to help transmit power to the national grid.

SEPTEMBER 2016 l SAUR ENERGY.COM

NATIONAL NEWS

Solar Energy at Bhandup Treatment Plant soon

MEDA fails to clarify consumer’s doubt on solar subsidy

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has planned to install a solar power system at Asia’s largest water treatment plant in Bhandup as part of its broader energy efficiency upgrade. The authority has decided to set-up a state-of-art solar unit by October, which is expected to generate around 2.5MW power. Dr Sanjay Mukherjee, Additional Municipal Commissioner stated that the BMC has recognized the importance of powering water treatment plants using clean, renewable energy. With solar energy, the authority expects to reduce the carbon footprint as well as the operational costs and exposure to volatile electricity prices. The installation of the solar energy unit at the Bhandup treatment plant will be carried out as per the ‘off-grid’ policy passed by chief minister DevendraFadnavis-led state cabinet, which has instructed the civic body to not only work to encourage the conservation of precious water resources, but also protect the environment by using clean, renewable energy.

The Maharashtra Energy Development Authority’s (MEDA) one-day workshop on using Roof-top Solar Energy System turned out to be a vain attempt as the authority failed to clarify the release of subsidy to energy consumers. The one-day divisional-level workshop was attended by industrialists, individuals and MSEDCL officers, where topics related to the issues of roof-top energy system were brought forward. Despite organizing the programme to popularize the solar system, MEDA failed to address the core issues raised by the consumers applying for the system regarding the subsidy and benefits they will prevail. The authority only informed the participants with the social causes of the energy system. Every year, around Rs 500 crore is allocated for giving subsidy to consumers who raise roof-top solar energy systems, which will be given only till 2018. The government has fixed the cost of solar power system at Rs 75,000 per kw and subsidy equivalent to 30%. BHEL Secures EPC order for 30 MW Solar Photovoltaic Power Plants in West Bengal Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has bagged Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) order for Kerala State Electricity Board’s setting up 30 MW (3×10 MW) of Solar (KSEB) dam-top solar project Photovoltaic (SPV) Power Plants. located on the BanasuraSagar Valued at Rs.169 crore, EPC order has Dam at Padinharethara in been placed on BHEL by West Bengal Wayanad district is all set for State Electricity Distribution Corporation commissioning. Limited (WBSEDCL), said BHEL in a Developed with an estimated statement. cost of Rs.4.293 crore, the The SPV plants of 10 MW each are to dam-top solar plant is expebe set up at Mejia (Bankura), Santaldih cted to generate five lakh un(Purulia) and Chharrah (Purulia) in West its of power a year. Installed Bengal. on the dam-top road at a Earlier this year, BHEL secured EPC length of 285 metres, the plant has been commissioned using 1760 solar panels, each with a capacity of 250 orders from Neyveli Lignite Corporation and Bharat Electronics Limited for Watts. The panels are capable of withstanding wind up to 150 km/h. Apart from nine inverters with 50-KW capacity each, the major highlight of the dam- setting up of a 65 MW SPV Power plant top solar project is the use of SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) at Neyveli (Tamil Nadu) and a 15 MW technology that will facilitate the controller to monitor or operate the system sitting SPV Power Plant at Ordinance Factory Premises, Medak (Telangana) which are from anywhere around the globe using the internet possibilities. currently under execution.

Kerala State Electricity Board’s solar panel atop dam gets ready

SAUR ENERGY.COM l SEPTEMBER 2016

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Vivint Solar Expands Solar Energy System Sales And Financing To Three of Its Existing States Vivint Solar has announced that it has made solar energy system purchases and financing available to homeowners in three of its existing states-Connecticut, Maryland and South Carolina. Vivint Solar's financing relationships allow customers finance ownership of a residential solar energy system with no money down. The resulting low monthly financing payments are comparable to a customer's prior utility payments, but build equity in the customer's solar energy system. The company notes that after the financing is repaid, the

homeowner pays nothing more for the power produced by the system. The company is selling systems directly to homeowners, utilizing the loan and PACE products provided through its financial relationships, in the six aforementioned states and plans to expand to most of VivintSolar's markets by the end of September.

SunLink PowerCare team has expanded its installation services into the Northeastern US

The SunLink PowerCare team has announced that it has expanded installation services into the Northeastern United States. PowerCare is currently installing a second GeoPro project across the state in Plymouth and is gearing up for 10 more projects in Massachusetts and Vermont in 2016. Simultaneously, the PowerCare team is also executing solar project services in North Carolina, Nevada and California.

Trina Solar becomes Cirque du Soleil's first-ever Official Solar Partner in the United States

Trina Solar has announced a marketing and brand partnership with Cirque du Soleil in US. The new partnership will focus around co-promotional campaigns for Trina Solar's customers, employees, and more. Trina Solar will be launching the partnership with participation of Cirque du Soleil artists at a special performance at Solar Power International in Las Vegas scheduled on September 12-15th, 2016. Jing Tian, Trina Solar's Head of Global Marketing said, "This partnership is a natural fit for Trina Solar. We are striving to promote our commitment to tapping into human imagination and inspiring people around the world, and we hope our partnership with Cirque du Soleil will help us achieve this goal."

The SunLink team is able to provide fixed tilt and tracking mounting systems that can be quickly configured to meet a wide-range of site conditions, layout tools that efficiently optimize how the array fits the site, short delivery lead times, PowerCare geotechnical engineering, with more than 1 GW of load testing experience, and Reliable, data-driven O&M for the life of the project through the VERTEX Project Intelligence Platform. SEPTEMBER 2016 l SAUR ENERGY.COM

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Firestone Solar to install 19.8 MW solar power project in Buckingham County, Virginia Governor McAuliffe granted permission for a new solar facility to be built by Firestone Solar LLC, a subsidiary of Virginia Solar. Once comissioned, the 19.8-megawatt project will be the first utility-scale solar generator of its kind in Buckingham County. Construction of the solar plant that spreads across 200-acres is expected to begin early next year and to be completed by the end of 2017. Costs are estimated to fall between $30 and $35 million. The “permit by rule,” issued by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, contains provisions to ensure the environment is protected at the Buckingham site. “We are very pleased and thankful to Buckingham County and the Commonwealth of Virginia for supporting

a 100 percent Virginia-owned and -operated utility scale solar developer by approving our Firestone solar project’s state permit,” said Matthew Meares of Virginia Solar. “We hope this is the first of many such projects by Virginia

NV Energy seeks approval for 100 MW solar project NV Energy is working quite obediently to hold its ground in solar industry, by seeking approval for a huge 100 MW PV plant in Nevada within its Emissions Reduction and Capacity Replacement second amendment filing. Also, the company plans to let go off a 257 MW coal power plant earlier than scheduled. The Eldorado Valley, which is located just outside of Boulder City, has been chosen as a site for 100 MW PV project. Moreover, a 25-year PPA has been signed between NV Energy and Techren Solar, and all the project needs will be approved from the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada. Provided the project receives the regulatory backing, it is expected to be operational by the end of 2018. The 100 MW PV plant is just one part of the filing’s plan to transform NV Energy’s fuel mix, and the second is filling the retirement date for the 257 MW coal-fired generation unit at the Reid Gardner Generating Station.

SAUR ENERGY.COM lSEPTEMBER 2016

Solar in the Commonwealth promoting Governor McAuliffe’s goals of helping the environment, creating new economic drivers, utilizing Virginia products and services, and attracting technology business to the Commonwealth.”

AES to install and commission two energy storage arrays totaling 37.5 MW for SDG&E The subsidiary of AES Corporation, AES Energy Storage has entered into two contracts with San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E). AES will deploy 37.5 MW of Advancion Energy Storage Arrays at sites in San Diego County, California. The SDG&E-owned energy storage arrays will help to improve regional reliability and integrate greater amounts of renewable energy when operational by the end of January 2017. According to the company Advancion is designed for rapid deployment and is a smart, dependable and cost competitive alternative to peaking power plants that improves existing electric infrastructure and enables a greater penetration of clean energy resources. The SDG&E Advancion arrays will be able to provide 37.5 MW of power for four continuous hours and serve as a 75 MW of flexible resource to the grid. The arrays will be installed at two SDG&E substation facilities: 30 MW in Escondido and 7.5 MW in El Cajon.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Bras Solar to open solar panel factory in Brazil

China based Bras Solar has announced that it will open a solar panel factory in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Construction is expected to start this year and the facility is expected to have an initial revenue of USD 61m per year, it will be up and running by 2017. The company aims to reach revenue of BRL 600 million a year when the plant reaches its production peak. Bras Solar's managing partner RongHou Liu in a statement said that the company is also planning to create social projects in the region, such as a school to train skilled labor in the production of solar panels. The Rio Grande do Norte government intends to support the Chinese project in the state through tax benefits and incentives programmes, the vice governor Fabio Dantas said. Bras Solar’s solar panel factory in Brazil will generate 150 direct jobs and 200 indirect jobs.

Scatec Solar signs an agreement for 100MW solar project in Nigeria Integrated independent solar power producer, Scatec Solar has signed an agreement with a Canadian renewable energy development company CDIL focused on Africa and BPS, a Nigerian strategic consulting firm for a 100 MW (DC) Nova Scotia Power plant located in Jigawa State, Nigeria. Raymond Carlsen, CEO of Scatec Solar stated that “Solar power in Nigeria has significant long-term potential, and we want to take part in the development of this new market. He further added that “This investment is the culmination of an extensive review during which the Nova Scotia Power project stood out ,thanks to its exceptional fundamentals. With the quality of its site, development standards and equity funded by Scatec Solar and its partners, the project is ideally positioned to progress rapidly to financial close.” Scatec Solar, with an installation track-record of close to 600 MW, will be constructing and operate the solar power plant in Jigawa. The project is expected to be commissioned by 2017 and commercial operations will start 12 months thereafter.

SMA taking over complete technical operational management of largest PV farm in Denmark

SMA Solar Technology AG has announced that it is taking over complete technical operational management of Denmark’s largest PV farm on behalf of WIRCON GmbH. The PV farm near Lerchenborg has been on the utility grid since December 2015, it generates approximately 60 million kWh of electric current per year, which is enough to supply around 30,000 private households with solar power. SMA has supplied the power plant with 1,750 Sunny Tripower 25000TL inverters. The operational management contract includes continuous remote monitoring, regular maintenance, repairs and upkeep of the ground-based PV system. Bernd Lamskemper, Head of Service EMEA at SMA said “We are delighted that WIRCON GmbH has increased its cooperation with SMA and placed us in charge of the operational management of the largest PV farm in Scandinavia.” SEPTEMBER 2016 l SAUR ENERGY.COM

COVER STORY

S M A R T 14

SAUR ENERGY.COM SEPTEMBER 2016

COVER STORY

G SMART R INDIA I D S HOW

- Niloy Banerjee

From home to factories, without power backup systems, life in India transits amidst the hope of perennial power-supply. Notwithstanding, the fact that India has the 3rd largest transmission and distribution network in the world, yet faces a number of challenges such as: inadequate access to electricity, supply shortfalls (peak and energy), huge network losses, poor quality, reliability and rampant theft. India losses money for every unit of electricity sold, since India has one of the weakest electric grids in the world. The urgency for Smart Grids in India emerges from the key challenges that the industry is currently facing. Some of the technical flaws in the Indian power grid are - it is a poorly planned distribution network, there is overloading of the system components, lack of reactive power support and regulation services, low metering efficiency and bill collection, etc. Regardless of the known potential of solar energy and its associated form of energies the key lacuna is the intermittent supply of power. A diversified energy mix is required to ensure continuity of low carbon energy supply. Continual and increasing investment in improving efficiency of solar photovoltaic power, as well as in alternative generation methods such as bioenergy, geothermal, concentrated solar power, and tidal power will be required.

SEPTEMBER 2016 SAUR ENERGY.COM

COVER STORY The Way to Define Smart Grid The basic objectives of smart grids are to involve informed participation by customers; accommodate all generation (solar, wind etc.) and storage options. It also introduces new products, services and markets to provide the power quality needed for 21st century economy. Addditonal features includes optimization of asset utilization and operation efficiently; address disturbances through automated prevention, containment and restoration and operate resiliently against all hazards. UNSW's latest research named Centre for Energy and Environmental Markets - 2016 suggests that a significant increase in synchronous generation capacity will be required to adopt 100% renewable energy - involving significant increase in generation capacity of hydro, concentrated solar thermal with storage, and biogas turbines. Energy Storage advances in smart grid technologies must accompany advances in generation capacity. SmartGrid is the convergence of information and operational technology applied to the electric grid, allowing sustainable options to customers and improved security, reliability and efficiency to utilities. A modernized grid would create a digital energy system that will: • Detect and address emerging problems on the system before they affect service • Respond to local and system-wide inputs and have much more information about broader system problems • Incorporate extensive measurements, rapid communications, centralized advanced diagnostics, and feedback control that quickly return the system to a stable state after interruptions or disturbances • Provide to consumers with timely information and control options • Deploy and integrate distributed resources and generation, including renewable resources • Integrate “smart” appliances and consumer devices like hybrid cars,

electric vehicles, etc. The combination of three emerging technologies i.e., advanced metering infrastructure, distribution automation, along with integration of distributed energy resources would constitute a Distribution SmartGrid. It is identified that one of the ways to succeed in implementing a SmartGrid that can enable a wide range of intelligent applications well into the future is the usage of “standards based approach” and the focus on dual interoperability of technologies. Demand and Supply Management The electricity market system primarily relies upon volume-based pricing, rather than cost-based pricing, where consumers pay for the volume of electricity used at a set price, rather than at a price that adequately reflects the differing costs of generation across peak and non-peak periods. The current system provides little incentive for consumers to reduce consumption in peak periods, resulting in higher prices, excessive levels of network infrastructure and reliance on non-renewable sources of electricity. Cost reflective price signals in a smart grid would allow consumers to adjust behaviour according to price signals and smooth demand across the network, and make electricity prices fairer and cheaper for consumers in the long run. Why Smart Grid? Smart grid technologies offer a long list of benefits, including a more efficiently operated electricity system and reduced operational costs. However, a primary benefit is that smart grid technologies enable high levels of renewables to be included in an electricity system. Power systems are fundamentally reliant on control, communications, and computation for ensuring stable, reliable, efficient operations. Generators rely on governors and automatic voltage regulators (AVRs) to counter the effects of disturbances that continually buffet power systems, and many would quickly

SAUR ENERGY.COM l SEPTEMBER 2016

lose synchronism without the damping provided by power system stabilizers (PSSs). Flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) devices, such as static var compensators (SVCs) and high-voltage DC (HVDC) schemes, rely on feedback control to enhance system stability. At a higher level, energy management systems (EMSs) use supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) to collect data from expansive power systems and sophisticated analysis tools to establish secure, economic operating conditions. Automatic generation control (AGC) is a distributed closed-loop control scheme of continental proportions that optimally reschedules generator power setpoints to maintain frequency and tie-line flows at their specified values. Salient features of Smart Grid • Intelligent Metering and better Reliability • Improved Interoperability of appliances and equipments connected along with the infrastructure serving the Grid. • Better demand and response control deployment. • Active consumer participation by enabling control over consumption and associated costs over a wide network. • Distributed power generation and grid interaction from all sources of energy like Wind turbines, Solar panels and so on. • Consumer engagement with resources to solve power crisis. • Environment friendly by maintaining the ratio of renewable generation to total generation and emission control. With the implementation of smart grid technology, the penetration level of renewables may rise to 40%, demandresponse to 20%, consumer generation increase tenfold, and generation, transmission and distribution asset utilization rise about 30%-50%. The Unsmart Grid under Security Abuse With today’s digital-driven technology space seems to be the only way to jump the next technological hedge. From Digital India to Smart Cities, everything happens to be collared

