SolarQuarter India April Issue 2021

Empowering, Insightful, Engaging

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A P R I L

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CONTENT NEWS

FEATURED TALK

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PROJECT MONTHLY

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POLICY DEBRIEF

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THINK TANK

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TENDER TRACKER

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SALES HEAD – INDIA, GOODWE

PERSPECTIVE 18

VIVEK BHARDWAJ

10 GW OF FLOATING SOLAR BY 2022: CURRENT STATUS AND STEPS NEEDED TO ACHIEVE THE TARGET

IN CONVERSATION

INSIGHTS INDIA’S GROWING FLOATING SOLAR MARKET: OUTLOOK 2021

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“ACCORDING TO RESEARCHERS, INDIA CAN HOLD ITS GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM THE ELECTRICITY SECTOR AT 2018 LEVELS BY INCREASING ITS CLEAN POWER CAPACITY.”

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COMPANY FEATURE

PRODUCT FEATURE

LONGI SOLAR ENERMAN TRINA SOLAR GOODWE

32 TRINA SOLAR 35 MEGAMIC 37 ENERMAN

SHAJI JOHN, HEAD-BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT (DOMESTIC & GLOBAL MARKETS), RENEWABLES BUSINESS, L&T CONSTRUCTION

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HARMANJIT NAGI, MANAGING DIRECTOR, EDF INDIA

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Sadhana Raju Shenvekar

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PROJECT MONTHLY FOURTH PARTNER ENERGY RECEIVES ₹250 CR INVESTMENT FROM CDC GROUP

CDC Group, the UK’s development finance institution (DFI) and impact investor, announced a ₹250 Cr investment into Fourth Partner Energy, India’s leading solar energy company for commercial and industrial businesses. Fourth Partner Energy will deploy this mezzanine capital towards growing its renewable solutions platform across India and South Asia. CDC’s investment will support India’s clean energy transition and enable provision of cleaner energy to businesses. It will fund approximately 217 megawatts (MW) greenfield renewable power generation in India, to displace primarily thermal power generation, avoiding 258k tonnes of annual CO2 emissions.

CDC’s facility will catalyse growth of the sector by helping to accelerate uptake of renewable energy by corporates at a quicker pace.

AMPLUS ACQUIRES ROOFTOP SOLAR PROJECTS FROM STERLING AND WILSON PRIVATE LIMITED

Amplus Solar, Asia’s leading distributed solar energy company, announced the acquisition of17 On-site operational solar projects from Sterling and Wilson Private Limited’s totalling 7.2 MWp. Spread over Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Telangana and Karnataka, these 17projects have been supplying solar power to 13 leading Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional customers. This addition further augments their existing portfolio of 800+ MWp catering to 200+ top-notch C&I customer base

RENEW POWER TO INVEST $9 BILLION IN WIND AND SOLAR PROJECTS

ReNew Power Pvt., one of India’s biggest renewable power producers, plans to invest $9 billion in wind and solar projects through 2025 amid a governmentbacked effort to reduce emissions.

The company, backed by investors such as Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, aims to more than triple its renewable power capacity to 18.5 gigawatts by 2025, Chairman Sumant Sinha said in an interview. The Gurugram, India-based company will look at building its own projects as well as acquisitions for growth.

ADANI SOLAR ENERGY CHITRAKOOT ONE LTD COMMISSIONS 50 MW SOLAR POWER PLANT IN UTTAR PRADESH

Adani Green Energy Ltd. said its subsidiary, Adani Solar Energy Chitrakoot One Ltd (ASECOL), has commissioned a 50 megawatt (MW) solar power plant in Chitrakoot, Uttar Pradesh. This commissioning takes AGEL’s total operational renewable capacity to 3,520 MW, a step closer to its vision of 25 GW capacity by 2025. The plant has a 25 Years Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) at Rs. 3.07/kwh.

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RENEW POWER ANNOUNCES COMMITMENT TO ACHIEVING NET-ZERO EMISSIONS BY 2050

ReNew Power, India’s leading renewable energy company, announced its commitment to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. With this commitment, ReNew Power aims to help address the global climate crisis and lead the way in the world’s transition to a low carbon economy.

ReNew’s pledge aligns with the ‘Race To Zero’ campaign – the largest ever global alliance committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions.

At the same time, ReNew Power stands committed to its longstanding program of research and collaboration with businesses, policy makers and non-governmental organizations to accelerate the transition to a net-zero economy.

TORRENT POWER TO BUILD 300 MW SOLAR PROJECT IN GUJARAT

Torrent Power Ltd recently announced that it will set up a 300 MW capacity solar power plant in Gujarat at an estimated cost of Rs 1,250 crore. The company said it has signed an agreement to sell electricity generated at Rs 2.22 per unit for a period of 25 years. It has been awarded this PPA from a licensed distribution business unit. The project will be commissioned within 18 months from the date of execution of the PPA. APRIL ISSUE 2021 | PG 5

PROJECT MONTHLY

COAL INDIA ANNOUNCES WHOLLYOWNED SUBSIDIARIES FOR SOLAR MANUFACTURING AND RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS

In a BSE filing, the company informed that CIL Solar PV Limited has been incorporated for manufacturing in the solar value chain (ingot-wafer-cell-module) and CIL Navikarniya Urja Limited has been formed for renewable energy projects. The company had previously announced that it would invest ₹56.50 billion ($763 million)

by March 2024 to develop 14 solar projects to help power its mining operations. Also, it had announced that it would fund nearly two-thirds of the total capacity of 3 GW of rooftop and ground-mounted solar projects. The company had decided to enter into a joint venture with NLC India and fund the rest of its solar expansion plans.

COAL INDIA ANNOUNCES SIGNING OF PPA FOR 100MW SOLAR POWER

State-owned miner Coal India Ltd (CIL) has ventured into solar power and announced it has signed a firstof-its-kind power purchase agreement for the sale of 100 Megawatt (MW) solar power with Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam (GUVNL).

This project was won by the company in March in a reverse auction conducted by GUVNL. The tenure of the agreement period is for 25 years.

RENEW POWER ANNOUNCES THE COMMISSIONING OF 110 MW SOLAR PROJECT IN RAJASTHAN

India’s rapid adoption of renewable energy has been bolstered with the rollout of the first live solar energy trading project in Delhi, spearheaded

by Tata Power DDL, a leading power distribution utility serving a populace of 7 million in Delhi, and Australian technology company Power Ledger in collaboration with India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF). The landmark project involving Tata Power-DDL, a joint venture between Tata Power India’s largest integrated power company, and the Government of NCT of Delhi , uses Power Ledger’s blockchain-enabled technology to facilitate peer-to-peer (P2P) trading of electricity from over 2 MW of solar PV between multiple consumers in its license area of North Delhi – part of the capital city of India.

TATA POWER SOLAR DOUBLES ITS MANUFACTURING CAPACITY OF CELLS AND MODULES TO 1,100 MW

Tata Power Solar Systems Limited, India’s largest integrated solar company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Power, today, announced a significant expansion of its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Bengaluru, taking the total production capacity of cells and modules to 1,100 MW. The expansion is based on the significant increase in demand that the company has seen for its solar modules, as well as the expected increase in demand due to supportive policy steps announced recently by the Government of India for creating ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-Reliant India).

RENEW POWER ANNOUNCES COMMISSIONING OF 105 MW SOLAR GENERATION PROJECT IN GUJARAT

The project has a 25-year power purchase agreement with the Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL) to provide clean electricity to the state of Gujarat at a tariff of Rs 2.68/kWh (US$0.036/kWh). ReNew will deploy advanced mono perc solar modules with seasonal tilt structure design as part of the project to ensure greater generation efficiency and maximum utilization of assets at the solar farm.

NTPC’S 85 MW BILHAUR SOLAR PROJECT IN UTTAR PRADESH IS NOW COMMERCIALLY OPERATIONAL

NTPC said that the 85 MW solar power project in Uttar Pradesh’s Bilhaur is now fully commercially operational. The last leg of 15 MW capacity of the project was commissioned earlier this month. As per a BSE filing, it was mentioned that -“Consequent upon successful commissioning of last part capacity of 15 MW of 85 MW Bilhaur Solar PV Project at Bilhaur, UP, the unit is declared to be on Commercial Operation from 00:00 Hrs. of April 8, 2021.”

CSC, TATA POWER TO SET UP 10,000 SOLAR MICRO GRIDS IN RURAL AREAS

To provide access to affordable, clean and renewable energy, the Common Services Center (CSC) and Tata Power, India’s largest power generation company, has tied up to set up solar-powered micro grids and water pumps in rural areas across the country. To begin with, Tata Power has proposed to set up 10,000 micro grids to support rural consumers through Common Service Centres (CSCs).

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POLICY DEBRIEF APRIL 2021

POLICY NEWS MNRE ISSUES GUIDELINES ON PRODUCTION LINKED INCENTIVE SCHEME ‘NATIONAL PROGRAMME ON HIGH EFFICIENCY SOLAR PV MODULES’

INDIA MAY KICKSTART HYDROGEN ECOSYSTEM DEVELOPMENT: DHARMENDRA PRADHAN

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy(MNRE) has conveyed the sanction of President for implementation of Production Linked Incentive scheme ‘National Programme on High Efficiency Solar PV Modules’ for achieving manufacturing capacity of Giga Watt (GW) scale in High Efficiency Solar PV modules. The aim is to promote manufacturing of high efficiency solar PV modules in India and thus reduce import dependence in the area of Renewable Energy.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has decided to implement a National Programme on Solar PV Manufacturing involving Production Linked Incentive (PLI) to enhance domestic manufacturing capacity of High Efficiency Solar PV Modules, for which the Cabinet has given approval on 11th November, 2020 and allocated an amount of ₹4,500 crore to be spent over a period of five years.

Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that India is looking towards kick-starting the hydrogen ecosystem development. Addressing a function on Hydrogen Economy, New Delhi Dialogue – 2021, Mr Pradhan said that the government has taken various initiatives with respect to the greater use of hydrogen in India’s energy mix. He said it had recently announced the National Hydrogen Mission in the Union Budget 2021 for making a hydrogen roadmap for the country. The Minister said, through technological advancements, India is blending hydrogen with compressed natural gas for use as transportation fuel as well as an industrial input to refineries. He said, 50 buses in Delhi are plying on blended hydrogen in Compressed Natural Gas on a pilot basis. Mr Pradhan added that the government is planning to scale it up in the coming months across the major cities of the country.

LAUNCH OF INDIA ENERGY DASHBOARDS (VERSION 2.0) BY NITI AAYOG

The India Energy Dashboards Version 2.0 was launched by Niti Aayog. India Energy Dashboards (IED) is an endeavour to provide single-window access to the energy data for the country. Energy data published/provided by Central Electricity Authority, Coal. Controller’s Organisation, and Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is compiled in the Dashboards.

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UNION MINISTER PROPOSES NET METERING BENEFITS FOR PROJECTS UPTO 500 KW

IFC PLANS TO DEBT FINANCE $50 MILLION FOR THAR SURYA SOLAR POWER PROJECT IN RAJASTHAN

In a partial relief to the Indian rooftop solar industry, the union power ministry proposed to allow net metering benefits to solar projects having loads upto 500 KW. The Ministry of Power has issued a draft amendment to Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020, which allows net metering for rooftop solar systems of loads up to 500 kW or up to the sanctioned load, whichever is lower and net billing (gross metering) or net feed-in for above 500 kW.

