EDITOR
MANAS NANDI
Editorial@saurenergy.com Sr. Journalist
SANTANU MUKHERJEE
santanu@saurenergy.com
ASSOCIATE EDITOR NILOY BANERJEE
niloy@saurenergy.com
TECHNICAL EDITOR RAHUL SETHI
rahul@saurenergy.com
FEATURE SPECIALIST LAIQUE KHAN
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MANAGER MARKETING HEMANT ARORA
hemant@saurenergy.com
DESIGN HEAD
ABHISHEK GUPTA
WEB DEVELOPMENT MANAGER JITENDER KUMAR
WEB PRODUCTION BALVINDER SINGH
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EDITORIAL CONTETNT 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 Internationalis 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.
I
ndia is a country with tremendous potential to generate power from Sun. At a time when India has half of top 20 most polluted cities in the world, we need to re-think our strategies for energy production. Coal or Gas based power generation adds to these numbers. Nuclear has its share of problems. Grid does not reach the entire length and breadth of our country. So Solar is the most viable answer to this problem as of now. The Indian government is truly trying to increase solar energy production and has set a target which looks very ambitious. Also, lots of incentive schemes have been announced for business as well as consumers. So Far so good. Complementing the value of ideas and innovation, the solar industry is on the right shoes to match the energy potential of India. Marking the day as a new literary invention for the global energy sector, the emblem is to match and congregate the media with the quantum growing industry. To believe in the word with “What’s said is to be apprehended with Literature” – this B2B journey will evade the novice understanding of print and evolve as an innovative platform in a contemporary architect. The issue today is the gap that industry and consumer's face, is flow of information which is clear and concise. To abridge this gap SAUR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL will bring all the latest happenings in the world of Solar. It's a concentrated dose of News, Views, Innovation, Products, Opinions and also brings together the think-tankers in one place for the pragmatic vision of 'India Turning Solar'. There is much more for you in this issue to indulge and enjoy. Happy reading!
MANAS NANDI
manas@saurenergy.com
4 l SAUR ENERGY l MAY 2016
,
NATIONAL NEWS
CLP likely to enter Indian solar market with purchase of 100 MW of solar power project from Suzlon CLP India is reportedly in talk with wind energy giant Suzlon to buy 100MW of PV projects. Early this year in January Suzlon made its maiden entry into the solar space winning tender for 210 MW of projects in the state of Telangana. The 210 MW of project includes one project of 100 MW, one of 50 MW and four of 15 MW each. CLP’s Indian subsidiary is negotiating the deal with Suzlon which is planning to develop the plants before selling them to energy companies. This business model of the company is similar to the one it has for its wind farms in the country. Suzlon is expected to commission the PV project in year 2016-17 in Telangana.
India will add 10,500 MW solar power in the current fiscal: Piyush Goyal
New & Renewable Energy Minister Piyush Goyal at Concentrated Solar and Solar Cooker Excellence Awards said India will achieve the target of adding 10,500 MW of solar power generation capacity in the current fiscal. Goyal Said “the way things are progressing in the solar energy sector,
we will definitely achieve our target. Solar energy is economically viable.” India has set an ambitious target of adding one lakh MW of solar power generation capacity by 2022 which is five times more than the earlier target of 20,000 MW under National Solar Mission.
Rays Power Infra forays into north India with Opex Model-Rays Solar Kart
Propagating renewable energy usage and roof top Solar PV, Rays Power Infra forays into north India with its Opex Model-Rays Solar Kart. To begin with Rays Power will endorse Roof Top Solar PV in Delhi and Jaipur region. The company takes on the responsibility of inculcating the significance of roof top solar PV. Rays Power in a statement said it is an intelligent and the most viable option to accelerate the growth of solar power sector and fulfill the growing demand and supply gap in the power sector in India. MAY 2016 l SAUR ENERGY l 7
NATIONAL NEWS
Indian Railways proposes to harness 1000 MW solar and 150MW wind energy by 2020 Indian Railways has proposed to harness 1000 Mega Watt (MW) solar and 150 MW wind energy by the year 2020. Minister of State for Railways, Manoj Sinha in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha said “a total of about 50 MW renewable energy capacity has been installed till date including approximately 11 MW solar power & 37 MW wind power. Additionally, installation of 6.5 MW is in progress and for about 50 MW solar capacities. Request For Qualification (RFQ) has been issued by Zonal Railways.”
SECI invites bids for 500 MW tender, prompts rooftop solar revolution
Azure Power commissions 88MW solar power plants across three states
A Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited invites bids for Implementation of 500 MW Grid Connected Roof Top Solar PV System Scheme in different states of India that will double the country’s green energy capacity and can trigger more such projects. Bids for 500 MW of projects will open on June 3, 2016. Bidders should submit their bid proposal online complete in all aspect on or before last date of Bid submission as mentioned on ETS Portal of TCIL. Rooftop solar plants save transmission costs and supply energy where it is generated. It is economically viable for consumers because of cheaper supply compared to what commercial institutions pay to distribution companies for electricity from the grid.