COVER STORY with digital disruption. But, vulnerable security breaches can instantly kneejerk the digital space, which includes Smart Grids. As the cybersecurity budgets are overwhelmingly crossing every sectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s balance sheet - Smart grids also welcome the dependency of security systems. Introduction of a smart grid brings certain security risks and can open challenge the national security. Increased interconnection and integration may render the grids vulnerable to cyber threats, putting stored data and computers at great risk. Since digital networks are more prone to malicious attacks from software hackers, security becomes a key issue. In addition to this, concerns on invasion of privacy and security of personal consumption data arise. The data collected from the consumption information could provide a significant insight into a consumerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s behavior and preferences. This valuable information could be abused, if correct protocols and security measures are not adhered to. These issues should be addressed in a transparent manner, to minimize any negative impact on a customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perception. India well understands the concerns and has taken acceptable steps to circumvent the security concerns. National Cyber Safety and Security Standards has been established with a vision to safeguard the nation from the current threats in the cyberspace, undertaking research to understand the nature of cyber threats and Cyber Crimes by facilitating a common platform where experts shall provide an effective solution for the complex and alarming problems in the society towards cyber security domain. Innovative strategies and compliance procedures are being developed to curb the increasing complexity of the Global Cyber Threats faced by countries at large. To make a Business-Sense for Smart Grids Technologies Any decisions regarding smart grid technology adoption should involve a comprehensive look at many costs and benefits. Most smart grid projects,

especially those that enable RE, provide socio-economic benefits that accrue not solely to the utility system, but also to customers and the local or global community. Smart Grids and renewables many of the benefits depends largely on how projects are implemented. Effective project planning and execution is key to realizing these benefits. It is crucial to perform tests to ensure that smart grid technologies will integrate successfully with legacy hardware and back-office systems before developing a new project. Power system data with good spatial and temporal granularity is important for analyzing the potential benefits of smart grid projects. Grid operators considering smart grid projects should start gathering hourly load data as soon as practical, preferably at the feeder level. Once smart grid projects are in progress, success often depends on realizing the substantial value of the large amounts of data generated. Smart grid technologies can enable renewables, attract private investment and make better use of existing infrastructure. These newer technologies also introduce risk, undergoing continual refinement and improvement and in many cases, lack a clear performance history. Market and Growth Scopes Smart Grid Market (Solutions, Services) to soar at 27% CAGR by 2021 which sought to extensively led by Integration and Deployment Services. The smart grid market size is estimated to grow from $19.8 million in 2016 to $65.4million by 2021, at a CAGR of 27% due to the increasing need for replacing aging infrastructure, mandatory regulations and policies, need for centralized grid distribution management and control, and increasing concern for reducing carbon footprints. The smart gird distribution management segment is estimated to have the highest CAGR during the forecast period as they are responsible for the support of utilities demand response management programs, micro-grids, distribution automation, outage management,

network optimization, and workforce management. The major growth drivers identified for the smart gird distribution management market are rising smart grid technology market, increasing adoption of distributed renewable generation, and regulatory pressure for reducing carbon emission. Globally, the market is witnessing substantial investments in R&D and marketing channels. The integration and deployment service is projected to grow at a high growth rate; hence, will present good market opportunity during the forecast period. The increasing demand of system integrators for integration and implementation service, software development service, application technology integration, database design and modeling, and deployment service acts as a major driving factor for the growth of system integrators and deployment service providers in the smart grid market. North America is expected to take hold of the largest share in 2016 due to increasing spending on energy efficiency programs coupled with regulatory government mandates in the U.S. and Canada. Asia-Pacific (APAC) is expected to grow at the highest growth rate during the forecast period due to rapid smart grid deployments in China, Japan, and India, along with Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, and South Korea. The analysts forecast global smart energy market to grow at a CAGR of 14.91% in terms of revenue during the period 2016-2020. According to 2016 smart energy market report, a key growth driver is the rise in investments in smart grid technologies. Rise in population and subsequent increase in power consumption have resulted in high demand for power across geographies. With increased power consumption, generation, and increased contribution of renewable sources of energy, different countries such as the US, China, India, and the UK have been upgrading their grids to incorporate multiple sources of energy to be smarter than their predecessors. Smart

SEPTEMBER 2016 SAUR ENERGY.COM

COVER STORY grids are expected to reduce the T&D losses and effectively balance the demand and supply of electricity. Consequently, investments in smart grid technologies have increased and propelled the growth of smart grid IT systems. The emergence of smart grids is resulting in the creation and growth of innovative technologies for power supply. During 2015, the Americas dominated the global smart energy market by accounting for around 44% of the overall market share. The significant smart grid activities in the region coupled with the modernization of the power sector will drive growth in the smart energy market in the Americas during the forecast period. By 2020, the smart grid segment will account for almost 84% share the market to become the dominant revenue generator. Currently, the US is an international leader in smart grid technologies and services and leads the development and deployment of smart grids. This segment of the market is expected to reach almost $281 billion in

terms of revenue by 2020. India's National Smart Grid Mission (NSGM) with USAID India's National Smart Grid Mission (NSGM) with USAID launched its first in a series of training programmes aimed at building capacity and skills of utility personnel to develop smart grid infrastructure. "This training will help the Government of India achieve its target of having 10 per cent of personnel from 14 of India's state utilities trained in Smart Grid functions," a power ministry release said. According to the release, building a Smart Grid is a key priority for the Government of India as it will help curb power transmission and distribution losses, ensuring there is 24x7 access to power for all. A trained and skilled workforce is critical to achieving this vision. The government has taken several proactive steps towards grid modernization, including the establishment of a Smart Grid Mission to plan and monitor the implementation of policies and programs

SAUR ENERGY.COM l SEPTEMBER 2016

related to Smart Grid activities in India. Gurugram becomes the first to adopt Smart Grid Technology Gurugram(The Millenium City) is all set to become the first city in India to get full-scale smart grid for the distribution of electricity. This will help the city get rid of the regular blackouts. It will also end pollution caused by diesel generators and will help consumers save on electricity bills. The new system will integrate different power sources like solar and wind with the traditional sources. The smart grid allows interoperability of consumers between the power sources. Consumers with solar/wind systems can supply the surplus, unused power into the grid. The system adjusts according to the total consumption from the mains and the consumers pay for the balance or get paid for the excess supply. All the cabling will be moved underground. The Centre has committed Rs. 273 crore for the first phase of the project. The state government will add the same amount and the remaining amount will come

COVER STORY from the Power System Development Fund. The city has planned the expansion of the distribution network to meet the rising demand.

Gurgaon’s smart grid project will be a first of its kind in India, and serve as an example for projects elsewhere,” said Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2017. Power Grid Corporation of India Limited has floated the tender and the bids will be opened on July 22. The first phase will cover Sector 1-57, crossing regions like DLF, Sohna Road, South City, Maruti, IDC, Qadipur and New Colony. Phase two will include sectors 58-115 and the third phase will cover industrial belt of Manesar.

India-US Join Force for the Next Smart Grid India and the US have agreed on a USD 30 million public-private five-year research initiative for a joint research on smart grid and energy storage technology. “Smart grid and storage technology will transform how we produce and consume electricity, which has the potential to decrease carbon pollution by scaling up renewable energy deployment,” US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz said. “Working collaboratively with India will accelerate solutions to drive down technology costs and improve grid resilience and reliability in both countries,” Moniz said after Department of Energy made an announcement in this regard. Why India Could Make it? There are several reasons to justify the statement. The rate of adoption of smart systems to the cost-effective approach of bringing solutions to reiterate the word ‘Smart’ has all given a pretty well reason for the private and public bodies to tap and beef-up the trend.

Today’s challenge is meeting the peak load, due to which outages are common, and load management will be very important for a power-deficit nation. Instead of load-shedding, can all consumers not be guaranteed a minimum supply to at least run the fans and lights even during deficit periods? If consumers want more, they could then pay a small surcharge (with regulatory approval). Government has extensive plans to electrify the rural miles of India; hence just relying on traditional forms of energy might hamper the course of T&D. Our PM has plans to light-up remaining 7,876 unelectrified villages before 1st May 2018. Hence, to spell this promising power reliance, it’s important to recognize that Smart Grids are only means to an end enabling infrastructure to provide a long-term power empowerment for the power-sceptic country.

SEPTEMBER 2016 SAUR ENERGY.COM

VIZ-A-VIZ

Our strategy for India is to provide the best quality modules with high efficiency:

Nimish Jain, Deputy Director APAC, Jinko Solar Jinko Solar is one of the global leaders in the solar industry. It distributes its solar products and sells its solutions and services to a diversified international utility, commercial and residential customer base in China, India, United States, Japan, Germany, UK, Chile, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, UAE, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, and other countries and regions. Jinko Solar has built a vertically integrated solar product value chain, with an integrated annual capacity of 3.5 GW for silicon ingots and wafers, 3 GW for solar cells, and 6 GW for solar modules. Jinko Solar has over 15,000 employees across its 5 productions facilities in Jiangxi and Zhejiang Provinces, China, Malaysia, Portugal and South Africa, 18 overseas subsidiaries and 15 global sales offices. Nimish Jain, Deputy Director APAC, Jinko Solar in a vivid viz-a-viz with Santanu Mukherjee, Sr. Journalist of Saur Energy International shared about the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strategy for Indian market, its relationship with PROINSO India, its Eagle series modules and more. Excerpts.

As compared to other markets, how challenging is India for Jinko Solar, and what will be your strategy if you have to move your business forward in the country? India has always been an important market for Jinko Solar and specially in the last one year India has become one of the top 5 markets for Jinko Solar. Indian market is quite exciting and challenging as the tariffs are going down but at the same time the module price and financing costs are going down. Our strategy for India is to provide the best quality modules with high efficiency and best in class power output.

In 2014 Jinko Solar Holding announced that it has supplied 21.4MW of solar PV modules to Harsha Abakus Solar Pvt. Ltd. for a ground mounted solar PV project in Gujarat, India. How things have been since then for the company? This project is one of the best performing

projects in India. Many of our existing and potential customers have visited this plant and witnessed the performance of the plant and the PV modules and all of them were quite happy and satisfied with the module performance. We have bagged many big and prestigious orders since then and this project has played a pivotal role in shaping up Jinkoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business in India.

Couple of years back Jinko Solar Holdings signed a distribution agreement with PROINSO India. How has the partnership worked out so far and what are the upcoming projects? Proinso is our long term trusted partner not only in Indian market but also in other strategic markets like Europe, Japan, Australia, Philippines etc. Our relation with Proinso has been very good specially in penetrating the fast growing rooftop and commercial solar PV market in India. We have several projects coming up in the tune of more than 10 MW in coming

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few months. Jinko Solar recently signed JPY 2 billion syndicated loan agreement with Japanese bank consortium led by SMBC. How important is this loan and the Japanese market for Jinko Solar?

We are delighted to secure financing from a local bank consortium in Japan that will allow us to pursue opportunities in Japanese market. It also demonstrates the trust and recognition that first-tier Japanese commercial banks have in our brand and operations in Japan. We look forward to further deepening our relationship with SMBC and other local banks as we expand our business there.

Jinko Solar again ranked in the China Fortune 500 list and soared to its greatest heights yet, moving up 107 spots to No. 330. Your comments on this prime achievement? Fortune ranks companies by a number of factors, including their 2015 revenue.

VIZ-A-VIZ

According to Fortune, Jinko Solar total revenues were RMB16.08 billion in 2015, an increase of 61.1% from 2014. Each year the Fortune 500 list ranks the titans of industry, and there’s always a special focus on the companies with the largest gains in rank. Jinko Solar had connected and operated over 1 GW of solar plants by the end of 2015, pioneering a strong presence in the Chinese distributed generation market. After a record-setting year of sales, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that Jinko Solar has been the fastest growing and the most sustainable company in the global solar PV industry.

How is 2016 shaping up globally for Jinko Solar?

In 2015, Jinko Solar had shipped modules to more than 55 countries and in 2016, the company will ship modules to over 70 countries worldwide. Major markets are China, US, Latin America, MEA and Africa, India, South East Asia, Japan and Australia, etc. On August 25th, Jinko Solar published Q2 financial results that reveal surging growth in the downstream activities. During Q2, Jinko Solar increased its module shipments by 7.3% on Q1 to 1,716 MW. This number represented a huge 87.9% increase on the 913 MW shipped in Q2 2015. This growth drove revenues to RMB 5.96 billion for Q2.

By far, Jinko Solar has become the world’s largest Solar module manufacturer in the first half of 2016 with total shipments of 3316MW. We predict that the overall solar PV industry will grow this year, then stabilize or decrease a little next year, and then finally accelerate expansion from 2018 onwards due to its cost undercutting coal on a global scale. The solar PV role at the center of energy becomes vital, both today and in the future, which is why I am strongly optimistic of the years ahead of us.

Tell us about Jinko Solar’s Eagle series modules, investing plans in R&D, innovations and upcoming products? Jinko Solar has recently announced that its Eagle Perc module created a new world output record of 343.9 Watt for monocrystalline silicon modules. Tests for the module were independently confirmed and certified by TUV Rheiland. The Eagle Perc module is made up of 60 pieces of highefficiency p-type mono-crystalline silicon cells which are measured at 156 mm by 156 mm. TUV Rheiland tested the module under standard testing condition (STC) at 343.9 Watt, following its previous record of 334.5 Watt for poly-crystalline silicon modules. By far, Jinko Solar has become the new world record holder for both mono and poly C-Si solar module.

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I-SURYA MITRA

5 Things every

ROOFTOP INSTALLER should know before starting out

Installing rooftop solar power generation system is a responsible task not many are willing to undertake. It has been a nascent field of work that requires patience, perseverance and skill cutting across multiple disciplines to carve out the niche. Fortunately (for the suffering environment too) the market is sufficiently upbeat. More and more people are realising the importance of green energy, motivated by declining panel rates and inspiring government subsidies have started to inculcate a new attitude amongst the mass for solar energy adoption. They are willing to experiment with the investment that truly offers a great ROI and a sense of pride at generating pollution free electricity.

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The infancy of the sector calls for a careful handling of the demand, and the client. To setup a rooftop solar PV plant is not merely a techno-manual job. For a householder, it’s his only window to solar power generation. His experience henceforth the installation defines his perception of a solar generation system itself and the recommendations he gives to the neighbours. It’s a crucial transaction, and a lot is riding on the installing team. We talked with some experienced installers and installation trainers to know critical things that shouldn’t be overlooked if one is to be working in this challenging but equally exciting and rewarding field of solar energy generation.