International Finance Corporation (IFC) plans to finance the construction of Thar Surya 1 Pvt Ltd’s 300 MW solar power project in Bikaner, Rajasthan by $50 million. According to IFC, the total solar power project cost is estimated at $200 million. Apart from lending $50 million, IFC will also mobilise $100 million debt through parallel lenders.

CABINET APPROVES ₹ 4,500 CRORE PLI SCHEME TO BOOST SOLAR EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING

The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy’s proposal for implementation of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme ‘National Programme on High Efficiency Solar PV (Photovoltaic) Modules’ for achieving manufacturing capacity of Giga Watt (GW) scale in high efficiency solar PV modules with an outlay of Rs.4,500 crore. Solar capacity addition presently depends largely upon imported solar PV cells and modules as the domestic manufacturing industry has limited operational capacities of solar PV cells and modules. The National Programme on High Efficiency Solar PV Modules will reduce import dependence in a strategic sector like electricity. It will also support the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

PNB SIGNS MOU WITH SWITCHON FOR SOLAR PUMP FINANCING

SwitchON Foundation has partnered with Punjab National Bank for the promotion of solar pumps. A First Loss Default Guarantee Fund will be set up by SwitchON Foundation through which Punjab National Bank will be financing solar pumps. “This partnership is extremely important in creating an ecosystem for encouraging large scale deployment of solar pumps. It is perhaps a first of its kind agreement between a private not for profit organisation with a leading public sector bank to set up a Guarantee Fund, which is otherwise, usually set up by Governments” said Vinay Jaju, Managing Director of SwitchON Foundation.

ENERGY TRANSITION COALITION ‘INDIA H2 ALLIANCE’ TO BUILD NET-ZERO CARBON PATHWAYS IN INDIA

Global energy and industrial majors have come together to form a new energy transition coalition, the India H2 Alliance (“IH2A”), focussed on commercializing hydrogen technologies and systems to build net-zero carbon pathways in India. The India H2 Alliance will work together to build the hydrogen economy and supply chain in India and help develop blue and green hydrogen production and storage as well as build hydrogen-use industrial clusters and transport use-cases with hydrogen-powered fuel cells.

The India H2 Alliance will focus on industrial clusters, specifically steel, refineries, fertilizer, cement, ports and logistics; as well as heavy-duty transport use cases and the establishment of standards for storage and transport hydrogen in pressurized and liquified form.

RENEWABLE ENERGY CERTIFICATES TRADING FALLS TO 9.2 LAKH IN 2020-21

According to industry data, the renewable energy certificates market shrank to 9.2 lakh RECs in 2020-2.

The total RECs piled up were 60.58 lakh till March-end.

This was due to a halt in trading, which also impacted the ability of distribution companies to meet their renewable purchase obligation (RPO). The inventory of 60.58 lakh RECs included 7.71 lakh solar and 52.88 lakh non-solar green certificates. The data also showed that trading of just 9.2 lakh RECs was done in 2020-21 as the trading was suspended since July last year. REC trading was recorded at 89.27 lakh in 2019-20 and 126.08 lakh in 2018-19.

TATA POWER DISCOM LAUNCHES NB-IOT TECHNOLOGY BASED SMART METERS

Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd. (TPDDL) announced that it has lauched Narrow Band-Internet of Things (NBIoT) technology in its smart meters. Tata Power-DDL, a leading Power Distribution utility supplying electricity to a populace of 7 million in North Delhi. TPDDL so far installed 230,000 smart meters on the Radio Frequency (RF) technology. NB-IoT is a low-power, wide-area network radio technology standard developed by 3GPP, a standards organisation, to enable a wide range of cellular devices and services.

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APRIL ISSUE 2021 | PG 8

ANTI-DUMPING INVESTIGATION INITIATED BY DGTR AGAINST IMPORTS OF FLUORO BACKSHEET

WIND SOLAR HYBRID POWER OF 400 MW TO BE ACQUIRED

BY BEST FROM SECI

DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF TRADE REMEDIES (DGTR) DGTR has initiated an anti-dumping investigation on Fluoro Backsheets used in the manufacturing of solar modules exported from China.

The application was filed by Renewsys India Private Limited. The applicant has stated that the subject products are predominantly imported under Chapter Heading 39 “Plastics and articles thereof”. They have further stated that the subject goods are imported under different codes from company to company and country to country (majorly under the headings 3920 and 3921). The Authority notes that the custom classification is indicative only and in no way, it is binding upon the product scope and the product description prevails in circumstances of conflict.

MERC - The Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission has approved Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) to acquire 400 MW wind-solar hybrid power from Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). BEST had recently in a petition asked MERC’s approval to sign the Power Sale Agreement (PSA) for 400 MW of wind-solar hybrid power from SECI at a tariff of ₹2.41 (~$0.0326)/kWh discovered through competitive bidding plus SECI’s trading margin of ₹0.07 (~$0.0094)/kWh. The period for the agreement was 25 years.

REGULATORY NEWS

JERC REJECTS UT’S PLEA ON IMPLEMENTING RESCO MODEL FOR SOLAR PROJECTS

The Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) has turned down the UT administration’s plea of implementing the Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO) model for solar plants installation in the city. After JERC’s decision, the UT administration has now decided to file a review petition before the power regulatory body.

KSERC TO PROCURE 300 MW OF SOLAR FROM SECI

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) recently got an order from the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KSERC) to finalize the draft power sale agreement (PSA) for 300 MW of solar and forward it to Kerala State Electricity Board Limited (KSEB) by May 4, 2021. SECI also has to submit the draft PSA for approval as per the Commission’s order dated March 23, 2021. KSERC had directed KSEB to file an amendment to the original petition for procuring 300 MW of solar power at ₹2.44 (~$0.032)/kWh instead of 200 MW offered earlier under Tranche-I of the manufacturing-linked projects in its order of 23rd March 2021. It asked KSEB to submit a draft PSA signed

by KSEB and SECI, incorporating the suggestions offered by the Commission.

GERC EXTENDS DEADLINE FOR PPA EXECUTION FOR SOLAR DISTRIBUTED PROJECTS

Due to the ongoing Covid pandemic, the Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC) has extended the time limit for the execution of power purchase agreements (PPAs) between the state distribution companies (DISCOMs) and small-scale distributed solar project developers from 30th April 2021 to 31st May 2021. A petition was earlier signed by the Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL) and other DISCOMs with the Commission for incorporating the ‘change in law’ clause in the PPAs to be executed with the project developers under the ‘Small-Scale Distributed Solar Projects, 2019’ policy of the Government of Gujarat. The Commission allowed the petition and approved the incorporation of ‘change of law’ in the proposed PPAs by GUVNL. Hence, considering the appeals made by various stakeholders, the Commission had extended the period for execution of the PPAs.

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THINK TANK IEEFA: BACKLOG OF UNSIGNED POWER SALE AGREEMENTS RISKS SLOWING INDIA’S RENEWABLE ENERGY GROWTH

Delays in signing power sale agreements (PSAs) are a bottleneck in the growth of renewable energy capacity in India, jeopardising the government’s renewable energy target of 175 gigawatts (GW) by 2022, dampening investor confidence and threatening the viability of projects, finds a new briefing note from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) and JMK Research. PSAs for nearly 19GW of renewable energy capacity tendered by Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) are yet to be signed by state-owned distribution companies (discoms).

Manufacturing-linked solar projects account for the majority (63%) of this capacity.

INCREASING SHARE OF VARIABLE RENEWABLES IN TOTAL ENERGY GENERATION MIX IS COST EFFECTIVE FOR INDIA EVEN IN THE SHORT-TERM

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) released a report on ‘A ModelBased Assessment of Variable Renewable Grid Integration Costs in India’ today. The report provides a technological and economic analysis of the costs of integrating renewable energy (RE) into the Indian electricity grid.

In the context of the already weak finances of power distribution companies, the report provides an analysis of the costs of integrating RE to the electricity grid.

COMBINING ROOFTOP SOLAR WITH STORAGE AND EVS IS KEY: IEEFA

Policy makers and regulators must build the framework required for combining rooftop solar with battery storage and electric vehicles to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for a sustainable, energy-secure future, according to a new report from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). In addition to the ambitious renewable energy target of reaching 450 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 and media reports suggesting consideration of a mid-century net-zero emissions target, Prime Minister Modi wants India to be a 100% electric vehicle (EV) nation by 2030.

TENDER TRACKER

CEA, CEEW-CEF, SHAKTI SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FOUNDATION LAUNCH INDIA RENEWABLES DASHBOARD

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and CEEW’s Centre for Energy Finance (CEEW-CEF) launched the India Renewables Dashboard, a joint effort to provide detailed operational information on renewable energy (RE) projects in India. This information is freely available to policymakers, developers, financiers, and the public. The dashboard was launched by Shri Sandesh Kumar Sharma, Member (Planning), CEA. The dashboard, supported by the Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, captures daily generation data at the state, regional and national levels for the aggregate 93 GW of installed RE capacity in India. It also captures this data at a plantlevel for a subset of projects.

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FEATUREDTALKS

VIVEK BHARDWAJ SALES HEAD – INDIA, GOODWE

Mr. Vivek Bhardwaj (Sales Head – India, GoodWe) takes pride to share that GoodWe has been recognized as the No.1 Rooftop Solar Inverter supplier in India with a 17% market share.

How many Inverters have you supplied to India till now, what is the target/expectation for this year and next year?

GoodWe started its inverter business in India in 2015 has been recently recognized as the No.1 Rooftop Solar Inverter supplier in India with a 17% market share for the year 2020.

The results were confirmed by JMK Research & Analytics.

After years of continuous research and strategic deployment, GoodWe now boasts the industry’s most comprehensive residential, C&I and utility scale solar inverter solutions, with a wide range of products from 1kW to 250kW Solutions. We have been fortunate to work for major clients in India like Tata, Sterling & Wilson, Bosch, Fourth Partner, Prozeal Infra, Microtech Engineers, Atria Power. In India, GoodWe has a cumulative installation base of around 1GW which not only defines the vision of GoodWe’s management for the India Solar market but also the valued deployment of support extended towards customers.

GoodWe’s solar inverter solution expertise and dedicated after sales support leads to customer satisfaction and well maintained relationship with our esteemed customers.

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"GOODWE TAKES PRIDE IN BEING A SOLAR INVERTER MANUFACTURER, HAVING ALL SOLAR INVERTERS AVAILABLE FOR THE INDIAN SOLAR MARKET BEEN AWARDED A BIS CERTIFICATE." What are your views on BIS and other tariff barriers?

GoodWe was recently in touch with Mr. B S Negi (Scientist G, MNRE), where a detailed discussion over various challenges and advantages of getting BIS registration was discussed. GoodWe takes pride in being a solar inverter manufacturer, having all solar inverters available for the Indian solar market been awarded a BIS certificate.

India is one of the biggest solar markets globally and having huge potentials brings a lot of challenges to solar power plant safety and assurance of power generation. BIS certification is a recommended certification and well praised step by the government of India considering

various factors defining quality product implementation in solar power systems. GoodWe highly appreciates such major steps to enhance safety and quality control assurance for its esteemed clients.

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) had issued the guidelines for the series approval of solar PV inverters for conducting testing in test labs for the implementation of Quality Control Solar Photovoltaics Systems, Devices and Component Goods Order 2017, which facilitate solar inverter manufacturers to approve the solar inverter product family up to 150kW including change in design and materials for the solar inverters for their compulsory registration with BIS, for implementation of the solar photovoltaic systems in India.

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What according to you is the current opportunities and biggest challenges in the Indian Solar Market?