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zure Power has announced its commissioning of solar power plants in three states across the country. The projects include a 50 MW plant in Andhra Pradesh, two plants of total capacity of 28 MW plant in Punjab and a 10 MW plant in Karnataka. These plants, connected to the respective state grids, are part of Azure Power’s 900+ MW portfolio in 15 states, which includes the country’s largest operational solar plant of 100 MW under India’s National Solar Mission in Rajasthan. The company in a statement said Punjab plants were commissioned in a record
period of less than ten months from the signing of the Power Purchase Agreement. Speaking on this occasion, Inderpreet Wadhwa, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Azure Power said, “We are delighted to make this contribution towards realization of our Honorable Prime Minister’s commitment towards clean and green energy, through solar power generation."
NATIONAL NEWS
PM Modi launches
U .S. and Indian solar market to grow at triple-digit rates: GTM Research
GTM Research in its recently released Q2 2016 Global Solar Demand Monitor predicts slowdown in several large markets – China, Japan and the U.K , while two other key markets – U.S. and India will grow at triple-digit rates. The company in its report citing an 11% reduction in feed-in tariff levels and high rates of curtailment revealed that the Chinese and Japanese market will decline by 5% and 12% respectively. In 2016, China will retain its top spot but its share will fall to 26% because of a demand spike in the U.S. tied to the Investment Tax Credit there says the report. In spite of declines in what was the biggest solar market, the report is expecting much bigger gains for Indian and US markets.
solar-powered
11 e-boats in Varanasi
PM Narendra Modi has launched the country’s first solar powered e-boats on Sunday in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi. Modi reached Varanasi’s Assi Ghat to launch the e-boat service. Its the same venue where he launched Clean India campaign couple of years back along river Ganga. PM distributed 11 e-boats to their owners and took a brief ride on an e-boat in the River Ganga, before arriving at the dais to address the gathering at Assi Ghat.
SkyPower appoints Sterling and Wilson to Build 350 MW of Solar projects in India SkyPower and Indian solar engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company Sterling and Wilson has signed agreements for the EPC and operation and maintenance (O&M) of SkyPower’s recently awarded 350 MW (AC) solar projects to be built in India. The construction of the seven 50 MW projects, 150 MW in Madhya Pradesh and 200 MW in Telangana to commence in Q3-Q4 of 2016. “SkyPower continues to lead by example and by action. The signing of these EPC and O&M agreements with Sterling and Wilson is an important milestone toward the timely execution of our awarded projects and fulfillment of our commitment to generating a brighter future for India through developing clean solar power,” said SkyPower’s President and Chief Executive Officer Kerry Adler.
MAY 2016 l SAUR ENERGY l 9
NATIONAL NEWS
Tata Power to raise share of its renewable energy output from its earlier target of
20% to 30-40% by 2025
Tata Power has decided to raise share of its renewable energy output from its earlier target of 20%, to 30-40% by 2025. Currently the company has working capacity of 9,156 MW which include 693 MW of hydel, 593 MW of wind and 60 MW of solar sources. Tata Power managing director and chief executive Anil Sardana said “the government has set an ambitious target of 175 GW renewable energy capacities by 2022. We have set a target of 20,000 MW of total capacity by 2025 and had initially set a target of 20% of it from the renewable sources.” He further added “the company has now decided to increase the share of renewal capacity up to 30-40% by 2025, which will mostly be led by solar power.” “Though solar is a very small part in our total portfolio, it will increase significantly over the period as the government is expected to bid out large scale projects to meet its target. For wind, on the other hand, we will continue to look at opportunities as and when they come,” said Sardana. To increase the renewable energy capacity the company is looking at both organic as well as inorganic growth for the same. 10 l SAUR ENERGY l MAY 2016
Ecoppia to begin mass production of E4 robots at facility near Chennai, India Ecoppia has inked a deal with Sanmina Corp to begin mass production of their E4 robots at a new, state-ofthe-art facility near Chennai, India. With the rapid growth of the solar industry in India, Ecoppia has witnessed increase in demand for its E4 technology which can clean an entire solar site in just a few hours; keeping solar energy production at peak efficiency. The deal between Ecoppia and new OEM partner Sanmina Corp, will see the majority of Ecoppia’s production move to India. “We’ve seen demand grow across the board in 2015 – but India remains our top market and the natural choice for us to build a state-of-the-art production facility,” said Eran Meller, CEO of Ecoppia. “To do that we needed a strong partner, one that could help scale up production quickly. With Sanmina as our OEM, there’s no doubt we’re moving into a very strong market position. “
SkyPower seeking local partners for India solar projects
Canada based solar power firm SkyPower is looking for local partners for its India solar projects. The firm has hired Greenstone Energy Advisors to act as interface with the interested parties and filter, on behalf of the company. SkyPower CEO Kerry Adler Speaking to a publication said
that the company has entered every single market they are in today after choosing local partner; in India too they are looking for local partner to help the firm with local expertise and boost the company’s abilities. Last year the firm bagged contracts to set up three solar plants in MP of 50 MW each at tariffs of Rs 5.05, Rs 5.11and Rs 5.30 per kw and four 200 MW solar power plant in Telangana. The company hopes to set up 18,000 MW of solar capacity in India in the next six years said Adler.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
SolarWorld’s groupwide shipments increased by 62 percent in Q1 of 2016 S
olarWorld has revealed that its groupwide shipments have increased by 62 percent in Q1 of 2016, compared to previous year’s quarter. A total of 341 MW was shipped in Q1, up from 210 MW of last year. Shipments grew strongly in the United States, Germany and in European export markets. Further the company also won orders for large-scale projects, for example in Sri Lanka, France and the United States. Consolidated revenue increased to € 212.6 (Q1 2015:
149.1) million in the first three months of the year. The company in a statment said that due to improvements in its operating performance, SolarWorld was able to keep its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) almost stable at € 2.1 (Q1 2015: 2.9) million, although currency results were € 13.3 million below previous year’s quarter. If EBITDA was adjusted by this effect, it would amount to € 6.9 (Q1 2015:- 5.6) million.