I-SURYA MITRA Diligent site inspection Site feasibility study is the first step of any installation and also one of the most crucial. It generally includes various tests and calculations onsite and offsite, to finalise the initiation of installation process. It starts with a location specific environmental considerations and on-site analysis, like a shadow test wherein the rooftop is checked for shadows of trees, structures like water storage, or nearby buildings; a weight suffering assessment of the roof and finding any other possible cause that could damage the setup in long run as it will remain fully exposed to the environmental conditions. It is necessary to visit the site before taking any decision. What if the structure itself isn’t suitable for installation? Ramayan Singh, Research Scientist at NISE, points out there are places where you find roofs made of asbestos sheets or steel sheets. You may need to improvise a secondary structure on which the panel can be mounted strongly that will stay put in windy weather. Ballasted PV rack structures are popular with such installation nowadays that also reduces time of the project. You just need to mount the ballast and tighten panels on to it, job done” A recent rooftop project commissioned by TATA in R.S.S.B, Amritsar used ballast structures to mount the panel. A site feasibility study if done properly completes half of the installation process, but you need to make sure if the site can be used for installation or not. You need to be honest in pointing out obstacles that may not let the system function in a healthy manner in the long run. One cannot overlook important feasibility factors. You might do the study using Google Images, but they are not current, up to date images. You could find new structures or machinery have changed the side landscape. Sometimes, even the client is choosy about a particular area where he prefers/may not prefer for the

panels to be installed. But feasibility studies are not just about eeking out the right space to put those panels atop the roof. It could be something as trivial as the easy access to the roof for the impending system. “When you go for a study, you may use a portable staircase, a narrow spiralling one or some makeshift arrangements to reach the top. But after the material arrives at the site, how will you take it to the roof? You cannot carry it your hands, can you?” What we know, what we don’t There are times when you have to find out several things before you can visit the site. Due to technological peculiarities arising according to geographical differences “a plant in Chennai won’t have same technical stats as one used in Rajasthan. You should take note of geography of the area before beginning the product selection”, points out Ramayan Singh. “Software like PV*SOL and PVSyst can be fed with geographical solar data to find out the right product and installation parameters.” But since they are costly, he says “it can also be done on Excel sheet manually. Solar resource assessment data is being collected by dedicated institutions like NIWE, and generally from NASA. Radiation data from these databases for up to several years are available for access. Using panel efficiency values and radiation data, panel output, voltage and current values can be calculated for every minute of the day using specific formulas. These data points can be used logged in an excel sheet and compared for various products to find the right one.” “You should be vary of the DC and AC cabling according to the given distance and area” Singh points out. “You have to know the distance of grid (setup’s own electrical terminal to where all the power from different panels is evacuated) from panel for proper cabling. A 2sqm cable for connecting a panel 2m away from the inverter, for example, can’t be used for a

panel 20m away.” Cost analysis and maintenance Since the materials sourced for the project are recommended by installers it’s important to stay up to date with the latest panel pricing, a list of manufacturers or distributors and their location. But how to select that right product for your project? “If you are doing a project in Delhi, it is not necessary that you will source the products locally. Depending on various factors like the scale or location of the project, a right decision needs to be made. Something might be right for one project, while it may not be for others. Projects have a cost constraint where in you might need to source the products from outstation, while some have a time constraint where in to get the products ASAP is paramount.” The art of articulation Most of the people opting to get a solar setup on their rooftop don’t take into account various cost factors that come with it, like shielding costs, maintenance costs or cost for making separate installation arrangements. All these calculations are to be done during the site feasibility study and iterated it to the client. And since it’s a new thing for them, it is necessary to keep some people skills handy. It is necessary that peculiarities about the initiation of installation be iterated to the client in a subtle yet professional manner. “If it is not a proper site to install, inform the client with the right reasons why is it so. He might not understand the underlying technology. Maybe the shadow area is too much for the panels to effectively generate desired results or maybe the structure is not too strong. Or there may not be proper arrangements to take the materials on rooftop. List all the necessary measures need to be taken and relay them effectively.” This becomes more crucial when you are working independently as an installer or will be working like one in the future. “Presentation of this information is

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I-SURYA MITRA

important aspect of rooftop installation. You might have a very good solution for the client, but expressing rightly what you mean to say is equally important. Be good at speaking; whatever the situation may be at the site convey the matter softly and politely, it helps a lot.” What if there are no constraints? “There are various factors that still need consideration. There are many preferences pertaining to individual client

that you might need to understand fully. Rooftop installations generally require a value proposition to be take in to account, or the system be sized according to the subsidies available in that region. Then add to that transportation costs, handling costs, cost for labour and extra machinery that you might require to move the equipment to the roof among other things.” An installer’s work does not end with

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the installation. It is necessary to have an idea of maintenance as well. “Installation is just one part of a functioning solar setup. When we talk about lifetime of 25 years, it’s the maintenance at regular intervals that makes it achieve that without any issues. A panel is exposed to water, dust and various other environmental conditions that can damage it. The client should be properly educated regarding

I-SURYA MITRA EXPERT

Ramayan Singh is a Research scientist at NISE where he develops, executes and monitors joint collaborative projects with International Institutions and private Industries and undertakes Installation testing and commissioning of test PV power plant. Currently he is handling establishment of 500 kWp Multi-technology power plant in campus. maintenance and when it should be carried out for smooth functioning of the system.” Careful: safety first Apart from the hands on knowledge of tools and equipment widely used for installation, it is necessary for the installers to adhere to the safety code while at work. Singh stresses the importance of a proper earthing of the rooftop setup. “It is important that the structures are properly ground and an earthing grid be made to which all the devices are connected.” Another important thing not to be overlooked is the use of safety gear during installation and carrying out the process as per given safety guidelines. This becomes all the more crucial while working on rooftops, with all the

electrical equipment around you need to careful. When you are working at a height, on a shed for example, you need to use proper safety gear - belts, ties, harness to move around narrow spaces. One slip and you might fall down. “Falls are definitely a usual hazard of working at rooftops that have little space to move around, more so after installation is completed. Besides the contours may be such that a misbalance in step is much more probable. Various safety measures like a temporary guardrail setup, personal harness, and safety net systems can be deployed. Other safety gear includes personal electrical insulation, fire safety arrangements, waterproofing besides keeping a keen eye for sharp objects around.” Rooftop installation also involves expediting of expensive equipment to the

roof and you need to be careful in that. Equipment damaged due to manhandling incurs thousands of rupees in losses so make sure you don’t climb the roof with one in your hands. “While handling equipment, proper care must be taken for their carriage and placement. You need to be aware their weight and fragility. A module if not racked in a safe place and manner might break, inverter is another thing that needs to be carefully carried around.”

DISCLAMIER The views, expressions and all data content of the article are not officially given by MNRE, NISE or Govt. of India. MNRE/NISE is not responsible for the outcomes or views of this articles data & info correctness presented in this article.

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I-SURYA MITRA

NISE helped me transition seamlessly in to Solar

Mahesh Kumar Singh Age – 20 years

Trained at – National Institute of Solar Energy, Gurgaon (Haryana) Currently working with – Stellar Ions Solar Energy Company Job profile – Solar Technician Total capacity installed – 40 KW Biggest project worked on – 10KW Surya Mantra - I'm blessed if I can provide light to those people who can't dream about light.

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I-SURYA MITRA Training is an integral part of any job profile; and when it comes to core technical work, like setting up a solar energy generation system, it all the more important. We got in touch with Mahesh Singh, who graduated from NISE’s 3-month program and is now working as a Solar Technician Stellar Ions Solar Energy Company to know how the program affected his career. Excerpts –

How was the NISE Suryamitra program helpful in your career as a professional? I used to work in an electrical department for an EPC company when I got to know about the program. I instantly looked up online, filled up the form and got enrolled. Suryamitra program gave me an idea about solar energy. It was after the informative and rigorous training sessions that I decided to take it as my profession. Faculties and Scientists of NISE gave me a clear idea about solar energy system. O S Sastry Sir (Director General, NISE) spent his Saturdays and Sundays with us sharing the importance of solar energy and government’s vision regarding the same which totally changed my perception. From him i learned the importance of dedication and team work.

How did you imagine life as a Surya Mitra installer when you were undergoing the training? After spending several months as a trained professional in the field of solar installation, has your perception changed? Before joining the Suryamitra program at NISE I was not aware about solar energy and the importance of it. Since the start of training I got to know how important it is to use solar energy nowadays. National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) has so many projects in their own premises as a demonstration of Solar systems. They

keep doing research on solar energy and we benefit from that. Around 20% people in India live without electricity so I wanted to contribute a little to change the situation, hence I took it up as a profession. So my perception about the field was well-made at NISE. It helped me transition seamlessly in to Solar. Once on the job you have more responsibilities and deadlines, you have to stick to the design and keep everything right. You also come to know how to work in a team. I have learnt civil work now, making/mounting structures on various types of roof. Handling panels for rooftop mounting is a serious thing you practice on the job. Besides, there are no work timings once a project starts. But if you are interested and dedicated towards your work, you might go home a little late but you can happily expect the panel to work for its lifetime.

What all problems does a Surya Mitra face at the beginning of his career? Lack of practical knowledge might only get you problems in this field. After undertaking Suryamitra program I started working as an installer and that changed everything. Get as much practical knowledge as possible and you won’t have any problems in this field. There are plenty of opportunities in this field. Regarding placement, people who have grasped the program well are selected

by the companies but those who don’t might have problem starting their career.

What do you think about the government’s installed solar electricity capacity target of 100 GW? People have little knowledge about solar systems. I am working in Delhi right now and even many educated people here don’t know about solar energy and how it works, you can think about the villages. But once I tell them how it works and all the benefits of it, they seem interested. There are various beneficial schemes running across states that they are unaware of. As we inform people about the subsidies, about the fact that they will get full ROI in 5-6 years and free electricity for the rest of the panel age, they are equally excited. So the 100GW target is a great vision that needs execution, which is slowly catching up.

What are your future plans? No future plans. I just want to get perfect at installing right now. So I would stick to the same profile and do as much as I can.

Best piece of advice you would like to give to a budding solar rooftop installer Solar electricity is renewable energy, pollution free and environment friendly. For a better world of tomorrow please take an advance step.

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VIZ-A-VIZ

If the solar tariff increases then the demand of solar will go down which will impact the further capacity roll-out:

Hindustan Power

Mr. Lalit Jain Group Chief Commercial Officer & CEO (Solar International & Wind) Hindustan Power The Clean energy arm of Hindustan Power is one of the leading India’s player in solar power generation. It has developed solar farms across the country and internationally. Hindustan Power played major role in changing the scenario of solar power in India. India's first solar power plant of 5 MW capacity and Asia’s first 30 MW capacity was commissioned by the Clean energy arm of the organization. Today, Hindustan power is one of the dominant solar power development company in India with a large presence across the country and strategic international markets like Germany, Italy, US, UK and Japan. In a candid chat Lalit Jain, Group Chief Commercial Officer & CEO (Solar International & Wind), Hindustan Power shared about the major drivers of the India 's solar market, technology obsolescence risk, policy need, effect of GST on Indian solar sector and more with Saur Energy International’s Sr. Journalist Santanu Mukherjee.

How do you see Indian solar market in 2016-2017, what will be the major drivers of the market? Solar sector in last few years has witnessed remarkable growth. The same is evident from the fact that 20 GW Solar target has quintupled to 100 GW by the year 2022 by Government and also by quantum of Solar bids which have come out in market in last one year. Going forward, in 2016-17 we envisage the Solar growth story to continue. The key driving factors

for Solar are: high irradiation in India, suitability of Solar for meeting day-peak & seasonal power demand shortages as solar generates more in summer & day time; existence of strong & enabling regulatory framework; role of Solar in pollution reduction and most importantly, its tariff is now competitive with other sources of generation.

India still imports from US, China and other countries and depends

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on them to complete the installations in an economically viable manner? Solar in last few years has emerged as one of the rising sectors in the country. However, domestic manufacturers have not benefited from this growth. The Indian domestic players are plagued with multiple issues which need to be addressed by Government. The key issues which need to be addressed include the small scale of existing manufacturing units, i.e. absence of local supply chain;

VIZ-A-VIZ poor R&D investment and high interest costs and availability of working capital.

Worldwide there is lots of research happening on solar power generation. Do you consider technology obsolescence risk in current projects a major challenge? It is important to understand distinction between technologies under development & commercially usable technologies. A new technology can easily take 5-7 years to be used commercially with non/ limited resource funding. Nevertheless, a disruptive technology can significantly impact the manufacturers. As a developer, we sell energy under a long term contract and we are therefore protected from such risks.

According to you what and how should be the Government’s approach to boost the private enterprise in scripting India's growth story? While the country is adding renewable energy capacity at a brisk pace, it is equally important to ensure that the power transmission infrastructure is in place to off take additional power generation capacity. Similarly, grid stability is a major issue which needs to be addressed. We need Government to also monitor implementation of Uday such that our buyer becomes credit worthy. Government also needs to restrict its direct/indirect role to be a facilitator rather than regulator/ participant in the industry.

What type of policies are needed to make private investment work? India’s goal to provide uninterrupted and affordable power for all requires the entire power industry as well as the coal and gas sectors functioning seamlessly. That involves making sure that electricity producers get affordable supply of coal and natural gas, competition drives down tariffs, the transmission network is congestion-free and distributors become more efficient by eliminating power theft and reducing AT&C losses.

The Government will have to work on these areas to achieve the desired goal.

Given the target of 100 GW by 2022, India need to add 16 GW/year and FIT can help in achieving this target.

Do you think India should opt for feed-in-tariff mechanism like China, Germany and Japan? How is it going to help stakeholders? Feed-in tariff mechanism is usually used by countries as a catapult for the solar sector. It provides explosive growth for solar as can be seen from the CAGR of over 125% (2009-15) for China, over 45% (2002-15) for Germany, over 50% (201015) for Japan and over 140% (2010-15) for UK. Given the target of 100 GW by 2022, India need to add 16 GW/year and FIT can help in achieving this target.

How GST is going to effect the India's solar sector? The sector, currently enjoys various tax benefits and exemptions, like - taxes currently applicable on equipment of a solar PV plant are customs duty, excise duty, VAT, service tax, etc., most of which are nil/exempted depending upon the state and central policies. The average tax applicable on the solar equipment is 2-3%. However, after the planned application of proposed GST from 1st April 2017 it is expected that average tax would increase to 18%. This increase would primarily be

based on following factors, i.e. removal of lower duties & taxes on – capital goods & services; removal of concessions available in lieu of statutory forms etc. The impact is due to the proposed exemption of electricity consumption from the gambit of GST. These factors would create a mis-match situation wherein the inputs related to execution & commissioning of Solar power plants are getting taxed under GST whereas the output, i.e. electricity produced has been kept out of the gambit of GST. Further Solar, as compared to other sources of electricity, has no fuel cost and has only the capital servicing costs, which are dependent on GST on capital goods & services. In light of above, tariff increase/revision of Solar power will be required to ensure the continued viability of new projects. As per MNRE report itself, the expected impact of GST on Solar tariff would be in range of 12%-16%. This increase in Solar tariff would lead to a delay in Solar achieving grid parity. The Government efforts in the last 12-18 months & due to various other factors had resulted in reduction in solar tariff, i.e. from Rs. 6.71/ kWh (Karnataka bid, November-14) to Rs. 4.35/kWh (Rajasthan bid, July-16). This reduction of tariff was able to address the “high cost of Solar power” concern of the Discoms to great extent. Further due to reduction on solar capex, solar roof-top had become viable for commercial and industrial consumers in few states. If the solar tariff increases then the demand of solar will go down which will impact the further capacity roll-out. Thus, this increase would push back grid parity and will also slow the pace of achievement of 100 GW targets. Going forward, GST may also impact those projects for which PPAs have already been signed but which won’t be now able to complete its procurement and execution of projects by the likely date of GST implementation, i.e. 1 April 2017. These projects shall seek compensation because of Change in Law/ Taxes which shall impact the tariff and financials of Discoms.

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Precipitable Water effect on

Spectral Shift and Solar PV Module Energy

Amit Kumar Mittal, Technical Director, First Solar Power India Kendra Passow, Performance and Prediction Engineer, First Solar Mitchell Lee, Performance and Prediction Engineer, First Solar

Introduction: Photovoltaic (PV) module technologies are characterized according to Standard Test Conditions (STC) as per IEC 60904-3 1. This standard defines reference conditions at an irradiance level of 1000 W/m2 and an ambient temperature of 25 Â°C; less commonly known is that the standard also defines a spectral irradiance distribution characterized by ASTM G173 (shown in Figure 1). The G173 spectrum represents terrestrial solar irradiance at each wavelength under specified atmospheric conditions, as different atmospheric constituents absorb and/or reflect irradiance at particular wavelengths2. Just as module performance will vary from its characterization at STC due to field temperature and irradiance levels, module performance is also affected by the actual spectral irradiance distribution. The effect of spectrum on module performance is known as spectral shift, and this article will discuss the impact of this effect on various PV technologies.

Figure 1: ASTM G173 direct plus circumsolar spectrum. Why does spectral shift impact technologies differently? The quantum efficiency (QE) of a photovoltaic device is defined as the ratio of electrons output from the cell to photons incident on the cell as a function of wavelength; effectively, this quantum efficiency curve (shown for several different technologies in Figure 2) describes a technologyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to convert particular wavelengths of incident irradiance into useful electricity. The

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width of this curve (i.e. which wavelengths are used by the device) is a function of the material’s bandgap. The height of the curve describes the cell’s efficiency at converting light to electricity at a particular wavelength, where a value of 1 indicates perfect conversion.

Figure 2: Quantum efficiency curves of four different PV technologies.

Irradiance is generally measured at a particular PV project location using a broadband pyranometer – where “broadband” refers to the fact that it is measuring a wide range of wavelengths, typically between 250 and 2800 nm. However, this measurement does not specify the spectral distribution by wavelength, which would indicate how much of the broadband measurement is at wavelengths encompassed by the device’s QE curve. Depending on the composition of the atmosphere, where components absorb or reflect certain wavelengths of light, this spectral difference from STC may cause proportionally more or less of the measured irradiance level to be at wavelengths that can be converted to electricity by the cell. In practice, this means that two different PV module technologies mounted in the same location with the same nameplate power may have significantly different energy production based on the prevailing atmospheric conditions. For example, Figure 3 illustrates a case where the performance of two module technologies is simulated at STC. The standard G173 spectral irradiance curve is shown, with typical QE curves normalized to 1.0 for c-Si (orange) and CdTe (blue) plotted concurrently. For this example, we see irradiance measured by a broadband pyranometer at 1000 W/m2 and our two

module technologies reading 100 W at their nameplate power for simple comparison.

