SolarQuarter March Issue 2020

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SPECIAL

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WHAT ROLE WILL ENERGY STORAGE PLAY IN SOLAR UTILITY PROJECTS IN FUTURE?

TOP SELLING HYBRID INVERTERS IN INDIA

INDIA'S TOP ENERGY STORAGE TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES

CONVERSATION

HE SAEED MOHAMMED

HEAD OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & SENIOR SALES DIRECTOR, JINKO SOLAR

AL TAYER

MD & CEO, DUBAI ELECTRICITY AND WATER AUTHORITY (DEWA)

S T H G I S N I

MR. MANISH NARULA

2 0 2 0

SUPERCHARGING ENERGY STORAGE : TIME FOR A LUCID POLICY

R OA D MA P

TO CREATE EFFICIENT ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS

SOLARQUARTER | MARCH ISSUE 2020

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CONTENTS IN CONVERSATION

NEWS 06 INDIA NEWS 08 ASIA NEWS

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INSIGHTS 10 SUPERCHARGING ENERGY STORAGE : TIME FOR A LUCID POLICY ROAD MAP TO CREATE EFFICIENT ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS OVERVIEW: WHY FLEXIBILITY? MOOTING ‘STORAGE-AS-A-SERVICE’ SUGGESTED MEASURES TO CHARGE UP THE ENERGY STORAGE SPACE

MR. MANISH NARULA

HEAD OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & SENIOR SALES DIRECTOR, JINKO SOLAR We are poised to remain as Top Choice of our clients due to robust technocommercial offering

MR. YANN BRANDT

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TECH

DIRECTOR, ESDEC INDIA PVT. LTD ESDEC solar Group always believe in products and innovation Leadership.

24 INDIA'S TOP ENERGY STORAGE TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES

MR. JAMES HOU

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27 TOP SELLING HYBRID INVERTERS IN INDIA

HEAD OF SALES – SEA & INDIA, GOODWE GoodWe has become the necessity of solar industry & we take pride in being recognised as most preferred inverter partner.

34 HOW CAN BIFACIAL MODULE TECHNOLOGY BOOST ENERGY GENERATION?

PERSPECTIVE 33 BIG CHALLENGES IN EXECUTING SOLAR + STORAGE

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SHRI M.VENKATESHWARLU

PRESIDENT, TELANGANA CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

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CAN SOLAR + STORAGE BEAT COAL IN INDIA?

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SCALING UP: WHAT ROLE WILL ENERGY STORAGE PLAY IN SOLAR UTILITY PROJECTS IN FUTURE?

COMPANY FEATURE 29-31

Telangana State is today forging ahead with its continuous growth with a tenacity to occupy more and more space on the Solar Platform of the country.

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HE SAEED MOHAMMED AL TAYER MD & CEO, DUBAI ELECTRICITY AND WATER AUTHORITY (DEWA)

GINLONG(SOLIS) WAAREE SUNGROW POWER SUPPLY CO., LTD

Dubai has become an international pioneer in the clean and renewable energy sector.

MONTHLY TENDER OUTLOOK 32

PUBLISHING

EDITING

CONTENT

DESIGNING

Firstview Media

Varun Gulati

Megha Kottapalli

Neha Barangali

Ventures Pvt. Ltd.

Ekta Pujari

Parleen Kaur Arora

ADVERTISING

CIRCULATION

Smriti Singh

Kunal Verma

Meghna Sharma

Chandan Gupta

Samah Rumani

W W W . S O L A R Q U A R T E R . C O M

PRINTING Vaibhav Enterprises

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I N D I A

N E W S INSIGHTS >

BUZZ >

25,750 MW OF SOLAR POWER TO BE ADDED UNDER PM-KUSUM SCHEME BY 2022 The government is all set to add additional 25,750 MW of solar power solar plants under the PM-KUSUM scheme by 2022. RK Singh also installation of this solar capacity and savings in diesel consumption due of 17.5 lakh standalone solar pumps under the PM-KUSUM scheme are emission of 27 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2).

capacity from said that the to installation likely to save

SUNGROW SIGNS AN AGREEMENT OF 650 MW IN INDIA Sungrow announced that it will be supplying 650 MW of solar inverters in India under a new strategic agreement with Avaada Energy. To be more specific, Sungrow will be delivering its 1,500-V, 3.125-MW central inverter solutions for the projects the Indian solar power producer expects to execute this year. The Chinese firm said that those inverters are designed for large-scale flat ground plants and come in flexible 6.25 MW or 12.5 MW blocks. To date, Avaada Energy has commissioned more than 2 GW of renewable energy plants and is looking to hit 11 GW of installations by 2025.

LATEST >

BELECTRIC COMMISSIONS 250 MW OF SOLAR IN INDIA German EPC services provider Belectric has commissioned 250 MW (AC) of solar capacity for Fortum Solar India in the Indian state of Karnataka.

Spread across five sites, collectively the project is one of India’s largest PV installations. Belectric carried out the construction and commissioning work and will provide operation and maintenance services. A corresponding long-term O&M agreement was signed in 2018 between Belectric and Fortum.

DETAILS >

ACME SOLAR HOLDINGS LTD MIGHT SOON HAVE GAIL LTD AS AN INVESTOR GAIL Ltd is in exclusive conversation with ACME Solar Holdings Ltd for becoming a potential invester as reported

by ET Reports. GAIL is currently undertaking due diligence and is possible to make an offer for a stake of anywhere between 49% and 74% in ACME Solar. An executive has put the fact into limelight that the proposal has not yet been taken up by GAIL’s board. ACME Solar currently has almost 3 GW of installed solar capacity divided between plants in 12 Indian states. In addition, it has some 2.8 GW of solar projects. The company could be valued at more than USD 1.6 billion (EUR 1.49bn), according to industry sources quoted by the ET.

INDUSTRY >

TATA POWER TO PROVIDE ROOFTOP SOLAR SERVICE TO 90 CITIES ACROSS INDIA Tata Power is trying to bring a big change by encouraging the adoption of Clean Energy by providing its Solar Rooftop Offerings to 90 Cities. Tata Power announced that they have built utility scale projects across 13 states in India which are of a total capacity of about 2.76 GW. Praveer Sinha, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Tata Power quoted “With the increased adoption of rooftop solar by consumers, we are confident that our solutions will play a big role in improving energy access across the country, in both urban and rural parts." Ashish Khanna, President of Tata Power (Renewables), quoted that the company aims to achieve the company’s objective of Lighting up Lives.

INDUSTRY >

FORTUM SUCCESSFULLY EXECUTES A 250 MW SOLAR PROJECT IN INDIA Fortum successfully executes its largest solar power project in India. The news was brought into light by Belectric a German EPC Contractor. This project was won by Fortum in June 2018 in a competitive auction. The company bid a tariff of Rs 2.85/kWh. This project is located in Pavagada solar park in Karnataka. The company is already known to operate a 100 MW project within this solar park. According to a press release Fortum had mentioned that this project will be followed by an investment of worth €120 million and would be commissioned in Q3 2019. The 250 megawatt project was Fortum’s last major win in the Indian market. Fortum had secured another 250 megawatt project in an auction conducted in January 2019. However, the auction and capacity allocation were cancelled.

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ASIANEWS ADANI GREEN AGREES FOR A JOINT VENTURE WITH TOTAL SOLAR SINGAPORE

AC ENERGY SET TO BUY THE MERALCO DEAL WITH SOLAR FIRM GETS ERC NODMAJOR NUMBER OF STAKES IN 45 - MW PHILIPPINE SOLAR PARK The Energy Regulatory Commi ssi on (ERC) has gi ven the green li ght to a 20-year power supply agreement (PSA) bet ween Mani la Electri c Co. (Me ralco) and Solar Phi li ppi nes Tanauan Corp. (SPTC), a company run by Leandro Levi ste—son of former senator Loren Legarda. The ERC approved the two partners’ contract pri ce of P5. 39 a ki lowatt-hour. The regulator also sai d the PSA approval should not affect ERC’ s evaluati on of SPTC’ s appli cati on for a certi fi cate of compli ance, whi ch would allow photovoltai c i nstallati ons i n two locati ons wi th a combi ned 50 megawatts to operate and supply Meralco.

250 MW OF SOLAR ROOFTOP PROJECTS TO BE DEVELOPED BY TOTA IN THAILAND 25 megawatt-peak (MW) of solar rooftops for 24 faci li ti es have been si gned by Total for Betagro whi ch i s the largest food company in Thai land.

These proj ects wi ll benefi tted by a 20-year Power purchase Agreement. Total j oi ntly owns the largest portfoli os of corporate PPAs i n Thai land. Thi s proj ect i s capable of generati ng about 38 GWh of renewable energy per year wi th over 62, 000 solar panels. Thi s wi ll assi st Betagro shri nk i ts carbon footpri nt by 26 tons of CO2 and also provi de about 15% of the company’ s total power consumpti on.

VIETNAM TO GET THE LARGEST SOLAR PLANT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA The Trungnam Group, known to be a leadi ng player i n Vi etnam i n vari ous sectors li ke energy, constructi on and real estate, i s i n plans to develop the largest solar power plant i n Southeast Asi a.

Thi s proj ect i s enti tled to have an i nvestment of around 14 tri lli on VND ($592 mi lli on). Thi s 450 MW solar plant i s bei ng planned to be bui lt i n the provi nce of Ni nh Thuan i n Vi etnam and i t wi ll begi n generati ng power by the end of the year. The constructi on of the solar farm in Phuoc Mi nh commune wi ll start i n the second quarter of thi s year and be completed i n the fourth quarter, Vi etnam News Agency (VNA), reported.

Under i ts soci oeconomi c master plan, Ni nh Thuan provi nce seeks to become Vi etnam' s renewable energy hub wi th a total capaci ty of 8, 000MW by 2030, i t added.

VIETNAM’S SKYX SOLAR FORMS A JOINT VENTURE TO INSTALL 50 MW OF ROOFTOP SYSTEMS Vi etnam’ s SkyX Solar announced that i t si gned a j oi nt venture agreement wi th SAIGONTEL to bui ld and operate rooftop solar proj ects for i ndustri al faci li ti es wi thi n the i ndustri al parks affi li ated wi th the latter i n Vi etnam. In a press statement i ssued by SkyX, i t sai d that the j oi nt venture would i ni ti ally develop and operate 50 MW of rooftop proj ects at ten i ndustri al parks i ni ti ally. SkyX added that si x of these i ndi vi dual parks are i n the central and south regi ons of the country, whi ch have the hi ghest i rradi ati on levels. The j oi nt venture wi ll offer end-to-end renewable energy soluti ons to credi tworthy cli ent partners, whi ch entai ls zero CAPEX and OPEX from them but, at the same ti me, wi ll bri ng cost savi ngs and carbon footpri nt reducti on benefi ts.

SOLARQUARTER | MARCH ISSUE 2020

Adani Green Energy Ltd approves to come i nto a j oi nt venture wi th Total Solar and wi ll transfer i ts 2. 1 GW of solar proj ects to the new enti ty. The board of di rectors have approved a draft JV agreement between i ts subsi di ary Adani Green Energy Twenty-Three Ltd and Total Solar Si ngapore Pvt Ltd. Total Solar Si ngapore wi ll be responsi ble for a portfoli o of 2, 148 MW of operati onal solar parks that are currently owned by Adani Green.

TOTAL TO BOOST RENEWABLE ENERGY IN THAILAND WITH 25MW SOLAR PROJECTS TOTAL S. A. TOT announced that i ts uni t Total Solar Di stri buted Generati on has entered i nto an agreement to provi de 25 megawatt-peak of solar rooftops for 24 faci li ti es of one of the largest food compani es i n Thai land, Betagro. These solar proj ects wi ll uti li ze more than 62, 000 solar panels and produce 38 gi gawatt hours of renewable electri ci ty per year. Clean energy generated from rooftop solar proj ects wi ll assi st Betagro to lower i ts carbon footpri nt by 26, 000 tons of carbon di oxi de duri ng the li feti me of the proj ects. In addi ti on to developi ng hydrocarbon proj ects across the globe, TOTAL i s also worki ng to develop clean energy development proj ects i n di fferent regi ons. The company i s gradually bui ldi ng a portfoli o of low-carbon busi nesses that could account for 15-20% of sales by 2040.

TRENDING CAMBODIA CHOOSES SOLAR ENERGY OVER DAMMING THE MEKONG RIVER Cambodi a wi ll not develop new hydropower dams on the Mekong Ri ver for the next 10 years, a seni or energy offi ci al sai d on Wednesday. The announcement comes as Cambodi a revi ews i ts poli cy to seek solar energy and also energy from coal and natural gas. The deci si on means that nei ghbouri ng Laos, whi ch has opened two new dams on the Mekong i n the past si x months, i s the only country i n the Lower Mekong Basi n planni ng hydropower.

The Mekong ri ver sustai ns some 60 mi lli on people. Vi ctor Jona, di rector general of energy at Cambodi a’ s Mi ni stry of Mi nes and Energy, told Reuters the government was followi ng a study done by a Japanese consultant that recommended Cambodi a seek energy elsewhere.

INDIA’S SOLAR MODULE IMPORTS FROM THAILAND DOUBLE IN 9 MONTHS Chi na exported solar cells and modules worth $1, 179. 89 mi lli on to Indi a i n the fi rst ni ne months [Apri l to December] of the current fi nanci al year (2019-20), accounti ng for 77% of Indi a’ s total value of solar cell and module i mports ($1, 525. 8 mi lli on) duri ng the peri od—as per the data shared by renewable energy mi ni ster R K Si ngh i n the Parli ament recently. In FY17, FY18, and FY19 Indi a’ s solar cell and module i mports from Chi na stood at $2, 817. 34 mi lli on, $3, 418. 96 mi lli on, and $1, 694. 04 mi lli on, respecti vely— agai nst the country’ s total solar cell and module i mports worth $3, 196. 5 mi lli on, $3, 837. 6 mi lli on, $2, 159. 7 mi lli on, respecti vely.