Frisky plans of France to outfit the Renewable Goal
GE to provide 220-megawatt (MW) LV5 Series solar inverters for DEWA’s solar project GE has confirmed that it will provide 220-megawatt (MW) LV5 Series solar inverters for Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s (DEWA) solar project in Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. DEWA’s solar project is considered a breakthrough for the solar industry, as the DEWA power purchase contract with ACWA Power had been signed at one of the lowest prices globally of 5.84 US cents/watt without subsidies, making solar power much more competitive compared to other energy sources. DEWA released a request for the Expression of Interest (EOI) for the 800MW third phase of the solar park on 8 September 2015 and received 95
EOI responses from international solar organizations between 8—29 September 2015. DEWA requested companies submit their requests for qualification before November 2015. This was followed by a Request for Proposals (RFP) to qualified bidders on 28 December 2015. GE has partnered with Spanish engineering, procurement and construction company TSK. to arrange the shipments of the central inverters,
France is taking strategic leads to spur its renewable energy goals and also sought commitments to be the first country to issue “green bonds” encouraging green energy. Recently, French President Francois Hollande has also asserted that that the country’s oldest nuclear power plant, Fessenheim which sits near the German and Swiss borders would be closed. Also at the conference, Environment Minister Segolene Royal said a roadmap for France’s energy transition up to 2023 would be published on 27th April, with higher objectives than initially planned. MAY 2016 l SAUR ENERGY l 11
INTERNATIONAL NEWS AWS Truepower acquires the energyrelated forecasting assets of MESO
AWS Truepower
announces acquisition of energy-related forecasting assets from its long-term partner MESO, Inc. AWS Truepower collaborated with MESO Inc. for years to provide wind and solar power forecasting services for the utility and renewable energy industries around the world. With this partnership, AWS Truepower has become the top wind and solar forecaster in North America, with forecasts being provided for over 50,000 MW of capacity.
Government has sanctioned 32 solar parks of 19,400 MW capacities in 20 states so far
M
odi Government is encouraging use of waste land for installation of solar power plants and setting up of solar parks is a step in that direction. Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal & New and Renewable Energy in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha said under the scheme 32 solar parks
of 19,400 MW capacities have been sanctioned in 20 states so far. The Minister further stated that a solar capacity of 20,000 MW has been targeted under the existing solar park scheme, including use of waste land. Total target for gird connected solar power plants is 60,000 MW by 2022.
JinkoSolar 1500-Volt Eagle Modules are now available for delivery in North America JinkoSolar has announced that its 1500-volt Eagle PV modules, manufactured with its strategic partner DuPont’s Tedlar polyvinyl fluoride (PVF) film-based backsheets, have received UL1703 certification by Underwriters Laboratories (UL). Soon after the certification, the modules have been made available for use in solar energy installations across North America. The company in a statement notes that now when the modules are in the market, the company will be able to meet the growing demand for highervoltage systems, which lower overall costs, reduce leveled cost of energy, and enable a better return on investment. JinkoSolar’s 1500-volt Eagle modules passed potential induced degradation tests at 85 degrees Celsius and 85% relative humidity and are protected by DuPont Tedlar PVF film-based backsheets.
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Construction Machinery Giant
Caterpillar forays into the Solar Storage and Microgrid Business
C
aterpillar – a known name in construction machinery and generators has forayed into the storage and microgrid markets which combine solar PV and energy storage with the company’s power generation equipment. Bringing along a years of experience in power generation –both in provider of generators and power projects, the company has acceptably sneaked into the storage and microgrid market. Cat Microgrid Technology is available in a range from 10kW to 100MW of modular solutions. It can be configured to include thin-film solar panels, Caterpillar generator sets and a selection of energy storage technologies, including ultracapacitors and lithium-ion batteries. Last month, Lockheed Martin entered the storage market with a push into lithiumion batteries and plans to commercialize a new flow battery design. Lockheed Martin joined the ranks of companies such as ABB, General Electric, LG
Tekno Ray Solar commissions 18.5-MW PV power facility in Konya, Turkey Tekno Ray Solar has inaugurated first stage of Turkey’s largest PV power plant with a total power capacity of 22.5 MW. The company has commissioned first 18.5-MW phase of the 22.5-MW photovoltaic (PV) power facility in Konya province, which will meet the electricity demand of more than 20,000 households. The plant located on a 430,000-square-meter plot of land in Konya consists of over 74,000 solar PV modules supplied by China’s Yingli Green Energy Holding Co Ltd and inverters made by Germany’s SMA Solar Technology. The total cost of the project is estimated at around $22 million. Tekno Group CEO Altay Coşkunoğlu said “the Konya Kızören Solar Power Plant is the biggest of its kind of Turkey. We believe that solar energy will grow rapidly in our country,” he further added “moreover, solar power technology does not harm the natural environment.”
