Special Focus- Storage and Smart Solar Technologies
www.solarquarter.com
Volume 08. l Issue 4
April 2018
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Index
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India’s Most Read Solar Energy Magazine
To book your space in the upcoming issue, please contact: Vikas Khadtale / Vipul Gulati T: +91 + 8850567539 / 9920917193 E: bd@firstviewgroup.com
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Indian News
K
anoda Energy commissions rooftop solar on Raj Bhawan, Jammu Kanoda Energy Systems Pvt. Ltd. (“Kanoda”), today announced the commissioning of its 83 kW solar rooftop plant on Raj Bhawan (Governor’s House), Jammu in the State of Jammu & Kashmir. The site was visited by Hon’able President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind, honorary dignitaries of the Govt. Press, vendor partners and employees of the Company.
As per the bid document, the companies with a net worth
Korea, Thailand and Saudi Arabia. Image: Hanwha
of Rs 80 crore and a turnover of Rs 200 crore are eligible
India has launched an anti-dumping investigation into
for bidding.
imports of EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) encapsulant
Central Bank of India had filed a petition with the New
material for solar modules from China, Malaysia, South
Delhi bench of National Company Law Tribunal under
Korea, Thailand and Saudi Arabia.
the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code to recover the borrowing it had extended to Moser Baer Solar. Thereafter, in November last year, the tribunal had come out with an order for insolvency proceedings.
The action from the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD) came in response to a petition filed by India-based integrated PV manufacturer Renewsys India, the renewable energy arm of conglomerate, Enpee Group.
uses modules explicitly manufactured in India. The 83 kW
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solar rooftop plant makes use of 252 nos. of 330 Wp PV
Opens a best in class digital power training institute to train
domestic producers, Vishakha Renewables and Allied
modules by Sova Solar and 1 no. of 50 kW inverter and
the workforce of the future for a greener and smarter grid
Glasses.
33 kW inverter, each by Sungrow. The plant is expected to
ABB today inaugurated an innovative microgrid solution at
The period of investigation is from 1 October 2016 to 30
The plant promotes the ‘Make in India’ movement and
generate average 1,36,120 units per year. The project was
BB commissions India’s first industrial solar microgrid
DGAD noted that Renewsys is the largest producer of EVA sheets in India and the petition was backed by two other
its Vadodora manufacturing facility in Gujarat, India. This
September 2017. However, the financial years 2014/15,
executed under the leadership of Mr. Sohel Patel, Technical
is the company’s largest facility in India, with over 3,000
2015/16 and 2016/17 will also be considered in order to
Director – Kanoda in a record time of 7 days with a strong
employees and among ABB’s biggest manufacturing hubs
analyse whether there has been injury to the domestic
support from Jammu & Kashmir Energy Development
in the world.
industry.
Agency (“JAKEDA”).
The microgrid is the first of its kind to be installed at a
Dr. Kinjal Jani, MD of Kanoda, said: “This one was a
manufacturing campus in India, and will harness the area’s
prestigious project and extremely time bound. We are
abundant solar energy supply to help the expanding
proud of the team pulling it off with such grace. We knew
factory meet its growing electricity needs, while lowering
we had a maximum of a week to execute this project
its carbon footprint.
New Delhi says matter is sub judice; probe carried out as
right from the design. We encountered challenges that constricted this short span of time even more. Being a Raj Bhawan, you have to acknowledge the constraints that may come with it. After all, it is a high profile project. But the team pulled it all off in time, with precision and grace.
I
ndia probes dumping of EVA sheets for solar modules by 5 nations
We will keep delivering projects with uncompromising
India has initiated a probe into the alleged dumping of EVA
quality. Our commitment keeps us at par.”
sheets used in solar cell industry, imported from China, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Thailand.
I
ndia’s safeguard measure on imported solar cells, modules needs more evidence
The
World
Trade
Organization
(WTO)
Safeguards
Committee Meeting held on April 23 conducted the first hearing into India’s safeguard measures on imported solar
The investigation on imports of ‘Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) sheets for solar modules’ is carried out by the Directorate General of Antidumping and Allied Duties (DGAD), which is an arm of the commerce ministry.
that safeguard measures should only be imposed under exceptional circumstances, particularly if the imports causing problems come predominantly from one source. The EU said added that India’s injury analysis on imported solar cells is inconclusive and its causal analysis doubtful; and said that injury to other domestic producers must be assessed. It further outlined that India’s actions will create serious domestic shortages and even risk the environment. Therefore, the government must take conclusive and responsible action.
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oser Baer Solar assets on block, bids close on May 26
The resolution professional for Moser Baer Solar has invited bids for assets of the renewable energy company that owes
per WTO rules The European Union and Japan have questioned the preliminary safeguard duties of 70 per cent on imported solar cells recommended by the Directorate General of Safeguards in India, adding to the on-going debate on the appropriateness of the duties. “In a meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Safeguards Committee on Monday, the EU and Japan criticised the conduct of the investigations and the initial findings leading to the proposed safeguard duties on solar cells in India. New Delhi, however, stated that it follows
In the probe, the directorate would determine the
WTO rules and regulations on the imposition of safeguard
existence, degree and effect of the dumped products on
measures,” a Geneva-based trade official told BusinessLine.
the domestic industry.
PV cells and modules coming from China PR and Malaysia. However, at the meeting, the European Union (EU) stated
S
olar cell imports: EU, Japan question safeguard duties recommended by India
F
inancial & Assorted Concessions: Sops for local production in new solar policy
In a move that could brighten the prospect for domestic solar equipment manufacturers, who are in the throes of fighting cheaper Chinese imports, the government is set to finalise a comprehensive solar manufacturing policy by the end of July. The policy will seek to incentivise local production of inputs (cells, ingots, wafers and polysilicons) to create a complete ecosystem for end-toend manufacturing of solar panels, people close to the
The EU alleged that India’s injury analysis on imported solar cells was inconclusive and its causal analysis doubtful. It added that India’s actions would create serious domestic shortages and even risk the environment and urged the country from imposing any definitive measure.
I
ndia’s first solar-powered island: Diu is setting an example for the rest of the country
It’s a hot afternoon in Diu. The sleepy island, with just over 50,000 people, is among the top 10 least populated districts in India. And it shows. The beaches are clean and
development told FE. Most of these products are currently
quiet. Waterfront promenades are deserted — so are the
imported. The policy proposes a direct financial support of
markets. Even booze shops, which get droves of weekend
more than Rs 11,000 crore and an indirect support by way
visitors from dry Gujarat next-door, are desolate on a
of assorted concessions.
Wednesday. But Diu is much more than that — it is India’s
According to the sources, the Ministry of New and
first solar-powered island.
Renewable energy (MNRE) has sought an additional
The secret lies in Fudam where a barren stretch of land
budgetary approval from the Ministry of Finance to
soon gives way to a silvery expanse. It is not the sea. It is
Among the lenders are Punjab National Bank (Rs 401.65
provide capital subsidy, interest subvention and funding
layer upon layer of solar panels glinting in the sunlight.
crore), State Bank of India (Rs 276.87 crore), Central Bank
for technology upgrade under an integrated solar
This is Diu’s 9 MW solar park, spread over 50 acres. The
of India (Rs 117.08 crore), Union Bank of India (Rs 77.69
manufacturing policy.
solar park, built in two phases since 2016 and at a cost
Rs 2,244 crore to eight lenders as on March 8.
crore), Indian Overseas Bank (Rs 223.02 crore), Exim Bank (Rs 228.20 crore), Bank of Baroda (Rs 69.24 crore) and Oriental Bank of Commerce (Rs 849.94 crore). “Invitation for submitting resolution plan has been invited today with the last day for submission being after a month (May 26),” resolution professional Arvind Garg told DNA Money.
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of Rs 62.48 crore, is helping the district of Diu, part of the
I
ndia launches anti-dumping investigation into imports of EVA sheets for PV modules
Daman & Diu Union territory, get on the green map of the
India has launched an anti-dumping investigation into
requirements.
country. From importing all the electricity it needed from Gujarat, Diu now generates power to meet all its day-time needs. Solar now meets close to 30% of its daily electricity
imports of EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) encapsulant material for solar modules from China, Malaysia, South
Solar Quarter • April 2018 6
CONSECUTIVE YEARS
2017
2016
2015
SBP Series
MT Series , DNS Series
ES Series
AC-coupled Retrofit
On-grid Inverters
Hybrid Inverter
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Solar Quarter • April 2018 7
International News
G
oodWe distinguished with TÜV Rheinland All Quality Matters Award for three consecutive years
MW may require up to 1 million yuan per year for cleaning
their infrastructure, lay the foundation for additional
maintenance. This has further inspired Znshine Solar to
energy-saving applications, and ultimately diversify their
increase its research and development momentum for
economies away from dependence on oil and gas.
GoodWe has been recognized as the winner of the “All
S
Quality Matters” award for its innovative energy storage inverter--SBP series. TÜV Rheinland, the great provider of technical services worldwide, presented the awards at the 2018 Solar Congress. GoodWe was also the winner of last 2 consecutive years’ awards of the same event with its ES, DNS and MT series inverters. The “All Quality Matters “ Solar Congress and Award established by TUV Rheinland four years ago, has become a well-known brand and a barometer of trends in the PV industry. The annual “All Quality Matters” Award, with its objective and credible evaluation procedures and authoritative and neutral evaluation body, has become the top arena for competition among manufacturers of PV modules, inverters, energy storage system and components. Wining the “All Quality Matters” Award means that products are of an excellent quality. This year’s awards were presented to companies with excellent performance and significant contributions in different aspects of the PV industry. Being the world’s first AC-coupled battery storage retrofit solution with UPS function for both single-phase and three-phase system, the GoodWe SBP series has received this year’s coveted trophy for 3 years running. Compatible with most brands of single phase on-grid inverters, GoodWE’s SBP series inverters manage the PV yield of a system allowing generated electricity to be directed within the home, fed to the grid or used to charge battery storage devices. These characteristics of inverters allow users to store surplus power and sell it back to the grid when it is needed while its UPS function decreases the automatic switchover time of less than 10 milliseconds. With years of experience and significant investments, GoodWe can offer a comprehensive portfolio of products and solutions for residential, commercial and utility scale PV systems. Holding the innovation as its main motto GoodWe continues to focus on product quality and
graphene self-cleaning modules.
unFunder Announces Fundraising and Investing Results Showing Catalytic Capital and Energy Access Could Hold the Key for Investors Seeking Impact
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lsoEnergy Partners with Survey Digital for Sales, Installations, and Support in EMEA Region For AlsoEnergy, the top selling independent monitoring provider for commercial PV in North America, this
More than a billion people still live without access to
partnership is an opportunity to extend international
electricity, presenting a challenge to socioeconomic
coverage for sales and support.
development across low- and middle-income countries. While distributed off-grid solar systems have been identified as a solution, a key barrier to wide-scale deployment is adequate financing. SunFunder was founded to develop viable investment structures and aggregate investor capital for solar assets in emerging economies. Reporting on its latest efforts, SunFunder announced it has successfully leveraged early catalytic capital from Facebook, the DOEN Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation and The David and Lucile Packard Foundation to unlock other investors and raise more than $62 million in debt funds. SunFunder has maintained 100 percent ontime debt servicing to investors to date since starting in 2012, demonstrating that the energy access sector is a viable investment opportunity for impact and institutional investors.
AlsoEnergy, a leading provider of monitoring and SCADA systems for solar PV, is announcing a partnership with Survey Digital, a company specializing in sales, installation & commissioning, and maintenance for solar inverters. Survey Digital has been designated as a certified sales agent and service provider for AlsoEnergy in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). For AlsoEnergy, the top selling independent monitoring provider for commercial PV in North America, this partnership is an opportunity to extend international coverage for sales and support. AlsoEnergy has expanded international offerings over the past several years and the Survey Digital partnership will enable further market penetration in the EMEA region, providing localized sales and services for the AlsoEnergy product line. Survey Digital will also assume frontline support service for the existing AlsoEnergy install base in the EMEA region.
A
carbon price in Canada could help cut emissions by 90 million tonnes by 2022 New analysis from the Canadian Government has claimed that setting a nationwide carbon price could help cut emissions while maintaining a strong economy. The research, conducted by Environment and Climate Change Canada, found that making businesses pay a price for polluting could help reduce carbon emissions between 80-90 million tonnes by 2022; the equivalent of taking
N
RG Systems and Lasser Eólica Partner to Offer Lattice Tower Solutions in Europe, North Africa and Middle East
NRG Systems, which has been a major force in the wind resource assessment industry for over 35 years, is best known for its turnkey tubular tilt-up towers. However, as wind turbines continue to grow in scale, so does the demand for lattice tower systems, which excel at capturing
providing best in class with an in-house R&D team of 200
between 23 and 26 million cars off the road.
people, technical ability and an advanced quality control
Canada’s annual projected GDP growth of 2 percent would
tubular towers are not an option.
system.
also be unaffected by the carbon price; instead, it could
Thanks to NRG’s partnership with Lasser Eólica, the
help spur investments in the booming clean economy.
Z
hub height measurements greater than 80 meters, when
company is now able to offer complete lattice tower
nshine Solar Launches Graphene-coating PV Series to Accelerate Cost Reduction and Efficiency Improvement
The agency highlighted how four Canadian provinces
solutions to customers in regions where this method of
have already set some kind of pricing pollution and these
wind resource assessment is preferred. These systems
also had the strongest economic growth. The provinces,
include a Lasser Eólica-manufactured lattice tower as well
Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia, have all
as NRG sensors and data logger. Lasser will provide project
decided to use the revenues to provide tax cuts, rebates
support from development through operation for lattice
Znshine Solar, the largest global photovoltaic (PV)
and clean growth investments. These innovations include
tower systems, as well as installation support for NRG
solutions supplier on China’s National Equities Exchange
retrofitting homes to make them more energy efficient and
tubular tower systems in Europe, North Africa, and the
and Quotations (NEEQ), held the launch of G12 evolution
electric or hydrogen public transport.
