SolarQuarter- India Aug-Sep (REI Special) Issue 2022

Empowering, Insightful, Engaging

Policy

M&A

New Industry Appointments

Green Hydrogen Buzz

Funding & Investment Tender Buzz Projects Think Tank

IN CONVERSATION

Recycling with the purpose of Reproducing Modules

India Utility Solar Challenges, Opportunities & the Road Ahead

STORY PERSPECTIVE

Green Energy Open Access Rules 2022: A Welcome Step Towards Affordable, Reliable, Sustainable Green Energy For All?

Launch Of National Rooftop Portal: A Giant Leap Towards Attainment Of India's Rooftop Goal?

85

Green Hydrogen as a clean fuel: A potential to be unleashed?

FEATURED INSIGHT

55 56

LONGi adani PIXON

COMPANY FEATURE

Sungrow Solis

Trina Solar Growatt Kehua Tech Arctech FOXESS Insolation Energy Contendre Solar Saatvik EKI

PIXON Purshotam Profiles Volga Solar

PRODUCT FEATURE

Trina Solar LONGi Tata BlueScope Steel Waaree EKI Energy SmartHelio

FEATURED TALKS

Chikkodi

Salkar

Fimer

LAUNCH

Deye Waaree GoodWe

CONTENT 22 28 31 34 37 41 25 29 32 35 38 42 26 30 33 36 40 43 FEATURE

Sadhana Shenvekar Sangita Shetty Rajarshi Sengupta publishing@firstviewgroup

DESIGNING

Radha Buddhadev Neha Barangali design@firstviewgroup com

ADVERTISING CIRCULATION

Smriti Charan Sangeeta Sridhar advertise@firstviewgroup com

Sadhana Shenvekar Vaibhav

Vineet Mittal Rahul Bhutiani Saurabh Aggarwal

Engr Sk Md Ruhul Amin

Punit Mehta

Dharmin Sheth

Rajat Seksaria

Arun Chaudhary Dong Bo Prashant Mathur

Manish Dabkara Brijesh Prajapati

Amresh Mahajan Manish Narula

Piyush Nahar Anurag Garg

Acharan Chandel

Rakesh Singh

Chairman Avaada Group

Head Sales & Marketing, Adani Solar

Sr Sales Manager Xiamen Kehua Digital Energy Tech Co Ltd

Deputy Managing Director Chint Solar (Bangladesh) Company Ltd

Co founder & Director, PIXON Director Contendre Solar

CEO ACME Group Sales Head India Sineng Electric Head of SOFARSOLAR APAC Region

CEO, Saatvik Green Energy

CMD & CEO EKI Energy Services Ltd Managing Director APAC Region, INVT Solar Technology Pvt Ltd

VP Tec /QA/HSE Sustainability O2 Power Pvt Ltd

Executive Vice President South Asia, Jinko Solar GeneralManager LYSAGHT®Business TataBluescope Steel

COO Solar, Jakson Group

Co Founder and CMO, Spinkraft Ventures

CEO & Executive Director, Mahindra Solarize

Policy & Regulatory Updates

POLICY NEWS

The Ministry of Power issued Amendments to the Guidelines for Tariff Based Competitive Bidding Process for Procurement of Round The Clock (RTC) Power from Grid Connected Renewable Energy Power Projects, complemented with Power from any other source or storage

Cabinet Approves India’s Updated Nationally Determined Contribution

The Union Cabinet approved India’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement, incorporating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Panchamrit’ strategy announced at the Glasgow conference into enhanced climate targets

IEX Unveils Joint Study with SECI on ‘RE Capacity Addition Through Markets to Achieve 2030 Targets’

The Indian Energy Exchange Limited (IEX), India’s premier energy exchange, organized the second edition of ‘IGNITE India Energy Dialogue’ on 24th August, attended by senior power sector stakeholders The event saw an insightful exchange of views on a wide range of issues concerning the power markets. The discussion majorly focused on the Hourly Resolution Spot Price Projection for 15 years and on creating the Merchant RE Model for the 15 year tenure

India Submits Updated NDC to UNFCCC, Says It’s a Step Towards Net zero by 2070

India has submitted its updated Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, emphasizing that it is a step forward towards its long term goal of reaching net zero by 2070.

According to the latest list, there are currently 66 module producers enlisted under ALMM The list includes Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments, which has 23 MW of capacity, Neety Euro Asia Solar Energy with 28 MW, Shivam Photovoltaics 30 MW, Sahaj Solar has 100 MW and Raajratna Ventures which has 96 MW of capacity. Another update is that Waaree Energies, RenewSys India and Mundra Solar added new modules to this list The revised capacity of Waaree Energies is 2650 MW, RenewSys India is 487 MW and 562 MW is of Mundra Solar

PM Modi Says India Needs To Reach Next Level for Energy Independence

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India must become self reliant in the energy sector and lead the world Red Fort’s ramparts were where Modi spoke on the 76th Independence Day He said that India must take forward green energy initiatives and be an example to the rest of the world

MNRE Extends Implementation Date of Quality Control Order, 2017 For SPV inverters to 31st December 2022

A bill to amend the Electricity Act to allow non discriminatory open access to distribution networks of power suppliers was introduced in Lok Sabha amid protests by the opposition, which claimed that it seeks to take away certain rights of state governments.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), has extended the date for implementation of Quality Control Order, 2017 for SPV inverters (items 4 5) from 30th June 2022 to 31st December 2022 based on self certification, subject to the condition that such manufacturers have valid electrotechnical commission (IEC) accreditation and test report from international test labs for the smooth implementation of the order

A bill seeking to mandate the use of non fossil energy sources such as biomass, ethanol and green hydrogen was passed by the Lok Sabha Piloting the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022, Power Minister R K Singh said “this is the bill for the future,” and urged the members to approve it

MNRE Issues Notification Regarding Extension of PM-KUSUM Scheme

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has notified the extension of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Utthaan Mahabhiyan’s (PM KUSUM), scheme until March 31, 2026

Major Interventions by Government To Generate Electricity from Renewable Energy Sources

Concerted efforts from all sectors and states are vital for India to achieve the target of 500 gigawatt renewable energy capacity by 2030, Union Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy and Chemicals and Fertilizers Bhagwanth Khuba has said

A study was carried out by Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and the Ministry of Power (MoP) with the objective to project the Optimal Generation Capacity mix for 2029 30 According to the study, the estimated electricity generation from renewable energy sources was assessed to be 39% of the total electricity generation by the year 2029 30.

MoP Issues Amendments to the Guidelines for Procurement of Round The Clock RE Power, Complemented with Power From Any Other Source or Storage

MNRE Issues Updated List of Manufacturers and Models of Solar PV Modules of ALMM Order 2019

Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022 Introduced by Centre in Lok Sabha

Lok Sabha Passes Bill to Promote Non fossil Fuels

Concerted Efforts Needed From All Sectors, States To Achieve 500 GW Renewable Energy Capacity: Union Minister

Govt Agrees to Give Financial Assistance for Solar Agri Pumps Up to 15 HP Under PM KUSUM: Khuba

The finance ministry has agreed to a proposal on the Central Financial Assistance (CFA) to solar pumps up to 15 Horse Power (HP) capacity in the northeastern and Himalayan states, Parliament was informed recently.

Govt Prepares Draft Hydrogen Mission Document: Khuba

The government recently informed that the draft Hydrogen Mission document has been prepared. In his Independence Day speech last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of the National Hydrogen Mission

PM Launches National Portal for Rooftop Solar and RDSS

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi participated in the Grand Finale marking the culmination of ‘Ujjwal Bharat Ujjwal Bhavishya Power @2047’ via video conferencing

Assam Eying at 2,000 MW of Solar Power with Rs 10,000 Cr Investment: CM

Assam is looking to augment its solar power generation capacity by 2,000 MW at an investment of around Rs 10,000 crore within the next three four years, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said

Madhya Pradesh Aims to Generate Extra 20,000 MW of Green Power by 2030

Madhya Pradesh has set an ambitious target of generating an additional 20,000 Megawatt (MW) of green power by 2030 through renewable energy sources, including setting up a solar plant in the Chambal region once notorious for dacoits and supplying it to other states.

Odisha Proposes Target Of 30 GW RE Output By 2030

With Odisha set to draft its new Renewable Energy (RE) policy for 2022 30, the International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology (iFOREST) recently initiated a dialogue on preparing the roadmap with a focus on the generation of green energy and jobs

REGULATORY UPDATES

MERC Gives Approval For 14 MW of Solar Projects Under PM KUSUM

In a recent order, Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) has received approval from the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) for the adoption of tariff for long term power procurement from 14MW solar projects under the PM KUSUM Component A program

Tripura is one of the most successful states in India to tap renewable energy sources and to encourage rural and marginalized households from converting to alternative energy

Maharashtra Commission Allowed Extension Of Commissioning Date Of 350 MW Solar Capacity To Avaada Energy

In a recent order, the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) allowed the extension of the scheduled commissioning date (SCOD) to an Avaada Energy Subsidiary, for a 150 MW capacity out of the total awarded 350 MW solar capacity by Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL)

CERC Has Approved GST Compensation To Solar Edge Energy

Recently, the central electricity regulatory agency (CERC) ordered SECI or Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) to compensate Solar Edge and Energy Ltd for the additional cost incurred due to the imposition of Goods & Services Tax (GST), on an annuity basis

Kerala Commission Approves Tariff Rate Of Rs 3.50/Kwh For 5.5 MW Solar Capacity Under PM KUSUM Program

In a recent order, Kerala Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) approved a tariff rate of Rs 3 50/Kwh for 5 5 MW solar capacity under the PM KUSUM Component A scheme in the state of Kerala

The Indian Energy Exchange achieved 7151 MU volume in July’22 comprising 6088 MU in the conventional power market, 589 MU in the Green Power Market, and 475 MU (4 75 lac Certificates) in the REC Market, with a decline of 1.7% across all market segments on YoY basis

Tripura Tops North Eastern States in Use of Solar Energy

IEX Achieves 7151 MU Volume in July’22; Was 1.7% Lower on YOY Basis

M&A

Virescent To Acquire 100 MW Solar Assets from Jakson Group

The final stages of discussions to acquire 100MW of solar assets from Jakson Group are being conducted by KKR, a global funding agency, KKR backed Virescent Renewable Energy Trust

13 Bids For Minority Stake Sale in NTPC Green Energy

According to the sources 13 bids have been received for a minority stake sale by NTPC Green Energy Limited The companies who have shown interest are ArcelorMittal, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), Brookfield, Abu Dhabi’s TAQA and National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), and Petronas among others

O2 Power Acquires 55 MW Solar Power Plant in Karnataka and Telangana

O2 Power, a renewable energy IPP in India announces the acquisition of a portfolio of solar power plants from Bangalore based solar panel manufacturer, Emmvee Photovoltaic Power Pvt Ltd

NTPC Taps CPPIB, TAQA To Sell Green Arm Stake

International utilities and vitality firms, pension and infrastructure focussed funds are among those which have been approached by NTPC as it begins fundraising for its clear vitality platform

New Industry Appointments

R K Tyagi Takes Over as Director, Operations at PowerGrid

State owned PowerGrid Corporation freshly announced that R K Tyagi has assumed charge as its director (operations) Tyagi, 56, is an electrical engineer from Punjab Engineering College (PEC), Chandigarh, and has completed MTech in Energy Studies from IIT Delhi.

Deepak Thakur Is the New MD & CEO of Mahindra Susten

Mahindra Susten, the Cleantech arm of the Mahindra group welcomes Mr Deepak Thakur as the new MD &CEO, effective August 16, 2022 Mr Thakur will oversee the Renewables businesses, comprising Mahindra Solarize & Mahindra TEQO apart from Mahindra Susten. He will be directly reporting to Dr. Anish Shah, Managing Director & CEO of Mahindra Group

JSW Neo Energy To Acquire 1753 MW of Renewable Energy Assets from Mytrah Energy

JSW Energy said its arm JSW Neo Energy will acquire 1,753 MW of renewable energy generation capacity from Mytrah Energy for Rs 10,530 crore

Torrent Power Leads Race To Buy Clean Energy Firm Vector Green

Torrent Power is to acquire vector Green energy, a US based Global Infrastructure Partners 700 MW clean electricity platform for India according to multiple people who are aware of the development

Shapoorji Pallonji to Offload 1 25 % Stake in Sterling and Wilson Renewable Energy

Construction firm Shapoorji Pallonji and Company Private Limited has proposed to offload the 1 25 percent shares it holds in green energy company Sterling and Wilson Renewable Energy Ltd (SWREL)

Shell Completes Acquisition of Renewables Platform Sprng Energy Group

Shell Overseas Investment B V , a wholly owned subsidiary of Shell plc (Shell), has completed its 100% acquisition of Solenergi Power Private Limited and with it, the Sprng Energy group of companies from Actis Solenergi Limited (Actis)

Azure Power CEO Harsh Shah Resigns With Immediate Effect

Azure Power Global Limited (Azure) announced the appointment of Mr Rupesh Agarwal as its Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr Agarwal takes over from Mr Harsh Shah who has resigned as CEO with immediate effect The Board will consider the appointment of a new permanent CEO in due course

Green

Buzz

POSCO, Greenko Partner On Green Hydrogen and Ammonia Production in India

Posco Holdings, one of the leading Korean steelmakers, and Greenkco subsidiary ZeroC have entered into a strategic partnership for producing Green Hydrogen Ammonia and related derivatives in India for both the domestic and export markets

Tata Steel To Invest 65 Million Euros in Hydrogen based Steel Manufacturing

Tata Steel announced that it will invest more 65 million euros in hydrogen based steel manufacturing for the Netherlands Tata Steel has signed pacts to workwithMcDermott,Danieli,andHatch,threeDutchfirmsforfurthertechnical preparationsinordertomanufacturehydrogen basedsteelinIjmuiden

Ohmium and Shell India to Collaborate on Green Hydrogen Energy Solutions

Shell India and Ohmium International have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cooperate on green hydrogen applications, markets, andprojectopportunities

Avaada Group Signs MoU for Rs 40,000 Crore Green Ammonia Plant with Rajasthan Govt

Avaada Group has signed a deal to infuse Rs 40,000 crores in an ammonia plant in Kota, Rajasthan

Funding & Investment

KKR and Company are in advanced negotiations to invest around $400 million in Hero Group’s renewable energy company Hero Future Energies This would be the US private equity firm’s single largest investment in India’s clean energy space so far

Norwegian Climate Investment Fund to Take up 49% Stake in Solar Power Plant in Rajasthan

As part of the Norway India global energy transition partnership, the Norwegian Climate Investment Fund will take up a 49 per cent stake in a 420 MW solar power plant in Rajasthan, the Scandinavian nation’s embassy said

Maharashtra Attracts Rs. 25,000 Cr Funds for Renewable Energy and Charging Infrastructure

Maharashtra raised funds of Rs 25,361 crore for renewable energy, infrastructure, and bio fuel through a green fund investors meet organized by MAHAPREIT (Mahatma Phule Renewable Energy & Infrastructure Technology Ltd),asubsidiarygovernmentofMaharashtra

IREDA Signs MoU with MAHAPREIT to Provide Loans for Green Energy Projects

Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd (IREDA) signed an MoU with Mahatma Phule Renewable Energy and Infrastructure Technology Ltd (MAHAPREIT), a wholly owned subsidiary of MPBCDC (49% owned by Govt. of Indiaand51%ownedbyGovt ofMaharashtra)

L&T Sets Up Green Hydrogen Plant at Hazira

Engineering and construction firm Larsen & Toubro, which commissioned its first green hydrogen plant at its complex here in Gujarat, is in talks with a dozen companiesforsettingupsimilarunits,acompanyofficialsaidrecently

Jindal Stainless To Set Up Green Hydrogen Plant

JindalStainlessLimited(JSL)haspartneredwithHygencoIndiaPrivateLimited to set up a green hydrogen plant. This plant will enable JSL to reduce its carbonemissionsbynearly2,700MTperannum,itsaidinastatement

Indian Oil Targets Meeting 10% of Energy Requirements from Green Hydrogen by 2030

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is targeting to replace at least a tenth of its current fossil fuel based hydrogen at its refineries with carbon free green hydrogen as part of a decarbonization drive

IREDA Signs MoU With Bank Of India To CoFinance Renewable Energy Projects

Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd (IREDA), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bank of India (BoI) for co lending, co origination, and loan syndication for Renewable Energy projects

Solar Technology Startup Renkube Bags Rs. 2.4 Cr in Seed Funding

Renewable energy focused deep tech startup Renkube has announced that it has secured $300K (INR 24 crores) in a seed round led by CIIECO JITO AngelNetworkandK4ForumMumbaiNetworkalsoparticipatedinthisround

ReNew Ties up $1 Billion ECB Consortium Loan for 1300 MW RTC Project Funding in Indian RE Sector

ReNew Energy Global plc (ReNew), India’s leading clean energy company, announced that it has tied up with 12 international lenders, led by Rabobank, for the largest External Commercial Borrowings (ECB) project finance loan in the country’s renewable sector, for any single project

Tata Power Renewable Raises Rs 2,000 Crore by Issuing 8.36 Crore Shares to BlackRock-backed Firm

Tata Power Renewable Energy said it raised around Rs 2,000 crore by issuing 8 36 crore equity shares to BlackRock backed GreenForest New Energies Bidco, according to a regulatory filing

KKR Looks to Invest $400 Million in Hero Future Energies

Tender Buzz

SECI Issues RfS Document for 2250 MW Round the Clock (RTC) Power From RE Projects

ISA Floats Tender for 1150 MW Solar Project in Cuba

Ministry Invites EoI to Install 50 Innovative Solar Pumps under KUSUM Program

MAHAGENCO Tenders for 600 MW of Solar Power Projects in Maharashtra

TPDDL Tenders For 255 MW of Wind Solar Hybrid Power Projects with Greenshoe Option

NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited Invites Proposals for Round the clock Renewable Power Supply

SJVN Green Energy Issues EPC Tender For 15 MW Floating Solar Plant In HP

BHEL Invites Tender for Supply of 28 6 Lakh Mono PERC Solar Cells

Indian Oil Issues Tender For Purchase of Land for 10 MW Solar Project in Odisha

SJVN Tenders for 100 MW of Solar Power Projects in Punjab

WBSEDCL Issues 10 MW Floating Solar Tender in West Bengal

UPMRCL Invites Bids For 1 MW Solar Rooftop Systems For Kanpur Metro Project

MGVCL Issue Tender for Supply of 42 8 MW of Solar Projects Under KUSUM Program in Gujarat

BPCL Floats Tender To Employ Contractor For 14 MW Solar Project Development

BHEL Issues O&M Tender for 100 MW Solar Power Plant at GSECL Gujarat

GAIL Floats Tender For Hiring Consultant For 10 MW Solar Project

Konkan Railway Invites Bids For 5 MW Solar Power Project Development

KSEB Floats 340 MW Procurement Tender Of Solar, Wind, and Hydropower

GSECL Issues Tender for 10 MW Solar Power Project at Hadala, Gujarat

WBSEDCL Issues Notice Inviting EPC Tender For 10 MW Solar Project in West Bengal

Bundelkhand Saur Urja Limited Issues Tender for PMC Services of 1200 MW Jalaun Solar Park

KREDL Issues Tender For 5 MW Solar Plus Battery Storage System at Karnataka Bhopal Municipal Corporation Tenders for 21 MW Solar Projects

MSEDCL Invites Bids for Procurement of 250 MW Flexible and Schedulable RE Power with Storage Facility

GUVNL Tenders for 500 MW/1000 MWh Standalone Battery Energy Storage Systems in Gujarat

KSEB Invites Bids To Empanel Developers For Installing Floating Solar Projects

GSECL Floats Tender for 220 MW Grid Connected Solar Projects In Gujarat GSECL Invites Bids For 20 MW Grid Connected Solar Plant

MSEDCL Invites Bids For Procurement of 500 MW Solar Power (Phase VIII) Through Competitive Bidding

YadavindraPublicSchool,Mohali

SJVN Chairman & Managing Director Nand Lal Sharma met Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann at Chandigarh and expressed keen interest in developing 5 000 MW renewable energy projects in the state, a company statement said

Hartek Solar Private Limited, One of India’s Top 10 rooftop solar companies has completed the setting up of a 50 KW solar power plant at Yadavindra Public School (YPS), Mohali, the most renowned educational institution in Chandigarh Tricity

India’s state owned NHPC Limited signed a memorandum of understanding with energy trading solutions company PTC India Limited for the sale of power to be generated from the proposed 750 MW West Seti and 450 MW Seti River 6 projects in Nepal

Gensol Engineering secured orders worth Rs 153 16 crore to build solar projects with a total capacity of 58 8 MW In a regulatory filing the company said, it has received purchase orders from clients for the development of solar power projects aggregating to a capacity of around 58 8 MW in Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana

Tata Power Mumbai Distribution is spearheading the smart metering drive in Mumbai and will install one lakh smart meters by March 2023 The company will also ensure smart metering for all its 7 5 lac customers in Mumbai by FY25. It has already installed smart meters for over 75,000 customers

NHPC Renewable Energy Limited (NREL) signed an agreement with the Rajasthan government for the development of a 10 GW ultra mega renewable energy power park

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) India’s second largest oil refining and fuel retailing firm, plans to scale up its renewable by 2040 the year it is targeting net zero n Arun Kumar Singh said

JSW Renew Energy Five Limited is a special purpose vehicle of JSW Energy It has been awarded the Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) auction to establish pilot projects of 500/1000 MWh battery energy storage systems (BESS), under a build own, operate, transfer (BOOT)

Sterling and Wilson Renewable Energy announced that it has bagged an order approximately worth Rs 2,200 crore from NTPC The plant will come up in Khavda RE Power Park, Rann of Kutch, Gujarat, and have an aggregate capacity of 1,570 megawatts.

OrianoCommissions70MWPSolarCaptivePlantIn CommercialandIndustrialSegmentforHIRAGroup

India’s leading Utility Scale Solar Power Development & EPC company, Oriano commissioned one of the largest Captive Solar Projects under the C&I Segment in Chhattisgarh The Total project capacity accumulates to 172 MWp and the first phase of 70 MWp has been commissioned on August 6, 2022.

AdaniGroupGetsProvisionalApprovalforEnergy ProjectsinSriLanka

Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (Tata Power DDL), a pioneering power utility supplying electricity to a populace of over 7 million in North Delhi recently announced a partnership with Anyline, a global leader in mobile data capture and artificial intelligence, to reduce non technical losses through the introduction of a new forensic meter reading solution for field workers

Sri Lanka has granted provisional approval to Adani Green Energy for two wind projects of 286 MW and 234 MW for an investment of over $500 million in the country’s Northern province, Energy and Power Minister Kanchana Wijesekara announced recently

Saint GobainIndiaPartnerswithCleantechSolarto Commission18.7MWSolarPVSystem

SRK Knowledge Foundation (SRKKF), the philanthropic arm of global diamond leader Shree Ramkrishna Exports Pvt Ltd (SRK), announced they would install residential solar rooftops at the homes of 750 martyred soldiers and unsung heroes across India

Saint Gobain India and Cleantech Solar, have partnered to commission an 18 7 MW solar PV system at Cleantech’s solar park in Tamil Nadu Supporting Saint Gobain Group’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, this solar PV system is expected to generate approximately 28 MU/annum of clean energy during the lifetime of the project avoiding over 20 kilotons per year of CO2 emissions

NHPC signed an initial pact with Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) to set up a large capacity solar equipment manufacturing facility “A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between NHPC and BEL for setting up of gigawatt scale vertically integrated solar manufacturing unit,” a BSE filing said

NTPCAugmentsItsSolarFootprintandAchieves 69454MWofInstalledCapacity

NTPC Limited, India’s largest integrated energy company achieved 69454 MW of group installed and commercial capacity with the commissioning of 56 MW Kawas Solar PV Project at NTPC Kawas, Gujarat on 15 08 2022

Tata Motors has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Tata Power to develop a 7 25 Mwp onsite solar project at its commercial vehicle manufacturing facility at Jamshedpur.

NTPCCommissions56MWKawasSolarProjectin Gujarat

After commissioning the final part of the 21 MW capacity, NTPC’s 56 MW Kawas Solar PV Project in Gujarat is now fully functional According to the regulatory filing by the state owned power company, the project was declared commercially viable on 15th August 2022

NTPC, a public sector company, has successfully commissioned the first 20 MW Gandhar Solar PV Project, making it the fourth most successful Renewable Energy project this month.

NLCILInksMoUwithAPDCLToDevelop1,000MWof SolarPowerProjects

To commemorate the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, TP Renewable Microgrid (TPRMG), a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Power and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), have joined hands to launch an innovative program that will see 1,000 green energy enterprises established throughout the nation

NLC India Ltd a Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Coal, has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) to develop 1,000 MW of solar power projects in Assam.

GreenkoToDevelopUpTo400MWGreenCapacityfor Hindalco’sAluminiumSmelterinOdisha

Renewable energy company Greenko Group and aluminum maker Hindalco Industries have entered into an agreement to set up a green energy project that will have a capacity of 375 MW 400 MW in Odisha

Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (Tata Power DDL), the power utility that supplies electricity to a populace of over 7 million in North Delhi, becomes a 100% RPO Compliant discom for a second consecutive year.

(PhaseVII)

The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDCL), an auction to buy power from 500 MW of intrastate grid connected solar projects (Phase VII), has ended

DCMShriramandReNewPowerSignCPAfor50MW RenewableEnergy

SJVN Ltd announced that the Rajasthan government had approved the signing of an MoU for the development of 10,000 MW renewable energy projects. This would require an investment in excess of Rs 50,000 crore.

DCM Shriram has agreed to source 50 MW of renewable energy from ReNew Power for its chlor alkali manufacturing facility in Bharuch, Gujarat. DCM Shriram, which is in the chemicals, sugar, and fertilizers business, and ReNew Power announced the signing of two captive power agreements (CPAs)

NTPCCommissionsFullCapacityOf296MW FatehgarhSolarProject

Godawari Power & Ispat Ltd (GPIL) said its 70 MW captive solar power plant in Chhattisgarh has commenced commercial operations The plant began commercial operations recently, GPIL said in a regulatory filing

Connected SolarPowerPlantinKarnataka

Rays Power Infra recently announced the inauguration of a 150MW grid connected solar power plant in Raichur and Koppal, Karnataka This project will approximately reduce 1,56,400 tons of CO2 and produce 2,40,000 MW of green energy per year

Declaration of Commercial Operation of the fifth part capacity of 48 8 MW out of 296 MW Fatehgarh Solar PV Project State owned power giant NTPC has fully commissioned the 296 MW Fatehgarh solar project after making its fifth part of the 48 8 MW commercially operational in Jaisalmer

SJVNBuys2043Acre landfor1,000MWSolarProject inBikaner,Rajasthan

Nand Lal Sharma, Chairman & Managing Director, SJVN informed that SJVN through its renewable arm SJVN Green Energy Limited has executed one of the single largest registries of the land of approximately 2043 Acres for the development of its 1000 MW Bikaner Solar Power Project in Bikaner

The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has approved an integrated solar roofing system made in India as part of its local initiative to make the UAE sustainable and environmentally friendly Uncle’s Shop Building Material Trading is one of Dubai’s oldest businesses

AdaniSolarStrengthensItsRetailFootprintsin MaharashtrawithRoofsolEnergy

Adani Solar, the Adani Group’s solar manufacturing arm, announced the expansion of its retail distribution business for India’s Maharashtra state with Roofsol Energy Pvt Ltd , as the official channel partner for the region

7 medical colleges across Odisha state will have rooftop solar projects 32 district headquarters hospitals (DHH) in the state will also be getting them It will be mounted on rooftops of hospitals and health institutions as part of the Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO) program by the Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA)

AmpEnergyIndiaInksPPAwithRewaUltraMega SolarLtdtodevelopIndia’sLargestFloatingSolar Project

Amp Energy India, one of India’s leading renewable energy companies, recently announced that it has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), with Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Ltd (RUMSL) in Madhya Pradesh, for 100MW/140MWp capacity.

State owned SJVN Ltd has bagged a 200 MW solar project worth Rs 1,200 crore in an e reverse auction by Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL).