Countri es li ke Thai land and Vi etnam have emerged as the bi ggest gai ners wi th thei r solar cell and module exports to Indi a duri ng Apri l-December peri od of 2019-20 sharply i ncreasi ng to $110. 39 mi lli on and $127. 21 mi lli on from $55. 05 mi lli on and $91. 97 mi lli on i n 2018-19, respecti vely.

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STHGISNI

SUPERCHARGING ENERGY STORAGE TIME

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Author: Mr. Pranav Master, Director, Energy and Natural Resources, CRISIL Infrastructure Advisory

Energy storage – the next big step in electricity market transition – is crucial to bridge the foreseeable demand-supply gap in electricity, ensure sustained growth, and maintain a stable grid.

That entails a clear, long-term policy and enabling regulatory framework focused on grid management and upscaling flexible sources.

Why flexibility?

The electricity market is in transition, on both, demand and supply sides.

On the demand side, the push towards universal electricity access and 24x7 Power for All has brought about a shift in the consumer profile. Adoption of distributed generation and use of electric vehicles is set to increase. And rapid climate change is leading to significant seasonal variability.

On the supply side, the share of renewables in the energy pie is estimated to rise substantially to 12%-15% by 2025, led by strong government thrust and economic attractiveness.

Ergo, a mismatch between the demand and supply curves is inevitable. This warrants building flexibility in the grid to ensure system reliability.

CRISIL Infrastructure Advisory believes, a conducive environment needs to be created to ensure uptake of storage solutions.

Following are certain measures that could be implemented in this regard.

Suggested measures to charge up the energy storage space:

Mooting ‘storage-as-a-service’

Merely having energy storage is not enough, its design is crucial for meeting cost efficiency.

So far, ~60 MWh battery based energy storage capacity has been deployed on a pilot basis in India. Recently, a large-scale, 1. 2 GW renewable energy proj ect with storage was auctioned by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) to meet peak requirements.

All of these proj ects are designed for a specific application and service duration. However, deployment of storage for single application may hinder optimal utilisation of storage capacity leading to higher cost of stored energy. For instance, tariff discovered in the above cited SECI tender ranged between Rs 6. 1 – 6. 9 per unit for peak power supply, which would be higher than that from most thermal and hydro sources.

How can the issue of high cost or affordability be addressed? We believe that energy storage proj ects could be designed and deployed on ‘ storage-as-a–service’ basis across power systems for multiple applications such as frequency control, black start, voltage support, capex deferral, etc. That would extract maximum value and drive down energy costs.

Moreover, ‘ As-a-service’ concept augurs well for capital intensive and technology led industries since these risks are not assumed by end-users. In fact, parallels such as these can be found in different industries including software-as-a-service, transport or mobility-asa-service, etc.

Thus, incorporation of such learnings as well as policy and market facilitation, highlighted earlier, would ensure deployment of storage solutions on a large scale thereby enabling electricity market transition.

Electricity markets are in a transition phase with changing dynamics on both, demand and supply. Therefore, a well-defined and long-term road map with policy and market enablers should be put in place to boost adoption of energy storage.

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NOITASREVNOC NI

WE ARE POISED TO REMAIN AS TOP CHOICE OF OUR CLIENTS DUE TO ROBUST TECHNO-COMMERCIAL OFFERING Mr. Manish Narula, Head of Business Development & Senior Sales Director, Jinko Solar

PLEASE SHED SOME LIGHT ON THE GROWTH PLANS FOR INDIA. WHICH ARE THE KEY MARKET SEGMENTS THAT YOU PLAN TO TARGET THIS YEAR? Jinko Solar sees tremendous potential in Indian Solar market. We believe in long term investment. Considering this, we have developed versatile, well experienced strong team in India from diversified backgrounds (IPPs, Developers, EPCs & Module manufacturers). Our team comprises of Sales and Marketing professionals, Quality and After service, Legal, Finance, HR & Sales Support functions. This robust team is a strong indicator of Jinko’s growth plans for India. Last year, Jinko was on top of the list for Mono PERC orders in India. We already launched our highly competitive and strong quality Global product in Indian market.

Our key market segments are Utility Scale Solar, Commercial & Industrial and Open Access. We are poised to remain as Top Choice of our clients due to robust techno-commercial offering in line with prevailing Tariffs in these segments. For Rooftop segment, our high efficiency module series is obvious selection over competition due to its inherent benefit of more capacity in limited space.

HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR COMPANY EVOLVING OVER THE YEARS? For the last consecutive four years, Jinko Solar is maintaining its position at the top in Global Tier-1 list, be it for highest annual modules shipment or highest bankability or world record module efficiency or several high level Industry awards and accolades. Due to solid management support towards facility expansion, an ability to identify future market trends and capabilities to implement technical innovations in our products and services, Jinko Solar can supply an industry leading bankable Mono PERC product series across the globe. At present, Jinko Solar is projected to deliver around 19 GW of Solar Modules globally in 2020, which will be over 30% Year-on-Year growth.

TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT THE RECENT TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS IN YOUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES? Jinko Solar has always been in the forefront when it comes to Technological Innovations. Our R&D team, world class Quality Control, Manufacturing capabilities & robust supply chain ensure that we launch new products with future technologies on regular basis. It helps us in consistently staying ahead in the market. Our recent launch is Tiger modules series. It uses Tiling Ribbon technology, Half Cut cells & Nine Bus bars to achieve high efficiency and high yielding Solar Modules of 455 to 460 Wp . It is available in both variants: mono-facial & bifacial.

When it comes to Services, we have in-house after-sales technical support team to address any field issues, with shorter turn-around-time support mechanism. Also we extend support to our clients by helping them in choosing an appropriate viable module technology suitable for its site conditions.

WHAT ARE THE LATEST TRENDS AND INNOVATIONS IN MODULE TECHNOLOGY? Offering higher Module wattage is a way to remain competitive in highly competitive Solar Power Tariffs. Many module manufacturers are adopting bigger cell size to offer higher Wattage modules. Due to this, the overall module size is becoming larger and causing site handling and breakage issues. The key here is to achieve optimum cell size and still meet higher Wattage requirements. With the help of R&D driven analysis, Jinko strongly believes that cell sizes up to 163 mm are the most optimum and have ability to become mainstream products in 2020 and beyond. N-Type high efficiency modules are also entering into market. But these are yet to be commercially adopted in Indian projects. However, Tiling Ribbon type modules are highly expected to become the most preferred choice for Indian Solar Developers due to higher yield and lower LCOE to match with competitive tariffs & win the upcoming bids.

Jinko Solar has always been in the forefront when it comes to Technological Innovations. Our R&D team, world class Quality Control, Ma n u f a c t u r i n g c a p a b i l i t i e s & r o b u s t supply chain ensure that we launch new products with future technologies on regular basis.

AS PER YOU, WHICH ARE THE TOP 2-3 KEY COMPONENTS OF A MODULE, WHICH HELP IN LONG AND SUSTAINABLE LIFE OF SOLAR PROJECT? As we all know that Solar Module is an assembly of various big and small components. The key here is to identify & use best compatible components suitable to Indian climatic conditions. There is no room to compromise on quality on any component. Especially, post BIS, all module components have to be of highest quality standards. Out of these components, Solar Cell & Backsheet are critical to determine long and sustainable life to the Solar PV Plant. As per our standard practice, Jinko offers its own Solar Cells, exceedingly reliable and manufactured at Jinko’s high-level quality workshop. Another key component Backsheet, where Jinko uses DuPont’s Tedlar material, can offer reliable longer product life in tough Indian climatic conditions. We strongly believe based on our experience across the globe, that if any client considers above key components, their Solar project life can be enhanced favorably.

Wi t h t h e h e l p o f R & D d r i v e n analysis, Jinko strongly believes that cell sizes up to 163 mm are the most optimum and have ability to become mainstream products in 2020 and beyond.

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NOITASREVNOC NI

ESDEC SOLAR GROUP ALWAYS BELIEVE IN PRODUCTS AND INNOVATION LEADERSHIP. Mr. Yann Brandt, Director, ESDEC India Pvt Ltd.

CAN YOU BRIEF OUR READERS ABOUT THE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES THAT YOU PROVIDE? First of all, thank you for arranging this interview, I am very happy to be with you. ESDEC is the leader in innovative rooftop mounting systems. We have Installed 7GWp worldwide of our various Innovative mounting systems. Our flagship project is Flatfix fusion for flat roof surface and Clickfit for slope roof surface.

We have 60% market shares in USA & 25 % In Holland. Our flatfix fusion products have patented technology with single tool approach and with award winning technology that allows installers to achieve 40% faster installation compared to other products available in the market.

Nowadays PV systems like panels, inverter are becoming standardized and the only part of the system which is non-standard is Mounting. Our concept is to make mounting system standard with best ballast calculation tools, using single tool approach, clicking system and standardizing the tilt angle of our product to 13 degrees. With our innovative East-west (dual orientation systems you can install 40% of more panels on the roof which means more revenue to the building owner and utilities.

WHAT ARE THE RECENT TRENDS IN MOUNTING SOLUTIONS? HOW IS ESDEC GEARED UP FOR THE NEW TRENDS IN THE MARKET? This year we have very good start in USA and Europe and we are entering the India and Asian markets. Investors in solar projects are looking for a great product backed by a bankable company like Esdec. We are also working on portfolio management; training of Installers and our system is specially designed by Installer for Installer.

We are combining our Engineering and supply chain, R&D team, testing and certification team within ESDEC and get best of synergy effects. We see that there will be more consolidation in Mounting systems worldwide and a lot of development required to reduce the ballast weights of the structure and having professional project Management and portfolio management, calculations tools, Minimizing project execution time with continued innovation.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT HOW ARE YOU PLANNING TO EXPAND YOUR BUSINESS AFTER ACQUIRING QUICK MOUNT PV AND IRONRIDGE? In the last two years we acquired three companies in USA (Ecofasten, Quick Mount PV and IronRidge) to join our team in Europe where we are active in 16 countries. Our strategy is to develop synergies in supply chain, combining R&D and innovation efforts and provide full range of products to our customer with quick turnarounds and best in class ballast calculation tools. At the same time combining regulatory and certifications, wind tunnels testing and certifications as per market needs to maximize the benefit to the installers around the world.

We plan to expand dealers and distributors in our network with our existing sales force through our recent acquisition of Quick Mount PV and IronRidge.

WHAT EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES DO YOU SEE IN THE INDIAN AND GLOBAL MARKETS? WHAT ARE YOUR GROWTH PLANS FOR INDIAN MARKET? Indian market is Globally top 3 PV market and we expect this Market will be in TOP rankings for coming decades.

We see very few companies offering Ballast type of solutions with professional ballast calculators and portfolio managements.

This year we have started our focus on Indian and Asian market and our strategy is working with local distributors and installers. Our target and aim are proving necessary tools and training to our partners to achieve desired speed of installations of PV plants and maximize their profits.

We have appointed SRPL Group as our distribution and service partner at the same time we have developed local supply chain and we will be producing our system locally and sales to Asian market. We are actively looking for great distribution partners in these regions.

WHAT TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGHS CAN WE EXPECT FROM YOUR COMPANY IN THE COMING YEARS? Our East-west solution is very innovative and with these solutions you can install 40% more solar panels and utilize the roof at the same time will reduce overall ballast weight. We are also working on upgrading the calculators and continuously developing solutions which standardize the bill of materials, manage the project quickly. As you Know Time is money and our major goal is to reduce installation time further and make our distributors and installers and EPC companies life easier and maximize their profits.

ANY TOP FEW DISTINGUISHING FACTORS YOU WOULD GIVE TO A PROJECT DEVELOPER IN INDIA WHILE CHOOSING YOUR PRODUCTS/ SERVICES FOR ITS SOLAR PV PLANT? Quality is best business plan and in case of PV system whole investment of PV plants is on Mounting systems so they must choose the system who can stand there and handle extreme weather conditions for 25 years and we are providing 20 year warranty for our products.

Our calculator is designed as per IS code and tested wind tunnel test in Hollands and our product portfolio management calculator tools will keep all their present and future projects in common database.

We suggest project developers look at turnkey solutions like engineering supports, Ballast calculations, cost of ballast, quality, warranty of products, financial strength of company, wind tunnel certifications, design as per Indian code, quick, fast, easy and innovative mounting system which will last for 25 years so that your investment is in safe hands.

Indian market is Globally top 3 PV market a n d w e e x p e c t t h i s Ma r k e t w i l l b e i n T O P rankings for coming decades.

WHAT REVENUE AND PORTFOLIO TARGETS HAVE YOU SET FOR THE COMPANY OVER THE NEXT FINANCIAL YEARS? ESDEC solar Group always believe in products and innovation Leadership.

The market we choose we want to dominate the markets and this year we are planning to work on developing local supply chain and distribution network and Installer network on PAN India Basis and position ourself as TOP 3 mounting systems and solution provider for Indian market.

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NOITASREVNOC NI

GOODWE HAS BECOME THE NECESSITY OF SOLAR INDUSTRY & WE TAKE PRIDE IN BEING RECOGNISED AS MOST PREFERRED INVERTER PARTNER. Mr. James Hou, Head of Sales – SEA & India, GoodWe

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES. GoodWe is a leading solar inverter company having focus in research and manufacturing of PV inverters and energy storage solutions. Since its inception, company have been dedicated for research and development of PV inverter technology which have fruitfully awarded into GoodWe being ranked in as leading solar inverter manufacturer by Bloomberg, IHS Markit and Wood Mackenzie.

GoodWe takes pride in being recognized as preferred inverter partner by its customers, which is the result of dedicated R&D, high quality production norms, integrated advanced components and unmatched after-sales services.

