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UTILITY SCALE SOLAR PV DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL ISSUE
PERSPECTIVE What Is Needed For The Indian Solar Power Sector To Be Self Reliant?
ONE SUN, ONE WORLD, ONE GRID
The Big Picture Analysis: Opportunities and Challenges
EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT! Adani Group "Adani Green Energy is on track to achieve the vision of becoming the world’s largest renewable energy company "by 2030.
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| JUNE ISSUE 2020
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CONTENTS IN CONVERSATION
NEWS 06 INDIA NEWS 08 ASIA NEWS 09 MONTHLY TENDER OUTLOOK
INSIGHTS 19 EASY AND EFFECTIVE WAYS TO SPEED UP INSTALLATION OF A SOLAR PV SYSTEM
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30 ENERGY TRANSITION A NECESSITY, NOT A WISH
PRATIKSHA THAKUR AGM- CORPORATE COMMUNICATION VIKRAM SOLAR
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HITAKSH SACHAR ,DIRECTOR ASUN SOLAR POWER PVT. LTD. "According to me, 2020 would be more focused on the Residential and Small-scale commercial projects"
"The emergence of new cell architectures has enabled higher efficiency levels"
PERSPECTIVE 20 STRATEGIC REVIVAL PLAN TO ACHIEVE INDIA RENEWABLE TARGET OF 175 GW 2022 32 WHAT IS NEEDED FOR THE INDIAN SOLAR POWER SECTOR TO BE SELF RELIANT? 36 MEGA-SCALE SOLAR FARMS VS DECENTRALIZE SOLAR ENERGY WITH BATTERY STORAGE
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38 ONE SUN, ONE WORLD, ONE GRID- THE BIG PICTURE ANALYSIS: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
SABYASACHI MAJUMDAR
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VP- BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, INDIA & ASIA PACIFIC FIRST SOLAR
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT ICRA
"First Solar is the largest photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturer in the Western hemisphere."
"ICRA is one of the most experienced credit rating agencies in India today."
COMPANY FEATURE 22
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SUNGROW
LONGI
SOLIS
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SWELECT
WAAREE
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GOODWE
TBEA
PUBLISHING
EDITING
Firstview Media Ventures Pvt. Ltd.
SPOKESPERSON OF ADANI GROUP "Adani Green Energy is on track to achieve the vision of becoming the world’s largest renewable energy company "by 2030.
PRODUCT FEATURE 24
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SUJOY GHOSH
CONTENT
DESIGNING
ADVERTISING
Varun Gulati
Sangita Shetty
Neha Barangali
Smriti Singh
Kunal Verma
Ekta Pujari
Megha Kottapalli
Meghna Sharma
Chandan Gupta
Parleen Kaur Arora
Kishor Shetty
Samah Rumani
W W W . S O L A R Q U A R T E R . C O M
CIRCULATION
PRINTING Vaibhav Enterprises
I N D I A
N E W S INSIGHTS >
BUZZ >
CERC ISSUES FORBEARANCE AND FLOOR PRICE FOR REC FRAMEWORK Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) issued an order on the determination of forbearance and floor price for the REC framework. As per the regulation of the REC Regulations, the Commission may, in consultation with the Central Agency (Power System Operation Corporation Limited) and Forum of Regulators from time to time provide for floor price and forbearance price separately for Solar and Non-solar Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). The forbearance price and floor price shall be effective from 01.07.2020 and shall remain in force till 30.06.2021 or until further orders of the Commission. The Commission has directed the staff to undertake a review of the REC mechanism in the light of the prevailing market developments, including inter alia review of the need for floor and forbearance price for REC mechanism and vintage or technology multiplier. The forbearance price and floor price decided in this order for Non-solar RECs shall apply to Non-solar RECs issued on or after 01.04.2017. Non-solar RECs issued before 01.04.2017and the trading shall take place under the Commission’s letter dated 28.05.2018.
LATEST >
MNRE FORMS PDC CELL; AIMS TO ATTRACT INVESTMENTS IN INDIA Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) passed an order in regards to the formation of Project Development Cell (PDC) to attract investments in India. The Central Government has recently approved the setting up of an Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGoS) and Project Development Cells (PDCs) in Ministries/Departments of Government of India for attracting investments in India by the development of investible projects in coordination between the Central Government and State Governments. The main two objectives of Project Development Cells (PDCs) is to create projects with all approvals, land available for allocation and with the complete Detailed Project Reports for adoption/investment by investors and to identify issues that need to be resolved to attract and finalize the investments and put forth these before the Empowered Group.
INDUSTRY >
RITES SUBSIDIARY MANDATED FOR SETTING UP 3 GW SOLAR PLANTS ON RAILWAY LAND Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) Limited’s subsidiary Railway Energy Management Company Ltd. (REMCL) announced that it has secured its largest mandate from Indian Railways for handling tendering, installation supervision and managing power supply from 3 GW solar power plants to be set-up on vacant Indian Railway Land. The project will be divided into 3 phases of 1 GW each. The first and third phases of 1 GW each will be on a PPP basis under Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Transfer model. The second phase of the project (1 GW) will be on the ownership model of REMCL, which will be eligible for capital subsidy under the CPSE investment scheme. According to the release, “The Railways have already identified suitable land to be leased to REMCL on nominal lease rent.”
| JUNE ISSUE 2020
MNRE DECLARES DETAILS OF PARTICIPATION OF E-PRE-BID MEET UNDER ONE SUN ONE WORLD ONE GRID The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India announced Details for participation in the pre-bid meeting through video conferencing for the RFP of Developing a Long Term Vision, Implementation Plan, Road Map, and Institutional Framework for implementing One Sun One World One Grid. It is directed that interested firms shall submit the following details: a) The details of the firm/organization related to the eligibility criteria who are seeking to participate in the RFP b) Details of the Person(s) participating in the Pre-Bid meeting c) Queries. The scope of work is planned to be undertaken in a phased approach consisting of three phases viz. assessment, design & pilot followed by a full-scale roll-out. The bidding entity must also have MAAT (Average of last 3 years) to be INR 500 Crores from consulting business in India or any other country. Chartered Accountant certificate should be provided.
INDUSTRY >
SECI ANNOUNCES DETAILS OF VIRTUAL MEET FOR FINALIZING BROAD CONTOURS OF BIDDING METHODOLOGY Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) announced that it is organizing a stakeholder consultation to explore the possible options to achieve the trinity of Flexibility, Firmness, and high PLF in RE Projects and also to finalize the broad contours of a bidding methodology in this regard. The meeting will be held online. It has been stated by the company that the meeting will be held on the Microsoft Teams platform, and the link will be activated at 2 PM on 22.06.2020.SECI has invited participants who are willing to present their views/ideas on the above subject. The participants showcased their ideas through PPT presentations. The timeline for the presentation was set to 5-8 minutes.
ADANI GREEN ENERGY WINS 8GW+2GW SOLAR TENDER; TO INVEST $6 BN FOR SOLAR PROJECTS AND MANUFACTURING Adani Green Energy Limited has won the first of its kind manufacturing linked solar agreement from the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). As a part of the award, AGEL will develop 8 GW of solar projects along with a commitment that will see Adani Solar establish 2 GW of additional solar cell and module manufacturing capacity. This award, the largest of its type, ever, in the world, will entail a single investment of Rs. 45,000 crores (the US $6 billion) and will create 400,000 direct and indirect jobs. It will also displace 900 million tonnes of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. With this win, AGEL will now have 15 GW capacity under operation, construction, or under contract thereby accelerating its journey towards becoming the world’s largest renewables company by 2025. This award will take the Company closer to its target of achieving an installed generation capacity of 25 GW of renewable power by 2025 which in turn will see it committing an investment of Rs. 112,000 crores ($15 billion) in the renewable energy space over the next 5 years.
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| JUNE ISSUE 2020
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ASIANEWS OVERSEAS INVESTMENTS ADD RISK AND UNSTABLE RETURNS TO KEPCO’S STRESSED FINANCIAL OUTLOOK KEPCO, South Korea’ s national power company, has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, a problem compounded by the utility’ s troubled overseas investments and a lack of strategic awareness, finds a new report from the Institute for Energy Economics and Fi nancial Analysis (IEEFA). South Korea map Melissa Brown, Director of Energy Finance Studies, Asia, and author of the report, Question Time for KEPCO’ s Board, notes that KEPCO’ s share price is down 22. 8% in the year to date and is underperforming Korea’ s KOSPI exchange by 12. 4%. “This is a poor showi ng, even though it’ s well understood that KEPCO is in the midst of a long-awaited transition to cleaner energy. Nonetheless, the company’ s medi um-term financial challenges cannot be ignored, ” says Brown. As KEPCO retunes its strategy, the market wi ll be looking carefully at how the company makes decisions about di sruptive new technology, investment, and capital expenditure, according to the report. “The company has already embraced the optics of clean energy, but i ts investment decisions are strangely out of sync with this message and sti ll reflect the company’ s legacy fossi l fuel habits, ” Brown says.
AVAADA ENERGY TO SET UP 350 MW SOLAR PLANT IN MAHARASHTRA
Avaada Energy has received a letter of award from Maharashtra State Electri city Distribution Co Ltd. (MSEDCL) to develop a 350 MW (DC) solar proj ect i n Maharashtra. Avaada Energy, India’ s leading Renewable Energy Producer, has been accorded a Letter of Award (LoA) to develop a 350 MW (DC)solar proj ect in Maharashtra from MSEDCL. The energy will be suppli ed to MSEDCL under a power purchase agreement, valid for a period of 25 years from scheduled commercial operation date. The proj ect is expected to be commissioned by January 2022. The plant i s expected to generate about 525 million units annually which will help i n reduci ng 4, 98, 750 tonnes of CO2 emission annually. Avaada Energy’ s solar proj ect has the potential to power 4. 8 lakhs households with green energy. Avaada Energy is committed to crafting a sustainable future by creating a world powered through clean energy. Reinforcing its commitment towards bringi ng sustai nable energy to developing economies, Avaada is targeting an extensi ve portfolio of 11 GW solar energy proj ects by 2025 across Asia and Africa. The proj ect is in addition to 1 GW of operational capaci ty and 2 GW of proj ects are under implementation that the company is executing currently.
| JUNE ISSUE 2020
KRANNICH SOLAR AND FIMER ENTER INTO STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP TO SERVE INDIAN SOLAR MARKET Kranni ch Solar, one of the leading di stri butors for photovoltaics worldwide has signed a collaboration agreement with FIMER, the fourth largest solar inverter suppli er in the world for the di stri bution of their inverters in the Indi an market. The alliance will strengthen competitiveness by leveraging each other’ s competencies and experience and ensure the most efficient and reliable deli veries to the customers. “We have a global partnership with Krannich and we would like to strengthen this further with our relationship in India”, says KN Sreevatsa, Country Head of FIMER in India. “Krannich has an excellent team and will be our nati onal partner to enhance our presence in India. We shall offer our enti re range of string inverters with our partnership which will help our customers with ease of doing busi ness. We are excited to partner wi th Krannich in this new era of FIMER”.
CLEANTECH SOLAR SECURED ASIA PACIFIC’S LARGEST GREEN LOAN FOR COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL ROOFTOP SOLAR PROJECTS FROM ING Cleantech Solar, one of the largest commercial and industri al (C&I) focused solar PV developers in Asia, has secured a US$75 mi lli on green loan from ING Bank N. V. , Singapore Branch (ING). ING was the sole Mandated Lead Arranger and Green Structuri ng Advi sor. This is the largest green loan in the Asia Pacifi c to date i n the C&I renewables sector, with the proceeds used to fi nance Cleantech Solar’ s expansion across Southeast Asia. Accordi ng to the International Energy Authority, the demand for electri ci ty i n Southeast Asia is expected to see an average growth rate of 6% annually with renewable energy meeting j ust around 15% of the demand. Nathan Schmidt, Regional Head Asia at Climate Fund Managers, noted: “This deal will expand Cleantech Solar’ s abi li ty to attract new clients seeking localized clean energy soluti ons i n pursui t of its wider ambitions of remaining a leading Pan-Asi an C&I player. ”
JINKOSOLAR TO SUPPLY 60.9 MW FOR THE FIRST INDUSTRIAL HYBRID PLANT IN CHILE Ji nkoSolar Holding Co. , Ltd. , one of the largest and most i nnovative solar module manufacturers in the world, today announced that it will supply 60. 9 MW of bifacial modules for the fi rst i ndustrial hybrid plant in Chile. The hybrid plant wi ll be located about 10 kilometers outside the city of Calama in the Antofagasta Regi on and will consist of a 60. 9 MW PV plant and a 90 MW wi nd farm. The hybrid PV plant, whose construction is expected to be fi ni shed in early 2021, will use about 154, 710 JinkoSolar Bi faci al panels to produce an estimated 184 GWh of electricity annually. “This is the first proj ect in Latin America to be equi pped wi th our bifacial modules containing transparent backsheets, ” commented Mr. Alberto Cuter, General Manager Latin Ameri ca for Ji nkoSolar. “Chile is the largest market for utility-scale proj ects and we are continuously promoting our highest-quality modules i n order to support the development of renewable energi es i n Chi le and across Latin America. The PV plant equipped with our bi faci al modules has already generated one of the lowest LCOE and i s able to compete with traditional energy sources. We are expecti ng to sell more bifacial modules in the coming few months across the regi on. ”
TRENDING
BAYWA R.E. COMMISSIONS ITS FIRST JAPANESE SOLAR FARM The Kuwabaraj o Mega Solar No. 4 solar park covers 24 hectares and i s located in Izumi in the Kyushu Kagoshima Prefecture. The 11. 9MW proj ect will generate enough electricity to power 5000 homes. Daniel Gaefke, Director of Proj ects APAC at BayWa r. e. sai d: “We’ re very pleased to announce the completion of our fi rst solar farm in Japan. Developing mega-solar proj ects in Japan i s a challenge, given that suitable land for construction is scarce, and the permission process can easily take a few years. We are very proud to be playing a role in helping Japan to grow its renewable energy generation and support it as it moves from a feed-i n-tari ff (FIT) market towards a long-term commercial marketplace. ”
VIKRAM SOLAR WELCOMES MR. SUMAN NAG AS THEIR CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER KSTAR announces the inverter KSG-50K series as one of the opti mal solutions for distributed commercial PV systems wi th Max. DC voltage 1000V. This solution is smart, safe, and reli able. KSG50K i nverter is most applicable for distributed commerci al PV systems. It is a high efficiency, high reliability, and easy i nstallation, like 3 MPPT, IP65, DC fuse optional, and Reacti ve power controller. Taking the Vikram Solar 2. 0 mission forward and i n accordance with the company’ s vision and core values, the company today announced the appointment of Mr. Suman Nag as i ts Chi ef Revenue Officer (CRO). CRO’ s role will be criti cal i n achi eving core business obj ectives while supporting the company’ s growing presence and expansion. Mr. Nag comes wi th a ri ch experience of 25+ years across industries like Renewables, Automotive, and IT.