Middle East.
and double-glass graphene module.
M
C
Ordinary module glass(Left one) VS Znshine graphene-
Smart grid infrastructure development is accelerating in
Clenergy’s self-developed EzTracker-M2 Solar Tracker beat
the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region, showing
all the competitors in a bid in Thailand, winning a big order
strong potential in the near-to-medium term. In the Gulf
of 5 MW for Clenergy.
era - Znshine Graphene Series Unveiling in Beijing, China and officially introduced the G12 graphene series 12-busbar graphene module, 5-busbar graphene module
coating glass(Right one) (Water sprayed under the same dust pollution, graphene-coating glass’s “self-cleaning” ability is significantly stronger) According to reports, the application of graphene film layer not only increases the light transmission performance of the glass itself, but also the Graphene-coating modules have an attractive investment return due to their superb hydrophilicity. At present, solar PV utilities are using regular manual cleaning methods to clean the surface of photovoltaic panels. This type of cleaning method is difficult to unify the operating specifications, and it is likely to cause problems such as cracking of the PV cell and residual water stains on the surface of the module. The high labor cost increases the operational burden. In terms of cleaning costs, according to industry estimates, a photovoltaic power plant with an installed capacity of 50
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iddle East & North Africa Smart Grid Market 2018-2027
states, high incomes, high electricity consumption, and small populations are driving smart meter deployments. Elsewhere in the region, the prevalence of high nontechnical losses and poor energy efficiency are creating positive smart grid business cases. Also, extensive solar power development and grid interconnections across the MENA region are requiring rapid grid modernization. Smart grid investment in the MENA region will largely be a state-driven process, owing to government control of nearly all power sector activity. This creates both opportunities and challenges. Gulf governments have ample cash on hand and exhibit a strong desire to modernize their countries and their economies. Smart grid deployments offer these countries an excellent opportunity to modernize
lenergy wins bid for 5 MW solar tracker in Thailand
Featured with design of precision and premium quality, Clenergy’s self-developed EzTracker-M2 Solar Tracker beat all the competitors in a bid in Thailand, winning a big order of 5 MW for Clenergy. For the 1st quarter of 2018, Clenergy has achieved a total sale of 11 MW Solar Tracker in Thailand. This order is for a project located in Thailand’s northeast area—Udon Thaini. The climate there is dry and hot, which promises abundant solar resource. To provide the best solution that is with high quality ground mount and high cost efficiency, Clenergy has studied all the aspects of this project and eventually chosen EzTracker-M2 to be used for this project.
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Solar SolarQuarter Quarter• •March April 2018 9
In Conversation “An exercise was conducted by CEA which yielded about Rs. 1 per unit as the additional financial implication� improvements in terms of policy to overcome them? Mr. Pankaj Batra Member (Planning), Central Electricity Authority
The challenge faced by utilities are generic in nature, as most of the States Utilities are incurring financial losses, which inhibits them in developing the transmission and distribution system fully. In this respect, the Central Government has taken a number of measures through Saubhagya Scheme, to provide last mile connectivity. The Government of India has also, through the UDAY Scheme, incentivised State Utilities to improve their operational financial performance. The IPDS and DDUGJY Schemes
Views on the progress of Solar Energy Sector in India. Will India be able to achieve the set target? The solar energy sector in India is expanding rapidly. Since the time solar power is being set up through competitive bidding, prices have been falling sharply with each passing year. From rate of about Rs.11 per unit they have dropped to as low as Rs.2.44 per unit in Bhadla, MP. If we consider the pure cost of energy, it is cheaper than any other form of energy, including pit head based coal power plants.
of Government of India, help distribution utilities in improving their urban and rural infrastructure respectively, by provision of some funds.
Tracing the technological progress of Energy storage in India, could the next big technological revolution be in the storage of solar energy? (A brief note on the Indian Storage Industry)
However, there is a financial implication in addition to
In order to balance the variations of active power
the pure cost of solar power, in the sense that stand-by
generation from intermittent type of Renewable Energy
generation has to be kept, to take care of the period when
sources of energy like wind and solar power, balancing
solar power is not available after sun set. There is also a
power needs to be available for frequency stability in the
financial implication, when clouds pass by and cause rapid
Grid. This can either be done by easily varying generation
fluctuations of solar power, which, in turn, causes deviation
sources, like hydro and gas-based generation, or by energy
from schedule beyond the limits of CERC in the Deviation
storage devices. Energy storage devices which have been
Settlement Mechanism, causing penalties. Moreover, the
existing since long time in India, are hydro power plants
transmission and distribution system is not fully utilised
with storage or pondage capabilities. These plants store
and the cost of the concerned transmission system for
water in the form of energy, to be used, as and when
evacuation of this power has to be borne by a lesser
required. In addition, pumped storage plants have been
number of electricity units generated from solar power.
existing in India since over two decades. New pumped
An exercise was conducted by CEA which yielded about Rs. 1 per unit as the additional financial implication. Even after accounting for this additional financial implication, it still turns out that power from solar power would be cheaper than the cost of energy from pit head based coal power plants, considering the levelized cost of electricity. I, therefore, feel that for additional power requirements, States would like to go for solar power and, India will be able to achieve the set targets.
How is CEA supporting the growth of solar energy sector in India? CEA conducts a number of studies to study integration of variable renewable energy generation from intermittent sources of energy like solar and wind power to the Grid. The CEA had also calculated the financial implications in respect of Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, the two States with the maximum renewable energy, and found that the financial implication of this variability was about Rs. 1 per unit, at about 30% renewable penetration. In addition, CEA has also recommended demand response, including reliable supply power and interruptible supply power, and measures for optimising transmission and distribution assets, with the use of energy storage devices, as well as flexible AC transmission system devices and phase shifting transformers.
Smart meters will help provide demand
response, to tackle the variability of solar and wind power.
What are the challenges faced by the utilities in India and what
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storage plants are also coming up, like the 1000 MW plant at Tehri in Uttarakhand and 1000 MW plant in Turga in West Bengal. These can use excess energy from the Grid to pump up water to the upper reservoir and use this water for generating energy at times of deficit in Grid. The latest energy storage devices, which are very fast developing,
CEA conducts a number of studies to study integration of variable renewable energy generation from intermittent sources of energy like solar and wind power to the Grid. The CEA had also calculated the financial implications in respect of Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, the two States with the maximum renewable energy, and found that the financial implication of this variability was about Rs. 1 per unit, at about 30% renewable penetration.
New pumped storage plants are also coming up, like the 1000 MW plant at Tehri in Uttarakhand and 1000 MW plant in Turga in West Bengal.
are the electrochemical types, namely, batteries. There are various types of batteries in the market, but the one which is fast becoming very popular are the Lithium ion batteries. Prices of these batteries have dropped by 70% from 2010 to 2017, and continue to be dropping. In a recent bid in Philippines, Solar Philippines Power Project Holdings bid for solar PV + battery, for supply of 24x7 power, at Indian equivalent of Rs.3.71 per unit, which is cheaper than the cheapest generation available in India at present i.e. power from pit-head based coal power plant. If this is the shape of things to come, there is no doubt that electro-chemical storage will revolutionise the power sector. If this trend of price drop continues, then in the next 50 to 60 years, solar power plus battery alone would be able to supply the complete power, globally.
How competitive bidding has impacted the growth of the solar sector? Competitive bidding has lowered the tariff of solar power rapidly. This has helped increase the demand for solar power to a large extent. Many States are going in for solar power on a large scale. Telangana has also started supply of power for agriculture during the day time, when higher amount of solar power is available.
Competitive bidding has lowered the tariff of solar power rapidly. This has helped increase the demand for solar power to a large extent. Many States are going in for solar power on a large scale. Telangana has also started supply of power for agriculture during the day time, when higher amount of solar power is available.
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In Conversation “ICL, Invested more than 30.0 crores for developing these technologies”
Mr. Paramjeet Singh Director ( Engg & Mrkt ) International Coil Ltd.
Since, ICL is known for launching Innovative solutions to
scale on Innovation and to harvest the outputs which were
the end users, accordingly ICL recently cracked the code of
sown by our preachers. So it is our moral responsibility for
capital cost of installing Solar Power plant in ponds, lakes.
providing the solutions, not only within our country, but
The cost works out to be almost similar as ground mounted
to the entire world. Fortunately the environment going on
Solar Power Plant, resulting into enormous advantages over
in the county is the most appropriate for implementing
ground mounted Solar Plants. ICL recently won India 1st
Innovative solutions.
order of 5.0 MW Floating Solar Power Plant for WBPDCL. This technology is launched along with strategic alliance with Ciel & Terre, France.
Let’s begin with a glimpse of your company’s presence and offerings in India? International Coil Ltd (ICL) is well known company in the field of providing highly energy efficient solutions in the field of Heat Transfer, Cold Storages, carbon capture, Non electric Air-Conditioning and Renewable Energy solutions. ICL, supplied No Water cooling solutions to power generation for more than 30,000 MW. Cold storages, resulting into millions of tons of food preservation.
What have been some of the recent developments at your organisation? During last 3 years ICL, did extensive research into development of Renewable Energy solutions by forming Joint Ventures with Natural Power Concept USA, for Pitre Auger Turbine (PAT), harnessing power from flowing water in rivers and canals. This project is encouraged by Honourable Chief minister of Haryana state, for capturing power from flowing water, due to large canal network in Haryana, and many other state governments following the same. ICL also formed Joint venture with Regreen Technologies USA, for the most practical and efficient solution of converting Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to Fuel, providing solution to the most complex problem of MSW in our country. Many contracts have already been signed for the implementation of these projects, taking operational shape in the year 2018.
What are your growth plans for the Indian market? What are the milestones you wish to achieve by the end of this fiscal? ICL’s, year 2018 starts with good amount of projects in hand of the present technologies and 250 MW Solar Power Projects are in the pipe line to be conducted in this year, both on EPC & PPA mode. Many International organisations are approaching us with attractive funding options for execution of such projects on the long run. Our target is to exceed Rs. 500.0 crore top line figure for the current year, followed by CAGR of 40 % till next 5 years.
What have been the latest trends in demand for your products & services in India? Where do you see the next demand growth coming from? waste to Air-Conditioning especially world’s largest project for Cyber City gurgaon, operating with gas based power plant, expansion of such projects was standstill during last few years due to non availability of gas at reasonable rates. Since, now gas is available in abundance, accordingly such projects are multiplying at a very fast pace. ICL evolves as most eligible company in the industry for such Combined Heat & Power (CHP) projects. Simultaneously, due to drastic tenfold increase in demand of Renewable solution, ICL has diversified on a larger way towards the alternative energy solutions. And to take active participation is growth pattern of our country with vision US$ 5.0 Trillion economy 2025. This meticulous trend places our country on the fastest growing country in the
these technologies, process of adding many IP rights
Innovative solutions.
and technology patents to working conditions in Indian
Rate of fuel derived from MSW & Bio Mass. Results are encouraging and same shall be made available in the market soon. Solutions developed are large benefits to Indian Industry for effectively converting Bio mass such as Rice Straws, wheat straws, Cotton stalks, corn cobs etc, to convert the same to Green coal, drastically increasing the Energy Density and average calorific value of 24 MJ/Kg. This shall replace coal usage in thermal power plants, reduce Sulphur emissions, freedom from import of fuel, resulting into larger savings.
Anything else you would like to add for our readers.
for Cyber City gurgaon, operating with gas based power plant, expansion of such projects was
years due to non availability of gas at reasonable rates.
ICL also working in strategic alliance with University of Utah (UV), with Dr. Sheldon Hansen for development of technology “Hit mix” to drastically enhance the Heat Rate of fuel derived from MSW & Bio Mass. Results are encouraging and same shall
market soon.
on its pace. Since inception of civilization, India had been country full of Research, Innovation, modernisation and knowledgeable. Even, people in west have so high recognition & respect towards our Bhartiya Vedas. St to mention : Today whole world realised, that 1 Hour of sunlight can give energy to entire earth for 1 year. Yet, Indian mythology & tradition of “Surya Namaskar” exists since eras. So, It’s everlasting moment of celebration for us to clean environment.
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world’s largest project
Yes, it’s quite evident that era of Indian growth gets back
Namaskar our natural resources and to enjoy energy in
Tell us a bit about the recent technology advancements in your sector?
Conditioning especially
be made available in the
environment.
technology “Hit mix” to drastically enhance the Heat
projects on waste to Air-
After successfully commissioning of many projects on
world, encouraging business houses to work more on
Utah (UV), with Dr. Sheldon Hansen for development of
commissioning of many
standstill during last few
ICL, Invested more than 30.0 crores for developing
ICL also working in strategic alliance with University of
After successfully
Further, Indian recognition have gained tremendous
Indian recognition have gained tremendous respect worldwide, especially during ongoing 21st century, this encourages us to enhance our position on global scale on Innovation
respect worldwide, especially during ongoing 21st century, this encourages us to enhance our position on global
Solar Quarter • April 2018 12
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Solar Quarter • April 2018 13
In Conversation “goals of SolarMaxx revolve around the vision of a sustainable world”
Mr. Saurabh
large utility scale and rooftop projects. Which of these areas do you find more attractive and why?