Chem, Panasonic, Samsung and Tesla Motors in the storage market. Caterpillar’s entry into the microgrid market is known to build on the strategic alliance the company formed just over one year ago with First Solar.
Vishay Intertechnology introduces new 650 V EF Series devices
Vishay Intertechnology has expanded its portfolio of fast body diode n-channel power MOSFETs with the launch of new 650 V EF Series devices. The 650 V EF Series devices include the Vishay Siliconix SiHx21N65EF, SiHx28N65EF and SiHG33N65EF, which according to the company will provide additional voltage headroom for industrial, telecom and renewable energy applications when needed. The 650 V fast body diode MOSFETs built on E Series superjunction technology feature a 10x lower reverse recovery charge (Qrr) than standard MOSFETs. This allows the devices to block the full breakdown voltage more quickly, helping to avoid failure from shoot-through and thermal overstress and increasing reliability in zero voltage switching (ZVS) / soft switching topologies such as phase-shifted bridges, LLC converters, and 3-level inverters. MAY 2016 l SAUR ENERGY l 13
COVER STORY
How
&
MICRO-CONVERTERS
Help Solar Panels Make Hay
14 l SAUR ENERGY l MAY 2016
&
COVER STORY
POWER OPTIMIZERS
When The Sun Doesn’t Shine
E
verybody wants to get maximum benefit out of their purchase. And the want applies only too well for solar panels. Producing electricity using unconventional sources like sun, wind, geothermal or biogas hasn’t been an easy task. Apart from innovating on surface materials that convert these kinds of sources into electric current, there’s a host of circuitry backing it that “cleans”
- Rahul Sethi
and “improves” the output, allowing it to be used like normal electricity. Unconventional sources are irregular in nature and can create generation issues that drag down the performance of the whole system; or sometimes even render the output useless. A peculiar problem of this kind bugs the solar panel systems when sunlight is shaded due to a number of reasons – clouds, birds and animals, dirt,
vegetation cover or various others. This affects the output derived from non-shaded regions as well, reducing the total output drastically. But fortunately, advancements in electronics have been dealing with this matter more and more cost effectively. From converting DC electricity to AC on individual panel, to getting just the MPPT done, solar generation is getting smarter at dodging the shade.
MAY 2016 l SAUR ENERGY l 15
COVER STORY
What happens when a panel is shaded?
D
epending upon various factors, a PV panel generates anywhere between 4V-20V or even more. So, on an average, 12V panels are connected in series to get more voltage from the system. In series, voltage is additive and current remains the same. Ten 12V, 3A panels can generate 120V at 3A. But if one panel goes out of order, the whole system will stop generating electricity. In parallel, the voltage remains same but current is additive. The same arrangement would produce 30A at 12V. Due to the power being produced at lower voltage, this arrangement is not preferable. But electricity generated from the panel is highly irregular. In shaded conditions, the resistance of panel increases, lowering the output of the overall
system. This is also termed as shifting of the Maximum Power Point to a lower value. This is generally applied to a series arrangement, which is not the best way to get maximum power out a PV system. A slight change in output of one cell can bring down the power of the whole system. Even 10% of area experiencing shade can bring down the total output of the system to half. Moreover, it is difficult to add modules to your system later if you wish to increase its capacity. A new module introduced in the system must have same current rating as the others in the string (they obviously would all be having the same rating) for the system to work efficiently. Remember, it’s always the current and voltage ratings that matter while you are increasing the capacity, not the wattage.
What is the solution of this problem?
P
ower generated by a PV panel is very similar to one released by a battery. It can be sent to grid, used to charge a battery or split for both, but only after it is fed to a charge controller. In the first case (whole power applied to battery), instead of collecting the power at one end and feeding the inverter, small micro inverters are placed on individual panels. During shaded conditions, the output of a panel changes. To sense this change, a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) system changes the load connected to the PV system, optimizing the net output and
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increasing it by upto 20%. Micro inverters have Maximum Power Point tracking (MPPT) ability built in, and automatically vary the load that the panel “sees” to maximize output indvidually. If, with the micro-inverter circuitry, MPPT is applied to all panels. Power from each panel can be optimized individually before serving the connected load. But with the micro inverters deployed for every panel this will result in too much circuitry to be deployed in a large scale setup, increasing the cost and complexity of the system. If only the MPPT could be separately applied, micro inverters won’t be needed for each panel.
COVER STORY
POWER OPTIMIZER P
ower optimizers have become increasingly popular with the solar and wind electricity generation systems. They maximize the power output of a system without much increase in its initial cost. Power optimizers are DC to DC converters. They are similar to micro inverters as they isolate the panels, eliminating the effect of any individual panel’s efficiency on the whole system. Marketed as smart modules, they are a solar panel embedded with a power optimizer at its back (or in the junction box). Only MPP tracking systems are mounted on the solar panels to track and optimize their output in DC. All the panels are connected in parallel to minimize any effect of shade; alternatively a number of series-connected strings put in a parallel combination, if the number of panels is more than a certain count. The output is collectively sent to a central DC-to-AC converter. To bring down the cost, this hybrid system is an alternative that keeps the micro inverter out of picture. Optimizing generation in shaded conditions by 25%, this method brings down the per-watt generation cost of system by 20% compared to that claimed by micro-inverter technology.