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TENDER T R A C K E R
NTPC AGAI N EXTENDS BI D SUBMI SSI ON DEADLI NE OF 1200 MW SOLAR TENDER The National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) issued a notice regarding the extension of bid submission for the selection of solar power developers to install 1200 MW Interstate Transmission System (ISTS)connected solar PV power projects in India. The last date for the submission of bids was extended from 28th May 2020 to 15 th July 2020. The pre-bid meeting was rescheduled to 25th June 2020. The date for the opening of technical bids had been extended to 16th July 2020. NTPC has earlier extended the bid submission deadline for the 1st time from 19th March 2020 to 28th May 2020 and the date scheduled for the pre-bid conference was 12 May 2020. On 18 February 2020, NTPC had issued a request for selection (RfS) of 1200 MW ISTS-connected solar projects. To participate in this tender bidders shall submit earnest money deposit (EMD) of Rs.400,000.
CREDA TENDERS FOR SETTI NG UP 1 KWP TO 500 KWP SOLAR ROOFTOP UNDER CAPEX MODE Chhattisgarh State Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA) issued tender For Empanelment Of Vendors For Design, Supply, Installation, Testing & Commissioning Including Obligated Warranty And Comprehensive Maintenance Of 1 Kwp To 500 Kwp Under Grid Connected Rooftop Photovoltaic Solar Power Plant Programme Of MNRE Phase-II through rate contract program under CAPEX Mode. The scope of work for this tender for successful bidders includes Design, Supply, Installation, Testing & Commissioning including obligated Warranty and Comprehensive Maintenance of l kwp to 500kwp under Grid Connected Rooftop. The opening date of the technical bid is 01.07.2020 after 3:30 PM and the financial bid opening date is 08.07.2020 at 3 PM.
CEL TENDERS FOR SUPPLY OF 3 LAKH MULTI -CRYSTALLI NE SOLAR CELLS Central Electronics Limited (CEL) had issued a tender, inviting Online bids ( (Technical & Financial) from eligible bidders for the supply of 3,00,000 Nos. of multi-crystalline solar cells of min wattage of 4.52 Wp. The last date and time for submission of bids was 27-06-2020 at noon and technocommercial bids will also be opened on the same date. The bid is valid for a period of 90 days from the date of opening ie. 27th June. It has been highlighted that only Indigenous solar cell manufacturers are eligible to quote (copy of the authorization from OEM to be submitted along with the bid), traders/ Stockists are not allowed to participate in this tender. There is no submission of earnest money deposit (EMD) for this tender. According to the tender document, the PV Cells must be met following technical specifications: 5 Bus Bar, Size: 156.75 x 156.75 mm +/-0.25 mm or 157 x 157 mm +/-0.25 mm, Wattage≥ 4.52 Wp.
| JUNE ISSUE 2020
FIRST INDIAN FLOATING SOLAR + STORAGE PROJECT BIDS EXTENDED AGAIN, 8TH EXTENSION The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) extended the bid submission deadline of its 4MW Floating Solar With 2MW of BESS Tender. The last date of bid submission was extended till 30.06.2020 (18:00 HRS). The techno-commercial bid opening shall be carried out w.e.f. 10:00 HRS on 03.07.2020. In January, the Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) issued a Request for Selection (RfS) to initiate 4 MW of grid-connected floating solar projects. The project consists of 2 MW of battery energy storage system (BESS). The projects will be established at Kalpong Dam in Diglipur which is located in northern Andaman and it will evolve on a build-own-operate (BOO) basis.
MNRE EXTENDS ALL DEADLINES FOR ONE SUN ONE WORLD ONE GRID The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has Extended the timelines of each activity of the RFP for Developing a Long Term Vision, Implementation Plan, Road Map, and Institutional Framework for implementing One Sun One World One Grid. The notice states that “In view of the prevailing situation and lockdown in many parts of the country due to Covid-19 pandemics and requested by many consulting firms, it has been decided to extend the timeline of each activity “. Accordingly, the pre-bid meeting for this tender has been extended from 5th June 2020 to 22nd June 2020. The deadline for submission of Questions has been extended from 15th June 2020 to 29th June 2020. The date of response to vendors’ requests for clarification has been extended 29th June 2020 to 13th July 2020. The date of the deadline for submission of proposals Online and hardcopy has been extended from 6th July 2020 and 8th July 2020 to 22nd July 2020and 24th July 2020 respectively. Evaluation of the proposals & approval remains the same that is for 4 weeks (estimated).
SECI RESCHEDULES PRE BID MEET OF 2500 MW ISTS-CONNECTED SOLAR PV PROJECTS AT UMREPP IN KARNATAKA Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) issued extension notice in regards to RfS for setting up of 2500 MW ISTS-connected Solar PV Projects at Ultra Mega Renewable Power Park (UMREPP) in Koppal District, Karnataka (ISTS-X).The pre-bid meeting for the tender has been rescheduled to be held on 10.06.2020, at 14:00 hrs (IST). The meeting will be conducted through video-conferencing on the “Blizz” platform by TeamViewer, and invitations to the meeting shall be sent on 09.06.2020. Prospective bidders interested in participating in the prebid may intimate the names and email ids of respective participants, by mailing to jayansh.gaur@seci.co.in and pratikpr@seci.co.in, latest by 08.06.2020 (18:00 hrs). The notice also highlighted that “Those who have already emailed regarding participation in the meeting, need not email again.”
GUVNL AGAIN EXTENDS BID DEADLINE FOR ITS 700 MW DHOLERA SOLAR PROJECTS The Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd has issued a notice stating extension of the bid submission deadline for its 700 MW of solar projects in Dholera Solar Park (Phase IX). The existing deadline for bid submission was 30.05.2020 – 5 pm and now the revised date has been extended to 31.07.2020 – 5 pm. Earlier the submission of technical bids was 01.06.2020 – 11 AM which has been revised to 04.08.2020 – 11 AM. The financial bid opening date, followed by an e-reverse auction has now been extended from 08.06.2020 – 11 AM to 13.08.2020 – 11 AM.
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INCONVERSATION
PRATIKSHA THAKUR AGM- CORPORATE COMMUNICATION VIKRAM SOLAR With varied interest in the Indian Solar Sector, Vikram Solar Limited is a globally recognized leading solar energy solutions provider, specializing in high efficiency PV module manufacturing and comprehensive EPC solutions. With an international presence across 6 continents, the company is an active contributor in shaping the solar revolution. Pratiksha Thakur, AGM- Corporate Communication Vikram Solar, discusses how there is a need for standardised system for a better growth of the industry, recent technological advancement in the module sector and more.
What are the recent smart tech advances in solar modules? What are the implementation barriers at the ground level? The emergence of new cell architectures has enabled higher efficiency levels. A major driver of this shift has been the emergence of the PERC cells and their compatibility with other emerging innovations, such as half-cut cells. Looking ahead, the most important technological shift in the market relates to bifacial cells and modules, driven by the increased adoption of advanced cell architecture and a focus on system output levels BIFACIAL MODULES : Bifacial operation, facilitated by the uptake of PERC (which is driving the bifacial boom), offers a near term effective efficiency increase of 5–20% relative by increasing the energy output from a given module area. One type of bifacial module is the glass-glass module. These are solar panels with solar cells arranged between two glass panes. They are typically applied to utility-scale systems and provide a heavy-duty solution for harsh environments (e.g. high temperatures, high humidity) because they are less sensitive to penetration of moisture. In a PV module, solar cells are electrically connected to strings. This interconnection, however, can cause optical losses in the module, which affects the reliability of the product. To overcome this limitation, various industrial stringing equipment and soldering technologies are being developed, such as half-cells, solar shingles and multi-busbars.
| JUNE ISSUE 2020
"THE EMERGENCE OF NEW CELL ARCHITECTURES HAS ENABLED HIGHER EFFICIENCY LEVELS" Half-Cut cell MODULES involve deliberately cutting a fully processed cell into half with very advanced laser machines. Half-cut cells are being adopted quickly, thanks to the fact that from a manufacturing point of view only minor changes are needed to include laser machines. Halfcells improve module performance and durability, and can provide an instant power boost of 5–10 watts Multi-busbar MODULES Silicon solar cells metallised with thin strips printed on the front and rear of a solar cell; these are called busbars and have the purpose of conducting the electric direct current (DC) power generated by the cell. The increased number of busbars has several advantages: first is the high potential for cost saving due to a reduction in metal consumption for frontfacing metallisation; second, series resistance losses are reduced by employing thin wires instead of regular ribbon; and third, optimising the width of the busbars leads to an additional rise in efficiency. A higher number of busbars leads to higher module efficiencies because of reduced internal resistance losses; this is due to the lower distance between the busbars. Solar shingled MODULES Solar shingles are a type of solar energy solution where solar panels are designed to look like conventional roofing materials, while also producing electricity. Solar shingles have several advantages. First, a key advantage is that they eliminate the need for ribbon, connecting cells like roof tiles. Second and related to the removal of the ribbon, module aesthetics are improved, as the panels are homogeneously coloured.
Obstacles:
Despite the growth and advantages of bifacial cells, the technology still has some obstacles to overcome, such as the lack of an international testing standard, no common ground for power labelling or pricing, and yield simulation and bankability issues.
How do you look at the growth of solar PV module industry in India? In your view is there a standardised system needed for a better growth of the industry? Growth of PV module industry in India has been phenomenal. Even with Chinese supplies claiming ~80% of the domestic market (due to importing), Indian PV module manufacturers have enhanced their scale and stand tall to satisfy Indian solar installation demands. Although the spread of COVID-19 has created a decline (by 25-30%) in PV module demand in India, the country is expected to pursue its announced target of 100 GW of solar power deployment by 2022. With policy reforms, plans to reduce coal requirement by about 8%, investment promises from SoftBank, Foxconn Technology, India can make a turnaround from current slog in the industry. However, initiatives need to be made to support the industry by offeringManufacturing policy Reducing importing Flexible financing facilities Bringing in simple, fast and effective quality control Creating industry champions to inspire others Reducing taxes and duties on manufacturing Offering export incentives Investing in developing a skilled workforce
HALFCELLS IMPROVE MODULE PERFORMANCE AND DURABILITY, AND CAN PROVIDE AN INSTANT POWER BOOST OF 5–10 WATTS" PG 10
Are we seeing a major push towards better & smarter technology in solar sector by the EPC contractors? Although, solar industry in India received a massive blow due to the spread of COVID-19 and manufacturing contraction because of that, we had witnesses a consistent trend of rise in demand and usage of smarter and better solar technology. In the last few years the demand shift from multi to mono-crystalline and replacing Al-BSF p-type cells with rear passivation layers (PERC), were quite obvious. 2020 is expected to follow that trend. Ptype mono PERC cells are expected to account for more than 80% of all crystalline production in 2020. Also there have been developments in using new construction machinery and tools for a quick project handling, better technology to optimize efficiency, use of String Inverters rather than Central Inverters, R&D of utility-scale energy storage systems and Remote installation monitoring solutions before the COVID-19 outbreak, and we are certain that these trends will continue to change the industry for good.
Do we need a reform in product certification guidelines and quality standards for the solar sector?
What is the future industry outlook for smart solar module manufacturing in India and Asia Smart modules are solar modules that have power optimizer embedded into the solar module at the time of manufacturing. 1) Module level: Assembled with the AC optimizer and its easy for installations for Rooftop projects; 2) Cell level: The power optimizer is embedded in the junction box of the solar module with a purpose to maximize the power generation;
Recent trend: 1. Monitoring 2. Shut-down 3. Minimize the energy cost of the smart module itself; Highlight challenges towards implementation of smart solar modules at the ground level: 1. Cost 2. Lifetime 3. Electromagnetic interference (EMI
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Future industry outlook: Future lies in developing the smart module which could have the low cost of production with an in-built shut down and the monitoring function. Cost reducti on of AC smart module is of the top most priority to be effective in large scale deployment. Therefore, more investment on domestic manufacturing, flexible financing, avai lable R&D facilities are needed to help smart solar modules change the energy scenari o i n India and Asia.
ALTHOUGH, SOLAR INDUSTRY IN INDIA RECEIVED A MASSIVE BLOW DUE TO THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 AND MANUFACTURING CONTRACTION BECAUSE OF THAT, WE HAD WITNESSES A CONSISTENT TREND OF RISE IN DEMAND AND USAGE OF SMARTER AND BETTER SOLAR TECHNOLOGY."
The reform has already been going on and for example, we can highlight establishment of BIS standards. However, a bit of re-alignment is needed to make the protocols more efficient and simple enough for the domestic manufacturers to certify their products and compete with global suppliers in not just domestic but export markets as well. Quality standards and certification guidelines are to be continually updated to allay quality fears and cater to the following issues: Ensuring bankability of solar projects despite low tariffs Debunking anxiety about impact on projects Winning investor and consumer confidence Charting the future regulatory roadmap – incorporating the reliability factor
| JUNE ISSUE 2020
PG 11
INCONVERSATION
HITAKSH SACHAR DIRECTOR, ASUN SOLAR POWER PVT. LTD. With a diverse profile in the solar sector Asun Solar is one of the youngest and the fastest growing companies in the domain of Solar Energy in India. The company designs, builds and commissions off-grid and Grid-tied solar energy plants suited for a diverse profile of customers ranging from Institutional to commercial and residential. Asun Solar has also invested in MW scale solar energy farms as an Independent Power Producers in India and also is the leading solar rooftop EPC companies in India with an enviable track record and largest portfolio of satisfied customers. Below is the interview with the Director of Asun Solar, Hitaksh Sachar, he shares his opinion on the government initiative to be self reliant, what would be the future demand trend post Covid outbreak and more.