Bhandari
Solar sector has become extremely competitive in India
Founder & CEO,
due to the fact that it has attracted enormous attention
SolarMaxx
from the Govt., investors, entrepreneurs and consumers. We are essentially a manufacturer and then an EPC services provider. Even though both the verticals operate independently, we do leverage synergies. It is difficult to pick out one out of the two as favourite as both require
Let’s begin with a glimpse of your company’s offerings and presence in India?
equal amount of focus. We use SolarMaxx modules in our EPC projects as we are confident of our own quality and performance. This also ensures that we continuously focus on improving our product output. Using our own
SolarMaxx, established in 2008, is a manufacturer and
manufactured modules in our projects gives us the comfort
supplier of Solar PV Modules and Solar Water Heating
of offering long terms product warranties and generation
and is a proud leader in its regional market of Rajasthan.
guarantees. This acts as an added advantage to our clients
Our primary focus is to produce quality product whether
as they receive maximum support at reasonable price.
it is Solar PV or Solar Water Heating. Needless to say our products conform to global IEC standards and are proven to withstand the varied climatic condition of the Indian market that remains our primary focus market too. We also introduced Integrated Solar Street Lights that are completely made in India. These lights are equipped with latest Lithium Ion batteries and MPPT charging mechanism and have generated quite an interest in the domestic market. With increased focus on automation of our manufacturing processes, we have been able to offer our products promptly not only to cater the needs of the consumers in Rajasthan but we have also taken keen interest in spreading our wings in neighbouring states. Our EPC vertical has completed rooftop projects in Rajasthan, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Sikkim in the past few months.
Quality, Costs and Performance are key concerns for Indian consumers and EPC companies. How would you like to address these issues for your offerings in India? We are increasingly looking at automation in our production processes to avoid human intervention as much as possible. This has definitely led to increased “quality” output of modules. Not only is the wastage reduced but also the consistency has increased. This has also led to slight reduction in cost which has made us more competitive. We have always focused on efficiency and are increasingly producting higher wattage modules that helps in overall reduction of cost at a project level. With use of high quality certified raw material, especially PID resistant cells, our performance is guaranteed for 25 years as per the industry norms. We believe price, performance and prompt delivery are our strengths.
What differentiates your company’s offerings from your peers?
Can you talk about your plans to scale up your manufacturing capacity? Are your plans being influenced by the potential for safeguard and anti-dumping duties? Our plans are fairly independent of the currently discussed safeguard and anti dumping duties. India has a huge potential for Solar power both at smaller rooftop as well as large multi utility scale levels. Govt. plans to install 100GW of Solar Power by 2022 and with their focus on Make in India, we are bullish of this opportunity of scaling up as a solar panel manufacturer in India. We intend to double our production capacity this year and are also looking at setting up another manufacturing facility within India but at a different location to get closer to consumers. While we plan to increase our manufacturing base, we are also equally focused on expanding our services from playing the role of an EPC provider to becoming a project developer and an investor ourselves.
What are your thoughts of the future of rooftop solar in India? What are your plans there? Govt. of India has set a solar installation target of 100GW by the year 2022. 40GW out of this 100GW is planned for rooftops. I believe Rooftop Solar is an excellent solution for India’s power problems. Rooftop Solar in India is bound to grow at a high rate especially with increased awareness of the associated benefits. Businesses and institutions have understood the economics of Solar rooftop and have started to deploy solar panels on their factory sheds and office roofs. Subsidies have helped making rooftop solar attractive to residential users. It is to be seen how they may react once the subsidies are over, but the overall scenario looks exciting. There are some obvious challenges. DISCOMS are not particularly in favour of implementing or continuing net metering scheme as they directly affect their revenue.
We focus on sourcing of extremely high quality raw
RESCO model especially in the private sector is still
material from some of the most renowned brands globally.
considered risky.
We operate as a boutique production house with strong
As a module manufacturer, we are aggressively looking
focus on quality. Our relatively smaller size helps us keep our cost overheads low without compromising on the quality of our product. With increased automation in production, we keep our product offering consistent which is very important for our clients that are mostly renowned EPC companies and developers.
You are an integrated company with verticals in module manufacturing as well as EPC for w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m
at supplying our modules to EPC companies for rooftop installations. At the same time we are actively looking at expanding our EPC business across India with a strong
IEC certifications. For the satisfaction of Indian consumers, we have also got our modules tested at the MNRE approved test centre in India. Besides getting and renewing these certifications on a regular basis, we stringently control each stage of our manufacturing process to prevent production of a sub-standard or low quality module. Manufacturing of SolarMaxx solar PV modules is done in a dust free, air conditioned environment to avoid any foreign particle to enter the production cycle. Our raw material is sourced from reputed and globally renowned suppliers. Each of the raw material is IEC/UL certified from reputed agencies. Besides checking their certification, we test each and every raw material in house before taking them into the process. Our in house testing facility helps us segregate and thereby reject any defective or low quality input to ensure each module is of optimum quality. Each module that we produce is visually, technically and electrically tested, plus sorted and packed.
You have been in the Indian market for nearly a decade. How did you conceive the idea of SolarMaxx? SolarMaxx was registered as a brand in 2008. A small idea from a milk vendor led to the founding of this current solar venture, SolarMaxx. The goals of SolarMaxx revolve around the vision of a sustainable world. SolarMaxx indulged in import and distribution of Solar lamps for the rural India before diversifying into manufacturing of Solar PV Panels, Solar Water Heating and related Solar Energy equipment. SolarMaxx played the role of a pioneer by taking Solar to the residential sector in 2008-09 when Solar was perceived as a very expensive and rather an experimental commodity. Having successfully launched residential Solar solutions in the early stages of SolarMaxx, we simultaneously introduced commercial and institutional solutions. By 2012-13, we were the leading Solar brand in Rajasthan with reasonable presence in neighbouring states. It was only in late 2014 that we decided to commence manufacturing of Solar PV Modules and our manufacturing facility was set up in record time of less than 6 months. Today, as stated earlier, SolarMaxx solar modules are amongst the most popular modules in our regional market with all required certifications and approvals. Our EPC vertical has completed several small to large rooftop projects, utility scale MW projects and a number of off-grid projects across North India.
What role do you think SolarMaxx can play in emerging trend of EV in India? As a starter, SolarMaxx solar panels were amongst the very first to be used to develop a prototype solar car by one of the leading private universities in India. Electric vehicles is the future of transportation. Whether it is India or anywhere else in the world, EVs will tremendously help in not only controlling but also reducing carbon emissions. We already have experience of integration of Li-Ion batteries with solar. One of the most important challenges in the EV segment is to have reliable power at charging stations, some of which may as well be located at remote areas especially on highways. Solar is possibly the best option to power these stations. Not only is Solar easy to install and maintain, it may in fact prove to be cheaper than to draw transmission infrastructure to these stations. With
focus on rooftop installations.
our experience with Li-Ion batteries, we believe we will be
As a module manufacturer, how do you ensure the quality checks?
may raise in the near future.
able to answer questions that this new emerging sector
SolarMaxx Solar PV Modules are TUV certified from a globally recognized agency. Our modules have gone through a series of stringent tests to receive the necessary
Solar Quarter • April 2018 14
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Solar Quarter • April 2018 15
In Conversation “challenging times ahead, but at the same time lots of new bids are coming up”
Mr. Donald Leo Managing Director Jinko Solar
The government has come up with a roadmap to complete all solar auction processes by 2020, to achieve the target of having 100 GW solar by 2022. Do you think this is a practical approach? This is a good way to give bright outlook to the industry. The developers, investors, EPC contractors and Manufacturers all can plan their future growth in time bound manner. This is helpful in achieving overall Mission target as well as in reducing tariffs.
What, according to you, are the main reasons behind the recent phenomenon of solar tenders getting cancelled/postponed?
DISCOMs to go for cheaper purchase of renewable power.
Do the proposed safeguard (and anti-dumping) duties pose any threat to the overall solar sector? Is the domestic manufacturing capacities sufficient to support the massive capacity addition program?
Govt. has to look into the off-takers interest as eventually
Govt has to run its Solar program keeping several factors
There are several reasons behind this phenomenon. But there are a few main reasons. Firstly, there is pressure from
the money is coming from them. Secondly, with the ongoing anti-dumping and safeguard duty issues, developers are not forthcoming with full interest in bids participation. Furthermore, due to issues in land aggregating some state nodal agencies have not cleared Solar Park bids. Overall, situation is going to improve soon as Ministry has taken a favourable view of all these issues and likely to issue clarity.
is leading to slowdown in tender roll out and overall the sector may lose its traction if this is not check urgently.
Are ultra-low tariffs quoted in the recent auctions viable to run the projects sustainably, or can they jeopardise the overall power sector? (Especially since project costs are heavily dependent on fluctuating prices of imported component? Recently some bidders had assumed very low equipment prices and won low tariff bids. Now, due to stable equipment prices, these tariffs are looking non-sustainable. Due to fluctuating prices, one has to take cautious approach. It is also expected from a long sustainable Solar developer to be quality conscious and install reliable products.
Any other comment/s you want to add?
in mind. On one hand constantly falling tariffs are making
There are challenging times ahead, but at the same time
strong pitch in favour of globally manufactured equipment.
lots of new bids are coming up. There is ample MW
On the other hand this is leading to reduction in market
available for all to grab from these bids. Hence, one has
share of local manufactures. There is also an issue with
to take necessary steps to improve the quality of assets
Financially Stressed DISCOMs, which are not willing to
along with optimizing installation costs. So, the focus
buy costlier power as a result of high input cost due to
should be on installing quality equipment, which will help
domestically made products. As said above, lack of clarity
in achieving overall low LCOE.
“target to reach an asset base of 3.5 GW by the end of FY 2022”
Mr. Raghunath Mahapatra
Energies and it will remain that way. Compliances with
investors will be a dominant factor considering that a large
multiple covenants, explicit or implied, are important for
part of the investment in solar sector is debt.
a plant. We select, design, build our plants so that they
We are cognizant and appreciative of the fact that the
perform at the best possible manner consistently.
intention of government and policy makers are progressive
Falling bid tariff is a function of multiple factors viz.
and there is a consistent effort to create the right
Head - Solar Grid
structural i.e. location, input cost etc., capital efficiency and
environment for development of the sector.
Business,
dynamics of policy and market. As a leading developer in
Hero Future Energies
Indian solar space we use our experience, expertise and specific basis. It is a continuous exercise and we exercise
What are the milestones you wish to achieve in next few coming years?
prudency and efficient risk management for this purpose.
We have a target to reach an asset base of 3.5 GW by the
track record to decide our investment strategy on a project
end of FY 2022. This capacity will be a combination of the
Let’s start with the recent developments at Hero Future Energies in last one year.
Which factors do you believe will guide solar energy investments this year?
The year 2017-18 has been highly significant for our
Given that the tariffs are falling and the off-takers are
growth. We have had consistent growth in all our
expecting the tariff to remain low, the investments will be
operating segments viz. solar (ground mounted and
attracted by projects that have a combination of factors
rooftop) and wind. We have ~ 1.2 GW operating capacity
viz. locations with good radiation, stable and encouraging
with approximately 50% of that commissioned in last one
policy regime, better ‘ease of doing business’ environment,
year. Additionally, we have added capacity inorganically.
better payment security mechanism, reduced duration
We commissioned the solar-wind hybrid plant, which is a
spent in land acquisition and other permits and clearances
first in India.
among other aspects.
We won a large capacity solar of 300MW and 75MW
The challenges that the industry is facing in terms of
wind capacity through bidding route which we shall be
land acquisition, conversion of land for non-agricultural
commissioning in the current year. We have established
use, right of way issues need to be addressed. Some of
our global presence by opening our manned offices in
the structural ameliorations are being attempted through
Singapore and London to focus on market in Asia, Middle
creating solar parks to reduce the risk.
East, Africa and Europe. We expect to continue our growth
As an example, the success of Rewa project was due to
and Europe. Our targets mentioned above include,
in the coming years.
the combination of off-taker credibility, availability of land
outside India, 400MW by FY 2019 and 1GW by FY
and also the innovative payment security mechanism put
2021. We have established our presence in London and
in place. Stable policy regime is one of pre-requisites of
Singapore at nodal centers to achieve this.
Project performance is becoming an increasingly important factor for project developers. How do you cope up with the falling bids and produce the power at low rates?
ÂÂ Solar (ground mounted and rooftop) and wind, the mix of which will be determined by different factors impacting the sector including policy framework, financial viability etc. ÂÂ We have the distinction of having the first Solar-Wind hybrid plant India which was inaugurated in April 2018. This is a significant milestone not only for Hero Future Energies, but for the renewable energy sector in India as it helps in better generation forecasting and hence the scheduling leading to better grid management. ÂÂ We intend to achieve integration of storage into our hybrid model to achieve a robust and scalable renewable energy regime. ÂÂ Geographically we aim to be present in multiple countries, other than India, in Asia, Middle East, Africa
sustained investment. Last year witnessed uncertainties in taxes and duties regimes, as witnessed from the investigations for anti dumping duty, safeguard duty, classification of modules, impact of GST. The risk perception of investors and developers was heightened due to these
The operating performance of the constructed plants has
events and the investments will be better guided by
always been an important factor for us at Hero Future
avoiding them. The comfort and confidence of lenders and
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following.