TataPowerLaunches‘SustainableIsAttainable’ An InitiativetoFast trackIndia’sGreenEnergyTransition withNews18Network

Tata Power, one of India’s largest power sector companies, has joined hands with NEWS18 Network to launch ‘Sustainable is Attainable’ The campaign aims to propagate and popularize the use of green and clean energy in the country and to make a sustainable lifestyle ‘attainable’ for millions of Indians by putting the power to change in their hands through the wide scale adoption of green products and solutions

AUG SEP ISSUE 2022 | PG 18| INDIA INDIA NEWS MSEDCLIssuesResultsFor500MWSolarProjects Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Sing Chouhan and Nand Sharma, Chairman & Managing director, SJVN, signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for the 90 MW Floating Solar Project at Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh

As a step towards addressing the issue of mounting dues of the State power utilities which has now crossed ₹1,50,000 crore, the Ministry of Power, Govt of India has issued Electricity, (Late Payment Surcharge and Related Matters) Rules, 2022 (LPS Rules 2022).

Think Tank

OpenAccessSolarInstallationsinIndiaJumps97%to 1.3GWinJan Jun,SaysReport

India added 1 3 gigawatts of open access solar capacity in the January June period of this year, registering a year on year growth of 97 percent, according to Mercom India For the quarter that ended June, open access solar installations witnessed a 3 fold increase to 680 MW, from 210 MW in the second quarter of 2021.

HigherPenaltiesForMissingRPOs AStepinRight Direction:InfomericsRatings

Tata Power Green Energy Limited (TPGEL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Power, has commissioned a 225 MW Hybrid power project in Rajasthan The power generated from the project will be supplied to Tata Power, Mumbai Distribution under a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), valid for a period of 25 years, to fulfill its Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO)

TataPowerandJLLIndiaCollaboratetoProvideGreen EnergySolutionsintheRealtySpace

Tata Power, one of India’s largest integrated power companies, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with JLL India to promote green energy solutions in the realty space

The Electricity Amendment Bill 2022 has proposed Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) for a state should not be below the minimum percentage prescribed by the central government Failure to adhere to the minimum RPO target would lead to higher penalties

ClimateChangeMayImpactIndia’sRenewableEnergy Potential,SaysStudy

Solar and wind potential in India are likely to face a negative trend in the future due to climate change, according to a new study by the Pune based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology

EnergyConservationBillAmendmentsToHelpUsher inEnergyTransition:ICRA

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) will collaborate with REMC (Railway Energy Management Company) for the development of green projects for the Indian Railways REMC is a joint venture of the Ministry of Railways and RITES (Rail India Technical and Economic Service) Ltd.

ICRA Research has said that the major amendments in the Energy Conservation Bill, passed in the Lok Sabha recently are a positive step in the right direction The bill has set a minimum usage clause for non fossil fuel in certain sectors with high emissions

India’sAnnualGreenFinanceisJustOne fourthofIts Needs,FindsStudy

An advisory and analysis group has published an update on India’s “first ever effort” to track green investment flows. These are far below the country’s current needs for ambitious climate targets

RooftopSolarInstallationsFall25%to389MWin Apr Jun:Report

A total of 389 MW of rooftop solar projects were installed in the country in the April June quarter this year This is 25 percent less than the corresponding period last year as per a report by Mercom India

Bijendra Prasad Yadav Bihar energy minister announced that an agreement was signed to power tourist destinations in Bihar with solar energy This includes Rajgir, Bodh Gaya, and parts of Patna

SolarPowerToLightUp80TripuraVillages

Tripura’s government has a plan to supply electricity to 80 villages that are not economically able, with micro solar plants The cost will be one crore per village, Deputy Chief Minister holding the portfolio of power Jishnu Dev Varma said recently.

PMLaysFoundationStoneofGreenEnergyProjects

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi participated in the Grand Finale marking the culmination of ‘Ujjwal Bharat Ujjwal Bhavishya Power @2047’ via video conferencing The Prime Minister interacted with the beneficiaries of various schemes

IndiaAddsRecord7.2GWSolarCapacityinJan Jun 2022:Report

Solar capacity installations in the country rose by 59 percent to a record 7 2 GW during the first half of 2022, according to Mercom India Research In January June or H1 of 2021, the country had added 4 5 GW solar capacity, the research firm’s ‘Q2 2022 India Solar Market Update’ released said

Aligning with the nation’s vision of AtmaNirbharta, at Avaada, we aim to make India energy independent by focusing on green energy security.

Vineet Mittal

Chairman, Avaada Group

CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS

In this year itself, we have commissioned more than 2 GW and have also raised India’s largest AAA rated green bond of Rs 1440 crores By 2030 when we reach 30 GW we will mitigate ~ 47 0325 million tonnes of CO2 emission impacting 1 million lives

Avaada Group has diversified into green hydrogen and green ammonia, targeting a large capacity by 2030, which will meet demand in domestic and foreign markets

How has the year 2022 been so far at Avaada Group? What have been some key developments?

The year 2022, indeed has been a wonderful year for us Avaada Group has diversified into green hydrogen and green ammonia, targeting a large capacity by 2030, which will meet demand in domestic and foreign markets The Group is also poised for a new business segment involving electrolyzer manufacturing, and solar manufacturing

From a mere renewable player through solar power we have entered new segments viz. Green Hydrogen, Green Ammonia, Solar Module Manufacturing, and Electrolysers to support the energy transition in India

In this year itself, we have commissioned more than 2 GW and have also raised India’s largest AAA rated green bond of Rs 1440 crores

In addition, we also signed an MoU with the Rajasthan Government of Rs. 40,000 crores for the Green Ammonia plant It is a significant step towards India’s 2070 net zero target It will also provide direct employment opportunities to about 3,500 people and indirect jobs to over 10,500 people

This year is not only great for Avaada Group, but also for India I am really proud to experience that now we are actually in a race to fight climate change and win sustainability Such accomplishments at a global and national level show India’s dedication to meeting its goal and we are glad that after years of debates and discussions, the world has agreed on a call to switch to sustainable fuels, and now it is undergoing a transition to use clean low carbon sources of energy at an unprecedented pace and scale I am looking forward

What is your outlook on Avaada’s open access solar segment? How recent Green Energy Open Access policy could boost open access verticals in India?

Avaada Energy, a renewable energy arm of Avaada Group is one of the largest renewable energy IPPs in India and has been leading the Indian Market in the Open Access Segment with a market share of 22.3% (ref: JMK Annual Report for FY22) We cater to various corporates & industries in meeting their sustainability goals vis à vis competitive tariffs which in turn help in planning their power cost for a longer period.

The regulatory framework for open access is highly conducive & resilient, also backed by the conducive ecosystem facilitated and promoted by GOI, which is becoming a boon for the sector leading to self reliance. In view of the favorable policy framework, our outlook is highly encouraging and developed various open access projects serving C&I consumers to the tune of 100+

Open access projects are helping RE100 companies in meeting their sustainability goals & increasing their contribution towards decarbonization and larger energy penetration & deployment In view of the same, open access solar remains a high priority & focus area for us and we believe that with a continued conducive environment for open access, this segment has very high potential

For the same path, Green Energy Open Access Policy is indeed a very progressive step to scale up renewable energy deployment in the country, especially to consumers between load/demand of 100 KW to 1 MW Only through such consistent and progressive pieces of policies, we will be able to accelerate RE deployment to meet the 500 GW RE target announced during COP 26 by the Hon’ble Prime Minister as he puts India firmly on global RE leadership It will expand the market and will drive open access reforms further

For C&I consumers wanting renewable energy for sustainability, this will ease the process and allow greater accessibility Renewable is an intermittent source of energy and hence assured banking is a supportive gesture This is a starting step for a larger national open access market and will set the tone for virtual PPAs and CfD mechanisms A common application format for the Green Energy Open Access is stated to be prepared by Central Nodal Agency in consultation with the Forum of Regulators for all such applications under this policy

The Electricity Amendment Bill 2022 has focussed on open, non discriminatory competition, which is a welcome move However, whether this supports the transition towards clean energy is something that will only be known sometime down the line As the Bill requires the State Electricity Commissions to fix the Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPOs) of players such as the distribution companies within the new range to be prescribed by the Central Government, it is apparent that the Bill seeks to support renewable energy. Penalties have also been announced if thereisnocompliancewithRPOs

But if cheaper power from other sources is available, the new discoms may not opt for renewables It is to be seen whether the threat of penalties and the RPO mandate are enough to ensurethatdiscomsprioritizerenewableenergyto helpthecountrymeetitsnationalobjectives

What is your view on India’s ‘Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022’? How this amendment could be beneficial for India’s solar sector?

The Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill 2022 has made enabling provisions for the Obligation to use non fossil sources of energy, Carbon trading, Energy conservation code for buildings, Standards for vehicles and vessels, etc The bill will promote the deployment of non fossil fuels and carbon trading Increased obligation on states to increase their share of non fossil fuels in their energy mix is expected to push the demand for solar, renewable energy and clean energy

Carbon trading will further incentivize corporates to earn more revenues and thereby decarbonize their operations With India establishing a carbon credit market it shall become one of the larger participants in the global market for compliance carbon credit worth € 238 Billion, with an annual trading volume estimated at 10 7 billion Giga tons (GT)

Avaada Group has a few projects registered under the globally recognized voluntary carbon credit mechanisms and generates carbon credits By 2030 when we reach 30 GW we will mitigate ~ 47 0325 million tonnes of CO2 emission impacting 1 million lives.

Green hydrogen is the next oil It can replace fossil fuels across sectors such as mobility manufacturing, power generation and even heavy trucking There are many practical examples in India itself of how green hydrogen can be a game changer For example, Toyota has launched its hydrogen based transport, which is much better than electric vehicles Hydrogen finds use in various processes such as refining crude oil in refineries, in the furnace for steel production as well as fertilizers and methanol production.

The global demand for green hydrogen is expected to reach about 210 million tonnes by 2030 from the current 75 million tonnes India’s consumption of green hydrogen is 6 million tonnes, which is set to rise to 20 million tonnes by 2050 Undoubtedly, the growth potential exists across both national and international markets

As it gets future ready, Avaada Group has diversified into green hydrogen and green ammonia, targeting a large capacity by 2030, which will meet demand in domestic and foreign markets The Group is also poised for a new business segment involving electrolyzer manufacturing and solar manufacturing

We have commenced execution of a one million tonne plant in collaboration with the Government of Rajasthan, which will be commissioned by 2025 26 Taking all these elements into account, we firmly believe both green hydrogen and green ammonia have the potential to lower the overall carbon trail of many industries, which will help safeguard humanity and in turn our precious planet.

So, in our existing IPP business, we have planned a capacity addition target of 11 GW company by 2025 and 30 GW by 2030 Apart from bids from Central and State power procurement agencies, there will be an increased focus on C&I Market We are also investing in new solutions involving solar, wind, pumped storage hydro plants, electrolyzers, etc. With solar power and other renewable energy sources and our collective efforts, I believe we can build a transition to a renewable energy future and offer affordable renewable power to markets that have historically been underserved

In addition, we are exploring opportunities in emerging areas like solar manufacturing, green hydrogen/ ammonia, and electrolyzers We had submitted a bid for PLI for solar manufacturing and expected a favorable decision by Govt on total allocation Future technologies like storage, green hydrogen, fuel efficiency, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), and energy conservation can pave the way for a vibrant future. The next few years will see a heightened focus on green energy and carbon net zero This decade presents us with the opportunity to contribute to achieving net zero significantly

The good part about Hydrogen is that the demand and supply centers complement each other in terms of consumption and resource availability Countries like India, Australia, the Middle East, North Africa, etc , have significant potential to generate low cost Green Hydrogen, while E U , Japan, Korea and the U S have massive demand

Thus, trade potential is substantial I believe that from the trade perspective, the definition of green Hydrogen must be kept simple wherein if the green electrons (by way of grid renewable electricity or direct PPA with renewable energy projects including utilizing energy generated in the same month as the electrolyzer in operation) is utilized to produce a molecule of Hydrogen, the same may be considered as green Hydrogen

Avaada Group signed an MoU with the Rajasthan Government of Rs. 40,000 crores for the Green Ammonia plant. It is a significant step towards India’s 2070 net zero target.

Avaada’soneoftheworld'slargestsolarpowerplantatasinglelocationbyanyIPPinIndia Bikaner, Rajasthan

How recently passed ‘The Energy Conversion (Amendment) Bill, 2022’, could open up new markets like carbon trading, energy efficient building, etc? Has Avaada Group registered any of its projects in the carbon credit registry, to get carbon credit revenues?

What is the vision of Avaada Group, in terms of Green Hydrogen & Green Ammonia markets? Recent progress in Green Hydrogen & Green Ammonia verticals?

Rajat Seksaria

CEO, ACME Group

CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS

We have signed an agreement with the Government of Tamil Nadu to set up green hydrogen and green ammonia project in the State

Globally, technologies are evolving to make the production of green hydrogen cost effective

Solar capacity including utility scale, rooftop scale, and open access are witnessing significant growth year on year.

What have been the key business developments in the company this year?

The past year has been exciting with new developments We are progressing on our large scale green hydrogen and ammonia project in Oman We have partnered with Norway based Scatec ASA to invest in its Oman Project with a 50 50 joint venture, to design, develop, build, and operate the large scale green ammonia facility A usufruct agreement has been signed with Oman ACME and Scatec have also signed a term sheet for offtake from the first phase of green ammonia from Oman. In India we have signed an agreement with the Government of Tamil Nadu to set up green hydrogen and green ammonia project in the State An MOU is also signed with Karnataka to set up the green hydrogen & green ammonia project

A lot has been happening on the Green Hydrogen and Green Ammonia front at ACME. Tell us what more is in store

How do you see India currently positioned to achieve its 2030 RE target?

India's installed generation solar capacity is currently at 57,706 MW, which is around 14 3% of the total installed capacity India has aimed for 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, which is doable by a combination of all natural resources

For example, if we consider the requirement for green hydrogen plants in the next few years

00 GW for setting up been a tremendous the recent bidding

By 2030, we are targeting to have a portfolio of 10 million metric tons/year of green ammonia which will be a combination of projects which are commissioned or in the pipeline We are working towards the same and have set up dedicated teams for these projects As mentioned earlier, we are working towards setting up projects both in India and overseas. All major economies in the world have put up their strategies around green hydrogen Green hydrogen, produced from renewable sources, plays a crucial role in low carbon development It's derivative green ammonia can substitute fossil fuels used in industries including fertilizers, chemicals, petrochemicals, refineries, and steel units In India, a chunk of hydrogen is utilized in the refining and production of ammonia, which is a base material for urea and other complex fertilizers. Kickstarting a small share of green hydrogen to substitute grey hydrogen can create a substantial market Gradually, with the economies of scale and innovation green hydrogen could become a competitive fuel Globally, technologies are evolving to make the production of green hydrogen cost effective The US Climate and Energy Investment Bill has now been passed and it will give huge subsidies to various programs Some call it a game changing development in transition. The US is potentially one of the largest markets for green hydrogen or ammonia

Our Prime Minister during his speech last Independence Day clearly mentioned that we have to become self reliant in the energy sector We should be self reliant in the fields of solar energy, wind energy, and various other renewable energy sources like mission hydrogen, biofuel, and electric vehicles There is a clear roadmap being laid out to become AatmaNirbhar Bharat. There are a few challenges to securing the entire value chain for manufacturing here However, with consistent efforts and planning, we can gradually move towards Make in India

Solar capacity including utility scale, rooftop scale, and open access are witnessing significant growth year on year Driven by stronger support from Government policies and industries moving to cleaner fuels the growth to add new capacities will continue Solar PV will contribute a chunk to the overall renewable energy targets by 2030 The high commodity and energy prices are short term hiccups but in the long term renewable energy will be competitive to conventional resources

India has aimed for 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, which is doable by a combination of all natural resources.

By 2030, we are targeting to have a portfolio of 10 mtpa of green ammonia projects.

What is your view on the government's efforts on focussing on domestic solar manufacturing and ramping it up?

What is your outlook for the solar industry in the next 5 years?

Amresh Mahajan

CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS

Believing in the ‘Make in India’ initiative, we have multiple procedures in place to comply with the ALMM and BIS regulations

The Green Energy Open Access policy announced by the CERC is promising and has the potential to fire up the open access vertical in the country.

We have installed 100% P type mono PERC bifacial modules at our recently commissioned solar plant in Rajasthan, making it the single biggest bifacial installation in the country in one place

What are the major steps being taken by O2 Power in terms of quality assurances of each utility scale solar project?

Quality and safety are primary considerations at O2 Power The broad philosophy is to drive stringent preventive measures in the first tier, and have a strong, fast to deploy control measure matrix in the second We have a paperless online QHSE portal that allows us to manage all supplier quality, project quality, HOTO, and operational quality in real time, efficiently, and effectively For critical items like inverters, transformers, and solar panels, there is 24*7 process monitoring at the supplier’s end

At the sites, we have dedicated teams of electrical and civil engineers to monitor every activity and ensure the construction of world class solar plants Our rate of training hours per person per year is one of the highest in the industry. Our ‘on the job’ QHSE training matrix is tracked by our senior leaders We also have a very comprehensive supplier qualification program which allows us to include only the best as our business partners

What would be your choice between large format high power P type and N type solar modules for India’s large scale utility solar plant and why? How will the exclusion of large format high power solar modules from the ALMM list affect O2 power’s strategic procurement policy?

O2 Power works on a single minded commitment to deploy smart and sustainable technology at all its power plants This stems from our broader commitment to net zero emissions and conservation of the environment Additionally, we firmly believe that the use of the latest technology is the key to lower LCOE

We have installed 100% P type mono PERC y commissioned

solar plant in Rajasthan making it the single biggest bifacial installation in the country in one place In our view, it is prudent to use mono PERC bifacial modules (both 182mm and 210mm) as a natural choice, but for the medium term, we have been also evaluating the HJT and Topcon technologies For the N type solar modules to be universally acceptable, there will have to be more thrust on the increase in N type wafers and cells

Further, believing in the ‘Make in India’ initiative, we have multiple procedures in place to comply with the ALMM and BIS regulations

What is the outlook for O2 Power’s open access solar segment? How recent Green Energy Open Access policy could boost open access verticals in India?

O2 Power views the fast evolving ‘open access segment’ seriously and expects it to transform India’s RE sector at an accelerated pace Accordingly, we are gearing up for it With plants at the WIP stage across Karnataka, Telangana, and Maharashtra, we are poised to cater to large C&I customers in the near future The long term plan is to make deeper inroads in this segment.

GOI’s focus on ‘Green Hydrogen’ will be a further boost The Green Energy Open Access policy announced by the CERC is promising and has the potential to fire up the open access vertical in the country However, going by the initial pulse, a real world implementation may take its own time considering various on ground techno commercial difficulties

How is O2 Power ensuring its sustainability goal, keeping in sync with global ESG practices?

We have defined our strategic development goals in line with global ESG practices, and have set up a detailedandrealisticroadmaptoachievethesame

OurKPIsandtargetsarealignedwiththesestrategic sustainabledevelopmentgoals(7goalsoutof17

SD goals) We have also taken sustainable transformation goals for the long term in line with the requirement of ESG that includes top line growth, in the long run, the ability to attract talent, reduce costs, forge a sense of trust amongst investors and contribute to overall social development

Developing a robust sustainability initiative with a specific objective that supports the integration of sustainability into the company’s overall corporate strategy is a comprehensive exercise that includes the definition of specific milestones, KPIs, and measurable targets

Developing the materiality matrix to meet the requirement of our sustainability strategy will help us devote our time and resources optimally and will result in a greater impact over the long term.

The Energy Conversion (Amendment) Bill, 2022, mandates the use of renewable energy, carbon trading, more power for SERCs, BEE officers, mandatory codes for commercial buildings, standards of vehicles and vessels, etc. These have openedalotofnewavenuesincludingvirtualPPA, energy efficiency, renewable purchase obligations,etc

The bill has also opened new opportunities for consumers to choose their own distribution company by separating the carriage and content, empoweringtheNationalLoaddispatchcenterfor enhancing the operational efficiency and optimize the scheduling and dispatching of power, mandatory payment security mechanism for generators and improved comfort for consumers choosing open access All these provisions will empower end users as well as improve the system's efficiency while empowering the regulatory bodies for ensuring greater compliance.

VP (Technology/QA/HSE Sustainability), O2 Power Pvt Ltd

O2 Power works on a single-minded commitment to deploy smart and sustainable technology at all its power plants.

How recently passed ‘The Energy Conversion (Amendment) Bill, 2022’, could open up new markets like carbon trading, energy efficient building, etc? What is your view on India’s ‘Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022’?

Rahul Bhutiani

Head Sales & Marketing, Adani Solar

CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS

Adani Solar prides itself in having created a very robust Retail Distribution Network across all states of India that ensures Adani Solar Modules reach every nook & corner Adani Solar is the only Indian manufacturer to be awarded Top Performer by DNV GL PVEL Global Reliability Testing for five consecutive years. Our MonoPERC lines are also capable of being upgraded to n type TOPCon technology thereby further enhancing the efficiency of modules we can offer to the market

In 2017, Adani Solar became the first company in the world to start a Greenfield Project of GW scale at Mundra, with its platinum rated manufacturing facility of 1 2 GW of Solar PV cells & Modules This setup was enhanced to 1 5 GW in 2019 This facility has been successfully catering primarily to the Domestic Markets Residential Rooftop projects, Ground based IPP projects, Solar Parks, and even the Agricultural Solar Pump projects under the KUSUM scheme. Adani Solar has been a consistent performer not only in terms of volumes in manufacturing but also in terms of Market Share consistently being the largest and the most prominent Indian Player against the onslaught of Chinese manufacturers

Adani Solar prides itself in having created a very robust Retail Distribution Network across all states of India that ensures Adani Solar Modules reach every nook & corner We pride ourselves on holding a 50% market share in residential retail and KUSUM markets In 2022, Adani Solar expanded its capacity by adding a 2 GW line With this capacity addition, Adani Solar has brought India the state of the art contemporary MonoPERC technology that is capable of delivering high efficiency modules thereby making Solar projects more viable With these, Modules, Adani Solar is now serving the domestic and international markets very efficiently and effectively

Adani Solar is the only Indian manufacturer to be awarded Top Performer by DNV GL PVEL Global Reliability Testing for five consecutive years (2018 to 2022)

The capacity expansion of 2 GW that is already done is with the latest MonoPERC Technology that is capable of giving us high efficiency Modules. The manufacturing set up is flexible and can work with both 182 mm and 210 mm cells thereby offering Modules in the bin range of 535 660 Wp We are also setting up the associated Cell line which will again be flexible and capable of manufacturing cells of 182 mm and 210 mm

Interestingly our MonoPERC lines are also capable of being upgraded to n type TOPCon technology thereby further enhancing the efficiency of modules we can offer to the market Adani Solar has also set off an expanding capacity by another 2 GW by bringing to India, the N type TOPCon technology with its futuristic technology and is capable of further enhancing the Module efficiencies

Adani Solar will be expanding capacities with the latest Technologies. With MonoPERC technology we have 2 GW of Cell and Module capacities We are already underway with an expansion of another 2 GW which will be based on the n type TOPCon technology This facility will be operational by Mid 2023

As a vision, Adani Solar intends to have, over the next few years, a fully integrated capacity of 10 GW starting from Polysilicon up to Modules The ancillary eco system will also be appropriately expanded to support the 10 GW capacity Once completed, this facility will maybe the world’s only fully integrated 10 GW Solar PV manufacturing capacity with the entire ancillary eco system co located

How do you see India’s solar sector progressing in the next 5 years? How do you see Adani Solar contributing to the sector during this time?

At Adani Solar, our attempt has been to have better control of the supply chain which gives us the ability to ensure the best quality of the product We have and continue to build out integrated Cell and Module capacities We have also set up an ancillary eco system to ensure supply chain independence for other critical components of the Module like Aluminum Frame, Back sheet, POE, Glass, etc

Adani Solar Modules are ALMM approved and have all the requisite national and International Certifications for them to be accepted for any type of deployment Retail, Commercial, Industrial, and IPP

We at Adani Solar, believe that the Solar industry in India is poised for an orbital change The Government, regulators, manufacturers, and developers are working to ensure India meets its ambitious (but achievable) targets for Renewable Power

The solar industry is capable of taking India to Energy Security while helping decarbonize the Power Generation industry in India. India is currently the 3rd largest market for Solar Industry behind China and USA, and we will continue to hold our position in the near future too The solar installations in the country are expected to grow exponentially in the next 5 years and Adani Solar is geared to support this massive growth Adani Solar will continue to hold a dominant market share going forward too

What are your growth and expansion plans for the next couple of years?

Please brief our readers about your solar journey.

What makes your product the best fit for any kind of requirement?

What are the advanced technologies that have been adopted in your products and processes? / What kind of products and new technologies you are going to launch this or next year?

"Adani Solar has been a consistent performer not only in terms of volumes in manufacturing but also in terms of Market Share."

Arun Chaudhary

Sales Head India, Sineng Electric

CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS

Trust in Sineng's quality service and technological commercial offerings has resulted in 8GW orders

The flagship Sineng inverter EP 3125HA UD is widely used in utility PV facilities in India.

The SP 275K INH is the first 1500V string inverter in the world that is capable of handling a 20A high power PV module

Sineng will launch additional larger capacity inverters, such as a 4MW+ central and 300kW+ string inverter, when the support BOS is ready with commercial viability

Sineng Electric has been doing business in India since 2017 and opened a 3 GW manufacturing facility in August 2018. We have gradually and steadily expanded our business in the Indian market and have had the opportunity to collaborate with leading developers and EPC partners Trust in Sineng's quality service and technological commercial offerings has resulted in 8GW orders Our signature 3 125 MW Central Inverter product pushed us to rank as Top one in 2022 and Top 2 overall in India for both (String+ Central)

To meet the exponentially expanding demand, we opened a new manufacturing facility with a 10GW annual capacity in Bangalore in 2022 Sineng manufactures string and central inverters from this location. With three such 10GW annual manufacturing bases (India and China), we now have additional flexibility to cater to delivery demands globally

Sineng has shipped over 40GW worldwide In addition to India as our strategic location, Sineng products are utilized in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and South America, etc We will continue to grow our market share in these markets Furthermore, we are aggressively seeking prospects in the US market and the Middle East and Africa regions

Sineng developed and marketed a variety of largescale high power central and string inverters for the Indian area.

Sineng Electric acquired Emerson China's PV business in 2014, empowering us with a pioneer research and development team to design future ready solutions. Sineng developed and marketed a variety of large scale high power central and string inverters for the Indian area They are incredibly safe, resistant to temperature changes, and highly effective The flagship Sineng inverter EP 3125HA UD is widely used in utility PV facilities in India It is more dependable, performs better, and has a higher capacity to support widely accepted block sizes of PV plants

For utility PV plants, we provide Sineng SP 250K INH and SP 275K INH string inverters as part of our string solution Their performance has been excellent The SP 275K INH is the first 1500V string inverter in the world that is capable of handling a 20A high power PV module For applications involving high power PV modules, this will eventually become the normative criterion for string inverters in near future

The core of Indian utility PV projects will continue to be inverters with 3MW+ central and 200kW+ strings size. They have a good block size, an established technology, and a track record of reliability

We transitioned into the year 2022 from the Covid era, which had a significant impact on industrial logistics, manpower planning, and production bases. The entire supply chain was affected by this global pandemic & still affected by such issues

The production of inverters requires a wide range of semiconductor components, and the shortage of these components has adversely impacted almost all global inverter producers, causing production halts and backlogs

Mitigation strategies are engaged to secure sourcing & capacity expansion to recover the post pandemic situation with semiconductor chips We have also signed deals to secure supplies for the future, enabling us to ensure timely deliveries This will take another few quarters to fix the material scarcity issues

Any challenges you are currently facing as an inverter supplier in India?

How has the business been for Sineng Electric so far in 2022?

What is the latest technology incorporated into your inverters?

"Our signature 3.125 MW Central Inverter product pushed us to rank as Top one in 2022 and Top 2 overall in India for both (String+ Central)."

Manish Narula

Executive Vice President South Asia, Jinko Solar

CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS

At Jinko Solar, we’ve already launched the Tiger Neo Solar Modules, which are based on N Type Technology

It is great to see all major PSUs in India being so enthusiastic about RE with the likes of NTPC leading the way.

What changes can be seen in the Industry after the BCD Implementation on solar panels?

The industry is gearing up to invest more in Local Manufacturing Also, some of the players are finding loopholes in the system to bring Duty free products from other routes Overall, reduced demand due to heavy Duty imposition

What do you have to say about the dynamics of Price - Demand - Supply for this year and the next year?

It looks like due to global disturbances, the prices are going to stay on the higher side briefly before it settles down The demand supply situation will improve after seeing many new manufacturing capacities getting commissioned Next year, if no further disturbance is there, the prices shall stay lower than what it is this year

What is the new product lineup for the current and next year?