India Solar Market has witnessed reduced bid prices recently in SECI’s Rajasthan 1070MW tender and GUVNL’s 500MW tender, where prices have gone as low as Rs2/kWh. India having huge market potential globally, have a whole lot of opportunities for solar plant implementations for all sectors of the solar Industry – Residential, C&I and Utility scale projects. A combination of high potential market-Quality assurance of BoS – competitive pricing strategy, itself is a big challenge of an entire industry.

Though the recent price trend has signified India’s solar market to be a very price competitive market, quality of material after sales support and delivery timelines also plays a vital role in projects. So, major big players having a huge reputation in the market go with such BoS suppliers which not only provides assurance of quality in their products along with competitive price but also suffice the timely need of solar installation deadlines and a strategic approach of service support.

This makes GoodWe a preferable solar inverter supplier for the Indian solar market. The performance of the inverters along with an extension of

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dedicated service support leads to the high satisfaction level of customers like Tata, Sterling & Wilson, Bosch, Fourth Partner, Prozeal Infra, Microtech Engineers, Atria Power, Toyota, Coca Cola, Siemens and various other renowned companies, who witnessed the high performing inverters at their installed sites providing high power generation and peace of mind for the power developers.

What is the size of your company in terms of manufacturing capacities, growth chart, future expansion plans, revenues and shipments for India?

Though 2020 was a tough year for the entire globe but brought some good moments for Goodwe as a company. Within 2020, GoodWe was enlisted in stocks with a financial value evaluation of 2.4 Million US Dollars, which made it even huge with public offerings. GoodWe is a stable, bankable and sustainable company with a sound financial management strategy. We have achieved good results in a relatively short time and we are confident about the company’s future growth trajectory.

In 2020, GoodWe launched its 1500V 250kW solar string Inverter for utility scale projects with one of its kind Online-Offline Product launch event. GoodWe’s HT series 250kW product claimed a huge success after its launch by enhancing the company’s reputation and demand among the Indian solar industry customers. The product has enhanced features of safety and O&M capabilities well appreciated by the customers.

2020 proved to be a fantastic year for GoodWe as we also take pride in being recognized as No#1 Solar inverter supplier in India, confirmed

by JMK Research & Analytics in their yearly report CY2020.

Present some noteworthy projects, case studies of solar plants built using your solar Inverters.

India Solar Market has witnessed reduced bid prices recently in SECI’s Rajasthan 1070MW tender and GUVNL’s 500MW tender, where prices have gone as low as Rs2/kWh. India having huge market potential globally, have a whole lot of opportunities for solar plant implementations for all sectors of the solar Industry –Residential, C&I and Utility scale projects. A combination of high potential market-Quality assurance of BoS – competitive pricing strategy, itself is a big challenge of an entire industry.

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IN CONVERSATION

L&T has made significant breakthroughs in the Middle East Region with over 1.5 GW of projects and in ASEAN, began construction of a battery energy storage project in Thailand.

Shaji John, Head-Business Development (Domestic & Global Markets), Renewables Business, L&T Construction

Larsen & Toubro is a US$ 21 billion, Indian technology, engineering, construction, and manufacturing conglomerate, operating in over 30 countries worldwide. Globally, L&T Construction, the construction arm of L&T is one among the top 15 EPC Contractors. Further, L&T Construction, is India's largest construction organization offering end to end, EPC solutions to execute large scale industrial and infrastructure projects from concept to commissioning.

In an exclusive interview with Mr Shaji John, Head-Business Development (Domestic & Global Markets), Renewables Business, Power Transmission and Distribution IC, L&T Construction, Larsen and Toubro Ltd., we got some valuable insights on L&T’s Renewable Business. Mr Shaji also talked about the various projects the company is undertaking along with the digital transformation initiatives. We also got insights on the company’s future plans and its way forward.

Could you brief our readers about the engineering capacity – both in terms of innovation and execution of L&T’s Renewable Business Unit?

The Renewables Business of L&T Construction, is one of the leading players in the solar segment with proven EPC capabilities to indigenously design and execute utility scale solar projects including power evacuation systems.

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With more than a decade of experience in the solar segment, the company has a strong track record with vast experience in various module technologies, module mounting systems, storage technologies, etc. L&T surpassed a significant milestone of 5 GWp of Solar EPC Portfolio with its commissioned and under execution projects globally. L&T offers economically viable, technically superior, bankable solar power project solutions. Internationally, L&T has established a huge presence in the Middle East Renewables Market and is rapidly expanding into the renewables markets of Africa, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) regions.

L&T’ s Renewables Business has developed engineering capacities for utility-scale solar ground mounted, solar-wind hybrid, floating solar, battery energy storage and large microgrid segments.

Please tell us about the Battery energy storage solution that L&T provides.

L&T offers in-house products solutions such as containerised battery energy storage solution, solar trackers including bifacial adaptability, automated module cleaning systems, mobile solar

generator cum storage solution and operation and maintenance services.

L&T’ s containerised solution for battery energy storage systems (BESS) is an all-in-one design including power electronics, control systems and advanced battery technologies. With its flexible and scalable design, the company offers solutions ranging from kW to MW scale. The storage solution is specifically designed for a plug-and-play model, to reduce installation time. L&T’ s newly constructed BESS integration facility is located at Kanchipuram, near Chennai. Various tests are also carried out on integrated containers by replicating site conditions, to ensure smooth operation at sites.

What have been some of your recent projects and how does the project pipeline look like?

Among the numerous achievements across the renewables sector since its inception, L&T, recently commissioned India’ s first largescale solar PV-cum-battery energy storage project in Andaman and India’ s first MW scale Floating solar project in Andhra Pradesh.

Presently, L&T is executing multiple large-scale projects: 230 MW ground-mounted solar PV project in Tamil Nadu, 490 MW+ of ground

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mounted solar PV Projects in Gujarat, and another prestigious MW Scale floating solar PV project of 20 MW in Uttar Pradesh. Further, L&T is having a strong pipeline of projects cumulating to 1.5 GW+ under various stages of discussion. Globally, L&T has made significant breakthroughs in the Middle East Region with over 1.5 GW of projects and in ASEAN, began construction of a battery energy storage project in Thailand.

How do you ensure that the safety and quality parameters are met at your project sites?

Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) is a core value engrained in L&T. Well established systems are in place and are holistically implemented at all stages of construction. L&T is accredited with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001. L&T has a strong focus on quality and safety standards, despite stringent timelines in renewables projects.

L&T had announced a strategic initiative for digital transformation. Could you please provide some details?

Launched i n Mar ch 2019, t he company ’ s t echnol ogy pl a t f or m, L&T Nx T, l ev er ages t he gr oup’ s deep i ndus t r y domai n ex per t i s e, i nf or mat i on t echnol ogy capabi l i t i es and l ear ni ngs f r om t he di gi t al t r ans f or mat i on of t hei r di v er s e bus i nes s es t o del i v er di s r upt i v e di gi t al out comes f or i t s gl obal cus t omer s . Some of t he di gi t al i ni t i at i v es i mpl ement ed i n r enewabl es pr oj ect s a r e dr onebas ed geos pat i al s ur v ey s , wor k er av ai l abi l i t y , machi ne a nd ma t er i a l t r ack i ng, pr oj ect pr ogr es s moni t or i ng, and v i s i on a na l y t i cs enabl ed qual i t y cont r ol . Thes e i ni t i at i v es opt i mi s e t he

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productivity of resources, avoid project delays and cost overruns.

L&T Nxt has launched several digital initiatives to maximise yield and reduce unplanned downtime to reduce operating costs and risks in solar plant O&M like online condition monitoring and predictive maintenance of critical plant assets, optimised spares stocking, optimised worker availability and yield maximisation, as well as remote monitoring of renewable assets.

What are the current and potential challenges faced by the solar EPC sector in India these days?

Some of t he k ey chal l enges f a ced by s ol ar pl ay er s i n I ndi a a r e pl ummet i ng t ar i f f s , i nt r oduct i on of bas i c cus t oms dut y , r i s i ng modul e pr i ces , commodi t y pr i ce f l uct uat i ons and l ogi s t i ca l i s s ues .

Fur t her , oper at i ng dur i ng t he ongoi ng pandemi c pos es ma ny chal l enges f or EPC pl a y er s a l ong wi t h del ay s and cancel l a t i on of PPA t hat af f ect t he pi pel i ne v i s i bi l i t y . Howev er , i t i s a nt i ci pa t ed t hat mar k et wi l l s t abi l i z e i n t he nex t s i x mont hs t o one- y ea r t i mel i ne

What is the way forward for the RE sector and L&T specially?` With the government planning to establish 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030, there is a lot to look forward to as the renewables market is moving towards round the clock power supply backed with a range of storage solutions.

In addition, the huge influx of foreign developers and investors into the market, lays greater emphasis on construction quality and bankable EPC partners.

With L&T’s engineering knowhow, technologies such as bifacial modules on trackers, and massive mechanised and digitalised construction resources, we are well placed to give customers the edge with total solutions for large EPC tenders of 1-2 GW scale. L&T is constantly innovating and exploring various new and advanced technologies like bifacial trackers, battery storage solutions for various applications etc.

Further, L&T sees Green Hydrogen as a next big game changer in the renewables market and aims to become a Global EPC solution provider for green hydrogen projects.

APRIL ISSUE 2021 | PG 15

IN CONVERSATION

EDF wants to double its renewable capacity from 28 GW to 60 GW and triple its business outside of Europe.

Harmanjit Nagi, Managing Director, EDF India

In an exclusive conversation with Solar Quarter India magazine, Mr. Harmanjit Nagi, Managing Director, EDF India talks about his company’s offerings in Indian market and globally. He also spoke about the company’s plan on smart meter expansion and solar portfolio in India.

Can you give a brief overview of EDF’s global portfolio?

The EDF Group is a French-based integrated electricity company active in all areas of the business: generation, transmission, distribution, energy supply and trading, energy services. A key player in energy transition, EDF is a global leader in low-carbon energies and has developed a diversified generation mix based on nuclear power, hydropower and new renewables. The Group is involved in over 20 countries all over the world and supplies approximately 38 million customers.

As a European leader in the development of renewable energy sources and 5th biggest player in the world, EDF creates, builds, and manages renewable energy power plants across the globe. Wind and solar photovoltaic power are the mainstays of our growth. Offshore wind power is also a stronghold for our organisation; alongside we also have a strong presence in other areas of the renewable energy sector, such as energy storage.

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Historically, EDF has had a strong position in renewables in Europe and North America. The company is spreading to lucrative emerging markets like the Middle East, Brazil, China and of course India. Between 2015 and 2030, EDF wants to double its renewable capacity from 28 GW to 60 GW and triple its business outside of Europe. This strategic orientation is in alignment with the company' s raison d' être (corporate purpose), that is to contribute to a net zero energy future with low-carbon electricity and innovative technologies and services.

Can you please elaborate on EDF’s presence in India?

EDF Group has been present in India for more than 25 years and aims to support the country’ s energy transition towards a lowcarbon sustainable future by leveraging innovative solutions.

EDF counts India as one of the main growth countries, crucial for achieving two of our strategic goals: tripling our business outside Europe and double its renewable installed capacity worldwide by 2030. India has proven to be an important market for EDF primarily in renewables with solar and wind energy projects. Active in all the areas of the electricity value chain that are key for the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, we are now among the top 15 solar and wind project developers in India,

especially after the most recent acceleration of our renewable energy portfolio.