Figure 3: Simulated performance of CdTe and c-Si at STC and G173 spectrum and a precipitable water content of 1.42 cm

As we move to Figure 4, just one atmospheric component is changed: precipitable water, a measure of the amount of water in the atmosphere. As the precipitable water content changes from 1.42 cm at STC (Figure 3) to 4.5 cm (Figure 4), more irradiance at the wavelengths indicated by the light blue bands is absorbed by the atmospheric water. This causes the spectral distribution of the measured 1000 W/m2 irradiance measurement to shift towards shorter wavelengths, in turn causing proportionally more irradiance to be encompassed SEPTEMBER 2016 l SAUR ENERGY.COM

by the CdTe QE curve compared to the c-Si curve. As indicated by the power measurements, the CdTe produces more energy under these conditions at 104.7 W than the c-Si module at 101.2 W.

Figure 4: Simulated performance of CdTe and c-Si at precipitable water content of 4.5 cm.

Has spectral shift been observed in the field and recognized by Independent third party laboratories? Spectral shift has been extensively studied by several researchers whose results have been published in scientific literature. These publications confirm that spectral shift has a significant impact on PV performance, highlighting the need for spectral corrections to be included in PV energy prediction models. A review of the literature shows sensitivity of technologies to prevailing atmospheric conditions; in particular, several studies agree on the sensitivity of PV to precipitable water, with a more significant effect for CdTe3-6.More importantly, researchers have been able to move beyond modelling and laboratory testing and use outdoor studies to illustrate the effects of spectrum on PV performance. One such study was conducted by M. Schweiger and W. Hermann7 of TĂ&#x153;V Rheinland, who analyzed four different PV technologies in four outdoor test facilities in Cologne, Germany; Arizona, United States; Anacona, Italy; and Chennai, India. For the single junction modules, they measured spectral losses up to 1.6% and spectral gains of up to 5.3%. The largest spectral gains were for CdTe modules in Chennai, a location with high precipitable water content. The results of their study are included as Table 1.

Table 1: Spectral effects of c-Si, CIGS, CdTe and a-Si PV modules as measured by M. Schweiger and W. Hermann7

Two other studies8-9, analysed field performance data of CdTe and c-Si modules made publicly available by the United States National Renewable Energy Laboratory10, and found a significant correlation between module performance and spectral shift caused by precipitable water and air mass. The

SAUR ENERGY.COM l SEPTEMBER 2016

test locations were located in a variety of climates ranging from subtropical, to cold semi-arid, and cool summer Mediterranean. How can spectral shift be determined? To determine the spectral irradiance distribution most accurately, it can be measured in the field using a spectroradiometer; however, this equipment is often prohibitively expensive. A reference cell or reference module can also be used to accurately determine the effective irradiance useful to the module, but generally energy predictions for project bids and energy guarantees rely on broadband irradiance measurements. As a result, several models have been proposed to try to characterize spectral shift using readily available atmospheric data.

Historically, the most commonly used spectral correction method was an air mass modifier proposed by Sandia National Labs11. However, this air mass function requires module testing outdoors under clear skies, and follow-up work has suggested that use of the air mass modifier yielded errors larger than when no corrections were applied, and that humidity may explain seasonal and geographic disparities in the modifier value12,13. Another approach was introduced by the CREST institute that uses air mass and a modified clearness index to capture the effect of cloudy conditions14. This method has been integrated into commonly used industry software PVsyst, but unfortunately published coefficients are only available for amorphous silicon and further field analysis has shown improvement compared to no spectral correction but relatively large error13. First Solar first proposed an empirical correlation for CdTe technology that was a function of precipitable water only1516 . However, newly published work has shown a correlation developed that is a function of both air mass and precipitable water that may be used for any technology8. Other recent publications by a c-Si manufacturer9 and a national lab17 have suggested correlations that also include both precipitable water and air mass, with other considerations of aerosols and clearness index. The general consensus among researchers is that spectral shift is an important consideration when modelling the performance of a PV system, and there are many models that have been proposed to describe this behaviour. Models that consider air mass only have shown relatively poor performance, and the latest proposed models generally include both air mass and precipitable water with other possible factors. Currently, spectral corrections are only starting to be integrated into commonly used industry software. First Solar has proposed integrating monthly spectral shift

values in with soiling inputs to capture these effects, allowing accurate predictions with use of industry accepted tools. Future updates will need to include these models to accurately describe PV performance in markets such as India, where high humidity and high ambient temperatures are directly correlated to spectrum-changing precipitable water. Conclusions: Spectral shift due to prevailing atmospheric conditions may have a large impact on PV performance, particularly in humid climates such as India. Seasonal and short‐term weather related changes in solar spectrum cause a shift in the performance of CdTe PV systems as large as 6% from nameplate. There are a number of publications validating the effects of spectral shift on PV performance in the field and reaffirming the need for a spectral model for better energy predictions. Several models have been proposed, with common atmospheric considerations including air mass and precipitable water, but many commonly used software tools do not yet include spectral shift modelling capabilities. The inclusion of spectral variation into energy models has the potential to improve prediction accuracy which will lower the risk of projects failing performance commitments, and make projects more bankable and easier to finance. References: 1 IEC 60904-3: Photovoltaic devices - Part 3: Measurement principles for terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) solar devices with reference spectral irradiance data, 2009. 2 Nat. Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO. Reference solar spectral irradiance: ASTM G-173 (2012). [Online]. Available: http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/spectra/am1.5/ASTMG173/ASTMG173.html 3 C. Stark and M. Theristis, “The Impact of Atmospheric Parameters on the Spectral Performance of Multiple Photovoltaic Technologies,” IEEE 42nd Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (2015). 4 G. Litjens, "Investigation of Spectral Effects on Photovoltaic Technologies by Modelling the Solar Spectral Distribution," University of Utrecht (2013), Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE.

5 B. Marion, "Influence of Atmospheric Variations on Photovoltaic Performance and Modeling Their Effects for Days with Clear Skies," 38th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (2012). 6 E. Fernández, A. Soria-Moya, F. Almonacid, and J. Aguilera, “Comparative Assessment of the Spectral Impact on the Energy Yield of High Concentrator and Conventional Photovoltaic Technology,” Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells (2016), pp. 185–197. 7 M. Schweiger and W. Herrmann, "Comparison of Energy Yield Data of Fifteen PV Module Technologies," IEEE 42nd Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (2015) 8 M. Lee and A. Panchula, “Spectral Correction for PV Performance Based on Air Mass and Precipitable Water,” 43rd IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (2016).

M. Mikofski, A. Oumbe, C. Li, B. Bourne, M. Anoma, and B. Meyers, “Evaluation and Correction of the Impact of the Spectral Variation of Irradiance on PV Performance,” 43rd IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (2016). 10 W. Marion, A. Anderberg, C. Deline, S. Glick, M. Muller, G. Perrin, et al., "User’s Manual for Data for Validating Models for PV Module Performance," National Renewable Energy Laboratory NREL/TP-520061610 (2014). 11 D. King, J. Kratochvil, and W. Boyson, "Measured Solar Spectral and Angle-of-Incidence Effects on Photovoltaic Modules and Solar Irradiance Sensors,” 26th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (1997). 12 K. Klise, C. Hansen, and J. Stein. "Dependence on Geographic Location of Air Mass Modifiers for Photovoltaic Module Performance Models," 42nd IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (2015). 13 B. Marion, “Preliminary Investigation of Methods for Correcting for Variations in Solar Spectrum under Clear Skies,” National Renewable Energy Laboratory NREL/TP-520-47277 (2010). 14 R. Gottschalg, T. Betts, D. Infield, and M. Kearney, “On the importance of considering the incident spectrum when measuring the outdoor performance of amorphous silicon photovoltaic devices,” Measurement Science and Technology (2004), vol. 15, pp. 460–466. 15 L. Nelson, M. Frichtl, and A. Panchula, "Changes in Cadmium Telluride photovoltaic System Performance Due to Spectrum," IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics (2013), vol. 3.1, pp. 488-93. 16 M. Lee, L. Ngan, W. Hayes, J. Sorensen, A. Panchula. “Understanding Next Generation Cadmium Telluride Photovoltaic Performance due to Spectrum,” IEEE 42nd Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (2015). 17 B. Duck and C. Fell, “Improving the Spectral Correction Function,” IEEE 43rd Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (2016). 9

SEPTEMBER 2016 l SAUR ENERGY.COM

MARKET GLANCE

5 TRENDS That Will Shape The

GLOBAL SOLAR MARKET

For The Rest Of The Year According to GTM Research’s latest edition of its quarterly Global Solar Demand Monitor, global solar installations are expected to grow by 43 percent this year, to 73 gigawatts. The first half of this year saw a major spike in demand driven by an unprecedented volume of installations in China and the U.K. in advance of waning and expiring incentives. The U.S. installed its millionth solar system in the first half of this year which further substantiated the market’s No. 2 position in global demand. Meanwhile, India’s solar market continues to mature with two gigawatts installed in the same time frame. The second half of the year will see a drop in installations led primarily by China, raising concerns of a demand imbalance for the year overall. The U.K and Japan will mimic that trend even as India and the U.S. will maintain course. Here are the most important global solar trends that GTM Research expects to see in the second half of this year. China’s feed-in-tariff pullback Earlier this year, China surpassed Germany as the world’s number one solar market in terms of cumulative PV installations. First half installations surged due to developers rushing to meet the June 30th feed-intariff drop deadline. The month of June alone had over 10 gigawatts installed, close to half of what is expected for the entire year. However, lower feed-in-tariffs and a halt on new installations in three leading provinces will pull back demand sharply in the second half of this year.

U.K.’s decline The U.K. experienced a record-breaking first quarter, with 1.5 gigawatts installed in advance of the expiration of Renewable Obligation Certified incentives. But that trend will not continue- GTM Research expects a major drop in demand for the remainder of the year, with no new utility-scale projects coming on-line and a quarterly cap on feed-in-tariffs for residential and commercial capacity. India’s tender pipeline According to the report, India will grow 127 percent this year, displacing the U.K. as the no. 4 solar market globally. India’s pipeline of auctioned projects has ballooned to 25 gigawatts, and GTM research anticipates 3.8 gigawatts of it to come to fruition in the second half of the year, more than twice what came online in a successful first half.

SAUR ENERGY.COM l SEPTEMBER 2016

Japan’s slowdown In Japan, new government rules and regulations around feed-in-tariffs are expected to eliminate close to 30 percent of the nation’s 56-gigawatt pipeline of approved projects. This will mean a sharp negative turn for the market in 2016 which GTM Research expects to shrink by 12 percent year-over-year. U.S. project spillover While the extension of the federal Investment Tax Credit helped solidify the U.S. as a top three market through 2021, one of the side effects is project spillover. In fact, GTM Research has revised its 2016 forecast downward to 14.5 gigawatts. However, that demand has shifted to 2017 -- where 60 percent of utility PV capacity additions are expected to come from projects that were initially set to come on-line this year.

VIEWS

FUTURE OF

INDIAN SOLAR INDUSTRY

- Santanu Mukherjee

Coal is becoming more difficult to obtain, stock of fossil fuel are shrinking, and the whole world is concentrating on sustainability than ever. As a result, the expectation of participants on the conventional source of energy is scaling down. India is the fourth largest importer of oil and the 15th largest importer of petroleum products and LNG globally. Solar Power is considered as the best suited energy source for India and is expected to reduce India’s dependence on expensive imported fossil fuels so the country’s renewed focus on solar power comes at a better time. Solar energy technology consists of solar thermal technologies, which utilize sun’s energy and solar photovoltaic technology, which converts solar energy directly into electricity. The solar energy sector in India has been growing rapidly, majorly due to Government’s initiatives such as generation-based incentives (GBIs), capital and interest subsidies, Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), Net Metering Incentives, Assured Power Purchase Agreement, viability gap funding, concessional finance, fiscal incentives etc. The

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Government of India through National Solar Mission (NSM) aims to stimulate the development and use of solar energy for power generation and other uses, with the ultimate objective of making solar energy compete with fossil-based energy options. The purpose of NSM is to reduce the cost of solar power generation in the country through long-term policy, large scale deployment goals, aggressive R&D and the domestic production of critical raw materials, components and products. Renewable energy is becoming increasingly cost-competitive compared to fossil fuel-based generation. TechSci Research in its recent report revealed that India’s Solar Rooftop Market is set to grow at 60% by 2021; though the solar rooftop market is still in its nascent phase, and the market is expected to grow at a robust pace over the next five years backed by favorable government measures and abundant solar resources. The article herein, bring Industry’s temperament on the future of Indian Solar industry, emerging competition, role of GST and factors that are going to drive the growth of solar industry in India.

VIEWS

Manoj Kumar Upadhyay, Founder & Chairman ACME Group

Rajeshwara Bhat, Managing Director Juwi India

Government’s Make in India initiative According to Manoj Kumar Upadhyay, Founder & Chairman – ACME Group, the module prices have come down and are now 40% of the total project cost. Balance 60% items are already made in India. ‘‘However, we, as a country, need to be self-reliant on the technology of the entire eco system of the PV module chain and the kind of support Government of India is extending, I believe, “Make in India” would be a huge success and we would like to be a part of it. It would be good if large global players who are vertically integrated invest in the manufacturing and ensure competiveness.’’ Rajeshwara Bhat, Managing Director- Juwi India explained point wise on how the initiative- Make in India is quite encouraging. • Giving boost to the manufacturing sector with incentives is already a highlight of the policy. • The focus of the policy is to encourage reduction of the cost of electricity and capital. • Reduction in cost of generation without levies of surcharge as solar equipment manufacturing is a capex -intensive sector. • With the vision of developing 100GW of solar by 2022, the scope for developing the manufacturing has a high visibility. • From the current 1-2 GW manufacturing capacity, India needs to gear up to 10+ GW of manufacturing capacity. • The initiative can boost to save import costs, thereby reducing foreign currency outflow. • Employment opportunities up to 2-5 lacs for our young engineers and technicians. • Reducing dependability on Chinese manufacturers by providing solar equipments. He also suggested that on the flip side the challenge would remain on: • Availability of raw material. • Cost of manufacturing to remain competitive with imports

Lalit Jain, Group Chief Commercial Officer & CEO (Solar International & Wind), Hindustan Power

Gagan Vermani MD & CEO Sunborne Energy

for price benefits. • Quality of the product with bankability. • Low energy costs to power up the manufacturing plants. • Infrastructure like ports, roads, transport etc for speedy delivery and execution for such large size manufacturing facility. • Impact of technology changes, enhancements if any happens in the meantime. Gagan Vermani MD & CEO at Sunborne Energy said, ‘‘the Indian solar industry has come a long way in the last few years. If you look closely, most of this growth can be attributed to the IPPs and EPC companies. The domestic module manufacturing has not seen much action, primarily due to the over-capacity in the global (read Chinese) module manufacturing industry and a very competitive pricing. The Make in India initiative has to accept this ground reality and focus only on those areas where we can really make an impact. There is no point running after a commodity product. The focus should be on strengthening the execution and engineering capabilities to build high-yield power plants, innovation in the storage, grid-management and data analytics, revolutionizing the solar roof-top and off-grid industry and finally, on monitoring and operations and maintenance. This would need huge manpower and will not only propel thousands of jobs but will also allow us to be much more efficient and productive in transmitting the real benefits of solar to the masses.’’ 100 GW Target Indian government has set a mammoth target of 100GW solar power capacity to achieve by 2022 out of the proposed 175 GW of renewable energy. PM Modi is banking on India's 300 days of sunshine a year to generate power and help fight climate change rather than committing to emission cuts like China. If the target is met, India will be one of the largest green energy producers in the world. India’s solar targets have SEPTEMBER 2016 l SAUR ENERGY.COM