GoodWe have full-fledged 1kW to 80kW solar inverter product basket containing solar solutions for residential, Commercial & Industrial and utility scale projects and storage inverter solutions. The inverters have a robust design and manufactured for extreme conditions to maintain high efficiency and maximum output to provide maximum ROI. High end topology design integrated with advanced components makes GoodWe inverters reliable, easy to maintain and high-performance device.

GoodWe not only manufacture solar inverters but also provide life-time free monitoring solution like SEMS (Smart Energy Management System) and EzLogger Pro. SEMS can manage the production, usage and scheduling of the energy to provide a reliable power source and total control over connected appliances.

EzLogger is GoodWe’s self-developed monitoring device. In combination with a GoodWe solar Inverter, it can easily read and record all key plant data and constantly transmit the data to the global monitoring web server via internet.

TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT THE RECENT TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS IN YOUR PRODUCTS? GoodWe offers MT Series Solar Inverter solution which comes in 50kW to 80kW capacity. MT series inverters have become a necessary choice for C&I and Utility scale project due to its technological strength for high performance even at harsh conditions of 50 ℃ . The MT Series inverters come with 50% DC overloading and 15% AC overloading feature along with 4 MPPT having range of 200V to 1000V. The inverter is made to adapt in extreme conditions like high heat of 50 ℃ , high humidity of 85% along with protection grade of IP65 keeping it operational in heavy rain & dust.

PV technology has been developing rapidly aiming at reducing LCOE and the PV inverter plays an important role. Though MT Series inverter solutions have IP65 protection grade, it comes with an intelligent ventilation design which allows strong heat dissipation with the help of smart fans thus ensuring long product lifespan. It offers 99% efficiency rate along with a flexible and light weight design; the 80kW MT series inverter weighs only 72kgs making it easy to operate & maintain.

GoodWe MT Series inverter solution come with various other feature which keep these inverters ahead in the market. Key features like DC reverse current alarm, String level monitoring with smart detection, Arc fault circuit interrupter, Power line communication with PLC, WIFI and various other communication port sources, I-V curve scanning function, Anti PID function, Insulation monitoring, Integrated residual current monitoring unit, etc. GoodWe MT series inverter solution comes fully loaded with features making it a reliable source of power generation and easy to monitor the Return of Investment (ROI).

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T h e MT S e r i e s i n v e r t e r s c o m e w i t h 5 0 % DC overloading and 15% AC overloading f e a t u r e a l o n g w i t h 4 MP P T h a v i n g r a n g e of 200V to 1000V. The inverter is made to adapt in extreme conditions like high heat of 50℃, high humidity of 85% along with protection grade of IP65 keeping it operational in heavy rain & dust.

PLEASE SHED SOME LIGHT ON THE GROWTH PLANS FOR INDIA. WHICH ARE THE KEY MARKET SEGMENTS THAT YOU ARE TO TARGET THIS YEAR? The solar inverter market in India is dominated by utility scale followed by commercial & residential scale segment. India being one of the largest solar market globally, GoodWe have always focused on product quality and customer services being fruitfully awarded with regular building customer trust and increasing inverter supply in India. Focusing on Indian Solar market requirements, GoodWe is planning to launch 1500V inverter solution in its product basket. Thus, keeping inverter solutions up to date with market scenario & technology drag along with dedicated services, GoodWe have plans to support maximum number of solar giants in India.

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GOODWE IS DEVELOPING A NEW AGE BATTERY STORAGE SYSTEM - ALL IN ONE SYSTEM (ESA SERIES).

HOW WILL IT BENEFIT THE SOLAR PROJECTS? GoodWe is pleased to introduce the ESA Series, an "All-in-One” hybrid system that is designed to simplify the installation process to the maximum. It consists of the following elements: a hybrid inverter, a battery bank and a pre-wired system located inside a modern cabinet; it also includes connection devices and a preset cable slot.

It is estimated that this system reduces the installation cost by as much as 60%!

Features • Pre-Installed Devices: Built-in DC switch, AC breaker (OnGrid/Backup), battery breaker, switch board, earth terminal and communication unit.

• Pre-Wired Design: The smart meter, the battery and the AC breaker are pre-wired and pre-connected at the factory and the moment the set reaches the end users, it is ready to be deployed and installed.

• Preset Cable Slot: As part of the systems design, there is a cable slot, where external PV and CT cables to the grid or the loads can be placed.

• In addition, the ESA system is also equipped with an AC load bypass switch, used for switching the load supply from the backup to the grid; the bypass switch also performs the rapid shutdown protection through the connection of an additional external breaker with a switch board.

HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR COMPANY EVOLVING OVER THE YEARS? GoodWe has been regularly evolving as a top listed solar inverter manufacturer being recognized by Bloomberg, IHS Markit and Wood Mackenzie. With a mission to provide hassle free products and solutions, GoodWe have partnered with various solar giants like Tata power solar, Sterling and Wilson, Bosch, etc and served them with best of its products and services. High performing inverters have helped GoodWe gain customer satisfaction leading to increased reliability on the brand.

GoodWe have received its recognition after many years of painstaking research, continuously achieving innovative breakthroughs in the world of inverter technology. Inverters being highly efficient and intelligent combined with flexible and light weight design makes GoodWe an obvious choice for every project.

International Awards & Rankings

It consists of the following elements: a hybrid inverter, a battery bank and a pre-wired system located inside a modern cabinet; it also includes connection devices and a preset cable slot. It is estimated that this system reduces the installation cost by as much as 60%!

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NOITASREVNOC NI

TELANGANA STATE IS FORGING AHEAD TODAY WITH ITS CONTINUOUS GROWTH WITH A TENACITY TO OCCUPY MORE AND MORE SPACE ON THE SOLAR PLATFORM OF THE COUNTRY. Shri M.Venkateshwarlu, President, Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry

KINDLY LET OUR READERS KNOW ABOUT THE INITIATIVES TAKEN BY TECCI FOR THE GROWTH OF SOLAR SECTOR IN TELANGANA STATE ?

When the state was newly formed in June 2014, TECCI submitted a detailed Report to the Government covering all aspects of Trade, Commerce, Agriculture and Industry. We made a significant mention about the power sector with a special focus on the need and potential of Solar sector in Telangana state.

We are glad that many of our recommendations have been accepted by the Government and they are reflected in the relevant Government Orders.

These recommendations include establishment of solar power plants, Rooftops and Floating Solar Plants.

We wanted Hyderabad to be converted into a Solar City on then lines of Gujrat and Karnataka immediately after the state came into existence. We are aggressively on the job to achieve this goal not only in Hyderabad but also across Telangana region wherever an adequate radiation is found viable.

Telangana State is today forging ahead with its continuous growth with a tenacity to occupy more and more space on the Solar Platform of the country. We have a team of experts who are making a study thoroughly at every nook and corner of the state. This Report will be ready some time in the month of April/May 2020 which will be submitted to the Government Authorities for initiating necessary measures.

HOW CAN THE ROOFTOP SECTOR IN TELANGANA BE FURTHER STRENGTHENED? WHAT ARE THE EFFORTS BEING MADE BY TECCI FOR ITS GROWTH ?

Rooftop Sector in Telangana is getting a momentum contrary to the expectations when compared to the other states in the country. The State has an excellent potential with average solar insolation of 5.5 KWH/m2 for more than 300 sunshine days. Hence, there is an ample opportunity and scope for further growth of this sector provided some more revolutionary measures are accepted and kept in place by the Government.

In fact, the Municipal Corporations, Distribution Companies and Telangana State Renewable Energy Development Corporation (TSREDCO) have a great role to play for the growth of Solar Rooftops. The decisions of the prospective Developers/Producers depend on their support and incentives.

TECCI is making its following efforts with the Government in the process of strengthening this sector to be one of the top states in the country.

The new buildings in all Domestic, Commercial and Industrial sectors should install the roof top solar plant preferably covering 30% to 50% of their roof space or maximum space which they can afford. This should be a condition for granting building approval by the concerned authorities.

Strict and efficient implementation of Single Window Clearance for open access projects without impediments of every sort by the concerned authorities. This should be a time bound program. If the approval takes more than the specified time, it will be simply presumed that the clearance is obtained the way the industrial policy is designed by the Government in the year 2015.

Applications for Net Metering should be completely online with singlewindow approvals. Consumers availing net metering should also be allowed to avail offsite solar.

Data regarding the DISCOM’s distribution transformers should be made available publicly to enable the developers for their upfront planning.

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Some of our Members strongly feel that they need encouragement and a helping hand from DISCOMS for establishing the plants under captive mode as per Electricity Rules 2005. In fact, the developers are the babies or partners in progress of DISCOMS and they cannot afford to be their competitors.

TECCI is making its efforts by conducting suitable awareness programs through workshops, seminars, panel discussions, national and international conferences. The Developers in the Domestic, Commercial and Industrial sectors are invited to these events as stakeholders for this movement.

Rooftop Sector in Telangana is getting a momentum contrary to the expectations when compared to the other states in the country. The State has an excellent potential with average solar insolation of 5 . 5 K WH / m 2 f o r m o r e t h a n 3 0 0 s u n s h i n e days. Hence, there is an ample opportunity and scope for further growth of this sector provided some more revolutionary measures are accepted and kept in place by the Government.

WHAT IS THE MARKET POTENTIAL FOR INDUSTRIAL ROOFTOP SOLAR IN TELANGANA? There is an immense potential in the roof top sector in the state of Telangana. The total rooftop potential in the city seems to be around 1700-1800 MW which contributes to the reduction of power demand by almost 15%-20%. This is something gratifying to note.

We are on the job of arriving at the most authentic estimation at the state level through one of our sub committees exclusively appointed for this purpose. This committee consists of experienced and eminent professionals. This Report is expected soon.

In addition to this, we are also approaching Residential. Industrial and Commercial Segments (RICS) for obtaining the data about the available shadow-free roof available at their disposal along with other key parameters such as type of roofs, connected load, voltage and consumption pattern etc. to estimate the potential.

ARE THERE ANY SOLAR POLICY REFORMS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND? We would like to place the following requests before the Government of Telangana again for consideration.

The Solar Power Policy 2015 has to be made more and more viable to attract the investors to build projects. Any draft policy in any area of operation needs to be finalized within an year to serve the purpose for which it was drafted. Making amendments can be a continuous process in the interest of the requirement and prosperity of this sector. We recommend that the benefits provided under this Policy have to be further extended for at least 2,3 years more in order to get the expected and estimated impetus to the growth of this sector.

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Though the current trends reveal a decline in the cost, better plant performance and its self-sustaining capabilities, the restoration of this facility would greatly widen the customer base for solar adoption in the state especially in sectors like Agriculture, Residential and MSME. We feel that the Income Tax may be exempted for this industry during the initial year. This can be calculated on the basis of capital investment minus subsidy, if any. This exemption can be made in two instalments also in the first and second year, if required.

Captive power plants or open access solar rooftop plants may be permitted to the 50% capacity of the user which is existing in Gujarat without any restrictions or hassles.

Net Metering is an extremely worthy facility provided by the Government which would contribute to tremendous growth of this sector while encouraging the customers and protecting the environment. But, unfortunately many of our Members and system integrators are getting frustrated taking it as a deterrent due to inordinate delays that are taking place during the process of net metering. There should be a streamlined procedure in place with all timelines for this purpose. If this process is made on line, it would pave the way for quick completion and commissioning of the projects.

Billing settlement should change from six months to one year to adjust the units of consumption as solar IRR vary seasonally.

Taking stock of the prevailing scenario in the states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh for an upfront review of their policy frameworks in respect of wheeling and banking facilities etc.

This is to explore the possibilities of implementing in our own way in Telangana state for the accelerated growth of this sector.

In the process of promoting green power revolution, the Government has to make the Solar Rooftop mandatory for the industries to enhance the installations in the state.

Considering and exploring the possibilities for removal of barriers for industries in respect of quantum of generation as desired by the Industries in view of their capabilities and competence.

Release of subsidy must be made simpler and fast. It is usually taking six months to one year. Most of the system integrators are small entrepreneurs and cannot sustain this delay in payment.

Facilitating open access for renewable energy both for captive and third party sale to the extent of 50% use, allowing banking, strictly implementing RPO, concession in wheeling charges, considering the possibility of increasing the CMD limit of approval from 80% for installing solar power system.

WHAT ARE THE CURRENT BOTTLENECKS BEING FACED

BY THE INDUSTRIES WHILE INSTALLING ROOFTOP SOLAR PROJECTS IN TELANGANA? Capacity limitation to 1 MWp seems to be one of the major hurdles for consumers who have enough space and load to accommodate more solar power.

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The industry feels that the discontinuity of providing subsidy on the part of the state Government is also an impediment to rise to the occasion for promoting green power revolution.

There are some administrative inconveniences right from obtaining permission to the installation of net meters which are to be taken up for an immediate and thorough review.

AS AN ASSOCIATION, WHAT STEPS HAVE YOU TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT MORE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES FOCUS ON GREEN ENERGY CONSUMPTION ?

Fortunately, we have a strong and stable Government which is putting all the efforts for the accelerated growth of this industry. We have a very proactive Special Chief Secretary (Energy), Mr.Ajay Mishra, IAS, who has a strong vision and foresight for the growth of this industry in the state.The Energy Department is aggressively making use of the positive environment prevailing in the solar atmosphere in association with the Government of India to harness solar potential in the state.

There has been an increasing demand continuously from the year 2018 with grown up industrial activity including MSME sector and the state touched a peak demand of 12,060 MW on 17th February 2020.

Presently, we have total installed capacity of 95.21MW and an additional technical feasibility has been issued by the Government for another 40.14 MW. I also understand from one of the survey reports that it is about 5% of the total potential which is catered by solar in both residential and industrial areas and it may be even lesser than 1% when compared to commercial sector.