Several Global Manufacturers are launching their new technologies At Jinko Solar, we’ve already launched the Tiger Neo Solar Modules, which are based on N Type Technology These products have been accepted very well by the Industry due to their High Efficiency, Low Degradation as well as High Bi facility All these advantages make this product a low LCOE product, which makes Investors happy as this means better ROIs on their projects

What is your view on the pricing and technology roadmap in the industry?

Pricing and Technology go hand in hand We’re making all efforts to support the industry by offering our Latest Technology products to reduce overall lifetime investment by Solar Power u see, the price trend y the landed price is o go down as we

see more manufacturing capacity getting commissioned across the Globe Also due to high demand during certain peak times, say Q4, we may see a spike in the prices

Whatwasthetotalquantityyou suppliedtoIndiainthelastyear?What istheexpectationforthecomingyear?

We did great business in India last year We led all charts every quarter across all analyses from Bridge to India, JMK, etc From Q1 2021 to Q1 2022, we supplied almost 5 GW capacity to India. We also completed an 8GW cumulative shipment milestone this year

WhatdoyouhavetosayaboutALMM /BISetc?

It’s a must for any country to get its own Quality Standards and other regulations However, these standards and regulations should be constantly upgraded to match with Global Standards. At present, as we understand, these standards are not up to the mark and need improvements Another key factor is that such standards should act as enablers for Industry’s growth rather than act as hurdles We strongly believe that MNRE will find ways to help Industry and allow a level playing field for all global players till the time sufficient capacity is not developed in India

How do you see the present opportunities in India in terms of projects in tender, pipeline, etc, and opportunities in manufacturing?

India is a booming market 3rd largest in the Globe It is one of the most preferred investment destinations as well. The present Project's demand is also great. However, if we see the expected installation targets going up to 2030, this annual demand could be made higher In terms of manufacturing, we see a big demand due to the PLI scheme and the push for local manufacturing However, let’s not rely on domestic manufacturing only due to its very limited supply chain control within the country

Hastherupeedevaluationaffected

No major implications for our business as such

Whattypesoftrendsdoyousee cominginforsolartariffs?

If all factors are considered, the tariffs should remain range bound

Whatarethelikelychangesand impactswewillwitnessintheindustry whenitcomestotechnologieslike EnergyStorage,RTC,HybridRE Projects,Floating,etc?

These types of installations could be key supporters of plain Vanilla Solar Installations that the country has witnessed to date However, India which has always been a price sensitive market, may not have total reliance on such high cost installations At present India needs to complete its main RE target at a reasonable tariff Energy Storage and other kinds of projects will only make the installation targets slower and costlier at the same time Let’s stick to the base load from Conventional Energy while adding more RE power within the country In all, such additional installations may be there in a low percentage in order to find their own way towards several new Technologies

What is your view on India’s 2030 target?

We should allow a level playing field to meet the high demand first. Later we may develop the local industrytosustainthegrowth Ifwegetinfluenced by just one segment, it is likely to create stress on theoveralleconomyofREinstallations

What expectations do you have from the Government, Policy Makers, and Regulators?

We expect Govt to support all Industry segments towards meeting the RE goals of the country The key stakeholders, Solar Power Developers, who invest for 25 30 years in a project, need to be heard first before anyone else

What is your view on the rise of PSU’s role in the RE Sector?

It is great to see all major PSUs in India being so enthusiastic about RE with the likes of NTPC leading the way We believe these companies have huge potential and can contribute significantly to solar capacity addition by way of tenders and self consumption They are severe competitors with the private players in all solar auctions. We hope that the new policies will allow Jinko and other foreign brands to cater to the huge demand of PSUs directly which hasn’t been the case till now

"From Q1 2021 to Q1 2022, we supplied almost 5 GW capacity to India."

Saurabh Aggarwal

Sr. Sales Manager Xiamen Kehua Digital Energy Tech Co Ltd (Overseas Department)

CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS

We are proud of the fact that we have been receiving positive feedback from many customers for our cutting edge technology, excellent quality, and timely service

Kehua’s 1500V/350kW inverter is currently the largest string inverter in the world in terms of a single power Kehua released its newest generation of C&I string inverters, the SPI X2 series this May and launched its latest all in one residential ESS

I am glad to say our sales have continued to grow steadily and reached our sales target for the first half of 2022 With the market growth and current customer intentions, I suppose there will be a new breakthrough in the second half of the year and it is expected to exceed our full year target.

the iStoragE series, in August.

Kehua is one of the few manufacturers worldwide with the most complete product line covering all application scenarios."

We are transforming our PV and energy storage application experience and technology into the most market appropriate product solutions 2022 is an exciting year Kehua released its newest generation of C&I string inverters, the SPI X2 series this May and launched its latest all in one residential ESS

Innovation is the core competency of Kehua, and customer service is our principle We are proud of the fact that we have been receiving positive feedback from many customers for our cutting edge technology, excellent quality, and timely service This is the reason why our customers chose us, and also why Kehua is keeping forwarding in the Indian market We will continue to maintain our technology and service strengths and drive market share growth with innovation

We expect global utility scale installations to remain the largest driver of the PV market, while shipments of C&I will grow rapidly In the next five years, from the perspective of application scenarios, the proportion of distributed generation will reach 50% From the perspective of product power range three phase low power (≤500 kW) is expected to reach 70% of global shipments in 2026

the iStoragE series, in August Additionally, we also brought 350KW string inverters to the global market Kehua is one of the few manufacturers worldwide with the most complete product line covering all application scenarios. I believe there will be more advanced products and projects for our Indian customers Please follow our social media:

LinkedIn/Facebook/Instagram/Twitter@Ke hua Tech and stay tuned!

Kehua’s 1500V/350kW inverter takes into account the overall ventilation and heat dissipation, anti corrosion, and dustproof factors, and adopts high protection level design, which can adapt to various harsh natural environments, with high efficiency, high protection, and high reliability

Kehua’s 1500V/350kW inverter is currently the largest string inverter in the world in terms of a single power It has been highly recognized by customers and has won more than 2GW of bids

What can we look forward to from Kehua Tech?

How have the sales been for Kehua tech so far in 2022?

How do you plan to accelerate your growth in India against the competition?

Tell us about the new product that you are launching a 350KW String inverter.

Do you think string inverters will grab market share from central inverters?

"Innovation is the core competency of Kehua, and customer service is our principle."

FEATURED TALKS

Dong Bo

Head of SOFARSOLAR APAC Region

CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS

SOFARSOLAR’s compounded annual growth rate reached 86% in 2019 2021 We are preparing for the launch of the 320HX inverter with integrated PV and BESS, supporting DC coupled BESS system.

SOFARSOLAR has consistently strengthened its R&D capabilities throughout the years as we strive to improve our products

We have had a lot of milestones this year, both globally and regionally As a globally leading supplier of solar PV and energy storage solutions, SOFARSOLAR is committed to technical innovation, one of the drivers of our rapid growth We now joined the top 5 global hybrid inverter suppliers in 2021, with a global market share of over 7%, according to Wood Mackenzie’s report "Global solar PV inverter and module level power electronics (MLPE) market share 2022"

Another highlight is that we are now one step closer to finishing our new manufacturing base in Huizhou This new base enables a production capacity expansion of 1 million inverters, further strengthening SOFARSOLAR’s production structure and capabilities.

As the world's fastest growing solar energy brand, SOFARSOLAR’s compound annual growth rate reached 86% in 2019 2021 Sales continued to grow at a high speed in the first half of 2022 and we are expecting this to continue in the second half of the year

In April 2022, we launched the SOFAR PowerAll, an all in one residential energy storage system that combines a hybrid inverter and lithium ion batteries The system adopts a fully modular and stacked design, enabling flexible configuration and phased expansion which increases return on investment

We are preparing the launch of the 320HX inverter, which comes with an integrated PV inverter and BESS, and supports a DC coupled BESS system We are also focusing on the R&D of utility energy storage systems, and the related products will be available soon

SOFARSOLAR has consistently strengthened its R&D capabilities throughout the year, as we strive to improve our products. The latest SOFAR 80 kW inverter is equipped with 6 MPP trackers with up to 20 A MPPT current per string, which brings a significant performance gain Its compact and lightweight design of only 50 kg enables a user friendly installation and commissioning process

As for high power string inverters, our 255 kW inverter for 1,500 V applications have 12 MPPTs and maximum efficiency of 99 02% With an increased DC current capability, the inverter supports the latest solar panel specifications and eliminates the need for PV fuses These features make the SOFAR 255 kW the perfect match for utility scale projects and ensure a high return on investment for stakeholders

Anything else you would like our readers to know?

This year SOFARSOLAR has strengthened its organization of the local team in India, establishing four major sales regions in the north, west, south & east of India We also set up a local pre sales technical support team and further expanded the after sales service team, which means we can provide more local support in regions such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Noida and Punjab We will further improve our local service capabilities according to the business development and customer requirements and continue to appoint new authorized service partners in India By the end of September this year, we will celebrate achieving a 1 8 GW shipment record for the Indian market during the REI exhibition We also want to thank our Indian customers for their support and trust, so we are organizing a series of customer appreciation events in Q4 This is a great opportunity for us to further connect with our Indian partners and customers and discuss future cooperation and opportunities.

AUG SEP ISSUE 2022 | PG 32 world's fastest-growing solar energy brand, SOFARSOLAR’s compound annual growth rate reached 86% in 2019 2021.

What can we look forward to from SOFARSOLAR in the coming year?

How has this year been at SOFARSOLAR? Any key developments?

What is the focus on R&D and technology innovation at SOFARSOLAR？

What are some key highlights of your inverters? And their distinguishing features?

"SOFARSOLAR has joined the top 5 global hybrid inverter suppliers in 2021, with a global market share of over 7%."

CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS

ILIOS®, a complete solution for solar module mounting, offers engineering support, design detail, installation, and materialsupply

Toensuredurability,weuseCold formed purlins made of ZINCALUME® Steel which has 4 times longer life than the regular galvanized structures in the most corrosiveenvironments

Our plants follow strict QAP approved by allmajorEPCContractors&Developers.

Please give us a brief introduction to your ILIOS® mounting solutions.

Premium solar module mounting solutions from ILIOS® by Tata BlueScope Steel, are available for ground and roof top applications These custom solar mounting systems are made from Zn Al coated cold rolled steel or Zn coated steel These systems are easy to install and offer greater corrosion resistance and weight optimization.

ILIOS®, a complete solution for solar module mounting, offers engineering support, design detail, installation, and material supply Our multi locational manufacturing facilities ensure on time project delivery

Piyush Nahar

General Manager LYSAGHT® Business Tata Bluescope Steel

ILIOS® offers C and Hat sections to be used in ground mounted applications These structures of high strength are made from cold rolled Zn/ Al Zn alloy coated steel They are available in different coating thicknesses and dimensions to meet project requirements

The key benefits of ILIOS® ground mounting solutions are:

The overall project cost is reduced due to weight optimization

Pre Punched Sections ensure faster project delivery

Zn Al alloy coated steel provides better corrosion resistance and longer durability

High Strength Steel allows strikethrough d longer spans make it easy to dle

LYSAGHT® profiles are compatible with ILIOS® Roof Top Solar Mounting Solutions In order to suit LYSAGHT® profiles, special clips are indigenously designed and developed These clips have safe design factors and are tested for wind uplift Solar panels are directly mounted on LYSAGHT® profiles using these clips

The key benefits of LYSAGHT® rooftop mounting solutions are:

Smart Solution enabling Green Building Construction

Quick and reliable installation

A Fully Integrated Solution

The first and foremost requirement is to ensure structural stability considering the high wind speeds For this, we use high strength steel with lesser thickness and with very minimum connections which provides a stronger and stable structure and also saves steel weight It is also important to derive the layout of solar panels to understand the number of rows and columns Parameters like Slope, ground clearance, and orientation of the panels whether landscape or portrait are some of the critical factors that play an important role in arriving at the optimum design.

FEATURED TALKS The second most important factor is Durability which is the life of the structure that is completely exposed to the atmosphere To ensure durability, we use Cold formed purlins made of ZINCALUME® Steel which has 4 times longer life than the regular galvanized structures in the most corrosive environments Along with this, proper selection of fasteners is also important, and we recommend stainless steel fasteners to resist the severe corrosive environment

Combining the above two, we need to achieve the most optimum and competitive solutions as the tariff per unit keeps going down

Tata BlueScope Steel with its multi locational manufacturing facilities strategically located in Chennai, Pune, Bhiwadi, and Jamshedpur ensures easy product availability and on time delivery with consistency in the quality of products supplied. Our product (ILIOS®) DNA has all the cut/slit and punched edges coated with Zn Al/Zn rich protective coating to avoid exposed surfaces This further leads to increased life of the mounting structure

Our plants follow strict QAP approved by all major EPC Contractors & Developers Individual members are closely operated and inspected for dimensional accuracy Our machines are well maintained and automated for a smoother finish, sturdier and more accurate profile, and defect prevention Operating teams are highly skilled and are well trained by the engineering team, not only on operations but on the requirements of end application Safe transportation and high quality product packaging; lay a strong foundation for a sound supply chain

Kindly provide the key benefits of your ground and roof mounting solutions.

How does engineering design play an important role in solar module mounting structure? What are your operational capabilities?

"We use high strength steel with lesser thickness and with very minimum connections which provides a stronger and stable structure and also saves steel weight."

CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS

Chint Solar (Bangladesh) Co. Ltd., a 100% subsidiary of CHINT Solar, provides one stop solution for any kind of solar PV power plant projects both C&I and IPP including EPC services

Since our foray into the renewable energy industry in 2006, Chint has gained a great lot of experience in project development and construction, and also we deeply participated in the global energy transition

So far we have constructed over 690 solar plants globally totaling 8GW

Tell us how has 2022 been so far for you? What have been some major developments?

In 2022, we, Chint Solar (Bangladesh) Co Ltd (CSBCL), started our journey with new enthusiasm with view to contributing in renewable energy sector in Bangladesh, especially solar PV power sector This year is challenging for fossil fuel based power plant to meet the growing demand of electric energy worldwide due to vulnerability in the supply chain of crude oil and gas Bangladesh is also facing thesame.So itisthetimetoreducedependencyon fossil fuel and facilitate renewable energy for sustainable development With the vision to contribute in sustainable development, CSBCL promotes Commercial & Industrial (C&I) rooftop projects and Independent Power Plant (IPP) projects in Bangladesh in 2022 as before EPC works of about 77 MWp project is contracted, and some C&I projects are under development; we also submitted numbers of Unsolicited IPP projects’ proposalunderGovernmentofBangladesh

In 2022, CHINT submitted about 260 MW solar PV unsolicited IPP projects in several locations of Bangladesh including a 200 MW, 50MW and a 10 MW floating projects.

Engr. Sk. Md. Ruhul Amin

Deputy Managing Director Chint Solar (Bangladesh) Company Ltd

What are the solutions you offer with respect to Solar?

Since our foray into the renewable energy industry in 2006, Chint has gained a great lot of experience in project development and construction, and also we deeply participated in the global energy transition We have covered the whole industrial chain, such as the project development, design, equipment manufacture EPC construction O&M energy storage, energy commercialization and multi energy complementary practice In a word, we are offering the one stop solution to our customers Besides, we introduced our philosophy of Splendid PV. This is could be understood as the adoptation of PV plant into different kinds of scenarios such as barren mountains, desert, farms and lakes Without damaging the existing conditions, we create more economic and social benefits from the PV plant So far we have constructed over 690 solar plants globally totaling 8GW We are very proud that we have brought so muchcleanenergytothepeopleallovertheworld!

In 2022, CHINT submitted about 260 MW solar PV unsolicited IPP projects in several locations of Bangladesh including a 200 MW, 50MW and a 10 MW floating projects These projects will be developed by CHINT on Build Own and Operate (BOO) basis Further, about 7 7 MWp EPC works was contracted and under engineering and procurement, and some C&I projects are under development And another 100MW on BOO basis will be submitted by the end of October 2022 CHINT possesses the mission to turn those projects into reality and make significant progress in 2023

Chint Solar (Bangladesh) Co Ltd offers complete solutions for solar PV projects CHINT has expertise to provide Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) service All the major materials of solar PV projects can be procured from one umbrella from CHINT: solar PV module from Astronergy, Inverter, Energy Storage System (ESS) from Chint Power System, Transformer from Chint Electric, and other equipment like Cables (AC &DC), Combiner box, Distribution box, etc This one stop solution of CHINT differentiate CHINT from other competitors in the market

CHINT has the vision to contribute in National Solar Energy Roadmap 2021 2041 taken by Government of Bangladesh and in developing sustainable green energy to offer the new generation to a healthy atmosphere to live We want to keep our footprint in large scale solar PV IPP and C&I projects overcoming the challenges exits in Bangladesh to utilize maximum resources of this country The plan is to have a total investment pipeline of 500MW in 5 years from 2021 to 2025 For this purpose, in 2023, CHINT, along with its partners, will submit another 140MW project

What differentiates your solutions from competitors?

What have been some big projects for CHINT this year? How is the project lined up for 2023?

What are your growth and expansion plans for the next couple of years?

"In 2022, CHINT submitted about 260 MW solar PV unsolicited IPP projects in several locations of Bangladesh including a 200 MW, 50MW and a 10 MW floating projects."

Prashant Mathur

CEO, Saatvik Green Energy

CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS

With continuous efforts and sales practices, Saatvik jumped from a distant No 10 to a Top 3 Module manufacturer in India

We have grown exponentially, from the date of incorporation in 2016 we have supplied nearly about 1GW+ modules in the market

At Saatvik, we manufacture Polycrystalline, Mono Perc, and Bifacial Half cut modules up to 590Wp which are best suited for rooftop and ground mounted projects

“I have experience in successfully leading major corporate transformations from conception to execution ” Having worked in the renewable energy sector and being a solar enthusiast, experienced chief strategist, and Executor I have a track record of creating new benchmarks in the renewable and environmental industries. With an entrepreneurial skill set and extensive expertise in incubating and running businesses in both the Indian and global markets, I have successfully formalized business strategies with management and taken businesses to heights A strategically strong and seasoned engineer with an MBA in marketing effectively managing and building brand value along with assisting in the exponential growth of business volumes by taking key decisions

I started off my career journey in 2000 as a management trainee with Navin Fluorine International Ltd where I delivered and learned in depth about business tactics, sales, and revenue generation My exposure to setting up a new business in the Indian market team building, and formulating strategies to accommodate new innovative technologies have helped me in attaining and delivering results with leading brands such as Targray Technologies International, Vikram Solar, Solis, Adani Solar, and now as CEO Saatvik Green energy Pvt Ltd

At Saatvik we manufacture Polycrystalline, Mono Perc, and Bifacial Half cut modules up to 590Wp which are best suited for rooftop and ground mounted projects Our solar PV modules are equipped with PV Cycle certification for recycling Saatvik PV modules

Some of the key features that Saatvik modules offer are as follows:

Built in with advanced technology using MBB Multi Busbar (10BB)/half cut mono perc cells /GA doped wafers

Deliver high performance even during weak lights

Undergoes multiple tests ensuring high quality products are delivered at job sites

Built in for harsh weather such as in deserts, farms, and coastline areas

ALMM BIS UL & IEC approved

Undergoes rigorous testing criteria ensuring defect free modules

With our clear vision & mindset, we have grown exponentially, from the date of incorporation in 2016 we have supplied nearly about 1GW+ modules in the market With continuous efforts and sales practices, Saatvik jumped from a distant No 10 to a Top 3 Module manufacturer in India In the financial year, 2022 23 company aims to supply nearly about 700MW+ modules in the market and expects to double the volume to nearly about 1 GW+ as the company has started its global market supply as well

Saatvik is the leading and fastest growing brand with a production capacity of 1 GW/Annum in Ambala (Haryana) We feel proud to have been playing a major role in strengthening energy s ate change, and

pment in India

The recent scenario states that the industry is witnessing increased energy demand worldwide, significantly solar module demand has also increased exponentially and is surpassing Polysilicon capacity by 2X globally. Apart from several factors including the influence of Covid 19 and the Russia Ukraine war, which have had a significant impact on solar module costs Even the market in the previous decade has had a significant influence on polysilicon pricing as prices for polysilicon have climbed significantly due to rising market demand The dollar price is too witnessing its highest fluctuation rate with an increase of up to 2% due to numerous reasons and factors indirectly impacting imports and exports Market disruptions in terms of demand and supply will undoubtedly continue to affect pricing in the future, and exemptions and data indicate that prices are projected to grow in the future

India is a growing manufacturing hub and soon will become one of the most preferred countries in the global market for manufacturing quality products With Govt continuously supporting solar module manufacturers by introducing incentive schemes and policies such as PLI Scheme, the solar sector is soon going to witness high demand According to the rating agency, robust domestic demand, favorable government policy, increased module conversion efficiency, and price competitiveness will push production capacity. Indian made items may be more acceptable than imports since they have more reliable supply chains and are not constrained by rising shipping costs, as well as being possibly more competitively priced

How many modules have you supplied in India till now? What is the target/expectation for this year and next year?

What do you think is needed to ramp up manufacturing in India? Or are we on track?

Can you brief our readers about your educational and professional background?

What are the types of modules that Saatvik offers and their specialties?

How do you see the likely price trend of solar modules in upcoming quarters?

"Saatvik is the leading and fastest growing brand with a production capacity of 1 GW/Annum in Ambala."

Anurag Garg

COO Solar, Jakson Group

"Jakson has become the first Indian manufacturer to be ALMM empanelled for its 600 Wp modules using M10 Half Cut Cell Technology."

CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS

Jakson is the first Indian manufacturer to get IEC and BIS certifications to launch a 600 Wp module

Being the most innovative and powerful PV modules in the domestic market, the USP of our latest Helia module series is its multiple variants. Jakson has become the first company to have a 500Wp+ module DEWA (Dubai Electricity and Water Authority) approved

Tell us about the recent key developments in Solar Business at Jakson this year.

Regarding recognition across the nation, Jakson has become the first company to have a 500Wp+ module DEWA (Dubai Electricity and Water Authority) approved Furthermore, recently, Jakson has become the first Indian manufacturer to be ALMM empanelled for its 600 Wp modules using M10 Half Cut Cell Technology.

Kindly brief our readers about your solar manufacturing and R&D facilities.

Jakson has a world class, fully automated module manufacturing Plant with an annual capacity of 600 MWp The Plant is ISO Certified for 9001, 14001 & 45001, and ALMM approved for the complete range of modules up to 600Wp as per the latest MNRE guidelines & standards

The manufacturing facility is compatible with handling all different cell sizes from 156mm to 210

mm, including G1, M6, M10 & M12 and both full cell and halfcut cell modules All the monoperc modules are manufactured using the latest Bifacial M10 Cell (182mm), the most optimum cell size preferred by leadingmodulemanufacturersglobally.Toensurethe defectfree module, we rely on 100% EL Testing (at 3 stages), including at stringer level, during inprocess andfinaltesting

Oursolarmanufa which are IEC C IEC61215 (1&2) 68/62716, ensur Furthermore, our BOM items use perform reliability standards

Could you highlight the specialities of your modules?

BeingthemostinnovativeandpowerfulPVmodules in the domestic market, the USP of our latest Helia module series is its multiple variants It ranges from 120, 132, 144, and 156 half cut cells Being an innovator in the energy industry, Jakson is the first Indian manufacturer to get IEC and BIS certifications to launch a 600 Wp module The group ensured pollution degree 2 certifications to make the modules more sustainable It makes them withstand harsh environmental conditions Furthermore, the moduleshaveM10cells(182mm)withaJBratingof 25ampforoptimizedperformance

Helia Series Module are suitable for all type of applications, viz: Ground Mount, Rooftop & Floating Solarfarms

What is your current manufacturing capacity?

Our world class, fully automated Solar module manufacturing plant has a capacity of 600 MW high efficiency and high power density solar modules

There is information that government might relax rules on sourcing solar modules from anywhere amid shortage and high prices. What is Jakson’s perspective on this?

As per the latest ALMM list issued by MNRE, India has a total manufacturing capacity of 18 GW, and a further 8 10 GW or more of manufacturing is soon to be added to the revised ALMM The same will be increased unprecedently with the support of Government Incentives under Make in India In my view, the current capacity is sufficient for Solar Projects added in India at the current pace. If we increase project installation as per the current pace, we can add more manufacturing capacity in the future

AUG SEP ISSUE 2022 | PG 36| INDIA The group ensured pollution degree 2 certifications to make the modules more sustainable. It makes them withstand harsh environmental conditions.

Regarding pricing, Indian manufacturers primarily rely on importing multiple components for the assembly In contrast, capacities for Solar Module components manufacturing are being added in parallel within the Country, which will help us become self sufficient for local manufacturing capacity requirements.

Punit Mehta

Co founder & Director, PIXON

CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS

With the addition of introducing Multi Busbar modules and Topcon, we are further expanding our production line by 1 GW by 2023

PIXON has already set landmarks and is consistently delivering efficient solar energy solutions to attain new heights

We intend to launch Topcon, Mono Perc/N type, Multi Busbar high Wp, and BiB modules in addition to a 2 GW expansion of our production line

As an Indian PV manufacturer, I think that one of the major problems we are having is the absence of a uniform policy and problems with implementation In addition, a number of problems need to be resolved, such as preventing delays in land acquisition, insufficient R&D spending, and many more.

In order to fully utilize India’s solar potential, the central government and state governments have taken a set of measures, including setting up significant bids, improving infrastructure, and promoting domestic manufacturing. However, the last year was frittered away due to changes in the duty structure

Give us the key highlights of your modules

PIXON products stand through their performance and quality PIXON solar modules are robust and tested to withstand extremes of weather conditions PIXON provides a wide range of modules under the following categories:

Mono Crystalline Perc Modules

Poly Crystalline Modules

Poly Crystalline DCR Modules

Mono Crystalline Perc Half Cut Cell Modules

We are launching our Multi Busbar modules, and ALMM will soon validate them

Yes, we will be expanding our product line in the upcoming years The company anticipates additional developments in its supply chain throughout India as a result of its upcoming Multi Busbar and Topcon production lines To satisfy the demands for quality, PIXON also has a 1 GW manufacturing line for EVA Film and other materials

In the future we intend to launch Topcon Mono Perc/N type, Multi Busbar high Wp, and BiB modules in addition to a 2 GW expansion of our production line

PIXON is a firm believer in advancing with the market’s recent innovations With the addition of introducing Multi Busbar modules and Topcon, we are further expanding our production line by 1 GW.

The future of renewable energy is forecasted to expand in the coming years, led by solar energy The capacity of solar energy would be almost double in comparison to the present. The predictions about renewable energy in the future are expected to increase, solar energy will also grow extensively PIXON has already set landmarks and is consistently delivering efficient solar energy solutions to attain new heights. Both the Multibusbar and Topcon technologies are supported by our current and r

Glass with an anti reflective coating

improves light transmission

Least manual intervention

Maximum system voltage: 1500 V DC

PID resistant with long term reliability

Better quality control

High resistance to high temperature, high humidity and alkali environment

Our Multi Busbar production line expansion is easily supported by our current infrastructure The government of India’s “Made in India” initiative is assisting us in growing to a multi GW production line In order to match our energy goals with supply goals, we are also aiming to supply energy to domestic and international power producers We are among the top winning players in the industry to supply solar modules on a gigawatt scale

To satisfy the demands for quality, PIXON also has a 1 GW manufacturing line for EVA Film and other materials."

Are you planning any addition to your product portfolio in the coming year?

Tell us about your commitment to Solar Sector in India & your strengths to achieve your targets.

Could you share some challenges faced by you as an Indian PV manufacturer?

What have been some of the new technology trends in the module industry and how have you geared up for the same?

Key features of PIXON’s solar module in India:

"PIXON is expanding the upcoming production line to 1 GW for Multi-Busbar modules"

Manish Dabkara

CMD & CEO, EKI Energy Services Ltd

CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS

We have been successful in placing ourselves in a position to grow with each climate accord, agreement and have been able to continuously develop platforms, technology, and relations

We became a listed company in April 2021 and witnessed one of the most successful IPOs of the year & achieved a 1 Billion Dollar Market Cap

As a brand, we would also become net zero within the next 5 years and we will continue to enable millions of others on this journey

I incepted EKI in 2008 with an ardent dream to rehabilitate the planet and build a greener tomorrow When the company was established, the carbon credit market and even climate conversations were in a nascent stage and starting to slowly emerge and gain traction The first few years were predominantly dedicated to educating all relevant stakeholders about the importance of reducing their carbon footprint We brought in a disruption in the market by placing climate action on a pedestal not just within India but also globally as we worked with customers across the world.