VIEWS been divided into grid-connected solar parks and large plants, Rooftop PV (RTPV) systems, 5-10 MW ground-mounted projects and off-grid installations. Early this year in July, the World Bank announced $ 1 billion in support of India’s ambitious solar generation plans; it’s the largest finance for solar projects received by any country in the world. The World Bank-supported projects under preparation include solar rooftop technology, infrastructure for solar parks, bringing innovative solar and hybrid technologies to market, and transmission lines for solar-rich states. The Government of India and the World Bank has also signed an agreement for the $625 million Grid Connected Rooftop Solar Program. Here is what industry thinks on achieving the 100 GW solar power target. Manoj Kumar Upadhyay, Founder & Chairman – ACME Group said, ‘‘ it is not about achieving the potential of 175 GW. It is about serving the load in an appropriate manner with whatever capacity we add. I believe, in an electricity basket, electricity based on Renewable energy and particularly solar energy based electricity is going to play a crucial part.’’ ‘‘Adding 200-300 GW can be done within the visible time lines. However, adding projects beyond this number will require coordinated concentrated efforts. However, there are some issues which need to be looked into to enable commissioning of the plant within the stipulated time lines of the PPAs. As such these timelines are very aggressive. Most of the projects need to be commissioned within 12-15 months of signing the PPA. For examples, solar power plants are land intrinsic projects and require mostly rural wasteland. Whereas, data of most of the rural lands have not been updated in the revenue records. In view of this, land acquisition becomes a huge challenge. Second, availability of the lender; most

Source:-Bridge to India

of the lenders in this sector are Public Sector lenders who are attuned to lending large thermal power projects. Financial closure of conventional power project, wherein gestation period is around 3-4 years, can be achieved over the horizon of 12-14 months and disbursement thereafter. However, financial closing of Solar Power Projects needs to be achieved within 3-5 months to enable the project commissioned within 12-15 months as per the PPA. I am sure all stakeholders, including Solar Power Developers and various Government agencies are working on this aspect.’’ According to Rajeshwara Bhat, Managing Director- Juwi India , the vision of 100GW by 2022 is indeed very heartening. However, the implementation process has to be accelerated to achieve grid parity by 2017 as envisaged for which all measures required have to be taken up. The Government of India along with state Governments, MNRE, SECI, NTPC, PSU’s, Sate Nodal agencies, Discoms etc. to name a few all have taken excellent steps to gear up to this vision extremely

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well. The growth has been phenomenal from apporx 4GW to 7GW this year and tenders of 18-20 GW being announced. In addition to the support, if Government is able to establish stable market by announcing policy for the next five to ten years with the following in mind, it would boost this sector: • Creating a market of 10 GW / year, enabling the setting up of local integrated manufacturing of 5 GW by making land available at suitable locations, stable and assured power etc. • The benefits of promoting growth of solar in India is immense to make sure that it fulfills our dream of Energy security in the country. Gagan Vermani MD & CEO at Sunborne Energy said, ‘‘we have to think big. The GOI has provided a vision, roadmap and intent and they are trying hard to ensure these targets are met. As Industry, we have to come up with innovative business models to supplement the GOI vision. If we continue to focus only on the largescale MW projects and the existing process to allocate these projects, we are quite likely to fall short of the target.’’

VIEWS When we asked about what can be or should be done to achieve this target? RajeshwaraBhat, Managing DirectorJuwi India pointed out the following needs:• Land and evacuation facility, Smart grid implementation with grid availability for capacity. • Storage of Energy at appropriate places which already is being discussed. • Single window clearance in a fast and efficient manner. • Infrastructure related to project facilitation – substation availabilities, logistics and transport, hospitality industry development. • Skill requirements and resource availability – planning & co-ordination, skills in project management, erection, installation and commissioning, and grid integration of large scale RE projects, and techno commercial marketing skills. • Financing Sources and Incentives. Manufacturing incentive to create world class quality manufacturing of wafers, cells, modules. Availability of low cost funding for renewable projects, Good and implementable policies with 5-10 years clear roadmaps. • Challenge of bridging between integration and technological innovation. • Manufacturing to be more efficient in terms of cheaper BOS and at good quality. • Building synergies between ministries, ensuring transparency and timely information dissemination, strengthening of Transmission and Distribution at high voltage levels and also implement National Grid. • Creation of GW capacity manufacturing and related supply chain. • Empowered group of ministries together for project facilitation at faster pace. Gagan Vermani, MD & CEO at Sunborne Energy shared that we need to transform the way the solar roof-top and off-grid industry and policies are shaped today. If we can do that well and quickly too, we

can even beat the 100GW target. Rooftops/ Off-grid have a great potential today but the challenge is having the right business models. There are pain areas like market reach, productivity, cost, etc. which calls for a disruptive approach in this market. For long-term growth, we also need to innovate to find a practical and effective storage solution for solar. For the utility-scale market, we need to ensure we don’t put all our eggs in one (read: a few) basket. If the policies are shaped in a manner that only large players can participate, then very soon we will not only lose the competitiveness but also the pace of this solar deployment. Emerging Competition As we head towards 2022, many new players started diving into the Indian solar market, we reached out to the industry to know how equipped are their companies to face such emerging competition. Manoj Kumar Upadhyay, Founder & Chairman – ACME Group said, ‘‘we strongly believe being an early entrant in the Indian solar sector has helped us to achieve planned growth. The large knowledge base accumulated over the years significantly help ACME to introduce disruptive solutions, thus shaking up the sector by implementing many new initiatives first time at large scale in India.’’ We have large knowledge- based on our past experiences and learning. So we have played a significant role in shapingup this sector & sharing that knowledge with all the stakeholders resulting into a better evolution cycle. With such a comprehensive background of experience of the Indian Market, I believe, we are ready for any competition.’’ ‘‘Besides, the impact of the numbers which we are talking about on the evacuation needs to be seen. This is primarily because electricity based on renewable power is intermittent in nature. Energy storage solutions de-risk

evacuation networks from such a threat. Therefore, I see this as a game changer in near future. With the developments happening in the storage domain, I am sure it will be cost competitive in times to come. We have our own in house technological know-how in this domain and that gives a clear edge over the others in his sector.’’ Rajeshwara Bhat, Managing DirectorJuwi India shared that the company started operation in India in 2011 and are now recognized as one of the companies who can offer value for the investment to the investors. He said we have apporx 180 MW + across the county to add to our global portfolio of 3800 MW in time and to the best of German quality. Today, we are operating and managing most of these plants ranging from 1 MWp to 51 MWp. The performance of these plants has exceeded the contracted PR value. We are also managing plants built by other EPC companies and have to our credit enhanced its performance from a CUF of 9% to 18 % this is our USP. Delivering on time against stringiest timelines to the best quality to offer assured Return on investment to the investors. Lot of companies have come in, and have collapsed as it is very tough market with low margins. Prices have nose-dived from Rs 17 per unit to Rs 4.34 per unit in last 5 to 6 years brining the capex cost down tremendously. We have been able to sustain and grow in spite of all these swings in the market based on our team’s performance. So in the industry we have 5-6 companies who can deliver large projects of sizes > 50 MW like us and many more who can deliver smaller projects whose quality is debatable due to price pressures. According to Gagan Vermani, MD & CEO at Sunborne Energy, there is a very quick shift in the way this industry has been structured so far. Vermani said large players are entering the market,

SEPTEMBER 2016 l SAUR ENERGY.COM

VIEWS a lot of them are exiting too and some of the largest ones are on the brink of disappearing due to bad business models. There is a lesson in all of this and we can’t afford to look the other way anymore. A lot of players are now entering or shifting to the non-utility solar and this is a good sign. A healthy competition is good for sustainable growth. Impact of GST on Industry Both the houses Loksabha and Rajyasabha have passed the GST bill. However, the bill needs to be sanctioned by half of the states before it can come under effect. GST will subsume all existing indirect taxes at the central and state levels, including excise duty, service tax, value-added tax, entertainment tax and luxury tax. The government has proposed to keep taxes on consumption or sale of electricity outside GST. In such case, the electricity generated by renewable sources would continue to be outside the GST regime. However, as per MNRE taxes on various capital goods, inputs and input services (both forming part of capital cost as well as operation & maintenance costs) used for generation of renewable energy will be included in the GST regime. Taxes paid on procurements would continue to be non-creditable for the energy sector and hence, forming part of costs. Accordingly, any impact of taxes paid on procurements used in renewable energy sector would have a direct impact on cost of renewable energy Basis information available in the public domain on levy of GST, it appears that taxes on procurements for renewable energy sector would go up, which would lead to increase in cost of renewable energy (resulting in negative impact for the sector). It is worth noting that the adverse impact of tax cost would vary from project to project (as well as from one source of renewable energy to another) based on the procurement pattern (import vs. domestic purchase) as well as extent of

exemptions available currently. In nut shell, GST will push costs up by 10-15% for renewable power companies. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) lead government wants to bring in the GST from 1 April 2017. So far, the renewable energy sector has received advantage from multiple tax exemptions such as full exemption from value-added tax and excise duty in some states and continues to lobby for an exemption from GST. Lot has been said and reported so we talked to the industry to understand whether GST poses risk or boon for the solar industry in India. Here is what they said. Manoj Kumar Upadhyay, Founder & Chairman – ACME Group said, ‘‘it appears that it would create lots of challenges in the project where the PPA have been signed and under implementations! However, we are studying the matter and it’s a very early stage to comment about it. We are working with ministry and it may increase the tariff by 18 to 20 %.’’ ‘‘Goods and Services tax which has turned a reform by itself in the history of taxation can be termed both risk and boon.’’ According to Lalit Jain, Group Chief Commercial Officer & CEO (Solar International & Wind), Hindustan Power the sector, currently enjoys various tax benefits and exemptions, like - taxes currently applicable on equipment of a solar PV plant are customs duty, excise duty, VAT, service tax, etc., most of which are nil/exempted depending upon the state and central policies. He said the average tax applicable on the solar equipment is 2-3%. However, after the planned application of proposed GST from 1st April 2017 it is expected that average tax would increase to 18%. This increase would primarily be based on following factors, i.e. removal of lower duties & taxes on – capital goods & services; removal of concessions available in lieu of statutory forms etc. The impact is due

SAUR ENERGY.COM l SEPTEMBER 2016

to the proposed exemption of electricity consumption from the gambit of GST. These factors would create a mis-match situation wherein the inputs related to execution & commissioning of Solar power plants are getting taxed under GST whereas the output, i.e. electricity produced has been kept out of the gambit of GST. Further Solar, as compared to other sources of electricity, has no fuel cost and has only the capital servicing costs, which are dependent on GST on capital goods & services. In light of above, tariff increase/revision of solar power will be required to ensure the continued viability of new projects. As per MNRE report itself, the expected impact of GST on Solar tariff would be in range of 12%-16%. This increase in solar tariff would lead to a delay in Solar achieving grid parity. The Government efforts in the last 12-18 months & due to various other factors had resulted in reduction in solar tariff, i.e. from Rs. 6.71/ kWh (Karnataka bid, November-14) to Rs. 4.35/kWh (Rajasthan bid, July-16). This reduction of tariff was able to address the “high cost of solar power” concern of the Discoms to great extent. Further due to reduction on solar capex, solar roof-top had become viable for commercial and industrial consumers in few states. If the solar tariff increases then the demand of solar will go down which will impact the further capacity roll-out. Thus, this increase would push back grid parity and will also slow the pace of achievement of 100 GW targets. Going forward, GST may also impact those projects for which PPAs have already been signed but which won’t be now able to complete its procurement and execution of projects by the likely date of GST implementation, i.e. 1 April 2017. These projects shall seek compensation because of Change in Law/ Taxes which shall impact the tariff and financials of Discoms.

VIEWS On the other hand, Rajeshwara Bhat, Managing Director- Juwi India said, ‘‘Goods and Services tax which has turned a reform by itself in the history of taxation can be termed both risk and boon. Boon for just a simple fact as the taxations simplify a complex frame work of state and central taxes by subsuming these into a single tax levied at the point of consumption and would be beneficial to wider economical perspective.’’ However, for the solar industry it can be a major hit and pose as a risk: • Renewable sector, currently a beneficiary of several indirect tax exemptions, may be a big loser as a result of GST since the bill proposes to revoke most of the exemptions. • Risk of solar project costs going up approximately between 12 to 14%. • Project viability will be questionable and will be in jeopardy due to cost increases which makes running and the future projects to be at stake. • Module costs – No import / indirect tax currently and with the introduction of GST upto 20% tax would be payable. • VAT and other taxes like entry tax/octroy and excise on modules and systems which are at 5-6 % range may go up to 18-20% of GST which increases cost of solar system to a substantial amount. • Decision-making and polic guidelines may become slower due to implementation issues. • To ensure fair play the change in tax has to be defined properly in the governing bid documents to help boost investors’ confidence to invest more in tot his sun growing industry Sunborne Energy’s MD & CEO - GaganVermani has a very different opinion to share, he said there will be short-term impact, though not much, but overtime, the industry will factor in the GST. A simpler tax regime is always good and takes away a lot of uncertainty from an investor or developer’s perspective.

And this should mean more investments. GST alone will not help; We need a similar uniform policy for the regulatory environment as well. Since power is a state subject in India, a uniform panIndia electricity policy and regulatory environment is the need of the hour. Factors to drive the growth of Solar Industry And, finally we asked the industry veterans about the factors that are going to drive the growth of Solar industry in India, here is what they said: Manoj Kumar Upadhyay, Founder & Chairman – ACME Group stated that Renewable Energy has certain geographical constraints e.g wind energy based power plants will be successful in the coastal regions of the country. Small hydro will be more successful in states like HP, Uttrakhand and other north eastern states. Similarly Solar will be more successful in areas like Rajasthan, Gujarat, MP, Telangana, AP etc. Therefore, we need to be very careful in deciding what kind of renewable plants are best suited for a particular kind of location. However, solar being available in most of the areas of India and also having the flexibility of being distributed across the nation will have an upper age. Therefore, we believe it will drive the renewable growth in India. Second, most of the electrical demand coming in next decade would be led by demand from either rural areas or second tier cities. Anyhow, India is a developing nation and it has growing energy need. Solar ability in competing with other resources, quick capacity addition and fuel availability at the door steps of consumption makes it most competitive as compared to other sources of energy. According to Rajeshwara Bhat, Managing Director- Juwi India, the ever growing demand for sustainable sources of energy has led to a very crucial aspect of growth for solar industry in India. He said solar

has become India’s emergent portfolio. However, we have to oversee on the following factors which can drive the solar industry in India. • Localization, Project execution skills and technology to drive the execution of large scale projects in a shorter duration. • Quality and timely execution of mega scale projects • Innovative and cost efficient financing options • Tax incentives (including corporate tax, personal income tax, sales tax and property tax) • Production incentives to boost DCR • Special economic Zones • Some Stringent and effective enactment of environmental legislation for a green energy movement to make RE compulsory for all those polluting system to conserve protect and restore the health and integrity of the Earth’s ecosystem. Sunborne Energy’s MD & CEO- Gagan Vermani shared policy of allocating largescale projects and participation of a much larger group of industry players is crucial for the utility-scale solar. A disruptive approach and a paradigm shift in the way non-utility solar is treated today, both by the GOI and by the Industry and other stakeholders. Some policies like Net Metering, role of local Discoms in accepting and promoting solar, regulatory backing up of solar contracts, etc. are critical. Innovation in storage technology, gridintegration and management, monitoring and data-analytics will go a long way in driving the growth of solar in India.

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SEMICONDUCTOR

SEMICONDUCTOR From Solar cells to power conversion efficiency in solar; semiconductor keeps the viable sweet-spot for future. Electronics and semiconductor industry has launched various semiconductor solutions such as insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) for solar power systems. Various semiconductor products used in solar PV market include PV cells, insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), metal oxide field effect transistors (MOSFETs), diodes, couplers, analog IC, logic IC, micro components and optical semiconductors, among others. The renewable transformation through chips is at bay to make more efficient and economical reliance. Market asserts that solar energyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most efficient semiconductor (GaAs) wafer market is also logging market-high. Analog Devices, Maxim Integrated & Vishay Industries have been making a definite impact to drive performance, flexibility, extend reliability and make sun power affordable to all. The given technology overview of the pioneer semiconductor providers is set to change the solar innovators next manufacturing concept.