Keeping this view, TECCI wants to boost up solar rooftops by conducting various awareness programs with all the stakeholders on the incentives offered by both the Governments of India and Telangana. TECCI is also making its efforts to establish a tie up between the Banks and owners of residential flats/ houses for the loan component.

It is observed that the presence of CSR is very negligible in the clean energy sector as of today. TECCI wants to concentrate on this score and approach all major Indian companies in the country to take this initiative for Rooftop Solar in Telangana state.

This will not only create employment opportunities and solve intermittent power supply but also reduce hundreds and thousands of carbon dioxide every month while meeting 30 to 50% of their power needs through onsite and off-site solutions at a reduced power cost.

TECCI will have regular interactive meetings with the Authorities concerned and bring to their notice about the suggestions, recommendations and grievances of the Members. TECCI will make all the efforts to get the above reforms/recommendations considered by the Government to the maximum extent in order to make the industries to focus and concentrate on Green Energy Consumption.

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DUBAI HAS BECOME AN INTERNATIONAL PIONEER IN THE CLEAN AND RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR. HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA)

WHAT ARE THE LATEST TECHNOLOGIES ADOPTED BY DEWA FOR ENERGY PRODUCTION, TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION? At Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), our strategies and plans are inspired by the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai the city with the lowest carbon footprint in the world by 2050. All our projects and initiatives are aligned with the federal and local strategies, including the UAE Vision 2021, the UAE Centennial 2071, and Dubai Plan 2021. DEWA uses state of the art technologies in all its operations, and places innovation at the top of its priorities. This enables us to keep pace with the Fourth Industrial Revolution and supports the objectives of the UAE National Innovation Strategy.

Through Digital DEWA, its digital arm, DEWA will disrupt the entire business of public utilities by becoming the world’s first digital utility to use autonomous systems for renewable energy and storage while expanding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital services.

DEWA’s initiative within Dubai 10X has four pillars to deliver a new utility experience for Dubai and the world. The first pillar is launching advanced solar power technologies in Dubai; the second is deploying a renewable energy grid with innovative energy storage technologies that use advanced machine learning; the third includes expanding the use of integrated AI solutions to make Dubai the first city to provide AI-based electricity and water services. The fourth pillar is using connected technologies to provide round-the-clock world-class service-delivery for Dubai. DEWA launched a data hub named MORO to improve the UAE’s digital capabilities in developing smart city application and providing state-of-the-art innovative solutions.

DEWA has started Dubai 10X 2.0 to provide new services that inspire the world, and enhance Dubai's position as a global capital for the green economy. It includes Green Airport as a Service, which will make Dubai the first city in the world to redefine the concept of sustainable airports by harnessing disruptive technologies and using solar power and waste energy, such as kinetic energy, energy resulting from sound, and wind from the movement of aircraft among other activities. Through the Green Road as a Service, DEWA is working with Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to implement this initiative to showcase the first integration between green energy and innovative future transport systems by harnessing disruptive technologies and using solar power and waste energy, among other activities. The initiative provides a new model for advanced methods that will be applied globally.

DEWA IS PLANNING TO BUILD AN INTEGRATED SMART GRID TO DEVELOP ADVANCED INFRASTRUCTURE. KINDLY TELL US MORE ABOUT THE SAME. The Smart Grid is a key component of DEWA’s strategy to develop an advanced infrastructure that supports the Smart Dubai initiative. The Smart Grid includes programmes with investments of up to AED 7 billion that will be completed in the short, medium, and long-term until 2035.

DEWA launched the Smart Applications through Smart Meters and Grids initiative in 2015. This is part of its efforts to achieve the Smart Dubai initiative, to make Dubai the smartest and happiest city in the world.

DEWA’s initiative aims to develop an advanced infrastructure that supports Dubai’s efforts to become the happiest and smartest city in the world. In 2019, DEWA collaborated with international companies to install 250,000 additional smart meters across Dubai, bringing the total number of smart meters installed to approximately 1 million. The project aims to provide a smart infrastructure for DEWA’s electricity and water networks, to ensure the speed of response to immediately reconnect in the event of any disruption; rationalize consumption via smart meters; and to monitor the details of consumption accurately, instantly and at any time, to enhance convenience and satisfaction levels of all citizens and residents, thereby bringing them happiness and supporting the resource sustainability.Smart grids come with advanced features such as automatic

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decision-making capabilities and interoperability across the electricity network. The outstanding features of smart meters are their flexibility and adaptability to various telecommunication technologies, whether wired or wireless, such as GPRS, RF, G3 PLC, and LPWAN among others. Smart meters use the wireless module.

The UAE’s interest in producing renewable energy has contributed to a r e d u c t i o n i n i t s g l o b a l c o s t . D E WA ’ s major projects in cooperation with the private sector, based on the IPP model, contribute to the economic growth of the E m i r a t e . T h r o u g h t h i s m o d e l , D E WA received the lowest global solar power p r i c e s f i v e c o n s e c u t i v e t i m e s , ma k i n g Dubai a global model for solar power p r i c e s . D E WA a c h i e v e d a w o r l d r e c o r d b y receiving the lowest bid of USD 1.6953 c e n t s p e r k Wh f o r t h e 9 0 0 MW 5 t h p h a s e of the solar park, using photovoltaic solar panels.

WHAT ROLE DOES DEWA PLAY IN ACCELERATING THE GROWTH OF SOLAR POWER ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA? Dubai has become an international pioneer in the clean and renewable energy sector. The Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which was launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, aims to provide 75% of Dubai’s total power output from clean resources by 2050.

Dubai is the only city in the region to have launched such a promising strategy with set goals and timelines that map the future of energy until 2050. The strategy consists of five main pillars: infrastructure, legislation, funding, building capacities and skills, and having an environmentally friendly energy mix.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is the largest singlesite solar park in the world. It uses the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model and will have investments totalling AED 50 billion. The capacity of the current projects at the Solar Park is 1,013MW. The total capacity of the five phases announced so far is 2,863MW and this will rise to 5,000 MW by 2030. DEWA has adopted the IPP model in the solar park’s projects to promote public-private partnerships.

The UAE’s interest in producing renewable energy has contributed to a reduction in its global cost. DEWA’s major projects in cooperation with the private sector, based on the IPP model, contribute to the economic growth of the Emirate. Through this model, DEWA received the lowest global solar power prices five consecutive times, making Dubai a global model for solar power prices. DEWA achieved a world record by receiving the lowest bid of USD 1.6953 cents per kWh for the 900MW 5th phase of the solar park, using photovoltaic solar panels. DEWA has attracted around AED 35 billion in investments by using the IPP model, which strengthens public-private partnerships.

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DEWA’ s Research and Development (R&D) Centre at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park contributes to building and localising knowledge and expertise. The Centre’ s areas of work include solar power; the integration of smart grids; energy efficiency, and water, in addition to Fourth Industrial Revolution applications such as ‘ 3-D Printing and Additive Manufacturing’ as one of the innovative solutions to produce spare parts for electricity generation, transmission, and distribution divisions.

The R&D Centre, which covers 4, 400 square metres, has various internal labs and outdoor labs to study the performance and reliability of photovoltaic panels. Key internal labs include the Electrical Characterisation Lab, the Mechanical Characterisation Lab, the Materials Characterisation Lab, the Solar Simulator Lab, and the Accelerated Aging Lab. The outdoor labs include testing different solar panel technologies and performance, as well as a safe zone for drone testing.

D E WA h a s s t a r t e d D u b a i 1 0 X 2 . 0 t o provide new services that inspire the world, and enhance Dubai's position as a global capital for the green economy. It includes Green Airport as a Service, which will make Dubai the first city in the world to redefine the concept of sustainable airports by harnessing disruptive technologies and using solar power and waste energy, such as kinetic energy, energy resulting from sound, and wind from the movement of aircraft among other activities.

THE DUBAI CLEAN ENERGY STRATEGY 2050, AIMS TO PROVIDE 75% OF DUBAI’S TOTAL POWER OUTPUT FROM CLEAN RESOURCES BY 2050. HOW DO YOU STRATEGIZE TO ACHIEVE THE SAME? Dubai has become an international pioneer in the clean and renewable energy sector. The Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 aims to make Dubai the city with the lowest carbon footprint in the world by 2050. The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar energy project in the world, is one of the key projects to achieve this vision and enhance the shift towards green economy by increasing the share of clean energy in Dubai’s energy mix. Since its launch, the solar park’s projects see considerable interest from international developers, reflecting the confidence of international investors in the projects that are supported by Dubai Government.

DEWA’s Shams Dubai initiative encourages building owners in Dubai to produce their energy needs using solar photovoltaic panels installed on rooftops and connecting them to DEWA’s grid as part of the Distributed Renewable Resources Generation programme. Shams Dubai has been very successful. By the end of 2019, a total of 5,620 sites were connected to DEWA’s grid, with a total capacity of 171.7MW. DEWA received applications for a total of 526MW. This means that everyone can generate clean energy from their premises in Dubai to create a brighter future, for generations to come.

D E WA l a u n c h e d t h e S m a r t A p p l i c a t i o n s t h r o u g h S m a r t Me t e r s a n d G r i d s i n i t i a t i v e in 2015. This is part of its efforts to achieve the Smart Dubai initiative, to make Dubai the smartest and happiest c i t y i n t h e w o r l d . D E WA ’ s i n i t i a t i v e a i m s t o develop an advanced infrastructure that supports Dubai’s efforts to become the happiest and smartest city in the world.

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ENERGY STORAGE TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES

SDNERT HCET

POT S'AIDNI

Sungrow is the world’ s most bankable inverter brand with over 100 GW installed worldwide as of December 2019. Founded in 1997 by University Professor Cao Renxian, Sungrow is a leader in the research and development of solar inverters, with the largest dedicated R&D team in the industry and a broad product portfolio offering PV inverter solutions and energy storage systems for utility-scale, commercial & industrial, and residential applications, as well as internationally recognized floating PV plant solutions. With a strong 23-year track record in the PV space, Sungrow products power installations in over 60 countries, maintaining a worldwide market share of over 15%. Sungrow energy storage system has more than 900 application projects in the world. There are many applications in the United States, Europe, Japan, Australia and many other regions.

Sungrow can provide a complete energy storage system solution that integrates PCS, batteries, energy management system, HVAC and Fire Safety System (FSS), which can minimize field labor and wiring on site.

The maximum power of PCS goes up to 5MW starting from the 50kW power level.

Sungrow' s energy storage products have the advantages of high integration, high safety and high efficiency. They are designed to meet demanding requirements in residential, commercial & industrial and utility-side applications. As of now, our energy storage system solutions have been deployed in more than 900 projects worldwide ranging from islands and high-altitude plateaus to ports and residential installations.

IHS Markit forecasts strong growth until 2025, with the United States becoming the largest single market from 2020 through 2023. "PV plus energy storage" has become a global development trend. United States, Europe, Australia, China have now started deploying large scale PV with energy storage solutions. The battery energy storage deployed so far are majorly AC-coupled solutions. With advancement of technology, DC coupling will also be used in bigger projects after thorough evaluation on the application of the storage. The compatibility with energy storage converters in terms of interfaces, protocols, communications, and energy management will be critical for grid support and safety.

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SDNERT HCET

GoodWe is a leading solar inverter company having focus in research and manufacturing of PV inverters and energy storage solutions. Since its inception, company have been dedicated for research and development of PV inverter and energy storage technology which have fruitfully awarded into GoodWe being ranked in Top 10 solar inverter manufacturer by Bloomberg, IHS Markit and Wood Mackenzie.

GoodWe takes pride in being recognized as preferred inverter partner by its customers, which is the result of dedicated R&D, high quality production norms, integrated advanced components and unmatched after-sales services.

GoodWe have a wide range of Energy Storage Inverter Solutions which are suitable for residential and small commercial energy storage solutions.

GoodWe takes pride in being recognized as preferred inverter partner by its customers, which is the result of dedicated R&D, high quality production norms, integrated advanced components and unmatched after-sales services.

GoodWe have a wide range of Energy Storage Inverter Solutions which are suitable for residential and small commercial energy storage solutions.

GoodWe have a wide range of Energy Storage Inverter Solutions which are suitable for residential and small commercial energy storage solutions.

GoodWe offers ESA Series, which is an All-in-one Single-Phase storage solution.

GoodWe ESA Series is an all-in-one solar and storage solution which integrates the inverter, battery charger, UPS and battery enclosure into a pre-wired modular system for easier and faster installation. The compact, elegantly designed and robust unit is IP65 rated so it can be mounted either inside or outside, withstanding all weather conditions. It integrates a 5KW hybrid inverter with a 9. 6KWh Lithium battery inside. Additionally, the exquisite ESA Series occupies less space and offers neater installation than a split storage system in order to create a highperformance system that is aesthetically pleasing.

The ESA Series is pre-wired, and factory tested to enable quick installation. The modular, maneuverable system allows you to keep installation costs down. It only takes a simple 3-step process to connect the system to your customer’ s home internet. Cut up to 50% of installation time!

The Smart Hybrid System has been designed to make installation easier.

The modular system is expandable with battery storage to suit the customer’ s needs. The lightweight, maneuverable system makes installation extremely easy & quick.

India’s First Grid-Scale Battery Storage Facility, Supplied by Fluence 10 MW/10 MWh at Tata Power-DDL’s Rohini Substation

Fluence, a Siemens and AES company, is the global market leader in energy storage technology solutions and services, combining the agility of a technology company with the expertise, vision, and financial backing of two well-established and respected industry giants. Fluence’ s goal is to create a more sustainable future by transforming the way we power our world. Energy storage is critical to this transformation -- yet today the market is fragmented and customers face the challenge of finding a trusted technology partner amidst conflicting technical claims, inexperienced vendors and installers, and new market entrants with limited power sector knowledge.

Providing design, delivery and integration, Fluence offers proven energy storage technology solutions that address the diverse needs and challenges of customers in a rapidly transforming energy landscape.