EDF has achieved a secured portfolio of 2.8GW of renewable energy capacity in less than four years. In solar, EDF counts 207 MWp operating plants, 450 MWp under construction, and over 1350 MWp under development in India as of 2020. In addition, EDF counts 269 MW of operational and 300 MW of wind energy projects under construction. We are also in discussions with the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) for the development and construction of the biggest nuclear plant in the world, with six EPR units totaling close to 10,000 MWe at the Jaitapur site, Maharashtra, India.

We have recently been awarded a contract by EESL, to install 5 million smart meters in India. This opens a new chapter in the development of EDF’ s business in India, a country that is key in our international strategy. This is one of the two 5 million smart meters contracts ever awarded in India. In terms of number of smart meters, such contracts are the most important.

Ours is by far the most competitive and the most innovative.

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Did you have to adapt the timeline of your projects, for instance in renewables or the 5 million smart meters project?

How much delay are you expecting due to the ongoing pandemic ?

Jus t l i k e f or mos t bus i nes s es , t he s ani t ar y cr i s i s has i nev i t a bl y ha d a cer t ai n i mpact on t he ex ecut i on of our pr oj ect s . I t i s nor ma l a s t he k ey pr i or i t y dur i ng t hi s t i me wa s t o r es pect t he s ani t ar y mea s ur es a nd pr ot ect our empl oy ees a nd cont r act or s . The ener gy s ect or ha s bounced back qui ck l y , whi ch mak es us conf i dent f or t he f ut ur e.

We ar e conf i dent i n our ca pa ci t y t o mak e up f or t he l ock down per i od.

Thi s has been a f i r s t of i t s k i nd pr oj ect t o be i mpl ement ed on a PAN I ndi a bas i s begi nni ng wi t h t he s t at e of Bi har . Her e, we woul d l i k e t o emphas i z e t hat EDF ha s been i mpl ement i ng an AMI s ol ut i on on Pr e- pai d mode, whi ch i s f i r s t of i t s k i nd i n I ndi a.

What I ’ d l i k e t o s t r es s i s t ha t t he ener gy s ect or has t he pot ent i a l t o pl ay a maj or r ol e i n t he economi c r ev i v al af t er t he cr i s i s ; i t ha s t he pot ent i al of cr eat i ng qua l i t y j obs , es peci al l y i n t he f i el ds s uch a s r enewabl es , s mar t ci t y , ener gy ef f i ci ency et c. Don’ t f or get t ha t t he cl i mat e emer gency i s s t i l l t her e.

We need t o addr es s t he cl i ma t e emer gency and economi c r ecov er y at t he s ame t i me.

EDF HAS ACHIEVED A SECURED PORTFOLIO OF 2.8GW OF RENEWABLE ENERGY CAPACITY IN LESS THAN FOUR YEARS. IN SOLAR, EDF COUNTS 207 MWP OPERATING PLANTS, 450 MWP UNDER CONSTRUCTION, AND OVER 1350 MWP UNDER DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA AS OF 2020."

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WE HAVE RECENTLY BEEN AWARDED A CONTRACT BY EESL, TO INSTALL 5 MILLION SMART METERS IN INDIA.

Please give a brief overview about your plans for smart meter expansion in India.

The I ndi an s mar t met er ma r k et i s ex pect ed t o hav e a dema nd of 300 mi l l i on uni t s . EDF cur r ent l y hol ds one of t he t wo l ar ges t cont r a ct s i n t hi s s ect or f or t he i ns t a l l a t i on of 5 mi l l i on s mar t met er s i n I ndi a .

As f or t he l at t er , we j us t compl et ed t he f i r s t s t age of i t , whi ch i s t he i mpl ement at i on of 100, 000 s ma r t met er s i n Bi har . The mi l es t one mar k s t he begi nni ng of t he commer ci al r ol l - out of 5 mi l l i on s mar t met er s i ns t al l at i on a cr os s I ndi a, near l y hal f of whi ch wi l l be i ns t al l ed i n t he s t at e of Bi ha r . The cont r act was awar ded t o EDF ( 95%) i n as s oci at i on wi t h Accent ur e Sol ut i ons Pr i v a t e Li mi t ed ( I ndi a) i n 2019. Thi s i s t he f i r s t l ar ge s cal e pr epa i d s ma r t met er s ol ut i on t o be depl oy ed i n I ndi a.

Mor e t han 85 peopl e f r om EDF a r e f ul l t i me depl oy ed on t hi s pr oj ect .

Thi s f i gur e wi l l gr adua l l y i ncr ea s e t o mor e t han 120 peopl e f r om EDF depl oy ed on t he pr oj ect . EDF ha s hi r ed s o f ar 27 I ndi an engi neer s .

30 peopl e ar e depl oy ed by our I T s ubcont r act or s on t he pr oj ect .

Addi t i onal l y , i n Bi har , oper a t i ona l t eams ar e t r ai ned t o i ns t a l l met er s .

I t i s ex pect ed t hat ov er 3000 j obs wi l l be gener at ed f or t he i ns t al l at i on of 5 mi l l i on s ma r t met er s i n t he f i el d.

The s mar t met er pr oj ect i n New Del hi ( NDMC) ( wi t h 75, 000 i ns t al l ed s mar t met er s ) s t a nds compl et ed, wi t h t he s y s t em compl et el y oper at i ona l . I t wa s commi s s i oned i n Janua r y 2019.

We ar e cur r ent l y bi ddi ng on a number of s mar t met er pr oj ect s acr os s mul t i pl e I ndi an s t a t es .

Are there any plans to expand your solar energy portfolio in India?

Solar energy is a reliable, lowcarbon and increasingly competitive solution. The segment is developing rapidly as a result of improved technologies and lower generating costs. Worldwide capacity increased by a factor of 66 between 2004 (3.7 GW) and 2015 (247 GW). Meanwhile, the price of photovoltaic modules was reduced by 90% over a 10-year period.

EDF has a strong solar expertise.

The company is established in 13 countries with major projects such as DEWA 800MWc in the UAE, Bolero 146 MWc in Chile and Pirapora 400 MWc in Brazil. Last summer, our subsidiary EDF Renewables won the Al Dhafra project the most powerful photovoltaic power plant in the world (2000 MW) in Abu Dhabi, UAE. In view of this, EDEN Renewables India, a joint venture formed by EDF Renewables and Total EREN signed last October a 25-year long term PPAs for four solar power projects totaling 716 MWp of installed capacities in Northern India. EDEN Renewables aims to reinforce its development on solar photovoltaic in the Indian market with competitive tariffs thanks to its experts based in New Delhi. We also successfully participated in 2020 solar PV tenders and won 3 projects amounting to 1350 MWp capacity to be built by 2022.

Currently in India, EDF Group has a portfolio of 2.8GW of renewable projects (operating, under construction and under development), making us one of the top 15 players in this segment.

We definitely plan on pursuing our rapid growth supported by our local expertise and the resources of our shareholders and on growing our team and attracting new high levels of competences and talents. We plan to contribute to the Indian government’s plan to reach 220 GW of non-fossil generation by 2022.

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PERSPECTIVE

10 GW OF FLOATING SOLAR BY 2022: CURRENT STATUS AND STEPS NEEDED TO ACHIEVE THE TARGET

Floating solar photovoltaic is a new business opportunity to meet India’s renewable energy targets and create jobs, says the new study. Floating solar photovoltaic offers a new pathway for the country to realize its clean energy ambitions. Floating solar photovoltaic can generate additional employment opportunities in domestic manufacturing, research, and product design.

Experts said that a number of regions in India face issues around fragmented land holdings and high land cost, which has encouraged policymakers and utilities to explore the floating solar segment. Interest in Floating solar is growing in India with several water bodies across the country. Floating solar taps the country’s large water reservoirs to overcome some of the persisting issues of ground-mounted solar, such as the lack of levelled land, evacuation infrastructure and performance degradation due to high operating temperatures. India could potentially build 280 GW of Floating solar capacity by utilizing about 30% (nearly 1,800 kms2) of its medium and large water reservoirs.

India’s floating solar power market is witnessing a flurry of activity with major tenders being issued in the recent months. There is no doubt that the potential for power generation from floating solar in India is huge, as the country is endowed with many large reservoirs, however some initiatives are needed to achieve this target. MNRE should specify standards for PV modules used in the floating solar sector, there should be training programs on skills relevant to marine architecture and hydraulic engineering, initiating hydropower-linked floating solar project tenders, etc.

Let’s read what the experts say on the Current Status And Steps Needed To Achieve The 10 GW of Floating Solar Target by 2022.

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APRIL ISSUE 2021 | PG 18

AMIT SINGH Head Floating Solar and Head Quality, Mahindra Susten

“The climate crisis is real and there is more than enough scientific evidence to prove that. Global acceptance of this crisis was for once unilaterally acknowledged by all countries during the COP 21 in 2015. The primary reason for the crisis has been over utilization of fossil fuels as our primary energy source (approx.80% of global energy generation is fossil fuel dependent). Actions to reduce the impact on the climate therefore lie on three broad levers i.e improve efficiency of fossil fuel energy sources/ assets, reduce emission / capture GHG already expelled in the environment and last but not the least increase adoption of renewable energy.

While there are various sources of renewable energy under consideration, harnessing the power of the sun through solar PV has been one of the go to choices for its ease of construction and maintenance in the last few decades. These PV modules as on date are installed primarily on land, which in itself is a scarce resource.

The available arid lands are currently being used to set up massive solar PV parks, and availability of such lands is going to reduce as time elapses. For regions in Asia and specifically a country like India, where population density is high and land availability is scarce, alternate bases for installation for solar PV parks need to be identified; and it is here Floating Solar offers a ray of light. Studies have indicated a potential of approximately 5884 GWp and globally and 280 GWp for India, if only 10% of the inland water bodies are covered with floating solar. Since the majority of the inland water bodies are in complete control of the government, availability of the base (in lieu of land) for installation of

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such plants should not be a concern. The above being said the government has set itself an ambitious target of installation of 10 MWp floating solar by 2022, for that to happen believe the following need to be undertaken on priority view the tech is still in its nascency :Nominate an agency to build test plants for various floating solar tech with Industry collaboration; akin to what has been done at other places such as SERIS. Since this is a relatively new technology, clear guide lines are not universally available on such systems. It would therefore be necessary to identify and set clear measurable standards for float (anchor including), PV modules, earthing, cables etc which will be used for installation. GOI impetus here would ensure standard quality of products are installed to ensure life of 25 years.

Be prudent while setting per unit cost expectations for floating solar tenders; comparison with ground mounted prices while natural need not be followed since we need to be mindful that the base medium has changed i.e from land to water (this shift has an impact on the complete value chain) View paucity of time to meet the ambitious target take the responsibility for undertaking a comprehensive geo tech and bathy survey for the water bodies identified Globally transition to renewable energy is imperative and an ongoing process, and floating solar as it matures would certainly contribute in a big way, especially when 70% of earth’s surface is covered with water. On a lighter note, this adoption of floating solar tech could be one method of going up on the “Kardashev scale” (a method to measure technological advancement of a civilization's base amount of energy consumption sources; currently at 0.75).”

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PANKAJ KUMAR, Co-Founder & Director, QuantSolar Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

Floating Solar Projects (FSP) have gained significant traction in India in the recent years. Whereas 3 years ago, only one megawatt scale Floating Solar Project (2 MW, Visakhapatnam, Quant Solar) was operational in India, today there are multiple Megawatt scale FSP, either commissioned or in installation phases across India. The most relevant one amongst these is 35 MW FSP at NTPC Simhadri. Once commissioned, it will not only be India’s largest but one of the world’s largest FSP. Augmented by the mandate of Government agencies like NTPC, NHPC & SECI to implement on a GW scale, FSPs are beginning to realize mainstream solar status.