What is your outlook for the Indian market by 2020? What have been some of your key learning from Indian projects so far? According to me, 2020 would be more focused on the Residential and Small-scale commercial projects. Way forward after Covid Crisis, the complete C&I sector would majorly focus on the revival on their existing businesses rather than a secondary priority i.e. Solar. There may be some exceptions where few customers realise cost optimization and may invest however, the majority would still opt to hold their CAPEX investments. There may be a potential for OPEX projects in the C&I Sector, but again the ratings of such customers would also have been dropped – ultimately leveraging such investments.Learning from Indian projects – we realise, that apart from the accuracy on project designs required while planning and executing each site; Project Turnaround time should also be minimised to achieve viability.
What do you see for the future of the Indian PV market? India is making great strides towards affordable and cleaner energy. With increasing confidence and awareness within customers more and more investments are being attracted in this sector. It's great to observe that now the implementation is happening at the ground level and this is here to stay for a longer duration.
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"ACCORDING TO ME, 2020 WOULD BE MORE FOCUSED ON THE RESIDENTIAL AND SMALL-SCALE COMMERCIAL PROJECTS" Ensuring Indian citizens have access to electricity at the top of the country’s political agenda. Around 750 million people in India gained access to electricity between 2000 and 2019, this reflects a strong and effective policy implementation and market adaptation.
The government is aggressively encouraging local manufactures of the solar products so as to be self-reliant. What's your take on the same? This is a very crucial step to achieve provided its easy implementation and encouragement by the Government. Having said that, it would not be easy to scale immediately and remove dependency from Chinese products. This has to be a gradual step and would not be possible without the Ministry's push and financial support to boost manufacturing. Once these are established, all stakeholders would also need to support the ban on Chinese products and promote Made in India- even though being marginally expensive.
According to you what will be the demand trend for the next fiscal year? As stated above, 2020-21 would be more focused on the Residential and Small-scale commercial projects, who have realised the importance of higher tariffs, benefits from a proven technology and rapidly developing awareness.
How different is Indian PV module market from the International markets?
Indian PV module market is coping up to improve production capacities, however I do not see a strong Research & Development in this Sector. All manufacturers are focused to improve their scale and component optimization. However, none are inventors of technologies and innovations such as PERC, Twin Peak, Half Cut cells, Bifacial modules. Indian manufacturers are following simple and conventional business practices whereas, internationally companies are constantly innovating new features and upgradations in order to achieve higher efficiencies.
How do you ensure that the safety and quality parameters are met at your project sites? Safety is a very serious and critical part to all project sites. All companies love to talk on this subject and may have even provided all necessary provisions to their site engineers and Supervisors – however, the situation on ground at many occasions changes. Unless the manpower is trained and explained the benefits for the use of PPE, its adaptation at ground level cannot be ensured. To ensure its implementation we make sure that the Site Engineers and Project Managers are present at site and have instructed the manpower to comply with all safety requirements and wear their PPE kits. Regarding Quality – we carefully get involved in the purchase of each and every component used in the construction of a solar plant and have our set design and quality parameters. Since 2013, we as a focused EPC Rooftop contractor take pride in stating that our customers have taken additional 5 years AMC’s for our constructed solar plants. Careful selection on the Balance of System is as crucial as selecting the right Module and Inverters. Directly purchasing these components to ensure quality is met at each site - has been our USP till date.
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| JUNE ISSUE 2020
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INCONVERSATION
SABYASACHI MAJUMDAR SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT ICRA
Let’s begin with a glimpse of your company’s presence and offerings in India? ICRA Limited (formerly Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency of India Limited) was set up in 1991 by leading financial institutions, commercial banks and financial services companies as an independent credit rating agency. As an early entrant in the credit rating business, ICRA is one of the most experienced credit rating agencies in India today. The international Credit Rating Agency Moody’s Investors Service is ICRA’s largest shareholder. ICRA’s services are designed to provide information and guidance to institutional and individual investors/creditors. The services enhance the ability of issuers to access the money market and the capital market for tapping a larger volume of resources from a wider range of the investing public.
Take us through the role of ICRA in aiding the power sector in its transformation efforts. ICRA has a leading role in assigning ratings to entities in the power sector with outstanding ratings for more than 220 entities across thermal power generators, renewable power generators, transmission companies and power distribution companies. ICRA has also been associated with the Ministry of Power, PFC and REC in the process of evaluation of the state power sector under the integrated ratings/gradings mechanism for the state power sector (20022007) and for state owned discoms (2012till date). ICRA has also co-developed and implemented grading methodologies for evaluation of solar system integrators and RESCOs (on behalf of MNRE), energy efficiency services companies (on behalf of BEE) and renewable energy IPPs (on behalf of IREDA). This apart, ICRA comes out with regular research on the sector, assessing the impact of demand and supply trends, policy and regulations developments and key events on the credit quality of power sector entities.
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"ICRA IS ONE OF THE MOST EXPERIENCED CREDIT RATING AGENCIES IN INDIA TODAY." What would be covid-19 impact on the rising discom risks on solar project finance & investments The lockdown has adversely impacted the revenues and cash collections for the power distribution utilities (discoms), given the consumption decline from the high tariffpaying industrial and commercial consumers and the delays in cash collections from other consumers. This aggravated the payment delays from discoms to power generation companies, which were already reeling under the impact of the large payment dues of Rs. 940 billion as of March 2020. To address this, the Government of India has announced a liquidity support of Rs. 900 billion for the state discoms, in the form of loans against receivables, from Power Financial Corporation (PFC) and Rural Electrification Corporation (REC). These loans are to be backed by state government guarantees and will be used to clear the pending dues to power generating companies. The sanction of loans to discoms is linked to implementation of reforms in the state power sector. However, the book losses for discoms at all India level are estimated to increase to Rs. 570 billion in FY2021 from Rs. 300 billion in FY2020, because of the impact of the lockdown on demand and revenues along with the additional interest cost on the Rs. 900 billion loans. While this scheme for discoms is a short-term measure, which would enable them to clear their pending dues towards the generation entities, the implementation of reforms by the state governments and discoms remains extremely crucial in the long run for achieving a sustainable improvement in discoms finances. These include timely filing of tariff petitions by discoms to enable timely issuance of tariff orders by the regulators, approval of adequate tariffs in relation to cost of supply, timely and adequate subsidy
payments by the state governments and proactive efforts to reduce the distribution loss levels through measures such as installation of smart meters and augmentation of distribution infrastructure.
What is the outlook for the long-term prospects for the renewable energy sector? Apart from the delays in payments from discoms, the Indian renewable energy sector faces headwinds because of the execution delays for projects bid out over the past two years given the challenges in completion land acquisition, securing transmission connectivity, achieving financial closure and concerns over the viability of the bid tariffs. This has impacted investor sentiments in the sector and is reflected in the slowdown in tendering of wind and power projects in CY2019, with many of the bids being undersubscribed. The delay in execution for renewable power projects is now aggravated by the lockdown imposed to control Covid-19, given the disruption in the supply chain and labour availability. In this context, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India (MNRE) has notified that a time extension of lockdown period plus 30 days can be provided for all renewable energy projects, under the force majeure clause. However, the extension may not be fully cover for the delays faced by the project developers, given the challenges in mobilizing the labour, especially in the context of the labour migration witnessed across the country. Given that the lockdown would impact project implementation in Q1 FY2021 and assuming normalcy thereafter, the capacity addition in the wind and solar
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segments together is likely to lower by about 25% to 8 GW (wind: 1. 5 – 2 GW and solar: 6. 0 – 6. 5 GW) against earlier estimates of 11 GW for FY2021. Nonetheless, the long-term prospects for the renewable energy sector outlook remain favourable, aided by the policy focus on the renewable energy sector and the cost competitiveness of wind and solar-based power against conventional sources. Moreover, the availability of cost competitive supply from renewables for meeting round the clock supply as well as peak power supply as reflected from the recent bids tendered by SECI is a positive for the sector. The realisation of the potential is dependent on resolution of challenges related to execution of new projects, payment pattern from distribution utilities and reinforcing the sanctity of the signed PPAs by resolving the PPA issue for projects in Andhra Pradesh. The Government of India has been taking various initiatives such as imposition of safeguard duty on imported modules, use of domestic modules for certain projects (mainly projects involving power consumption by offices of government departments and publicsector units) under the Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) and manufacturing capacity linked solar bids to encourage domestic solar module manufacturing and reduce import dependency. However, there been limited progress so far in reducing the import dependency for solar PV modules, given the significant price variation between domestic and imported modules. Moreover, the domestic PV modules manufacturers remain dependent on imports for key raw materials. The domestic module manufacturers in turn believe that duty protection, creation of demand predictability through assurance of continued large volumes of offtake of solar power from generating entities set up under the DCR route and creation of ecosystem for enabling cost efficient manufacture is critical for domestic manufacturing to take off in a big way. The referred ecosystem includes availability of land at solar manufacturing parks with good infrastructure, availability of power etc at available rates and encouragement of creation of ancillary facilities (such as glass manufacturing).
ICRA HAS A LEADING ROLE IN ASSIGNING RATINGS TO ENTITIES IN THE POWER SECTOR WITH OUTSTANDING RATINGS FOR MORE THAN 220 ENTITIES ACROSS THERMAL POWER GENERATORS, RENEWABLE POWER GENERATORS, TRANSMISSION COMPANIES AND POWER DISTRIBUTION COMPANIES.
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INCONVERSATION
SUJOY GHOSH VP- BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, INDIA & ASIA PACIFIC FIRST SOLAR
Since its inception in 2011, in the Indian solar market First Solar is one the leading solar module manufacturers. First Solar has also has utility scale projects in states like Telangana, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Let us understand from Sujoy Ghosh, VPBusiness Development, India & Asia Pacific of First Solar, what the company has in store for the upcoming decade, how the solar sector can recover from the COVID - 19 impact. He also shares his valuable insights on the Make In India initiative.
Could you give our readers a brief introduction of your company? First Solar is the largest photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturer in the Western hemisphere. It is also the only USheadquartered company in the Solar Module Super League – the list of the world’s nine largest solar manufacturers. The company develops and designs its technology in California, and operates manufacturing facilities in the US, Malaysia, and Vietnam. First Solar has been active in the Indian solar market since 2011, and over 2GW of its highperformance modules currently power a range of projects developed and operated by some of India’s leading IPPs. Additionally, First Solar has also developed 260MW of utility-scale projects in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.
What does First Solar have to offer the industry in the coming decade? First Solar’s vision is to lead the world’s sustainable energy future by providing costadvantaged solar technology through innovation, customer engagement, industry leadership, and operational excellence. The company has invested over $1Bn in R&D, one of the most substantial investments of its kind. The result is the large-format, highefficiency Series 6 thin film PV module, which provides Indian utilities and IPP’s a high-performance alternative to relying on crystalline-silicon technology with its predominantly China-based supply chain.
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"FIRST SOLAR IS THE LARGEST PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV) MODULE MANUFACTURER IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE." First Solar’s module technology is a clear winner: its industry-leading degradation delivers the highest lifetime energy. In fact, IIT-Mumbai/NREL’s studies on long-term degradation of solar panels in India have consistently ranked First Solar’s technology as having the lowest degradation rate in real-world conditions. In addition to its inherent reliability in hot and humid conditions, the technology has the industry’s lowest carbon and water footprint for a commercially available PV technology. More recently, the Series 6 Thin-Film PV module was ranked as a Top Performer in the PVEL Reliability Scorecard 2020. The module aced three categories - Thermal Cycling, Damp Heat, and Potential Induced Degradation (PID) – demonstrating less than two percent degradation, in each. Other tests are in progress and will be released later this year. . At First Solar, we’re committed to transparency. We have a one-product architecture controlled by a single set of global specifications for Bill of Materials (BoM) components. Further, we do not use Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and have one highly automated manufacturing process that produces 100 percent of our modules end-to-end under one roof, and that is replicated at all three of our global manufacturing facilities. All of this is important context. As solar PV emerges as the most competitive source of energy between the two tropics, its pivotal role will need to be underpinned by an emphasis on quality, reliability, and supply security. The performance of our technology and our track record in enabling the success of our customers speaks for itself
What would be covid-19 impact of rising discom risks on solar project finance & investments? The Indian electricity sector was already impacted by the poor financial situation of the stateowned discoms, who account for over 90% of the solar PV demand. This led to issues of curtailment, increasing receivable cycles as well as reluctance to enter into new contracts. The simultaneous constraints in the domestic debt market (with the problems which the major NBFC’s encountered) were already creating a challenge for project owners to raise new debt capital or recycle existing capital. COVID and the consequent lockdown has only exacerbated the situation as energy demand dropped. However, we believe that the energy demand situation caused by COVID would recover as the lockdown eases and economic activity resumes. Structural challenges that existed pre-COVID would still need to be addressed through a combination of policy and regulations, and we believe that the draft Electricity Act amendments do address some of these challenges.
FIRST SOLAR WELCOMES THE RECENT ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT TO BE SELF – RELIANT… WE BELIEVE THAT WITH THE RECENT ANNOUNCEMENTS MADE BY THE MNRE ON “MAKE IN INDIA” FOCUS, THE POLICY SHIFTS WILL ENABLE INVESTMENTS INTO SUPPLY CHAIN CREATION LOCALLY.”
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What is your opinion on the government's initiative to be self-reliant, What would we need to do to achieve the same? First Solar welcomes the recent announcements by the Indian Government to be self-reliant. Specifically, the Indian solar sector, as other major solar markets, has become over-reliant on China, which is following through on its strategy of dominating PV manufacturing. As India becomes the world’s second-largest PV market after China (by 2022), it is logical that domestic demand will encourage local supply chain creation. Some of the recent announcements in terms of reduction in corporate tax rates, improvements to the ease of doing business, and the creation of dedicated logistics infrastructure, like freight corridors, will enable large-scale manufacturing investments in India to be competitive. The solar PV sector, in particular, has been plagued by unfair trade practices. Our recommendations for addressing this challenge would revolve around developing and implementing a long-term trade policy that provides a level playing field to domestic manufacturers as opposed to current practices of short term safeguard duties. Secondly, India should encourage the backward integration of its local supply chain to reduce the volume of imported content used by module assembly facilities in the country. It is estimated that 60 percent of the components used to assemble modules in these facilities are imported.