We have been successful in placing ourselves in a position to grow with each climate accord and agreement and have been able to continuously develop platforms, technology, and relations. The passion to green the planet and steer it towards a net zero future has been the backbone of the brand EKI

Today, EKI is a leading global carbon credit developer & supplier. We became a listed company in April 2021 and witnessed one of the most successful IPOs of the year & achieved a 1 Billion Dollar Market Cap

We are a market leader with our differentiated offerings and one stop destination for all things related to carbon markets and corporate ESG

Our scope of work spans consultancy and advisory services for corporate net zero commitment, ESG reporting and compliance, carbon asset management and renewable energy certifications & attributes

From an organization that started with a team of 5 people, the brand has grown into a global team of 500+ professionals across 16 countries including India, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Ghana, Kenya, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Dubai, and S ng every day and a

This year, we have also charted a new journey for ourselves with a commitment to become net zero by the year 2030 in addition to defining a target to mobilize up to 1 billion credits within the next 5 years (by 2027) We are a carbon neutral company who have been inspiring thousands of businesses across the globe to reduce/offset their emissions through a host of sustainable solutions. With our net zero commitment, we will now take climate action in India to newer heights by enabling the country to fast track the stride to its net zero commitment by the year 2070 As part of this renewed vision we recently also embraced a new brand identity that brings together the sky, nature, and oceans to Steer the Planet to a net zero future

We have a deep strong focus on community development and have undertaken projects like green cooking initiatives that help improve the livelihoods of rural households while also enabling the restoration of nature We now also manufacture low cost emission reduction devices like energy efficient cook stoves via our group company GHG Reduction Technologies Pvt Ltd with an aim to improve the lives of people across communities in rural villages We have also joined hands with Shell Overseas Investments B V (The Netherlands) for the implementation of Nature based Solutions across India

The proposed amendments to the EC Act that has been passed in Lok Sabha will empower the country to increasingly strive towards its net zero commitment of 2070 with the further implementation of NDCs in a timely manner It will also facilitate the development of India’s carbon market which will in turn enable the country to transition into a low carbon economy

With the proposed amendments, the current trading schemes in India Energy Saving Certificates (ESCerts) and Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) will be merged into one single commodity that will be called Carbon Credits and will operate under Cap & Trade system under the National ETS

This will open the market for newer avenues and is expected to unleash a new era of environmental activism in India Though the market will largely be voluntary in nature to begin with, once it becomes mandatory for a specific sector(s), the scheme will remain open for the Indian Voluntary Market sellers as mentioned in the EC Act 2022 This will open the market for newer avenues even as the demand for Voluntary Carbon Credits grows exponentially in the country

With our net zero commitment, we will now take climate action in India to newer heights by enabling the country to fast track the stride to its net zero commitment by the year 2070."

What do you have to say about the recent amendments to the Energy Conservation Act?

Tell us about the journey and evolution of EKI

"The passion to green the planet and steer it towards a net zero future has been the backbone of the brand EKI."

One of the important outcomes of COP26 is the Operationalization of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement was that it paved the way for countries to work with each other and reduce the overall cost of emission reduction Under this, India could now engage with developed nations and tap foreign funds for its emission reduction projects This enabled a further enhanced ecosystem for the trade of India’s carbon credits in the International markets

This along with the export of carbon credits from India to International markets under the Voluntary market scheme ensures a strong influx of climate finance to India which the country can add back for carbon reduction projects and interventions Article 6 and domestic/regional emission trading schemes have not led to many changes in the International Voluntary Markets Additionally, the trade of credits in the International Voluntary Market does not need a sign off from host nations since no corresponding adjustments are required

Though the current proposal to ban the export of carbon credits from India, is solely been for the National ETS, a compliance Cap & Trade national market to ensure effective compliance of India’s NDC; in line with similar such National and Regional ETS been successfully in operation around the world, e g EU ETS, Korean ETS, etc will not affect the Voluntary carbon market. It is important that the industry is clarified that this will have no impact on the current sale of carbon credits developed in India to International global markets This is only a proposal for the National ETS whenever it comes into effect

Since the ban will not affect the current Voluntary Market dynamics in India, the industry will continue to empower the country in its transition into a carbon neutral economy A National ETS will further accelerate this journey since more trade of carbon credits would imply more carbon reduction in the country The Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill will also bring fair play and increased transparency, enabling all stakeholders with equal opportunities The amendment act will unlock new market potentials for both the sellers and buyers of credits in India

As the world has already crossed its deadline for serious climate action to restrict anthropogenic global warming within 1 5 0 C, any further delay in real action will lead to a catastrophic impact; absolute emission reduction is the only way forward, and carbon the market is going to be one of the most important avenues for effective participation of business sectors in meeting the Net Zero commitment

At EKI, the climate will always continue to be the most important element for all things we do With a torch held high to steer the planet to a greener & safer tomorrow, we will continue to aggressively promote advancements in the climate sector to help fasten the pace to net zero

As we steer the planet to net zero with our comprehensive bouquet of solutions carbon management and community development, brand EKI will continue to achieve newer heights in the climate sector even as we continue to stride the planet to a greener future

We will inspire that many more stakeholders to adopt sustainable solutions and become conscious of their carbon footprint As a brand, we would also become net zero within the next 5 years and we will continue to enable millions of others on this journey We will expand into many more new markets even as we continue to onboard many more passionate climate enthusiasts in our quest to net zero

The creation of a robust National carbon credit market in India structured in a regulated Cap & Trade system would imply an increased demand for credits amongst businesses in the country The renewed focus on controlling GHG emissions and moving towards carbon neutrality, with specific milestones/targets is expected to encourage increased private sector participation in combating climate change This will in turn drive the demand for voluntary carbon credits in India in the years to come The annual demand for voluntary carbon credit in India is expected to touch 500+ million units by 2030.

As an established global leader, we are well placed to make the most of this evolution in the market Given our global experience, we can lead the country in developing a structured framework for the market Our deep learning from our experience of ETS and markets in other countries can be leveraged to develop a robust ecosystem in India We wish to actively work with all industry stakeholders in developing the Domestic Market and empowering it with every bit of our expertise

How do you see the carbon credit industry growing in India and EKI’s contribution to it?

With a ban on carbon credit export, what changes are we likely to see? How will it impact?

What is your vision for EKI for the next 5 years?

Acharan Chandel

Co Founder and CMO, Spinkraft Ventures

CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS

By the end of 2022, we are looking to be one of the fastest growing solar distribution companies and also we want to be a player with interests and outlook in the EV space.

We are looking forward to adding new products very soon and subsequently certain big announcements shall be made soon enough

On the solar front, we are looking to add certain new brands which would give us the impetus to get into big league distribution

What are you aiming to achieve by the end of 2022?

I am an engineer and MBA graduate from Mumbai University, completed my master's in 2011 and took the plunge into the solar industry with my first job I was always interested and inclined toward the Power & Energy industry and hence solar proved to be the right direction, a new and clean energy industry with immense potential and loads of learning scope

Started my career with a Mumbai based small EPC firm called Envirodyne Energy Systems which was also the first and sole distributor of RefuSol inverters in India at that point in time From there on the journey took me to multiple module manufacturers with Waaree being the next stop, post that Chinese giant at that time Renesola, then one of the most reputed organizations in the solar industry REC Singapore and from there another Chinese giant ZNSHINE This learning and experience of working with multiple brands combined with the motivation and skills of my partners in SPINKRAFT, Mr Pravesh Bhargava and Mr Ajay Patel who have been associated with me for a long and are part of my family convinced me to go ahead with the solar entrepreneurial journey and we are convinced that we shall achieve big milestones in coming years

We are currently focussing on Axitec and Eversola modules Axitec which is a premium German module with a pan India presence and an excellent reputation with its Make in India programs and product range catering to the DCR section also is certainly going to be a module brand to watch out for in near future Eversola is a Chinese brand with a focus to become one the well known brands in the industry They too are exploring options to make their product locally which is going to help us immensely Accordingly, in inverters, we have Fronius which is a top European inverter manufacturer, a giant in the electronics and automation industry, and a well known and well respected product

A brilliant product and brand with a presence across the country right from north to south. Apart from this, we have in our product portfolio certain EV based products like EV chargers for which we have tied up with a Pune based manufacturer cum investor and are looking at this segment as the one which will give us great impetus Apart from this in the EV space, we have our own Lithium Ion assembly plant near Mumbai which will be sold under the brand FUEL ON, the facility is under establishment and the product outflow shall start soon Also, we are looking forward to adding new products very soon an subsequently certain big announcements sh be made soon enough

The year so far has been a mixed bag The first half of the year was fantastic with imports rising to new heights as everyone had their eyes set on March commissioning due to duty implications that were supposed to be imposed from April. We were one of the many beneficiaries in that half of the year The second half of the remaining part of the year so far has been a bit slow comparatively and which is true for the entire industry due to duty imposition but we have been holding our own and have been growing at some speed not only in terms of business numbers but also increasing our product portfolio and team size Our long term vision has enabled us to grow despite the hiccups being faced by the industry

Our long term vision has enabled us to grow despite the hiccups being faced by the industry.

By the end of 2022 we are looking to be one of the fastest growing solar distribution companies and also we want to be a player with interests and outlook in EV space by end of the year we shall certainly be a recognizable face in this space too On the solar front, we are looking to add certain new brands which would give us the impetus to get into big league distribution

Certainly, I would like this opportunity to highlight my partners Mr Ajay Patel and Mr Pravesh Bhargav Mr. Patel is the binding force of the team and Mr Bhargava is the brains, muscles, and strategist of the team Without these two guys who have been with me through thick and thin, this won't have been possible On the product front, we are increasing our product portfolio We are talking to newer players to get into ESS, hybrid solutions, EV solutions, and other products We will hopefully come up with multiple options in our product portfolio pretty soon

Please give us a brief background of yourself and your solar journey.

How is the year 2022 progressing for Spinkraft?

What are the products and services offered by Spinkraft?

"Our long-term vision has enabled us to grow despite the hiccups being faced by the industry."

Anything else you would like to highlight?

Dharmin Sheth

Director Contendre Solar

CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS

Contendre is providing its customers with PV modules ranging from 40Wp to 415Wp with the Full Cell technology

Contendres state of the art fully automated production ensures production accuracy and efficiency leading to consistently high quality output

Our cutting edge, hyper hygienic manufacturing facility and best in class production equipment make us one of the most technologically advanced PV module producing facilities in India

For Contendre, It has been a very adventurous journey so far Starting back from our initiation year of 2019, the industry has seen a lot of ups and downs be it the Covid pandemic supply chain disruption, GST slab change, policy changes, etc Talking about the current financial year we saw a humongous policy change, the implication of a 25% basic customs duty on solar cells and a 40% duty on module imports which has had a huge impact on the entire industry making the overall market rotation a bit slower But despite this situation, Contendre Solar on the contrary saw massive growth in Business Contendre Solar has been fortunate enough to supply its products and services across the globe on all different scales and sectors Be it power plants, government projects, private industries, or domestic residences, Contendre has served and has been accepted by all With the Company’s Year on Year growth rate of more than 1000%, our customer base multiplying immensely, and our presence is felt across the country and even internationally has today made Contendre one of the fastest growing Solar PV brands in the country

With our equipment already advanced & upgraded to keep up with the fast evolving technology, we are able to provide our customers with a wide range of products along with a special option for customization Currently, Contendre is providing its customers with PV modules ranging from 40Wp to 415Wp with the Full Cell technology We have already initiated the process of expansion which will allow us to expand our horizons further and add new products to our portfolio including the Multi busbar and HJT Technology

Contendre Solar is one of India's most Premium Solar PV Manufacturing and Solutions companies We are an ISO certified organization headquartered in Mumbai with a State of the Art, Automated Solar PV Module Manufacturing Facility located at Bhiwandi, Maharashtra, India. Contendre strives to produce and provide Indian, high quality solar products and turnkey solar solutions ensuring the highest in class power output and best in class reliability to our customers Contendre’s product line is tailored for residential, commercial and utility applications Every Contendre solar modules and solutions are certified and surpass industry standards, proving excellent performance over the long term

Our products are subject to very stringent quality and reliability testing programs staffed by our qualified and highly trained production engineers, thus helping us achieve a high degree of process reliability excellent production results, and top quality products The high quality of Contendre panels is further supported by the very low claims rate. Contendre's state of the art fully automated production ensures production accuracy and efficiency leading to consistently high quality output Our modules receive multiple quality checks throughout the process and are subject to stringent quality and reliability testing. Each product exceeds industry requirements and is backed by an independent 25 year performance warranty and a 12 year product warranty Our products are manufactured from the highest quality, and raw materials and exceed International Electrotechnical Commission quality standards and are certified for the same by Third Party Laboratories We are already up with the advancements in Module technology being proven by our varied range of products like Highly efficient modules, High System Voltage modules (1500V), Module Level Power Electronics, etc

We function with a determination and drive to deliver superior quality, affordable solar products to our customers Owing to that is our investment in our state of the art production facility which includes our best in class production equipment and machinery all the way from Europe. Set at a strategic location right in the center of the country, Bhiwandi, Maharashtra provides maximum accessibility for the movement of both man and material across the globe Our superlative, fully automatic production line offers an annual production capacity of up to 75MW with minimum breakage rates and a high level of production accuracy Our cutting edge, hyper hygienic manufacturing facility and best in class production equipment make us one of the most technologically advanced PV module producing facilities in India

Catering to the demand for Contendre Solar products and services in the market and to the government’s initiative towards making in India we are executing an expansion of our company in all aspects be it our production capacity, our team size, our product range, or anything and everything of our company

Contendre Solar will grow 3 folds by the end of the next financial year We have always believed in having a technical advantage rather than competing in volume which can be seen, with us being the only company in India to have been able to produce 415Wp Modules in 72 full cells and we will follow the same trend in our further journey Us being known for our quality and technically advanced products will indeed allow us to have a stable share in this highly competitive market

Tell us about your manufacturing facilities and the current capacity.

How have the business and sales been for Contendre so far in 2022?

Please brief our readers about your products and services.

Could you highlight some specialties of your products?

"Contendre Solar is one of India's most Premium Solar PV Manufacturing and Solutions companies."

How do you plan to accelerate your growth in India against the competition?

Brijesh Prajapati

Managing Director APAC Region, INVT Solar Technology Pvt Ltd

"We are ready to serve in the Indian market with 1-136kw Sting inverter, Hybrid inverter, ESS & EV Charger products."

CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS

We have planned to focus more on the Technical seminar

We have planned to set up and scale up solar inverter Manufacturing level in the Indian market

We will focus more on product technical upgradation with PAN India Service setup.

Congratulations on your new role! Tell us how has the experience at INVT been so far.

ThankyouSomuchteamSQ

INVTalreadyestablishedabrandglobally&samefor the INDIAN market presence from a long time back

We are ready to serve in the Indian market with 1 136kw Sting inverter, Hybrid inverter, ESS & EV Chargerproducts

What were the key factors that drove you to take on this new challenging role?

Technology with innovation & a wide range of updatedproducttechnology

What are your top priorities to spearhead the business at INVT?

Ontime service solution with prompt response & technologyupgradation

What is your aim for INVT in the next 5 years?

INVT Group is already listed on the stock for more than 10 years & we are planning to develop our brand on a very different level We have planned to set up and scale up solar inverter Manufacturing level in the Indian market We will add Solar inverter & EV charger development to our production basket

We are ready to serve in the Indian market with 1-136kw Sting inverter, Hybrid inverter, ESS & EV Charger products.

What have been some key learnings over your previous years that you wish to implement going forward?

Team coordination between domestic & china teams.Technicalseminarformoreon timeservice response & Product technical presentation We have planned to focus more on the Technical seminar We will focus more on product technical upgradationwithPANIndiaServicesetup

CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS

We offer tailor made solar solutions for various types of installations such as rooftops, ground mounts and special structures (Carport, Elevated)

All our projects are done with the latest module and inverter technology with a best in class balance of the system

We at Mahindra solarize are partnering with reputed financial agencies to promote and provide financing solutions to the MSME segment

Rakesh Singh

CEO & Executive Director, Mahindra Solarize

Mahindra Solarize has been pursuing the initiatives and objectives it has charted for itself to a good effect We have successfully executed the business model & operation model formulated keeping the sustainability and effectiveness of the business Overall FY22 has been very satisfying from the intent and content point of view We expected headwinds in the H1 of FY23 on account of BCD imposition, RE depreciation and EPC price escalation and the effect is visible on an immediate term basis. The industry will recalibrate itself and on a long term basis, the bigger picture & solar story remains intact

We offer tailor made solar solutions for various types of installations such as rooftops, ground mount and special structures (Carport, Elevated) In the rooftop, we have expertise in providing solutions for various roofs like RCC, Slant metal with variants of both puncturing and adhesive solutions We have addressed customers of various segments such as Textiles, Auto & Auto ancillary, Cement, Chemical, Food processing etc

Our third SBU is SWP business, an initiative taken keeping in view Mahindra’s core philosophy of impacting rural lives Business is addressed mainly through government tenders catering to Farmer’s requirements thereby serving the community through green adoption

terms of module pricing in coming quarters and relative energy savings due to solar adaption vis à vis increasing grid tariff, we are expecting a buoyant H2

At Solarize, we are currently addressing 3 business segments namely Residential, Commercial and Industrial (C&I) and Solar water pump (SWP) As you can see, we are catering to a diverse group of customer segments such as B2C, B2B and B2G

Through Residential BU we are not only addressing the residential segment through standardized Kit offering with capacities ranging from 1 to 20 KWp through our Channel network but are also offering customized solutions for other retail and small institutional consumers with project sizes less than 200 KWp

T ss a wide range of

r than 200 KWp &

We at Solarize have strategized by approaching sectors with high power demand and where electricity cost contributes to major operating expenses such as Textile, Auto ancillary, Heavy engineering etc. We targeted these segments with a one stop solution approach starting from Solar plant sizing, design to maintenance including financial solutions Idea is to ensure end to end solution

We are happy to share that we have been reasonably successful in our approach and as per the latest market report are among the top 5 overall and in the top 3 in the capex model in C&I space

We have maintained a leadership position in the southern market and have done a few marquee projects One such project is one of the largest Rooftop solar plants in the country with a capacity of 10 4 MWp All our projects are done with the latest module and inverter technology with a best in class balance of the system

Although from a booking perspective H1 is subdued owing to the imposition of BCD on modules but with a healthy backlog of order pipelines we are engaged in commissioning some of our key projects in H1 However, on the positive side, we are observing greater emphasis on ESG goals from corporates, green push across the Industry segments Also, with the anticipation that the market shall correct in

As you are aware, the majority of the market share in solar is driven by large scale solar parks backed by central agencies Whereas Distributed energy space is dependent on state policies such as net metering, net billing, open access permissions/charges etc As a result of non uniformity in the said policies & additional charges faced across states, the distributed space growth is nonlinear and restricted to few policy friendly states Also, the increase in distributed space is restricted due to a lack of penetration in the MSME segment This is predominantly due to a lack of affordable financing options

The need of the hour is Policy symmetry across states backed by a central agency for an acceleration of distributed energy adoption

On the financing front, we at Mahindra solarize are partnering with reputed financial agencies to promote and provide financing solutions to the MSME segment

While the modules will continue to improve in terms of efficiency, cell technology and capacity, Bifacial modules’ usage will increase compared to Monofacial for Ground Mount installations On the Inverter front with a need for higher energy and better safety management we can expect an increase in usage of Module level optimizers/Micro Inverters for C&I projects Also, exciting developments are happening with Silicon Carbide Inverters which can provide better efficiency coupled with an improved price

Further new opportunities will emerge in current trending fields such as distributed storage space, EV Charging infrastructure, Smart energy, Hybrid etc which are at an early adoption stage.

How has the year 2022 been so far for Mahindra Solarize?

What are the kinds of products you offer?

What have been some big projects for Mahindra Solarize this year? How is the project lined up for 2023?

What is your view on the current Distributed Generation space in India?

According to you, what are some tech trends we are likely to see in the near future?

"Overall FY22 has been very satisfying from the intent and content point of view."

Recycling with the purpose of Reproducing Modules

JAIDEEP N MALAVIYA

MANAGING DIRECTOR, MALAVIYA SOLAR ENERGY CONSULTANCY

The draft Electronic waste Order announced by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change brings solar panel and solar cells under its ambit once they have attained End of Life (EoL) As a result, all solar energy panels will have to undergo recycling owing to toxicity in them However, more than recycling the recovery of metals can go back into the making of new solar panels taking closer to the Circular Economy. This will also ensure India does not need to depend on imports of raw materials or complete panels India has set an ambitious target of 300 GWp Solar PV by end of 2030

OPINION 01 1 %/kg

It consists of glass, aluminum, copper, silver, encapsulants, semiconductor and precious metals All these materials can be recovered and reused at the end of their useful life except for the polymer material, which is still a challenge to recycle As displayed in table 1 the typical c Si PV module composition is 70% glass, 18% aluminum, 7% polymers, 3 5% silicon semiconductor and the rest being metals like silver, copper tin and lead followed by a graphical representation in Figure 2

Solar PV mass estimation

The global market is dominated by crystalline silicon (c Si) PV modules with almost 98% market share and the rest being thin film modules India is virtually 100% c Si market Similarly, in comparison to the solar PV modules, the flat plate collectors also use glass and aluminum.

The typical material composition of a c SI PV module excluding the aluminum frame is given below in Figure 1

Table

ation of the crystalline solar ersity of Maryland, USA)

Justifying recycling

Underperforming modules owing to quality issues that undergo substitution is termed as Early Loss Another factor to incorporate in Early Loss is rapidly evolving high efficiency cells which will also incite developers to substitute with trending technologies to get more generation

Assuming an average mass of 65 MW per ton even if 90% is recovered to be re used for making new PV modules then it can reproduce 270 GWp avoiding fresh mining of metals Colossal carbon footprint also avoided as a result It is equally important to assess the social impact on the health of mining workers to demonstrate an environmentally friendly practice of producing PV modules Mining the waste is far more eco friendly than mining the earth

This makes a case of merit to consider recycling of Solar PV modules once they have attained EoL The reclaimed materials will pave way for “Made in India” modules. The icing on the cake will be the numerous employment opportunities created by way of waste collection, recycling and repurposing

A pan India Management body can be considered that acts as a catalyst between the government authorities and producers to ensure the entire recycling operations occurs suavely Must say “Right intent but confusing content”

Fig 3 : Reclaimed materials post c Si PV module recycling at a European facility Photo courtesy : Malaviya Solar Energy Consultancy

Green Energy Open Access Rules 2022:

A Welcome Step Towards Affordable, Reliable, Sustainable Green Energy For All?

Prelude

Recently, the Ministry of Power (MoP) notified the Electricity (Promoting Renewable Energy Through Green Energy Open Access) Rules, 2022 after nearly 20 years since the enactment of the Electricity Act, 2003 (EAct) A major highlight is the limit on the minimum contracted demand or sanctioned load to access green energy through the open access process has been reduced from 1 MW to 100 kW This is a great move as it will allow many potential consumers to access the open access route to procure renewable energy Along with this, the Green Energy Open Access rules have brought in many positive steps which will make green energy more affordable, reliable, and sustainable for all India has an ambitious target to achieve 500 GW of renewable capacity by 2030. This recently released policy definitely is a step in the right direction that will help the country’s goal of becoming a global leader in clean energy Let's see what some of our experts have to say about the same

GIRISHKUMAR KADAM

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT & CO GROUP HEAD CORPORATE RATINGS, ICRA LIMITED

The Ministry of Power (MoP), Government of India, notified the Green Energy Open Access rules on June 06, 2022 These are positives for the renewable energy (RE) developers as well as commercial & industrial (C&I) consumers, given the reduction in minimum sanctioned load for open access, a common methodology for computing open access charges, provision for banking, and exemption from the additional surcharge

As per these rules, the consumers who have a sanctioned load of 100 kW and above can apply for procurement of renewable energy (RE) through the open access route against the current loan of 1000 kW The rules impose a cap on cross subsidy surcharges (CSS), which shall not be increased by more than 50% during the 12 years of operations and exempt such RE projects from the additional surcharge Further, the rules state that banking shall be permitted at least on a monthly basis with the permitted quantum of banked energy of at least 30% of the total monthly consumption of electricity Moreover, the rules accord priority to long term open access requirements for non fossil fuel sources

The overall long term demand outlook for green energy from C&I consumers remains favorable, given the improved tariff competitiveness of solar / wind energy and strong sustainability / ESG focus on meeting energy requirements through renewable sources Given that the C&I demand accounts for about 40 45% of energy demand in the country, incremental RE capacity requirements is estimated to remain significant (at about 75 GW), even assuming 20% of the demand from C&I is to be met through RE

| INDIA The growth of the OA market in India is highly dependent on policies and the regulatory environment at both the national and state levels. Policies have been a driver for OA growth in some cases and a significant deterrent in others.

The open access based RE projects, however, remain inherently exposed to regulatory risks due to the dependence on open access (including approvals) and banking facilities, also given the fact that open access charges vary widely across the states, as notified by the respective State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERCs). Further, the open access charges for solar projects through the open access route vary widely across states, ranging from Rs 1 6 per unit in Rajasthan to Rs 5 0 per unit in Maharashtra The maximum discount that can be offered by the solar power IPPs thus varies from 4% to 46% across the states, depending on the prevailing open access charges, HT tariffs and exemptions available from CSS, and additional surcharge (AS) under the state solar policies, considering the net tariff realization of Rs 3 25 per unit for the open access based solar power projects

With the exemption of AS under the open access rules, if implemented, the extent of discount offered by the solar power projects would improve across most states and this improvement is likely to be significant in the states of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, given the high level of additional surcharge prevailing in these states Further, the methodology for determining open access charges is likely to be harmonized across the states benefiting the IPPs & C&I consumers in the open access segment, if the rules are implemented

However, timely implementation of these rules across the states by the respective SERCs and the distribution utilities remains to be seen, given that power is a concurrent subject that comes under the purview of the Central and the State Governments

The C&I segment is the single biggest consumer of power in the country, accounting for more than 47% of India’s consumption followed by the domestic and agriculture segments CARE Ratings Limited (CARE Ratings) estimates that the C&I segment consumed 516 billion units (BUs) of electricity in FY22 However, the energy consumed by this segment through solar and wind energy is estimated to be 4% only Further, the slower pace of capacity addition in the RE open access (OA) space (~1 3 gigawatt (GW) on an annual basis) indicates huge opportunities for OA power suppliers to tap the lucrative C&I power market In recent years, many of the RE developers operating in large scale utility projects have been pursuing opportunities in the RE OA space

Background

The Ministry of Power (MoP) had earlier rolled out the draft Electricity (Promoting Renewable Energy Through Green Energy Open Access) Rules, 2021, on August 16, 2021 This draft, post the public consultation, was finalized and notified as the Electricity (Promoting Renewable Energy Through Green Energy Open Access) Rules, 2022, on June 6, 2022. These rules seek to promote the generation, purchase, and consumption of green energy It also aims to expedite the approval for green OA, apply uniform banking, and allow the voluntary purchase of RE power by the C&I consumers On July 13 2022 the MoP also notified Power System O s

Key developments and the possible impact

Step in the right direction, however, states buy-in will be crucial

RE developers have been seeking regulatory clarity on OA related matters for some time It is the most opportune time for notification of these rules given the Government of India’s impetus on increasing renewable capacity This is also in line with India’s commitment to various initiatives to arrest climate change However, the above guidelines on green energy OA are categorized as rules only with no regulatory imposition on discoms Implementation of the rules across the country with electricity being a concurrent subject is expected to be a challenge Complete clarity on all the elements of the rule is also awaited, which may affect the interpretation of these rules by the various stakeholders Further, acceptability across the states is expected to vary, based on the financial state of the discoms as well as the interpretation of the said rules Until the large cross subsidy deficits of the discoms are minimized, active participation from the different state discoms is expected to be low

DIRECTOR AND RATING HEAD, CARE RATINGS LTD

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR AND GROUP HEAD, CARE RATINGS LTD

SUDHIR KUMAR AGNIMITRA KAR

Large renewable energy (RE) opportunity in commercial and industrial (C&I) space

ENERGY ECONOMIST, LEAD INDIA, IEEFA

The policy provides long term clarity regarding OA charges and banking and reduces the eligibility limit to make green OA more accessible to C&I consumers For captive consumers, there is no capacity limit It has further streamlined the OA approval process with the approval window of applications by the concerned nodal agency to be 15 days

Further, renewable energy consumed by a consumer in excess of its renewable purchase obligation (RPO) is counted towards RPO compliance of the state electricity distribution company (DISCOM) This will incentivize DISCOMs to not impose restrictive conditions to prevent C&I consumers from procuring in the OA market.