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MOUNTING MANTRA
T
NEW AGE ROOF
he solar panels work best when they receive sunlight for a longer period of time they are mounted at an optimal tilt and should face southwards. Today rooftops provide you the opportunity to turn unused space into an energy-producing, cost-cutting asset. There are several ways to mount solar panels to maximize solar exposure and energy production. With technology advancement the rooftop mounting has become hassle-free. The solar panels are mounted on specially-designed racks to secure them in place as per structural and safety requirements. If the wind speeds are high in a state, one has to set up systems which can withstand a three-second burst of 90 mile-per-hour wind.
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The panels placed on roof are fixed in place to their racking system at an optimized angle so that it can gather most direct sunlight available. Ideally, a building in India facing southwards should receive at least 5-6 hours of sunlight in winter. More solar power can be achieved by ensuring that there are no
obstructions within a 45-60 degree arc on either side of true south. When installing rooftop solar panels structural integrity should be given prime importance. You may face several problems if systems are attached poorly to the structure or if the building is not able to withstand the weight of the system. Joe Byles, an aerospace
MOUNTING MANTRA
TOP MOUNTING engineer has developed a nonpenetrating, sloped-roof solar mounting system for asphalt shingle roofs which may bring far-reaching benefits to the solar industry if commercialized. The system developed by Texas-based inventor is expected to remove the need to penetrate a roof as possibility of leaks is a key concern among homeowners. He built several prototypes each with different polymer and ballast combinations and used everything from high-power leaf blowers to mounting small sections on his truck driving at 100 mph on backroads to check the performance. The result was a ballasted friction plate connected to a solar
panel with L-shaped feet, the friction plates with a 3/16-in. thick, semi-rigid material looks like mouse-pad. The material uses a cross-linked polymer which is non-flammable and weighs about 6 lb/sqft without a solar panel. Using plates, users can install solar panels in seconds, without any need for roof penetrations. You can manage wires with clips and bonding pins to keep the system grounded. Byles solar mounting system can withstand wind, fire and loading – shows his in-house tests. “You have the shingle, and then you have the cross-linked polymer with a cell structure to it so when you increase the weight or wind pressure on it, it moves a little bit, but the cell structure is designed as such that it make the bond stronger,” said Blyes. The
friction plate remains intact on rooftop like lizard stays attached to a vertical window. Blyes’s polymer material comes with an expanded cell structure which represents a composite surface area much greater than the apparent area the friction plate is covering. When asked ‘will heavy rain weaken the bond’? Byles said that nothing would happen because it’s an open cellular structure and rain can move through the cells without disturbing the intimacy between roofing material and polymer. The system without added material and labor costs for roof penetrations would also reduce costs and length of ROI. The best part of Byles’s system is that if you are planning to sell your house or re-roof you can simply lift each panel off the roof, just the way you set it down.
MAY 2016 l SAUR ENERGY l 19
INNOVATION
Solar Cell Efficiency Questions Finally Find an Answer
The enigmatic material – spiro-OMeTAD has been cloak-and-dagger for around two decades. Despite research efforts,the utility of this material has constrained till hole-transporting material in perovskite and dye-sensitized solar cells. But latest study has resurrected the potential of spiro-OMeTAD determining the future of solar cells. This time, a team has grown single crystals of the pure material, and in doing so, they have made the surprising discovery that spiro-OMeTAD’s single-crystal structure has a hole mobility that is three orders of magnitude greater than that of its thin-film form (which is currently used in solar cells). In the new study, the researchers have found out a way to grow pure single crystals of spiro-OMeTAD by dissolving the spiro-OMeTAD in a carefully chosen solvent. They then placed this vial inside a larger vial containing an antisolvent, in which spiro-OMeTAD does not dissolve as well, and allowed the antisolvent vapor to slowly diffuse into the inner vial. Eventually the solution in the inner vial becomes supersaturated, so that not all of the spiro-OMeTAD can stay dissolved, causing the spiro-OMeTAD to crystallize. The researchers then performed a variety of measurements on the crystals to investigate their charge transport mechanisms and other properties. “This reports are a major breakthrough for the fields of perovskite and solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells by finally clarifying the potential performance of the material and showing that improving the crystallinity of the hole transport layer is the key strategy for
20 l SAUR ENERGY l MAY 2016
further breakthroughs in device engineering of these solar cells,” Osman Bakr, a professor of engineering at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia and leader of the study, told Phys.org. The findings suggest that, at least in the short term, the time-consuming process of designing and synthesizing radically new organic hole conductors as replacements to spiro-OMeTAD is not mandatory. Generally, perovskite solar cells and dye-sensitized solar cells are made of three critical layers. Two of these layers—the electron-transporting layer and the light-absorbing layer—are well-understood structurally. However, the mesoscale packing structure of the hole-transporting layer, which is usually spiro-OMeTAD, has so far eluded researchers, and consequently its charge transport mechanisms have remained a mystery. Making this revolutionary breakthrough, the method used here to grow single crystals cannot be performed at a large scale, the researchers predict that similar methods that use an antisolvent to trigger crystallization could be used to enhance the crystallinity of the thin-layer spiro-OMeTAD, improving its hole mobility in order to make more efficient solar cells. Further commenting on the development, Bakr said, “These astonishing findings open a new direction for the development of perovskite solar cells and dye-sensitized solar cells by showing the still untapped potential of spiro-OMeTAD.” “They unravel a key mystery that has confounded the photovoltaic community for the last 17 years”, added Bakr.