Solar Quarter • April 2018 16
F E AT U R E S Positive Power Tolerance up to 3Wp 4 BB / 5 BB High Efficiency Cell 100% EL tested Pre & Post Lamination PID Resistant Excellent Energy Generation in Weak light Member of
CONTACT US HEAD OFF. : G-25, City Centre, S.C.Road, Jaipur - 302001, Rajasthan, India 0141- 4019103, 4029103 DELHI OFF. : 502-A, Arunachal Building, Barakhamba Road, Connaught Place, New Delhi-110001 011- 43723333 WORKS : 25 KM Milestone, Jaipur-Delhi Bypass, Near Daulatpura Toll Tax, Vill - Bagwara, Jaipur-303805 9116122135 / 9116122136
w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m
www.insolationenergy.in
info@insolationenergy.in
Solar Quarter • April 2018 17
In Conversation “We offer our latest hydrelio solution to cater indian floating aspirations” since then the company has created 9 subsidiaries over a
Mr. Stéphane
countries till date and constantly recognised as the global
What are your growth plans for the Indian market? What are the milestones you wish to achieve by the end of this fiscal?
Prouvost
leader in the solar industry with 300+ MW installations
We believe that India will be the biggest market for floating
period. Record grid connections for more than 100 projects in 23
CEO Ciel & Terre India
completed worldwide.
solar worldwide and therefore we are investing in new
We emphasis our growth with implementing impeccable
assets to provide our latest designs in a large scale.
technical innovations achieved through our continual R&D
We expect to book order between 100MWp and 200MWp
programs, accredited & validated by leading research institutions & labs.
by the end of 2018, and 200MWp to 500MWp in 2019.
In the past seven years, Ciel et Terre started to provide
What have been the latest trends in demand for your products & services in India? Where do you see the next demand growth coming from?
We are forming subsidiary as Ciel et Terre India based out
floating solar structure in an industrial scale, before it was only ground mount raking system installed on drums.
Our new Hydrelio Design adaptation & our competitive
at Bangalore with local talent to support. We offer our latest Hydrelio solution to cater Indian
We are using latest technics of blow molding to produce
realizations in India.
floating aspirations and we have fantastic plan for
best quality in utility scale with patent technology as benchmark for immaculate innovation.
In fact, we are in contact with large industries for long
Indian subcontinent which include Investment in local manufacturing to provide the most competitive rate on
We are always customer friendly and our prima focus is
two months. What is new is utility scale demand as SECI
the market.
always on improvisation with quality even it is a Himalayan
150MWp tender and 1000MWp EOI from Maharashtra
Currently we are engaged with 2 projects totalising 10MWp,
task for my engineering division.
exciting us.
should be delivered within the fiscal year and a 30 MWp
We now have the best optimum design to accommodate
Obviously, this is coming with the significant reduction
should be signed within two months, all captive projects
any complicated water surface in terms of size, nature,
of cost we provide without compromising quality and
and perhaps going to act as a key floating technology
deepness, roughness.
longevity of the solution.
Let’s begin with a glimpse of your company’s presence and offerings in India.
provider for the upcoming big tenders.
What have been some of the recent developments at your organisation?
Tell us a bit about the recent technology advancements in your sector.
solution is paving the way for very serious project
and we will start the delivery of the first 5MWp project in
Another remarkable progress we made over the years, on the customization aspect. As per customer requirement, it is very much possible now to adopt to any design to cater the client requirement & to endure technical and financial balance with our latest Hydrelio design.
Ciel et Terre started its activities in France 11 years ago and
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Solar Quarter • April 2018 18
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Solar Quarter • April 2018 19
asia’s top 50 developers
Alexander Lenz
Andrés Gluski
Andy Kinsella
Anton Milner
CEO
President & CEO
Group Chief Executive
Chairman
CEO
Conergy
AES Corporation
Mainstream Renewable Power
nv vogt
Enel Green Power
ASSAAD RAZZOUK
Atty. Gladys N. Nalda
BENOIT GALLAND
Brian Caffyn
DAVID CORCHIA
CEO
President & CEO
Chief Executive Officer
CO Founder & CEO
CEO
Sindicatum Sustainable Resources
MRC Allied
Akuo Energy
UPC Renewables
Total Eren
Dr. Ir. Ahmad Jaafar Abd Hamid
Dr. Wandee K. Juljarern
FLORIAN BENNHOLD
Chief Executive Officer
CEO AND DIRECTOR
Solar Power Company Limited
Symbior Solar
Jayant Parimal
Dennis She
Dr. habil Ngo Dang Luu
President & Chief Executive Officer
CEO
ET Solar Energy Corporation
Anh Minh Solar Global
MD
Antonio Cammisecra
Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB)
Franck Constant
Frank PHUAN
Frank Thiel
GIAN ODDONE MERLI
Founder and CEO
CEO & Executive Director
Managing Director
CHAIRMAN
CEO
Constant Energy
Sunseap
Quezon Power
Limes Renewable Energy
Adani Renewables
John Eric Francia
Kijja Sripatthangkura
Kiran Jethwa
Leandro Leviste
Lionel Steinitz
Chief Executive Officer
CEO
CEO
President and Chief Executive Officer
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
AC Energy
Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding Public Company Limited
Fumase
Solar Philippines
LYS Energy Group
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Solar Quarter • April 2018 20
asia’s top 50 developers
MARTIN HERMANN
Mason Wallick
Michael Class
Michael Garland
CEO and Founder
Managing Director
CEO
President & CEO
CEO
8minutenergy Renewables
Infunde Development
Juwi Renewable Energies Ltd
Pattern Energy
Equis Energy
Olivier Duguet
Paddy Padmanathan
Paul Maguire
Prapharat Tangkawattana
Qian Zhimin
CEO
President & CEO
CEO
CEO
Chairman
The Blue Circle
ACWA Power
Engie
NORTIS Group
State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC)
RUTH YU-OWEN
Sunil Gupta
Tetchi Capellan
Tienyu Sieh
Tom Peebles
President & CEO
Managing Director & CEO
Sembcorp Green Infra
President & CEO
CEO
CEO
Sun Asia Energy
Blue Sky Energy Efficiency Co., Ltd
Solenergy
Udo Möhrstedt
Van Ha Do
ZHU Yufeng
Mark Hogan
John Cole
CEO
Chief Executive Officer
Chairman
Managing Shareholder
CEO and Founder
IBC Solar
Clean Energy JSC
GCL New Energy
WIRSOL Energy Power
Edify Energy
Rahul Shah
Amir Hisham Hashim
Dr Zahrul Faizi Hussien
Andreas Mustad
Tetsuo Yamashita
CEO
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Executive Officer
Chairman and CEO
Tata Power Renewable Energy
UiTM Solar Power
Ranhill Power Division
Sonnedix
Japan Asia Group Limited
Philcarbon
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Nitin Apte
Solar Quarter • April 2018 21
Industry Insights Introduction to Floating PV plant Renewable energy sources are of prime importance as
increase can be attributed to the reduced operating
3) Alternate source of energy at Dams: Dam based
they would power our future. Solar energy power plant
temperature of solar modules resulting from natural
reservoir can utilize their water bodies to install floating
which utilises the sun’s energy needs adequate space for
cooling from water. Additionally, these systems if
PV system. Such system may help boost the usage of
installation. It is a well-known fact that out of the 510
installed in huge water bodies may have less settled
solar energy during day time. The water saved during
million Km2 surface area of earth, a mere (appx.) 29% is
dust on them resulting in increased energy output from
day time may be utilized during night time to generate
covered with land. Additionally (at some locations) the
plant. An increase in energy of around 10% to 12%
more power reducing dependence on fossil fuel based
land may be of importance and it may not be feasible to
from such system may be realized.
plants. Additionally, the Ministry of Power had already
dedicate (some) space for solar energy power plant. In a country where cities are dense and agricultural land is limited, installing solar power plant (which require huge swathes of land) may not be viable. This is where floating
indicated in its (draft) National Tariff Plan (released in
2) Savings of water: Water from water bodies is lost in
2016) that it may implement Renewable Generation
form of vapour. Installing floating PV plant reduces the
Obligation (RGO). While the policy is still in draft state,
water loss due to evaporation. Additionally, cleaning a typical solar power plant require huge amount of
utilizing floating PV may fulfil the generators RGO.
water. CEEW estimates that around 7,000 ~ 20,000
The concept of floating PV is not new to the world. There are
litres of water per MW is required in cleaning of plant.
various countries in the world like, Australia, China, Japan,
A cleaning cycle in power plant may happen more than
UK, etc. which have already installed floating PV plants.
The basic components of floating PV system are mentioned
once a week. Such huge quantities of water may be
India which has adequate water bodies has also tried and
below:
saved if floating PV system is used. The cleaning water
implemented floating PV projects. Recently, India’s largest
1) Floating structure: Also known as Pontoon, the floating
used in floating PV system goes into the water body
floating solar PV plant standing at capacity of 500 kW was
again which can be reused leading to savings in water
completed in Kerala. It could withstand the variations in
and its associated cost.
water level of 21 meters between summer and monsoon.
PV power plant can come to our rescue. Floating PV power plant as the name suggests are floating bodies of solar PV plants on water (Figure 1).
structure is a sturdy structure which easily holds the solar panel. It also has enough buoyancy to stay afloat on water while supporting the heavy load. 2) Mooring system: The floating structure is held securely with a permanent structure known as mooring. This halts the free movement of the floating structure in water. The floating structure can be fixed with reference to a point on bottom of waterway eliminating the need to connect to the floating structure to the shore. This can be done with help of anchor mooring. 3) Under water Cabling: This form as an important link between the grid and the solar panels. Due to its usage under water, the cabling may be designed to be shock and/or leakage proof. A typical technical diagram of floating PV system is shown in the figure below: The floating PV system has the following advantages over the ground/ roof mounted solar systems 1) Increased output from system: Various studies have been carried out to understand the output of floating PV system. These studies confirm that there has been an increase in energy generation from such plants. This
Figure 2: Technical details for floating PV system (Source: Google Images)
The country seems to have realized the potential of floating PV system and further capacity addition in same technology can be expected soon. Weight balancing is one of the important factors in floating PV plants and any reduction in the weight would result in significant savings. In our last blog, we informed you about performance of our Merlin modules. These modules are flexible and come at a reduced weight (when compared to the frame based solar modules). Such modules may be a perfect match for this application. Additionally all our modules are tested stringently and are certified by various international bodies for maximum on field performance. We encourage the use of our modules on both the existing as well as such innovative ideas. Let us all pledge to make solar energy the primary source of energy in the near future.
Mr. Sunil Rathi Director Sales & Marketing Waaree Energies ltd Figure 1: Recently installed floating PV power plant in Kerala (Source: PVTECH)
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Solar Quarter • April 2018 22
Eco-Conscious design
Fully Customizable
Very Reliable
Easy to Maintain
WAAREE ENERGIES LIMITED 602, Western Edge-I, Off. Western Express Highway, Borivali (E), Mumbai - 400066, Maharashtra, India
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Solar Quarter • April 2018 23
Industry Insights Why India needs an Energy Storage Mission? 175 GW of renewables is a tall target but India seems to be
could be the most effective integration strategy. Allowing
fact is that a single storage capacity can provide multiple
well on its way to achieve that. There is definitely a revival
participation of retail sector to offer demand variations
services. The advent of ancillary services market has
of investor interest and improvement in deployment
based on price signals could be a very potent way to ‘up-
helped in unlocking part ‘value’ of storage technologies
capabilities in wind and solar sector. Although there are
patch’ demand. New grid interactive mechanisms like V2G
but a comprehensive assessment of economic benefits of
still road blocks in the form of policy vacuum, regulatory
and behind-the meter storage systems can play a key
storage is still not done.
oversight (and overreach!!) and coordination challenges
role in this transition. However, this is an untested area
but nothing that cannot be remedied.
and will require immense grid augmentation and a lot of
On the technology side though, there are still unanswered
investment in the last-mile infrastructure.
It is imperative that power planners and policy makers understand the range of system benefits from storage and also acknowledge the lack of accurate ‘valuation’ of energy
questions about the integration of this capacity in the grid.
In contrast to all these measures, which would require
storage services. At the same time, it is also necessary
We are relying on discrete strategies and expecting that
multiple
investments,
to come out of this mind-set that energy storage is only
four levels of system initiatives will support the integration
adoption of energy storage is a measure that can make
required for renewables integration. Energy storage can, of
over time.
the whole integration problem much more manageable
course, help renewables greatly but it can as well provide
The first level is RE forecasting. RE forecasting can provide
and simpler to solve.
a multitude of grid services even in a conventional power
dispatch visibility to the grid operators helping them to
Unfortunately, the awareness about energy storage
balance supply and demand more effectively. However,
technologies is still very limited among policymakers and
the fact remains that forecasting is still far from a perfect
regulators. Most of them are only aware of three main
science and our experience with wind forecasting has not
technologies: pumped hydro, compressed air storage and
been very encouraging. Also forecasting does not really
batteries (lead acid and Lithium ion). In the last decade, the
solve the variability problem if the diurnal generation
research and development efforts in energy storage have
variations are very high, as is the case with wind in many
really started yielding fruit and we now have many other
locations.
technologies, including new battery configurations that are
The second layer of security is the enhanced connectivity
innovative and can make a difference. A few technologies
proposed under the green corridor project. Preliminary
that seem promising: Liquid air storage, by Highview Power;
simulation studies suggest that the proposed corridor
Customized Pumped Hydro, by Gravity Power; Copper Zinc
would help in better evacuation and balancing. However,
batter, Cumulus Energy; Flow Batteries, REDT; Power to Gas,
the fact remains that even in a very complex interconnected
ITM Power, Behind the meter, Powerwall.
system there will be an upper limit of RE penetration that
But even more important, the biggest advantage of energy
can be supported. In effect, enhanced connectivity does help but it does not provide an assurance of grid stability and load matching at all times under all circumstances. Also, the system risk increases because we are dealing with asynchronous generation technologies that are not natural system allies in the time of grid distress.
agencies/actors
and
huge
storage technologies is their versatility of operation. Their ability to work as a generator, consumer and system manager makes them suitable for nearly all power system operation functions. They can provide nearly the complete range of power regulation services across different network locations for time scales ranging from milliseconds to
The third layer of security is to work conventional and
days/months. Figure 1 above shows the range of services
base load plants in flexible mode. While this would help in
that Energy Storage can offer.
balancing generation variation dynamically, this approach is limited by two factors: surplus capacity availability in low RE generation period and ramping capability (technical ramp rate and the effects of ramping on economic costs). The fourth layer would be dynamic demand response. This
system. Interestingly, in Figure 1 above, except for the range of services in the red boxes, all the other services are NOT related to renewable energy integration and signify the range of system benefits that energy storage technologies can offer to the grid in general. It is in this context that the policy makers really need to look at energy storage as a game-changing technology and start working on an intent document (reviving National Energy Storage Mission) and creating enabling policies to support energy storage with a view to future grid requirements.