THE HOLY GRAIL FOR SOLAR 42

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SEMICONDUCTOR

The Rise of the Solar PV String Inverter

the Role Played by IC Technology in its Advancement

- Bill Slattery, Renewable Energy Director, Analog Devices The sun produces enough energy in 90 minutes to power the entire planet for a year.* Increasingly that energy is being harnessed and is providing electricity for households, businesses, and industry around the world. Once considered a pipe dream, solar now remarkably accounts for the majority of all new global capacity added to the grid from all power generation sources (fossil fuel, nuclear, and renewable). But as its attractiveness increases, achieving and indeed getting ahead of grid parity is vital to drive the adoption of solar power to the next level. That is one of the reasons that Analog Devices is driving innovations that will make solar power more accessible and affordable to all. With the cost of solar panels already reduced by an order of magnitude over the last decade, the next area where innovation is being applied to drive down costs is the solar inverter, the “brain of a solar system.” This power conversion function transforms the energy collected by solar panels from the sun into electrical power. The Solar PV String Inverter, which has been the mainstay in residential solar PV systems is now increasingly being deployed in large utility scale solar installations. Solar inverters typically deploy large and bulky magnetic and passive devices to carry out their job. But advances in semiconductor capabilities and system-level innovation are paving the way to revolutionize such designs and replace what is, in effect, an expensive metal-based platform with a silicon-based alternative that takes up significantly less space and, crucially, is a fraction of the cost.

Figure 1: Solar PV String Inverter in Residential Application

ADI engineers tackled the challenge by developing and leveraging a deep system-level understanding to create a sophisticated system and siliconbased solution, or “Precision Power Conversion Platform.” This platform

is anchored by our advanced mixed signal controller technology, the ADSPCM4xx series, in conjunction with iCoupler® based current sensing and high power gate drivers. A key challenge of next generation

Figure 2: Solar PV String Inverters in Utility Scale Solar SEPTEMBER 2016 l SAUR ENERGY.COM

SEMICONDUCTOR power conversion, especially with respect to Solar PV

agencies. This resulted in the development of a revolutionary new “dual independent core” safety concept that enables the integration of dual-core safety redundancy into a single chip. This guarantees industry leading safety and robustness while simultaneously reducing total system cost. This dual independent core concept was implemented

Figure 3: Analog Devices Precision Power Conversion Platform

String Inverters, is the need to reduce the size, weight and ultimately cost of such systems. The emergence of Wide Bandgap (WBG) switch technology, including SiC and GaN, and a transition to multi-level power switching topologies offer the possibility to fundamentally improve the performance and reduce the cost of Solar PV. To fully unleash the capabilities that these transformative technologies present, a fundamental re-engineering of the entire signal chain is essential. The microcontrollers, DSPs, current sensors and gate driving circuits now must also contain significant increased capability and much higher performance. One example of the Grid parity occurs when an challenges faced alternative energy source can in Solar inverter generate power at a levelized designs relates to the customary use cost of electricity (LCOE) that is of two or more less than or equal to the price separate, physically isolated controllers of purchasing power from the to guarantee safety. electricity grid. This is critical due to the very high voltages (up to 1,500 V) and large currents (up to 50A) that exist in such systems. These hazards, if not carefully managed, can create the potential for electric shock to humans and physical destruction of the solar PV system. Such a constraint, for multiple separate controller ICs is not consistent with the essential need for cost reduction and is contrary to what silicon integration could offer. Given this constraint, the real challenge was whether ADI could somehow resolve this conundrum and integrate two cores into one IC while maintaining the system safety and integrity that two cores on two separate ICs inherently provide. To achieve this, ADI engaging directly with the safety rating

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Figure 4: ADSP-CM41x Mixed Signal Control Processor Optimized for Solar PV String Inverters

in the ADSP-CM41x, eliminating the need for complex external circuitry, saving design time, and reducing cost, while also delivering even greater safety, performance, and efficiency gains. Further, the fact that we achieved a firstin-the-industry certification from TÜV for dual core safety reinforces customers’ confidence that their deployment of our independent core design will enable them to meet the stringent safety requirements of the end market. The ADSP-CM4xx series seamlessly integrates with other critical signal chain elements, including the AD740x isolated Sigma-Delta-based analog-to-digital converter, which replaces larger, more expensive sensor modules to further reduce system cost and improve isolated current measurement. Also included in the platform is the ADuM413x series of isolated gate drivers featuring iCoupler isolation technology that enables faster switching to further increase system efficiency. ADI’s “Precision Power Conversion Platform,” will contribute to moving the solar power industry forward, not only with respect to innovative system cost reduction approaches but also, through enabling the integration of new functions including battery based storage, enabling 24-hour solar power and the growth of electric cars and an electrical based transportation infrastructure. This is good for all of us and our world as we strive towards a sustainable and clean energy environment.

SEMICONDUCTOR

Solar Cell Optimization:

Cutting Costs and Driving Performance - Maxim Integrated

Over the past several years, DC optimizers have become an important technological ingredient in many residential, commercial and utilityscale solar designs. By utilizing modules integrated with this technology, system designers can reduce the power loss from shade obstructions, thus safeguarding systems against long-term module mismatch caused by uneven soiling or debris. Many PV module OEMs are now incorporating the next generation of DC performance optimization: a highly-integrated power regulator included on each cell-string within the solar module. This new solution brings more production upside while also addressing the limitations of first-generation solutions. In this white paper, we’ll discuss the benefits of Maxim solar cell optimizer solutions and how modules with this technology enable increased energy harvest, expanded system size, extended reliability, and a simple, low-cost installation. Solar Cell Optimization: Cutting Costs and Driving Performance Over the past several years, DC optimizers have become an important technological ingredient in many residential and commercial solar system designs. By adding these devices to each module, system designers can reduce the power loss from shade obstructions, thus safeguarding systems against long-term module mismatch from uneven soiling or debris. A growing number of module manufacturers have begun to include first-generation DC optimizers from various system integration manufacturers. But even while Greentech Media (GTM) forecasts that global shipments of modules with DC

optimizers will grow from 1.3GW in 2015 to 3GW by 2017, broader adoption of these devices will continue to be limited by cost and installation complexity. Forward-thinking PV module OEMs are now incorporating the next generation of DC performance optimization: a highlyintegrated power regulator included on each cell-string within the solar module. This new solution brings more production upside while also addressing the limitations of first-generation solutions. Widespread adoption of this technology is expected in geographies and solar market segments that have never before considered DC optimizers. By designing it into a solar project, developers can: • Enjoy additional performance gains by

building MPPT into the cells, rather than outside the module. • Address obstruction scenarios that module-level products can’t improve, such as cross-bank shading or even soiling patterns. • Eliminate hot-spot conditions associated with diode operation, improving long-term module reliability. • Continue to deploy conventional installation processes, but without the increased labor needed to install optimizer boxes, additional wiring, communication devices, Internet connections, or proprietary inverters. • Benefit from performance optimization, but with a substantially lower incremental cost than firstgeneration solutions.

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SEMICONDUCTOR About the Maxim Solar Cell Optimizer Conventional solar systems are limited in performance by the series connectivity of modules: forcing the string current to equal that of the least illuminated or weakest cells. Maxim solar cell optimizer works by boosting the current of the weak cells to match those of the stronger, eliminating the corresponding performance penalty of the conventional system. The solar cell optimizer’s MPPT function works alongside the inverter MPPT, to ensure that the system output is optimal under any environmental conditions. The module includes three Maxim solar cell optimizers, which replace the three diodes found in a conventional module junction box. Benefits and Competitiveness Over the past 20 years, many researchers, engineers and scientists have developed a variety of electronic solutions to improve the efficiency of solar module energy output. Many existing products, such as microinverters, DC optimizers, smart modules, and string-level performance monitoring systems, are available for those bankers, investors or home users who are looking for a better return on their investments. Up until now, however, there are no electronic solutions that effectively improve solar modules from within. A module-level optimizer prevents underperforming modules from harming overall system performance, but does little to minimize energy loss caused by shading, soiling, or hot spots within the module. To address this issue, major PV module OEMs are now integrating Maxim solar cell optimizers into their solar modules, bringing MPPT to every cell string within each module. Modules with solar cell optimizers provide the following benefits not available from other types of PV modules: • Increased energy harvest • Reduced power degradation • Expanded system size • Flexibility in design • Minimize soiling losses

Figure 1. Performance of conventional module vs. solar cell optimizer module, when a single cell is shaded.

• High-reliability solution • Simple, low cost installation, with conventional system architecture Increased Energy Harvest In a conventional solar module, three bypass diodes combine to serve as a protection mechanism, allowing the module to produce power even when one of its cell strings is shaded or damaged. When the bypass diode is active, the energy production of the entire cell string is lost, even when only a small portion is shaded. The active diode now carries current, which creates heat and stress that can lead to premature failure. Such a failure results in a permanent loss of cell-string output, and potentially presents a safety issue, as the underperforming cellstring is now forced to operate in a dangerous, reverse bias condition. In the new Maxim design, however, bypass diodes are replaced with smart integrated circuits (ICs). When one cell is shaded, the smart IC chip will increase the current output from the cell-string to match that of neighboring, unshaded cell-strings. The shaded cellstring will continue to contribute all available energy, without affecting the production of unshaded strings. (In the case of a conventional solar module or module-level optimizer, one shaded cell would likely cause the entire cell-string to go offline.) Reduced Power Degradation In a conventional PV system, since solar modules are connected in series to form strings, the same current must flow through all the modules. But due to shading caused by moving clouds,

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Figure 2. The worst-performing cell no longer determines module output

leaves from trees, soiling, or module power tolerance, each module needs to work at a different current to achieve its maximum power point (MPP). Due to the series connection, the worst performing modules wind up determining the string current, which in turn means that the other modules will deliver less power than they are capable of producing. In a Maxim system, on the other hand, solar cell optimizers find the best working point for each of the cell-strings and modules, increasing the current of weaker cell-strings to match that of the strongest one. MPP tracking (MPPT)

SEMICONDUCTOR is performed for each individual cellstring, minimizing any energy loss due to cell mismatch. During the long-term operation of a PV power plant, the solar modules suffer aging, cell microcracks, potential induced degradation (PID) and so on, which will cause power loss. A module-level optimizer can prevent an underperforming module from harming overall system performance, but cannot reduce loss caused by degradation within one panel. Integrating solar cell optimizers into a module, by contrast, permits a redesign that brings MPPT to every cell string within the module. As a result, we can optimize output at the cell-string level—a far more finelytuned solution. In a conventional or first-generation optimized module, the weakest cell in the module will determine its performance. With the Maxim module, however, mismatch

within cell-strings is eliminated, so that a weak cell affects module performance much less. This module outperforms both conventional and externally optimized modules, by producing a higher energy output over the life of the system. Expanded System Size Well-known environmental sources of mismatch that affect PV system performance include shade, soiling, temperature gradients, and cell aging. But another common source of energy loss comes from edge-of-day, row-torow shading, in a tilted flat roof or ground-mount design. This energy loss increases in locations further from the equator and during the winter months. A typical conventional PV system will be limited in size, to avoid object and rowto-row shading. The ground coverage ratio (GCR) is the ratio of module area

to total area, and is set to minimize losses due to row-to-row shading within the system array—typically to limit annual energy loss to below three percent. By independently optimizing cell strings, rather than bypassing affected cell strings, the Maxim module continues to generate the maximum possible energy from shaded cell strings, enabling increased density and expanded system size. Now a designer can reconfigure a system design to allow for more inter-row shading, a unique capability that delivers 10 to 20 percent more energy density than a conventional system design. Effectively, the system can maintain the same kWh/ kWp as a conventional system, but with higher ground coverage ratios. Using Maxim on a commercial rooftop project, designers can achieve mono-silicon power densities with poly-silicon costs.

Figure 3. Energy output vs. module spacing shows a standard system increase of 3% to 4% energy, and a high-density increase of 10% to 20% energy and density.

Figure 4. AC energy production continues to increase for the Maxim system with tighter row spacing; the conventional system drops off with inter-row shading

Several observations can be made from Figure 3. First, Point A represents a GCR that a typical system designer chooses for a conventional system. The annual kWh/kW generation is an optimal compromise to a completely unshaded GCR, to better utilize the limited roof area. The system designer has chosen a point where a three percent annual energy loss is acceptable. Second, the original system design substitutes modules with cell-level optimization at the same GCR (Point B). The project owner will benefit from three to four percent more energy,

because of the modules’ increased shade tolerance. Third, the system designer uses the optimized modules to increase system density. This GCR is the point at which row spacing can be condensed, without sacrificing annual kWh/module production relative to the original design decision (Point C). In the free space created by the tighter row spacing, the designer can place 15–20 percent more modules, increasing the generating capacity of the project. This approach produces more electricity, while also driving overall project SEPTEMBER 2016 l SAUR ENERGY.COM

SEMICONDUCTOR ROI in a favorable direction. Finally, conventional technology becomes an irrelevant choice at the high-density GCR (Point D). In this case, energy losses are too great to provide a viable option. The same shade tolerance achieved by cell-string isolation also applies to near-object shading that can render

a project or specific location financially unviable. Obstacles such as trees, rooftop obstructions, parapet walls, or adjacent buildings can severely degrade the energy harvest. But by independently optimizing cell strings, designers can expand system size, or address

Figure 5. Performance chart of a side-by-side comparison, with and without solar cell optimizers.

otherwise unviable rooftops, simply by placing modules closer to shade obstructionsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;all without experiencing arraywide performance loss. Flexibility in Design By incorporating modules with solar cell optimizers, system designers can accomodate differing string lengths, multiple orientations, and different module power levels. The technology expands the stringâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s peak power output over a wider voltage range. This greater power output allows two uneven strings to be connected in parallel, so the inverter can find an operating voltage at which both produce their peak

power. This flexibility, which accommodates the site location, is not possible in a conventional system, where an inverter finds a single operating point that does not achieve peak power from either string. Minimize Soiling Losses Soiling losses are always factored into modeling exercises. In fact, in most sites with extensive solar resources, they cannot be avoided. Further, these soiling patterns are frequently common to all modules (see Figure 7), and so cannot be addressed by panel- level optimizers.

Figure 6. Performance gained when uneven strings are connected in parallel.

Figure 7. Uniform soiling pattern commonly found on large systems.

A module with solar cell optimizers, however, can act as an insurance policy to mitigate performance loss from dust and debris. A common example is bottom corner soiling or snow buildup. In these cases, there is no panel mismatch, so a

conventional module and a module-level optimizer effectively respond in the same way. If 15 percent of the bottom row is affected, the bypass diode turns on, thereby reducing panel output by one third. Absent module-to-module mismatch,

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SEMICONDUCTOR module-level optimizers provide no benefit. Only by removing the bypass diode, isolating the cell strings, and continuing to generate energy from the shaded cell string can the impact of this effect be reduced. In a rooftop study, the array with solar cell optimizers lost only 2.4 percent power, compared to an unshaded reference module. The panel-level optimized module lost 16.4 percent. A High-Reliability Solution The inclusion of the Maxim solar cell optimizer in modules from leading PV OEMs brings an unprecedented level of reliability to the system designer and project owner:

1.Proven Component Reliability of Solar Cell Optimizer In the PV industry, the PV module must meet the IEC/UL solar standards and tests, which will prove its reliability. Junction boxes/modules have passed IEC61215, IEC61730 and UL1703 test requirements. The Maxim solar cell optimizer has also passed rigorous semiconductor reliability tests, such as hightemperature operation, salt atmosphere exposure, thermal cycling, and damp heat exposure. 2.Low Component Count Maxim modules use the single-chip Maxim solar cell optimizer (see figure 9), resulting in higher reliability than solutions with hundreds of discrete components.

OUTPUT POWER WITH CORNER SOILING

Figure 8. Performance of cell optimizer vs. module optimizer with uniform soiling pattern (as in Figure 7).