INNOVATION
This new material keep SOLAR CELLS cool while still CATCHING LIGHTS Solar cells turn sunlight into electricity, but they’re only about 20 percent efficient. Much of the leftover energy turns into heat, which actually harms the solar cell. Researchers at Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA have come out with a technology to keep the solar cells cool. The team has developed a new material that can cool a solar cell by up to 13° Celsius (C) and the cooling layer is expected to help solar cells turn approximately 1 percent more sunlight into electricity. The cooler temperatures also mean the solar cells will likely last longer due to greatly reduced efficiency degradation rates. The researchers will present their results at the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO), which is held 5-10 June in San Jose, California. “What’s unique about our work is that we
demonstrate radiative cooling while preserving the amount of solar absorption,” said Linxiao Zhu, a graduate student in the research group of electrical engineering professor Shanhui Fan. According to the researchers new material keeps the solar cell cooler even as the solar cell absorbs the same amount of sunlight. They have achieved the combination of cooling plus maintaining sunlight absorption with a wafer made of silica, a colorless mineral found naturally as quartz. Researchers etched tapered holes, about 6 micrometers across and 10 micrometers deep, in the wafer. The holes are designed to smooth the path the thermal radiation takes to escape. The presentation, “Radiative cooling of solar absorbers using a transparent photonic crystal thermal blackbody,” will take place on 9 June 2016 in San Jose, California, USA.
MAY 2016 l SAUR ENERGY l 215
FOCUS
S
olar Energy is no more a technology of words-selling, in recent times it has driven the power and related technology market delivering power access to millions of alternative exigency. Though, hinder of shaded areas and slender rooftop spaces have back-footed many potential buyers to turn into the solar evolution. To answer all the glitches, smart modules-level power electronics has emerged as a big time application for solar panels. The applications and benefits of this technology is affluent today - as, in the past few years, a wide range of PV module makers have unveiled and integrated “smart� and AC modules. These incorporate electronics to maximize output, and in the case of AC modules additionally integrate a microinverter into the module.
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SMART Is India
FOCUS
MODULES to reign the
Solar Dynasty
on the Edge? - Niloy Banerjee
MAY 2016 l SAUR ENERGY l 23
FOCUS
Smart Module- A New Dimensions for Solar
S
mart solar modules are inherited by adopting module-level power electronics (MLPE), no matter embedded or attached to the module, which offers the module-level maximum power point tracking (MPPT), user-friendly monitoring and enhanced safety. The ultimate goal of the solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation is to achieve grid parity while providing an infinite of energy. Smart modules integrate high performance monocrystalline or polycrystalline cells with intelligent technologies such as the current-bypass technology of power optimizers. With this additional layer of power electronics in place, smart modules enable the design of systems
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in configurations not previously possible—multiple module tilts, various orientations, etc. — eliminating the negative effects of shading. Additionally, because the module and smart technologies are shipped as one unit, installers benefit from shorter installation times. The smart solar modules are adopting module-level power electronics, which are the microinverter and power optimizer currently available, to maximize the power output of a solar system. Today, approximately two out of every three residential systems in the United States integrates a MLPE solution – analysts witnesses global market will balloon 5 GW installed by 2017.
FOCUS
Benefits and Applications The MLPE market comprises of micro inverter technologies as well as DC power optimizer technologies. These products enable PV systems to overcome performance challenges coming from module mismatch, caused by a number of common factors including variances in module tolerance, partial shading, soiling and/or uneven aging. Through maximum power point (MPP) tracking at the module level, MLPE products mitigate mismatch effects and allow each module to operate at their maximum power levels. By eliminating any electrical reason to decrease the size of a PV system, MLPE technologies help designers to install more modules on the rooftop. Micro inverter technologies replicate the inverter completely at the module level, power optimizers only deploy a minimal amount of electronics on the rooftop to handle the MPP tracking and DC to DC conversion, leveraging a centrally located inverter at the end of the string. The benefit
of this approach is that installers can reduce the hardware on the rooftop improving reliability and slashing costs. Power optimizers can also be used in a fixed-voltage mode where the inverter determines current draw based on a predefined voltage target. The optimizers will all lock in on the same current value and deliver the remainder of the power as voltage. This advanced mode of operation means that string length is no longer determined by voltage but is now determined by power. The benefit is string lengths that are boosted by 60% in residential systems and by over 4-times in commercial systems. An added benefit is that inverter manufacturers can design inverters to accept voltages at the optimal level for DC to AC conversion reducing the need for DC boosters and other internal components. These reduced parts lead to lower cost products. Fixed voltage mode is the secret sauce for how SolarEdge’s inverters and optimizers function.