New grid interactive mechanisms like V2G and behind-the meter storage systems can play a key role in this transition.
Interestingly, this versatility of energy storage technologies has made it very difficult to work out the economic costs of its benefits. Nearly all past workings on the economic
Mr. Suuhas Tenddulkar
costs of storage have used simplistic models and have
Consultant - Renewable Energy, Sustainability and
mostly monetized only one service at a time whereas the
Climate Change
Figure 1 Range of services that energy storage can support (Reference: DOE and EPRI 2013, Electricity Storage Handbook in Collaboration with NRECA, Sandia National Laboratories)
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Solar Quarter • April 2018 24
Tech Insights Thermography for Predictive Maintenance Solar energy is one of the cleanest forms of energy. With
can usually be found either in defective bypass diodes,
increase in power demand and subsidies available from
in internal short-circuit.
local governments, countries like India are opting more for
ÂÂ Shadowing and cracks in cells show up as hot patches in
solar energy; Availability of sun shine and vast land area is
the thermal image.
an added advantage. With this the number of challenges
ÂÂ The temperature rise of a cell or part of a cell indicates a
in operation and maintenance services has also increased.
defective cell or shadowing.
One such challenge is optimal performance of each Photovoltaic module (and other related equipments) for
Thermal images obtained under load, no-load, and short-
failure free operation, optimal generation and high returns
circuit conditions should be taken for analytical comparison.
on investment. To monitor the performance of each PV
A comparison of thermal images of the front and rear faces
module at a lower maintenance cost is becoming more difficult. Hence, we need a holistic and evidence-based
of the module might also give valuable information. The
Fig.01 Cell heating abnormally
further analysis is performed on software tool provided
approach to do predictive maintenance, and one such
along with the data obtained and is compared with the
feasible solution is thermography.
data sheet of the module. The module can be observed
The selection of thermal imaging is purely our choice. We
on hourly basis for two to three days if needed and then
can use a hand held Thermal Imaging camera for better
conclusion is drawn.
detailing or a UAV/Drone for larger imaging, depending on
The thermographic inspection of PV modules usually
level of analysis we need to do. All PV module have a glass
indicates potential defects at the cell and module level
front surface. Thermal measurement of glass surface is not
or electrical interconnection issues. The inspections can
easy due to its thermal emissivity. Glass has a property of
be carried out when Solar Power plant is in operating
reflecting the temperature of things around it. To avoid
condition and do not require a system shut down.
measurement error, we need to position the thermal imager between 5˚ to 60˚ (keeping 0˚ as perpendicular) which comes best by practice (initially trial and error will help).
Fig.02 Insulated cable abnormality inside an Inverter
Thermal imaging cameras are primarily used for capturing abnormalities in the form of heat and does not detect
After recording the warmer area will be clearly visible; if we
faults. It records data which we must carry out analysis
observe a certain or entire part of a solar panel to be hotter
for further conclusions. Classification and assessment
than its neighbor, it indicates an anomaly. Depending on
of the abnormality, if any detected, requires a sound
the shape and location, they indicate various problems
understanding of solar technology, knowledge of the
held device is best. For correct and informative thermal
such as:
inspected system and additional electrical measurements.
recording, shadowing and reflections must be prevented.
ÂÂ If an entire module is warmer than usual that might
The emissivity for any type of Solar PV module can be set to 0.95 and reflected temperature to 20˚C in the device for optimal thermal recording. The distance of measurement must be set manually, one or two meters for a hand-
One more way to get better results from thermography is to perform inspection on rear of the module as well, hence avoiding most of the interfering factors.
indicate interconnection problem ÂÂ If individual cells or strings of cells are showing up as a hot spot or a warm patchwork pattern, then the cause
Documentation is a must and should contain all inspection conditions, additional measurements, and other relevant data. This will help to maintain the solar panel functionality and to extend their lifetime.
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Ph : +91 70229 49911
O &
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+91 80235 68018 Solar Solar Quarter Quarter • April • April 2018 2018 2525
Tech Insights Smart Grids Give Way to a Stable Indian Energy Network What Are the Current Challenges for the Indian Energy Network?
Possible Applications in the Indian Market
For decades, India has faced challenges in energy grid
The planning commission of India has stressed the need
stability. Year after year, there have been severe reports
for developing domestic energy supply by integrating
of blackouts and brownouts, and while the population
renewable energy resources in urban and rural areas. Even
in India is growing, energy consumption is continuing to
more so, according to the Integrated Energy Policy Report
increase. In order to curb current and future issues there is
(IEPR) (2007) total renewable energy may account for
a need to develop and implement innovative technologies.
11-13% of India’s energy mix by the year 2032. The IEPR
Energy from photovoltaic panels, wind power, biomass, and
highlights that the distributed nature of renewable energy
hydroelectric power have to be integrated into smart grids
sources can provide many socio-economic benefits for the
in order to prevent the hazards of blackouts. Although,
country.
recently India has seen rapid developments of new energy
So far, numerous smart grids have been developed in
networks, there are still many questions about the future
India. For instance, in Assam a smart grid powered by
integration of renewable energy and smart grids. When
solar panels is being tested. The grid stretches over three
will the market be ready? Who is willing to invest? What is
subdivisions, connecting more than 15,000 consumers. In
the bankability, and how will it be regulated? But, beside
Himachal Pradesh a grid has been established that covers
the technical feasibility, there are also many institutional
an industrial area serving more than 1,200 consumers. The
and social aspects to consider.
POWERGRID company, responsible for the project, has
To understand what innovative measures have to be taken,
achieved installation of 875 Single Phase and 161 Three
current areas of ongoing research include: communication
Phase Meters that are being monitored for further analysis.
and networks, wireless sensor and camera observation
According to Green Tech Media analyst Saadeh “The market
networks, signal processing and autonomous robot
for VPP and the technology is very promising and make
systems, electronics and smart networks.
more economic sense in areas with high concentration
Furthermore, due to India’s vast geography and various
of wind and solar power.” Virtual Power Plants on their
climates, utilities and components of smart grids need to work under an array of climate-related circumstances. Even more so, remote locations that are not yet connected
A smart grid is an electricity supply network system where output from renewable energy is synchronised with Electrical Storage and Distribution Systems. The utilities that are connected to the smart grid use digital communication technology to detect and react to local changes in energy usage.
own can manage thousands of independent, periodical renewable energy systems. The logistical challenge lies in aligning the distribution of utilities so the power derived
A Virtual Power Plant
to the central power grid are numerous in India. In order
from these sources do not flood the grid all at once.
has a central IT control
for these isolated communities to develop, stable energy
The VPP will ensure that the flow of electricity is monitored
output is a necessity.
both locally and centrally so that power outages are
system, where renewable
What Is a Smart Grid and What Is a Virtual Power Plant?
prevented. Power companies therefore have a greater incentive to tap into technologies that help reduce the current problem of power outages by installing innovative
A smart grid is an electricity supply network system
solution which can be build on the notion of smart grids.
where output from renewable energy is synchronised with
As Sadeeh mentions, “a distributed grid with a high
Electrical Storage and Distribution Systems. The utilities that
penetration of renewable energy needs some sort of
are connected to the smart grid use digital communication
flexibility; virtual power plants offer that.” Especially those
technology to detect and react to local changes in energy
areas that are remote and not yet supplied by a reliable
usage. All information is stored in a centralized location
energy source might profit to the largest extent from the
which can be accessed from a local digital source. A smart
development of an autonomous energy system.
grid makes it possible to align demand and supply of energy consumption for residential housing, buildings, factories, and transportation systems.
The ideal smart grid consist of a network that connects residential areas, business parks, smart vehicles, and factory sides with energy supply from renewables, such
A Virtual Power Plant (VPP) is the software that enables
as biomass and hydro power. Although, not many areas in
a smart grid to function efficiently, and creates an
the world have such an extensive energy mix, this doesn’t
opportunity to monetize surplus energy. The challenge is
mean a sustainable electrical supply can not be achieved
to aggregate several distributed energy resources (DERs)
by connecting a house to a wind turbine and a battery.
and display them virtually on an online platform where
The idea of a smart grid, however, is to connect all energy
people’s production and consumption of renewable
sources to a centralized location and dispatch energy
energy are stored in a cloud-based data control center.
according to the principal of the Virtual Power Plant.
The data centers use various communication channels and
Thereby, regulating the amount of electricity in the grid
Internet of things (IoT) sensors to gather data. Based on
and the amount being distributed at any given time, and
the balance of local supply and demand, the surplus of
ensuring the stability of the entire energy network.
energy can be sold on the wholesale market.
participating local energy systems to a central remote control unit, a data transfer is established. The hub is then able to monitor, forecast, and dispatch the connected units in accordance with input and output levels
in the grid
where renewable energy resources are connected to the
and the amount being
central IT hub. By connecting all participating local energy
distributed at any given
systems to a central remote control unit, a data transfer is established. The hub is then able to monitor, forecast, and
time,
dispatch the connected units in accordance with input and output levels.
and ensuring the stability
Furthermore, an integrated VPP and smart grid aims to
of the entire energy
consolidate numerous energy resources and improve the efficiency of energy distribution and usage. Additionally, by
network
connecting households and companies that have surplus
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IT hub. By connecting all
electricity
A Virtual Power Plant has a central IT control system,
energy supply with energy from conventional resources.
connected to the central
regulating the amount of
How Does a Virtual Power Plant Work?
energy output, the VPP is able to balance the sustainable
energy resources are
Mr. Michiel Veneklaas, Greenmatch, UK
Solar Quarter • April 2018 26
Company Feature Our modules are tested and approved by reputed international & national laboratories Insolation Energy a state of the art manufacturing facility specializing in manufacturing of high efficiency PV Module located in Jaipur. We develop India’s best utility scale solar PV Module. Insolation Energy has been formed by the combined efforts of senior industrialists Mr. Manish Gupta and Mr. Vikas Jain having experience of more than
Business Goals, Objectives & Strategies: We are in process of enhancing our production capacity and very soon our production capacity will be doubled. We are also planning joint ventures with some developers to bid the projects jointly and start a dedicated production
b Quality Policy of The Company: Our Company is certified for ISO 9001: 2015 for Quality Management System. Our modules are tested and approved by the reputed international & national laboratories. Our modules are certified for.
line for projects.
ÂÂ IEC 61215:2015 -2nd Edition
We have also started focussing on exports and have
ÂÂ IEC 61730-Ed.1 and IEC 61730-Ed.2
Power Producer Business etc. Insolation Energy is having
identified few overseas markets where we will be launching
ÂÂ IEC : 61701
Rajasthan’s first fully automatic plant with 60 MW of annual
our modules shortly. We are participating in international trade shows and also exploring tie ups with overseas
ÂÂ PID Testing IEC TS 62804-1
manufacturing capacity. We strive to provide one of the best solutions for sustainable solar electric power. Our aim
players to go global.
20 years in various sectors like Steel, Industrial Solutions, Real Estates, health & fitness and Independent Solar
is to provide clean and green electricity at affordable price to one and all
Business Concept a At Insolation Energy we manufacture highly efficient
Vision Statement: To manufacture Solar PV Modules with high quality, long lasting, reliable and prudent practices under “Make in India” Campaign. Strive & leverage the solar energy technology for greener, sustainable and better future.
MISSION STATEMENT: We at Insolation Energy aim to achieve the goal of clean, environmental friendly, cost effective and easily available energy to each and every citizen of the country. Our aim is to provide clean and green electricity at affordable price to one and all. We provide flexible & customized high-tech PV solutions and reliable support to fit your specific needs
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c We have more than 30 in-house quality tests for quality assurance. The prominent ones are : ÂÂ Pre lamination inline EL tester
Mono/Multi modules in 72/60/36 cells with A grade
ÂÂ Post lamination inline EL tester
quality raw material. Our products are certified by IEC,
ÂÂ Inline Testing- Hipot ,Sun Simulator Post EL
MNRE, UL, TUV.
ÂÂ MNRE Approved
Some of the salient features of our modules are ÂÂ Positive Power Sorting, 0 to +3 Watt. ÂÂ UV anti-glare Resistance and All Weather Load Resistance Glass.
ÂÂ Inline automatic visual inspection ÂÂ Wet leakage current test
Team & Management
ÂÂ 25 year Linear Performance Warranty.
The company promoters are qualified engineers with
ÂÂ Higher Reliability.
more than 20 years of experience across various fields. The
ÂÂ Best Quality Raw Material.
company is run by highly qualified professionals with rich
ÂÂ Manufactured on Fully Automatic Production Line.
expertise in solar field.