Figure 9. Solar cell optimizer IC from Maxim Integrated

3.Proven Integrated Circuit Fabrication Technology Maxim Integrated has shipped more than one billion DC power regulators over the past 15 years. This solar cell optimizer product is built on a long-standing reputation for quality and durability. 4.Enhanced Long-term Module Reliability Because the Maxim module does not utilize diodes to manage power production, a cell-string will not be bypassed even if fully shaded. (The diffuse light will still generate some energy.) And, because all available energy is being harvested, a shaded cell is not in reverse bias, thus eliminating the cause of hot spots and removing a common cause of long-term cell stress. Should environmental conditions still result in a cracked or otherwise degraded cell, this cell will only affect the performance of its local cell-string, without further affecting the module or array. Simple, Low-Cost Installation, With Conventional System Architecture An important element of initial PV plant cost is related to installation time. Traditional optimizer systems increase hardware, installation steps and system configuration requirements, thus raising costsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;substantially so in larger systems. By incorporating modules enabled with solar cell optimizers, a system designer can maximize harvest without

raising installation costs. Maxim-enabled modules require no additional hardware or installation steps, and are compatible with all inverters, monitoring systems, and mounting and tracking hardware. Installation is identical to that of a conventional system, and far simpler than that of a module-level optimizer system. The module-level optimizer system must be installed on racking rails, increasing labor and materials costs with additional optimizer devices that must be installed in arrays: bolts, specific frames, DC cables, and so on. In contrast, Maxim-enabled modules do not have any more installation requirements than conventional systems. In addition, certain panel optimizers must be used with proprietary inverters, due to a lack of interbrand compatibility; others require an extensive communications system to be installed at the site before the product is functional; and both require an on-site Internet connection to complete installation and operate the systems. Fortunately, modules with Maxim solar cell optimizers can be incorporated as direct substitutions for conventional modules, and deliver outstanding system performance. And, because of the advantage of cellstring level MPPT, they improve energy production by 10-20% in high-density solar plants, compared to both conventional modules and those with module- level optimizers. SEPTEMBER 2016 l SAUR ENERGY.COM

SEMICONDUCTOR

Power Management Solution:

Constant Voltage (CV)

Pulse Charging of Hybrid Capacitors - Gerald Tatschl, Senior Manager, Product Marketing, Aluminum Capacitors, Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. Rechargeable energy storage solutions are of high interest because of their flexibility, low maintenance requirements, and reduced cost over their life-cycle. For compact applications, classic electrolytic capacitors are environmentally friendly alternatives and available for a wide range of rated voltages. However, they soon reach their energy storage limit with output requirements exceeding a few 100 mWs. Electric double-layer capacitors (EDLC) offer high power and energy density, as well as long working life, but are limited to low working voltages in the same range as batteries. Electronic systems require a compromise between these technologies, namely solutions that combine the advantages of classic batteries and double-layer capacitors without the limitations. Hybrid - ENYCAPâ&#x201E;˘ 196 HVC - capacitors can deliver this performance. In order to fully utilize the product performance, a reliable charging solution must be applied. This document proposes constant voltage (CV) pulse charging as the most cost-efficient solution. HYBRID CAPACITOR TECHNOLOGY AND PROPERTIES Hybrid systems combine electrostatic and faradaic energy storage. Therefore, faster charging than a battery is possible. Hybrid capacitor systems easily surpass the power density of batteries and have significantly higher energy density than double-layer capacitors. Due to the faradaic energy storage component, hybrid capacitors have a limited and narrow operating voltage range, similar to batteries. While this voltage stability is beneficial in many applications, capacitor voltage and current have to be carefully managed in order to maintain optimum performance over a long operational life. The maximum cell voltage must not be exceeded. Consequently, for an optimum lifespan, power management has to safeguard the operation limits with absolute accuracy in the mV range. It also has to be taken into account that the current flow through hybrid capacitors is partly related to faradaic conversion processes. As these processes

require some time, the maximum permissible currents have to be maintained for charging and discharging. Self-discharge of hybrid capacitors is significantly lower than for EDLCs. For example, self discharge is below 5 % / day for the ENYCAP 196 HVC. As faradaic storage processes always include some material conversion, it is evident that overcharging must be avoided. Even if the ENYCAP 196 HVC has some short time tolerance in this aspect, it has to be considered that over long periods of time, without proper control measures, even low charge currents can overcharge the capacitor. The cycle life performance of hybrid capacitors is superior to batteries. For example, the ENYCAP 196 HVC can achieve more than 50 000 cycles. GENERAL INFORMATION ON CV PULSED CHARGING For applications requiring a constantly high charge state of the energy storage device, such as backup systems, a CV pulsed charging method (PCM) is recommended. The PCM can be implemented in a rather simple power

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management environment and will ensure the safe operation of the hybrid storage component within recommended limits and conditions. Pulsed charging is the preferred method for compensating self-discharge while avoiding regular or permanent overcharging. This can largely improve the lifetime of the energy storage system. Pulsed or intermittent charging can be implemented with a constant voltage source controlled by a timer. The voltage source has to be accurately adjusted to the charging voltage of the storage system. There are five steps to a typical operation sequence (see Fig. 4): 1. An initial charge step ensures sufficient energy for the next backup operation (load) 2. Check for available energy by testing the open circuit voltage (OCV) of the storage element 3. Monitor state of health (SOH) 4. Apply a charge pulse to compensate self-discharge and backup load 5. Restart at step 2

SEMICONDUCTOR Note • Steps 2 to 5 compensate self-discharge effects and keep storage elements by this kind of trickle charging in healthy condition, also over extended long periods of time.

NOMINAL VOLTAGE ENYCAP 196 HVC storage capacitors are manufactured as a stack of one or more individual cells. Each cell has a rated voltage UR of 1.4 V. Therefore, each hybrid storage capacitor is a configuration of X cells in series and has a rated voltage UR of X * 1.4 V. CV CHARGING CV PULSED CHARGING CV charging is defined by the application of a constant voltage UCVcharge on the terminals of the storage device. For the CV PCM, the charging time is additionally limited by a switch SW1, which is controlled by proper algorithms.

For considered systems and voltages, the resulting charging current Icharge is dependent on the state of charge (SOC) of the storage element. The lower the SOC, the higher the current Icharge in general. In correspondence with the well-known Ohm’s law, the following can be stated: 1. The lower the SOC, the higher the current Icharge 2. The higher the applied voltage UCVcharge, the higher the current Icharge As a consequence of 1, the charging current decreases with a higher SOC. This effect is undesired, because due to a reduced charging current the charging time will be extended. According to statement 2, an increase of UCVcharge will increase the current Icharge too and would finally allow a shorter charging time.

However, elevated UCVcharge will lead to high residual charging current as long as source voltage is applied. It has to be ensured that the system is not overcharged unnecessarily when it is fully charged. Constraints All types of storage elements require that the following parameters remain within specified limits: • Maximum and minimum charging voltage • Maximum charging current • SOC: overcharge as integral Q= Icharge* dt has to be limited • Temperature CHARGING CURRENT Q= Icharge* dt should be limited to avoid overcharging (> 100 % SOC). This fact supports the idea of a timer-controlled intermittent or PCM. This procedure also restricts negative impacts of very low residual charge currents over extended time periods and ensures optimum lifetime of the product. The amount of energy to be charged can be controlled by the “ON Time” of the charging source. Necessary charge Q= Icharge* dt has to be selected according to product specifications. Maximum charge current is usually defined by type and size of the storage element. CHARGING VOLTAGE (WITH TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION) The correct charging voltage is temperaturedependent (see Fig. 1).

There are two reasons that temperature impacts charging voltage: 1. Dynamics of electrochemical reactions depend on temperature 2. Internal resistances of the cell vary with temperature The two effects result in a linear voltage dependency of -1 mV / 1 °C per cell.

CHARGING VOLTAGE (WITHOUT TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION) ENYCAP 196 HVC hybrid storage capacitors can also be charged without proper temperature compensation. In these cases some restrictions should be respected in order to improve lifetime if a very wide temperature range has to be covered. If the charging voltage is not adjustable at all, charging should only be allowed up to a certain upper voltage and temperature limit; typically 1.4 V per cell up to 60 °C can be used (Fig. 2). Charging with this fixed voltage at lower temperatures will not damage the cell. But at lower temperatures recharge efficiency is reduced and the hybrid capacitors cannot be fully charged.

For ENYCAP the following parameters are applicable:

The safe area for the increase of UCVcharge is considered and listed in section “Charging Voltage,” Table 2. The correct charging voltage for the standard configuartion at 200C is shown in Table 2.

Temprature compensation of the charging voltage is an advantage to ensure fully functional opertaion over a wide temperature range. However, it is not mandatory for every application (see next section).

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SEMICONDUCTOR Fig. 2 shows the limitations if a charging voltage of only 1.4 V per cell is available.

PCM FLOW CHART

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If two or three different charging voltages are available, stepwise approximation over the whole temperature range is possible (see Fig. 3).

OCV CHECK The open circuit voltage (OCV) has to be measured periodically. If the OCV is below 1.29 V per cell, an initial charge cycle has to be applied (see Fig. 1). One measurement per second is sufficient. Depending on the circuitry, more measurements could create additional leakage current, which should be avoided. NORMAL OPERATION / MAINTENANCE CHARGE Short charge pulses, typically 1 minute to 3 minutes in duration every ~ 6 h to 12 h, will keep the hybrid capacitors charged and will compensate self discharge (for typical properties see Fig. 5 and the example in Fig. 6). The most simple way to control both maintenance charge and the amount of energy to be recharged can be a timer. After each charge pulse the OVC will relax during the “Source OFF” phase. This pulsed or intermittent charging mode is possible because ENYCAP 196 HVC hybrid capacitors have superior charge retention (low self-discharge rate) compared to conventional EDLC’s.

SEMICONDUCTOR In relation to total operating time, very short charging periods increase efficiency in the charging process and minimize the total amount of overcharge.Intermittent or pulse charging uses these benefits to maximize the lifetime of the storage element. An SOC above 70 % is sufficient to supply the application with the rated and specified amount of energy. For a single cell it is 115 J / HVC 90 F, 17.5 J / HVC 15 F, and

4.1 J / HVC 4 F. The maximum lifetime, cycle stability, and fast charge capability can be maintained with this amount of useable energy. The example in Fig. 6 is a 196 HVC 90 F 4.2 V, which is in maintenance charge mode for 25 days (at 45 °C). The maintenance charge pulses keep the hybrid storage element fully charged and compensates for self-discharge.

A recharge of 5 % per day is sufficient and will not age the hybrid capacitors by overcharging. Additional leakage currents might occur and have to be considered. Proper recharge is recommended if the voltage drops below 1.29 V per cell in order to bring the SOC back to the intended level quickly. This can be achieved by simply applying an additional “initial charge” cycle (see section “Initial Charge”). This voltage-triggered recharge is a safety feature to ensure a sufficiently high SOC. The voltage value of 1.29 V is independent of temperature. An example for a state with OCV voltage below 1.29 V could be increased self-discharge at an unintendend high temperature.

INITIAL CHARGE Initial charge is necessary if more than 5 % of the nominal energy has to be recharged. The “ON Time” of 5 minutes to 15 minutes in the flow chart in Fig. 4 is a typical range for CV charging. It depends on the required energy of the application. The initial charge will recharge the hybrid capacitor sufficiently for the next use. If significantly less energy than the specified 115 J per cell (for example, a 90 F cell) is required, the “ON Time” can be reduced. An initial charge is most likely necessary after a backup case or after system power-off periods for several days or weeks.

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SEMICONDUCTOR

Fig. 8 - The first 15 minutes of initial charge (example 90 F, 4.2 V)

An initial charge cycle is also recommended if the system is turned on for the first time after shelf storage. In this case the first charge step is also called the “conditioning” charge. After a prolonged storage time, the hybrid storage element might be in an undefined SOC. So it is important to recharge it in a first step. The example in Fig. 8 shows the initial charge of a HVC 90 F 4.2 V system in fast charge mode. Enough energy is recharged for the next backup within 5 minutes, without overcharging. Because of the good charge retention it is possible to wait for several hours before recharging again with short

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maintenance charge pulses. The “ON Time” of 15 minutes is a typical example. “ON Time” has to be long enough to sufficiently charge the ENYCAP 196 HVC storage system for the forthcoming operation cycle (e.g. backup). REFERENCES 1. Datasheet ENYCAP 196 HVC Series www.vishay.com/doc?28409 2. Vishay ENYCAP technical note “CV Pulse Charging” www.vishay.com/doc?28428

Reach us : info@saurenergy.com +91- 11- 4053 - 8137

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EVENTS INSIDE

Industry gears up for

Renewable Energy India 2016 Global Investments & Technological breakthroughs mark the 10th edition • REI : (September 7-9) South Asia’s leading Renewable Energy Trade Expo by UBM India; 40 participating countries, over 650 exhibitor, 1000 + Delegates and estimated to attract over 25,000 visitors • Three day power packed conference - “Renewables : Surging Ahead”: (September 7-9) Conference to highlight innovations, challenges and way forward • 2nd edition of Renewable Energy India Awards: ( 6th September ) To recognize Innovation & Excellence in the Renewable Energy Industry UBM India, India’s leading exhibitions organiser will host the 10th edition of its flagship event, Renewable Energy India Expo (REI) from 7th to 9th September 2016 at the India Expo Center, Greater Noida. REI is a global platform where India’s green economy community including overseas participants will congregate to discuss industry trends, challenges and market insights including the Indian regulatory framework. The event aims to further upscale and mainstream the applications of renewable energy resources, showcase product launches, innovations and augment the forethought through international exhibition and conference platform. REI 2016, the 10th anniversary of the expo will see participation from countries such as India, Japan, Switzerland, USA, Korea, Taiwan, China, Australia, Italy, Canada, Malaysia, Netherlands, Israel, Germany, Spain, Singapore, Belgium and is supported by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Govt of India (MNRE), Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd (IREDA), Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI), National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) and International collaboration through Indo German Energy Forum (IGEF) and Bloomberg New Energy Finance(BNEF). The expo is certified by UFI, The Global

Association of the Exhibitions Industry and will see the presence of key dignitaries, Shri. Upendra Tripathi, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India; Shri Ashvini Kumar, Managing Director, SECI; Shri K.S. Popli, CMD, IREDA; Mr. Simon Stolp, Lead Energy Specialist, World Bank; Mr. AK Jain, CMD, Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments Limited. Mr. Justin Wu, Head of Asia, Bloomberg New Energy Finance; Hon’ble Mr. James Gordon Carr, Minister of Natural Resources, Canada and Mr. Munehiko Tsuchiya, Executive Director, NEDO, Japan amongst others. Bringing together Manufacturers, EPC, and service provides, the expo will have over 650 exhibitors including companies like Lerri Solar, Adani, Skypower, Trina Solar, Tata Power, JA Solar, KRYFS, Suzlon, Solargise, Waaree, Vikram Solar, L&T, Rays Power, Canadian Solar, Sova Power, Azure Power, Delta Power, Fronius, SMA India, Huawei, Bosch, ABB India, Moser Baer, Talesun Power, Mahindra Susten, GCL, Senvion, Gamesa India, Inox Wind, DHHI, Renesola amongst others. The show will feature country pavilions from Japan, Canada, Italy, Taiwan and China. Highlights of the expo include a power packed three-day conference themed “Renewables : Surging Ahead” with

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content rich sessions by MNRE, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, IBA, IGEF, Bridge to India, Solar Thermal Federation of India, Council on Energy Environment and Water (CEEW), Mercom and NIWE. The sessions will cover various key topics such as ‘Market landscape: Taking stock of India’s RE goals; milestones achieved; and challenges ahead’, ‘Tipping Point: The rising trend of Competitive Bidding', ‘Wind: Policy Roadmap for the 60 GW target; How far we have reached; What are the specific challenges of the sector; Financing challenges for the Offshore and policy incentives’, ‘Looking Beyond Installation: Operation and Maintenance towards Sustainability of Long Term Projects’, ‘On Top of the Roof: Assessing the 40 GW of Rooftop target in respect to residential Solar’ and ‘Riding the Manufacturing high: How Much? How Far? How Long? Make in India’ to enhance the usage of Renewable Energy in India. Eminent industry speakers from across the world such as Mr. Simon Stolp, Lead Energy Specialist, World Bank, Mr. Praveer Sinha, CMD, Tata Power DDL; Sanjay Sharma, Head of Contracts, SECI; Sanjay Mandavkar, Sr. President, Corporate Finance, YES BANK; Sunil Jain, MD, Hero Future Energies; .Mr. Gyanesh ChaudharyMD & CEO, Vikram solar; David Keck; President and CEO, GTAT technologies,