As per the recent MOUs of NHPC with multiple state governments and notification of SECI, installing gigawatt scale FSP is indeed up on the cards. However, there are several issues that need to be addressed on a priority basis before the execution of this scale of Floating Solar project can be pursued.

One of the key areas to be looked into is the in-situ survey of water bodies for bathymetry and geo-technical data in order to identify the actual water surface area available in any water body for the project installation. Such surveys not only allow a better and robust design of floating solar plants but provide much needed info to accurately estimate the costs involved in setting the FSP. Another important area is to ensure the continuous supply chain of the HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) floaters to support GW scale FSPs installations. Companies like ours have been working relentlessly in this space for the last 5+ years and have developed innovative ways of manufacturing quality HDPE floaters within a short span to meet the growing demands. Today, scaling to 500MW per annum production is simple and can be achieved within a few months. Floater manufacturing requires a highly trained workforce with stringent quality standards to enable a FSP to operate for 25 years. Float quality issues post commissioning leading to serious damages can significantly impact the government targets and therefore companies working on quality products coupled with sound in-house engineering should be encouraged.

As FSPs are supposed to withstand extreme environmental conditions and to sustain a 25 years life, the design and engineering of the floating system along with the anchoring/ mooring system for these FSPs demand a thorough expertise and knowledge of the behaviour of floating structures under various static and dynamic forces of environment. Therefore, developing a good eco-system in India is imperative where more and more efforts are put into R&D activities to continually improve the technology. It will help in developing a self-reliant eco-system for floating solar technology in India.

The support of government through mechanisms such as floating solar specific policies, single window clearance for manufacturing set up, funding through govt. agencies etc. shall go a long way in enabling the Indian players to cater to huge demand ahead and realize Gigawatt scale FSPs in India.

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APRIL ISSUE 2021 | PG 20

JAYMIN GAJJAR Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), a research-based think tank.

Floating Solar in India: The Now & How of It To keep pace with India’s RE commitments, the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) invited expressions of interest from prospective developers in 2017 to implement 10 GW of floating photovoltaic (FPV) systems by 2022.

However, as of July 2019, India has been able to add only about 2.7 MW. Currently, large-scale projects worth ~1.7 GW are under development, which are expected to contribute significantly to the 2020 target. This includes the National Thermal Power Corporation’s (NTPC’s) 100 MW FPV plant in Telangana, India’s largest FPV project.

Given its tropical climate, India has the potential to deploy 280 GW of FPV capacity by utilising just 30% of medium and large water bodies, amounting to an area of 18,000 km2. Despite this, FPV has not taken off due to high capital cost, lack of bathymetric data (which assesses depth and topography of water bodies), and technical and environmental issues.

Measures for FPV Implementation To increase the uptake, the government should identify FPV potential of water bodies, design robust strategies and explore indigenous manufacturing parallelly (see Figure 1).

This would ensure the cost-effectiveness of future FPV projects.

Additionally, for efficient deployment of FPV projects, bathymetric data of water bodies is a must. These surveys help identify optimum locations for anchors and mooring to place floating platforms. They also help assess the overall techno-commercial feasibility of FPV projects. At the moment, this kind of data is unavailable.

The identified water bodies can be classified as small-, medium-, or large-scale based on their suitability for FPV implementation. This classification would help the government aggregate the capacity based on size or scale and float tenders in a particular zone or state for strategic implementation. This will ultimately bring down the overall capital cost by achieving economies of scale, offer opportunities to the developers, generate jobs, and dramatically increase the FPV uptake.

Government should also assess the feasibility of indigenous manufacturing of all FPV system components, with a strong focus on floating structures. Floating structures made of high-density polyethylene are a significant cost component in FPV plants. India generates a huge amount of plastic scrap every year. In 2018–19, according to the Central Pollution Control Board, 3.3 million metric tonnes of plastic waste was generated in India, with a large amount of polyethylene, which can be recycled and used in the domestic manufacturing of floating structures. Right now, this technology is still at a nascent stage.

If India wants to become a leader in renewables, it should develop a strong manufacturing base alongside developing robust FPV implementation strategies.

FIGURE 1: STEPS FOR INCREASING FPV PENETRATION IN INDIA

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APRIL ISSUE 2021 | PG 21

SACHIN RELE, Promoter Director, Isifloating Autonic Energy Systems P Ltd, Mumbai, India

India solar projects have witnessed exponential growth in the last 5.5 years growing from 2.6 GW to more than 34 GW in 2020 as per the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy ( MNRE). Before the pandemic and the subsequent nationwide lockdown on March 23, 2020, solar installations stood at about 37 GW. (Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, 2010) The installation base of solar PV generation has reached an important milestone in 2021, contributing to 10.3 % of the power capacity mix overtaking wind-based power sources.

Clean energy is an inclusive power generating solution and bouquet of technologies not constrained by a particular technology. It includes onshore/offshore wind, land-based Utility-scale Solar, Rooftop solar, Hybrid solution with Solar Wind and Energy storage; besides future technology includes tidal, wave power. India has done a remarkable job in deploying renewable energy-based installations, growing almost 3.5 folds in the last 5–6 years, with most of the capacity coming from onshore wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) based installations.

Opportunity@glance: Indian potential for floating solar Floating solar is the next step in power generation over landbased Utility Solar Projects, with innovation and technological advancement ensuring the next big step in power generation.

Floating solar mitigates land use, freeing up the land for constructive use, including agriculture. The cooling effects of water improve power generation, reduce water evaporation, control algae production, and minimize land dependence.

These advantages propel the next practices for solar industries for floating solar panels and scaling to the solution.

India has vast potential with fresh water covering over 18000 kM2 spread across states and Union Territories. India has 2171 reservoirs covering 18,000 sq km. For the purpose of hypothetical discussions, if 100 % area is covered by floating solar to Max installation then the floating solar potential is 2.223 Terra Watts.

(Acharya & Devraj, 2019).

Mission 100 MW to 10 GW

Floating Solar PV All the Large Scale PV installations require huge land parcels and are directly proportional to land availability. India has an ambitious solar power installation target, to commensurate with the solar targets, wherein the immediate two solutions are , expand Rooftop solar market and Floating solar both the solutions are inclusive to the National Solar Mission.

International experience with floating solar installation has given a lot of direction and momentum to the innovation of floating solar solutions. The annual capacity is estimated to rise from 1.3 GWp as estimated in 2018 to 4.6 GWp by 2022.

Currently, China has maximum floating solar installation, followed by Japan and South Korea.

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Utility or Large-scale photovoltaic (LSPV) installations may cause significant changes in the environment and lead to detrimental impacts on the natural and anthropic environments.

The environmental impact needs to be reviewed for every solar project. The work assessment requires multi criteria understanding, mainly based on Environmental, Technology, and the projects' social and economic impact. There is a need to incorporate evaluation based on an approach to studying direct and indirect effects for both terrestrial and floating solar installation. The study of Environmental Impact Assessment with magnitude was conducted in Brazil to provide the assessment magnitude and estimate scenarios for different stakeholder's views. (Pimentel Da Silva, Magrini, & D, 2020) Achievable 10 GW floating Solar projects: Technology adoption and factors to be considered for growth.

A floating Solar system is an alternative to ground-mounted and rooftop solar systems. Any floating solar system faces several challenges during its lifetime. It is essential to make sure that a floating solar PV solution is perfect and sustainable for 25-30 years lifetime.

APRIL ISSUE 2021 | PG 22

Adaptable to specific and changing operational conditions:

Nature resi stant: Installati on should wi thstand mother nature.

Strong wi nds, snow, waves, ani mals, algae, fungus, and the

Water levels vary throughout the year. Water reservoirs, especially artificial ones, are usually composed of bottom surfaces and slopes which require adaptation to the concave profile of the water surface. Also, an installation should be flexible to accommodate changes in its operational objectives and potential expansions to increase total installed capacity.

Sun i tself are elements the technology must cope wi th, for many years. And remember, i t i s not only i n regi ons where mother nature mi ght hi t every day but also i n places where extreme condi ti ons could appear once every ten years.

Reservoi r Identi fi cati on: Parameters and attri butes

MODULAR FLOATS solutions

Solar radi ati on

The selection of floats technology and supplier will transform the industry. A right partnership with the right technology can extend the working life of the solutions and project

Water-level vari ati on

Modular stackable and nestable float Material: Virgin HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) with UV Stabilizer and antioxidant Tilt: 5º, to reduce the wind shear The sustainable plastic manufacturing process is adopted A minimum and uniform thickness of greater than 3 mm minimizes the impact of weathering due to

prolonged exposure to the Sun. Different and greater thickness up to 6 mm in UV exposed areas or with greater mechanical stress to improve the project life The buoyancy of floats to support solar modules Max. wind speed: 180 km/h - Certified UNE-EN 1991-11-4; ROM 0.4 Climate Actions II Hydrodynamic performance certified by authorized labs Safe to be in contact with water for human consumption (BS 6920:2000 water drinking)

Reservoi r depth Water Flow and currents Total área of the wáter body Infrastructure access Avai labi li ty of transmi ssi on i nfrastructures Anchori ng and Moori ng Embankment assessment and soi l survey analysi s Conclusion: Floati ng Solar PV i s an establi shed technology and soluti on; i n Indi a, the i nstallati on rate i s leapfroggi ng.

There i s a need to assess the i mpact on the envi ronment and bi odi versi ty. Poli cy, BIS standards, Generati on Insurance, wi ll create an enabler for the FSPV technology to create a uni corn and wi n-wi n condi ti ons for all the stakeholder

Logistics: Levelized cost of the floats at the sites to be factored reduces carbon footprint during transport which will be an essential deciding factor in procurement and project.

Installation: Solar floating technology must work like consumer technology. Easy to install. There is no need to have specialized and expensive technical teams or pay significant amounts of money for "training" when it should be fast and easy to install.

Setting up your project should take weeks, not months and should be done using local labour that can be quick to find and economical. Equipment should also be low cost and simple (no cranes or heavy equipment, none or few usages of boats) Ma i n t e n a n c e : I t i s c r i t i c a l t o r e d u c e m a i n t e n a n c e c o st s t h r o u g h the lifetime of an installation, or maintenance costs can skyrocket.

Solutions should facilitate maintenance crews easy and safe access to every component for cleaning and repair at a minimum cost (No usage of boats or divers). Also, as FPV installations withstand constant mechanical stresses, their components should be resistant and exhibit partial flexibility to accommodate water movements.

Nature friendly: The solar plant must integrate and preserve existing nature in places where wildlife exists, conserving wild flora and fauna. It is critical to design the system not to affect water life and install the proper water oxygenation systems.

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APRIL ISSUE 2021 | PG 23

INSIGHT INDIA’S GROWING FLOATING SOLAR MARKET:

OUTLOOK 2021

India’s Growing Floating Solar Market:

Potential In India

Outlook 2021 In the past, hydropower and solar power plants were built separately. Photovoltaic-hydropower hybrid projects, where floating solar panels are mounted on the water surface of hydropower reservoirs and/ or on the dam surface, have recently begun to combine hydro and solar plants. Floating solar technology is a viable choice for harnessing solar energy in areas where land is scarce. Solar panels are installed on floating platforms on water bodies such as dam reservoirs and lakes in this technology. This is a costeffective strategy for locating new PV plants without encroaching on natural lands, insulating dams, and rising hydropower generation by lowering evaporation losses. Floating solar photovoltaic installations open up new possibilities for increasing solar generating power, especially in countries with dense populations and competing land uses. Higher energy production, decreased evaporation, and enhanced water quality are only a few of the benefits of floating solar systems.