Fluence currently has more than 1, 600 MW of projects in operation or awarded across 21 countries and territories worldwide.

Fluence offers proven energy storage solutions designed for the full range of applications in the market, with delivery and integration in 160 countries including India. Fluence’ s industrial-grade energy storage technology and service offerings are built from a foundation of over 13 years of experience in designing, deploying, and operating complete energy storage solutions. Our comprehensive service offerings address the complete customer journey, including advisory, financing, and project lifecycle services.

Unlike packagers who don’ t understand the true complexities of energy storage solutions, or suppliers that only understand certain parts of the system, the Fluence team brings a deep understanding of how to optimize both how systems are built and how they must interact with local markets. We work with grid operators, utilities and networks to not just deliver solutions but to make projects successful.

Energy storage is an essential part of grid modernization and decarbonization, both essential for economic and social development in India. Unlike any other grid technology, battery-based energy storage like AES India and Mitsubishi Corproration’ s 10 MW energy storage project in Rohini – the first such asset in India – stores electricity and can then deliver it within milliseconds, reducing instability on the electric grid and capturing more energy to be delivered on demand. India’ s need for and interest in energy storage and renewables+storage pairings is evidenced by the recent record-setting 1. 3 GW procurement by Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) for firm power. Int that procurement, batterybased energy storage proved cost-competitive with other types of storage – notably pumped hydro – to firm solar and wind output.

Recent reports from India' s central electricity regulator and the Rocky Mountain Institute point to an immediate need of 3-5 GW of fast-response resources like energy storage to regulate frequency across the nation.

Given the high amount of solar coming online and the accompanying need for flexible resources to support the evening ramp-up of electricity demand, resources like storage will become even more critical over the coming years. For example, The AES Corporation estimates the market size for storage in India to reach USD $50 billion in coming years.

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SDNERT HCET

SunSource Energy is a leading provider of solar-based energy and storage solutions to commercial, industrial and institutional clients in India, South East Asia, Middle East and Africa. With its in-house project finance, EPC, operations and maintenance capabilities, SunSource manages the entire development process of the solar power plant. Since its inception in 2010, the company has delivered more than 200 high-quality solar power projects across 24 states in India and 6 countries globally. Highlights include solar

Growatt is a global leading supplier of smart PV solutions. At present, the company offers on-grid, off-grid inverters and storage solutions as well as smart energy management solutions. The power capacity of Growatt on-grid inverters ranges from 750W to 250 kW, meanwhile its off-grid and storage inverters cover a power range from 1 kW to 630 kW. By far Growatt has shipped over 17GW of PV systems worldwide and its inverters have been installed in over 100 countries. Over 350, 000 inverters have been running perfectly for over five years. The company has established an extensive service network with 14 branch offices and 14 warehouses around the world. In India, Growatt has established its service center in Hyderabad and has a strong team of local sales representatives and technical engineers.

Growatt is one of the first inverter companies in China to develop energy storage solutions. Growatt believes that solar storage is the future, and has been perfecting their energy storage products. Below are some typical application scenarios of solar storage: Growatt offers a comprehensive range of solar storage solutions including hybrid inverters, off-grid inverters, batteries and all-in-one PV storage solutions.

rooftop projects in Philippines, a floating solar project for India’ s largest Oil company, implementation of one of India’ s first private solar rooftop PPAs and solar+storage projects. The company is an investee of the Neev Fund – a private equity firm backed by State bank of India (SBI) and UK’ s Department for International Development (DFID).

We develop the following types of solar projects: Rooftop, Ground Mount, Solar + Storage, Floating Solar for our Commercial and Industrial (C&I) customers. Apart from that, we deliver Energy Management and Asset Management services.

As solar experts, we pride ourselves on the quality of our solar and energy assets. Our customers are across 24 states in India and 6 countries globally.

These include large corporates and institutes including Indian Oil, Jamia Millia Islamia, ICAT, Celebi Cargo (Delhi Airport), GE, Yakult, Bajaj, Max Bupa, Dominos, Standard Chartered, and UNICEF, among others.

Trends in Energy Storage Energy storage is a crucial tool for enabling the effective integration of renewable energy and unlocking the benefits of solar and wind power for emerging market. India is expected to be one of the largest energy storage markets in the coming decade. A recent report suggested that energy storage installations around the world will multiply exponentially to reach a capacity of 1, 095GW/2, 850GWh by 2040.

Launch of National Mission on Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage in 2019 will provide a roadmap to help reduce India’ s oil import dependence and enhance the uptake of renewable energy and storage solutions. Budget 2020 has further provided impetus to the sector.

What’ s the benefits of using Growatt hybrid solutions? And what technologies Growatt can provide? Let’ s take a look!

Storage will see a convergence with solar and energy management for commercial and industrial customers. Greater adoption will be led by exponentially reducing cost of Li battery and customer’ s push to attain energy independence and offset its reliance on diesel consumption.

Maximizing Self Consumption: Storing solar power throughout the day, and use it at night, increase solar system self-consumption.

Scheduling the System: Storing energy when it is cheap and running your home with battery when rates go up.

EPS and UPS : When Grid is not available, Growatt Hybrid Inverter can work as a backup. Growatt provides UPS solution which help you switch to back-up power without interruption. For rest of the Growatt Storage products, the external ATS( Auto Transfer Switch), AC relay or manual box will be provided by Growatt for the EPS function to transfer on-grid to offgrid backup.

Smart Battery Management: Growatt Hybrid Inverters are compatible with Lead-Acid as well as Lithium-Ion batteries. Real time updated bateery data , even battery cycle counts and battery information will let you know more about your battery and protect your battery from over discharging in insufficient sunshine areas.

Multiple programmable working modes: Variety of models and parameters to choose from and adjust, easily cope with the ladder price, peak hours and other special circumstances. You are flexible to decide how to realize self sufficiency and increase system self consumption.

Self- Consumption Monitoring : Detailed grid and PV data (including power generation and consumption details) and real time system diagrams, let you know yours home’ s energy structure anytime and anywhere. Also with these data, you can efficiently program your system to realize maximum self consumption.

And how should we design the PV storage system? Look at below system diagrams of single-phase and three-phase solutions!

SOLARQUARTER | MARCH ISSUE 2020

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SDNERT HCET

TOP SELLING HYBRID

INVERTERS

IN

INDIA

SOLAR HYBRID INVERTER MARKET REPORT Ingeteam: INGECON® SUN STORAGE The global solar hybrid inverter market is anticipated to grow at an increasing rate during the upcoming years. Solar hybrid inverters are inverters which not only convert direct current to alternate current but also store excess power while working with batteries which increase demand in the solar market. These inverters solve issues like renewable energy variability and unreliable grid inverter structures. Hybrid inverters with solar battery charging and hybrid grid-tie inverters are some of the advanced inverters available worldwide. The solar hybrid inverter has 2 inbuilt chargers such as grid chargers and solar chargers. It also provides instant power supply in case of grid power failure.

Solar hybrid inverters are low-cost and efficient which will result in witnessing an increased preference for polycrystalline technology especially in the residential sector, which will, in turn, stimulate the growth of the solar hybrid inverter market in the coming years.

The Global Solar Hybrid Inverter Market size is projected to reach USD 12, 829. 0 Million by 2025 from an estimated USD 7, 633. 4 million, with 9. 04% CAGR till 2025, according to research report by market research future.

The primary growth drivers of the global solar hybrid inverter market include increasing investments in solar power systems and favorable government initiatives and policies. These policies will encourage the use of efficient solar devices including solar hybrid inverters which will boost this market segment. Solaredge hybrid inverters and Infini inverters are aimed at providing energy outputs through maximum power point tracking, adding to the market growth.

Ingeteam is finalizing the launch of its latest INGECON® SUN STORAGE 1Play TL M hybrid inverter. This highly versatile inverter features a battery input and two more inputs for PV panels. Each PV input has its own maximum power point tracking system, making it ideal for harnessing the maximum amount of energy on roof-mounted, self-consumption PV installations, with the PV solar panels positioned in two different orientations. A further advantage is that the INGECON® SUN STORAGE 1Play TL M hybrid inverter features an EMS (Energy Management System), making it possible to implement advanced operating modes, such as self-consumption, and facilitating system monitoring through the INGECON® SUN Monitor smartphone application. Moreover, there is an application to easily and remotely set-up and upgrade the inverter firmware via PC, tablet or mobile phone. Moreover, the system commissioning and the inverter’ s firmware update can be performed remotely with the application via PC, tablet or smartphone. This new inverter is suitable for both grid-connected and stand-alone systems. In this latter case, the hybrid inverter is responsible for generating the grid.

For grid-connected systems, the inverter features a back-up functionality so that, in the event of a grid outage, the critical loads can be powered from the batteries and PV panels. Just like the previous model, this new hybrid inverter by Ingeteam is compatible with lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries, and is also compatible with the storage systems made by the market' s leading manufacturers. Production of this new inverter is set to start in May and it will be available with two power outputs: 3 kW and 6 kW.

In developing countries, solar hybrid inverters are often used, especially the countries where access to a reliable power grid is a major concern. In countries such as India and South Africa, the rising installation of microgrids has positively impacted the solar hybrid inverter market. Many developed countries like North America and Europe are also installing solar hybrid inverters. But the high cost of solar inverters and high maintenance is one of the major restraints that could obstruct the global solar hybrid inverter market. The increasing demand for polycrystalline solar panels is anticipated to be an opportunity for global solar hybrid inverter market players.

The market is witnessing a boom of new players, which increases the competitive environment. Technological advancements and robust product innovations are also major factors that intensify the level of competition among the market players.

Major players focus on new product development as the main strategy to offer suitable solar hybrid inverters and also involve in introducing innovative products. The key players operating in the global Solar Hybrid Inverter Market are Flin Energy (India), Havells (India), Schneider Electric (France), Microtek Inverters (India), Delta Energy Systems (Germany), Pure Volt (India), Su-Kam power systems (India), Redback Technologies (Australia), Luminous (India), EAST Group (China), KACO new energy (Germany), Tabuchi Electric (US), SolarEdge Technologies (Israel), Voltronic Power Technology (Taiwan), and SolaX Power (China). Other players are Lavancha Renewable Energy, Shanghai Sunvis New Energy, Growatt New Energy Technology, GoodWe (Jiangsu) Power Supply Technology. Asia-Pacific holds the largest solar hybrid inverter market share as Asia-Pacific is a potential market for solar hybrid inverters.

Financial aids provided by the government for the deployment of alternative sources of energy such as solar panels will also hike the growth of the solar hybrid inverter market. Factors such as the increase in environmental concerns, the rising demand for energy, the growing population, and the improving standard of living are also the reasons which will augment Solar Hybrid Inverter market growth.

Here are some of our top picks of hybrid solar inverters.

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SDNERT HCET According to a new study, the market for Solar Hybrid Inverter is witnessing a noticeable surge across the world. The research report, titled “Global Solar Hybrid Inverter Market 2019 Industry Research Report, ” explores the past and current appearance of this market in a bid to earn a clear insight into its future potentials. We are continuous growing company and we have variety of products like NEW ENERGY AUTOMOBILE (Supercharger) products & HYBRID INVERTER, STORAGE INVERTER & ON GRID string inverter developments in our basket. 3kW power storage inverters and 3-6kW hybrid inverters in Single Phase & 1020kW hybrid inverters in Three Phase, Li-Ion Batteries for Hybrid inverters, AC Retrofitting Single phase 6kW. It also takes the driving forces, challenges, prominent trends, opportunities, and various other factors that influence the growth of this market in consideration to discover the market’ s scope in the years to come.

SOFARSOLAR is currently focused on increasing its core technology R & D investment in Grid connected inverters, Energy storage inverters and it’ s charging pile. With this in mind, they aim to improve the competitive advantages of their core product range and provide further valuable service to their customer base.

SOFARSOLAR HYD inverter can work in auto or Time Of Use (TOU) mode, charge / discharge the battery when needed. In auto mode, the HYD ‐ ES inverter will charge surplus PV energy into the battery & discharge battery to supply power to local load when PV energy is not enough.

In case of blackout, HYD ES inverter can work in Emergency Power Supply (EPS) mode. HYD ES inverter will utilize power from PV panels & energy stored in the battery to supply power to critical load.

With many new functions, SOFARSOLAR battery inverter were widely used in 60+ countries (e. g. Australia, the UK, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Netherland, France, China etc. ), which enable residents’ supply to be secured even in the event of grid failure and decrease the electricity bill. While you have this storage power station and HYD inverter, you may have non-stop energy 24hours.

PRODUCT ROADMAP 2020: > Hybrid Inverter- 3kW/3. 6kW/4kW/5kW/6kW (1 Phase) > Hybrid Inverter- 8kW/10kW/12kW/15kW/20kW (3 Phase) Looking to expand its footprint in the Indian PV market, SOFARSOLAR added Hybrid inverter & Storage inverter as a smart solar inverter for SOFAR SOLAR INDIA 2020 renewable future. New versions of Inverters which are very compact in size make SOFARSOLAR differentiate from others. SOFARSOLAR is positioned to play important and leading role in the Indian solar industry with new market technology innovation. New versions of Inverters which are very compact in size make SOFARSOLAR differentiate from others.

Compatible with most brands of single phase on-grid inverters and batteries, this series intelligently manages the PV yield of a system allowing generated electricity to be directed within the home, fed into the grid or used to charge battery storage devices. Electricity stored within batteries can be released when domestic loads are high but PV generation is not possible, helping to synchronize energy production and consumption.

You can make contact with Sofarsolar sales and service teams who can help you choose the right energy management system, HYD inverter sizes and solar battery sizes which will assist you in cutting down on your energy consumption and will allow you to get good idea of how much battery capacity you need.