The falling costs of renewable energy leading to substantial savings on power costs and the net zero targets by Commercial and Industrial (C&I) consumers have led to a surge in the procurement of renewable energy power through open access (OA)

From around 300 megawatts (MW) in 2009, the market size of renewable energy OA grew to 10 gigawatts (GW) by the fiscal year (FY) 2022 Two thirds of the 10GW capacity came online in the past five years (FY2018 FY2022) alone

The growth of the OA market in India is highly dependent on policies and the regulatory environment at both the national and state levels Policies have been a driver for OA growth in some cases and a significant deterrent in others. The Green OA Policy, issued in June 2022, will be instrumental in completely reforming the renewable energy OA market landscape

VIBHUTI GARG DHWANI SUNKU

The Green OA rule provides a favorable policy landscape for green hydrogen/ammonia The purchase of green hydrogen/ammonia is to be counted towards RPO fulfillment Cross subsidy surcharge and additional surcharge are not applicable on renewable energy utilized for producing green hydrogen/ammonia

Despite these positive policy developments, hurdles, such as delays in the approval process for group captive projects, remain Other roadblocks include unfavorable banking provisions and increased penalties for deviation in the power schedule

The success of the Green OA policy rests with the states now It now needs to be seen how states adopt and align their policy, which can then spur the growth of OA multiple times

The new green energy access rule has opened the doors for many solar installations in the nation The recent changes in open access policy have brought an impact on solar power. The new rule, reducing the open access transaction limit from 1MW to 100 kW, will help a lot of common consumers get renewable energy at a reasonable price This is a big change that will help make renewable energy more accessible and affordable for everyone

The new policy will encourage a lot of industries to adopt green energy Now every consumer can contribute to the growth of green and clean energy The government has set a target of generating 175 GW of solar power by 2022 This is going to be achieved by building out solar parks and putting in place a string of policies to encourage solar energy generation Open access projects have emerged as an alternative to the conventional, privately owned, and operated grid

The new open access rule can bring in a lot of benefits and changes in the renewable industry Key highlights of the policy include,

The Green Open Access policy has been designed to allow any consumer to purchase renewable energy through open access The limit of Open Access transactions has been reduced from 1 MW to 100 kW, in order to enable small consumers to also take rtunity This will help to increase the uptake and contribute to a cleaner and more

Commercial and industrial consumers can purchase green power on a voluntary basis This allows them to choose an environmentally friendly option for their energy needs.

Open access helps businesses become more sustainable by ensuring that savings begin from day one There is no initial investment required, which means that businesses can reinvest their savings into other areas

The approval process for open access applications will be transparent As per the rules, approvals must be granted within 15 days, or the application will be deemed approved subject to fulfillment of technical requirements Approvals will be granted through a national portal

The new policy is a great opportunity for India to reach our goals, since it will catalyse IPPs to deploy solar assets since consumers can purchase open access power at lower quantum The policy will attract a larger number of clients who can purchase clean energy, therefore allocation of contracts will hopefully become easier However, I hope that we don't have to take a step back on distributed energy as a result. We have to encourage customers to install power on their available rooftop or onsite space and consider open access once the rooftop space is exhausted Solar power installers such as U Solar can complete smaller scale projects for companies, providing them with the benefits of having a solar power plant on their own roofs We are now working on developing an ecosystem with larger IPPs to provide open access power for our existing clients ”

While the policy is a great show of support for the energy transition, in order to ensure that it enacted by the states it is important to facilitate implementation guidelines that are uniform Quite often, states complicate roll out of policy by independent interpretation & complicated implementation guidelines. In order to overcome these challenges, authorities at the state level must have a joint consensus to develop clear and effective process to ensure that the policies that the goals of those policies are achieved

HEAD OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT (GROWTH & PARTNERSHIPS), U SOLAR CLEAN ENERGY

India Utility Solar Challenges, Opportunities & the Road Ahead

DEEPAK NAYAK

GENERAL MANAGER & HEAD RENEWABLE (DOMESTIC), LARSEN & TOUBRO LIMITED

India’s energy demand is set to grow the most on the planet over the next 20 years. Increasing the share of renewables in its energy mix is imperative to move towards a low carbon economy With a cumulative installed capacity of around 57 GW, India currently ranks fifth globally in total installed solar power capacity The country has been witnessing a constant growth in annual solar installations driven by its lower levelized cost compared to fossil fuel based electricity To reach the 2030 target of 280 GW, India must add close to 26 GW annually starting from 2022

One of the near term challenges towards achieving the target is the dependence on China for module supplies which currently dominates 95% of the solar module supply chain The PLI scheme announced by the government to “China proof’ the sector generated an enthusiastic response with the industry players committing to the establishment of large scale manufacturing capacities Till such time these facilities don’t come online, the industry will continue its reliance on China due to the supply demand mismatch in the current domestic manufacturing capacity The uncertainty over the price of Chinese modules which witnessed a sharp increase over the last 18 months may plague the growth in yearly installations

Achieving self reliance in solar power production would be difficult in the absence of backward integration in the domestic solar value chain Insufficient domestic capacity for polysilicon and wafer production would render the manufacturers dependent on China again for the supply of these components for Cell and Module manufacturing Economies of scale benefits demand the establishment of polysilicon capacities in multi gigawatt proportions The higher capital and electricity costs in India make the establishment of such large facilities highly prohibitive. Government support in the form of subsidies towards these costs or a cross border collaboration for establishing facilities in benign countries having lower electricity and interest costs would go a long way in eliminating dependence on China

Scaling up annual installations requires a massive amount of workforce to undertake the various solar field activities at project sites Availability of skilled manpower has become increasingly difficult with the remote nature of solar projects further increasing the costs of such manpower Mechanization of repetitive and labor intensive activities such as structure installation, module mounting, cabling, etc will be noticeable in projects henceforth to resolve this twin conundrum of manpower

OPINION Land acquisition is another significant challenge for the development of utility solar projects Land ceiling acts in different states create hurdles in acquiring large tracts of contiguous land Multiple records and information about land in the non digitized form available with various departments further compound the difficulty Removal of land ceiling limits for public utility projects, digitization of land records, and updating these records on a real time basis will help speed up land acquisition procedures and make it easier to execute projects on time

Transitioning from the regular plain vanilla tenders to Hybrid, Peak-Power, and Round The Clock bids is the right directional approach for the times ahead.

With the current price levels for solar modules, installations based on trackers have seen a strong emergence Going forward the proportion of tracker based projects would remain high, entailing a robust supply chain and rise of competent players supporting this new trend Also, as integration of large scale solar capacities with intermittent output causes grid stability issues, a new set of opportunities will shape the focus of the industry Transitioning from the regular plain vanilla tenders to Hybrid, Peak Power, and Round The Clock bids is the right directional approach for the times ahead The success of the initial bids has ensured that such tenders shall be the next growth frontier

A collaborative approach amongst all stakeholders to tide over the challenges and appropriate regulatory interventions will unleash exponential growth of utility scale solar in India

PERSPECTIVE Launch Of National Rooftop Portal:

A Giant Leap Towards Attainment Of India's Rooftop Goal?

Prelude

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a national portal for Rooftop solar recently This portal will track online the process of installation of rooftop solar plants for individual households. The portal is a one stop destination for residential consumers to register, install or hire a vendor to install a rooftop solar power system This portal will track the entire process, making it convenient and transparent, and is likely to benefit more than 10 lakh households in the country The growth in the rooftop solar segment has been slower as compared to grid connected large scale solar power generation projects The government hopes to reach 1 million megawatts of solar energy by 2022, with 40,000 megawatts coming from rooftop solar power plants With the launch of this portal, India will surely move towards its rooftop target At the same time, customers will profit greatly from the increase in the use of renewable energy in the nation. Here is what our experts had to say about the rooftop portal. Read on…

NITHYANANDAM YUVARAJ DINESH BABU

EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR,STRATEGY& TRANSACTIONS,ERNST&YOUNG SERVICESPRIVATELIMITED

India’s rooftop solar journey has been a roller coaster and yet the achievement of app. 10 GW is a significant milestone given the host of challenges on all fronts and tough times the sector is going through even today Commercial and Industrial (C&I) sector’s significant share in the installed capacity (>75%) is a success story to share though limited by varying state policies and regulations At the same time, the uptake in the Government, Institutional and residential sectors is equally impressive, thanks to initiatives by the Central Government through MNRE Phase I and Phase II Grid Connected Rooftop Solar (RTS) Programs The recent launch of the National Rooftop Portal by our Hon’ble Prime Minister is potentially a game changer as it empowers the residential consumers to install rooftop solar systems of their choice on market mode and enables receipt of a transfer of direct benefits (capital grant) from MNRE

The MNRE Phase I Grid Connected Rooftop Solar Program seeded the popular concept of demand aggregation and sensitization of the Government Agencies to implement RTS projects via L1 tenders State Governments across the country have successfully deployed both the third party investment models and CAPEX model for RTS installation

The MNRE Phase II Grid Connected Rooftop Solar Program was launched with direct engagement with the DISCOMs for implementing RTS systems in the residential sector. Till June 2022, the 88 DISCOMs across the country were restricted to tendering RTS capacities for the residential sector based on sanction from MNRE through the L1 selection process Achievements from this DISCOM engagement on L1 mode alone have resulted in the installation of over 1 3 GW in the country with Gujarat leading with >1GW installed RTS capacity However this process had several limitations related to the time consumed for various pre and post tendering processes, the time gap between the first sanction and the second sanction period by MNRE, non standardized bids, unhealthy L1 price discovery, quality compromise by vendors, documentation non compliance delaying the release of subsidy to vendors, etc.,

To overcome the above lacuna, encourage vendors to supply RTS systems of consumers’ choice, and enable Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT), the National Portal for Rooftop Solar was designed and launched by MNRE The major features of NP RTS include direct registration (for RTS installation) by the consumer across the country, online sharing of such registrations to the respective DISCOMs, online calculator to estimate costs after subsidy, choice of DISCOM tender or self selection of the vendor for consumer, online processing of RTS applications by DISCOMs (through Unified Web Portals), an online dashboard for the consumer to track his/her application status, and release of subsidy directly to consumer account after complying MNRE’s requirements, access to key information about RTS, Vendors, etc ,) grievance redressal mechanism etc , MNRE has also announced a different benchmark and subsidy for consumers opting for NP RTS for implementing RTS systems

The NP RTS is set to define the open market mode engagement by the residential consumers and the initial response has been observed to be moderate Preparedness and readiness by DISCOMs to optimize the benefits for consumers from the NP RTS and vendors' engagement with DISCOMs to complete the MNRE mandatory empanelment are the two major critical factors of success DISCOMs with MNRE’s support are already gearing up in terms of launching massive consumer awareness and outreach activities which is the need of the hour On the digital side, integration of DISCOMs’ Unified Web Portal and NP RTS will further increase the transparency as regards approval processes NP RTS upon accomplishing these key aspects are all set to accelerate the deployment of RTS systems in the residential sector and contribute to the overall target of 280 GW of Solar by 2030

Rooftop solar is expected to play a major role in India’s 280 GW solar target for 2030 However, only 8 GW of the 40 GW target for 2022 has been achieved so far The residential sector accounts for less than 20% of this installed capacity, despite being offered incentives such as net metering and a 20% 40% capital subsidy.

In order to tackle the various issues pertaining to rooftop solar uptake in the residential sector, the honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the National Rooftop Portal in early August 2022 Using this portal, consumers can directly apply for a rooftop solar system by choosing any vendor registered with the local distribution company (DISCOM) The central portal is supposed to be aligned with the DISCOM portal, and applications are to be processed in a seamless manner Technical feasibility inspections and net metering installation will be conducted by DISCOM After installation and commissioning, the subsidy will be directly transferred to the consumer’s designated bank account.

While this process will remove many hurdles for the consumer, a supportive ecosystem is needed for accelerating residential rooftop solar adoption in the country The primary advantage of this portal is the disbursal of the subsidy in a timely manner However, there are concerns regarding the subsidy amount, which is calculated on the basis of benchmark costs determined by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) The post pandemic dynamics in the global markets have led to rising costs of every component associated with solar photovoltaic systems A majority of reliable developers now charge 20% 50% more per kW than the MNRE benchmark prices. This makes the investment parameters unviable for a prospective consumer dependent on the subsidy amount Of note, the MNRE is now in the process of revising the benchmark prices in alignment with global commodity rates This revision will lead to a more transparent subsidy calculation, thereby protecting the consumer’s business case against the risks of price inflation

Another crucial aspect of the portal is that it allows consumers to choose any vendor However, apart from a few states, there are only a few reputable vendors/EPCs in the 1 10 kW segment Moreover, vendors have to pay ~INR 2 lakh as registration fees to the relevant DISCOM in their coverage area of interest. Thus a vendor working in the NCR area will have to pay INR 2 lakhs each to the 4 5 DISCOMs serving the area This makes the system financially tedious for small developers with slim margins There is a need to uplift these smaller players through incentives Moreover, local city based associations can be formed instead of independent individual businesses, which will lead to higher demand aggregation numbers as well as lower procurement costs In particular, the Gujarat model can be replicated where more than 550 installers are registered with DISCOMs The registration fees can be based on geographical zones instead of per DISCOM Access to accurate data rooms for suitable rooftops in cities will further reduce acquisition costs Once the vendor ecosystem is stabilized in each state, consumers will have access to reliable and high quality products This will augment rooftop solar adoption and enhance business opportunities for smaller players

Another concern is that the subsidy applies only to modules included in the ‘Approved List of Models and Manufacturers Presently, this list contains very few modules above 350 Wp, while there are several Indian manufacturers with products above 500 Wp In India, rooftop space is already at a premium This constraint limits developers from optimally utilizing the available area and compelling them to design smaller systems As this list is being updated by the MNRE, larger modules should be included in the future

The last mile of grid interconnection and installation of net meters still lies with DISCOM Training of ground officials and linesmen is also imperative for the proliferation of rooftop solar in smaller cities and towns with development potential

PERSPECTIVE The aforementioned factors should be taken into account, and concerted efforts need to be made by central and state level stakeholders to ensure that the National Rooftop Portal achieves its intended objectives This will promote the growth of the residential rooftop solar sector in the long run

SENIOR POLICY SPECIALIST AND GROUP HEAD, ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY, CSTEP

SAPTAK GHOSH

Reliability lessons from China’s oldest Solar Plant can answer the Indian concerns about quality and performance

has some specific concerns when it comes to the reliability of the module when it comes to bigger size and heavier modules

Therefore it’s interesting to look into the lessons from China’s oldest solar panel installation that goes back to 39 years and still performing The Gansu Energy Institute, which owns the 39 year old power facility, was represented by Shimin Li who was part of the discussion According to Li, when the size of a high efficiency module increases, the area and weight of its aluminum frame will grow and mechanical strength will be significantly reduced Awareness of the risk of module deformation is vital, as the frequency of breakage of large modules needs to be addressed Product costs cannot be cut at the expense of quality, as the primary concern for a plant owner is its long term stability and guaranteed income. The importance of brand recognition should also not be underestimated, with well known brands tending to be more reliable

Monocrystalline silicon is itself very stable, but components such as ribbons, back sheets and aluminium frames must also be reliable to ensure the long term stability of power generation

In terms of the future development of the PV industry, LCOE is an essential factor in driving the technological upgrade of module products, with a power plant’s power generation capability during its lifespan a key consideration. A module must not only pass standard laboratory testing but also be able to withstand extreme weather conditions such as snow pressure, hail and hurricane As a result, module size should have some limitations, on the basis that a bigger module is not automatically a better module It is vital that bold assumptions are thoroughly checked and challenged to avoid excessive risk taking bringing about an endless number of concealed dangers

A successful power plant should combine high efficiency, safety and reliability Of these, reliability is the crucial aspect, since a plant is expected to operate continuously from the system end to the equipment end Module size design must also consider all aspects of the industrial chain, which is driven by demand rather than manufacturing The PV industry needs to place more emphasis on reliability Efficiency is the goal, safety is the foundation and reliability the guarantee All three are non negotiable

the priority LONGi s focus continues to be on reducing costs and increasing power, with the conversion efficiency of p type HJT and indium free HJT cells already increased to 25 47% and 25 40% respectively this year.

According to whole life cycle standards, LONGi products fully integrate the PV industry's upstream and downstream activities into their planning and design Modules are carefully selected, production is strictly monitored and after sales support is prioritised Only with such an approach can PV modules achieve a life cycle of 20 30 years and be fully resistant to adverse weather conditions

Specialists from universities and third party institutions have also expressed the view that the module is a crucial part of the PV industry chain, with its quality and safety a matter of the utmost priority The industry must pursue a long term strategy that is not merely a methodology, but also a value and, in certain respects, a belief Creating long term value is beneficial to everyone

For India, these lessons are really critical since we are now moving towards a maturing solar industry and it’s important that we learn from the countries that have seen solar energy installations going back three decades LONGi has been instrumental in bringing standardization in the industry by backing empirically proven 182 mm wafer size that address the concerns and risks associated with the large size modules and hence safeguarding developer’s concern and investment

HOT DIPPED GALVANIZED VS PRE-GALVANIZED: DEVELOPER’S PERSPECTIVE

Preface

Steel is the most common material used in almost all products i e , from households to Industrial application. Significant part of the economy is steel sector based; however, steel have one large disadvantage its high corrosion rate Hence protection of steel structures and components is of great economic importance In Indian subcontinents, the rate of corrosion is quite high considering hot and humid environmental conditions

Zinc is mostly used as an anti corrosion agent and being used from very early ages i e , from 200BC to obtain brass which is alloy of copper and zinc It has inherent natural capacity to protect steel against corrosion

In 1742, a chemist known as Melouin found that a zinc coating could be applied to iron by dipping it into molten zinc which indeed laid the foundation for galvanizing In 1780, an Italian physicist, Luigi Galvani, observed that the contact between two dissimilar metals resulted in the flow of an electrical current He worked in field of galvanization and on the name of this physicist, the process is named as Galvanization Subsequently in year 1836, a French civil engineer, inventor cum chemist, named as Stanislas Sorel patented a method of galvanization by cleaning steel and then coating it with zinc by dipping it into molten zinc This was the beginning of modern hot dip galvanizing.

cross section of the galvanized steel coating, showing a typical microstructure comprised of three alloy layers and a layer of pure metallic zinc

Benefits of Galvanization

Hot dip galvanizing has been in use over 100 years to protect steel corrosion worldwide; however, over the decades, many new material and process has been evolved Comparing all the use of hot dipped galvanization remained most trusted based on their superb performance and till date experience as user

In the HDG process, the base material is getting three level protection.

Zinc Layer Barrier Protection which protects steel by insulating direct contact with air and moisture Cathodic Protection where in zinc acts as anode and sacrifices itself protecting the steel from corrosion iZinc Patine where in zinc oxidizes and builds a protective layer over steel

In 1780, an Italian physicist, Luigi Galvani, observed that the contact between two dissimilar metals resulted in the flow of an electrical current. He worked in field of galvanization and on the name of this physicist, the process is named as Galvanization.

Formation of Zinc patina which itself acts as a protective layer for the active zinc metal

Reasons for opting Hot Dipped Galvanization over Pre-Galvanization from Developers perspective

Galvanization is the process of applying a protective zinc coating to steel or iron to prevent corrosion There may be various other ways of corrosion protection; however galvanized coating is one of the most durable forms of corrosion protection In an ideal condition i e , without any operation loads on the steel structure i.e., if the galvanized steel is kept, with average coating thickness of 85 microns, it will protect the base material for almost 100 years It means, the galvanization is very durable

Hot dipped galvanization is proven and well established method HDG members comes with guarantee of service life; however, Pre galvanized steel supplier do not provide performance guarantee beyond 5 to 10 years Scientific literature is present in case of HDG stating the year on year degradation of the coating in various corrosive environments, whereas no such data is available for Pre Gal material and the life of the asset is at risk beyond 10 years

Hot Dipped Galvanization is almost maintenance free Once it is done, there is no requirement of reapplication or recoating Hot dipped Galvanization is very much sustainable

In case of pre galvanized material, after some service life the pre galvanized material needs replacement and / or maintenance.

Indian solar developers are trying to increase the solar project life to 35 40 years instead of present standard of 25 years, and as most of the upcoming solar projects in India will be at C3 C4 corrosion zones, it is important to design the BOP systems for 40 50 years as well Galvanization is techno economically, cost effective solution when compared with grit blasted equivalent painting system PU or alike painting systems must be applied in multiple layers over grit blasted steel surfaces Usually painting scheme shall have 275 to 325micron thickness as per manufacturer prescription

However, this cost effectiveness is achievable in HDG only Corresponding thickness of galvanization compared to 325micron painting is 60 to 80 microns These 60 to 80 microns of galvanization thickness provide minimum 25 to 30 years of life expectancy under worst condition like corrosion condition greater than C4

Pre galvanized material does not provide the requisite thickness of galvanization and service life guarantee comparable with HDG and painting system

Hot Dipped Galvanizing ensures complete coverage over steel surface, irrespective of it’s shape, geometry As a process point of view, in case of hot dipped galvanization, once the structural member is completely fabricated including welding, punching, drilling, cutting etc all operation, it is immersed into molten zinc and kept for requisite time duration This ensures complete zinc coverage all over steel members

However, in case of pre galvanized steel members, this is not possible The steel members which are fabricated using pre galvanized are highly susceptible to corrosion In manufacturing process of the pre galvanized sheet (or similar products), a bare steel plate of thickness is passed galvanization process. As a result, zinc coating is applied (of 20/30micron) only on the exposed surfaces While fabricating the structural member to requisite shape and size it is subjected welding, punching, drilling, cutting i e , all activities involved in fabrication work exposes and damages the existing pre galvanized layer , so corrosion starts and life of the steel structure member comprises

Hot Dipped Galvanizations provide superior abrasion resistance In hot dip galvanization process, a zinc coating which is formed is firmly bonded metallurgically to the steel surface Due to its unique metallurgical bond, a galvanized coating is incredibly tough, offering exceptional performance for all kind of abrasion and shocks

An initial outer layer of galvanization provides reliability by acting as a buffer zone, helping to absorb any type of initial shock, impacts, abrasions etc to the galvanized coating and metal surface Also, the underlying zinc iron alloys is harder than steel itself and will further reduce any potential penetration of the coating or the exposure of bare steel This means that a galvanized coating is highly shock, wear, and tear resistant which particularly suited to areas of high frequency industrial application A Hot Dipped Galvanization coating can also help prevent damage during construction, transport erection and the other mechanical activities.

This type of protection is not possible in pre galvanized steel as the galvanized thickness is itself very thin compared to HDG

Hot Dipped Galvanized is fast activity. Once the steel members are fabricated, it simply required just few minutes of immersion time into molten zinc tank post cleaning of the members The molten zinc reaches to all exposed surfaces and do provide complete protection

However such all protection in such short time is not possible in case of pre galvanized material, as the punched, drilled, cut surfaces remains unprotected or it need special treatment in special case requirements

Typically, in Pre Galvanized material, the claimed 80 micron thickness of galvanization represents 40micron on inner face + 40 micron on outer face of steel; however, in Hot Dipped Galvanization 80 microns it is a coating thickness on each side

In Renewable Power sector, all the structures which are comprising of thin structural members and cost is worked out on basis of weight of the structural members; in such cases owner or project developer leverage benefit of steel weight from Hot Dipped Galvanized members, this tonnage benefit is not available in pre gal structures In Hot Dipped Galvanized process, the bond between steel and protective zinc coating is metallurgical bond This bond is very strong, in some cases, the strength of this interface layer i e zinc + steel is stronger than bare steel, hence it is possible to optimize the base material thickness

However, this advantage of weight reduction is not possible in pre galvanized or PosMAC like materials.

Points to Ponder

As India is accelerating towards its goal of 300 GW solar capacity by 2030 from 58 GW at present, do we need to change our engineering designs for making a long term & sustainable solution or should we continue focusing on the designs developed by Western countries for totally different environmental conditions.

Which all components should be innovated to increase the plant life to 50 years & beyond,

PAPER BY- Shankar Sengupta HEAD Energy Engineering Group, Adani Corporate House, Ahmedabad

Trina Solar’s bifacial 600W+ modules

Advantageous and reliable ultra high power bifacial dual glass modules are playing a significant role in boosting energy yields and thus creating greater value for end customers A virtual conference tilted Bifacial & Solar Trackers Boosting Solar Power Plant Yields was recently organized by Taiyang News, a disseminator of news related to the solar power industry As part of the conference, industry experts studied empirical data from field tests, showing higher energy produced by bifacial Vertex ultra high power modules in a different environment 20GW+ of Trina Solar’s bifacial dual glass modules have now been shipped.

Optimizing project design for best bifacial modules energy gain

Compared with mono facial modules, ultra high power bifacial modules generate higher power output, in that the total power generation comes from both the front and rear sides of the module, while the latter depends on the bifaciality and the irradiation that reaches the rear side of the panel Backside irradiation is affected by various factors, including environment, project design, ground surface condition In Trina’s empirical study, analyses were done of three main factors: albedo latitude, scattered light and the mounting height’s (elevation) contribution to the energy yield of bifacial modules. Higher albedo, higher latitude, more scattered lights and higher elevation would normally contribute to greater yield gain

In Yinchuan, China, bifacial Vertex modules tested by CPVT were installed on the sand at a medium latitude. The power generation of the 210 bifacial modules was more than 10.51% higher than that of the reference 210 mono facial modules per watt.

Bifacial 670W+ modules in Hainan, China, tested by TÜV Rheinland, were installed on the grass at a latitude close to tropical. The field data showed that the power generation of the 210 bifacial modules was about 6 1% higher than that of a reference 210 mono facial module per watt

In Cologne, Germany, the same modules tested by TÜV Rheinland were located on gravel. Due to higher latitude and higher scattered light and advantages in low irradiation, the power generation of the 210 bifacial Vertex module was more than 8 6% higher than that of the reference 210 mono facial module per watt

In Yinchuan, China, bifacial Vertex modules tested by CPVT were installed on the sand at a medium latitude The power generation of the 210 bifacial modules was more than 10 51% higher than that of the reference 210 mono facial modules per watt

The cases presented at the conference included three different types of ground: grass, gravel flat floor and sand They were conducted by third party institutes and demonstrated a higher energy yield of Trina Solar’s bifacial Vertex 600W+ modules

In addition to all these tests, Trina Solar has conducted other empirical studies, including on grass, sand, white substrate, cement, with results that show the bifacial module has realized considerable gains and significantly reduced energy costs

Superb bifacial modules’ value: lower LCOE

As a result of significantly higher energy gain and reliability, Trina Solar’s Vertex 210 bifacial modules contribute to lower LCOE At the recent conference, Trina Solar presented the results of a virtual 50MW project assessment in Spain (latitude: 37.25º N, longitude: 5.87º W, altitude: 60 m, GHI: 1850 3Kwh/m2, DiffHor:597Kwh/m2) showing that in a fixed tilt system bifacial modules can reduce LCOE by 1 93%, and in a tracker system 2 26%

Higher energy yield and lower LCOE prove bifacial modules’ great value Trina Solar has always been committed to creating greater value for its global customers through its unstinting efforts in technological and product innovation

Global experts give a big tick to Trina Solar’s bifacial 600W+ modules’ value, high reliability and remarkable energy gain performance

Bifacial 210 Vertex module boosts energy yield efficiently in various environments

210 bifacial module’s excellent reliability

Trina Solar’s 210 bifacial module demonstrates superior reliability in various ways

First, in the structure, the bifacial module requires replacing the standard solid back sheets with glass Double glass encapsulation provides additional protection to embed solar cells because of its excellent reliability and durability through a high resistance to five aging factors in nature: alkaline, acidic, high temperature, high humidity and UV

Moreover, superior reliability, including a longer product warranty (upgraded to 30 years), lower degradation (P PERC 2% the first year, 0 45% annually) and excellent bifaciality (P PERC: 70% ±5%, N type: 80% ±5%) also contribute to greater energy yield

The performance and reliability of Trina Solar’s 210 bifacial modules have also been endorsed by independent testing organizations such as RETC and PVEL Last month the company was recognized as an Overall High Achiever by RETC for its 670W series modules’ superior reliability, performance and quality Earlier, Trina Solar was named a Top Performer by PVEL for the eighth year in a row, highlighting Trina Solar’s commitment to excellent quality consistency, high reliability and outstanding safety of its modules.