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After a turbulent year, India's solar industry has a lot to look forward to in 2021. The country has a strong p i p e l i n e o f s o l a r p r o j e c t s , a n d i n v e st o r s a r e h o p e f u l about regaining the momentum that was lost in 2020.

By using floating solar energy, India has the potential to create 300 gigawatts (GW) of power generation capacity. Significant tenders have been issued by public sector undertakings (PSUs) in India's floating solar power market, which has seen a flurry of activity.

India's government recently announced a proposal to construct 10 GW of floating solar power over the next three years. In India, it is estimated that by using just 10% to 15% of water bodies in states like Kerala, Assam, Odisha, and West Bengal, up to 300 gigawatts (GW) of floating PV power plants could be built. With the Indian floating solar photovoltaic industry still gaining ground, a recent report has said the country has achieved the lowest investment cost for a floating solar project in the world so far.

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Existing Plants And Recent Tenders

Conclusion

India has installations varying in size from a few kilowatts to several megawatts. There are currently more than 1,700 Megawatts (MW) of floating solar projects in various stages of construction, with more on the way. A 10 kW plant in Kolkata, a 100 kW project

by NTPC in Kerala, and a 2 MW project by Greater Visakhapatnam Smart City Corporation Limited (GVSCCL) in Vishakhapatnam are among the floating solar projects in India. At its Rajiv Gandhi Combined Cycle Power Plant (RGCCPP) in Kayamkulam, Kerala, Indian state-run power giant NTPC has released a tender for 70 MW of grid-connected floating solar.

With the increased benefits brought in by the technology, floating solar has emerged as an alternative choice for solar power project construction. While the industry is still in its infancy and implementation problems persist, the floating solar market is expected to grow rapidly as technologies improve. With a number of tenders coming up, such as electric, round-the-clock, and peak power, this sector is on a new growth track, which distribution companies find more appealing.

The demand and business opportunities for this form of combination hybrid plant are expected to expand in the future due to the advantages of this type of hybrid plant.

NHDC released a 25-MW floating solar tender for the project's design, engineering, procurement, and construction. The contract also included five years of extensive operation and maintenance of the plant in Sanavad, Madhya Pradesh, which included a 33 kilowatts transmission line and switchyard. Similarly, NHPC released an engineering, procurement, and construction tender for a 50-MW floating solar power project in West Kallada, Kerala's Kollam district.

Recent Technologies And World Leaders PV panels are mounted on the downstream face of the dam in photovoltaic-hydropower hybrid plants in one of two ways: on the downstream face of the dam, which is only possible in some plants where the face slope of the dam is less than 40° (such as gravity and embankment dams), or floating PV panels on the water surface of the hydropower reservoir.

Floating solar panels mounted on the surface of a dam can be used in a variety of dams around the world.

According to a recent study conducted by the European Commission's Joint Research Center, the implementation of such hybrid systems to ten selected dams in South Africa will produce 72 GWh of annual electricity from PV with an installed peak power of 42 MWp. A floating solar project currently costs 10% more than a ground-based solar plant, but the higher cost is offset by the improved performance.

Using all existing reservoirs, 4,400 GW (6,270 TWh) could be produced, with the potential to increase to 5,700 GW (8,000 TWh) if 25% of the 265.7 thousand sq. km. that represent all existing hydropower reservoir surfaces are covered with floating PV. Floating solar could prevent 74 billion cubic meters of water from evaporating, resulting in a 6.3% increase in water supply and a 142.5 TWh increase in hydropower production.

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INSIGHT “ACCORDING TO RESEARCHERS, INDIA CAN HOLD ITS GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM THE ELECTRICITY SECTOR AT 2018 LEVELS BY INCREASING ITS CLEAN POWER CAPACITY.”

India’s renewable energy target of 175GW by 2022 has recently increased to a new ambitious high of 450GW by 2030. However, building 600GW of renewable capacity can hold our 2030 greenhouse emissions below 2018 levels, according to the latest sustainability science study. This study published on the 30th of March 2021, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is a collaborative effort by the University of California, Santa Barbara, Berkeley National Laboratory & University of California, Berkeley. “This paper examines the electricity & carbon mitigation costs to reliably operate India’s grid in 2030 for a variety of wind & solar targets and proposing the most promising options for reducing these costs.” the authors mentioned in their study.

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Although India is the third-largest contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, only behind the USA & China, our per capita emissions are nowhere near the developed world. This foretells a great potential in near-future energy demand as more Indians rise from poverty and become the urban middle class.

According to estimates, our primary energy demand is expected to double by 2040. This poses a pathbreaking challenge to India’s energy policy & longterm economic vision. Whether this looming energy hunger of our developing nation is answered by fossil fuels or renewables can set the course of global climate change, domestic energy industry & the Indian economy as a whole.

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WHETHER THIS LOOMING ENERGY HUNGER OF OUR DEVELOPING NATION IS ANSWERED

BY FOSSIL FUELS OR RENEWABLES CAN SET THE COURSE OF GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE, DOMESTIC ENERGY INDUSTRY & THE INDIAN ECONOMY AS A WHOLE. " It is in this context that India has been paving the path to a fastened & prioritized transition to green energy.

Our initial and revised renewable capacity targets have received much acclaim around the globe. The answers to the scepticism as to these being moonshots are twofold. Firstly, India enjoys a strategic advantage with tropical geography & vast coastline. These have ensured abundant potential for harnessing solar & wind energies along with other renewables like hydro. Also, the increasing participation in clean energy innovation has made renewable tech competitive (and even c h e a p e r in t h e c a s e o f s o l a r P V ! ) t o c o a l - f i r e d p o we r plants. And this trend is only more likely to further disincentivize fossil fuels.

“Contrary to prevailing assumptions, achieving high renewable energy targets will not avert the need to build new fossil fuel power plants. However, building significant numbers of wind and solar plants (600 GW) will reduce how often fossil fuel power plants must run, holding India’s 2030 electricity emissions at its 2018 level at costs comparable to a fossil fuel-dominated grid” opined the authors of the study. To elaborate, it means that for the medium-term growth, increasing renewable targets are to be supplemented with thermal power plants to ensure the satisfaction of potential energy demand rise. Therefore, this study suggests a more ambitious target for green energy to overshadow fossil fuels’ contribution and thereby holding our emission levels. This is an important suggestion to energy policy addressing a subtle misconception: that increasing renewables can just replace fossil fuels ever so speedily in a nation like ours. Green energy adoption & transition vs rapid growth is the dilemma of the 21st century developing world. India has boldly taken the side of a greener future all the while eyeing good growth. This has been possible thanks to policy decisiveness, industry encouragement & global renewables trends. So, this study not only acknowledges India’s vision but also doubles down on the side of realizable green energy economics.

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“With likely wind and solar cost declines and increases in coal energy costs, balanced or windmajority high renewable energy systems could result in electricity costs similar to a fossil fuel-dominated system.” the report said, reiterating that India’s foray into renewable energy is to be followed with renewed rigour and considerably help the efforts against global climate change. Since the study looks into the aspects of both the energy industry costs as well as economics, it serves useful in benchmarking future policies on those scales.

“As an alternative strategy for meeting peak electricity demand, battery storage can avert the need for new fossil fuel capacity but is cost-effective only at low capital costs. To avoid investments in new coal power plants, deploying battery storage will be essential.” suggesting that areas such as domestic energy security, grid operability & integration are still at the mercy of fossil fuel dominated power plants.

But the future shines bright on the renewable energy industry in terms of innovation, economics & adoption.

“We found that high renewable energy targets can be cost-effective for India, thanks to falling prices. The key to achieving the lowest costs lies in finding the right mix of renewables on the electric grid.” said Ranjit Deshmukh, UC Santa Barbara Assistant Professor & Berkeley lab faculty scientist, the primary author of the paper.

AUTHOR: VIJAY BHASKAR, SENIOR ASSOCIATE, ANALYTICS, AMPLUS SOLAR

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COMPANY FEATURE

AMIDST STEEP PRICE HIKES IN RAW MATERIALS, LONGI WORKS WITH CUSTOMERS IN INDIA TO FIND “WIN-WIN” SOLUTIONS TO DELIVER MODULES ON TIME; STAYS ON PATH TO MEET INDIA’S RE TARGETS. A recent article published by The Economic Times titled “Indian solar companies on edge as Chinese vendors exit deals” reported that “Leading solar module suppliers from China including Longi Solar and Jinko Solar are backing out of signed contracts with Indian power developers, citing rising commodity prices, said people aware of the matter.” This report inferred that LONGi unilaterally terminated contracts with our customers, which is factually incorrect.

LONGi would like to clarify that no contracts signed with developers in India have been terminated. Module price increase was necessary due to price hikes in the raw materials used in manufacturing. LONGi engaged with every developer to renegotiate terms of the contracts, always with an intent to find a “win-win” position for both parties. With modules making up 5560% of project CAPEX in a highly competitive market like India, LONGi recognizes that independent power producers (IPPs) have thin margins. LONGi has accepted negative margins and losses to bridge the price gap so our customers can realize their planned projects on schedule.

Raw material prices are driven by many factors which are not in control of OEMs like LONGi. The PV industry has experienced several rounds of raw material price increases since the second half of 2020-from polysilicon to materials such as PV glass and silver paste. Between June 2020 and February 2021, glass prices surged by around 80% per square meter. Prices for polysilicon and silver also skyrocketed by 64% and 55%, respectively. Silver is mainly used in manufacturing silver paste for solar cell metallization.

Overall module cost has increased about 35% and has remained high, due to the sharp price increases in these raw materials. All panel manufacturers are unable to fully absorb the steep rise in upstream cost.

Meanwhile, freight rates have also increased substantially due to a shortage of shipping capacity

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under COVID-19 regulations for the crew, pushing up module prices further.

“Our clients, which are leading IPPs in India and worldwide, are fully aware of the price increases in raw materials and freight cost. It is a difficult situation and beyond any of our control. It is in this scenario that LONGi and our partners mutually renegotiated the price terms in supply contracts to ensure on time project completion. We are happy to announce that we have been able to successfully fulfill almost all our clients’ orders and made deliveries on time. There has been no instance of unilateral contract termination whatsoever.

In fact, LONGi, being a vertically integrated player, was able to minimise the price impact for our clients as much as possible by realizing negative margins on the delivery of modules,” says Mr. Dennis She, Senior Vice President, LONGi Solar.

LONGi has strong, long-standing relationships with both large and small IPPs in India. The company has signed large, strategic contracts with several leading solar power developers and continues to deliver successfully on its commitments.

LONGi is committed to supporting the Government of India’s mission to promote domestic production of solar equipment. The company has been comprehensively assessing setting up a production base in India and preliminary preparations are already completed. It already acquired land in India to set up local manufacturing operations.

“India has always been a market we have paid great attention to. We hope to offer high-efficiency monocrystalline photovoltaic (PV) products in India on a large scale as well as support the government’s policy of domestic manufacturing. In 2020, we brought over 1.5 GW PV products to India, and in 2021, we have already supplied 1 GW till date, which has been praised and trusted by Indian customers,” She added.

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COMPANY FEATURE

OUR VISION IS TO “PROVIDE INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO SAVE ENERGY AND REDUCE CARBON FOOTPRINT, DIGITIZE EVERY PV PLANT AND MAKE IT IOT READY”

EnerMAN Technologies provides the most innovative and ingenious IOT based SCADA / Remote monitoring & control solutions for Solar PV plants from the inception of data acquisition at the site equipment level, to in depth analysis of data for actionable insights of plant generation.