SOLARQUARTER | MARCH ISSUE 2020

NEW GENERATION TL-XH* SERIES INVERTER TL-XH series are the most up-to-date smart on-grid inverter for single phase residential users and this is a complete revolution from the inside out. What’ s more, these series have such strong adaptability, it owns a battery interface which can be easily extend to a storage system in the future without extra device or retrofit cost.

，

1. Elegant Light and Durable Thanks to the advanced material technologies, we are able to use innovative aerial material to make the top cover of our inverter. With this material, we can make our inverter light and durable, what’ s more it also fire-retardant. One-time formed innovative material top-cover smooth and seamless, bring elegant looking, prefect touch feeling and better protection. Also, don’ t forget the OLED screen and touch button, these also bring prefect HMI experience.

2. Higher Yields Due to innovative topological, the efficiency of the TL-XH series are now up to 98. 4% which is higher than most products of the same type on the market. In addition, TL-XH series own two MPPTs, 1. 4 times DC/AC ratio and the string current of it up to 12. 5A which make sure our inverter can compatible with double-glass modules and higher yields.

3. Comprehensive Protection In addition to being beautiful and efficient, a good inverter must be stable and safe. TL-XH series are definitely good inverter which meets all the above criteria. In environment tolerance aspect, TL-XH series can work at minimum -35 ℃ which is also better than most market products. When it comes to lighting protection, it equipped with Type II DC surge protection. Furthermore, AFCI and RSD is optional, which can help you to give a better protection at DC side. *: There also have two model of this product, which is TL-X and TL-XE, both of these two models are inverter model (Without battery interface), the difference is TL-XE is for Europe and TL-X is for other regions.

Thanks to the advanced material technologies, we are able to use innovative aerial material to make the top c o v e r o f o u r i n v e r t e r . Wi t h t h i s m a t e r i a l , we can make our inverter light and durable, what’s more it also fire-retardant.

One-time formed innovative material topcover smooth and seamless, bring elegant looking, prefect touch feeling and better protection. Also, don’t forget the OLED screen and touch button, these also bring p r e f e c t H MI e x p e r i e n c e .

PG 28

COUNTY’S

“YEAR

PROJECT”

EVENT

GINLONG

(SOLIS)

OF

WAS

THE

HELD

ERUTAEF YNAPMOC

THE

INDUSTRIAL AT

THE

TECHNOLOGIES

NEW BASE

The president of Ginlong Technologies Yiming Wang pointed out in his speech that the distributed string inverter project is the first expansion project for Ginlong Technologies after its listing, and the new Ginlong(Solis) product base will be a more advanced and have greater capacity. Since its establishment in 2005, Ginlong Technologies has been guided by the phrase, “transformation and upgrading, innovation and development”, which includes; transitioning to industry-financed integration, lean and intelligent manufacturing, innovative product, R&D and manufacturing technology, achieving rapid growth in market sales and the establishment of new Ginlong (Solis) manufacturing bases that guarantee capacity will meet customer need.

Ginlong Technologies will stay loyal to the innovation-driven concept, increasing the application of new technologies , improving product design and the use of new technologies, continuing to strictly control quality and safety at our new and existing manufacturing bases, continuing to cultivate new economic growth points, and always striving to create “A Ginlong Solis Bright Tomorrow” for science and technology.

Ginlong (Solis)Technologies' new base is located in Binhai Industrial Park, Xiangshan Economic Development Zone.

The main buildings are the R & D Center , production workshop, warehouse, office building, and other facilities.

On the morning of March 5th, the county' s "Year of the Industrial Project" inauguration ceremony was held at the new base of Ginlong Technologies. This event is of great significance to the company and has far-reaching impacts on Ginlong Technologies.

As leading Chinese string inverter company, Ginlong Technologies has a large-scale investment in the newly-built second production base project.

At this site, Ginlong (Solis) is demonstrating how advanced technology will play an important role in the county' s economic development and speed up the conversion of new and old production capacity.

Ginlong (Solis)Technologies' new base is located in Binhai Industrial Park, Xiangshan Economic Development Zone. The main buildings are the R & D Center , production workshop, warehouse, office building, and other facilities.

As of In 2019, sales of Ginlong Technologies increased by more than 35% over the same period of the previous year, once again reaching a record high. It is understood that the area of the new base is about 146 acres, which is 2. 5 times that of the original factory. The industrial equipment and production line automation of at the new plant is more advanced than existing production lines, which will further increase production capacity. After the project is completed, it is estimated that the economic benefits will be about 450 million Yuan, and the tax will be 510 million Yuan.

As leading Chinese string inverter company, Ginlong Technologies has a large-scale investment in the newly-built second production base project. At this site, Ginlong (Solis) is demonstrating how advanced technology will play an important role in the county's economic development and speed up the conversion of new and old production capacity.

SOLARQUARTER | MARCH ISSUE 2020

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ERUTAEF YNAPMOC

THE LARGEST MODULE MANUFACTURER IN INDIA 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. 7 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 20 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.

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.

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. 7 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.

Vision

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.

Mission

By virtue of our commitment to our stakeholders, we strive for continuous improvement in the quality of our products and services.

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.

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.

Catalysing 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

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.

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.

MR. SUNIL RATHI, Director, Waaree Energies Ltd.

SOLARQUARTER | MARCH ISSUE 2020

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ERUTAEF YNAPMOC

SUNGROW,WORLD'S MOST BANKABLE INVERTER BRAND Sungrow is the world’ s most bankable inverter brand with over 100 GW installed worldwide as of December 2019. Founded in 1997 by University Professor Cao Renxian, Sungrow is a leader in the research and development of solar inverters, with the largest dedicated R&D team in the industry and a broad product portfolio offering PV inverter solutions and energy storage systems for utility-scale, commercial & industrial, and residential applications, as well as internationally recognized floating PV plant solutions. With a strong 23-year track record in the PV space, Sungrow products power installations in over 60 countries, maintaining a worldwide market share of over 15%. Learn more about Sungrow by visiting www. sungrowpower. com.

Business Competitiveness As per BloombergNEF report, Sungrow is the 100% bankable inverter brand and no. 1 supplier in project financed projects. Inverter being heart of a project, the lenders, investors, have a lot more confidence on Sungrow to reduce the project risk, while ensuring long term steady return from the projects. Sungrow has the vision to be “A Global leader of clean power conversion technology”. This vision drives us every day with a very focused approach, to bring the most advanced technological solutions for our customers as the industry leader.

Quality Policy Of The Company

Company History: 1997 2006 2011 2015 2018 2019

Founded by University Professor Cao Renxian Expanded to the global market with products installed internationally Listed on Shenzhen Stock Exchange Secured #1 Position of Global Market Share Opened the Company’ s first factory outside China in India Became the First Inverter Company to Hit 100GW

Vision: Sungrow vision: To be the global leader of clean energy conversion technology Mission: Sungrow mission: Clean power for all. Sungrow takes “Sincere & Pragmatic”, “Precise & Open”, “Customer Oriented” as the core values.

Business Goals & Objectives: In the future, Sungrow will shoulder its mission “Clean power for all”, accelerate the development of innovation in the field of clean power conversion technology, constantly keep close to customer demands, actively participate in global competition, and strive to build itself into a respected world-class company.

Business Growth: The corporate revenue for Sungrow in 2019 is about 13. 5 billion CNY (1. 934 billion USD, currency exchange rate 6. 98), showing 30% of YoY growth rate.

Products & Services: Sungrow can supply both central and string inverter solutions covering utility-scale, commercial & industrial, residential applications.

Sungrow is uniquely positioned with its highest rated central inverter (5MW) and most powerful string inverter (250kW) at 1500Vdc to provide the desired solutions as per customer’ s requirement and project need.

Sungrow' s wide product portfolio can cater to any project requirement for an optimized solution.

Sungrow has all the relevant ISO and other certificates related quality, health, safety and environment. Sungrow products comply with all world class standards such as IEC, UL, CSA, VDE, EN, etc. Being technologically innovative company and a global brand, we adhere and comply to any country specific standards diligently. As Government of India has issued BIS standards and issued the extension till Jun, 2020, we are in the process to meet the necessary requirements.

Team & Management As mentioned above, Sungrow has over 20 subsidiaries and more than 50 service outlets worldwide. For India, there are three offices, dedicated FTWZ and wide spread service network across the country to ensure highest level of responsiveness.

Research is a foremost consideration for a company with close relations with professional institute and universities and about 40% of Sungrow’ s over 3, 000 personnel work in R&D, which is considered as the largest R&D team in the industry.

Customers & Projects Sungrow is the first in the industry to cross 100GW installations across the globe with products and solutions increasingly experiencing higher demands by customers worldwide. We’ d like to list some projects with Sungrow installations: The 400MW PV project in Bhadla, Raj asthan, India. The central inverter solutions applied on-site are resilient to scorching heat and harsh conditions.

The 250MW PV plant in Ninh Thuan province, Vietnam.

2GW PV plant in Ningxia, China, which is the largest PV plant in the world.

The 500MW PV project in Golmud, Qinghai Province, China, is the first grid-parity project in China.

The 205MW PV project in the United States is an application with central inverter and tracking system. The DC/AC ratio is up to 1. 42.

The 18MW PV power station in Dubai. It uses the string inverter in high temperature area with ambient temperature of 50 degrees Celsius.

Sungrow has over 20 subsidiaries and more than 50 service outlets worldwide.

Sungrow set up the India manufacturing unit of 3GW annual production capacity in 2018, to accelerate the global delivery capability. In 2019, Sungrow established a new inverter factory which enables in company’ s total production capacity up to 50MW per year.

Sungrow has the vision to be “A Global leader of clean power conversion technology”. This vision drives us every day with a very focused approach, to bring the most advanced technological solutions for our customers as the industry leader.

SOLARQUARTER | MARCH ISSUE 2020

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MONTHLY TENDER OUTLOOK

REIL Tendered 3.6 MWp Grid Connected Rooftop Solar PV Projects In Madhya Pradesh

NTPC Had invited tenders for 1200 MW ISTSConnected Solar Projects in India NTPC Ltd had invited online bids from eligible bidders for the selection of solar power developers for setting up 1200 MW ISTS-Connected solar PV power projects anywhere in India. The last date for submission of bids was March 19, 2020, and the techno-commercial bids were opened on the same date. The date and time of opening of the price bids and the ereverse auction were intimated separately by NTPC to the technically selected bidder. To address the concerns raised by the prospective bidders a pre-bid meeting was scheduled on March 6, 2020. All bids were accompanied by Earnest Money Deposit of Rs 400, 000 per MW of quoted bid capacity.

Tender For 1.2 GW Of ISTS Connected Solar Projects Issued By NTPC The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) had floated an invitation bids for the selection of solar power developers to set up 1, 200 MW Interstate Transmission System (ISTS) connected solar projects in India. To participate in this tender bidders were expected to pay an earnest money deposit of ₹ 400, 000 per MW. A pre-bid meeting was held on March 6, 2020, and March 19, 2020, was the last date for submission of bids. Date and Time of start of Reverse Auction were Intimated separately by NTPC. It was instructed by NTPC that No hard copy of RfS Documents shall be issued.

Assam Reissued Tender for 100 MW of Solar Projects The Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) has reissued a request for selection (RfS) to procure a cumulative capacity of 100 MW of power from grid-connected solar projects in four regions of the state through a tariff-based competitive bidding process. The tender was initially issued in January 2018 but later the last date of submission of bids was extended to February 21, 2020. As the earnest money deposit (EMD) Interested bidders paid ₹ 672, 000 bMW and performance security of ₹ 1. 7 million. The ceiling tariff for the project was revised to ₹ 4 / kWh from the earlier ₹ 4. 48. To participate, the bidder should have a net worth of Rs. 6. 72 million.

81 MW New Tenders Announced By SECI In Telangana For SCCL The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) announced that it will issue tender documents for three solar power projects which will be developed in Telangana at the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL). The 3 tenders will be issued for the Design, Engineering, Supply, Construction, Erection, Testing & Commissioning of ground-based Solar PV Power Plant at different sites including 10 years plant O&M at Singareni Collieries Company Limited, Telangana, India. The capacity of three tenders is 34MW, 32MW AND 15 MW respectively.

WBPDCL Floated 10MW Tender For Floating Solar Project In West Bengal West Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd. (WBPDCL) had floated a tender for 10 MW grid-connected floating solar photovoltaic power plants in Sagardighi Thermal Power Project (SGTPP), Murshidabad, West Bengal.

The last date of pre-bid queries submission was 25/03/2020 up to 15: 00 hrs. Bid submission will start on 01/04/2020 at 11: 00 hrs and 15/04/2020 is the last date for the same at 15: 00 hrs. The technical bid will open on 17/04/2020 at 15: 30 hrs. The pre-bid meeting for the same was held on 27/03/2020 at 15: 00 hrs. The estimated cost of this plant is Rs. 60. 02cr which includes GST and Rs. 5900 is the cost of the tender. To participate in the bid, bidders should submit EMD(Earnest Money Deposit) of Rs. 120 lakh and the minimum value of work for each RA bill is Rs 10. 00 lakhs.

SOLARQUARTER | MARCH ISSUE 2020

Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments Limited (REIL) had floated a tender of 3. 6 MWp Grid Connected Rooftop Solar PV Projects in Mandideep, Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh). There are around 55 sites having capacity ranging from less than 10 kW to more than 500 kW. The last date for submission of Bid was on 24. 03. 2020 at 15: 00 and the Opening of the technical Bid was on 25. 03. 2020 at 15: 00 hrs. The bids were accompanied

by Earnest Money Deposit of Rs. 13. 50 Lacs. The Minimum Average Annual Turnover (MAAT) of the bidder in the last three financial years should be INR 10 Crores and the Net worth of the Bidder should be minimum INR One 1 Crore.