Sungrow Power Supply Co Ltd ("Sungrow") is the world's most bankable inverter brand with over 269 GW installed worldwide as of June 2022. Founded in 1997 by University Professor Cao Renxian, Sungrow is a leader in the research and development of solar inverters, with the largest dedicated R&D team in the industry and a broad product portfolio offering PV inverter solutions and energy storage systems for utility scale, commercial, and residential applications, as well as internationally recognized floating PV plant solutions. With a strong 25 year track record in the PV space, Sungrow products power installations in over 150 countries

Sungrow has also a 10 GW manufacturing unit which is the largest in the PV Inverter segment here in India Sungrow India has now completed more than 14 GW shipments now in India. It has been supplying inverters from Indian factories to various markets including India, the Middle East and other overseas markets to cater to the demands Sungrow has also been contributing its technical expertise and suggestions for standardisation and testing protocols on various forums for the Indian market

Offering a wide range of solutions and services, Sungrow is committed to providing clean power for all and is steadfast in its efforts to become the global leader of clean power conversion technology After 16 years of growth, Sungrow is on the path to becoming the world leader in the supply of ESS equipment and integrated system solutions, with zero security incidents Last year, Sungrow shipped 3 GWh ESS worldwide, ranging from islands and high altitude plateaus to ports and residential installations

Learn more about Sungrow by visiting www sungrowpower com

Sungrow is committed to providing clean power for all and is steadfast in its efforts to become the global leader of clean power conversion technology.

Sungrow India has now completed more than 14 GW shipments now in India.

EVA SHEET: A Key Component of a Solar Module

A solar module is made up of many parts that safeguard or extend the life of the solar cells in addition to the solar cells themselves A basic module is made up of a glass sheet, a frame around the edges, and an EVA sheet over the solar cells Afterward, a tough and long lasting EVA sheet is used to cover the cells' lower side once more The back sheet completely encloses it

Moisture, oxygen and the environment can all damage solar cells A solar module’s EVA stops air and moisture from getting to the solar cells and deteriorating them The solar cells will deteriorate over time and stop producing electricity if they are not covered

What are EVA Films?

Ethylene vinyl acetate is a thermoplastic polymer with low photo degradability and high radiation transmission It is utilised in the photovoltaic (PV) sector as a crystalline silicon solar cell encapsulation material in the production of PV modules Solar EVA Film provides long lasting protection for solar panels with minimal performance degradation.

A rubbery material with a milky white color makes up a Solar EVA sheet It transforms into a clear protective layer when heated, sealing and insulating the solar cell The cells are laminated between films of EVA with the aid of a lamination machine in a vacuum that is compressed at temperatures of up to 150 C

Film Properties:

Conclusion

Despite some of the long term dependability issues we have raised, EVA has a long history of being the most used encapsulant material for PV modules This is due to the fact that it offers a cost effective solution that satisfies requirements for mechanical strength, weather resistance and stability set by the industry.

The present market trend demonstrates that the majority of businesses continue to employ EVA as their encapsulant material However, it is exciting to see that some companies have already started using POE and EMA as viable EVA alternatives in their solar modules

About us

PIXON one of the topmost solar EVA film manufacturers makes highly robust films for the long lasting and efficient performance of the solar modules PIXON has a 1 GW turnkey manufacturing capacity for EVA films With higher productivity and lower shrinkages, our EVA films ensure that the solar cells are protected and solar modules provide better performance even while facing the utmost harsh weather conditions EVA films are also preferred because of their ease of lamination

Durability Bonding

Quality EVA film is renowned for its outstanding endurance, even under challenging environmental conditions like high temperatures and high humidity

EVA film will have great adhesive adhesion to solar glass under the correct conditions (NOT standard glass, solar glass has a rough surface) EVA also adheres to the back sheet extremely effectively

Excellent transparency is a hallmark of EVA. This indicates that the optical transmission is satisfactory and does not significantly obstruct the sunlight trying to reach the solar cells These days, a number of Asian producers use a translucent backing, which results in transparency between the cells Semi transparent modules are this kind of module.

Deye Launched 50kW Hybrid Inverter

Deye launched a high voltage three phase hybrid inverter for light commercial applications As one of the major hybrid inverter suppliers Deye has been selling new products in Europe and South Africa The hybrid inverter has an efficiency of up to 97% The allowed battery voltage range of 160 800V

“The combination of the hybrid inverter with the battery is initially being launched in Europe and South Africa,” a company sale told PV magazine The product features Max 10 PCS parallel, used for unstable grid areas such as islands and South Africa

The hybrid three phase inverter, called SUN 25K/30K/40K/50K SG01HP3, is available in four versions, with nominal AC power output ranging from 25kW to 50Kw And SUN series three phase hybrid inverter has 2/3/4/4 MPPT routes for SUN 25K/30K/40K/50K SG01HP3 respectively The device’s Max Efficiency is 97.6% and European efficiency is 97%. This series inverter is specially designed with two independent battery connection terminal ports, which support different brand batteries at the same time

The product comes with four maximum power point tracking (MPPT) inputs while its MPPT voltage range is 150 850V Its PV input current is 36A (Per MPPT) It is equipped with IP65 protection, Fan cooling, RS485 ＆ CAN communication port, and in temperatures ranging from 40 degrees Celsius to 60 degrees Celsius It is compatible with lithium ion batteries and a battery voltage of 160 800V.

The device has a Rated DC Input Voltage of 600V, and Max DC Input Voltage of 1000V, and DC power between 32 5kW and 65kW It measures 527W*894H*294D, Weights 75kg, and features a 5 years performance guarantee The hybrid inverter system uses intelligent air cooling as a cooling system.

Referring to the Europe rooftop PV market Deye said that the proposed solution can help optimize self consumption by being compatible with a diesel generator and storing excess energy in the battery and performing as backup power, offering continuous power supply in case of a grid outage “In case of the device is compatible with a diesel generator, and can be equipped with Twenty sets of batteries at most The inverter can charge from the grid during off peak and discharging at peak can be profitable ” The R＆D engineer explained With The Smart Load ＆ AC Coupling features, the hybrid inverter can connect to the grid tie inverter, upgrading the system to be a microgrid It provides multiple energy resources for household loads, which avoids the wasting of energy generated by the original grid tie inverter

As a technology oriented company, Deye has always been committed to researching and developing new cutting edge technologies to provide efficient and reliable products For example, Deye adopts a T type three level topology and enhanced SVPWM algorithm to further improve the conversion efficiency by 0 7% compared with common SPWM With frequency droop control technology, the Deye string inverter is able to work with a diesel generator, which greatly expands the scope of the product application

The device has a Rated DC Input Voltage of 600V, and Max. DC Input Voltage of 1000V, and DC power between 32.5kW and 65kW. It measures 527W*894H*294D, Weights 75kg, and features a 5 years performance guarantee. The hybrid inverter system uses intelligent air cooling as a cooling system.

As a technology-oriented company, Deye has always been committed to researching and developing new cutting edge technologies to provide efficient and reliable products.

Waaree unveils highly efficient N-type TOPCon and HJT PV modules

Waaree Energies Limited (WEL) is India’s largest solar PV Company with 5GW of operational module manufacturing capacity WEL strives to provide high quality and cost effective energy solutions in the renewable sector Advanced technology adoption, design, strong process control, flexibility, recycling inception, accelerated performance and reliability testing are the important pillars which has helped Waaree to emerge as a technology leader, and a continuous performer (being rated as Tier 1 module manufacturer by Bloomberg NEF since past more than 20 quarters) and the largest PV module manufacturer in India Waaree is aiming to be self reliant by the year 2024 25

WEL is happy to announce that they are launching highly efficient and most advanced TOPCon N type PV modules in M10 and M12 configurations as well as HJT modules in M10 and M12 configurations in both Bifacial glass to glass and mono facial variants WEL will be the first Indian company to launch TOPCon N type and HJT PV modules and the modules will be showcased in SPI (Solar Power International) 2022 Anaheim, USA, and REI (Renewable Energy India Expo) 28th 30th Sept 2022, Greater Noida, India

Waaree’s R&D team and quality control team is constantly working for years to provide highly efficient, superior quality, reliable, and cost competitive products and services in the green energy domain

TOPCon (Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact) which is considered to be the next generation of solar cell technology consists of the additional tunnel oxide layer and doped poly Si layer for better passivation and improved performance

TOPCon N type solar cell based modules have certain advantages over conventional P type Mono PERC modules listed as under:

High efficiency and high wattage modules with better performance and reliability.

Lower temperature coefficient 0 3 to 0 31 %/°C as compared to Mono PERC modules 0 34 to 0 35 %/ °C thereby lower temperature losses and higher energy yield

Excellent anti PID performance

The lower first year degradation rate is around 1% as compared to 2% in p type Mono PERC modules.

Zero LID and lower LeTID losses due to phosphorous doping (no boron oxygen defects)

Lower year on year (YOY) degradation rate of 0 4% as compared to 0.55% for Mono PERC modules.

The HJT (Hetero Junction with Intrinsic thin layer) PV modules are made from HJT cells which consist of the n type wafer that utilizes both amorphous & crystalline silicon technology in their cell structure The n type monocrystalline silicon layer in the cell has better light absorption whereas the amorphous layers have superior passivation characteristics which enable high electron collection Key Features of HJT PV modules are listed as under:

No effect of PID, LID & LeTID

Best in class power output for given module size

Bifaciality factor of the module above > 90% realized

Lower power temperature coefficient ( 0 26 %/°C) of the module

MBB module Highly resistant to micro cracks

Higher reliability and lower degradation rates

Solis Takes No. 3 Position in Global Inverter Rankings

I A B L E , L O C A L

B A N K A B L E , R E L

June 2022. International authoritative research institution IHS Markit (part of S&P Global) announces the top 10 global solar inverter shipments for 2021 withGinlong (Solis) taking the No 3 position

According to the research, Solis not only leads the distributed inverter shipments in relevant regions around the world, but also for the first time ranks top 10 in the global shipments of utility power stations According to TF Securities, in the bidding of utility power stations of central/state owned enterprises in China,string inverters accounted for as much as 81% in 2021 Globally, string inverters accounted for more than 70% of utility scale projects 10% higher than 2020. The share of string inverters for utility scale projects globally has been as high as 80% 90% in Poland, Germany, Vietnam, Thailand and many more

String inverter technology has gradually narrowed the cost gap to centralized inverters, accelerating the penetration into the utility power station sector. Other factors such as its wider MPPT working voltage range, simpler maintenance, large scale power of a single inverter etc have also helped drive this growth

Ginlong (Solis) was the first publicly owned and stock listed company with a primary focus on solar string inverters During 2021, facing multiple challenges such as the spread of COVID 19, increasing supply chain costs and the shortage of IGBT's, the company maintained rapid development Operating revenue in 2021 reached 512 90 million USD, up 58 92% YoY and net profit increased to 73 36 million USD Q1 2022 sees growth of 48 96% v's the same period the previous year with sales exceeding 173 billion USD, a new record high!

Solis has increased its own manufacturing capacity to easily adapt to this growth and the shift towards energy storage products."

The move towards carbon neutrality is being super charged by the unprecedented increase in global energy prices 2022 is showing a continued upward trend in the demand for solar PV especially in the European market, where the forecasted installed capacity is constantly revised up The compound growth rate of installed capacity in Europe is expected to increase by more than 40% from 2022 to 2025.

The energy storage market is also gradually maturing, costs continue to decline and the growth of storage across all major sectors is beginning to show Solis has increased its own manufacturing capacity to easily adapt to this growth and the shift towards energy storage products The newly built automated and highly digitalized factory has a capacity of 40GW+

Solis is committed to a global vision built on product centered engineering, developing the global strategic pathway of "Ginlong" and "Solis" independent brands. As markets develop there will always be a focus on strengthening the localized sales network, technical support and after sales service The company's mission of "Developing technology to power the world with clean energy" underpins this

Trina Solar Passes 8GW Solar Module Shipment Milestone For India

Many commercial and industrial businesses in India have been installing solar, especially rooftop solar Businesses here have renewed impetus for this, as they are saving on their electricity bills Some parts of India have been experiencing power outages, especially during the heat wave Diesel powered generators were once a popular alternative but are now proving even more costly due to rising oil prices.

Turning to solar energy also helps companies to reduce their carbon footprint and is in line with India’s pledge to achieve a target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2070

Trina Solar’s Mathur says Trina Solar shipment volume in the first quarter of 2022 is at historic highs. Trina Solar’s cumulative shipments have achieved 8GW in India from consistent sales performance since the company was established in India in 2010

“We are positioned in India as a high quality brand of module known for its high standard of after sales service,” says Mathur “We have a strong customer relationship,” he says, adding that most of the sales and customer support team have been with Trina Solar for more than seven years

He says: “India is moving toward higher power, higher efficiency modules; the type of modules that Trina Solar is renowned for because of its reputation for technological innovation ”

“Our bestselling modules last year were the Vertex 540W and Vertex 550W modules We have now started selling our Vertex 670W module, which is proving very popular ” The Vertex 670W module, which has an efficiency of up to 21.6%, is among the highest power wattage offered in the market

Other market leading technologies incorporated into the module include 210mm solar cells, non destructive cutting, high density interconnection and multi busbar (MBB) A key benefit of the module’s design is low voltage, high string power

About Trina Solar

Founded in 1997 Trina Solar is the world leading PV and smart energy total solutions provider The company engages in PV products R&D, manufacture and sales; PV projects development, EPC, O&M; smart micro grid and multi energy complementary systems development and sales, as well as energy cloud platform operation 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 Centre 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 In June 2020, Trina Solar is listed on the STAR Market of the Shanghai Stock Exchange

Apart from this achievement in the India market, Trina Solar's module business also thrives as a whole Shipments of photovoltaic modules by Trina Solar totaled 18 05GW in the first half 2022, 72% more than in the corresponding period last year, making the company rank second worldwide in solar module shipments

Since it was founded 25 years ago, Trina has shipped over 100GW of modules, generating green power for customers in more than 100 countries and regions and is dedicated to building a carbon emissions free world

For more information, please visit www.trinasolar.com. For further information, please contact:

Mr. LIU Zhen, Regional Marketing Manager, Asia Pacific Region

com

Trina Solar has shipped more than 8GW of solar modules to India since 2010, supplying PV projects in all three segments residential, commercial and industrial and utility

“Solar modules for commercial and industrial (C&I) businesses accounted for 60% of Trina Solar’s shipments to India last year and in 2022’s first quarter, while about 40% of shipments were for utility scale projects,” says Gaurav Mathur, India director for Trina Solar

GoodWe Launches Upgraded Energy Storage Inverter ES G2 for the Residential Solar Market

GoodWe (Stock Code: 688390), a world leading PV inverter and energy storage solutions manufacturer, launched its powerful single phase, low voltage hybrid inverter ES G2 Series Taking changing demands of households into consideration, the inverter comes with improved features for the residential customer segment, such as optimized energy backup, peak shaving, and system flexibility

GoodWe emerged as an innovator in energy storage systems since the release of the ES series in 2014 which is still of the most popular hybrid inverters available. In response to the innovation of component technology and the constantly changing market demand, the upgraded ES G2 series aims to bring more returns and benefits to customers For homeowners looking to achieve a high degree of energy autonomy, uninterrupted power supply and affordable energy prices, the ES G2 is the right choice The modern design and smart home integration abilities help fulfill customer expectations

The ES G2 inverter, ranging from 3 to 6 kW, is a single phase hybrid inverter designed to increase the self consumption of the generated solar energy. Its smart design offers great flexibility for demanding scenarios as it supports peak shaving function and parallel operation for capacity expansion up to 30 kW Along with its capability to start/stop a connected diesel generator, ES G2 can ensure system redundancy and improved reliability Importantly, the inverter can automatically realize UPS level switching to the backup mode in less than 10ms.

ES G2 is compatible with a wide range of low voltage batteries such as GoodWe Lynx Home U battery The resulting system can therefore ensure a reliable power supply in regions or areas subject to frequent power outages.

With an integrated plug and play solution, compact design, and minimal weight, PV installations are quicker and easier to complete than ever before Moreover, ES G2 enhances operational safety with the remote shutdown, Type II SPD on the DC side integrated DC switch IP65 protection as well as optional arc fault circuit interruption (AFCI) on the DC side to provide all round protection for the inverter and even the whole PV system

“Across all regions, there is a strong demand for energy autonomy and affordable, clean power We are continuously developing our portfolio to fulfill these needs,” said Rong Shen, Vice President of GoodWe “ES G2 inverters are designed for families to get the most of their PV investment and to enjoy the benefits of generating green power from the sun.”

By launching the upgraded ES G2 inverter, GoodWe expands the company’s offering for low voltage PV applications Furthermore, as GoodWe is investing heavily in developing its one stop EcoSmart Home solution, ES G2 will definitely take a key position in making up an intelligent power ecosystem for homeowners With the expansion of its energy storage product portfolio, GoodWe is believed to continuously keep a strong foothold in the industry

GoodWe emerged as an innovator in energy storage systems since the release of the ES series in 2014 which is still of the most popular hybrid inverters available.

About GoodWe

GoodWe is a world leading PV inverter and energy storage solutions manufacturer and is listed as a public limited company on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (Stock Code: 688390)

With an accumulative delivery of more than two million inverters and installation of 35GW in more than 100 countries and regions, GoodWe solar inverters have been used in residential and commercial rooftops, industrial and utility scale systems and range from 0 7kW to 250kW GoodWe has more than 3600 employees situated in over 20 different countries and is regarded as the Global No 1 storage inverter by Wood Mackenzie in 2020 For more information please visit goodwe.com.

PROJECT

FIMER provides its high technology solar inverters to a recently commissioned 1MW hybrid BESS system coupled with 1MW Solar for the Indian Army in Leh Ladakh This prestigious project was inaugurated by Shri Rajnath Singh, Honourable Defence Minister, Govt of India on Aug 16th, 2022

With the aim of powering a military base camp for sustainable reasons, the project came with its own challenges for its stringent environmental conditions at the project location It is to be noted that the project located at Siachen Base camp, Partapur is 12000ft above sea level

The plant features FIMER PVS980 1MW central inverter and a PVS980 BC 2MW energy storage inverter The project was executed through Refex Group company

Like other FIMER central inverters, the PVS980 58 has been developed on the basis of decades of experience in the industry and proven technology platforms Unrivaled expertise from the world’s market and technology leader in frequency converters is the hallmark of this solar inverter series The PVS980 58 inverter is one of the most efficient and cost effective ways of converting the direct current (DC) generated by solar modules into high quality and CO2 free alternating current (AC) that can be fed into the power distribution network

PVS980-58 central inverters from FIMER

PVS980 58 central inverters are ideal for large PV power plants The high DC input voltage, high efficiency, proven components, compact and modular design and a host of life cycle services ensure FIMER PVS980 58 central inverters provide a rapid return on investment

Highlights

Patented, self contained cooling system with high efficiency

High total performance

Outstanding endurance for outdoor use

Compact, modular product design

High DC input voltage up to 1500 VDC

Extensive DC and AC side protection

Versatile design for large scale PV plants to minimize system costs

Complete range of industrial data communication options, including remote monitoring

Life cycle service and support through FIMER’s extensive global service network of solar inverters

FIMER bidirectional converter PVS980 58BC is aimed at large scale grid connected energy storage applications The converters are available from 1454 kVA up to 2300 kVA PVS980 58BC bidirectional converter is based on the world’s leading converter platform used also in FIMER solar inverters ensuring high performance, reliability and availability of global service support

The plant features FIMER PVS980 1MW central inverter and a PVS980-BC 2MW energy storage inverter.

FEATURE

WHITE PAPER ON EMPIRICAL COMPARISON OF THE ENERGY YIELD PERFORMANCE OF "LONGi M10 Modules" and " Ultra-large current Modules"

With the increase in the number of modules being launched in the higher watt peaks segment of 600 Wp+ and even higher, its important that we assess the empirical evidence and test them on reliability which is really critical for ensuring the long term performance of the solar systems. Bigger is not always better and therefore it’s critical that we base our judgement on on ground data from plants

Below is the white paper, on the Emprical comparison of the energy yield and reliability of the modules in China, where they were tested on strict guidelines and criteria.

Background and Overview

The long term developing direction of PV module technology is to improve efficiency and reduce internal losses High internal losses in the module will reduce power and efficiency on the one hand, and on the other hand will lead to higher operating temperature, affecting the energy yield performance Therefore, in recent years, the industry has widely used half cut and multi grids technology to reduce the current, striving to avoid internal heat losses The application of these technologies makes it feasible to moderately increase the size of the wafer, but the pursuit of ultra large current is not the right developing direction of PV evolution

According to both literature reports and empirical evidence of energy yield of LONGi's module at the China National Electric Apparatus Research Institute's Hainan base, half cut modules usually have a energy yield advantage over high current whole cell modules1 And the higher the irradiance and ambient temperature are the more obvious the energy yield advantage will be. Ultra large current modules with G12 wafers have a short circuit current of 18A or even more on the front side, which is expected to have a similar phenomenon in energy yield performance compared to mainstream products JA was the first to compare the energy yield performance of M10 (which is based on 182mm wafers) modules with ultra large current modules (both are bifacial modules) at CPVT's Yinchuan empirical base, with preliminary results displayed in the "Joint White Paper on 182 Module Products "2 and subsequent reports showing M10 modules have energy yield gains of 1 9%3 over ultra large current modules (February,2021 to August,2021) LONGi has also conducted empirical researches in Xi'an and Taizhou, and the recently obtained data can be confirmed with the above mentioned studies: M10 modules usually outperform ultra large current modules in terms of energy yield performance, and the higher the irradiance is, the more obvious the advantage will be

Empirical results of Xi'an Zhongsen Power Plant

The empirical power plant is located on the rooftop of Zhongsen Company in Xi'an Economic Development Zone (34 4 °N, 108 9 °E)

The empirical work is carried out by a third party, Zhongsen Company, relying on its testing platform, using one of LONGi M10 bifacial modules (Hi MO 5) and one of ultra large current bifacial modules The modules are connected to micro inverters to achieve MPPT tracking and meters to accurately measure the power generated on the DC side The modules were exposed to the sun for a week tested for initial power before starting the empirical test

T

The plant has been in operation since November 17, 2021, and as of the end of February 2022, the average power output of LONGi M10 modules is 2 9% higher than that of ultra large current modules As shown in the graph below, the M10 module has a significant advantage on days with high irradiance whlie the ultra large current module has a slight advantage on cloudy days with poor irradiance Due to the long PV cables in this empirical project, excluding the less than 2% difference in line loss, the M10 module generates about 1% more power per watt than the ultra large current modules

Figure 1 Xi'an Empirical Power Plant

Figure 2 Comparison of energy yield performance between M10 modules and ultra large current modules in Xi'an empirical power plant

Empirical results of Xi'an Taizhou Power Plant

This empirical power plant is located at the base of LONGi Taizhou Product R&D Center (32 5 °N, 120 0 °E), which uses string inverters to compare the energy yield performance of LONGi M10 modules and ultra large current modules, with four pieces of each bifacial modules and grass on the ground. The Taizhou empirical power plant also uses meters to collect energy yield data on the DC side, which excludes the influence of cable line loss to facilitate the detailed study of the energy yield capacity of the modules

This empirical power plant is located at the base of LONGi Taizhou Product R&D Center (32 5 °N, 120 0 °E), which uses string inverters to compare the energy yield performance of LONGi M10 modules and ultra large current modules, with four pieces of each bifacial modules and grass on the ground The Taizhou empirical power plant also uses meters to collect energy yield data on the DC side, which excludes the influence of cable line loss to facilitate the detailed study of the energy yield capacity of the modules

In order to further investigate the performance of the two modules under each irradiance value, we did a comparative analysis of the single day power curves of each module in Taizhou Figure 5 shows the data of different time in a day from March 1 2 3 and 5 2022 (showing 9:00 to 15:00, with 1 minute intervals) Ultra large current modules outperform M10 modules in the morning when irradiance is low; while when the irradiance reaches 600 700W/m2, the energy yield of both modules is comparable, but the energy yield advantage of M10 modules increases significantly with further increase of irradiance The energy yield gain of the M10 modules is about 1% when the irradiance is 800W/m2 and about 2% when the irradiance is 900W/m2 While in the afternoon, the threshold irradiance value is around 500W/m2 of M10 modules that are comparable to the energy yield capacity of ultra large current modules due to higher temperatures Considering that the irradiance level of these 10 days in Figure 4 is better than the annual average, and the temperature level is slightly lower than it, the estimated power gain of M10 modules in Taizhou power plant is slightly less than 0 96% for the whole year

Conclusion

Combining the empirical results of LONGi in Xi'an and Taizhou with JA and CPVT in Yinchuan, as well as the comparison of former M2 half cut modules and whole cell modules, it can be established that the lower internal losses enable M10 modules to have a clear energy yield performance advantage over ultra large current modules under normal circumstances, which increases with richer light resources in project ground It is expected that in regions with ordinary light resources, the energy yield advantage of M10 modules over ultra large current modules is about 0 5~1%; while in regions with rich light resources, the average daily energy yield of bifacial modules can reach up to 5 5 6kWh/kWp, and the power gain of M10 modules over ultra large current modules can be 2% or even more

The empirical results of M10 modules energy yield confirm the assertion in the white paper of ‘LONGi＆JA＆ Jinko’: M10 modules are the product that can achieve the lowest cost of electricity after considering the manufacturing situation of the whole industry chain, BOS cost of power station, module energy yield performance and module's life cycle reliability

References

(Advancements in the development of "AtaMo": a solar module adapted for the climate conditions of the Atacama Desert in Chile)

https://www researchgate net/publication/282876109 Advancements in the development of AtaM o a solar module adapted for the climate conditions of the Atacama Desert in Chile

(White Paper on 182mm wafer based module: Optimal Module Solution for Achieving Lower LCOE at Utility Scale Photovoltaic Power Stations)

https://www pv tech org/industry updates/white paper on 182mm wafer based module%ef%bc%9a optimal module solution for achieving lower lcoe at utility scale photovoltaic power stations/? msclkid=8f31f7c0aa7b11ecb08f09227a9bab3f

(Data from energy yield testing held by JA Solar and TÜV Nord demonstrates excellent energy yield performance of DeepBlue 3 0 modules)

https://www pv tech org/industry updates/data from energy yield testing held by ja solar and tuv nord demonstrates excellent power yield performance of deepblue 3 0 modules/

Figure 3 Taizhou Empirical Power Plant

Figure 4. Comparison of energy yield performance between M10 modules and ultra large current modules in Taizhou empirical power plant

Figure 5 Comparison of single day energy yield curves of M10 modules and ultra large current modules in Taizhou empirical power plant

Growatt ranked first globally for residential inverter shipments two years in a row

According to the estimates of IHS Markit (now part of S&P Global), Growatt was ranked the No.1 residential inverter supplier globally in 2021, consolidating its market leading position for a second consecutive year The company owes the achievement to its wide variety of product portfolios of high quality and reliability as well as its extensive global network and top notch user services

“At Growatt, we provide intelligent and reliable PV solutions for residential system owners to reduce their electricity bills and reduce their carbon footprint More than 2 8 million families globally are now enjoying sustainable energy through our products and solutions,” commented Lisa Zhang, the company’s vice president of marketing. Growatt’s residential offerings are in compliance with grid regulations and requirements of various markets, including single phase inverters with power capacity ranging from 750W to 11 4kW and three phase inverters from 3kW to 15kW

In particular, the company’s XH Series battery ready inverters have become increasingly popular among households who look to upgrade rooftop solar plants to energy storage systems in the future “Our residential inverter comes in a sleek and compact design, and it is easy to install and commission In addition, it’s got enhanced safety features including AFCI function, giving customers peace of mind,” Zhang added.

The company owes the achievement to its wide variety of product portfolios of high quality and reliability as well as its extensive global network and top-notch user services."

To date, Growatt inverters have been installed in over 150 countries and regions and approximately 1.4 million end users have connected the PV systems to the company’s cloud platform the online smart service (OSS) system “Our OSS system enables installers, integrators and distributors to manage and maintain solar plants remotely and intelligently for improved service efficiency,” Zhang explained

Moreover, the company has established 34 representative offices worldwide to deliver more efficient and convenient services “At Growatt, our team works relentlessly to enable everyone to benefit from sustainable energy and transition to a greener lifestyle And we believe together with our partners worldwide we can make a difference,” Zhang concluded

Kehua Tech Lights Up the Glory Night in São Paulo

São Paulo, Brazil, August 23, 2022 / Kehua Tech, a world leading intelligent renewable energy solution provider, has achieved bright performance in Brazil market in the past two years On August 23rd, the first day of Intersolar South America 2022, more than 100 guests from the renewable energy industry in Brazil gathered at the Kehua Glory Night dinner party

Connor Lee, Regional Manager of Kehua Tech, presented five awards for Kehua Tech's Great Partner and one award for Kehua Tech's Great Media Partner in Brazil.