EnerMAN is a subsidiary of Avi Solar Energy Pvt Ltd (India’s most trusted independent O&M service provider) for the Solar PV market with experience in over 2Giga Watts of PV plants.

EnerMAN was incorporated in July - 2019 and within a span of 2 years, we have achieved a remarkable milestone of acquiring and monitoring a portfolio of over 1000MW plus Solar PV plants In India and across the world.

STRATEGY Our vision is to “Provide Innovative Solutions to Save Energy and Reduce Carbon Footprint, digitize every PV plant and make it IOT ready” in the Solar Renewable Space.

Our mission is to be a global leader for Energy Monitoring Solutions. Our constant efforts are to enable and provide a comprehensive and affordable Energy Management Dashboard to customers with a seamless and ease of access extending exquisite features with IoT as technology and storing all data in the cloud.

EnerMAN SCADA meets the objective of all customer requirements in monitoring the data points real time, assessing, also providing prescient and actionable analytics with alerts to identify faults and rectify them on time to minimize generation of loss.

B e i t r e t ro f i t o r n e w p l a n t s – E n e r M A N f i t s i n w i t h precision. We have integrated with all Global Brands of Inverters, WMS, String Combiner Boxes.

BUSINESS CONCEPT EnerMAN provides an end-to-end solution – Hardware, Firmware and Software systems that are developed inhouse enabling us to optimize the cost with zero dependencies on third party suppliers.

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OUR KEY PRODUCTS ARE, ETi-SOL® – Cloud based monitoring platform that provides you data from all equipment in the plant and gives you comprehensive insights about plant performance. Monitor all your plants with a Single Login.

ETi-LOG™ – a data logger specifically designed to acquire data from Solar PV equipment’s tested and integrated with all inverter brands and sensors in the plant.

ETi-CONNECT™ – is the analytics engine for detailed data analysis including the comparison of equipment /plant performance KPIs etc.

TEAM & MANAGEMENT Ashok DM & Somashekar TH co-founded EnerMAN with a high performing team of elite members from Avi Solar with a passion to build global products. Our team comes with a rich experience and proficiency in developing products for Networking, Telecom and Semiconductor in various MNCs. We as a team with intrinsic knowledge, technical know how and strong processes have built the most reliable EnerMAN monitoring solutions with global standards.

Our Product Development team is adroit with real time and hands on experience by visiting the Solar PV plants on the data acquisition methodology at the plants.

CUSTOMERS & PROJECTS Our projects scale from Rooftops to large Utility PV plants with diversified clientele. Our Customers are the Solar PV industry leaders with whom we are proud to associate with Soft Bank Energy, BHEL, Focal Energy, LNB Renewables, Hinduja Renewables, Atria Power, AMP energy, Cleantech Solar, Fourth Partner Energy, SIMCON & Think Energy. Vikram Solar, Madhav Corp, Kushal Power Nepal, Mahawa Solar (SriLanka), Distributed Energy, Rwanda.

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COMPANY FEATURE

TRINA SOLAR - THE SHINING STAR OF THE GLOBAL SOLAR INDUSTRY Committed with a mission to benefit all mankind with solar energy’, a fight for lower LCOE and the greater goal of peak carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutrality, Trina Solar is today the world leading PV and smart energy total solution provider developing proprietary smart PV solutions for large power stations, as well as commercial and residential solutions, energy storage systems, photovoltaic modules and energy IoT (internet of things).

Leading Through Innovation & Technology

Founded in 1997, Trina has come a long way in terms of its technology offerings to the industry. As a solar pioneer, Trina Solar helped change this solar industry, rapidly growing from one of the first PV enterprises in China to become a world leader in solar technology and manufacture. The unmatched level of innovation and technological capabilities of Trina Solar have led the company to become global leaders by setting industry benchmarks for both quality and efficiency.

The Trina Solar State Key Laboratory of PV Science and Technology is one of the first state key laboratories accredited by the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Trina Solar has established a technology innovation team made up of top researchers and experts from across China and around the world. Trina Solar’s State

Key Laboratory of PV Science and Technology has set 20 world records in PV cell efficiency and module output and holds the highest number of patents in the PV industry.

In 2018, Trina Solar launched its Energy IoT brand, established the Trina Energy IoT Industrial Development Alliance together with leading enterprises and research institutes in China and around the world, and founded the New Energy IoT Industrial Innovation Center. With these actions, Trina Solar is committed to working with its partners to build the energy IoT ecosystem and develop an innovation platform to explore New Energy IoT, as it strives to be a leader in global intelligent energy.

Among the many highlights of Trina Solar in 2020, the most dazzling was the launch of the industry-leading 210mm ultra-high power module series Vertex and the establishment of the 600W+ Photovoltaic Open Innovation Ecological Alliance, which attracted companies and organizations from upstream and downstream of the industry chain, leading the industry to move toward a new era of high-efficiency 210 modules.

TRINA SOLAR STATE KEY LABORATORY OF PV SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

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The global PV industry has experienced shortages and price increases of silicon, glass and other raw and auxiliary materials in the second half of the year.

Despite this, the company had stable operations across the year, which highlights its strong ability in supply chain risk control.

TRINA SOLAR HEADQUARTER IN CHANG ZHOU, CHINA

Achieving New Milestones - Year On Year

In 2020, Trina Solar was rated the World’s Top “Bankable” PV Module Manufacturer by Bloomberg New Energy Finance for the fifth consecutive year. Trina Solar won the China Industry Awards in 2018, becoming the first PV company to receive this honor.

Trina Solar highly values and invests in environment, health, and safety. The Company has been ranked as one of the top 3 PV module manufacturing companies in the world. Trina Solar was awarded two successive Gold Level ratings in the Corporate Social Responsibility performance survey conducted by EcoVadis, an independent rating agency in Europe, due to its outstanding record of protecting the environment and employee rights.

In 2019, Trina Solar was recognized as the National Center for Enterprise Technology by the five ministries and commissions. This facility, which in fact comprises one laboratory and two centers (the State Key Laboratory of PV Science and Technology, the National Enterprise Technology Center and the New Energy IoT Industrial Innovation Center), has enabled the company to step up its investment in operational R&D, raise and broaden its innovation platform, and attract more highend talent.

Committed To Growth & Collaborations

Trina Solar’s total module capacity reached 22GW in 2020, and module shipments reached 15.915GW, ranking third in the world, tallying to the 2020 annual shipment guidance published in Q3 2020 by IHS Markit.

By the end of 2021 Trina Solar's total cell production capacity is expected to reach 35GW (of which 210mm cells will account for more than 70%) and it is expected to accomplish total module production capacity of 50GW, further consolidating its position as the 210mm module leader.

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Trina Solar has always been committed to promoting industrial synergy. In addition to continuously optimizing its own module material technology and processes and improving product performance, Trina Solar is also engaged in in-depth strategic joint ventures and collaboration with upstream suppliers to reduce costs, stabilize supply and achieve controllable risks.

In addition, in 2020 Trina Solar deepened its diversified operations and opened up multiple business units such as for modules, trackers and system integration, further enhancing the company's comprehensive strength and anti-risk capability.

The Future

Looking to the future, Trina’s people will continue to be guided by the company’s core corporate values, focus on the customer, persist in open innovation, persevere through dedication and hard work, strive for excellence, and share the responsibility, create and share value together, while also pursuing the company’s mission of Solar for All Mankind. Harnessing the strength of all parties in a spirit of openness and collaboration, Trina will lead the development of the industry to play its part in global energy saving, emissions reduction and sustainable development.

Today, Trina Solar is actively accelerating its pace of globalization and the development of its global management team. Trina Solar’s business footprint extends to more than 100 countries and regions. Trina Solar has always been committed to a cleaner and greener future and will continue to contribute to the development of a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient energy system and the development of renewable energy to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality.

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PRODUCT FEATURE

VERTEX DOUBLE GLASS BIFACIAL 600W+ MODULE SERIES: The Top Choice For Utility And Large Commercial Projects

Besides this, Trina also introduced its tracking solutions. TrinaTracker is specialized in the design, manufacturing, installation and maintenance of fixed tilts and solar trackers. With more than 5 GW developed worldwide, offices on the five continents and more than 300 projects carried out, TrinaTracker is your partner of reference for large scale solar projects.

TrinaTracker offers its clients a product of optimal quality with the most advanced technology, thereby achieving a better performance in each project. They adapt to any request and provide custom-made solutions to their clients.

TRINA SOLAR’S VERTEX 600W BIFACIAL DOUBLE-GLASS MODULE, DEG20C.20

Trina Solar has a variety of modules and solutions to fit all solar project needs. The newly launched Vertex module series, benefit from square mono cells and highdensity encapsulation technology. The efficiency of Vertex can reach up to 21%, one of the highest in the industry.

The Vertex 210 family covers five power types of modules, namely 400W, 500W, 550W, 600W and the 670W, each of them suitable for all-around application, including residential and commercial rooftops, power plants and agricultural and fishing farms. As the PV industry embraces grid parity, the Vertex series has a prominent edge in LCOE as a result of Trina Solar's continued push to reduce costs by improving module power and efficiency.

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INTRODUCING THE VERTEX 600W BIFACIAL DUAL GLASS MONOCRYSTALLINE MODULE Based on the 210mm large-size silicon wafer and monocrystalline PERC cell, this latest double glass bifacial 600W module, DEG20C.20 comes with several innovative design features allowing high power output of more than 600Wp. This module absorbs solar irradiation from both sides, and can generate up to 25% of additional power generation from the backside depending on the surface albedo.

The module series is built with a focus on maximising the return on investment for the customers. The module series also offers the lowest guaranteed 1st year and annual degradation and is compatible with mainstream system components such as inverters and tracking systems.

The high-power mono PERC module series offers up to 21.4% module efficiency with high density interconnect technology. It also uses multi-busbar technology for better light trapping effect, lower series resistance and improved current collection

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Excellent temperature coefficient and low irradiation performance brings better power generation. Other key features of the module series include minimized microcracks with innovative non-destructive cutting technology and ensured PID resistance through cell process & module material control.

The module series is highly reliable and can be installed in harsh environments such as salt, ammonia, sand, high temperature and high humidity areas. The module offers mechanical performance up to 5400 Pa positive load and 2400 Pa negative load.

Most importantly, the module series offers a very high project yield. The technology offers excellent IAM (Incident Angle Modifier) and low irradiance performance, which has been validated by 3rd party certifications.

Based on the aim of improving the system efficiency and reducing the balance-of-system costs, Trina Solar's research and development team has introduced an innovative low-voltage design which allows more modules to be connected per string. Typically, Trina can interconnect 33 Vertex modules into a 1500V string.

Compared with other module types, a single module string can achieve up to a 41% power increase, At system level, there are potentials of 15% racking decrease, 17% foundation decrease and 35% combiner box decrease,(number varies depending on design and site conditions) indicating an innovative technological breakthrough and ushering in a new era of 600W+.

TRINA BIFACIAL + TRACKER SOLUTION Having early access to the new module technology meant TrinaTracker had a head-start on its tracker competitors when it came to wind-tunnel verification a n d p e r f o r m i n g t h e n e c e s s a r y d ue d i l i g e n c e t o i n t e g r a t e smart trackers with the new, larger solar panels in longer string lengths. Trina is unique because it is the only supplier for an integrated module and tracker solution in the entire solar industry, providing a lower risk profile for long term asset owners through single point accountability in service.