ÂÂ Comprehensive Product Range. ÂÂ PID Free Module Round 3 as per MNRE . ÂÂ 5BB Cell, Improved Module Efficiency and Power. ÂÂ Improved Low Light Irradiance Performance . ÂÂ Compact Design, Efficient Shipping, Easy Handling. ÂÂ Manufacturing facility from 40 Wp to 350 Wp .
Customers & Projects Our modules have been well accepted & appreciated across various customer segments like retail/ rooftop/ utility scale. Some of our clients include reputed Developers/System Integrators/EPC Players & OEM players.
Solar Solar Quarter Quarter • April • April 2018 2018 2727
Company Feature Solis InvertErs - a preferred vendor for major worldwide EPC companies Ginlong (Ningbo) Technologies Co. Ltd. is one of the
Ginlong, World leaders in the fast growing Solar market
worldwide EPC companies such as Lightsource, REI,
oldest Inverter manufacturing company with the Brand
offer wide range of bankable and reliable string inverters,
EuroSolar, Jinko Solar, Trina Solar, JA Solar etc. In India, in
Name “SOLIS” featuring world class State-of-the-art
battery-backup hybrid inverters and intelligent data
short span of time, we have finalized deals with Renew
manufacturing facility at its headquarters in Zhejiang,
monitoring solutions, selling under the Ginlong Solis
Power, Agrawal Renewables, Soleos Solar, Sunsource, Refex
China. With more than 600 employees
brand, for residential, commercial and utility-scale solar
energy etc.
Started in 2003 as R&D Company by our founder Mr.
installations
We have installed a SOLIS Brand Inverter at one of the
Jimmy Wang in an UK University Complex ventured into
Solis Invertors have been a preferred vendor for major
wonders of the World – Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower
Glimpse of some SOLIS project - Residential project
a full-fledged company in 2005 with high quality BOM – a first of its kind for String Inverters Ginlong Technologies has grown to be a highly specialized company focused on research, development, design and manufacturing of very high quality small-scale PV inverters. This growth was primarily driven by a team of dedicated engineers brought together by the company founder, Yiming (Jimmy) Wang to apply their international experience and skills to innovative renewable energy products. The Ginlong R&D leadership includes several Ph.D. holders that direct a team of skilled and experienced product and manufacturing engineers who develop solutions for client’s R&D and production issues. Some of these innovative solutions have resulted in new Ginlong patents that support the product line and innovative designs Ginlong introduced and further developed advanced manufacturing
technologies
for
their
production
processes including; Surface Mount Technology (SMT), Wave Soldering (WS), conformal coating of boards that are manufactured by Ginlong, state of the art production management and quality assurance systems. All these tools and procedures support Ginlong’s consistent delivery of high quality, reliable, durable products that maintain high productivity even in the most challenging environments. We offer single phase inverter in the range from 1KW - 5KW and three phase inverter from 6k- 60K with IP65 rated as “dust tight” and protected against water projected from a nozzle Certification. We also supply HV range of Inverters from 36KW – 60KW designed especially for Ground Mount Application. SOLIS is one of the few manufacturers worldwide to supply 4MPPT Inverters ranging from 20KW onwards offering the benefit of more generation. We are the first Chinese company to achieve UL1741 certification in 2009 and second company to achieve UK G83 and AS 4777/ AS 3100 Certification in 2006 and 2009 respectively which implies the quality of inverters supplied by us. We are also ISO 9001:2008 and Iso14001:2004 certified company. Ginlong inverters are fully tested and certified to meet
Commercial project
regional requirements in the countries where they are distributed. Although Ginlong Technologies has become one of the world’s most competitive manufacturers of PV inverters and maintains a strong investment in R&D and continual improvements in production methods, customer service remains a primary focus and a key to the company’s success. By establishing local after-sales and technical support canters around the globe, Ginlong has been able to provide its customers with real time support to resolve any query that may be presented. The company has representatives across the globe with sales and customer service technical support in Europe, United States, Australia and India. We have a team of 600 employees to catering to our international business with shipments to exceed 6GW. Established in 1st September 2017, Ginlong India Office comprising of Sales and Service team to cater to the customers in India. Headquartered in Mumbai, we have sales team stationed at Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore and Service team at Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur and Bangalore. We also have a service stock point in Mumbai for warranty replacement With an Installation base of more than 100MW in India through our Channel partner since its inception in 2016, Ground mount plant
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Solar Quarter • April 2018 28
Company Feature SOFARSOLAR inverters have been installed in more than 20 countries with currently 9 own subsidiaries up other three offices in three different cities to provide
SOFARSOLAR is one of the subsidiaries of the SOFAR
Inverter Types:
Group which is No.1 in the GPS industry. The SOFAR
On-grid inverters, AC Retrofitting inverters and hybrid
Group has been devoting itself to the communications and renewable energy fields since 2007 and decided to enter
inverters.
service to all customers in India. Customers & Projects
the PV industry in 2012, established SOFARSOLAR which
Market sectors:
We have several distributors in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil
specializes in R&D, production, sales and service of on-grid
Domestic sales department and overseas sales department.
Nadu and Rajasthan. We are also contacting some big EPC
inverters ranging from 1kW to 70kW. SOFARSOLAR, with around 400 employees, is equipped with a very strong R&D team and the major engineers have more than 10 years’ experience in the PV industry. We have successfully improved many areas of technology in both software and hardware which had not been solved by other popular brands in the recent past. Now SOFARSOLAR inverters have been installed in more than 20 countries with currently 9 own subsidiaries.
companies.
Business Goals & Objectives: We plan to be in the top 5 string inverter manufacturers of the world and to get 8-10% of the string inverter market. Business Strategy: In 2018 and 2019, we are focusing on power storage solutions. For example, three phase AC Retrofitting inverters, three phase hybrid inverters, etc. Our target of annual sales is 300 million dollars in 2018. Products & Services:
VISION STATEMENT: We plan to be in the top 5 string inverter manufacturers of the world. MISSION STATEMENT:
1. On-gird inverters:
1-70kW
2. AC Retrofitting:
3kW
3. Hybrid inverters:
3-6kW
Pre-sales, on-sales and after-sales services in India.
We are now in the top 5 string inverter manufacturers in China. We are cooperating with top EPC companies in
Business Competitiveness
domestic market in China. We also have big distributors
Good quality inverters with competitive prices.
in Australia, UK, and European countries. We have sold around 3.5GW on-give inverters around the world. That is 350,000 units.
Service Pledge We have an office in Ahmedabad, and we plan to set Organisation Structure
We build Quality We offer Quality www.sofar.com
Advancing Inverter Technology to a New Level
King’s return
SOFAR
50-70KW Designed for commercial projects and utility projects
Smart Monitoring 7 Years Warranty Local Service
Just contact with us Tel: +91 99983 90936 Eamil: info@sofarsolar.com Office: No. 1108A, SAKAR 9, Ashram Road, Ahmedabad-380009, Gujarat, India
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Solar Solar Quarter Quarter • April • April 2018 2018 2929
Company Feature ‘ELMEX’ - Pioneer in Electrical Wire Termination Technology in India Founded in 1963, Elmex is one of India’s leading
leveraging its core competence of designing and
manufacturers of Terminal Blocks, and a pioneer in the
manufacturing electromechanical products. With an
Electrical Wire Termination Technology. Founder-Chairman
approach of:
J D Ray’s vision to develop indigenous technology led to
ÂÂ Converging Innovations
the conception of India’s first manufacturing facility for Din Rail Mounted Terminal Blocks. Since then, Elmex has been continuously reinventing technology, bringing innovations to the industry, and developing breakthrough products and solutions.
ÂÂ Enhancing the efficiency of existing products introducing innovation ÂÂ Transferring technological best practices across product categories ÂÂ Expanding Solutions ÂÂ Pioneering new products for new applications
Vision Statement To be a trusted brand in low voltage market by providing solutions for control and protection applications.
ÂÂ Cascading the existing manufacturing proficiency to widen business segments ÂÂ Converging Relationships ÂÂ Building on the existing base of dealers and network of dedicated resident engineers
Elmex looks at diversification of products and solutions by way of leveraging its core competence of designing and manufacturing electromechanical products.
ÂÂ Partnering with client organizations to provide
Mission Statement To leverage the trusted brand for enhancing customer satisfaction through: ÂÂ Product – To design, manufacture and deliver the products of global standards ÂÂ Process – To adopt, develop and implement reliable & state-of-the-art manufacturing processes ÂÂ People – To develop mutual trust and integrity by respecting human values
comprehensive solutions ÂÂ Expanding Footprints ÂÂ Widening the client base by catering to newer sectors and geographies ÂÂ Leveraging technical and economic competitiveness for quality and timely delivery
Team & Management Elmex is a family own private limited company. Our current Managing Director Mr. Vipul Ray is a second generation business owner and our founder Mr. J D Ray is the Chairman of the company. The company is managed by a
Manufacturing Excellence Elmex understands that to produce new-age products, new-age equipments and technology are needed and so
team of professionals with vast experience in the industry and the Top management team of elmex has been with the
Product Solutions
infrastructure. Today, it is equipped with state-of-the-art
Elmex is a global supplier of Terminal Blocks for Low
machinery for tooling and manufacturing such as CNC
Voltage Control & Power Termination Applications,
Wire Cut machines, CNC EDM Drill, Micro Processor based
Special Application Switches for LV, MV & HV Switchgear
Automatic Injection Molding Machines, Ultrasonic Welding
Equipment, Current Transformers for LV Applications,
and Wave-Soldering Machines, Computerized Multi-
Measurement & Protection, Interface Relay & Slim Relay
forming Machine, Pitch-Control Auto-Tapping and Internal
Modules and Solar Products. It provides solutions to
Thread Rolling Machine etc.
sectors such as Railways, Telecommunication, Oil & Gas, Real Estate, Solar Plants, Power Plants and many more.
Apart from being a market leader in electrical wire
Solutions for Solar Photovoltaic
termination technology, Elmex is trusted globally for its
With its unwavering commitment towards technology,
effective solutions and innovations across industries.
Elmex has developed a comprehensive range of quality
Elmex’s manufacturing plants are ISO 9001:2008 and ISO
products and reliable solutions for the Solar PV Industry
14001:2015 certified. Operations are supported by fully
such as PV Junction Boxes (2-Rail, 3-Rail & 4-Rail), PV
computerized design and development of products with
Connectors suitable for 1000 VDC & 1500 VDC (Straight,
an in-house testing laboratory for conducting the tests
Branch, Panel), PV Straight Inline fuse Connectors, PV
as per international specifications with a certified Quality
Wire Harnesses with connectors, DC Fuse Holder suitable
Management System.
for 1000 VDC & 1500 VDC and PV accessories which
Business Goals & Objectives Elmex strives to achieve excellence in its domain, and our goal is to design and develop reliable products for electrical connectivity and control automation. Elmex truly understands the critical aspect of safety and reliability required for such applications and has implemented vigorous quality systems including 6 Sigma and Statistical
are used as balance of system components (BoS) in PV power generating strings and to transfer DC Energy from PV module to final output. All the Solar PV Products are indigenously designed using high quality raw materials and manufactured in our state-of-the-art production facilities backed with in-house testing laboratory and carry international certifications for quality.
Process control to achieve objects of zero defects. Elmex
Customers
has set specific goals for introducing new products for
Elmex customer base includes national and internal giants
upcoming sectors such as Solar Sector, Transportation and
such as ABB, Schneider, Siemens, GE, Honeywell, Rockwell,
Industrial Automation.
Bombardier, BHEL, L&T and Yokogawa. In the solar sector
Business Strategy Elmex believes in organic growth and has adopted the approach of vertical integration. Elmex looks at diversification of products and solutions by way of
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to produce new-age products, new-age equipments and technology are needed and so over the years, Elmex has been continuously updating its infrastructure.
organization for more than 15 years.
over the years, Elmex has been continuously updating its
Quality Assurance
Elmex understands that
elmex has executed projects like NTPC, APGENCO, Adani Green Energy, etc. with Vikram Solar, Lanco Energy, KEC international, etc. and its products find application in mission critical application including Nuclear and Oil and
Elmex customer base includes national and internal giants such as ABB, Schneider, Siemens, GE, Honeywell, Rockwell, Bombardier, BHEL, L&T and Yokogawa. In the solar sector elmex has executed projects like NTPC, APGENCO, Adani Green Energy, etc. with Vikram Solar, Lanco Energy, KEC international, etc. and its products find application in mission critical application including Nuclear and Oil and gas fields.
gas fields.
Solar Quarter • April 2018 30
Company Feature Saatvik’s mission is to lead the global transition to renewable energy in India Saatvik is a new age solar technology company, involved in the manufacturing of high quality solar modules with an annual capacity of 200 MW. Since its inception in 2016, Saatvik has successfully delivered more than 75 MW solar modules. Apart from manufacturing, Saatvik has also forayed into Solar EPC services, making it an integrated solar company.
Strategy Saatvik’s mission is to lead the global transition to renewable energy in India. Our part to play in that transition is to deliver cost effective utility scale solar energy solutions to customers and governments through the set of cohesive company principles. These principles are the foundation of everything we do at Saatvik.