Market and Future Today many big players have inked their names in providing high-rel products; GTM Research finds that this share is set to increase. The research firm expects smart and AC module shipments to grow from 73 MW in 2014 to 1 GW in 2020, a roughly 14-fold increase. Due to declining costs, the firm is predicting that revenues in the sector will rise a mere 9-fold, from $70 million in 2014 to $603 million in 2020. GTM Research goes back to the start for estimating this technologies market potentials and growth rate. Flurried by premium products have commanded much higher prices, and GTM Research says that this is part of what needs to change for broader adoption. The research firm cites high product markups from vendors, but also distributors having difficulty selling the value proposition of extra features, as well as providing customer support. With more of these fully embedded solutions on the market, the research company expects prices to witness a significant downfall. Moskowitz says that with lower prices a number of
advantages, including simplifying labor, elimination of redundancy and lower overall costs will come to be more appreciated. Reports also assert that a part of the growth of AC and smart modules will come from growing acceptance of module-level power electronics (MLPE). The company finds a total MLPE market of 1.3 GW in 2014, and is forecasting that the sector will see a 39% average annual growth rate through 2020. However, GTM expects that smart and AC modules will grow a quantum rate in comparison to the overall MLPE market accumulating a 7% in total growth by 2020 from present scenario. Lastly, till date the adoption has been thwarted by high product additional overhead prices touted by smart and AC module vendors and distributors that had difficulty selling the module-level power electronics (MLPE) value proposition and gaining customer instincts. Though report says that maturity in the market and new product rollouts will leverage these markups to fall causing cheap module integration for the adopters.
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NATIONAL EVENTS
Event
Venue
Country
Start Date
End Date
2nd SMART CITIES INDIA 2016 EXPO
Pragati Maidan, New Delhi
India
11/05/2016
13/05/2016
www.smartcitiesindia.com
POWER-GEN India & Central Asia 2016
New Delhi
India
18/05/2016
20/05/2016
www.indiapowerevents.com
Renewable Energy India Expo (REI)
India Expo Center, Greater Noida.
India
07/09/2016
09/09/2016
www.ubmindia.in/renewable_energy
4th Elektrotec 2016
CODISSIA Trade Fair Complex Coimbatore
India
15/09/2016
18/09/2016
www.elektrotec.codissia.com
Bombay INTERSOLAR Exhibition Centre (BEC), INDIA 2016 Mumbai
India
19/10/2016
21/09/2016
www.intersolar.in
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Website
INTERNATIONAL EVENTS
Event
Venue
Country
Solartech Indonesia 2016
Jakarta
Indonesia
Green Energy Asia 2016
Kuala Lumpur
SNEC PV POWER EXPO 2016
Start Date
End Date
Website
18/05/2016
20/05/2016
www.solartech-exhibition.net
Malaysia
23/05/2016
25/05/2016
www.greenenergyasia.org
Shanghai
China
23/05/2016
26/05/2016
www.snec.org.cn
Turkish Energy & Infrastructure Expo
Istanbul
Turkey
24/05/2016
25/05/2016
www.greenworldconferences.com/tel2015
Renewable Energy Asia 2016
Bangkok
Thailand
01/06/2016
04/06/2016
www.renewableenergy-asia.com
Intersolar Europe 2016
Munich
Germany
22/06/2016
24/06/2016
www.intersolar.de
Intersolar North America 2016
San Francisco, California
USA
12/07/2016
14/07/2016
www.intersolar.us
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POLICY
DELHI S lar P licy
O
Government of India has set a target of 100 GW of solar energy generation in India by 2022, of which 40 GW is spectated for rooftops. The Delhi government on 10th September 2015 released a solar policy draft that would remain valid till 2020. Delhi is well positioned to lead India’s rooftop solar revolution and has consequently established solar generation targets of 1 GW by 2020 (4.2% of energy consumed) and 2.0 GW by 2025 (6.6% of energy consumed). With a target of 1 GW, the solar policy is ought to drive the market estimated 150 times in the next five years. Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Management Centre (EE&REM) will act as the Nodal agency responsible for implementation of the policy. Delhi is quite a small state and have low potential for wind or hydro power so the policy had to be rooftop solar focused. The state is blessed with almost 300
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sunny days and the rooftop space available for solar panels is estimated to be 31 km2, giving Delhi a solar energy potential of 2.5 GW (annually approx. 3,500 million kWh). Of this potential, 26% is in the government/public sector, 25% in commercial/ industrial sector, and 49% in domestic sector. The policy focuses on promotion and positioning of rooftop solar plants by way of directives, incentives, and revisions in regulation. The policy has built a comprehensive framework around rooftop solar generation and net metering. To give access to the solar net metering facility for consumers who do not have a suitable roof for installing a solar system (e.g. residential consumers who live in apartments, consumers with shaded rooftops) there will be the facility of Virtual Net Metering. In Virtual Net Metering consumers can be beneficial owners of a part of a collectively owned
POLICY
solar system. All energy produced by a collectively owned solar system will be fed into the grid through an energy meter and the exported energy as recorded by that meter will be pro rata credited in the electricity bill of each participating consumer on the basis of beneficial ownership. Collective ownership of solar plants may be established through societies, trusts or section 25 Companies or any other legal entity that safeguards the interests of participating consumers, including rights which are at par with the rights enjoyed by consumers who have solar net metering with a solar system installed on their own roof. The State government shall work with DERC to approve and announce Virtual Net Metering for all consumers no later than 1 April 2017. To encourage solar plants on rooftops of buildings that cannot consume all of the energy generated locally, DISCOMS shall facilitate Group Net Metering, whereby surplus energy exported to the grid from a solar plant in