In a recent study focused on the LCOE advantage and value of the Trina 600W+ Vertex Bifacial Dual-Glass Module with Single-Axis 2 portrait installation (2P) tracker, the report found that Trina Solar’s Vertex 210mm bifacial dual-glass module can cut BOS by up to 6.32% and LCOE by 3.72% compared with the 166mm bifacial dual-glass module.

T r i n a T r a c ke r c o n s i s t s o f t w o s e r i e s o f t r a c k e r s , t h e O n e in-portrait Dual Row Agile and the Two-in-portrait Vanguard both of which perfectly cater to leading 210mm ultra-high power modules.

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TrinaTracker has four core product advantages: high reliability, more yield gain through our proprietary “SuperTrack” intelligent machine learning tracker controller (which has been independently verified to boost yield by +3% on typical sites and up to 8% on sites with uneven terrain), low O&M (operation & maintenance) costs with well proven critical components and unified contact channel (modules and trackers). Up to 120 modules can be installed with both types of trackers.

Three major structural advantages in the product design significantly improve the efficiency of the trackers. One is the exclusive patented third-generation spherical bearing design that prevents structural deformation and reduces the load on the drive system and motor, thereby reducing failure rate and effectively improving system stability. Secondly, to meet the demands of end users for lower O&M costs, TrinaTracker uses more easily replaceable spherical bearings and drivetrain components that reduce system failure rates and O&M costs. Trina Solar, with more than 10 years’ experience of design and installation, has now taken its spherical bearings applications to more than 40 countries. Finally, extensive structure design value engineering made possible through comprehensive full aeroelastic wind tunnel testing with world renowned wind consultancies RWDI and CPP means TrinaTracker requires significantly fewer foundations compared to other trackers, reducing construction cost and risk.

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COMPANY FEATURE

GOODWE STANDS NO.1 AS ROOFTOP INVERTER SUPPLIER IN INDIA C&I sector, GoodWe is dedicated to maximizing ROI for system owners. GoodWe MT and HT series are the preferred choices from this segment. The inverters have been deployed on the premises of Global Top 500 Companies, like TATA, Bosch, Siemens, Toyota, Coca Cola and other renowned companies worldwide, thanks to its comprehensive portfolio, superior quality and unparalleled service.

GoodWe has been recognized as the No.1 Rooftop Solar Inverter supplier in India with a 17% market share. The results were confirmed by JMK Research & Analytics.

Being recognized as No.1 Rooftop Solar Inverter supplier in India is a great accomplishment and it is a pleasure to share this huge milestone with our customers. GoodWe’s strategy of steady investments in R&D and its strong team of more than 400 engineers are one of the reasons behind this position of leadership in such a big and competitive market.

GoodWe is also a maj or player for ground-mounted proj ects; the launch of GoodWe HT 1500V series marks another milestone for the company. GoodWe’ s vision is to continuously provide add-value service to its customers and move the world forward towards carbon neutrality by reshaping new energy.

GoodWe started its inverter business in India in 2015.

After years of continuous research and strategic deployment, GoodWe now boasts the industry’s most comprehensive residential, C&I and utility scale solar inverter solutions, with a wide range of products from 1kW to 250kW Solutions.

Commenting on this incredible achievement, CEO Daniel Huang stated: “India is one of the biggest markets and GoodWe is on a mission to deliver highquality inverters to contribute to the ongoing energy transformation.”

Mr. Huang also expressed his gratitude to customers across India, whose trust in GoodWe solutions and preference for the GoodWe brand has helped GoodWe achieve this recognition in India.

In the past 10 years, GoodWe has brought a wide range of products to the market. GoodWe XS, DNS and SDT G2 are the most popular for the residential sector; extremely compact but with high efficiency up to 98.3%.

As for the

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PRODUCT FEATURE

MEGAMIC’S WIRELESS STRING MONITORING SOLUTION Problem statement: Megamic was challenged with a requirement to Implement a Wireless Monitoring System for individual String currents of close to 3500 strings spread across an area of about 70 acres. This was for one of India’s oldest Solar Power Projects built without any String Monitoring Infrastructure.

There were close to 320 String Combiner boxes without any shunt or hall effect sensors for monitoring currents.

Another big challenge was the lack of RS485 cabling for communication of the combiner boxes with Control room.

Megamic’s Solution: Replaced all the legacy String Combiner Boxes with Megamic’s Wireless String Monitoring Boxes. Due to operational constraints all the replacement activities w e r e c a r r i e d o u t d u r i n g n o n - g e n e r a t i o n h o u r s ( a f te r sunset) Established Wireless communication across the 70 acre area with 100% coverage of all SMBs Installed Megamic’s proprietory SolarNxt software for String Monitoring in the Main Control Room

Hardware Solution Highlights:

MEGAMIC’S WIRELESS RS485 TRANSCEIVER

Solution retrofits into existing mounting structure Individual String Current reading accuracy of better than 0.7% Includes inside ambient temperature readings of the SMB Supports Two additional PT-100 sensors for taking temperature inputs from nearby Solar PV modules No need of external Antennas 27 dBm Wireless Signal strength operating in License free band of Indian spectrum Directly communicates with SCADA via Modbus-TCP Redundant Power supply and Controller in the central Gateway

SolarNxt String Monitoring Solution Highlights:

MEGAMIC’S STRING MONITORING BOX

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Single Software for Monitoring, Performance analysis and Diagnostics Intuitive plots to monitor underlying trends Detection of shadows and soiling Heatmaps for comparison of SMBs as well as individual strings Fuse blown and Temperature alerts for abnormal SMBs identification End of Day Daily performance reports auto-email feature to configurable email IDs APRIL ISSUE 2021 | PG 35

VALUE ADD TO CUSTOMER

SOLARNXT : HEATMAP VIEW OF SMB PERFORMANCE ACROSS THE PLANT

Individual String performance monitoring is essential to ensure at grass root level the Solar PV Plant is performing as expected.

For Solar PV Plants without such a monitoring infrastructure, Megamic’s solution brings significant value with its hardware retrofit as well as software solution with String performance analysis, real time Alerts and advanced reporting Feature.

Any string underperformance is instantly reported, any abnormal heat generation within a SMB due to a loose bus bar connection or a faulty Isolator switch or any other reason is instantly flagged. Clubbed with Irradiance data, the losses can also be quantified in kWh. All of this without a need for RS485 wiring is an additional advantage.

About Megamic

SOLARNXT : HEATMAP VIEW OF STRING CURRENTS ALONG WITH ACTUAL FIGURES AND COLOUR CODED DEVIATION

Megamic provides Monitoring, Analytics, Diagnostics And Asset Management Capabilities to O&M Teams and asset owners to Improve their ROI on large scale distributed solar PV Plants through its innovative portfolio of field proven products and solutions ranging from Dataloggers, String Monitoring Units, smart SCADA panels, Plant Power Controllers, Zero Export Controllers and SolarNxt Cloud based solution.

SOLARNXT : ALERTS SCREEN SHOWING “ISOLATOR”, “FUSELINK”, “SPD BLOWN” ALONG WITH OTHER STATUS

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PRODUCT FEATURE

ENERMAN'S SOLAR PV MONITORING PLATFORM ETI-SOL 6.0 Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection. ~Mark Twain That’s what EnerMAN’S development team is striving to do as we deploy more of ETiSOL® to monitor Solar PV plants.

With ETi-SOL® 5.0, we achieved 1GW monitoring milestone.

Based on all the learnings and customer requests, we have made several improvements in the platform & ETi-SOL 6.0 is now ready for release.

PLANT OVERVIEW PAGE SHOWS THE KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS OF THE PV PLANT

While the look & feel of base ETi-SOL® remains the same – traditional Blue Dark mode with optional light mode switching, there are some major changes in the frontend for users to download reports and perform data analysis.

HOME PAGE INDICATES THE HEALTH OF ALL PV ASSETS IN ONE SCREEN

Here are some of the maj or changes explained:

DATA COMPARISON ACROSS PLANTS/SITES: Customers with PV assets across geographic location are always interested in comparison of generation and insolation data.

They want to find out if there is a regional impact on plant performance. ETi-SOL 6. 0 analytics tab enables user to choose the parameters to be compared across the plants in couple of clicks.

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COMPARE GENERATIONS & OTHER PARAMETERS ACROSS PLANTS

Given that the main input to a PV system is sunlight (irradiance) which often varies , it is difficult to measure the absolute value & determine the performance of an equipment. Hence it is always good to compare data like generation , system losses and make your inference. Comparison of data of equipments like Inverter, Transformer, Combiner boxes within the plant itself can reveal lot of information on the efficiency of the plants.

You can also have a plant modelled based on PV Syst simulation and compare the ‘ Live’ plant with the standard model.

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REPORT MODULE: The report module has also got a major facelift. The user can configure his report module & save it as a template after which with few clicks, one can download Plant level, Block level or Device level reports. ETiSOL 6.0 continues to support ‘Daily Generation Report in your Inbox’ feature relieving the load of O&M engineer to download & email DGRs. The DGRs can be in any customer specific format.

PLANT POA DETECTION LOGIC FOR MULTI-WMS/ IRRADIANCE SENSOR: Larger PV plants >15MW usually are equipped with multiple irradiance sensors.

Most SCADA will use one of the sensors to determine the plant PR and if that sensor fails, a manual computation is done using the other sensor. ETi-SOL 6.0 has a feature where you can take advantage of the multiple sensors for PoA calculation. You can either use it in Secondary standby mode or Auto averaging mode. In Secondary standby mode, if there are any packets missing from the primary sensor, it ill be filled in by the secondary irradiance sensor. If the primary sensor is completely down, the secondary sensor’s data shall be used for plant insolation calculations.

REPORTS MODULE ENABLES YOU TO CHOOSE THE PARAMETERS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN YOUR DAILY / MONTHLY/ ANNUAL REPORTS

DOWNLOADED FILES ARE NOT JUST CSV FILES; IT CAN BE CUSTOMIZED AS PER CLIENT TEMPLATE

INTRODUCING ETI-SOL® EDGE: One of the cons of IOT/Cloud based solutions is that we need to pay annual charges to the server hosted in cloud. This means ETi-SOL® users will pay a nominal annual charge to view their plant data.

Even though the charges are as low as INR500 per month, few customers do not want to pay any annual charges. EnerMAN has introduced ETi-SOL® Edge which is a local monitoring solution for clients who want to invest one time to the system.

Customer can still view the local data remotely using ‘Static IP” or using third party tools like Anydesk.

Continual improvement is the motto of EnerMAN and there will be new versions being released very frequently. Our goal is to help customer save every unit of electricity generated! For more information regarding our solutions email Sales@enerman.in or login to www.enerman.in.

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CUSTOMIZED DGRS CAN BE PUSHED AS AN EMAIL, YOU NEED NOT WAIT FOR YOUR OMS ENGINEER TO COMPILE & EMAIL.

About Enerman:

We revolutionized the Solar PV monitoring industry in India by providing very low cost IOT based SCADA. Enerman is currently monitoring over 1100MW of solar PV plants which includes Rooftop & Utility scale plants. We provide end to end solution which includes inhouse developed PV datalogger hardware and Cloud based monitoring SW platform. Our experience comes from several Gigawatts of OMS experience of the parent company Avi Solar Energy Pvt Ltd. Enerman’s flagship product ETi-SOL addresses all the painpoints experienced by the plant owners / OMS teams in India. For a free product demo reach out to : 9980698001/7022949911.

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