Integrity. Safety. Innovation. Sustainability. Teamwork. Strategy. Respect. At Saatvik Green Energy, we actively support the global effort to energise the world through alternate and greener sources of energy, by manufacturing and distributing world class solar photovoltaic modules, globally. We seek to attain and establish our position as the most reputed, customer centric, significant solar module provider to Solar Industry. Saatvik wants to be a one stop solution for solar technology and services, and it is moving towards the ambitious goal, step by step. 2018 will see Saatvik expand from 200MW to 500MW annually, as it has made a mark as a rising star in solar module manufacturing. Saatvik wants to further move
Business Concept
Customers & Projects
The current product portfolio includes solar modules
Saatvik has been able to make a good portfolio of
of all ranges starting from 40Wp up to 350Wp in both
customers already, including India’s leading IPPs and
4BB and 5BB. Saatvik uses both poly-crystalline and
solar developers, apart from regional and national EPC
mono-crystalline cells to assemble these solar modules,
companies. Saatvik solar modules have been successfully
coupled with multiple rounds of testing during and after
installed at various government buildings, government
the manufacturing process, ensuring the highest quality
utilities, railway stations, hotels and universities, such as
product for its esteemed customers. All module ranges
Delhi Jal Board, DMRC, Western Railways, Ambala Airforce
have been certified to highest global quality standards,
Station etc.
through a global certification body, TUV Rheinland.
Saatvik’s constant strive towards quality, delivery and
Not only does Saatvik comply with ISO, but it has also
commitment has made its products lucrative to many
implemented SAP H4 HANA which helps in automating
clients, and will continue to do so in future.
a lot of manual processes, for superior records and quality implementation. If your people and processes are sorted, precision comes naturally, and we are a very quality conscious company, hence precision plays a very important role. To assist our people and processes, we have all necessary quality control/inspection equipment both in-line and in the laboratory, to ensure precision in our production for highest quality products.
Team & Management Saatvik Green Energy is a recently founded company of a group involved in the edible oil and oleochemical business with combined turnover of $150 million. Saatvik, being a young company, managed by people in 20’s and early 30’s has very dynamical horizontal organizational structure. Saatvik believes in smaller team and greater efficiency. This way, every person working for Saatvik feels a sense of ownership.
At Saatvik Green Energy, we actively support the global effort to energise the world through alternate and greener sources of energy, by manufacturing and distributing world class solar photovoltaic modules, globally
towards its goal by providing turnkey solar EPC services.
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Solar Solar Quarter Quarter • April • April 2018 2018 3131
Product Feature The Most Efficient and Adaptable Inverter and Solution Design for Bifacial Modules Generally, a physical model needs to be set up for
Energy yield gain (compared with standard PV modules):
Case 4: Lianghuai floating PV plant
evaluating the energy yield of bifacial modules. Research
10.5%
personnel from National Renewable Energy Laboratory
COD: December 2017
Case 2: Golmud bifacial module plant
Capacity: 10 MW
COD: gradually connected to the grid since August 2017
Inverter: Huawei SUN2000-50KTL-C1
conducted a lot of research. They focus on the ray-tracing
Capacity: 60 MW of horizontal single axis trackers
PV module: 285 W PV module
and view-factor models which can accurately describe the
Inverter: Huawei SUN2000-50KTL-C1
Application scenario: white floats on the water surface
PV module: 345 W and 350 W PV modules
Energy yield gain (compared with standard PV modules):
displayed, algorithms are complex and computing is time-
Application scenario: desert
15%
consuming, which does not meet the actual requirements
Energy yield gain (compared with standard PV modules):
of engineering applications. Huawei has simplified and
13%
(NREL), Sandia National Laboratories, and Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) in Germany have
gain of the bifacial module from the rear. The two models are based on 3D modeling. Although more details can be
optimized the two models, and launched an industryleading intelligent design tool for bifacial module systems based on the 2D physical model (as shown in Figure
Summary The bifacial module has started a new round of technology
Case 3: Xintai solar-agricultural project
replacement. The application of new technologies requires
COD: November 2017
the development of other new technologies, such as the
2-4). The tool can find the balance point between the
Capacity: 100 MW of single axis trackers
higher inverter input current, finer MPPT granularity, more
calculation speed and design details, and accurately and
Inverter: Huawei SUN2000-50KTL-C1
accurate MPPT algorithms, and smarter design tools for
quickly calculate the optimal configuration of the bifacial module system. The intelligent design tool for bifacial module systems integrates
full-scenario,
adaptive,
and
self-learning
intelligent control algorithms to accurately output the
bifacial module plants. Based on the preceding analysis,
PV module: 310 W PV module
we are proud to be the provider of the most adaptive PV
Application scenario: solar-agricultural scenario
inverter and solution design in the industry.
Energy yield gain (compared with standard PV modules): 22%
optimal design solution. This increases the energy yield by more than 3% compared with solutions provided by other standard design methods. Currently, this tool is the only accurate design tool for bifacial module plants in the industry and has been verified by a large amount of data. In addition, the complexity of the I-V curve of the bifacial
Table 1: Comparison of solutions for bifacial module scenarios Comparison Item of bifacial modules Matching Different Solutions Increase of the inverter input DC
Smart PV Solution
Good
Poor
Excellent
Inverter MPPT granularity
Inverter fuse fault
Hundreds of strings form Multiple (more than one MPPT circuit. two) strings form one MPPT circuit. Poor Poor
and maintenance (O&M). Huawei’s latest Smart I-V Curve Diagnosis function 2.0 uses a new intelligent string diagnosis algorithm. Based on big data analysis and AI
Traditional String Solution
The number of combiner The MPPT input current The MPPT input current is increased. boxes is reduced. is not increased. Poor Good Excellent
module makes the intelligent diagnosis of string faults easy to misjudge, which causes inconvenience to operation
Traditional Centralized Solution
and output feature curves of various PV modules and
Poor
None
Most efficient algorithm in the industry. The algorithm is intelligently optimized based on the complex and multi-peak I-V curve of bifacial modules. Excellent
Bifacial module analysis None tool
None
Currently, the industry’s unique intelligent selflearning and adaptive design tool for bifacial modules is used in various complex scenarios. Excellent
Summary
Available
Based on big data analysis and AI algorithms, the smart I-V curve 2.0 is the optimal choice for O&M of bifacial module plants. Best choice for bifacial modules
Inverter MPPT algorithm
Poor
automatically filter out the noise that causes misjudgment. It supports bifacial modules and is the best choice for O&M of bifacial module plants. To sum this up, we compared the Smart PV Solution with
Bifacial module solution design
None
the current mainstream inverter solutions, as described in the following table 1.
Application Cases of Bifacial Modules and Optimal Inverters
Excellent Two strings form one MPPT circuit and there is no fuse. Excellent
algorithms, it can automatically learn and evolve. Based on the built-in database, it can quickly master the input
Two strings form one MPPT circuit.
Not recommended
Huawei inverters have the following features: ÂÂ Higher input current and highest efficiency ÂÂ Finer MPPT Granularity ÂÂ Highly adaptive, the most accurate and efficient MPPT ÂÂ Secure and reliable protection design ÂÂ Unique, accurate and the most refined design tool for bifacial module plants in the industry These five smart tools make Huawei inverters the best match for bifacial modules. In fact, the solutions composed of Huawei inverters and
Gonghe Bifacial module plant
bifacial modules have been widely applied to bifacial module plants in various scenarios. The following table 2 lists some cases.
Case 1: Gonghe Bifacial module plant COD: June 2016 Capacity: 1 MW of fixed mounts and 1.3 MW of horizontal single axis trackers Inverter: Huawei SUN2000-50KTL-C1 PV module: 360 W HIT bifacial module Application scenario: grassland and sand
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Golmud bifacial module plant
Solar Quarter • April 2018 32
Product Feature
2D model of a bifacial module whose rear receives radiation
Table 2: Cases of Huawei string inverters used in bifacial module plants Location Gonghe
Xintai
Capacity 1 MW 1.3 MW 20 MW 20 MW 10 MW 10 MW 30 MW 30–40 MW 100 MW
Lianghuai
8–10 MW
Golmud
Datong
Scenario Gobi
Grid-connection Time June 2016
PV Module Type HIT
PV Module Power 360
Yellow sand
August 2017
Grassland
June 2017
Solaragricultural Water surface
December 2017
P-type N-type P-type P-type N-type N-type N-type
350 350 350 345 310 310 310
November 2017
N-type
290
Mount Type Fixed mount Horizontal single axis Horizontal single axis
Inverter SUN2000-50KTL-C1
Energy Yield Gain 10.5%
SUN2000-50KTL-C1
13%
Fixed mount
SUN2000-50KTL-C1
5%
Horizontal single axis
SUN2000-50KTL-C1
22%
Fixed mount
SUN2000-50KTL-C1
15%
the solutions composed of Huawei inverters and bifacial modules have been widely applied to bifacial module plants in various scenarios Xintai solar-agricultural project
Lianghuai floating PV plant
All-IN-ONE On-grid solar system that you can install all by yourself * SOL AR PV MODULE SOL AR INVERTER WITH WIFI MONITORING INSTALL ATION GUIDE DCDB/ACDB with JUNCTION-BOX AC/DC CABLES EARTHING PROTECTION BI-DIRECTIONAL ME TER MOUNTING STRUCTURE (OPTIONAL)
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Solar Solar Quarter Quarter • April • April 2018 2018 3333
Product Feature ”Sungrow’s SG3125HV is designed for easy operation and maintenance” Overview
efficient modulation algorithm and latest magnetic and
is located on the front door, all of the inverter running
switching devices, the SG3125HV provides an extraordinary
information and settings can be viewed and changed on
efficiency performance, bringing more energy yield and
this touch screen, which is easy for site operation. All of
further increasing project ROI. The maximum efficiency
the components inside the inverter are front accessible,
of SG3125HV can reach 99% and Euro efficiency 98.7%.
which is easy for maintenance. Specially, the SG3125HV
Sungrow has been focused on the inverter development
use Sungrow patented air filter design, which is effectively
and manufacturing for over 20 years, the accumulated
resist the dust going into the inverter, and the filter is
experience has equipped Sungrow inverter with an
easy to be maintenance without any tool. The inverter is
excellent reliability performance. In addition to that, the
easily to be integrated to the SKID, Sungrow provide the
SG3125HV is developed with SUNGROW latest advanced
installation accessories for customer convenience which
platform and tested with Sungrow world leading testing
will bring more values and reduce the initial cost. All of the
center.
interface/plate for installation is designed to be removable
plant.
Wide operating temperature range
and easy to be punched, which will be convenient for
Features
temperature ranges available in the industry, with full
The solar industry is revolving very fast. For the utility scale plant, it faces many challenges. For example, the declining PPA, the pressure of investment costs and the more stringent demand. The new standards require the inverter either to have a wide range ride through capability or special grid support function, those new requirements and standard set a high threshold for the inverter. To follow the market tide, SUNGROW released its grid support utilityinteractive inverter SG3125HV.
With the application of
SG3125HV, the solar plant will have no risk to interact with the utility and it brings much more benefit for the solar
Sungrow’s SG3125HV has one of the widest operating
customer to install the conduit and connect the cables, all of those design lead to less site work and in hence reduce
power available from -30°C to 50°C and operation in
the installation cost.
power de-rate mode available up to 60°C. The speed
Flexible in 6.25MW or 12.5MW block
controlled fans are used for SG3125HV to minimize
SG3125HV is flexible in 6.25MW or 12.5MW. 6.25MW
internal temperature rise, which will lead to a reliable operation,
long
lifetime,
low
power
consumption.
The SG3125HV is rated for 3437KW at ambient temperatures up to 45°C and it is rated to 3125KW up to 50°C. Comparing to most of the inverter start derating after 25°C, SUNGROW SG3125HV will bring more yields for customers, especially when deployed in high temperature area.
solution uses two SG3125HV inverters to access three winding transformer. It can save initial transformer, cable and MV switchgear investment. 50MW plant just needs 8 block. Excellent grid support function SG3125HV has an advanced voltage and frequency ride through capability. The high voltage ride through is up to
Fig-1: SG3125HV Appearance
The SG3125HV is designed with a 10 feet enclosure and effective cooling system. Based on SUNGROW’s advanced development platform, SG3125HV has an excellent reliability performance and high efficiency. Moreover, the inverter is designed for easy skid integration, convenient for site installation and ultimately reducing the site work and cost. With the application of SG3125HV, the plant construction will move faster and it will finally bring customer a higher ROI.
Fig-4: 6.25MW Solution Design
Fig-2: SG3125HV temperature performance curve
High integration less initial cost Sungrow’s SG3125HV is highly integrated and cut initial investment and installation cost for customers. The
Technical Specifications
SG3125HV has integrated the re-combiner into the DC side cabinet, so this extra cost can be saved. Sungrow
Max DC input voltage
1500VDC
Max output power MPPT range
875VDC to 1300VDC
Max DC input current
4178A
tracker motors, control box, communication box, etc. The
MPPTs
Single
plant will not need extra power supply panels, transformers
DC inputs
21(optional: 24 negative grounding or floating; 28 negative grounding)
and boxes for the tracker, etc. This will save the space for
AC output power at PF=1
3593 kVA@ 25˚C / 3437 kVA@ 45˚C / 3125 kVA@ 50˚C
the initial investment will be further reduced.
AC output power at PF=0.9
3234 kW@ 25˚C / 3093 kW@ 45˚C / 2813 kW@ 50˚C
Advanced mechanical design The SG3125HV adopts the 10 feet container as the
Fig-4: 6.25MW Solution Design
AC output voltage (nominal)
600VAC
enclosure to reduce the shipping cost.