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Additionally, the country should allow exemptions on imports of capital equipment to establish manufacturing. And finally, there is a need to have highly predictable demand, with firm visibility on auctions over the next three to five years. This visibility will encourage investors to see the tangible opportunities and the returns that will follow. We believe that with the recent announcements made by the MNRE on import tariffs as well as the “Make in India” focus, the policy shifts will enable investments into supply chain creation locally.
THE COMPANY HAS INVESTED OVER $1BN IN R&D, ONE OF THE MOST SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENTS OF ITS KIND. THE RESULT IS THE LARGE-FORMAT, HIGH-EFFICIENCY SERIES 6 THIN FILM PV MODULE, WHICH PROVIDES INDIAN UTILITIES AND IPP’S A HIGH-PERFORMANCE ALTERNATIVE TO RELYING ON CRYSTALLINESILICON TECHNOLOGY WITH ITS PREDOMINANTLY CHINA-BASED SUPPLY CHAIN.
INCONVERSATION
SPOKESPERSON OF ADANI GROUP
ADANI GREEN ENERGY IS ON TRACK TO ACHIEVE THE VISION OF BECOMING THE WORLD’S LARGEST RENEWABLE ENERGY COMPANY BY 2030.
World’s largest solar tender worth $6 billion was a milestone in the India solar journey. What is the strategic importance of winning this bid for Adani's solar plans? Adani group has a target of 25GW of capacity of renewable capacity by 2025. We are on track to achieve this and it will help India achieve its COP21 targets much before the deadline of 2030. Also, from a group’s point of view, we will become carbon neutral. This new deal will further boost our green energy portfolio, helping us achieve our targets at a more rapid pace.
Setting up 2 GW of additional solar cell and module manufacturing capacity is the biggest investment since the announcement of Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan by our Hon’ble Prime Minister of India. How will this redefine India's position in the global module manufacturing industry? Due to the pandemic, every country has learnt about self-reliance. It has made us realise the importance of not depending on imports for critical equipment. This deal will help us boost our domestic manufacturing capacity, thus weaning away from solar imports. Our aim is in 3-5 years, the dependence on solar manufacturing imports will be dismal. Our investments will strengthen India’s positioning in the global renewable energy space.
What does the Great Indian Renewable Energy Dream mean to you? What's your vision 2030?
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India has a goal of 450415GW by 2030. Announcements like Make in India and Atma Nirbhar Bharat allow companies and suppliers to rely on domestic manufacturing. This has been a welcome change by us and we are extending our support towards these initiatives. In a phased manner Adani Group will add 2GW of capacity every year by 2025. And by 2022, we are going to set up the entire manufacturing facility. Adani Green Energy is on track to achieve the vision of becoming the world’s largest renewable energy company by 2030.
According to you, how can India become the world's most preferred investment destination for renewable energy - both for manufacturing and generation? Every company has a commitment to become carbon neutral and as such every brand and multinational is interested in partnerships. India’s investments and growth potential in this sector is already very attractive to foreign investors.
AGEL is the biggest private power producer in the country today. What interesting developments do you see happening at Adani as the industry goes through a major transition in the energy landscape? Renewable energy is more preferred in the generation sector from a capacity building point of view, as today, the global focus is on renewable energy. From the Group’s perspective, we are aligned to the nation’s goals to achieve our COP21 targets. Due to this shift towards renewables, we expect by 2025 Adani Green will be at 25GW of capacity. At that point of time, Adani Power’s thermal capacity will be less than 20GW. Thus, our renewable generation capacity will be higher than our thermal.
Energy storage, hydrogen fuel and electric vehicles are some of the new global clean energy buzzwords. How is Adani preparing for the disruption in the energy and mobility sector? Hydrogen could possibly attract over $70 billion of investment over the next decade. Such a level of investment could disrupt as well as create several industries in paths that are difficult to configure.
Tell us more about your international plans. Are you also eyeing bigger opportunities outside India? Mutually beneficial partnerships that help further the global need of renewable energy are always welcome. At Adani Group, we have partnered with industry leaders such as Total for Joint Ventures in both the green energy and gas sectors. Additionally, there are other interests as well, who we are in discussion with.
DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, EVERY COUNTRY HAS LEARNT ABOUT SELF-RELIANCE. IT HAS MADE US REALISE THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT DEPENDING ON IMPORTS FOR CRITICAL EQUIPMENT. THIS DEAL WILL HELP US BOOST OUR DOMESTIC MANUFACTURING CAPACITY, THUS WEANING AWAY FROM SOLAR IMPORTS. OUR AIM IS IN 3-5 YEARS, THE DEPENDENCE ON SOLAR MANUFACTURING IMPORTS WILL BE DISMAL. OUR INVESTMENTS WILL STRENGTHEN INDIA’S POSITIONING IN THE GLOBAL RENEWABLE ENERGY SPACE.
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INSIGHTS
EASY AND EFFECTIVE WAYS TO SPEED UP INSTALLATION OF A SOLAR PV SYSTEM Author:
VENKATRAMAN RAMACHANDRAN Director- Projects Cleantech Solar
In summary, to execute a Solar PV plant smoothly and effectively, the following factors should be taken care of: Installing a solar PV system on rooftops of factory facilities (on-site installation) and installing a ground mounted solar PV plant which could be on-site or off-site, requires detailed on-site surveys. A comprehensive survey is critical to ensure optimal project engineering outcomes. Rooftop projects could prove challenging as a developer must satisfy all the conditions unique to each customer’ s plant, along with adherence to the existing building aesthetics. Therefore, it is essential to do a detailed study of the health of the roof sheet to avoid leakages in future. Furthermore, a thorough evaluation of the cable rooting and the HT panel where the terminations need to be done is essential to avoid problems during execution. In the case of a ground mounted plant, the set of challenges is different. Land acquisition is a demanding phase that requires a lot of planning to ensure the project is commissioned within the timeline committed to the client. Once the required land is acquired, building a plant is then in the developer’ s control. Further, the size of the plant and the voltage at which it is being evacuated are important determinants.
Detailed survey is essential. This is to anticipate any obvious challenges or difficult zones so that the engineering phase can be done accordingly to avoid on-site corrections etc., which can consume a lot of quality time.
Detailed engineering in consultation with the EPC is a must to ensure all parties involved are on the same page. All drawings should be approved with all stakeholders in advance to avoid confusion.
Ordering of equipment and material should be done on time so that it is in sync with the execution schedule.
Quality control during execution is a key factor to avoid rework, which can again delay the project timeline.
A THOROUGH EVALUATION OF THE CABLE ROOTING AND THE HT PANEL WHERE THE TERMINATIONS NEED TO BE DONE IS ESSENTIAL TO AVOID PROBLEMS DURING EXECUTION.
In both cases, regulatory approvals are mandatory. Therefore, timely approvals from concerned DISCOMs or boards are essential. To be effective and efficient, it is imperative that the developer be fully aware of all requirements and documentations pertaining to the project. Further, after the EPC is selected and the engineering phase is complete, procurement is another key factor. The vendor lists must be prepared. Moreover, there should be clarity regarding the long lead items to prevent the delay in delivery. For such items, back up suppliers must be identified well in advance. All items procured should be of the highest quality. The planning of logistics should be seamless to ensure that the delivery of equipment as per the execution drawing and schedule should reach the site well before the beginning of plant erection to facilitate site inspection and smooth execution. In case of ground mounted or open access plants, the voltage at which the power is evacuated is very important because of ROW. If the evacuation voltage is 33KV ROW, it is simpler and if it is 110/132 and above, the complication of ROW increases.
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Inspection of key equipment prior to dispatch and inspection of the same after receipt on-site as soon as it arrives, is essential so that immediate action can be taken in case of a problem. For long lead items, detailed inspection before dispatch is essential as no changes can possibly be made once the material arrives on site.
For every activity, a detailed execution drawing is essential so that the engineer erecting the project does not have issues. This saves time that would otherwise be wasted for getting clarifications.
All safety norms must be followed to avoid accidents, which slow down the execution and affect the project.
All regulatory approvals should be applied for on time to avoid unnecessary cross-correspondences and to of course, have the approvals in hand when the plant is ready to be energised.
These steps will ensure smooth, safe and timely completion of any solar PV project, whether rooftop or ground mounted, large or small.
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PERSPECTIVE
STRATEGIC REVIVAL PLAN TO ACHIEVE INDIA RENEWABLE TARGET OF 175 GW 2022
THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA HAS SET A TARGET OF INSTALLING 175 GW OF RENEWABLE ENERGY CAPACITY BY THE YEAR 2022, WHICH INCLUDES 100 GW FROM SOLAR, 60 GW FROM WIND, 10 GW FROM BIO-POWER AND 5 GW FROM SMALL HYDRO-POWER. INDIA WITNESSED AN ENORMOUS PROGRESS IN ACHIEVING ITS TARGETS, BUT HAS ALSO SEEN VARIOUS HURDLES IN ACHIEVING THE SAME. THE MOST RECENT BEING COVID - 19 OUTBREAK, THE PANDEMIC HAS HALTED ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IN CHINA, A MAJOR GLOBAL SUPPLIER OF SOLAR CELLS AND MODULES AND ALSO HAS IMPACTED THE SOLAR POWER INDUSTRY HARD THROUGH SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTIONS. HERE ARE SOME STRATEGIC STEPS SUGGESTED BY OUR INDUSTRY EXPERTS, TO ACHIEVE THE RENEWABLE TARGET OF 175 GW 2022 IN THE WAKE OF THE COVID - 19 CRISIS.
SOLARQUARTER | APRIL ISSUE 2020 | JUNE ISSUE 2020
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MANOJ GUPTA VP-Solar and Waste to Energy Business Fortum India Pvt Ltd
In an effort towards meeting our Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Government of India has set an ambitious target of achieving 175 GW of its energy production through renewables by December 2022. Earlier this year, there were indications that the renewable energy industry was already lagging behind, and now the COVID-19 pandemic has further slowed down the industry’ s path towards achieving this target. While the government wants to stick to the existing targets, industry players are facing various challenges in carrying out their operations and growing their portfolios. Out of the total 175 GW, the government had planned to meet 100GW through Solar Energy. However, India currently has approximately 37 GW of installed solar capacity, which is less than half of the 2022 target. The failure in implementation of rooftop solar proj ects has been a maj or factor that is responsible for the slowing adoption of solar power last year. Industry/consumers are willing to put solar power on their rooftop and take advantage of cheaper sources of energy but the absence of state policies, Net metering policy are delaying rooftop solar to grow. Understanding the situation and the lack of growth of rooftop policy, MNRE has now come out for development of more solar parks as well as many options in Utility scale solar power plant like various Solar-Wind hybrid models, Round the clock ( RTC ) supply of renewable power, various option with storage, Floating solar plant etc. India has imposed one of the strictest lockdowns in the country owing to the outbreak of the coronavirus. This has caused several disruptions in supply chains and brought a lot of proj ects in their nascent stages to a complete standstill. While the government has classified renewable energy as an essential service, operators have found it difficult to maintain their desired outputs. One of the maj or reasons being that migrant labourers, who form a massive chunk of the workforce in big solar parks and construction proj ects, have gone back to their hometowns and are not expected to return anytime soon. Furthermore, the demand for power has gone down drastically in the last two months, as several people across sectors have been working from home. However, now with the lifting of the lockdown and the ease in restrictions, the demand situation has improved now and reached the pre-covid level. I would say the development of the proj ects are delayed by 3-4 months however the long term forecast still looks bullish. Even before the current crisis, the renewable energy industry in India was going through a slowdown due to several factors. Acquisition of land, evacuation infrastructure, lack of consistent state policies, availability of financing etc. , are some ongoing challenges posing an obstacle in its growth. The Finance Ministry has addressed some of these challenges in the Draft Proposed Amendments to the Electricity Act and in the Five- Tranche economic stimulus package, thereby bringing in some relief to the MSMEs and Discoms that were affected the most. During the COVID-19 pandemic period, we have really felt the value of clean air, green environment etc and a new hope in the mind of even common people. I am sure now there is hope of a new ray and with the help of MNRE, we will recover the time lost from the shutdown and the country will see maximum installation of renewable energy in the balance of 2 year. We may not reach 175 GW but efforts of all need to be appreciated and should focus on the long term goal of 30% power through renewable by 2030.
SOLARQUARTER | APRIL ISSUE 2020 | JUNE ISSUE 2020
MANJESH NAYAK Director / COO Oorjan Cleantech Private Ltd
In 2015, India took the lead in the global initiative for energy transition by setting an ambitious target of 175 GW of Renewable Energy (RE) capacity to be achieved by 2022. However, as on 30th April 2020, at 87. 27 GW of installed RE capacity, we have reached j ust about 50% of the target. While the progress so far is commendable, a lot more needs to be done. To add to this, the COVID19 induced lockdown in many countries has caused severe disruption in the RE supply chain. There are various issues plaguing the growth in the RE sector such as heavy reliance on Chinese imports, the delay in payments to RE developers and opening up of alternate investment avenues as against RE assets. Addressing these issues is a key to achieving our target. We should use this critical period in time to bring in positive reforms and carry out structural changes to build a strong and sustained RE future. To quote Albert Einstein, “in the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity”. Below are some strategic steps that could help us in a sustained energy transition and realise our RE target: Firstly, creation of a robust power infrastructure is critical. This could be done through financial stimulus and technology initiatives. A recent example in this direction is the launch of the Real time Market on 3rd June 2020 for trading electricity closer to real time of operation which would help in integrating a larger quantum of RE resources into the grid. Other infrastructure related initiatives could include promoting and supporting solar cell and other hardware manufacturing units, modernising the power grids, incentivising R&D activities, etc. Secondly, providing tax incentives or holidays and other perks to RE investors. The maj or investments by domestic investors and global funds are in the large scale RE proj ect. These Utility scale RE proj ects have discovered record low tariffs and are crucial in our planned energy transition. Thirdly, India should transfer some of the massive subsidies currently given to fossil fuels to renewable energy. RE subsidy in 2019 was about 12% of the subsidies given to Coal and Oil. As the UN says, the pandemic induced lockdown provides “opportunity for nations to green their recovery packages” and move towards a cleaner future. Fourthly, training and upskilling the youth to meet the demands of a growing RE sector is a must. Expanding the MNRE’ s Suryamitra training programme and providing certification through empanelled institutions would play a critical role. Oorj an’ s Greenstitute initiative is a similar step towards enabling youth and enthusiasts with basic as well as advanced knowledge about Solar. Finally, for a more organic growth of the renewable sector, the RE targets should be enforced through State Governments. This would find more acceptance and it would be easier to address local and political concerns. All these steps are crucial and when coupled with other macro reforms like those for banking credit and supporting MSMEs would enable India to build a resilient RE future.