USA ; Pankaj Batra, Chief Engineer, Central Electricity Authority, Gerhard Mütter ,Technical Director, Alternative Energy Solutions GmbH, Austria, Dr. Klaus Eberhardt, Technology Manager, M+W Group, Juergen Sutterlueti, Head of Energy Segment and Business Development, Gantner Instruments Group , Austria amongst other industry stalwarts will discuss on key issues and trends related to Renewable Energy. Other highlights include World of Innovation Arena for Tech talk & Product launch, Multiple workshops, CEO conclave, Session on Smart Grid, Finance Roundtable and a Skill development program by National Institute of Wind Energy. The expo will also take forward the hugely popular Business Plan Competition in association with TiE ( Delhi ) where selected entrants would present an innovative business idea, which will be rated by the jury comprising Investors, Entrepreneurs and Tech Gurus. The program will kick-start with an engaging Panel Discussion on ‘Opportunities in Cleantech & Renewables Sector: Scenario for Entrepreneurs. This will be followed by individual pitches by selected entries and unveiling of their Business Plans for which the best ideas will be awarded. Taking it further a specific Ideation Table, delving deeper on each component with the subject expert will be conducted that

will provide a unique opportunity for the budding entrepreneurs to be mentored by the best in the Industry. Speaking on the announcement of the 10th anniversary of Renewable Energy India, Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, UBM India said, “India is set for a period of rapid and sustained growth in energy demand and plans to quadruple its renewable power capacity to 175 Gigawatt by 2022 as part of the government’s plan to supply electricity to every household. India, home to 18% of the world’s population, uses only 6% of the world’s primary energy. India’s energy consumption has almost doubled since 2000 and the potential for further growth is enormous. Developing a robust ecosystem is the need of the hour and UBM India with REI stands ready to support this vision by serving as an Industry catalyst in bringing the technology and the international fraternity including investors to India to enable potential projects and set up manufacturing units under the ‘Make in India’ campaign.” “This year, we have also reached an important milestone and achieved a new momentum with the 10th anniversary of the expo. The expo will provide a perfect platform for stakeholders from the renewable energy community to come together and address challenges that have acted as speed bumps to this growth. It will have multiple country participation,

best of technology, cost effective solutions, participation of Industry leaders, various country delegation, top global brands exhibiting their product and solution offerings and content rich conferences.” he add The trade show will also be preceded by the 2nd Renewable Energy India Awards, slated for 6th September, 2016 that aims to recognise the efforts, innovation, and excellence and promote the talent in the industry. The Awards will have an august audience of industry stalwarts competing under various categories from both manufacturing & implementing communities. About UBM India UBM India is India's leading exhibition organizer that provides the industry with platforms that bring together buyers and sellers from around the world, through a portfolio of exhibitions, content led conferences & seminars. UBM India hosts over 25 large scale exhibitions and 40 conferences across the country every year; thereby enabling trade across multiple industry verticals. A UBM Asia Company, UBM India has offices across Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai. UBM Asia is owned by UBM plc which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. UBM Asia is the leading exhibition organizer in Asia and the biggest commercial organizer in mainland China, India and Malaysia. For further details, please visit ubmindia.in.

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NATIONAL EVENTS

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EVE N

E NTS

INTERNATIONAL EVENTS

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EVENTS INSIDE

IPPAI announces the17th edition of the Regulators and Policymakers Retreat Top policymakers and regulators from the power and allied sectors from across the country will convene for the 17th Regulators and Policymakers Retreat (RPR 2016) at The Lalit Golf and Spa Resort in Goa from September 22-25, 2016, Supported by the Ministry of Power, Ministry of Coal, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission, RPR 2016, a flagship event of the Independent Power Producers Association of India (IPPAI), aims to trigger out-of-the-box thinking by interspersing the intellectual and the esoteric with the day-to-day issues of the power sector to provoke thoughts and bring out creativity in the minds of policymakers and regulators. The RPR is a platform for engaging with cerebral persons in the industry and across sectors. It has won for itself a position of distinction and has been recognized as a confluence of innovative and informative flow of ideas and knowledge. The event spanning 3.5 days will include 10 sessions, 75 + speakers, 1 masterclass, 300 + participants, and 25 + awards. The theme for this year is “India – Meeting the Aspirations?” The event looks at the aspirations of young Indians keeping in mind the ways of improving their living standards by benchmarking it to the western narrative of development. The ‘haves and have nots debate’ now has infected the entire population, thanks to the ever-increasing awareness amongst young India courtesy the information revolution. The retreat will go to the roots and examine the relevance, efficacy and practicability of the western developmental model in the Indian context. Key topics of debates and deliberations include: Meeting the aspirations – Infinite desires and finite resources; coal and power surplus – what stops Indian consumers from getting 24x7 power?; transmission challenges and the way forward; smart India – smart energy, smart water, smart transportation, smart security; civil nuclear liability – impact on fresh investments,

Goa, India | September 22–25, 2016

development and mainstreaming of nuclear power; the roadmap and the challenges for solar and wind; and environment: India to meet the energy demands of 1.25 billion people through a low carbon trajectory/ strategy? Some of the eminent participants confirmed so far are: Government: • Mr. Ajay Jain, Secretary (Energy), Govt. of Andhra Pradesh • Mr. Ajoy Mehta, Municipal Commissioner, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai • Mr. Anil Swarup, Secretary, Ministry of Coal, Govt. of India • Mr. Arun Goyal, Addl Secretary, Project Monitoring Group, Prime Minister’s Office •Mr. Kumar Sanjay Krishna, Addl Secretary and Financial Advisor, Ministry of Agriculture Regulators: • Mr. Anand Kumar, Chairman, Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission • Mr. Damitha Kumarasinghe, DG, Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka • Mr. DS Bains, Chairman, Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission • Mr. Desh Deepak Verma, Chairman, Uttar Pradesh State Electricity Regulatory Commission • Mr. KP Singh, Member, Uttarakhand Electricity Regulatory Commission Participants will also get to attend a master class by the IPPAI Regulatory and Policy Research Institute. This session will lay special focus on the regulatory aspects of the power sector and the way forward. IPPAI with support from its Knowledge Partner, Deloitte, will organise the 5th edition of the IPPAI Power Awards on

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September 24, 2016. The Power Awards recognise and reward industry innovation and outstanding performance, and honour the top energy sector contributors throughout India. The event will also see the launch of IPPAI’s knowledge document Powering India in 2017 and Beyond (published by Speaking Tiger Publishing), which sheds light on some of the key issues facing India’s power sector in particular and the energy sector in general. About IPPAI IPPAI was set up as a not-for-pro¬fit association shortly after the Government of India opened the power sector to private industry. Since its inception as an independent body, IPPAI’s aim has been to provide a neutral platform for the examination of issues critical to the development of the power sector in India, to discuss energy policy and to focus on strategic, fi¬nancial, legal, regulatory and technical issues in the power, oil, gas and allied sectors, with a prime focus on independent power producers. As we initiate dialogues within the power sector incorporating environmental and socio-ecological concerns in our deliberations, we look at strategies which are more holistic and do not prescribe economic growth at the cost of the environment. Moving ahead, we are keen to bring a sustainable approach in our policies. For more details, contact: Divya Parthasarathy Assistant Manager – Communications IPPAI Mob: 9650650044 | E: divya@ippaimail.org

MARKET GLANCE

Solar Rooftop Market in India

to Grow at 60% till 2021: TechSci Research TechSci Research in its latest report “India Solar Rooftop Market By State, By End User, By Connectivity, Forecast and Opportunities, 2021” has revealed that with increasing number of government initiatives coupled with favorable policy environment will boost solar rooftop market in India through 2021. India’s solar power potential within the country’s geographical limits is high as majority of the geographical area lies within the tropics. As per the Census of India 2011 and Wasteland Atlas of India 2011, the total solar power capacity in the country stood at 748 GW, which is more than twice of the country’s total installed power capacity. TechSci Research notes that backed by favorable government measures and abundant solar resources, the solar rooftop market in India is expected to grow at a robust pace over the next five years. In order to boost solar power generation in the country, the Government of India has announced various policies and regulations such as Accelerated Depreciation, Capital Subsidies, Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), Net Metering Incentives, Assured Power Purchase Agreement, etc. These schemes have been introduced by the government to reduce the capital expenditure in building a solar power plant, and subsidize solar power generation in order to make it economically viable for the stakeholders involved in the solar power business. With the country’s per capita electricity consumption standing at around 746 Kilowatt hour, which is below the global average, demand for electricity in India is expected to increase over the next five

years on account of continuing economic growth. Government of India is focusing on expanding the renewable based power generation in the country owing to increasing global warming and environmental concerns. The share of renewable power in India’s total installed power generation capacity is estimated to be 13% in 2016, and this share is anticipated to reach 40% by the end of 2030. All these factors point towards robust growth of solar rooftop market in India over the next five years. According to the TechSci, the solar rooftop market in India to grow at a CAGR of over 60% during 2016 - 2021. In India, the solar power market is in its developing stage, and numerous measures are being taken by the government to promote the use of solar energy in the country said the firm. In order to map the solar potential in the country, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), has installed 51 Solar Radiation Resource Assessment (SRRA) in the country to calculate the solar potential.

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Last year, on-grid solar rooftop segment dominated the India solar rooftop market, and the segment is expected to maintain its dominance over the next five years as well-said the research firm. "In India, the total solar power generation capacity increased from around 160 MW in 2010 to more than 6,700 MW in 2016 owing to favorable government initiatives coupled with development in manufacturing technology of solar panels. Improving manufacturing technology has led to reduction in cost of solar panels which has resulted in reduction in cost of solar power generation. With declining cost of solar power and increasingly favorable government policies, solar power industry is expected to witness bright days ahead," said Karan Chechi, Research Director with TechSci Research.

MARKET GLANCE

World Solar Encapsulation Market Opportunities and Forecasts, Research and Markets Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "World Solar Encapsulation Market - Opportunities and Forecasts, 2014 - 2022" report to their offering. The solar encapsulations include various solutions protecting the solar panels used in different type of equipment. It protects the solar panels from various hazards and improves efficiency. The technology solutions are used in order to protect photovoltaic sales in solar panels. The expensive solar panels and equipment are vulnerable to various types of physical and environmental threats. The risk from such threats is minimized due to solar encapsulations. The report would highlight the cost savings and risk optimization due to solar encapsulation solutions. The market growth is expected to be driven by factors such as growing demand for electricity across the world, falling prices of solar equipments, etc. The market is restrained due to expensive solar equipments. However, in future, market would grow due to ready availability of economic solar technology equipments. Solar Encapsulation Market by Materials According to material types, the market is classified into Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA), Polyvinyl Butyral (PVB), Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), Ionomer, Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) and Polyolefin. Polyvinyl (PV) compounds are major composition material needed in manufacturing of encapsulations. Hence, the PV materials dominate the market and they would continue their dominance. Solar Encapsulation Market by Technology From technology perspectives, the market

is broadly classified as per single/poly crystalline silicon solar technology and thin film solar technology. The later one is further categorized into Cadmium Telluride (CdTe), Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) and Amorphous Silicon (aSi). The crystalline silicon polar technology is commonly used in the market. Solar Encapsulation Market by Applications According to application types the market is classified into categories such as construction, electronics, automotive and others. The construction industry applications are driving the market and would continue to dominate the market.

Automotive industry applications would drive the market growth due to demand for sophisticated technologies in the automobile market. Competitive Landscape Companies are adopting product launch strategies with efforts on R&D for targeting potential market segments. For example, STR Holdings has invested large amount of funds in R&D to develop next generation EVA products. Some of the companies present in the market are STR Holdings, Inc., Solutia, DuPont, Hangzhou First PV Material Co. LTD., Dow Corning, Bridgestone, Evasa, Mitsubishi Plastics, Inc., Sanvic Inc. and Cambiosolar.

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INNOVATIONS

Researchers develops Tiny High-Performance Solar Cells that Turns Power Generation Sideways Engineers at the University of Wisconsin— Madison have developed highperformance, micro-scale solar cells that can harvest almost three times more electricity from incoming light as compared to existing technologies. According to the researchers, the miniature solar panels could power myriad personal devices — wearable medical sensors, smartwatches, even autofocusing contact lenses. The new, small cells, described in the journal Advanced Materials Technologies, capture current from charges moving side-to-side, or laterally. They generate significantly more energy than other sideways solar systems said the engineers. New-generation lateral solar cells promise to be the next big thing for compact devices because arranging electrodes horizontally allows engineers to sidestep a traditional solar cell fabrication process: the arduous task of perfectly aligning multiple layers of the cell’s material atop one another. Hongrui Jiang, a UW–Madison professor of electrical and computer engineering and corresponding author on the paper in a statement said “From a fabrication

point of view, it is always going to be easier to make side-by-side structures,” he further added “Top-down structures need to be made in multiple steps and then aligned, which is very challenging at small scales.” Lateral solar cells also offer engineers greater flexibility in materials selection. Top-down photovoltaic cells are made up of two electrodes surrounding a semiconducting material. When light touches the top surface, charge travels through the filling to the bottom layer and creates electric current. In the top-down arrangement, one layer needs to do two jobs: It must let in light and transmit charge. Therefore, the material for one electrode in a typical solar cell must be not only highly transparent, but also electrically conductive. And very few substances perform both tasks well. The engineers created a densely packed, side-by-side array of miniature electrodes on top of transparent glass. The resulting structure — akin to an entire loaf of bread’s worth of solar-cell sandwiches standing up sideways on a clear plate — separates light-harvesting and chargeconducting functions between the two

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components. Existing top-of the-line lateral newgeneration solar cells convert merely 1.8 percent of incoming light into useful electricity. Jiang’s group nearly tripled that measure, achieving up to 5.2 percent efficiency. “In other structures, a lot of volume goes wasted because there are no electrodes or the electrodes are mismatched,” said Jiang. “The technology we developed allows us to make very compact lateral structures that take advantage of the full volume.” Packing so many electrodes into such a small volume boosted the devices’ “fill factors,” a metric related to the maximum attainable power, voltage and current. The structures realized fill factors up to 0.6 — more than twice the demonstrated maximum for other lateral new-generation solar cells. Jiang and colleagues are working to make their solar cells even smaller and more efficient by exploring materials that further optimize transparency and conductivity. Ultimately they plan to develop a small-scale, flexible solar cell that could provide power to an electrically tunable contact lens.

PRODUCTS

Ascent Solar launches Kickr 7FL and Kickr 10FL, lightest consumer solar chargers Ascent Solar Technologies has launched Kickr 7FL and Kickr 10FL consumer solar chargers, at Outdoor Retailer in August 2016 in addition to the new EnerPlex Explor and EnerPlex Packr BC. The company is touting Kickr 7FL and Kickr 10FL as the world's lightest consumer solar chargers. The company also launched EnerPlex Explor 67, the brand's first battery designed specifically for the outdoors, carrying an IP67 rating and the EnerPlex Packr BC, a first of its kind solar charger, designed from the ground up for backpackers. EnerPlex at Outdoor Retailer Summer 2016 Highlights: Kickr 7FL & 10FL: Engineered with Ascent's CIGS Solar-on-Plastic technology and a

completely redesigned encapsulation process. According to the company the new Kickr Featherlight family is over 50% lighter than previous Kickr solar chargers. Packr BC: The first solar charger ever designed with the backpacker specifically in mind, the 10 watt EnerPlex Packr BC is engineered to clasp and hug tightly to

technical backpacks, ensuring superior charge performance while on the move. Explor 67: The first EnerPlex battery product to carry an IP67 rating, made to repel damage from dust and water - the EnerPlex Explor 67 was constructed with the avid outdoorsman specifically in mind.

Steca introduces new inverter range Steca has launched two new coolcept3 inverters in the German market. According to the company the new generation will provide significantly higher output, while not costing more than the predecessor models. The company has replaced two inverters with a significantly higher output version in each case. Specifically, the StecaGrid 4803 and StecaGrid 5503 models are replaced with the StecaGrid 5003 and StecaGrid 6003. With the latest modules, which have the highest output it is now possible to

incorporate more output in one string, in other words, in a series connection of modules said Steca in a statement.. The new, higher output coolcept3 inverters StecaGrid 5003 and StecaGrid 6003 inverters donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cost more than their predecessors, while at the same time providing a great deal more power. Both models will be available to order in Germany, those who want the predecessor model should order by 31 October, when the ordering period for the StecaGrid 4803 and StecaGrid 5503models will expire.

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