“I am very honorable to be awarded as Kehua Tech's Great Partner From the beginning we worked together to today's trusted partnership, Kehua has impressed me with its reliable quality and local service ” Said from a close partner of Kehua Tech in Brazil.

Canal Solar received the award on Kehua Tech's Great Media Partner “Kehua's performance in the Brazil market in recent years has been remarkable We can feel its potential in this land ” Said from Mr. Bruno Kikumoto, Senior Director of Canal Solar.

During the party, guests had the opportunity to socialize over dinner, where they immersed themselves into the atmosphere and thoroughly enjoyed themselves, captivating performances, interactive games, ending off on a high note with Kehua Glory night.

To implement a rapid and long term growth plan in Brazil market, Kehua Tech has many actions in Brazil this year, including the launch of SPI8 40K B X2 series inverters and all in one iStoragE series residential ESS, the participation in Intersolar South America 2022 show and the growing of Kehua Brazil service team

“Kehua Tech has an efficient supply chain with an annual capacity of 40GW and an agile service response system with a local service team in Brazil ” Said Jon Zhang, Marketing Manager of Kehua Tech, “Deeply ploughing the foundation in this locality becomes our response to customer growth and shows our ambition to a long term prosperity here ”

“From R&D, production, marketing and after sales service, Kehua Tech has invested a great deal of attention and efforts in Brazil market. We will surely bring the best quality products and services to Brazilian customers ” Said Connor Lee

With 34 years of experience for renewable energy, Kehua Tech began to implement the concept of PV + ESS for the Future For now, Kehua Tech has received the TOP 10 solar inverter brands used in term loan financed projects from Bloomberg and No 5 world storage inverter supplier from IHS Markit

Having full scenario application cases in Brazil Kehua is demonstrating its commitment t to create green energy with R world enjoy a zero carbon life sa

Kehua Tech, a world leading intelligent renewable energy solution provider, has achieved bright performance in Brazil market in the past two years. On August 23rd, the first day of Intersolar South America 2022, more than 100 guests from the renewable energy industry in Brazil gathered at the Kehua Glory Night dinner party."

Arctech Inaugurates the First Manufacturing Base Dedicated to Solar Tracker in India to Bring Solar Tracker Prices Down

Arctech, the world's leading tracking, racking, and BIPV solutions provider, announced its first joint venture manufacturing base, Jash Energy’s inauguration in Mundra, India The manufacturing base with a 3 GW annual capacity is the first manufacturing base dedicated to solar trackers in the country, allowing producing all major components for its solar tracker products

Located over 16 acres in Mundra, Gujarat, the new factory is modeled after Arctech's existing Chinese manufacturing base in both the automatic production line and world class manufacturing management system.

Strategically located in Mundra, the largest private port in India, Jash Energy will have easy access to Western, Middle East, and African markets Mundra also provides an ideal base for traders due to its relatively short logistics connectivity to the northwestern hinterland It is easily accessible from all major industrial destinations in Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh for the export of cargo, the company stated

Arctech has added more than 200 jobs to the local community by setting up this factory It also plans technical training for local employees As for raw materials availability, the company is planning to go deeper in vertically integrated production, including using local steel for trackers that are made in India It plans to work with domestic steel manufacturing partners to develop solar trackers.

The company is well acclaimed for its signature solar tracker with the patented torque tube design and the multi point drive mechanism Hence the manufacturing base is particularly facilitated by the industrial advanced automatic production line for Arctech's patented torque tube allowing for better performance in solar trackers' stiffness

Shail Shah, Director of Jash Energy; Gail Chen, General Manager of East Asia and India at Arctech, Director and CEO of Jash Energy; John Yu General Manager of Jash Energy in charge of production and Gino Sebastian, Operations Director at Arctech joined the inauguration ceremony

Gail Chen, CEO of Arctech’s joint venture manufacturing base in India, says the company is committed to bringing solar tracker prices down for customers and enabling a lower cost of electricity in the country

“Arctech always sees India as our second home base after China We started our operations in India in 2015 and have shipped 3.5 GW since then,” said Chen “In years 2017 and 2018, the market was very quiet for trackers, but we made a grand comeback in 2019 by signing a 1 7 GW order in India The increasing use of bifacial modules and decline in the prices of modules made more sense to use trackers now ”

“By having this local production plant, we can guarantee a shorter delivery timeline, quicker response to needs, and most of all, a more competitive pricing strategy. We believe the JV factory will bring more benefits to our customers,” said Chen

Shail Shah, the director of Jash Energy, said pandemic disruptions have been a key challenge

“As a result, the costs of steel, cement, and other materials drastically increased Hence, completing the project on time and without cost overrun was the biggest challenge that we faced I am glad we finally overcome it with the set up of the JV factory,” said Shah

The company also celebrated its historical shipment momentum in the region reaching 3 5GW recently According to Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables, Arctech holds the No 1 position for solar trackers in India in 2020 and a 45% market share in 2021

Arctech always sees India as our second home base after China. We started our operations in India in 2015 and have shipped 3.5 GW since then,” said Chen.

Tsingshan group, a Fortune global 500 company and the largest Stainless Steel Producer, is the No 1 in Nickel Production and No 4 in Nickel Ore Resources having 55 7 billion USD in Revenue Last year.

Tsingshan Group controls the complete production chain including nickel chromium alloy smelting, battery material production, battery cell manufacturing, battery pack and supply of energy storage systems and has an on grid inverter range of 1 25 KW currently The move into renewable Energy is a natural progression for the Tsingshan group and represents a significant economic growth point beyond the production of stainless steel with Foxess

Foxess was established in 2019, but it is not new in the market with experienced management, R & D and sales The company is well aware of the market and its needs and is constantly working towards that The company focuses on providing Advanced Distributed Energy, ESS products, Smart Energy Management solutions, and On grid solar inverters to households and C & I

Foxess factory is located in Wenzhou and spread over an area of 110000 sqmeters having a current capacity of 11 GW

Foxess is planning to launch its range of up to 150 kW by the end of the year and around the mid-next year with a range of up to 300 kW of string inverter.

In India currently, Foxess is supplying its Grid Tie Solar inverter Range 1 25 KW Its unique star fin heatsink design feature is very much appreciated by technology experts in the industry and because of that, it gives more cooling to the inverter

Foxess also deals in ESS with a range of 3 6 kW single phase and 5 12 kW three phase, lithium battery pack and battery cells, EV charger which make the company one of the great choices for any solar technology company.

The company is planning to launch its range of up to 150 kW by the end of the year and around the mid next year with a range of up to 300 kW of string inverter

FOXESS focuses on providing Advanced Distributed Energy, ESS products, Smart Energy Management solutions, and On-grid solar inverters to households and C & I.

FEATURE

The Indian Government is working toward its vision of becoming one of the largest solar energy producers & component manufacturers by 2030. In the Union Budget 2022 23 the government allocated Rs 19,500 crores (US$ 2 57 billion) for a PLI scheme to boost the manufacturing of high efficiency solar modules/ solar cells etc; a strong indicator that India is targeting solar power as a primary source of energy

Today India has a module manufacturing capacity of approx 20GW and to achieve the target of 280 GW by 2030 they need to work towards 27GW+ per year Many companies are moving in this direction by increasing their solar power generating capacities while another important segment solar module manufacturing is also expanding its capacity in a big way.

Today, we have Insolation Energy Ltd, one of the leading Companies which manufacture high efficiency solar modules and have an aspiration to grow from current levels Insolation Energy Limited is a Jaipur based company engaged in manufacturing high efficiency modules of various sizes catering to multiple applications from KW to MW scales The management is focused on the government's “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” initiative and is taking the required steps to achieve the same

The Company commenced its production with a 60 MW capacity in 2017 which gradually increased to 200 MW in 2021 Today solar panels contribute 90% of its total revenues while the remaining 10% is contributed by trading in other solar power components as well as contract manufacturing for other big players The company is expanding its capacity from 200 MW to 700 MW by adding 500 MW through a subsidiary company by FY23 backed by strong and rising demand for solar panels

The company is growing and would need funds for its rising working capital requirements. In view of achieving the 2030 vision, the company management has decided to enter into the primary market with the launch of its IPO to raise funds to the tune of Rs 22 crore The Company reported revenues of Rs 215 32 crore and a net profit of Rs 6 92 crore for FY22 As an established player, the company would like to take the first mover advantage by entering the primary equity market. The entry at the right time in the primary market will enable it to enhance its valuation as a BSE SME listed company

Insolation Energy Ltd. commenced its production with a 60 MW capacity in 2017. The company is adding another 500 MW line to its current capacity of 200 MW so as to have 700 MW capacity by the end of this year.

ILIOS a High Strength Light Weight Solar Module Mounting Solution ®

PRODUCT FEATURE ®

Weaving Perfect Synergy for Solar Energy

Highlights

ILIOS® from Tata BlueScope Steel offers solar module mounting solutions for ground mount and rooftop applications ILIOS® comes with Zn Al/Zn alloy coated high strength structural steel that ensures corrosion resistance and longer life ILIOS® Solar Module mounting structures are available through established LYSAGHT® network Tata BlueScope Steel launched its indigenous brand ILIOS® a Solar Module Mounting Solution to cater, to the increasing demand of the renewable energy sector in India With ILIOS®, Tata BlueScope Steel has addressed the demands for quality products under its flagship brand, for both roof and ground mounting solutions

ILIOS® offers a wide variety/ option of structural section range; making it suitable for every requirement. These customized mounting structures are manufactured from cold rolled Zn Al/Zn coated steel with high corrosion resistance, weight optimization and quick installation The high strength steel ensures better load bearing capacity and longer spans

ILIOS® is one step forward in consolidating Tata BlueScope Steel offerings for the solar segment under a single Brand These specialized solutions enable an integrated approach, in terms of design detailing, engineering support, installation and material supply So far ILIOS® has been associated with major projects across India, amounting to 1 4+ GW capacity To fulfill the challenging needs of the industry, Tata BlueScope Steel’s R&D team of experts has constantly strived in improvising the product offerings with Innovation and Quality at its core

A team of design engineers helps in optimizing the weight of the mounting structures, thereby reducing the overall cost of the structure and in turn the cost of the Project

ILIOS® is available pan India through manufacturing facilities at four different locations This enables an on time delivery with faster project completion

The solar segment is poised for exponential growth in the near future It is essential for us to provide optimised and high quality solutions for bridging the demand supply gap With ILIOS®, Tata BlueScope Steel aims to offer customised solutions suitable for every customer’s requirement.”

ILIOS is available pan India through manufacturing facilities at four different locations. This enables an on-time delivery with faster project completion."

About LYSAGHT®

LYSAGHT® by Tata BlueScope Steel manufactures and markets roll formed roof and wall cladding profiles and caters to the ongoing demands of the B2B industry For over 150 years the brand has been providing high quality cladding solutions, structural products and accessories to the industrial, infrastructure and commercial segments the world over Additionally, it has also established itself as an expert in re roofing and retrofitting jobs With expertise in construction & engineering, so far and has given cladding solutions to more than 30 million square meters in the span of over 10 years LYSAGHT® Engineering and Construction services are well known for implementing world class safety practices for all its sites, globally

About Tata BlueScope Steel Pvt. Ltd

Tata BlueScope Steel is an equal joint venture between Tata Steel and BlueScope Steel in the field of coated steel, steel building solutions and related building products The Company operates in the Asia Pacific region Tata BlueScope Steel maintains high standards in Safety, Health and Environment and has been certified by SGS, for ISO 9001, ISO 14001 & ISO 45001 certifications. Tata BlueScope Steel’s core values are Safety, Trust, Human Dignity and Excellence The company consistently works towards “Creating Your New World in Steel

PRODUCT FEATURE

Waaree’s Advanced Bifacial M12 MBB Glass to Glass and Glass to Transparent Backsheet modules

Waaree Energies Ltd is a Tier 1 Indian solar PV module manufacturer rated Tier 1 consistently for past 28 Quarters by Bloomberg and has India's largest Solar PV module manufacturing plants in Gujarat, India with operational PV module manufacturing capacity of 5 GW and EXPANDING to 9 GW by December 2022 Waaree Energies is amongst the top players in India in Solar Panel Manufacturing, EPC Services, Project Development, Rooftop Solutions, Solar Water Pumps and also an Independent Power Producer Waaree has its presence in over 400+ locations nationally and 68 countries internationally Waaree’s different Vertices include Premium Solar PV Modules, Flexible PV modules, Solar Inverters, Li ion Batteries and Energy Storage Systems, Water Pumps, PV plants EPC solutions for ground mount, rooftop and floating PV installations, detailed engineering solutions and O&M solutions WAAREE Energies Ltd Is going to add one more vertical to their solar value chain with upcoming 4 GW PV Cell Manufacturing Unit

Waaree believes in constant research and development to improve the quality of the products and services offered with completely automated state of the art manufacturing facility and the first and only manufacturer with NABL accredited

extended performance and reliability testing facility compatible for testing latest M12 modules with 40+ global certifications and various 3rd party audits. Our highly efficient modules can be widely used in utility scale ground mount, commercial, and floating as well as rooftop installations Waaree’s current offerings include highly efficient M10 and M12 Bifacial and Mono facial modules

Waaree’s AHNAY series Glass to Glass and Glass to Transparent backsheet 580 600 Wp and 645 660 Wp M12 210 mm cell size based MBB Bifacial PV modules offer highest reliability, enhanced crack tolerance, high energy yields, lowest temperature coefficient of 0 34 %/⁰C, low resistive losses, PID resistant, certified with advanced mechanical load testing and durability testing in extreme climatic conditions

Mono PERC (Passivated Emitter and Rear Contact) technology based bi facial module enhances the photon absorption coefficient thereby enhanced efficiency and reduced losses M12 module has highest reliability utilizing 12 busbar half cut solar cells for an optimum PV module performance, split junction boxes enabling module to perform efficiently during partial shadow conditions and improving heat dissipation with lower probability of hotspots, thereby increasing module lifetime and ensuring module reliability. Tempered glass with ARC coating and low iron content ensure excellent performance in different light conditions and also reduces the albedo effect Our highly efficient panels carry 30 years of performance warranty period and 12 years of product warranty and can withstand snow loads up to 5400 Pa and wind load up to 2400 Pa Extended module lifecycle testing results are obtained satisfactory and well within limits meeting international benchmarking test results of top module manufacturers globally

Waaree’s different Vertices include Premium Solar PV Modules, Flexible PV modules, Solar Inverters, Li ion Batteries and Energy Storage Systems, Water Pumps, PV plants EPC solutions for ground mount, rooftop and floating PV installations, detailed engineering solutions and O&M solutions.

THE COOK STOVE STORY

A community upliftment program by EKI Energy Services Ltd. (EKI)

Today, 3 billion people globally continue to still use polluting biomass fuels for their everyday cooking People use inefficient traditional mud or three stone fire cookstoves, which consume a lot of polluting biomass fuels resulting in occupational lung diseases and even deaths There are over 4 million deaths per year from lung diseases due to smoke emissions, 12% of these are infants

In addition, villagers living in remote locations need to walk endless kilometers every day just to bring back a pile of wood to make a family meal They tread afar and often to unsafe zones like forest covers or across deep rivers which come with added risks of animal attacks, safety, water current in rivers, etc amongst others

Traditional mud cook stoves are only 8 10% efficient 30 35% of firewood is wasted resulting in fuel loss due to partial combustion of wood

EKI’s Green Cooking initiative

EKI Energy Services Ltd (EKI) a climate expert with a deep focus on community development and upliftment understood this need gap early on and decided to find a solution. The company launched the Green Cooking initiative in 2018 under its sustainable initiatives with an aim to provide improved cook stoves (ICS) absolutely free of cost to economically weaker households globally empowering their kitchens with a cleaner, healthier, safer and efficient cooking solution

The improved cook stoves help reduce the emission of greenhouse gases with the reduction in the use of carbon intensive fuel firewood The efficient stoves also enhance the economic well being of villagers as they save on cooking time and recurring fuel expenditure which can now be used for essentials like education, increased food options or even income generation

Each improved cook stove provided by EKI is 30% more efficient than traditional mud/three stone fire cook stoves and helps prevent up to 4000kg of CO2 emissions per year Additionally, it enables a 45 55% reduction in the consumption of firewood as fuel, enabling villagers to save the precious time spent on collecting firewood They can now also save on cooking time given the increased time as well as fuel efficient qualities of the cook stoves

The green cooking initiative also aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN with its added benefits of reduction of deforestation, reduction of environmental pollution, biodiversity conservation, health benefits to villagers and generation of employment

Backward integration of carbon credit supply chain

The green cooking initiative enables the generation of carbon credit as each cook stove helps mitigate carbon emissions while also reducing the wastage of firewood Every household using an improved cook stove reduces their smoke emissions by up to 30% to 40% reducing the health risk of every member in the household especially that of the person cooking food

Early this year, EKI also established an associate GHG Reductions Technologies Pvt Ltd for strengthening the backward integration of the carbon credit supply chain and for the end to end management of the green cooking initiative starting from manufacturing to the distribution of the improved cook stoves In April of this year, the associate commenced operations of its 27000 sq feet state of the art plant in Nashik, Maharashtra, with a plan to scale its manufacturing capacity to 3 million cookstoves per year and as of date, it has achieved this scale within a short span of time.

Climate Action through cook stoves

As the improved cook stoves reduce emission levels, they significantly contribute to making the planet greener even as homes in rural villages are empowered with a safer kitchen Since its launch, EKI has helped over 1,50,000 homes to transition to efficient cooking EKI’s improved cook stoves have reduced carbon emissions significantly with lesser smoke levels and offset them through the carbon credits generated thereof The emission reduction/offset continues to increase every day as the manufacturing of the cook stoves commences in full swing and in the next 5 years EKI will have reduced 10 million tonnes of emissions from the atmosphere

This will only pick pace from here as the company continues to increasingly drive its focus to stride the planet to a future that is greener and healthier. The green cooking initiative is a strategic project in this direction, through which, EKI has also provided employment opportunities to over 1000 people (directly & indirectly)

How predictive analytics is driving solar plants' profitability?

How fast can you track that your solar system is underperforming? Can you tell the root cause of the underperformance instantly? Imagine if somehow we are able to detect the smallest of deviations and plan accordingly to act, before the system goes down, this would be amazing This is predictive analytics! If you can cut short your losses at 0 05%, why follow a system where 1% loss is forgiven for climatic uncertainty? And all of this, when O&M costs are rising, PPA costs are shrinking and pressure of profitability is surmounting

Performance issues are grabbing investors' attention

Multiple O&M problems like surfacing of installation issues, wiring problems, equipment efficiency drops, supply chain issues, rising prices of steel, aluminum and copper etc are driving solar developers and O&M providers towards advanced asset performance management (APM) solutions Over the past few years, the importance of O&M has also penetrated the financial sector and investors have started to demand confidence that their investment would be safe for the long term This has further enabled fast development and deployment of advanced APM solutions.

How SmartHelio's predictive analytics is driving down O&M expenses?

Cleaning being a big chunk of day to day O&M expenses, we have built a dynamic cleaning scheduler which provides cleaning schedules upto string level These schedules could easily be used as inputs for cleaning robots Our data driven cleaning schedules have been able to bring down cleaning costs by 20% Credit for such advanced cost reduction techniques goes to the introduction of digital twin models for solar plant, deep tech pattern recognition and signal processing

Digital twin models take into account the physical parameters of the plant and site specific measurements which helps build an ideal performance benchmark, detect and predict anomalies in real time With our solution, we have been successfully able to predict IGBT issues in inverters, fuses blowing in string combiners, aggravation of panel level issues using our IoT sensors and many more The uniqueness of our digital twin models is that it is built using the knowledge of physics behind various faults On top of our near accurate benchmarking, pattern recognition and signal processing techniques are the backbone for anomalies detection in our solution These models are built with 10+ years of R&D and have been validated with our global clientele.

Real time fault detection for largest Spanish IPP

How SmartHelio envisions automation in asset management?

Automation ensures faster delivery and cost optimization The solar industry has adopted automation in manufacturing, cleaning, site surveys and more SmartHelio is working towardsits vision of a fully automated asset management solution including automation of O&M activities

Keeping asset managers and O&M teams at the center, SmartHelio has developed a real time predictive analytics solution which diagnoses & predicts faults, raises tickets with detailed action plans and tracks important business KPIs like O&M cost savings and increase in revenue due to proactive

maintenance interventions Our team coming from the best R&D institutes in Europe such as Fraunhofer, EPFL, ETH Zurich etc are the brains behind this disruptive technology

Is SmartHelio solution tailored to the Indian solar industry problems?

India, being a tropical country, has its own set of challenges in maintaining solar assets due to the weather conditions After doing a comprehensive study on various use cases coming directly from leading Indian solar developers, we built a grid tied test facility in New Delhi where we conduct experimental research on the factors leading to performance issues Our experienced team of data scientists, having expertise in solar PV systems,

introducevariousfaultsinthesystem to test and validate our algorithms in detecting and predicting anomalies, and accurately identifying the root causeofthefault(s)

This year, at the REI Expo, we will be showcasing our real time predictive analytics solution and we are inviting solar companies to visit our test facility in New Delhi We want our partners to experience how we have developed our solution and how it can drive automation in their day to dayactivitiesformaximumO&Mcost savings

Your Trustworthy Supplier, for a Sustainable Investment.

Following up with this success and trust received from the customers and the stakeholders of the company with the Product manufacturing and supply, Contendre further spreads its wings and initiates its journey of being one of India’s most Premium Integrated Clean Energy Solutions companies

Contendre Solar with its fresh and unique customer centric approach and its quality product line has been able to make itself quite visible amongst the industry giants present in the country, within its small two and a half year lifespan With the Company’s Year on Year growth rate of about more than 1000% and with its customer base multiplying immensely, its presence spread all across the country and even internationally has made Contendre one of the fastest growing Solar PV brands in the country And recognizing the same Contendre Greenergy Pvt Ltd has been awarded various accolades for its growth and performance from both the Govt as well as Private Sectors

Two of the recent achievements are the ‘ZED Bronze Certificate’ And the second one is ‘Rising Star MSME Company"

Two of the recent achievements are the ‘ZED Bronze Certificate’ from the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Govt of India for producing Zero Defect Quality products and for minimizing our carbon footprint and contributing towards the cause of Zero Effect to our Environment; And the second one is ‘Rising Star MSME Company for Solar Module Manufacturing’ at East India Annual Solar Awards 2022 for being one of the fastest growing Module Manufacturing Company in the country

Following up with this success and trust received from the customers and the stakeholders of the company with Product manufacturing and supply, Contendre further spreads its wings and initiates its journey of being one of India’s most Premium Integrated Clean Energy Solutions companies Contendre already being an established and trusted manufacturer of PV technology with a global footprint and market access, it expects to lead the solar industry with the integrated service approach making them one of the most trustworthy partners to the investors, installers and end consumers likewise

Contendre with its vertically integrated business approach will offer services across a full spectrum of Photovoltaics starting from Product Manufacturing, Technical Consultation, EPC to health optimisation and O&M of the Plant With this professional integration, Contendre not only tends to expand itself but also links the existing integrators in the industry with them in a more sophisticated way, to provide the end consumers with the best quality and most efficient solutions possible. Contendre cares the most about its customers be it the integrators or the end consumers and is passionate about meeting their needs and creating an ecosystem where each and every stakeholder could peacefully co exist Contendre strives to apply its state of the art technology to shape a new era in the energy industry, benefiting each consumer and the world in which we live

Through their growing global business network, they will be able to provide unparalleled solar products and services in the utility, government, industrial, commercial as well as residential markets

Saatvik Green Energy Pvt Ltd is expanding across regional borders becoming the most preferred solar module manufacturing company in India delivering premium quality products The company has grown enormously in volume sales across the country in a shorter period of time after its inception According to recent statistics from multiple research firms, the company has established a spectacular standard and positioned itself among the top three module makers in India Leading marquee projects across the country are accomplished using Saatvik modules such as Ramagundam floating Solar project, and GSECL Raghanseda Ultra mega solar park project are a few to name

With a proven track record of delivering modules for landmark projects executed by leading government installation authorities like BHEL, NTPC, GSECL, and others, Saatvik has provided quality solar modules on defined timelines Backend by a team of experts Saatvik has always delivered the valued after sales support to its customer ensuring that the installation of Saatvik modules at sites is done as per the prominent standards.

Saatvik ensures that premium quality products with higher conversion efficiency are delivered at consumer sites and maintains that standard modules undergo a variety of quality checks before they are shipped to the installation sites. With excellent durability and reliability customers, delivered Saatvik becomes one of the fastest growing brands in India in the Solar industry

In a recent statement made by Mr Prashant Mathur (C E O Saatvik Green Energy Pvt Ltd ) stated that the year 2022 was more demanding and gratifying as the company explored new prospects and established market milestones, achieving significant commercial growth in terms of PV module volume supplied In the recent conversion, he also stated that Saatvik modules Polycrystalline, Mono Perc, and Bifacial modules which have recently been approved under the ALMM category by the Ministry of New Renewable Energy will undoubtedly increase Saatvik modules demand in the market In addition to this, he also stated that now the company is focused on expanding its business arms in international markets Saatvik has also added a new business vertical where the company will focus on Engineering, Procurement, and Commissioning of projects across the country.

Saatvik will shortly begin construction on a Greenfield project in Gujarat Gandhidham where it will establish a manufacturing plant employing worldwide technology with a production capacity of 2 5GW/year According to the expansion plan, the company has already expanded its manufacturing capacity in Ambala (Haryana) by establishing an additional 500 MW production line, bringing the total capacity to 1 5GW/annum

Saatvik Green Energy Pvt. Ltd. is expanding across regional borders becoming the most preferred solar module manufacturing company in India delivering premium quality products.

Saatvik rises exponentially across business verticals and plans to expand at the global level.

14 years of EKI’s journey to rehabilitate the planet

EKI Energy Services Ltd (EKI), popularly known as EnKing International in the climate sector globally, is a leader in the world of carbon credits

The company completed 14 years of its inception this year. EKI is now a 14 year old global climate expert with global market leadership and expertise and now the company is also 14 years young with a greater journey ahead for newer milestones

The company was established in 2008 with a vision to make the planet greener and build a safer tomorrow and in this quest, it has enabled thousands to become climate conscious Deeply passionate about climate as well community development, EKI has been instrumental in numerous green projects that enable GHG mitigation as well as upliftment of the community at large

EKI was incepted at a time when global carbon markets were still in a nascent stage The company brought in a disruption in the market by placing climate action on a pedestal not just within India but also globally as we worked with customers across the world

The passion to green the planet and steer it towards a net zero future has been the backbone of brand EKI The company has been successful in placing itself in a position to grow with each climate accord and agreement and has been able to continuously develop platforms, technology and relations

A global service provider in the realm of climate action, EKI enables businesses across all sectors with strategic plans to reduce their carbon footprint and achieve their climate ambition(s) The company offers an exhaustive bouquet of end to end sustainable solutions for climate change and carbon offsets Its offerings include consultancy and advisory services for carbon asset management and renewable energy certifications & attributes The company also specialises in driving community based projects like green cooking for efficient cookstoves in rural homes and nature inspired solutions (NbS) for climate action

With 3000+ customers across 40+ countries, EKI champions carbon offset solutions and is today a leading developer and supplier of carbon credits in the world The company was listed on the BSE (SME segment) in April 2021, becoming the first carbon credits company globally to be listed on any stock exchange EKI witnessed one of the most successful IPOs of the year and has since continued strong growth momentum.

From an organisation that started with a team of 5 people, the brand has grown into a global team of 250+ professionals across 16+ countries including Dubai, Switzerland, South Africa, Vietnam, Canada, Turkey, Thailand, Mexico, and South Korea, amongst others.

EKI is a market leader with differentiated offerings and a one stop destination for all things related to carbon markets and corporate ESG EKI recently started manufacturing low cost emission reduction devices like energy efficient cook stoves via a group company, taking the benefits of low carbon development to communities at large

This year, EKI also charted a new brand journey with a commitment to become net zero by the year 2030 in addition to defining a target to mobilize up to 1 billion credits within the next 5 years (by 2027). As part of this renewed vision, the company also embraced a new brand identity that brings together the sky, nature and oceans to Steer the Planet to a net zero future

The passion to green the planet and steer it towards a net zero future has been the backbone of brand EKI.

PIXON envisions globally providing efficient solar energy products and solutions.

About PIXON

The company is equipped with a state of the art turnkey manufacturing facility of 400 MW capacity and houses a cleanroom environment facility to a 1GW manufacturing line for EVA film The company is backed by the strong financial background of its parent company the Marwadi Shares & Finance Limited. The blend of a young team, under the guidance of experienced players, makes PIXON versatile for creative operations and futuristic innovations PIXON envisions globally providing efficient solar energy products and solutions Thus, contributing and enhancing Global Climate Sustainability.