WE SHOULD USE THIS CRITICAL PERIOD IN TIME TO BRING IN POSITIVE REFORMS AND CARRY OUT STRUCTURAL CHANGES TO BUILD A STRONG AND SUSTAINED RE FUTURE.
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COMPANY FEATURE
SUNGROW
STRING
APPLICATIONS
—
INVERTERS
FOR
C&I
PV
SG33/50/110CX
The commercial and industrial (C&I) PV plants including some rooftops of industri al parks, schools, hospi tals and offi ce bui ldi ngs are recogni zed as an ideal way of investing. However, the diverse applications of C&I rooftops, such as vari ous capaci ti es, di fferent ori entati ons, hi gh temperature, extreme humidity and high corrosiveness, also pose tremendous challenges to the power plants. Often called "the heart" of any PV system, i nverter di rectly determines the plant power generation and revenue. Sungrow provides its stri ng i nverter seri es SG33/50/110CX coveri ng complete appli cati on scenarios, which comprehensively considering the overall system cost, power generati on effi ci ency, return of i nvestment and O&M, so as to ensure that the power plant operates efficiently and get higher benefits.
THESE CX SERIES STRING INVERTERS ARE LOCALLY MANUFACTURED AT SUNGROW’S 3 GW FACTORY NEAR BENGALURU, INDIA AND ARE BEING SUPPLIED SINCE LAST TWO YEARS. Fig.1 SG110CX
Fig.2 SG33/50CX
"n + 1" Flexible Configuration, Lower Cost
IP66 Protection and C5 Anti-Corrosion, Higher Protection
For C&I power plants, Sungrow provides 33kW ~ 110kW power level string inverters in India to adapt to a wide range of applications. It can be seen from figure 3, that for rooftop applications with different capacities, the selection of inverters can follow the principle that the power of single inverter should be higher, and the number of inverters should be less. The flexible configuration of "n high-power string inverters + 1 lowpower string inverter" can reduce the system cost effectively.
In recent years, more and more PV power plants have been installed in coastal and desert areas which poses challenges to inverters. Sungrow string inverter series SG33/50/110CX have significant function and performance improvements. With featured IP66 protection and C5 anticorrosion, they can be installed in harsh environments such as coastal or chemical industrial region and other typical harsh conditions. · The inverter housing adopts the golden section ratio design, combined with intelligent LED, which has both aesthetic and technological feeling. The four corners and the edge cutting all adopt the arc-shaped design and the transition treatment to avoid protruding edges and sharp trimming, which are both humanized and affinity. The main part of the housing adopts aluminum alloy material which is widely used in aircraft fuel tank. It is formed by integrated die casting without any holes or cracks on the surface. The whole inverter is upgraded to IP66 protection level, which can effectively prevent dust and water vapor from entering. The inverter adopts polyester resin spraying, 316 stainless steel external fastener and reaches C5 anti-corrosion level. Multiple high-level protection can easily cope with all kinds of harsh environments. Smart Forced Air Cooling and Multiple MPPTs Compatible with Bifacial Modules, Higher Yield
Fig.3 Flexible Configuration of Commercial and Industrial PV Plants
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General inverters often derate due to the high ambient temperature, particularly in summer the rooftop temperature will be even higher. Compared with natural cooling design, Sungrow inverter adopts smart forced air-cooling design, which can lower the internal ambient temperature and core component temperature of the inverter greatly. With no derating at scorching heat, they significantly improve power generation efficiency and power output of the plant.
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Fig.4 1MW PV Project Utilizing SG110CX in Yecheon, South Korea
WITH NO DERATING AT SCORCHING HEAT, THEY SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE POWER GENERATION EFFICIENCY AND POWER OUTPUT OF THE PLANT.
With increasing attention towards the power generation and cost of the system, new PV technology are gradually applied in such as bifacial modules which require higher DC current input capacity and higher fullload operation capacity of inverter. Sungrow CX series inverters are all designed with multiple MPPTs as well as can run at full load for a long time due to components selection and advanced design, perfectly compatible with bifacial modules, which can solve the mismatch issues caused by the different orientation and partial occlusion of rooftop power plants. The perfect combination of the bifacial modules and the multiple MPPTs can further improve the power generation and bring higher yields. Flexible Monitoring Solution + IV Scanning, Easier O&M
Due to the different application scenarios and requirements of C&I PV plants, Sungrow flexibly designed a complete monitoring solution including wire and wireless communication solution. The whole system supports online commissioning, remote monitoring via iSolarCloud Web/APP, and it has the ability of intelligent management. Meanwhile, Sungrow’ s monitoring solution supports I-V curve scanning and diagnosis which can finish a full-scale plant diagnosis in 15 minutes with the test result deviation for voltage and current less than 0. 5%. The solution makes it easy to locate faults caused by dust shielding, glass panel cracking, dirt shielding, diode short circuit, gate line disconnect and PID attenuation in order to reduce power generation loss.
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Fig.5 Multiple MPPTs Compatible with Bifacial Modules Summary
Sungrow SG33/50/110CX series inverters have a wide range of application scenarios and can be flexibly configured to reduce system costs significantly. It has multiple MPPTs and is compatible with bifacial modules, which can bring higher yields. IP66 protection and C5 anticorrosion level make it easy to adapt to harsh environments. The smart monitoring solution can adapt to different field scenarios and accurately locate faults to ensure the power generation benefits of PV power plants. Due to so many advantages, these series have been widely deployed across the globe in diverse arrays of applications and environmental conditions.
Sungrow CX series inverters are all designed with multiple MPPTs as well as can run at full load for a long time due to components selection and advanced design, perfectly compatible with bifacial modules, which can solve the mismatch issues caused by the different orientation and partial occlusion of rooftop power plants. PG 23
PRODUCT FEATURE
GOODWE INTRODUCES MUCH POWERFUL & INTELLIGENT STRING INVERTERS – HT SERIES 100-136KW GoodWe is a leading, strategically thinking enterprise which focuses on research and manufacturing of PV inverters and energy storage solutions. GoodWe is pleased to introduce new capacity of string inverters HT Series 100kW to 136kW. GoodWe being world’ s leading player in Commercial & Industrial solar inverter solutions with extremely successful SMT & MT series inverters deployed across India, incorporated its decade old experience to present HT Series String Inverters. HT Series inverters have various capacity inverter range of 100kW, 120kW and 136kW. HT series offers 100kW-136kW models with 1100V DC input. The 100kW model will come with 10MPPTs and a DC input voltage of 1100V and other inverters of 1100Vdc for 120/136kW will come with 12 MPPTs. Low voltage grid operational capability of 400Vac is available on 100/120kW string inverter and high voltage 500/540Vac available on 136kW. The new HT-Series seamlessly incorporates different sets of technical strengths intended to achieve higher savings in the installation, enhancing productivity and diversify the monitoring options available, taking safety to the maximum possible level in accordance with the most demanding national standards. This inverter also introduces innovations and technological flexibilities that make it highly compelling as a viable utility option. The result of all this extensive list of advantages is a wellconceived, harmonious, technologically advanced and asset ownercentered inverter that is also pleasant to see. The HT-Series strengths can be broadly classified on the following categories: STRONG PERFORMANCE - MINIMAL LCOE – HIGHER YIELD:
The HT inverter is compatible with Bi-facial Modules and is perfectly suited for the increasing demand of bi-facial modules, ensuring a maximum utilization of available solar energy. It offers 12 MPPT for maximum yield of solar energy along with inter-operability with tracking systems which make it a truly great machine for the new era. HT series offers a high efficiency of 99% minimizing mismatch losses keeping and maximizing intelligent energy generation. 50% DC oversizing capabilities along with 15% AC overloading to fulfill the energy generation demands. Furthermore, the HT Series can help maximize generation across the entire PV system with its capability of low voltage start-up and full output in harsh environments of 50 degrees Celsius.
The new HT-Series seamlessly incorporates different sets of technical strengths intended to achieve higher savings in the installation, enhancing productivity and diversify the monitoring options available LOWER SYSTEM COST:
The HT series also boasts integrated string level monitoring and built in SPD on AC & DC side which makes it a system cost friendly machine. An integrated Anti-PID function removes the need for a separate PID box, saving on additional costs. It features PLC communications and comes with Optical Fiber Ring Network for an uninterrupted strong performance along with Lifetime free inverter monitoring solution provided with the inverter to monitor energy generation and Return of Investment. SAFEST INVERTER OF THE TIME:
The HT series offers No Fuse No LCD design with Full Film capacitor design. The lifespan of Film Capacitor is more than 4 times longer than Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitor in environments above 70 ℃ . It comes with AC connector temperature detection ensuring better safety and high reliability. HT series inverters boast optional AC breakers and Anti-PID protections and incorporate humidity and temperature detection devices. To ensure high reliability, the HT Series features IP66 enclosures to enhance inverter performance keeping it protected from heavy dust ingress and high-pressure water jets from any direction. HT Inverters are built for harsh condition exposure, can be deployed in floating solar systems and can operate perfectly in extremely harsh environments such as deserts or storms. Innovative and versatile monitoring options for lower maintenance costs: In addition to features such as compatibility with aluminum cables that allow for lower installations costs, the versatile and comprehensive monitoring options of the HT-Series ultimately help operators to ensure low maintenance costs. The HT-Series is capable of conducting string and plant level health diagnosis, IV curve diagnosis and for further enhancement, the monitoring system has the potential to be significantly enhanced with addition of weather stations. Also, the series is compatible with third-party monitoring devices, enabling users to configure settings via Bluetooth, along with options to check detected faults on USB flash disks.
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On the back of a strong deployment of the GoodWe MT-Series inverter across the world, GoodWe was identified last year by IHS as 4th largest supplier of three-phase string inverters on a global scale. GoodWe has 12 modern production lines in 2 plants in Suzhou & Guangde with a total capacity of 12GW implemented with 50% automation to increase the production efficiency and quality. GoodWe has signed strategic cooperation agreements with many leading global distributors and aims to continuously improve its services, enhance the quality and tailor-make the features of the products to constantly exceed market expectations.
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COMPANY FEATURE
LONGI FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, LI ZHENGUO, JOINED BUSINESS LEADERS AT THE UNITED NATIONS GLOBAL COMPACT (UNGC) LEADERS’ SUMMIT 2020
In keynote, Mr. Li said that that demand-supply imbalance caused by COVID-19 epidemic will result in price falls, increased competitiveness and accelerate the development of photovoltaic power. The United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) Leaders’ Summit 2020 kicked off on 15th June, marking 20 years of uniting business for a better world. This year’ s Summit was held virtually, which allowed participants and Global Compact Local networks to join in their own time zone. Global leaders and enterprise representatives from all over the world came together to discuss how to rebuild inclusive and sustainable economic and social solutions to achieve a world that combines social justice, low-carbon development, climate resilience. LONGi is the only Chinese company involved in the Summit which saw participation of over 10, 000 companies from 156 countries. On the morning of June 16th, Founder and President of LONGi Group, Mr. Li Zhenguo, spoke about “How to invest in an orderly and better way for the global sustainable future under the COVID-19 epidemic” in his keynote at the Asia-Pacific Arena, together with Dr. Gao Li, WHO Representative of China and Nicolas Vix, CEO of the French Agricultural Credit Bank (China) Co. , Ltd. "The COVID-19 outbreak inevitably brings challenges to renewable energy companies. This epidemic, now in every part of the world, will eventually ends. Countries will renew focus in the development of their energy security and localization. The short-term imbalance of supply and demand will see prices of photovoltaic products falling rapidly, thereby increasing the competitiveness of photovoltaic power. We believe that clean energy, especially the development of photovoltaic power, will accelerate when the epidemic ends. " Mr. Li Zhenguo said. "To develop clean energy, the industry itself must promote the reduction of LCOE and encourage more people use clean energy. The renewable energy industry can also be cleaner in their own manufacturing processes. Since 2016, LONGi has deployed production capacity in locations with ample hydropower. We took the lead in using clean energy to produce clean energy products. We will promote the sustainable development concept of ' Solar for Solar” to gradually reduce the carbon footprint of LONGi clean energy products. " Mr. Li Zhenguo added.