BSNL Had issued Tender for 2.5 MW Rooftop Solar Systems in Maharashtra Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) had issued a tender under the RESCO model inviting bids from eligible firms for implementation of 2. 5 MW grid-connected rooftop solar power systems at BSNL Buildings in different zones of Maharashtra. The last date for bid submission was March 17, 2020, and the techno-commercial bids were opened on March 18, 2020.

Eligibility for participating in this bidding process was the firms should have designed, supplied, installed & commissioned at least one gridconnected solar PV power project having a capacity of 50 kW which should have been commissioned at least 6 months before techno-commercial bid opening date. To participate in this bid the average annual turnover of the bidder should be Rs 4 crore.

CEL Had floated Tender For 1.6 MW Solar Rooftop In Tamil Nadu Central Electronics Limited (CEL) had floated a tender for setting up of grid-connected solar PV rooftop power plants of 1. 6 MW capacity ranging from 10 kWp and 50 kWp in various government buildings in Tamil Nadu.

The tender is limited to bidders who have received an email from CEL with the tender document. The last date for bid submissions and the technocommercial bids was on March 2, 2020. The document also stated that every bidder must submit an Earnest Money Deposit of Rs 7. 5 lakh along with their bids. The timeline for commissioning the projects is 90 days.

GUVNL Received Only 3 Bids Of Total 430 MW FOR 500MW Solar Tender The Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited had announced that it has received a total of 3 technically qualified bids worth a combined 430 MW of solar power project capacity. The three bidders are Tata Power, Juniper Green and Vena Energy submitted bids worth 200 MW, 190 MW and 40 MW, respectively. The Company had issued the tender of this projects in February. The scope of work include setting up of solar PV power project including the transmission network up to the delivery point at its own cost.

Central Electronics Limited (CEL) Declares Auction Results For Its 44 MW Solar Tender The auction results for Substations in Maharashtra for its 44 MW solar tender has been declared by The Central Electronics Limited (CEL). Gensol Engineering Private Limited, Kor Energy Private Limited, Purshotam Profiles Private Limited, Mitcon Consultancy, Engineering Services Limited, and Kalpa Power Private Limited won a capacity of 13. 2 MW, 11 MW, 8. 8 MW, 6. 6 MW, and 4. 4 MW respectively. Gensol had quoted the lowest tariff rate of ₹ 15. 1 /W out of all five companies for 44 MW, considering the same CEL asked the companies to go with the tariff rate of ₹ 15. 05/W. At the designated project sites CEL will provide 310Wp of solar PV modules.

BHEL Bags TERI’s Battery Energy Storage Tender for Rs 2.51 Crore In a tender recently floated by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) for installation and maintenance of battery energy storage systems (BESS) Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has emerged as the best supplier of battery and associated equipment. BHEL has offered 410 kWh of cumulative battery capacity for a total cost of Rs. 2. 51 crore which includes 6 years of warranty and maintenance.

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EVITCEPSREP

BIG CHALLENGES IN EXECUTING ROOFTOP SOLAR + STORAGE PROJECTS

MR. ALAN KHOR Head of Engineering, Procurement and Construction Cleantech Solar

Energy storage is the missing piece of the puzzle to meet ambitious global carbon emission targets and the surging demand for clean electricity. When combined with a solar power generation system, a Solar + Storage system will compensate for some of the shortfalls of both traditional power generation and renewable energy production. It can help lighten up the load on an aging electrical grid and cut carbon footprint by reducing short term peaks in demand, managing grid instability and smoothening the intermittency issues when it comes to renewables.

There is a lot of value that energy storage can bring, especially with the growing installed solar capacity in the market. Yet the energy storage industry is comparatively in its infancy. A few hurdles will have to be addressed before the market can see a scale-up in Solar + Storage projects: .1. . . . . .Cost: . . . . . . . . . . . .We have often heard of the term “Energy trilemma” in the electricity supply industry - the challenges to balance the three critical goals of energy security, environmental sustainability and affordability.

Whilst energy storage could help address the intermittent nature of solar electricity generation and shift the reliance on fossil fuels to a more sustainable renewable source, the current cost of energy storage is still too high to make a viable business case.

Despite drastic fall in energy storage prices, a Solar + Storage system still costs at least 3 to 5 times more than a solar PV system alone. However, on the bright side, the rapid developments in the energy storage industry are expected to further drive the growth in energy storage installations and economy of scale should ultimately lead to commercially viable system costs.

MR. SHRIPRAKASH RAI Head- Onsite Distributed Generation Business Amp Energy India

India’ s focus towards large scale solarisation- 100GW by 2022 is the primary driver that is making energy storage industry development a necessity. Although India has added 34. 4 GW of solar capacity over the years, most of this deployment has been in the utility space. Solar rooftop hasn’ t been able to scale considerably and achieve critical mass in terms of capacity growth.

Solar by nature is intermittent and hence this limits the time period of its usage to only daytime. This intermittency can be constrained or even overcome by the use of electricity storage which represents a huge opportunity. Storage provides flexibility to the grid and will be able to ensure uninterrupted dispatchable, predictable and reliable power to satisfy the energy needs of the consumers whenever needed.

Rooftop solar is being well accepted by C&I customers which contribute to about 70% of the solar rooftop capacity. Rooftop solar with storage provides a perfect opportunity to ensure greater uptake of rooftop solar power by customers.

However, we are still in an early stage of energy storage for mass deployment. Higher costs of such a system due to the added cost of battery replacement and shorter life spans of projects pose a challenge in rapid deployment. As a nascent industry, it lacks historical data required by lenders to familiarize with the sector and hence investment into the sector adds another challenge.

2. . . . . . .Technology: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Grid-tied energy storage application is fairly new and there is insufficient publicly available field data on the performance and reliability of each energy storage technology and integration algorithm.

The bulk of the data are proprietary, making it difficult to take a long-term view of the technology risks. This issue is further compounded by several competing storage technologies and huge advancements being made by various manufacturers. The gaps in data and analysis capabilities can deter investments and hamper the growth of energy storage deployment.

Therefore, it will be beneficial that such energy storage performance metrics can be made available in the public domain, with major stakeholders or energy storage players in the market to list their system yields in an accessible database. Such open knowledge sharing can bolster the development of best practices in Solar + Storage system deployment and could spark further improvements across such assets in the long run.

3. Application: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .In the paper “The Economics of Battery Energy Storage” published by Rocky Mountain Institute, energy storage can generate more value when multiple services are stacked across 3 different levels – behind the meter, at the distribution level, or at the transmission level. Depending on where you are in the value chain and the applicable local regulations, the full potential of the batteries can rarely be utilized and this limits the net economic benefit to the energy storage owner/operator. In particular, behind the meter value chain comes with great uncertainty given that policy and regulations may change over the system’ s lifetime. With the bulk of the untapped value still lying with Distribution and Transmission companies, clear and consistent policy support is necessary to tap into the full value of energy storage.

4. Lifetime: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Energy storage systems typically last 10-15 years, less than half the lifetime of a typical PV system. Hence to manage energy storage life in a project, it would be critical to build in replacement cost for the energy storage systems and develop best practice in Solar + Storage system implementation so as to deliver the same cost-effective long-term benefit.

Energy Storage Systems are here to stay and the capacity of installations can be expected to grow exponentially over time in tandem with the already expansive growth of renewable power generation technologies such as Solar PV. Cheaper and more efficient energy storage coupled with renewable power systems are likely to play a key role as the world transitions to a clean energy future.

SOLARQUARTER | MARCH ISSUE 2020

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SDNERT HCET

Solar photovoltaic (SPV) is an important source of renewable energy in the world, with overall global consumption over 11-16% in concentrated solar power and solar photovoltaics. Solar power is anticipated to become the world' s largest source of electricity by 2050. Bifacial technology has emerged with the capability to capture the module market with improvement in module manufacturing, cell efficiencies, and the overall rapid growth of the global PV industry. In recent years with significant interest throughout the industry and product offerings available, bifacial module technology has seen strong growth. ArcVera Renewables predicted that bifacial designs will dominate the utility-scale module market. Bifacial modules are coming up with new development like the incorporation of time-series albedo and detailed racking specifications, vertical fixed-tilt applications, optimization of ground cover for eg. groundsurface modification, wire management design solutions and new optimization of tracking algorithms. The global bifacial solar market is divided into polycrystalline solar panels, monocrystalline solar panels, and thin-film solar panels. The monocrystalline panel offers more energyefficiency whereas polycrystalline solar panels are cost-effective.

Due to the rise in the demand for electricity from industrial and commercial sectors the global bifacial solar panels market is anticipated to gain push. According to a report by Fortune Business Insights, titled, “Bifacial Solar Panels Market Size, Share and Global Forecast till 2026, ” various small, medium, and big enterprises are producing solar modules that have the latest technology infused. By focusing on design, cost, and efficiency of the solar panels enterprises are aiming to increase the global bifacial solar panels market sales. A study by LONGi Solar showed that bifacial can increase efficiency by 11% compared to a conventional solar panel system. To simulate bifacial energy output solar energy modelings software like NREL’ s System Advisor Model and PVsyst have incorporated algorithms.

HOW CAN BI-FACIAL MODULE TECHNOLOGY BOOST ENERGY GENERATION/ YIELDS?

MR. SAI CHARAN KUPPILI

According to a study, to realize the expected project value increase associated with 3-10% in bifacial solar project energy production, diligent and accurate measurement and modeling of site conditions, equipment specification, and project design, are recommended.

The bifacial module market is evolving, and pricing has changed with the larger module market and changing trade tariffs. Manufacturers might quote costs in the range of 6-10% increase from their equivalent mono facial modules. The present Levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of largescale photovoltaic is less than that of fossil fuel. According to LONGI, consumers searching for maximum efficiency with fewer panels will opt for bifacial solar panels. Module manufacturers may promote gains “up to 25%” or plus but in practice, the gains are highly variable and depend on project site, design and characteristics according to Romero et al.

According to a study, Asia Pacific is projected to lead the global bifacial solar panel market in the upcoming years, followed by North America and Europe. Indonesia. Countries such as Japan, China, and India are investing significantly in the field of solar energy which would boost the bifacial solar market. Latin America and the Middle East & Africa are also anticipated to give rise to the market.

According to Siason and Kedir, the electrical components of a bifacial panel are not much different than a mono facial panel. How to precisely model and estimate the production value of bifacial panels to help stakeholders in their acceptance and adoption of the technology is the main challenge. The methodology to technically assess and exactly estimate bifacial value panel technology is rapidly changing to a best practice.

Bifacial technology and energy estimation are evolving and with them the level of comfort from financial institutions. Many countries are adding BiFacial solar modules in their project which itself shows the boost of these modules in the market. Ultimately any estimated gains in energy output and offtake, changes to system costs, and associated changes in these modules will be considered as an additional advantage in the solar industry.

Technical Director, South Asia Jinko Solar

High Energy Density is what benefits everyone on any ground mounted Solar PV Installations, which can be achieved by using High efficiency Solar PV technologies like Bifacial PV Modules.

Bifacial Technology Module has got the advantage of absorbing both global horizontal irradiation on the front side of the module and diffused/reflected irradiation on the rear side of the module. Depending on the type of installation, location and albedo factor varies the range of gain in specific energy yield when compared to Mono Facial modules.

Texture of ground surface, factors of albedo varies throughout the day and albedo follows the diurnal curve and makes the sensitivities of reflection getting fluctuated throughout the light day within the spectral wavelength.

Jinko Solar has done an analysis with all possible ground textures within our Haining factory at China and noticed the gain of energy with Bifacial modules varies upto 19% and the same was ratified by 3rd party agencies.

Out of available different models (dual glass / transparent back sheet) in Bifacial Modules, for tropical climatic zones like India, it is preferred to use transparent back sheet which always gets the benefit of resembling existing conventional Solar PV modules.

Swan Bifacial Transparent back sheet modules has product warranty of 30 years due to high reliable characteristics of the materials being used with POE as encapsulant and PVF – Tedlar based back sheet with fluoric materials adding more value when compared to conventional encapsulant and back sheets. This even helps in obtaining low LCOE with the reduced economics of Capex & Opex calculations.

Reduced linear degradation on Bifacial modules is one other advantage over Mono facial modules to have high specific energy yield on any specific year during the life of the plant. Acceptability on these Bifacial technologies is getting wide spread and acceptability across the globe and expected to capture the majority market share technology by 2025.

Swan or Tiger Bifacial Modules ranging at power class 385-405 Wp or 450-470 Wp exhibits higher energy densities on the surface which has low soil moisture, in turn increases the reflectivity sensitivities of the soil to produce more energy from the rear side of the Bifacial module.

SOLARQUARTER | MARCH ISSUE 2020

PG 34

MR. MANISH GUPTA

Managing Director

Director

Goldi Solar

Insolation

The energy output of a photovoltaic solar plant is closely linked to the efficiency of the solar modules. It is needless to mention that numerous designs and configurations are being developed and tried out to further enhance the output of the modules. One such configuration, which has demonstrated positive results is bifacial solar modules. Bifacial solar modules offer many advantages over traditional solar panels. Power can be produced from both sides of a bifacial module, increasing total energy generation. They are often more durable because both sides are UV resistant, and potential-induced degradation (PID) concerns are reduced when the bifacial module is frameless. Balance of system (BOS) costs are also reduced when more power can be generated from bifacial modules in a smaller array footprint.

Bifacial modules can be manufactured using either monocrystalline or polycrystalline cells. There are variety of factors which can boost the higher energy generation among the most critical factors to consider are module mounting height and albedo, or the fraction of light reflected by the surface.

Hence, the efficiency of bifacial module for higher energy generation also depends on the reflective behavior of the surface underneath the module and the installation height of the solar power system. An optimal combination of reflective surface and the highest possible system height makes it possible to achieve an additional energy yield of up to 25-30 percent. The increased energy yield and long durability of bifacial glassglass modules contribute to a further reduction in the cost of energy production for all applications.

Bifacial solar modules offer many advantages over traditional solar panels.