excess of 100 percent of imported energy at the location of the solar plant can be adjusted in any other (one or more) electricity service connection(s) of the consumer within the NCT of Delhi, provided these connections are in the same DISCOM territory. At this time, Group Net Metering has been approved for all government buildings. Delhi Govt. following footstep of its neighboring state of Haryana has also introduced mandates. The solar policy mandates all government and public use rooftop of buildings with a minimum shadow to install a solar PV plant. However, the policy does not mention if any penalties would be applicable if rooftop solar is not adopted. The policy comes with a number of incentives like exemption of electricity tax, open access charges, VAT, Entry taxes, CSS, Transmission and Wheeling and Banking charges. Generation Based Incentives (GBI) of Rs. 2/kWh will also be offered to consumers under this policy. An amendment has been also
issued to various building by laws which further ease the process of getting approvals from Municipal Corporation for developers. To oversee, monitor and resolve various issues arising out of this Policy, an Empowered Committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary of the GNCTD. The Chairman of the Committee is empowered to co-opt subject matter experts, as required. To help achieve the solar capacity targets outlined in the solar Policy, the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) will determine annual Solar Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) targets for the DISCOMS, separate from the non-Solar RPO targets. The annual Solar RPO targets must be at a commensurate level with the target capacities of this Policy. The DISCOMS must source at least 75% of their RPO targets within the state of Delhi. Currently DISCOM purchases green power at an expensive rate from outside the state.
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WHITE PAPER
SELF AUTONOMY
THE HOLY GRAIL OF SOLAR STREETLIGHTS INTRODUCTION: Solar street lighting is a wireless solution with the potential to be the global technology of choice for all the outdoor lighting requirements. One of the key requirements in these streetlights is the need for autonomy or light functionality on cloudy days. The most prevalent solution which also comes with inherent limitations is based on lead acid batteries. We will review the fallacy with existing systems and provide a solution based on lithium ion battery technology. AUTONOMY: Solar panels generate electricity based on the intensity of sunlight. On cloudy days the output of solar panel power generation drops to less than 50% levels depending on the type of cloud cover. The lead acid external battery based streetlight solutions have high losses due to 1. Long cables required to connect the solar panel and the battery 2. Low efficiency (70 to 75% typical) PWM based charge controllers used in these systems The above results in negligible charging of battery on cloudy days. The conventional wisdom has been to double or triple the battery size to enable proper backup/autonomy for one to two continuous days of cloudy weather. This is just a band aid and creates other issues like: 1. Increased cost of battery, installation and maintenance 2. The battery is fully discharged after one or two days of cloudy weather. Post this scenario the battery gets partial charging on a daily basis (unless the solar panel is so large that it can charge the battery completely in a day). This is detrimental and leads to a reduction in the lifetime of the lead acid battery.
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SOLUTION: The proper solution to provide autonomy is by reducing the system losses by minimizing the wire and charge controller losses. This allows the right battery sizing which avoids partial charging (to maintain reliability) while enabling ‘self autonomy’. Lithium Ion battery is a key piece of technology to enable Self Autonomy for the following reasons: 1. The high energy density of Lithium ion cells helps reduce the size of the battery pack which can then be integrated into the luminary thereby minimizing cable lengths 2. Battery management system (BMS) for lithium ion
WHITE PAPER
can be made >90% efficient with the use of state of the art electronics SUNWAY: Below shows 0.5Amp current being pumped into the battery from a 35W solar panel on a cloudy day with our Sunway LI3 model. This is about 30% of the typical current (1.5amp) from this panel seen on a sunny day. Another key feature required to create self autonomy is automatic dimming. The Sunway LI3 has a 3 stage dimming with the third level at about 40% light intensity of the peak and providing 10hours of backup while consuming about 30% of the battery capacity. Table1 below shows UL certification for >9hours of runtime with only 40% of battery charged as seen on a typical cloudy day with our Sunway platform. This essentially results in what is known as ‘self autonomy’ providing runtime on any cloudy day rather than one or two days seen with the conventional solutions. This is achieved without having to oversize the battery or solar panel which ensures that the maximum lifetime out of the battery by avoiding the partial charging scenario.
CONCLUSION: Self autonomy in solar streetlights is the key for its widespread acceptance as the first choice for any outdoor lighting. The fallacy with the conventional lead acid based systems has led to many issues on solar streetlights. The concept of Self Autonomy with lithium ion technology with dimming and smart efficient electronics is the proper solution to provide runtime on cloudy days while maintaining the battery lifetime. Sukam with its partner Intelizon has for the first time introduced the Sunway platform providing a reliable wireless outdoor lighting solution and enhancing its reputation as a world class innovator. Author: Kunwer Sachdev- Managing Director, Su-Kam.
He founded Su-Kam in 1988 and today it is a globally renowned company with its presence in 71 countries through product innovation, design sensibility and sales distribution network.
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