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The UNGC has developed a portfolio of Action Platforms to inspire new and leading approaches to sustainable business. At the Summit, the "Sustainable Infrastructure” Action Platform was launched to help countries along the Belt and Road Initiative solve complex sustainability challenges and to innovate around the global SDG goals. As a solar technology company headquartered in Xi’ an, at the starting point of the Silk Road, LONGi has provided insights for the sustainable development of the Belt and Road Initiative. "As we all know, many countries across the Belt and Road Initiative are neighbors with abundant resources. Clean energy transmission and applications can be achieved through collaborations. In coastal areas, clean energy can be used for seawater desalination while introducing desalinated seawater and freshwater into the estuary and into inland desert areas. This will achieve ecological restoration, turn deserts into oasis and achieve negative carbon development. " Mr. Li Zhenguo explained. LONGi joined the RE100 in March 2020, committing to sourcing 100% of renewable electricity across its entire global operations by 2028, with an interim target of 70% by 2027. The commitment to RE100 reinforced the company’ s drive towards a negative carbon earth. Energy transition is a global issue of common concern and LONGi has joined the international community to face the challenges and develop opportunities for sustainable development together. Mr. Li concluded, "2020 marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of UNGC. It is also the 20th anniversary of the establishment of LONGi. The principles that UNGC adheres to coincide with the clean energy concept LONGi holds dear. We are optimistic about the future of renewable energy, we will implement the concept of ' Solar for Solar' , and promote the transformation of the energy mix with members of the UNGC and our partners worldwide. "
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PRODUCT FEATURE
TBEA NEW ENERGY TS208KTL-HV
The road of TBEA' s inverter production began as early as 2000. At that time, the inverter market was monopolized by foreign technologies, and there were no mature technical products in China. TBEA faced the dilemma from scratch, but this did not bother them. After three years of painstaking research, they passed. In the way of cooperation between universities, TBEA will transform the inverter products from prototype to maturity. Product maturity does not mean market recognition. It took another 17 years for TBEA Xinjiang New Energy Co. , Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as TBEA New Energy) from product maturity in 2003 to industrial production to become the industry' s leading enterprise. In the inverter industry of "a big change in three years and a reshuffle in five years", too many companies have retired from the limelight in 17 years. The inverter business of TBEA New Energy has spread to more than 20 countries including India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam, and its cumulative shipments have exceeded 30GW. Inverter products have also gradually expanded from the earliest centralized inverters to current high-power cascade inverters. TBEA New Energy has the world' s first 200kW and more string inverters, TS208KTL-HV products, which can support up to 36 strings of photovoltaic strings and 12 MPPTs, reducing the power generation caused by the parallel mismatch of strings Loss; Max. Efficiency≼ 99. 02% , capacity ratio of more than 1. 7 times, output overload capacity of 1. 1 times, support 3. 15 MW+ square matrix, can meet the needs of the global market; the protection level of the whole machine reaches IP66, anticorrosion level C5, using no-fuse design , Can fully adapt to harsh environments such as salt spray, high humidity, high wind and sand, extend the service life of the equipment, LCOE overall reduction of more than 7%.
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TBEA New Energy uses TS208KTL-HV high-power string inverter as the core support, and uses AI, 5G, big data, cloud computing and other technologies to achieve dual-end data fusion from the cloud to the station, providing the equipment layer and pipeline. The three-layer core management of the data layer and the data layer creates a targeted "dualend, three-layer, multi-scenario" smart photovoltaic solution for comprehensive scenarios such as different terrains, different system configurations, and different application environments. Several largescale photovoltaic projects such as the Indian ACME 200MW desert power station, the Indian BOSCH roof power station, the China Huaneng Yimin open-pit coal mine power station, and the China Guangdong Nuclear Power Plant have been successfully connected to the grid in 2019, making India and China become global. The first batch of countries with 1500V 200kW and above photovoltaic projects connected to the grid. With these achievements, in the "2019 Global Top 500 New Energy Enterprises List", TBEA New Energy' s ranking has steadily increased by 8 places, ranking 89th. This year, TBEA New Energy' s two inverter assembly lines in Bangalore, India were also officially completed, with a planned production capacity of 3GW.
In the inverter industry of "a big change in three years and a reshuffle in five years", too many companies have retired from the limelight in 17 years. The inverter business of TBEA New Energy has spread to more than 20 countries including India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam, and its cumulative shipments have exceeded 30GW.
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COMPANY FEATURE
SOLIS INVERTER PORTFOLIO ACHIEVES CERTIFICATION FROM THE BUREAU OF INDIAN STANDARDS
Ginlong Technologies, a global leader in photovoltaic string inverter manufacturing, has successfully completed certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for its entire portfolio of residential and commercial inverters, ranging from 1kW to 80kW. As one of the earliest company listed as BIS-certified inverter in India, Solis underscores its commitment to the highest levels of quality, delivering intelligent, reliable and bankable inverters to homes and businesses across the country. The BIS-listed inverters are available as of June
"We work hard to deliver reliable, high-quality inverters; a safe working environment in our factories, and ecologically-sound manufacturing processes. Just another reason why customers trust Solis for quality and service excellence."
Solis inverters now authorized under the BIS include two single-phase models (1-5kW), two three-phase products from its 4G suite (5-60kW) and two commercial inverters (25-80kW) from its latest high-efficiency 5G platform. All Solis inverters were already certified according to stringent International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards prior to receiving the BIS from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) for implementation of the quality order. "As one of the oldest manufacturers of string inverter technology, Solis has passed the toughest quality certifications - around the world - since 2005, " says Idrish Khan, Chief Technical Officer for Solis India. "The BIS certification recognizes our standards for high product quality and manufacturing excellence in the Indian PV market. " Ginlong Technologies has implemented strict quality control measures at every level of production, ensuring that products and processes are of the highest quality, superior design and optimum output. From procurement of raw materials and components to the final roll out of products, international standards are adhered to. The BIS certification through its core activities of standardization and conformity assessment. "Solis is dedicated to the health of its employees, its customer and the planet, " says Khan. "We work hard to deliver reliable, high-quality inverters; a safe working environment in our factories, and ecologically-sound manufacturing processes. Just another reason why customers trust Solis for quality and service excellence. "
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COMPANY FEATURE
BACKSHEET - A GUARD FOR YOUR SOLAR MODULES With the huge thrust on Renewable Energy Segment, a rapid growth of Global Solar PV market has been observed in the last five years. Lot of new demands were created - utility scale and roof-top segment have been phenomenal across the World. But often it has been observed that quality issues with the solar module come as an attached nightmare for the Industry. Rampant drive towards reduction of cost of solar power and ignorance about the solar modules’ materials aspects and its contribution towards life, have often lead to quality compromises which mostly lead to these problems. One of the most critical constituent materials used in the construction of a Solar PV module is the backsheet. The backsheet is the outermost layer of the PV module placed at the non-sunny side of it. While the backsheet contributes only 4-5 % of the total cost of a solar panel, the criticality of a solar panel backsheet is quite high compared to its cost contribution. While choosing any solar panel, one needs to give enough thought in figuring out more about the backsheet. High quality backsheet will ensure solar panels’ longevity and ability to survive very difficult environmental conditions for 25 long years. The backsheet is basically a polymeric laminate that protects the PV module from UV rays, moisture and other weathering aspects along with guarding as an electrical insulator. Thus it should have the superlative properties of protection against moisture ingress, weatherability, mechanical strength, adhesion, dielectric properties, reflectivity etc. or an optimized balance of all of these. Generally, backsheet is a three-layer laminate but there are lot of varieties available in the market be it the basic protective layers like flouride-based polymers, polyesters, polyamides, polypropylene etc. or thickness or combination of layers. Till decade and half back, Tedlar was the only choice for protective layers of backsheets for solar modules – and it is still the only polymer that has proved its long-term (25 years or more) reliability in the field. The demand based economy had driven the backsheet industry to come up with newer technology based solutions in the form of PVDF which already has a proven track record of more than a decade.
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To serve the purpose of cost reduction, industry has seen the evolution of materials along with layers getting thinner and fewer, removal of solid innermost layer with PE based solution or usage of coatings. A wrong choice of backsheet can lead to severe adverse effect on modules and its very early failure due to backsheet’ s cracking, yellowing and delamination etc. SWELECT Energy Systems Limited has it’ s presence in the Indian Electrical and Electronics market for more than 35 years and owns HHV Solar, which is one of the most reputed brands in Indian Solar PV market, mostly known for its quality of solar modules. The first and foremost ethical approach of this Company is to abide by the performance commitment of its solar modules for 25 years in reality so that the power producer’ s investment economics should not get suffered after a few years. In ensuring the same, the Company has always insisted on using the best of the constituent materials chosen from across the Globe as it believes the quality of a module is as good as its choice of constituent materials. The BoM of SWELECT (HHV SOLAR) modules have always ensured the use of either Tedlar or PVDF based backsheet having superior specifications than the minimum requirement, be it the thickness of the core PET layer or overall thickness or the use of non-melting inner layer or specific technical parameters like WVTR, peel strength, better UV and sand abrasions resistance etc. Another important aspect is the choice of laminator i. e. the backsheet manufacturer. A lot depends on the art and expertise of making the backsheet. In order to ensure true 25 years’ life of the module, SWELECT never compromises on the choice of materials, even in today’ s severe price sensitive Indian market scenario. SWELECT always uses the backsheets manufactured by the best of brands from across the world which has perfected the technology and have long presence in the market and well regarded in the Industry. These all ensures the true longer life during field exposure for 25 years in the harsh ambient condition. The onus of choosing the backsheet in a module still lies with the customers but it’ s prudent to remember that a poor quality backsheet can result in catastrophic failures which pose serious threats to installers and Operation & Maintenance of the plant, other than the economics attached to the whole equation of investment.
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COMPANY FEATURE
THE IN
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ENERGISING A CLEAN AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE Reliable energy supports growth of the key segments of an economy viz, industrial, agricultural, trade and transportation. These are the building blocks that scatter and reach people to help and prosper for a better future. With the best solar system installations across the globe, Waaree Energies Limited is generating clean energy for a brighter tomorrow. With strong emphasis on high-quality, advanced innovation and timely execution, Waaree, over the years, has completed over 600 MW worth of EPC projects and supplied modules generating over 2. 8 GW power globally. Our growth is powered by the large portfolio of photovoltaic (PV) modules, rooftop solution, EPC projects and various solar products. With vertically integrated business approach and environment-friendly solutions across the solar value chain, we have delivered superior customer satisfaction every time. We are well-positioned to surge ahead in the global energy landscape with a talented workforce, extensive retail network and supportive Government policies. The Company’ s vision to expand globally with cleaner and greener energy solutions will increase energy security, enhance sustainability and value for all.
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Our vision is to provide high quality and cost effective sustainable energy solutions across all the markets, reducing carbon foot-print, paving way for sustainable energy thereby improving quality of present and future human life.
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Headquartered in Mumbai India, Waaree Energies is a part of Waaree Group founded in 1989. Waaree is both a Global leading manufacturer of solar PV modules and a provider of solar energy solutions, with over 2500 employees globally. Owning to the state-of-the-art module manufacturing facility of 2 GW Waaree is now the largest Module manufacturer in India. Waaree has delivered more than 2. 8 GW of premium quality solar modules to customers in over 30 countries in the past 12 years. Waaree is the only Indian company to listed consecutively for 21 quarters in Bloomberg New Energy Finance’ s Tier 1 Module Manufacturers ranking in terms of bankability. Waaree has over 350 franchisees across India which is the largest sales and service network held by any Solar company.
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By virtue of our commitment to our stakeholders, we strive for continuous improvement in the quality of our products and services.
We deliver the most advanced solar PV modules with the latest technology and durability. With high potential of our new Super 400 module series, we are looking at an exponential growth trajectory. Our fully-integrated approach to EPC projects and rooftop solutions with strong execution capabilities, make our unique solar solutions a sound investment with greater peace of mind. Also, by entering new markets and growing our product portfolio, we are constantly helping people around the world, transition to a self-sufficient energy supply model. Over the years, Waaree has strategically enhanced its module manufacturing capacities. Our avant-garde automated production facility offers mono & poly crystalline PV Modules ranging from 3Wp to 400Wp for various on-grid and off-grid applications across India and exported globally. With the best-in-class capacity, the Company has achieved higher productivity, efficient utilizations and carved a niche on the solar energy landscape globally. During the year, the Company expanded its solar PV module manufacturing capacity with a new 1 GW facility in Vapi, which took the overall module manufacturing capacity from 2 GW. . As a result, the Company is well placed to reinforce its position as the leading solar PV module manufacturer and capitalize on the opportunities offered by the country’ s next leg of growth journey. Our manufacturing facilities are equipped with globally benchmarked machineries which are currently used by top tier PV players. Deep-rooted foundation and expertise in every field has enabled us to deliver high-quality affordable solar products and consistent service to our customers With its commitment to rigorous R&D and continuous innovation, the Company has launched high efficiency Super 400 series, a Mono PERC Module, with 400Wp output and the Super 400 Pro Module, a Bifacial module, with up to 30% higher output. We also introduced world-class Merlin technology for the first time in the country. We, at Waaree, follow strict production guidelines and the best-in-class standards for our manufacturing processes with successful third party audits. By procuring reliable quality raw material and conducting stringent quality checks in our state-of-the-art In-house testing laboratory, we ensure excellence across our products and services. CATALYZING THE ENERGY REVOLUTION THROUGH EXTENSIVE FRANCHISEE NETWORK For us, being close to our customers is more than just geographical proximity. We are focused to actively support and transform lives of the customers through our widespread franchisee network and retail stores under the brand Waaree, especially in tier 2 and tier 3 cities. Our franchisees have got deep understanding of the local markets where they operate, thereby building a sustainable growth ecosystem. We constantly strive to reach out to more customers and exceed expectations through accessible and quality products that add true value. Waaree has the largest franchisee network of over 350 franchises across the county BEYOND BOUNDARIES: OUR GROWING GLOBAL FOOTPRINT
Waaree Energies Is Powering India Forward With Its Presence Across The Solar Energy Sector In Various Regions Of The Country And Across The Globe. We are truly energised by the strengths which the Company has built over the years. Our aspirations are aligned with the Governments vision of addressing the increasing energy demand by promoting solar energy solutions. With a broad product offering, quality solar modules and excellent services, Waaree continues to create a difference in people’ s lives and increase value for the stakeholders. Our robust capabilities to execute projects even under difficult scenario and within the committed timeframe has positioned us at the forefront of the industry. Looking ahead, we aim to place the ‘ Waaree’ brand as the country’ s leading solar player and amongst the top five players globally. Waaree serves as a ‘ one-stop solution’ providing advanced value-added products that are optimally designed. We are present across the solar spectrum with PV modules, rooftop solar, floating solar, various solar products, EPC services, while also extending to operations and maintenance services and energy storage solutions.
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The Company expanded its global footprint by commissioning 49. 5 MW ground mounted solar project in Vietnam. With an expected power generation of more than 78, 600 MWh per year, the project marks Waaree' s presence and expertise in the international market. With strengthening fundamentals and a clear vision, the Company plans to spread internationally by setting up around 30 retail franchisee across the potential markets in next three years.