Mission

To contribute and enhance Global Climate Sustainability, by promoting and providing solar energy solutions

To promote the transition towards solar energy and thus reduce carbon footprint globally, fostering the betterment of our Earth’s ecosystem

To constantly improvise and explore new technologies and their economical deployment to harness solar energy

Vision

To be a global leader in Solar Industry by providing efficient Solar Energy Solutions

Our Values

Advanced Manufacturing System

Automation: Manufacturing facility of 400 MW along with minimal human interference

Computation: Very well equipped data analysis for forwarding integration and Reverse engineering tracking

Artificial Intelligence: Advanced MES that provides production, quality and stringent quality control systems

Quality and Integrity Consistency

Transparency

PIXON’s industrial entity is well spread and equipped with smart tech to enhance processes and security

Accountability

The industry is spread over 65,000 sq m of land

Fully automated Machinery with minimum human intervention

In house Raw Material Production for quality control

In house skilled R&D team.

Spacious warehousing stacking 20+ MW of modules & raw materials

Smart warehousing ready for delivery & dispatch

AUG SEP ISSUE 2022 | PG 82| INDIA INFRASTRUCTURE HIGHLIGHTS

Purshotam Profiles Pvt Ltd has been a torchbearer in the renewable energy sector in India The company, established in 2013, specializes in developing and manufacturing Solar Module Mounting structures and pipes We are India's largest solar products manufacturer and we also offer optimized solutions for Floating solar designing related to solar structures We are currently leaders in the RE INDUSTRY with about 70 percent of the Indian market share

Purshotam Profiles’ manufacturing capacity for Module Mounting Structures currently stands to over 25,000 (Million Ton) MT per month, whereas for tubing, it is at a whopping 7200 MT per month Our company is a registered/recognized vendor for many reputed Solar EPC players/ developers that supply Solar Module Mounting Structures, Tracker Structures, cable trays, and walkways

The company led by Mr Sachin Aggarwal, as its Managing Director of Purshotam Profiles Pvt Ltd, has driven the company’s growth in the last decade keeping core values at the center We currently have a dozen of state of the art manufacturing units at strategic locations all across India With a total capacity of nearly 25,000 MT each month, each of our manufacturing units is equipped with high speed and completely automated (with online and offline punching) roll forming lines

In the year 2021 22, Purshotam Profiles completed a milestone 8 2 GW of solar projects despite of various challenges such as Steel Price fluctuation,Covid and other various issues with the company’s manufacturing capacity stood at around 1,89,011 87 MT The total turnover of the company rose to Rs 2000 crores Now has come a long way from 2.9 GW capacity in 2018 to 23.2 GW in 2021 22.

With the ability and specialization of keeping stock of raw material ZAM, Galvalume & HR, with well equipped infrastructure and Poka yoke Mechanism, which removes the manual dependency on the quality check, our company has maintained market standards, timely delivery of products and solutions as well as our clients happy Recently, we successfully completed a 250W Tracker Project in India and abroad as well

Our company has won many accolades and awards over the years, like Module Mounting Structure Company Of The Year by Suryacon for Maharashtra, and State Market Leader Award Module Mounting Structures For Rajasthan by SolarQuarter in 2018

Purshotam Profiles also won Renewable Energy India Awards 2018 as the Leading RE Manufacturer in the Component Manufacturer category 2018 and many more

With 12 state of the art manufacturing facilities spread across India, our company continues to serve as a one stop shop in providing comprehensive solutions for different kinds of solar module mounting structures in India Our perseverance and intelligent capacity creation have made us the leading manufacturer of Solar Module Mounting structures in the country

"Purshotam Profiles had the honour of working with big names such as AvAada, ADANI, NTPC, Tata Power Solar WAAREE ACME,Scorpious Tracker,Hero future ReNeW, AZURE POWER , to name a few."

Purshotam Profiles' has come a long way from 2.9 GW capacity in 2018 to 23.2 GW in 2021-22.

Volga Solar Solutions is management, operations and maintenance service provider.

Volga Solar Solutions Private Limited was founded in 2018 by a passionate team of professionals who bring in years of experience in solar. Volga Solar Solutions is independent solar asset management, operations and maintenance service provider Our head office is based out of Hyderabad, Telangana We currently offer our series of services across India and are expanding our operations across APAC and EMEA

Volga Solar Solutions provides a range of solar asset management, operations, and maintenance services Our key offerings include

Administration: Billing & Collections, Warranty Administration, Insurance Management, Financial Reports, Tax prep & compliance

Monitor & Report: 24/7 Alert Response, Monthly production reports, Web based portal access, Email alerts, multiple levels of monitoring, component monitoring, security

Maintenance: Preventive maintenance, corrective maintenance, Predictive maintenance Extraordinary maintenance Module Cleaning, Vegetation management, damage reduction

Advanced Tools: Robotic Cleaning, Water Reclamation, Thermal imaging, IV Curve trace, Aerial Drones

Troubleshoot, Repair & E Waste Management: Repair inverter components, Tracker drive re calibration, In field electrical service, System removal & replacement, Dedicated NOC staffed 24/7, Solar E Waste management, revamping and repowering

We offer our services with a commitment to plant performance and plant uptime and follow our in house and clients' QSHE procedures As a result, we have maintained a safe working environment with zero accidents since the company's inception

Volga Solar Solutions offering best in class solar O&M services at the best prices."

We have adopted a futarchy organisational structure, and this has been helping us deliver our commitments to our clients in an effective manner This adoption has helped us keep our overall plant uptime above 99% while we parallelly strive to improve our plant performance

Our plant performance monitoring system is helping us in delivering information generated throughout O&M to our clients through our technical reporting process

Our total operations capacity is around 150MWp We want to take this opportunity to thank our esteemed clients who have trusted us and offered us a chance to deliver our services Our clients Include Mytrah Energy, Larsen & Toubro, Amplus Solar, and Solarig

We are currently expanding our team We are focused on growing our portfolio We are offering best in class solar O&M services at the best prices Feel free to contact me to know more about our services, and my email id is karthik g@volgasolar co in

Volga Solar Solutions is open to collaborating with robotics companies that specialise in vegetation management, module cleaning systems, IoT, and also PV Monitoring Imagery Data fusion startups

Green Hydrogen as a clean fuel:

A potential to be unleashed?

In the recent COP26 conference, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented India's vision for net zero by 2070 He also set aggressive near term targets like 500 GW of renewables capability, 50% of the requirements met with renewables, 1 billion tonne reductions in cumulative emissions by 2030 and a 45 percent lower emission intensity of a gross domestic product by 2030 Much action will be required to fulfill these pledges Apart from the adoption of renewable power and vehicle electrification adoption, India is prioritizing green hydrogen as a potential solution to decarbonize hard to abate sectors such as refinery, ammonia, methanol, iron and steel and heavy duty trucking In tune with the several ongoing initiatives for decarbonization, recently Prime Minister Modi announced the National Hydrogen Mission Subsequently, the Ministry of Power (MoP) approved the “Green Hydrogen Policy” Adoption of green hydrogen can enable India to abate 3 6 gigatonnes of CO2 emissions between 2022 and 2050, which can be a significant contributor to India’s nationally determined contribution (NDC) targets by 2030

Green Hydrogen Policy

Green Hydrogen / Green Ammonia shall be defined as Hydrogen / Ammonia produced by way of electrolysis of water using Renewable Energy; including Renewable Energy which has been banked and Hydrogen/Ammonia produced from biomass

The waiver of inter state transmission charges shall be granted for a period of 25 years to the producer of Green Hydrogen and Green Ammonia from the projects commissioned before 30th June 2025

Green Hydrogen / Green Ammonia can be manufactured by a developer by using Renewable Energy from a co located Renewable Energy plant, or sourced from a remotely located Renewable Energy plant, whether set up by the same developer, or a third party or procured renewable energy from the Power Exchange. Green Hydrogen/Green Ammonia plants will be granted Open Access for sourcing of Renewable Energy within 15 days of receipt of application complete in all respects The Open Access charges shall be in accordance with the Rules as laid down

Banking shall be permitted for a period of 30 days for Renewable Energy used for making Green Hydrogen / Green Ammonia

The charges for banking shall be as fixed by the State Commission which shall not be more than the cost differential between the average tariff of renewable energy bought by the distribution licensee during the previous year and the average market clearing price (MCP) in the Day Ahead Market (DAM) during the month in which the Renewable Energy has been banked

Connectivity, at the generation end and the Green Hydrogen / Green Ammonia manufacturing end to the ISTS for Renewable Energy capacity set up for the purpose of manufacturing Green Hydrogen / Green Ammonia shall be granted on priority under the Electricity (Transmission system planning, development and recovery of Inter State Transmission charges) Rules 2021

Land in Renewable Energy Parks can be allotted for the manufacture of Green Hydrogen / Green Ammonia

The Government of India proposes to set up Manufacturing Zones Green Hydrogen / Green Ammonia production plant can be set up in any of the Manufacturing Zones.

Manufacturers of Green Hydrogen / Green Ammonia shall be allowed to set up bunkers near Ports for storage of Green Ammonia for export/use by shipping The land for storage purposes shall be provided by the respective Port Authorities at applicable charges.

Renewable Energy consumed for the production of Green Hydrogen / Green Ammonia shall count towards RPO compliance of the consuming entity The renewable energy consumed beyond the obligation of the producer shall count towards RPO compliance of the DISCOM in whose area the project is located

Distribution licensees may also procure and supply Renewable Energy to the manufacturers of Green Hydrogen / Green Ammonia in their States In such cases, the Distribution licensee shall only charge the cost of procurement as well as the wheeling charges and a small margin as determined by the State Commission

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) will establish a single portal for all statutory clearances and permissions required for the manufacture, transportation, storage and distribution of Green Hydrogen / Green Ammonia. The concerned agencies/authorities will be requested to provide the clearances and permissions in a time bound manner, preferably within a period of 30 days from the date of application

In order to achieve competitive prices, MNRE may aggregate demand from different sectors and have consolidated bids conducted for procurement of Green Hydrogen/Green Ammonia through any of the designated implementing agencies

Fundamental & Types of Hydrogen

Hydrogen has higher specific energy than other hydrocarbon fuels like methanol, ammonia, gasoline, diesel, etc Hydrogen's volumetric energy density, however, is the lowest Thus pressurization or liquefaction is required for hydrogen to be useful as a fuel.

Types of Hydrogen

Black / Brown / Grey hydrogen is produced by coal or lignite gasification (black or brown), or via a process called steam methane reformation (SMR) of natural gas or methane (grey)

Blue Hydrogen is produced via natural gas or coal gasification combined with carbon capture storage (CCS) or carbon capture use (CCU) technologies to reduce carbon emissions

Green Hydrogen is produced using electrolysis of water with electricity generated by renewable energy.

The electrolyzer technology is a key component of green hydrogen production Today, there are two options for green hydrogen production: Alkaline and polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzers.

End Usages Of Hydrogen

AsFuel: Transport > Maritime Road Aviation Trains

Power:Flexibility Seasonal Storage Peaking Plants Power backup

AsFeedstock: Fertilizers, Plastics, Fuel Refining, Steel, Metallurgy

AsHeat: Cement, Steel, Paper, Aluminium

Clean hydrogen is currently enjoying unprecedented momentum, especially in India, whether it's about the policy initiatives and support from the Government of India or the enormous scale in which plans have been kickstarted by the Indian industry for the production of hydrogen, creating electrolyzer manufacturing capacity, etc However, we have a long way to go in getting the mature and most appropriate technology for producing Green Hydrogen Clean hydrogen is synonymous with green hydrogen and that’s the challenge because there are a wide variety of fuels available to produce hydrogen such as oil and gas, coal, etc. which are fossil fuel based and are far cheaper to produce from

Now is the time to scale up technologies and promote the production of green hydrogen at the least cost possible The policy initiatives unleashed by the Government of India have set a phase for the industry to take advantage of this increasing momentum. National Hydrogen Mission aims to aid the government in meeting its climate targets and making India a green hydrogen hub However, the challenges that are lying ahead are enormous given that currently the entire hydrogen production comes from coal and natural gas, and producing green hydrogen at affordable costs is one of the greatest challenges. Once we overcome these costs aspects, green hydrogen can be widely used in a variety of industries mostly fertilizers, steel and oil refining, etc Green hydrogen is easy to produce, store, move and use in different ways

India is marching ahead above all other countries in its commitments to reduce carbon emissions and shall be a role model in the near future to demonstrate to the world that hydrogen is the energy of the future and is the best way to achieve net zero and make this world a better place for future generations to come

In the quest towards finding solutions for optimizing the production of green hydrogen at an affordable scale and cost, renewables will play an important role, especially in today’s scenario where average levelized costs of solar and wind energy have significantly dropped This enables cost reduction in green hydrogen production through electrolysis given that 55 to 60 % of the overall costs are that of the input power to run the Electrolysers themselves Storage of energy had always been a challenge and we all grew up with the myth that energy cannot be stored This notion has reversed completely with mature technologies like Pumped Storage Hydropower Energy storage and Battery Energy Storage systems taking precedence and can store anywhere between 2 to 10 hours. Hydro batteries are natural batteries that are truly sustainable in the long run given their life of 50 to 60 years

Hydrogen is one of the best options to store energy from renewables such as solar and wind and also mitigates the challenges of variability in the grid, the demand mismatch that solar and wind bring can be stabilized with the storage solution offered by hydrogen Hydrogen from renewables is the most climate friendly and sustainable option for tackling the energy challenges of the future Nevertheless, it comes with a lot of challenges, especially on the cost of production, adopting appropriate technology, carbon capture, reduction strategies, etc The industry along with the support of the Government of India has been devising ways and means to boost this “new gold called hydrogen” as a path towards sustainable clean hydrogen

As such to conclude, India needs to concentrate on supporting R&D to reduce costs, enable an investment environment and help the industry to produce cheap hydrogen and share the risks and rewards, eliminate regulatory barriers promote fuel cell vehicles as an option for the future. All these measures will go a long way in realizing the dreams of making India a hydrogen producing leader and also help achieve the much needed climate change goals as committed internationally

PURVA JAIN

ENERGY ANALYST, IEEFA

With its massive renewable energy potential and declining renewable energy tariffs, India has a strong foundation for positioning itself as a leader in the green hydrogen market India’s green hydrogen policy announced earlier this year is a step in that direction

The policy has accorded priority status to hydrogen for input electricity, waivers in transmission charges and banking time, ease of land allocation, and single window clearance for all statutory requirements This would set the stage for increased investments in green hydrogen to meet the 5MT per annum by 2030 target set by the government

Green hydrogen could become India’s energy turning point Supported by the ambitious 2030 renewable energy targets, green hydrogen can enable energy security and aid in India’s decarbonization journey

Produced by splitting hydrogen from water using renewable energy, green hydrogen is the only form of hydrogen produced in a carbon neutral manner while retaining the zero emissions benefit It can be the solution to the long standing problems of clean energy storage and decarbonization of hard to abate sectors, shipping, and aviation It can also find utility in transportation and power generation.

Hydrogen demand, for now, is limited to fertilizers, refining, and other industrial uses where the supply is being completely met by fossil fuels based hydrogen According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), this results in 900 million tonnes (MT) of carbon dioxide emissions per year to meet the 90MT demand.

The demand for hydrogen is expected to reach 500 680MT by 2050, which presents an excellent opportunity to unleash the potential of green h

The biggest challenge this target could face is ensuring hydrogen's commercial viability costs need to come down from US$5 per kilogram to US$1/kg Indigenously manufacturing electrolyzers, achieving economies of scale for hydrogen plants, and investing in research and development are some ways to address that challenge.

Further, the high natural gas prices, a key input in grey hydrogen production, have lowered the competitiveness of fossil fuel based hydrogen by reducing the cost difference between grey and green hydrogen According to KPMG, grey hydrogen costs Rs160 200/kg if the natural gas input costs US$10 13/MMBtu (Metric Million British Thermal Unit). Thus for every dollar increase in natural gas price, grey hydrogen costs rise by approximately Rs15/kg Grey hydrogen produced only using imported gas, whose rates were around US$57/MMBtu in August 2022, would cost Rs855/kg This is much higher than green hydrogen, which costs around Rs330/kg

This is an opportune time for India to invest in green hydrogen Low cost financing, investing in R&D, and developing a robust supply chain can pivot India to be a global leader in green hydrogen production Countries like Japan, which do not have sufficient resources to produce green hydrogen but a strong commitment to leapfrog to a hydrogen based economy, present an important export market and investment partnership potential. The proposed US$2 5 billion plan to be announced later this month could set the ball rolling for India’s giant leap towards the most efficient energy carrier hydrogen

GM, NHPC LTD

Policy Debrief

Obligation

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2027

2028

2029

081

26

61

27.08 33.01

Implication of ESO in the Indian Power Sector

The gov of India has a target of total 500 GW generation capacity from non fossil fuel sources by 2030, including 450GW of wind and solar PV, and has already 150GW RE installed capacity In the case of renewable resources, intermittency is a critical drawback, preventing firm round the clock power supply from stand alone solar and wind power plants This intermittency was not a big concern when RE power injection into the national grid was low in volume However, with 150GW RE power capacity already online into the grid and at least 400GW additional RE installations targeted by the end of the decade, the impact of the RE integration with the grid needs to be addressed Thus, as the grid becomes greener with increasing volumes of RE, RTC power with energy storage becomes more critical to ensure that the grid is balanced and intermittency of REsources does not affect the real time grid operation

Apart from the RPO target through solar wind hydro and other Renewable Energy (RE) Sources, the Ministry of Power (MoP) also added the maiden energy storage obligation (ESO) in the form of the percentage of the total energy that can be consumed from solar and wind projects with storage capacity The ESO will be fulfilled only when at least 85% of energy procured and stored on an annual basis comes from REsources The ESO should be set at 1% in the FY 2023

and gradually rise to

by FY 2029

2023

Recent Trend In RTC or Renewable Hybrid Project In India

In view of the large scale penetration of intermittent RE power into the grid and the associated grid safety issues, in recent years Gov of India initiated several initiatives in terms of hybridizing or blending two or more energy sources to achieve better energy synergies, higher plant load factors and greater annual CUF. In India hybridizing solar and wind with other energy storage sources like pumped hydro storage or battery energy storage system (BESS) will make the generation pattern more firm in nature and improve grid stability

Major policies in recent times to encourage hybridization or blending or RTC power are as follows.

National Wind Solar Hybrid Policy, 2018. Guidelines for the procurement of Wind Solar Hybrid power through a tariff based competitive bidding process, 2020

In early 2020, the Gov of India proposed a scheme to sell renewable and thermal power together to provide firm, uninterrupted electricity to consumers.

Guidelines for procuring Round the Clock (RTC) power from RE sources supported by thermal power projects, July 2020

At least 51% of power should be procured from RE sources, which may include storage Power generators have to ensure at least 85% availability annually as well as during peak hours

Guidelines for procuring RTC power from RE sources, Amendment II, Nov 2020

RTC projects could be bundled with any non RE sources, while previously it could only be bundled with thermal power

Guidelines for procuring RTC power from RE sources, Amendment V, Sep 2022.

Renewable power generators can combine storage to achieve the required minimum annual availability of 90% and maintain at least 90% availability monthly for at least 11 months in a year A minimum of 51% of energy has to be sourced from REsources annually This 51% of power can be sourced from energy storage systems provided the RE power is used to store the energy

Conclusion: RTC Based power procurement from RE sources blended with other non RE sources are the way forward for India to meet its clean energy target keeping national grid stability intact Firm round the clock (RTC) power from REsources, compliance of RPO target, and cost competitive tariff compared to other non RE power sources are the major driving forces for RTC power off takers like DISCOM, large C&I consumers, large PSUs, etc The Gov of India’s recent ESO procurement target from solar and wind resources for the next decade would boost the appetite of different RE power off taker for the RTC power purchase in a competitive price range with respect to other firm power sources

oject with 250MW bidded capacity was the lowest bidder with INR3 01/Kwh and SECI asked other bidders to match NR3 01/Kwh

Policy Overview

Tamilnadu Commission Issues Electricity Tariff Order With Green Tariff

Recently, Tamilnadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) issued an electricity tariff order for the financial year FY 2022 23 to FY 2026 27 The tariff for high tension (HT) manufacturing and industrial consumers (HT I A) is fixed at ₹6 75/kwh The tariff for government educational institutions, hospitals, railways & lift irrigation societies (HT II A) is fixed at ₹7/kwh The tariff for Pvt educational institutes & lift irrigation societies (HT II B) is fixed at ₹7/kwh & that of for commercial category (HT III) is fixed at ₹8 5/kwh

The renewable energy based “green tariff” for HT services is fixed at an additional 10% over the HT category’s respective tariff

The wheeling charges for the HT consumers are fixed at ₹0 96/kwh for FY 22 23, ₹1/kwh for FY 23 24, ₹1 04/kwh for FY 23 24 to FY 25 26 & ₹1 03/kwh for FY 26 27

The cross subsidy surcharge (CSS) for HT industrial consumers is fixed at ₹1 79/kwh for FY 22 23, ₹1 86/kwh for FY 23 24, ₹1 92/kwh for FY 24 25, ₹1 99/kwh for FY 25 26 and ₹2 06/kwh for FY 26 27

West Bengal Approves Maiden Open Access Regulations Including Renewable Energy

In a recent order, the West Bengal Electricity Regulatory Commission (WBERC) approved the state's maiden open access regulation including green energy In sync with the ‘Green Energy Open Access 2022’ regulation, consumers with above 100 KW sanctioned load capacity will be eligible to procure open access green energy There will be no capacity limit for captive consumers procuring power under green energy open access

For long term and medium term open access, the nodal agency would be State Transmission Utility (STU) For short term open access, the nodal agency would be State Load Dispatch Center (SLDC)

Chhattisgarh Issued Their Maiden Virtual Net Metering Guidelines

Recently, the Chhattisgarh State Electricity Regulatory Commission (CSERC) issued virtual net metering guidelines or group net metering guidelines in the form of ‘Group Net Metering and Virtual Net Metering For Renewable Energy Guidelines, 2022’ The capacity of solar projects under group or virtual net metering should not be less than 1 KW and more than 500 KW. This regulation will be applicable to all residential consumers, group housing societies and establishments of governments and local authorities The installed solar capacity should not be more than the sanctioned load of the premises

Recently, the Ministry of Power (MoP) has amended the tariff based competitive bidding process guidelines to procure round the clock (RTC) power from grid connected Renewable Energy (RE) projects complemented with power from any other source or storage

As per the recent amendments, REpower generators must supply RTC power maintaining 90% availability annually The RE generators can combine storage to achieve the minimum annual availability of 90% and maintain at least 90% availability monthly for at least 11 months in a year The RE generator must ensure that 51% of supplied energy comes from renewable energy sources This 51% power should include power from the storage system, provided renewable sources are used to store the energy.

Amendments To The Guidelines For Tariff-Based Competitive Bidding Process For Procurement Of Roundthe Clock (RTC) Power From Grid Connected Renewable Energy (RE) Power Project:

Kerala Commission Approves Tariff Rate Of Rs 3.50/Kwh For 5.5 MW Solar Capacity Under PM-KUSUM Program

In a recent order, Kerala Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) approved a tariff rate of Rs 3 50/Kwh for 5 5 MW solar capacity under PM KUSUM Component A scheme in the state of Kerala. The commission also asked for clarification in the matter of the lease rate at the rate of Rs 0 20/Kwh, to be paid to the farmer whose land was leased out or rented by the Kerala State Electricity Board Limited (KSEBL) for 25 years

CERC Approved GST Compensation To SolarEdge Energy

Recently, the central electricity regulatory agency (CERC) ordered SECI or Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) to compensate Solar Edge and Energy Ltd for the additional cost incurred due to the imposition of Goods & Services Tax (GST), on an annuity basis

The discovered tariff of Rs 3 50/Kwh is well below the commission’s approved ceiling tariff of Rs.3.66/Kwh for the PM KUSUM Component A scheme

As the KSEBL will be eligible for a procurement based incentive (PBI) at Rs 0 40/Kwh or Rs 6 6Lac/MW whichever is lower, for 5 years from the date of commissioning, the effective tariff rate comes out to be Rs 3.10/Kwh.

KSEBL will have sufficient time for commissioning as MNRE has extended the commissioning timeline up to 31st Dec 2022

ESTIMATED CLAIM DETAIL

PROJECT ID CAPACITY (MW) CLAIM SUBMITTED BY PETITIONER (INR)

CLAIM EVALUATED BY SECI (INR)

P2B4T3 SEPEPL B 5MH 2V

50 50

50

8,53,42,814

8,27,44,271 5,06,74,955

8,24,90,777

8,04,84,959 4,87,82,531

8,23,33,544

8,06,65,967 4,85,20,801

CLAIM EVALUATED BY MSEDCL (INR) P2B4T3 SEPEPL B 5MH 1V P2B4T3 SEPEPL B 5MH 3V

After analyzing all inputs from petitioners and respondents, the commission observed that the imposition of GST rule before the SCOD of the project will be covered under the ‘Change in Law’ clause of signed PPA The Commission also observed the estimated claim prepared by SECI, which was forwarded to MSEDCL, was neither objected to nor commented on by the off taker

Thus after analyzing all observations, the commission approved the claim of GST compensation to the solar developer. It also ordered that the compensation need to be paid on a monthly annuity payment basis, which needs to be started 60 days after the issuing of this order On account of any non payment after a 60 days timeline, the SECI/MSEDCL would be liable to pay a penalty as a late payment surcharge

Maharashtra Commission Allowed Extension Of Commissioning Date Of 350 MW Solar Capacity To Avaada Energy

In a recent order, the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) allowed an extension of the scheduled commissioning date (SCOD) to an Avaada Energy Subsidiary, for a 150 MW capacity out of the total awarded 350 MW solar capacity by Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) Avaada Energy requested a waiver of SCOD under the pretext of delay in procuring imported solar modules from China This is for 150 MW of the total 350 MW of solar capacity. The petitioner for this petition was Avaada Sunce Energy Pvt Ltd (a subsidiary of Avaada Energy) and the respondent was MSEDCL

After analyzing all inputs and submission of petitioner and respondent, the commission concluded the following orders

The petitioner was successful in executing 200MW capacity well before the agreed SCOD, 02.02.2022, which showed the solar developer’s prudent skill in execution and EPC under lots of unpleasant circumstances And also, the developer was able to execute a total 350MW capacity by 8th April 2022, which was only 59 days delay from the agreed SCOD In light of the petitioner’s inability to obtain solar modules from China, the commission agreed that the SCOD would be extended to 350MW capacity up to 8 April 2022 Accordingly, the submitted PBG could not be encashed by the MSEDCL

AUG SEP ISSUE 2022 | PG 92| INDIA After analyzing all inputs received from KSEBL and MNRE’s regulation under the PM KUSUM program, the commission observed the following points pertaining to KSEBL’s petitions

Solar Tariff Trend

SECI’S KARNATAKA (TRANCHE-X) 1,200MW (KOPPAL SUBSTATION) SOLAR TENDER: AUCTION RESULTS (FEB,2022)

BIDDER CAPACITY AWARDED (MW) TARIFF (INR/KWH) 2 36 2.37 2.37

AUG SEP ISSUE 2022 | PG 94| INDIA SOLARQUARTER RESEARCH Ayana Renewable Fortum Total(MW)

300

GUVNL 500MW PH-XII SOLAR TENDER : AUCTION RESULTS (MARCH, 2022)

BIDDER/DEVELOPER CAPACITY (MW)

QUOTED TARIFF (INR/KWH)

SprngEnergy CoalIndia SJVN

NTPC TP Saurya (Tata Power)

150 60

120 100 70

2.20 2.20 2 21

2.20 2.20

GUVNL 500MW PHASE-XIII SOLAR TENDER: AUCTION RESULTS (JUNE, 2022)

BIDDER/DEVELOPER

SJVN

CAPACITY (MW)

QUOTED TARIFF (INR/KWH)

UPCRenewables

Hinduja Renewable

BIDDER/DEVELOPER

AdityaBirla

Fortum Power Hinduja Renewable

Total (MW)

100 300

200 120

80 80

120 500

CAPACITY (MW)

2 29

2 29 2.30

2 29 2.30

GUVNL 500MW PHASE XIV SOLAR TENDER: AUCTION RESULTS (JUNE, 2022)

QUOTED TARIFF (INR/KWH)

2.29 2.31

AUG SEP ISSUE 2022 | PG 95| INDIA SJVN