Power can be produced from both sides of a bifacial module, increasing total energy generation.

SDNERT HCET

MR. ISHVER DHOLAKIYA

Bifacial solar modules use direct and reflective sunlight to produce energy from the front and rear surfaces of the module. As a result, they achieve a higher yield. Until now, bifacial technology, which was developed in the 1970s, has had only a small market share due to high production costs. In September 2015, the Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH) . The bifacial solar cell is a further development of the highperformance PERC cell. In contrast to the PERC cell, the bifacial solar cell has an opening in the screen-printed rear contact to allow light to reach the active region of the cell from the back. The fullarea aluminum printing of the PERC cell has been replaced with an optimized grid, similar to the front contact.

Bifacial solar cells have the advantage of producing more energy by using reflective incidental light from the rear along with light from the front of the module. With the transparent rear sides, glass-glass modules therefore provide the ideal module technology for bifacial solar cells. A second glass plate on the rear of the module allows reflected sunlight to reach the cells from the back. In this way, individual modules generate higher yields. Embedding the cells in a glass composite protects them from environmental and mechanical influences. High durability and minimal degradation ensure a maximum service life. The new bifacial product profits from a mature technological process.

The transparent and active rear side of bifacial modules enables additional energy production. The “energy boost� of a bifacial PV system describes the increase in specific energy yield (kWh/kWp) of the bifacial module compared with a monofacial module in the same system. Direct or diffused light is reflected from the ground and a portion is scattered to the rear of the module. The amount of light that reaches the rear side largely depends on two factors: the albedo of the ground and the installation height of the module.

Researchers and module manufacturers have been developing bifacial cell and module technology for decades. The new process for manufacturing bifacial solar cells based on the PERC technology makes the bifacial cell technology more cost-effective and suitable for industrial production. The bifacial module of this new generation, is available as a glass module with 60 bifacial cells or a glass/clear backsheet module with 72 bifacial cells generating power on both sides and additional energy yield. The size of this increase depends mainly on the reflective behavior of the surface underneath the module and the installation height of the solar power system. An optimal combination of reflective surface and the highest possible system height makes it possible to achieve an additional energy yield of up to 25 percent. The increased energy yield and long durability of bifacial glass-glass modules contribute to a further reduction in the cost of energy production for all applications.

Bifacial solar cells have the advantage of producing more energy by using reflective incidental light from the rear along with light from the front of the m o d u l e . Wi t h t h e t r a n s p a r e n t r e a r s i d e s , glass-glass modules therefore provide the ideal module technology for bifacial solar cells.

SOLARQUARTER | MARCH ISSUE 2020

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EVITCEPSREP

CAN SOLAR AND STORAGE BEAT COAL IN INDIA ?

MS. MONIKA RATHI Head Business Development EPC India & SEA markets Mahindra Susten

Solar Generation Costs with a minimum tariff of 2. 44 Rs/unit have already made solar during the daytime cheaper than the coal plants. If the Sun was shining for the entire 24 hrs and modules generating power for the same time, Solar would have been the choice of energy. However, it is the intermittent nature of renewable power due to which coal has still been the preferred choice for Round the Clock Power. This is however set to change with disruption coming in from the combination of solar and storage solutions.

The way technology moved from CRT to LED based displays, film-based camera to Digital camera, typewriters to computers & printers, similar disruption has been seeded into the Indian energy market. The successful completion of Peak Power tender 1200MW/ 3000 MWh by SECI for the world’ s largest renewable with energy storage bid has yielded tariffs which are far lower than expected. Greenko emerged as the lowest bidder with weighted average tariff of ₹ 4. 04/kWh considering pumped storage and Renew with battery storage has won the tender at weighted average of ₹ 4. 30 per unit. The uniqueness of the tender is the assured supply of 600 MW of clean power for 6 hours daily during peak demand hours. The requirement of electricity supply during Peak Hours is to be mandatorily met on a day-to-day basis thereby meeting the requirement of DISCOMS for firm, predictable power.

MR. ASHISH SINGLA Energy Markets Manager – Power ICF

The answer to this question may not be as simple as it is dependent on a number of factors like Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) prices, cost of solar generation, firming-up ratio for Solar, type of coal plant being competed against, feedback response on global coal prices due to reduced demand, coal sector deregulation and environmental considerations. All these issues are quite tricky and difficult to make appropriate judgement. A scenario-based approach might be able to provide us some useful insights.

With this, thermal power is set to see the settling days, while the sun will shine brighter. Even, the most recent thermal power tenders in the country have resulted in levelized tariffs in the range of Rs. 5. 007. 00/kWh @ 85% annual PLF, thereby giving an edge to this peak power tender. The improvements in storage technology has been at the forefront leading to this change. Batteries, Flywheel solutions, Pumped Storage, Thermal storage , all technologies have seen improvement over the last few years. The improvements have been in terms of higher efficiencies, lower costs & optimized ways to manage charge/discharge cycles. This in turn has resulted in longer life cycles, thereby making the technology attractive. The biggest development has been in the field of batteries, specially Lithium-ion (Li-ion) and Nickel metal hydride (NiMeH), which has also been fueled by demand in the electric vehicle and transport segment. The battery prices have fallen from ~400 $/kWh in 2015 to lower than 200$/kWh in 2019. The volumes anticipated for batteries in the electric vehicle segment is bound to bring the prices further down. This will usher a new era for renewable energy, bringing radical changes to the way batteries will be used for renewable integration, meet peak requirements, help in frequency regulation, peak shaving and load leveling. The effects of the same are already seen with many such battery-based tenders on rise within India. Some tenders floated are by SECI for Andaman, Leh, Kaza and NTPC for Port Blair.

The improvements in storage technology has been at the forefront leading to this change.

Renewable integration with storage technologies has provided the right impetus India needs to reach its ambitious target of having 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030. The renewable with storage wave is unstoppable !!

Currently, the situation in India is slightly different where domestic coal prices continue to be highly regulated and substantially lower than market prices. Coal India Limited (CIL) which supplies nearly 90% of coal to power sector continues to enjoy endless subsidies (direct and indirect) from the Government. This has led to CIL keeping prices low despite increasing costs (direct and indirect) of extraction.

However, for India it’ s just a matter of time as domestic coal prices continue to increase. A scenario analysis (shown in the graph below) indicates that solar plus BESS will be able to replace coal plants based on regulated prices (for reliable base-load operations) anywhere between 2040 to 2045 and will be able to beat coal plants based on imported coal prices or de-regulated coal (if current price levels of international coal were to be maintained) between 2030 to 2035.

Figure 1: LCOE (Total cost) comparison between Coal and 'Solar + Storage' (source: ICF analysis)

Globally, the power systems are benefitting from falling storage prices making BESS solutions viable for providing short-duration grid services (primarily ancillary services). Further, recent SECI tenders (for firm peak power supply for 6 hours pre-defined period in a day) have also indicated that storage is becoming increasingly competitive (on energy side as well) with respect to conventional generation capacities. The average peak power tariff quoted by winning bidders (with chemical storage) was INR 6. 85/kWh. These trends are expected to get stronger in the coming years as BESS prices are expected to fall further. Most of the publicly available forecasts (like Lazard, IFC and BNEF) indicate rapid drop in Battery costs (esp. of Li-ion) in the next five years. BloombergNEF (BNEF) forecasts battery costs in U. S. to fall from 176 USD/kWh to 94 USD/kWh (2019 to 2024 period). ICF’ s internal analysis indicates that the cost decline is expected to be driven by a number of factors like growing market for consumer electronics, demand for electric vehicles, improvement in manufacturing processes, economies of scale (GW factories), lower cost of associated components, and advancements in electrolyte technology.

The graph above shows LCOE (Levelized Cost of Energy) range of ‘ Solar + Battery’ for various levels of ‘ firmness’ (from 0% to 60%). Firmness level of 0% represents a solar plant with ‘ zero battery capacity’ tied to it, while firmness level of 60% represents a ‘ Solar + Battery’ plant with battery size which can store 60% of total daily solar generation (and re-supply when required within 24 hours). For 1 MW solar plant with average daily PLF of 20%, a battery size of ~3. 54 MWh represents firmness level of 60%.

Many big utilities in the U. S. (like PacificCorp and NextEra Energy) are realizing benefits of ‘ early coal retirements’ and promoting use of Renewables with Storage to meet the demand.

Acceleration of environmental related costs and installation of other emission controls on coal generation supply chain will only hasten the path towards cost parity between coal and solar+BESS.

SOLARQUARTER | MARCH ISSUE 2020

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EVITCEPSREP

SCALING UP:

WHAT ROLE WILL ENERGY STORAGE PLAY IN SOLAR UTILITY PROJECTS IN FUTURE?

MR. SIMARPREET SINGH

MR. MANJESH NAYAK

Director

Director COO

Hartek Group

Oorjan Cleantech

Traditionally, energy storage has been limited to off-grid solar, but now its role extends to large utility-scale projects and grid-interactive projects as well. The India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) has estimated a 70-GW market potential for energy storage by 2022, and this includes mega projects like solar parks as well. In fact, a large proportion of the Indian energy storage market pie will come from solar parks. Energy storage is expected to be an integral part of these projects.

While installing energy storage systems for large solar projects requires huge investments, energy storage costs have declined sharply in recent years, and the downward trend is likely to continue, making energy storage solutions an ideal way to deal with the intermittent nature of solar energy and reduce congestion.

While the T&D infrastructure for solar power is designed to withstand peak loads, the inconsistency in flow leaves the potential grossly underutilised and makes power systems prone to breakdowns and volatile fluctuations. This may be a bigger issue for larger solar projects, potentially leading to problems during peak usage. The problem can be overcome with energy storage solutions. Moreover, as many large solar facilities are in remote locations like deserts where grid infrastructure does not exist, we need to find a viable way to connect to and store solar energy. With the US and some European countries working on solar batteries for large solar projects, we may have better solutions in a couple of years.

The heavy deployment of solar power will necessitate policy decisions to minimise the impact of intermittency and enable grid integration of solar projects. This is where energy storage will come into play and do away with the need for pumping massive investments on upgrading transmission lines to evacuate electricity from mega solar projects.

According to the cost estimates from the first phase of Green Energy Corridors, the cost for building a 1-MW transmission system is more than Rs 1 crore. In contrast, large-scale energy storage systems will work out to be much cheaper. The National Electricity Plan amply highlights the role of large-scale energy storage in maintaining grid security, optimising generation, controlling intermittent generation from solar power, ensuring reliable operation of power systems and storing excess generation.

Taking into account that utility-scale projects will need to store at least 10% of their daily generation, storage forms about 25% of the cost of a project. As this cost is projected to come down to less than half in the next few years, energy storage solutions are poised to become an integral part of mega projects.

The Power Grid Corporation is successfully operating large-scale storage projects in the country. Even the Solar Energy Corporation of India has invited bids for 3. 6 GWh of storage connected to 1. 2 GW of solar in the interstate transmission system. Foreseeing the need for grid scale storage, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has launched multiple pilot projects. The most promising of them is a tender recently floated by the NTPC, inviting bids for 625 MW of Solar PV with 100-MWh storage in Andhra Pradesh. While the Indian energy storage market witnessed a demand of 23 GWh in 2018, during 2019-2025 the cumulative potential for energy storage in behind-the-meter and grid-side applications is estimated to be about 190 GWh, according to the India Energy Storage Alliance.

SOLARQUARTER | MARCH ISSUE 2020

India recently concluded what is hailed as the world’ s largest renewablesplus-energy-storage capacity tender – a tender for 1. 2 GW of Renewable Energy (RE) capacity with assured power supply during six hours of peak demand (i. e. 05: 30 – 09: 30 hrs and 17: 30 – 00: 30 hrs). With the climate crisis becoming more and more evident and conventional sources of electricity becoming costlier, consumers are increasingly shifting towards renewable sources of energy. However, the renewable energy sources like solar are intermittent in nature meaning they are not available continuously for conversion to electricity. Hence, electricity storage has become a major focus of attention.

Electricity cannot by itself be stored on any scale, but it can be converted to other forms of energy which can be stored and later reconverted to electricity on demand. Over time various electricity storage systems have been developed including Pumped Hydro Storage, Battery systems, Flywheel, Compressed Air Energy Storage, etc of which Pumped Hydro and Battery storage are commonly used technologies.

Pumped Hydro Storage has been used since the 1920s and as of 2016, it amounted to about 95% of the world’ s large-scale electricity storage. It involves pumping water uphill to a reservoir from which it can be released on demand to generate hydro-electricity. Pumped storage systems are typically over 100 megawatt hours (MWh) stored energy and are deployed on a large scale.

On the battery technology front, the cost of storage has come down drastically. Lithium Ion (Li-ion) Battery costs have reduced by about twothirds between 2000 to 2015. Battery storage technology has helped create smart grids. A smart grid is a power grid which optimises power supply by using information on both supply and demand by using networked control functions of devices with communication capabilities like the smart meters. On household levels and even commercial and Industrial scales, battery storage helps to even out the peak hour demand independent of the grid as well as cater to power requirements during grid outage.

Hybridising solar with battery and adopting newer technologies go a long way in customizing the solar plus storage systems to meet customer requirements. One such technology is the Grid sharing Solar inverter by Oorjan Cleantech that helps to compensate for the difference of power from the Utility grid (without discharging the batteries). Large Li-ion storage systems like the 129 MWh system installed by Tesla in the Australia and the recently concluded 1. 2 GW RE with storage tender by the Solar Energy Corporation of India are welcome steps towards the ultimate goal of shifting completely to renewable sources.

Cheaper Storage options and evolving technology would make it more efficient and cost effective to generate and consume electricity from Solar and other RE sources.

Over time various electricity storage systems have been developed including Pumped Hydro Storage, Battery systems, Flywheel, Compressed Air Energy Storage, etc of which Pumped Hydro and Battery storage are commonly used technologies.

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