With its commitment to rigorous R&D and continuous innovation, the Company has launched high efficiency Super 400 series, a Mono PERC Module, with 400Wp output and the Super 400 Pro Module, a Bifacial module, with up to 30% higher output.
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INSIGHTS
ENERGY TRANSITION A NECESSITY, NOT A WISH - ROLE OF INTERCONTINENTAL GRIDS IN ACCELERATING ENERGY TRANSITION FOR INDIA & GLOBE
Author: Abhishek Ranjan The author is presently working in power distribution sector in Delhi and has been contributing to the industry for over 2 decades. The views expressed are personal.
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The Global CO2 emissions related to energy has alarmingly increased over 10 times in the past century.
RE sources are characterised by two maj or attributes – 24x7 availability if tapped across time zones and variability / Intermittency. RE has a load following characteristic and is more flexible compared to fossil fuel based sources. The very weakness of the RE viz. variability and intermittency, can be turned into its strength provided human race is able to better understand the RE phenomenon through technology viz. AI and ML, thereby reduce the MAPE. In this direction, attempts are being made through mixing of RE sources with storage to create a despatchable product, which is firm on the grid. While some welcome steps have been taken through RTC and Peak power bids as floated by SECI, much needs to be done in terms of product design to make it economic and reliable. Quantum of energy storage to be considered may not be more than the forecasting MAPE of RE sources. In other words, fast ramping balancing storage should be used to firm up the natural generation profile and not completely alter the generation profile to say a flat constant curve.
Source: IEA, Global energy-related CO2 emissions, 1900-2020, IEA, Paris https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/global-energy-related-co2emissions-1900-2020
The globe is undergoing rapid and massive changes as the human race, races towards more “development”. Development does require energy – lots of it, but unfortunately, maj or quantum of energy is still sourced from fossil fuels. TOTAL PRIMARY ENERGY SUPPLY BY SOURCES FOR INDIA (SOURCE IEA) ktoe
Intercontinental grids through, under-sea cables, is a well thought of initiative by Honb’ le PM of India, which is timely and a related diversification of India’ s initiative of Global Solar Alliance. The undersea HVDC power cables interconnecting continents could be supplementing or even replacing the present energy trade across continents through oil tankers, which are both polluting and much costlier.
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The usage of HVDC interconnectors could also help connect continents with ease, operating on different AC frequencies.
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The intercontinental grids are envisaged to transport Renewable energy (Sun, Wind) from surplus zones to deficit zones (export), which would be import for the deficit zones.
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While there are talks of million microgrids, there is a need for backup network for these million microgrids in the form of sustainable, reliable and economic RE power transmitted over long low loss cables on the sea beds.
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The intercontinental grid utilizes the time zone difference between the continents, which is helpful in managing both the demand (local demand in different zones will be different as per local time zones and related economic activities) as well as variable RE generation based upon local weather conditions. It can help mitigate the problems of plenty locally, thereby limiting the curtailment problem. In fact there is sweet spot which can be achieved by suitable mix of RE sources, local storage and wires to be used for intercontinental grids, which makes economic sense. Successful implementation of intercontinental renewable grids has the potential to accelerate the energy transition on the planet and open vistas of opportunities for global economy.
Source: IEA
It can be seen that while China is stabilizing, US, UK and Germany have shown steady declining trend. India’ s CO2 emissions of its energy mix has an opportunity to be tamed and the same can be achieved rapidly through rapid transition to RE sources.
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In fact, this could enable renewable power esp. solar energy to become the new oil of the century and in true sense usher in an era of democratization of energy, unlike present pockets of oil and coal.
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PERSPECTIVE
WHAT IS NEEDED FOR THE INDIAN SOLAR POWER SECTOR TO BE SELF RELIANT?
On May 12, the Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, announced a special economic package of Rs 20 lakh crore (equivalent to 10% of India’s GDP) with the aim of making the country independent against the tough competition in the global supply chain and to help in empowering the poor, labourers, migrants who have been adversely affected by COVID. Following this announcement, the Finance Minister, Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman, through five press conferences, announced the detailed measures under the economic package. In the energy sector a liquidity support of Rs 90,000 crore will be provided to power discoms. These will be in the form of funds from Power Finance Corporation and Rural Electrification Corporation. Discoms will also be provided with state government guaranteed loans exclusively for discharging their liabilities to power generation companies.
Let us understand from our industry experts, of what is needed for the Indian solar power sector to be self reliant.
| JUNE ISSUE 2020
MANIK GARG Director BD Saatvik Group
There are two industrial development structures which generally any industrially focused country or government adopts. Forward integration meaning you start from the bottom of supply chain and pyramid will automatically get constructed by the private sector, or backward integration where you allow initiative in the private sector towards the top, maybe by pumping some benefits, and later help them grow deeper toward the bottom. What we have done in power sector or solar sector in particular is the later. Due it highly evolving technology and high investment, which properly structured incentives, we have seen that the industry has become too dependent on China to complete the pyramid. Now the focus has to be on building a strong base, so that India can control the entire supply chain, making itself sustainable and self reliant. Our strong leadership at center is taking certain steps in this direction. I think, there are 2 ways to go about it. Either, you protect the top i. e. end of supply chain, by eliminating foreign competition and export incentives, helping them grow and eventually they will integrate backward. Else, create a government organization which can seed the plant at the bottom i. e. 1st step of supply chain, and help the domestic industry gr
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VINAYAK DESHPANDE Head SCM Enrich Energy Pvt. Ltd, Pune
The recent “Atma Nirbhar” (self-reliant) call was across the sectors and I believe Solar Power is already on its way to achieve this. Clean energy from the sun will enable the country to achieve higher echelons in terms of development in a self-reliant way. India captured the 5th spot for global Solar Power Generation in 2018 and was ranked third on the Ernst and Young Energy Country Attractive Index 2019. With the government setting ambitious 225 GW Solar Power installation target by 2022, and re-affirming their commitment through 90, 000 Crore stimulus package to DISCOMS, the Solar Power Generation sector looks more sturdy and robust than any other power generation sector to overcome challenging times due to COVID 19 pandemic. However, post COVID-19, the circumstances will mark a new beginning for the entire sector. Developers and EPC will look to cash in the first opportunity to complete stranded proj ects and set the cash flow cycle running. Stressed supply chains globally and availability of local labor shall make this task more daunting than ever. Unlike Automobile or Manufacturing the demand cycle is already in place for most of the Solar Power Sector, with PPAs for more than 10+ GW already in place, the starting ignition thrust requirement is not high at all. Though external and internal Supply Chain challenges have become difficult in short term, some meticulous planning and internal organization readiness can help the sector win this race. In terms of value, almost 70% of the Proj ect cost is made up by components like modules, SMB, Switchgear, SCADA, WMS, and Structural Steel. These are dependent on certain imported contents, which makes them susceptible to fluctuations in global demand cycles, raw material availability and currency movements. Shipping costs and logistics paperwork too add to cost and lead time. The shear business volumes of these components and growth potential, presents an opportunity to localize, by investing in Research and Development of indigenous material, products and production processes suited for India. Volume based price advantage is likely to be the most significant challenge as supply chains focus on indigenous equipment, however with the government releasing the pressure lid from the DISCOMS, initiating easy credit availability, such initiatives will act as a favorable lever for cost optimization. However a very short term rise in bid tariffs should not be ruled out, but will eventually lead to rationalization of tariffs in mid to long term. In simple terms, an “Atma Nirbhar” solar power sector is not a distant dream but possible reality, provided that Developers and EPC players continue to patronize and promote indigenous products and designs. In turn domestic manufacturers need to focus on NPI, alternate raw material, mechanized construction techniques and modular structures to reduce time and cost and improve viability. The success of a business ecosystem lies in the power to collaborate and it calls for more adaptation than investment.
VINEET MITTAL Director Navitas Solar
Indian solar sector has come a long way in the last ten years from almost less than a GW cumulative solar installation to more than 40GW installed and 30GW under installation and very soon reaching the ambitious 100GW target. And in the process, India has become the world' s 3rd largest solar market, after China and the USA. The utility-scale solar has grown rapidly with the central and state level reverse auction tenders. But a lot remains to be desired in the distributed solar market viz Rooftop and solar pumps market. Few maj or bottlenecks being disparity in net metering regulations and capacity constraints for the rooftop solar market. And in the Solar pumps market, since it is unorganized, there are a lot of small local players who have limitations of manpower and working capital finance. Hopefully, with the advent of the Kusum scheme, this market will gain traction from larger players also and will benefit the end-user Indian farmers. For ground mount solar proj ects, the open-access captive and third party sale market can still be developed if policies support is available. A state like Guj arat has very limited open-access solar proj ects compared to other states. Hence, policy measures like monthly banking, discount on open-access charges and losses, etc. And of course, transmission and land acquisition process has to be eased. But the main bottleneck that still remains is the high dependence on equipment imports from China. So, we need a robust local manufacturing policy for the whole ecosystem including solar panels ( solar cells, wafers, etc), inverters, etc comes to India. Once we have sufficient local manufacturing, Indian solar plants can have better service support, higher uptime, and better output due to all these factors. We have seen the benefit of a thriving automobile manufacturing sector and the same should be envisaged for solar sector to protect Indian power sector in the longer run.
| JUNE ISSUE 2020
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ANIMESH DAMANI Partner Artha Energy Resources
Why does India need to stop stressing about being self-reliant in solar? India has one of the world’ s largest and most ambitious solar programmes. India continues to lead the world in battling climate change and furthering the commitment our Prime Minister Narendra Modi made to the world at the COP 21 Summit in Paris in 2015. India is j ust one of the eight countries on track to meet its commitments which entails setting up of 175 GW of renewable power by 2022, and solar to contribute 100 GW in it. In a bid to be effective, solar power had to achieve price parity against coalgenerated power. From PPA’ s of Rs 18+ in 2011 to Rs 2. 44 in 2018, the cost of procuring power from solar has fallen drastically. However in this j ourney of building from 1MW in 2009 to a capacity of 34GW in May 2020, India has failed miserably on building self-reliance to meet internal demand for Solar PV Modules. This led to imports meeting more than 90% of the country’ s internal demand. even though the government has been trying to build and support local manufacturing under its flagship “Make in India” program. Though noble, the country must decide between “Make in India” or cheaper solar power. Our manufacturers are unable to compete on the pricing and quality offered by their Chinese competitors. The Chinese have deep vertical integration of the supply chain straight from making of ingots to wafers to cells to modules. On the contrary, India does not have any local manufacturing of ingots and wafers in the country and is entirely dependent on China for the same. The Silicon cell manufacturing capacity is about 3. 1 GW (split between 18 companies), and that of Modules is 11 GW (consisting of 175 companies). Apart from a couple of GW scale companies, most are in the 50-200 MW range. The fragmented nature of the Indian manufacturers does not offer any economies of scale. This makes them more expensive and unable to invest in upgradation of their technology. Moreover, the simple figure of 11 GW of modules and 3. 1 GW of Silicon cell manufacturing is enough to say that most of the module manufacturers in the country are assemblers who are heavily dependent on imports to assemble the modules in India. In the absence of any manufacturing base for Silicon ingots and wafer, we rely on imports to make the cells. And without a large cell manufacturing base, our modules will continue to contain imported cells. Hence, without a comprehensive policy to focus on building a vertically integrated supply chain, isn' t the entire concept of making India self-reliant in solar j ust a mere talk?
| JUNE ISSUE 2020
To compete, India introduced new measures in 2018. (a) Safeguard Duty on imports of PV Cells and Modules, (b) Mandatory BIS certification, (c) Registration of Cell & Module companies with MNRE. However, these measures failed to arrest the growth of imports in India. On the contrary, The imposition of Safeguard duty slowed India’ s capacity addition and increased prices for utility-scale proj ects by 15-20 paise while making rooftop proj ects more capital intensive. In January this year, SECI successfully auctioned manufacturing linked tender for the development of new factories to manufacture 3GW of cell & module. It was linked to the installation of 12 GW of utility-scale proj ects with modules produced in these new factories. The winning price for these auctions is at Rs 2. 92 Kw/hr, which is more than 42 paise higher than SECI’ s auction of 1. 2 GW of ISTS linked proj ects in February 2020. These manufacturing capacities are expected to come up in 2022, and installations will begin after that until 2025. It is a well-accepted fact that modules prices have continued to fall, and there has been massive improvements in cell efficiency and other technology parameters for Solar modules. So, today’ s 42 paise higher cost might turn out to be more than Re 1 by 2025. This raise the cost of power for the end consumer, many of which are Industries. Wouldn’ t this work against “Make in India”?Lastly, this manufacturing linked tender still does not address the lack of ingots and wafer building capacity in the country. In conclusion, it is evident that “Make in India”, and cheaper solar power cannot happen simultaneously. The increased cost of Solar power eventually hurts the end consumer including industries and work against the “Make in India” concept. It does not work well for the end goal of obtaining cheap clean energy. By trying to build self-reliant capacity, it is imperative to figure out how to run a race that has already been won by your competitor. Maybe, it is time to let go of this obsession or at least work on a more comprehensive policy that focuses on vertical supply chain building and cost efficiency. Lastly, I strongly believe our focus should shifttowards building a vertically integrated supply chain for battery manufacturing in the country. Let’ s build these batteries in India and not assemble the batteries in India. It is well known that India will see a massive demand for these batteries to stabilize the grid with increased power from renewable sources as well as for its EV ambitions. Let’ s focus on winning the race for a change!!
In conclusion, it is evident that “Make in India”, and cheaper solar power cannot happen simultaneously. The increased cost of Solar power eventually hurts the end consumer including industries and work against the “Make in India” concept.
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PERSPECTIVE
MEGA-SCALE SOLAR FARMS
VS DECENTRALIZE SOLAR ENERGY WITH BATTERY STORAGE Solar power in India is a fast developing industry. The country's solar installed capacity reached 37.627 GW as of 31 March 2020.India has the lowest capital cost per MW globally to install solar power plants.The Indian government had an initial target of 20 GW capacity for 2022, which was achieved four years ahead of schedule. In 2015 the target was raised to 100 GW of solar capacity (including 40 GW from rooftop solar) by 2022, targeting an investment of US$100 billion. India has established nearly 42 solar parks to make land available to the promoters of solar plants. In a decade ending on 31 March 2020, India expanded its installed solar power capacity by 233 times from 161 MW to 37,627 MW.Rooftop solar power accounts for 2.1 GW, of which 70% is industrial or commercial. In addition to its large-scale gridconnected solar photovoltaic (PV) initiative, India is developing offgrid solar power for local energy needs. Solar products have increasingly helped to meet rural needs; by the end of 2015 just under one million solar lanterns were sold in the country, reducing the need for kerosene. That year, 118,700 solar home lighting systems were installed and 46,655 solar street lighting installations were provided under a national program; just over 1.4 million solar cookers were distributed in India.
Let us analyse from our industries expert the future of solar sector,
SOMESHWER DUTT SHARMA CTO & Head – Solar Projects Sun Renewables
India has shown excellent progress in solar by installation of cumulative capacity of 38. 7 GW which includes ~ 32 GW utility scale ground mount solar PV and 5. 8 GW Roof top solar and 0. 9 GW off grid solar. In the near future, floating solar is going to be another vertical to support the solar industry. Leading organizations i. e NHPC and NTPC ltd are going to take a lead in this vertical. NHPC proposes to develop around 2. 8 GW floating solar on various reservoirs in India. Indian solar industry has implemented the central inverters 500 kW @1000 Vdc to 3. 125 MW @ 1500 Vdc in utility scale solar PV power plants in the last decade. Now Indian utility scale solar industry is moving towards use of string solar inverters due to inherent benefits of high energy yield, reliability, and easy O & M. Govt. of India has started to release tenders on utility scale solar PV power plants with Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) for Round the Clock power supply. Now, it will be an industry trend to develop solar plants or hybrid (solar + Wind) plants with storage.
| JUNE ISSUE 2020
We are also expecting a change in design engineering practise to reduce LCOE by various ways i. e different orientation of PV array for BoS reduction & land requirement or implementing reflectors based on solar optics engineering for enhancement of energy yield in solar PV power plants. PV modules technologies i. e Mono PERC, Bifacial, Heteroj unction etc will be implemented more in future proj ects compared to crystalline technology. Use of advanced technologies like drones, AI & smart IV diagnosis increasing day by day to improve O & M, fault detection and data analytics in utility scale solar PV power proj ects. These technologies are required for large proj ects otherwise it' s difficult to analyse such huge data. Progress on roof top solar has been slow. However, C & I clients are looking to implement solar PV with storage to reduce diesel consumption and supply from BESS during peak load at their premises. C & I clients are looking for economically viable BESS solutions for the scale of around ≤1 MWh to avail benefits of solar plus storage solutions.
PV modules technologies i.e Mono PERC, Bifacial, Heterojunction etc will be implemented more in future projects compared to crystalline technology.
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VAMSI KRISHNA GADDAM Joint Managing Director Visaka Industries Limited
' Small is the new big' has been the mantra of the 21st century. It proved to be the robust and natural model that every aspect of business, economy and industry ultimately evolved into. Similarly, even though the solar industry started with mega-farms, eventually emerged into decentralized power generation, retail, consumercentric, small-size-large-volume ecosystem while it continues to progress into ultra-mega power plants. Decentralizing, democratizing solar power is the way forward to achieve robust supply-demand optimization, grid stabilization, addressing technical and logistical losses which are plaguing the power industry today. And most importantly, we need to eliminate subsidized power, making the end-user a responsible power consumer with a responsibility towards offsetting their carbon footprint. Decentralization can be done in two forms – Solar Rooftops and Solar Mini-Grids. Solar Rooftops have taken off grandly, but the industry is clogged with quality issues. Visuals of solar panels flying away at 100 kmph wind speeds, panels catching fire, structures failing at low wind speeds are denting customers' trust on solar PVs as a potential investment asset. We at ATUM believed in the power of solar rooftops to be the game-changer in the renewable revolution. We introduced the revolutionary product, ATUM, a solar roof which has herculean physical properties that address issues of cyclone resistance, fire resistance, load-bearing on the roof. ATUM amounts to 5, 00, 000 sq ft of solar roofing in India. And with UL, Lean Maestro certifications, we are going to the US, Europe with our product. The future is going to be electric, and we foresee a drastic rise in the consumption of power at residential and individual scales with the advent of cheaper storage and electric vehicle technologies. In this scenario, developing robust standards and enforcing them to enable reliable distributed solar power plants is need of the hour. Mega power plants consume large quantities of land and are ridden with the same inefficacies of transmission and distribution losses as those of thermal power plants that are not sustainable if not supplemented by decentralized power systems. In rooftop solar there are no T&D losses, there is no wastage of land and well suited to address the grid stabilization needs of the futuristic smart grids. Distributed solar empowers individuals to become sustainable financially buy giving a source of savings via the net metering scheme. While mega power plants helped Solar power to become cheaper and achieve grid parity, future lies in the gamut of distributed energy to enable truly sustainable solar power systems.
K. R. HARINARAYAN Founder and CEO U-Solar Clean Energy
Large grid scale solar plants have run their course in the development of the Indian solar energy market as there have been Giga-Watts of these types of installations executed. A fair estimate is that these proj ects account for 85% of the total solar installations in India, whereas rooftop solar / decentralized solar accounts for the balance 15% of the 4. 4 GWp capacity installed by 2019. However, these large scale solar plants have issues of generating excess during the day and almost nothing at night – which will cause a lot of instability if we continue to keep adding these into the national grid. Solar is considered to generate inform power but this can be fixed by adding some amount of storage to get more round the clock (RTC) firm power. In comparison to grid scale solar proj ects, by introducing captive rooftop solar power plants there is minimal impact on the grid stability. And it is also of great benefit to the end consumer as they use their rooftop space which otherwise goes unutilized. Smaller installations on factories, warehouses, homes and other facilities will have to play a larger role in meeting our solar capacity goals in the future and this is possible with the benefit of storage as it provides clean energy during off-peak generation hours. This has changed the perspective of DRE solar proj ects as storage introduces higher reliability and overall attractiveness of the system configuration by allowing hybrid or micro-grid applications. U-Solar has successfully installed solar + storage microgrid proj ects in large warehouses as well as homes, these either offset the high cost of energy from using diesel generators or introduce reliable energy where power cuts are frequent. Where the technology is growing we must ensure that the policies to enable the growth of the decentralised solar and storage system are set in place. The state and national level policy makers will have to put some thought into ensuring that they encourage rooftop solar proj ects, it is not a simple task but is pertinent to the hour. There are many states that have now taken a negative stand towards decentralized solar power plants, by making it difficult for installers and developers with respect to net-metering and storage. Although the price of adding a storage component to the rooftop solar power plant is still not competitive with the grid, it makes a lot of sense for facilities that are highly dependent on diesel energy. The economics of storage, at both a large and smaller scale have not yet reached grid-parity but we can expect this price to come down as technology and demand improve in the coming years. With the support of policy makers we can also introduce methods by which users can be incentivised to add storage to their decentralized solar power plants if the DISCOMS are willing to purchase the excess stored energy at a higher rate. This method has been used successfully in Europe and Australia to encourage home-owners to install solar power and also introduce peer-topeer trading through the local or third-party distributor. At the least the states can develop policies that are friendly towards development of decentralised solar and storage systems, so that the market is not quelled before it can take off.
U-Solar has successfully installed solar + storage microgrid projects in large warehouses as well as homes, these either offset the high cost of energy from using diesel generators or introduce reliable energy where power cuts are frequent. | JUNE ISSUE 2020
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PERSPECTIVE
ONE SUN, ONE WORLD, ONE GRID THE BIG PICTURE ANALYSIS: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India has announced a new ‘ One Sun One World One Grid’ vision for India to replicate its global solar leadership by encouraging the phased development towards a single, globally connected, electricity grid to leverage the multiple benefits of ever-lower-cost renewable energy. Let' s get a bigger picture from our industry expert of the opportunities and challenges of One Sun One World One Grid
SUDHIR PATHAK
KIRAN KUMAR PERKA
Head- Central Design & Engg (CDE)
Head Of Business Development
Hero Future Energies
Fourth Partner Energy
“One Sun One World One Grid Is an innovative idea or a vision to integrate renewable energy resources of 140 countries. This global grid plan will be leveraging the member countries of International Solar Alliance. To begin with India will be at the pivot, the solar spectrum would be divided into two broad zones viz. far East which would include countries like Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Lao, Cambodia etc. and far West which would cover the Middle East and the Africa Region. OSOWOG framework attempts to create a real time market, which can be utilized by neighbouring countries. This can be a reality only if we use a mix of solar, wind, hydro and even tidal, combined with battery technology developments, thus providing impetus to strategies on decarbonization globally and also ensuring the effective utilisation of such big infrastructure investment. Approximately 44 GW of electricity exchange is expected by 2036/2040 inter-country grid may be through OSOWOG or Bilateral exchanges. However the challenges lie in grid vulnerability to accidents, weather, political will, inter country metering regulations, terrorist threats and cyber-attacks. Even dispute redressal issues such as non-payment of dues, etc. The challenges to be addressed by OSOWOG framework also would be high operating expenses of creating a huge grid infrastructure like synchronous/ Asynchronous (HVDC) and its LCOE comparatives vis a vis storage facility at local power generating plants looking into the scenario that by the time the OSOWOG grid is ready, the storage cost will further come down; decision on inter country / group country load despatch control (something similar to POSOCO) centre for energy data exchange and finally the Open access/ third party transfer rules, tariff determination and wheeling charges issues. It should be endeavoured to assess how OSOWOG can also be utilized for addressing grid balancing issues, ancillary services for frequency and reactive power regulation looking into the intermittency nature of renewables. However ambitious OSOWOG framework may sound at present, but this vision can support other auxiliary issues faced by countries namely desalination, potable water crisis, complete electrification, and transport electrification.
| JUNE ISSUE 2020
Well, with the evolving technologies as well as precedents like Telecom and oil sector, One Sun-One World-One Grid is also very much possible for the electricity sector to leverage the best use of Sun, evolving the world into a one global grid. The under-sea connectivity needs to be explored to make this a reality. For example, the neighbouring countries/continents having a time difference of 3 to 6 hours can be connected through undersea power cables for effective utilization of the Solar radiation. This could pave the way for a new Green Power Corridor for the world along the sunshine tropical countries. For countries like India, UAE and parts of Africa would be an ideal connection given the high radiation levels and better capacity utilization of the power network with a distance ranging between 1000Kms to 4000kms. An intercontinental grid brings with it several benefits including socio economic relationships between various nations. Primarily, everyone on the planet would have access to reliable and clean power 24*7. There are many counties which do not receive optimal sunlight Which is required for effective utilization of Solar radiation, The electricity can be sourced through Intercontinental Grid which would be green, hence reducing the impact on the planet and addressing climate change as well. Even in the 21st century there are millions of people in the world who do not have access to electricity, which has become an essential or fundamental right of a human being. While fossil fuelbased power can service this to some extent, it will come at the obvious cost of climate change whose ill effects are being felt every day. Energy from renewable sources like solar and wind are the sustainable solution, but they have their own problems; the sun doesn’ t shine round the clock, and wind doesn’ t blow all the time. In fact, at the time electricity demand peaks in the evening – the sun has already set. There is a solution to this intermittency of renewable energy, improving battery technology to store surplus solar energy during the day and utilise the same in the peak hours, but this is still a while away. One Sun, One World & One Grid sounds good on paper, but it needs tremendous socio-political will and focus to attempt it in the future.
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VIBHUTI GARG Energy Economist
INTRODUCING
Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis
In October 2019, Prime Minister Modi floated the idea of crossborder solar connectivity. This idea is now being fructified with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) issuing the bid proposal. India is now embarking upon a new vision of ‘ One Sun One World One Grid’ (OSOWOG), which looks ambitious but if structured well can change the way electricity can be traded as a commodity like any other commodity traded between different countries. India has one of the largest operating synchronous grids in the world with about 370 GW (gigawatts) of installed power generation capacity. Indian grid was divided into five regional grid but in 2014 India connected its southern region grid to have one largest synchronous grid. This resulted in supply of electricity in deficit areas and also helped in minimising electricity costs which was high on account of transmission constraint. The grid can be now expanded to other countries by building an ecosystem of interconnected renewable energy resources that can be seamlessly shared. India already is trading power and has interconnection transmission lines with Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. Further, high capacity transmission lines are being built to facilitate trade of more power with these countries. Different countries are endowed with different natural resources and trading of power has facilitated in bringing down the cost of power and reducing burden on imports of fossil fuels.
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India is heavily dependent on import of fossil fuels, with the import bill amounting to US$180bn in 2019/20. There was a decline in import bill on account of steep decline in global prices. However, with the economic recovery, global oil prices will start picking up and increase the import burden for India and other countries relying heavily on fuel imports to meet their energy needs.
Trends and A Lot More
Solar tariffs in India and globally have fallen continuously over the last few years. Since 2019, most of the newly-auctioned solar proj ects saw tariffs in the range of Rs2. 50-2. 87/kilowatt hour (kWh) (US$3. 5-3. 9 cents/kWh). Recently, a new ISTS bid concluded by Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), saw a historic low winning tariff of Rs2. 36/kWh. Solar tariff is ~20-30% below the cost of existing thermal power in India, and up to half the price of new coal-fired power, such lucrative prices provide enormous opportunities to invest in a clean, zero emissions solar industry. OSOWOG can help different countries in leveraging the divergent natural resources and at the same time making use of the time difference between countries to best utilise intermittent but low-cost solar and wind power generation. This needs to be coupled with setting up right market instruments that provide right price signals for setting up the required transmission infrastructure and renewable energy capacity. This will also help in providing the grid stability and absorption of clean technologies by different countries. The International Solar Alliance (ISA) co-founded by India that has 67 countries as members can play a pivotal role in helping countries deploy solar capacity and become import and export hubs at different time intervals during the day. With some initial hiccups of handling geopolitics, grid synchronisation, power markets that give right signals for infrastructure and capacity expansion etc, this initiative of OSOWOG can help countries in achieving their emission reduction target by reducing reliance on fossil fuels and paving way for more adoption of deflationary renewable energy.
| JUNE ISSUE 2020
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