Max AC output current
3458A
Max efficiency
99%
Euro. efficiency
98.7%
DC input protection
Load switch + fuse
AC output protection
SG3125HV has integrated the power supply panels including 480Vac and 120Vac, which can be used for the
the SKID integration and site installation efforts, meaning
The 3 inverter
1.4 Un and It can compensate reactive power during LVRT.
units inside the enclosure share the same DC input as the
With the application of Sungrow SG3125HV, the customer
below diagram shows, those 3 inverter units are working in
will enjoy the high availability and get satisfied with the
parallel, if one of the unit fails, the other unit can still keep
flexibility. The inverter also has a good reactive power
running.
capability and it can inject active power with power factor
Circuit breaker
Sungrow’s SG3125HV is designed for easy operation
0.8. Moreover, the inverter can supply reactive power
AC output configuration
Three phases
and maintenance. This unit has a touch screen which
Operating temperature Range
-35°C to +60°C( Derating above +50°C)
Communication
Standard: RS485, Ethernet; Optional: optical fiber
DC/AC SPD
Type I+II / Type II
scale PV plant, with the application of this containerized
Night Var
YES
inverter, the total system cost will be reduced due to saved
Branch Current Monitoring
YES
integration cost, installation cost, O&M cost, and lower
Insulation monitoring
YES
to the grid at night to support the grid, this will reduce investment on SVG equipment.
Summary SG3125HV is designed to bring a high ROI for utility
initial cost. Moreover, this grid support utility-interactive inverter brings more reliability to the utility and will further reduce the grid interconnection risk. We can expect that
High efficiency and reliability
Sungrow SG3125HV will bring much more benefit for the
Sungrow’s SG3125HV was designed to have a power
solar industry.
converter platform that was more efficient than previous generations of products. Utilizing 3-level converter bridge, Fig-3: SG3125HV Single Line Diagram
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Solar Quarter • April 2018 34
Product Feature ”Our overall Solar portfolio has crossed 1.6 GW of cumulative capacity” Avant-Garde Engineers and Consultants (P) Limited is one of the leading Consultancy and Detailed Engineering Service providers in India with more than 28 Years of Experience in the Power Sector. We incepted in 1990 by four technocrats from M/s. BHEL. We have group of well experienced professionals in all disciplines Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation, Project Management, Financial experts, and Field service engineers of more than 200 professionals. We have highly qualified Engineers and Designers team with specialization in Technology selection, Design & Detailed Engineering, Layout optimization, Loss minimization, Quality Control, Project management. We engage the latest software tools viz., PVSyst, Meteonorm, SolarGIS, ETAP, Sunshot, SketchUP, STAAD Pro,
Tekla,
AutoCAD
for
our engineering solutions. The
technical
team
has
worked for variety of clients globally and has developed quality
consciousness
in
our Engineering and has worked to the requirements of National and International Standards by working on projects in countries like USA, South
Africa,
Philippines,
UAE,
Malaysia,
Thailand,
Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The
services
we
provide
include site study, Energy Yield Analysis, Layout engineering, DPR, procurement assistance - technical specification & offer
evaluation,
Owner’s
review engineering / Design and
detailed
engineering,
Site supervision, review of O&M & HSE practices, Site due-diligence studies, etc., Our overall Solar portfolio has
crossed
1.6
GW
of
cumulative capacity on which about 1 GW of projects are already commissioned and in operation globally. Apart from Solar, we are into WtE, Cogen,
CPP,
IPP,
WHRB,
Sugar, Distillery, Slop Cogen, Boiler designing, third-party inspection services.
Featured Product: a. Products
/
Services:
Detailed Engineering & Consultancy Services b. Technology Specifications : Professionally qualified & experienced engineers team c. T e c h n o l o g y Advancements : Exposure to
Indian
/
British
/
American Standards d. Targeted/ Customer
Benefitted Segment
:
Developers & EPCs e. Price/
Cost
Range
(Optional) : Nominal
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Solar Solar Quarter Quarter • April • April 2018 2018 3535
Industry Perspective
Storage and Smart Solar Technologies
T
racing the technological progress of Energy storage in India, could the next big technological revolution be in the storage of solar energy?
production to cater to Grid, Off-Grid applications especially
Solar PV rates are all time low. Today we are looking at increasing multiple folds every passing year. After such
W
large scale deployment of PV and Wind farms, it’s only
Biggest challenge we face is that we still are in the phase
logical and matter of time that
‘storage-revolution’ is
of educating people as Renewable energy in it self in a
going to take the industry by storm. I feel lowering our
new concept and Energy storage, types of storage solution
dependency on fossil fuel and moving towards renewable
available, its life span etc. its all a new concept for people from
energy and storage per say is the only way forward which
even within the Industry. Our govt. is trying to encourage
will help reduce our carbon footprint and slow down the
people to use and implement such energy storage
global warming which is increasing at alarming rate.
solutions, however, still in the process of formulating rules
H
& regulation and guidelines to offer and implement such
over 300 GW of Solar PV installed in the world which in
ow are you gearing up for this technological revolution?
the MW Class systems to curb the problem people faced by people in terms of power-outage and general load shedding which is still prominent in many parts of our country.
hat are the challenges that the sector is fronting?
storage options. It would be great if our govt. offers any rebate which would encourage people to come forward
We at VRB Energy are already underway and are setting
and adopt storage which undoubtedly is the ‘talk of the
up new facility in Indian and second one in China. We have
town’ within New and Renewable Energy sector. I am sure
been overwhelmed by the response we received from
people will come around soon and there is no doubt there
within India and other countries like Australia and UAE.
is big future for Every Storage in India and rest of the world.
Mr. Chintan Bhalla, Director, Business Development Puneng Energy
Thus, we are left with no other choice than to ramp up our
T
racing the technological progress of Energy storage in India, could the next big technological revolution be in the storage of solar energy?
become the ultimate pathway towards achieving the goal of
When the sun doesn’t shine? The world we live in operates
The three-dimensional, porous structures enable several
24/7, battery storage technologies are emerging as a critical part of the solution to increase access to electricity in conjunction with solar PV in solar home systems, as well as providing stability services to mini-grids, improving the power quality and increasing the potential share of variable renewables in such remote grids. XNRGI is on the cusp of one of the fastest, deepest, most consequential disruptions of energy storage in history. The lithium battery technology is at the crossroads. The fundamental limitations and outdated electrode manufacturing methods have considerably slowed down the progress. The expected improvements in performance have not happened and the hope for breakthroughs towards new active materials is not likely. A battery is considered the weakest link in many flourishing applications such as electrical vehicles and other mobile applications; and the obstacle towards widespread proliferation of groundbreaking devices. And while the battery industry stagnates, the next 4th industrial revolution will not wait, and it desperately demands a better, lighter, and cheaper portable power source that scales across ever increasing energy storage needs from transport, consumer electronics to the grid. The electrical vehicle application in particular is on a high trajectory
superior battery performance in a scalable manufacturing form to meet the demands of an ever-growing energy storage market in batteries. This is a novel approach for constructing electrodes and manufacturing batteries. times better energies, larger number of cycles, elimination of the safety problems, and lower cost. The concept is based not on some exotic or mysterious new material, but on the well-known silicon, used in computer chips and driving or controlling practically everything in modern life. For batteries, silicon is used in form of porous wafers – the three-dimensional porous structure that enables improvements in every battery property. We have taken the idea of simultaneously improving all fundamental prosperities of batteries by using a porous conductive substrate in silicon and demonstrated the exceptional performance that is 3 to 6 times that of traditional batteries. The semiconductor industry has been a dominant driving force behind modern technology advancement for the last five decades. If one needs to point to a single reason for this dominance, without a doubt, that would be a permanent evolution in manufacturing and semiconductor industry’s ability to innovate again and again with high volume manufacturing and achieve double win - low cost and improved performance.
W
hat are the challenges that the sector is fronting?
towards completely taking over the vehicle industry, but
High Capital Cost to Manufacture, Safety, Energy
it needs a battery that will match the demand. Present
Performance Density, Installation and Integration, Efficiency,
battery technology is not capable of manufacturing scale
Scalability, Flexibility, Cycle Life, but most importantly Cost.
to meet the demands of the application in terms of energy
Cost is key driver for all storage applications. Low cost
density, cycle life, safety or cost.
batteries will enable 27/7 clean energy for solar.
“India’s total demand for energy will more than double
The complexity of combinations possible between different
by 2030, while electricity demand will almost triple
anodes and cathodes in lithium battery systems makes it
This assumes sufficient uptake to double the share of
difficult to discuss the shortcomings of various batteries
renewables in the global energy mix in less than a decade
in general terms. But, we’ll try to point to main sources of
and a half. With growing demand for electricity storage
problems that affect the performance or safety of these
from stationary and mobile applications, the total stock of
batteries. First, we define the performance as a totality of
electricity storage capacity will need to grow more than
the following main battery characteristics*:
150%, from an estimated 4.67 terawatt-hours (TWh) in
1. Energy density:
2017 to 12 TWh or more by 2030.” IRENA 2017 Energy Storage Report
H
ow are you gearing up for this technological revolution?
the amount of energy stored per
volume or weight. 2. Power density: the ability to deliver current per volume or weight. The ability to accept current is related to charging time. 3. Cycle life: number of cycles that a battery can deliver a
The XNRGI (exponential energy) battery technology
useful capacity, typically 80% of the nominal or starting
concept is based on a porous silicon substrate that will
capacity.
w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m
Dr. Chris D’couto CEO XNRGI NEAH Power Systems India Pvt. Ltd. 4. Safety: the ability to reduce the probability of a catastrophic battery failure with violent outcome such as fire or explosion. 5. Manufacturing:
cost,
capacity
and
time
to
implementation. XNRGI battery electrode technology is a perfectly scalable platform model. Flexible, Tunable, Low Cost, Safe, High Volume Manufacturing Model. The based unit or size produced is a 200 mm wafer. For applications that require larger power, full wafer electrodes can be assembled into stacks, while for smaller electrodes wafers would be cut (or diced) into any size required. With every aspect of performance improved, the XNRGI battery concept is easily the most important battery innovation in the recent history of lithium batteries. By merging the battery industry with the silicon processing industry, the technology has the potential to harness numerous performance improvement pathways and provide a battery that will keep improving. The structure of porous silicon is extremely versatile and provides a platform, which can be continuously improved with other innovations from the battery field or semiconductor field. This is not a stagnant or limited concept; on the contrary the possibilities are almost endless towards further improvements.
Solar Quarter • April 2018 36
Industry Perspective
Storage and Smart Solar Technologies MiniGrid and some of EV’s (Electric Vehicles) applications
have been recovered.
(2/3/W only) though the mass is yet to come. There are
H
mainly 3 components in Lithium Battery – Lithium Cells, BMS and Balance of Plant (Such as bus bars, switchgear, Sensors, packaging etc). Lithium cells are not manufactured now in India as the current volume does not justify the investments. Many companies have developed their BMS and making battery packs with imported cells. BHEL is reportedly planning to setup Lithium Cells manufacturing line in India using ISRO technology of Lithium Cells. It will be a good initiative and wish it success. Indeed, Energy Storage System (ESS) is going to be the next big market using Solar Energy. Current cost of ESS is high, thus it can be economically used only for improving quality of Power such as frequency regulation, peak load shifting etc and not for supplying power during non solar
Mr. Anil Chutani Vice President, ACME
T
racing the technological progress of Energy storage in India, could the next big technological revolution be in the storage of solar energy?
hours. However, Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) has forecasted rapid decline in Lithium battery cost and by 2025 the same is expected to decrease to $73/kwh from the current $250/kwh. In parallel solar power tariff, considering technological innovations, is likely to reach below Rs 2/Kwh.
ow are you gearing up for this technological revolution?
ACME has been exploring various storage technologies since the last few years. We have strong R&D team and have developed in house BMS (Battery Management System) for stationary and EV Batteries. We have in house Lithium battery pack test and validation setup. Besides, we have also setup Lithium Battery pack assembly line in our Rudrapur factory with annual capacity of 350MWH. Currently we have developed Lithium Battery Packs and solutions for Stationary and EV (2/3W) applications. The plan is to expand the annual capacity to 2 – 3 GWH in next couple of years.
W
hat are the challenges that the sector is fronting?
The biggest challenge is the current lack of demand. We believe Grid Scale Storage and Electric Vehicle can be, inter alia, big market for ESS and government can play very important role in creating demand through market driven policies. Government should include ESS in the upcoming
At $73/kwh cost of battery and Rs2/kwh as solar tariff, the
solar tenders and make it mandatory for every solar power
resultant storage power tariff would be below Rs 3/kwh.
plant. This will help Solar IPPs in reducing penalties. As the
Low power tariff will create big market for ESS. We see this
cost of storage and solar power get reduced as expected,
imminently happening within 5-6 years.
every solar plant will necessarily set up ESS for grid
Lead Acid that is slated to grow very fast in the coming
After use in Electric Vehicles, Lithium battery can be used
balancing and supplying power during non – solar hours.
years. Currently, these are being deployed for various
for storage application and power supply. The cost of such
applications such as Home lighting Solutions, Microgrid/
power would further get reduced as cost of battery would
Lithium Battery is the new storage technology after
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This will be the biggest contributor for reduction of Carbon Emission.
Solar Solar Quarter Quarter • April • April 2018 2018 3737
Industry Insights Why energy storage now looks like solar in 2000? That is the optimistic view, but I think there is something to
234 MW were added in the first quarter of this year. Again,
it. And if that is right, storage will not only move from niche
solar showed a similar trajectory, starting from a tiny base,
to mainstream, but could also be the final push to up-end
then picking up momentum as costs fell.
the current power system.
Most research on energy storage technologies is taking
Consider: Solar costs have fallen 6 percent to 8 percent a
place in developed countries, which makes sense as
year since 2000, meaning that the cost of solar was almost
they have the resources and expertise. And there is a
triple then what it is now, due to greater technological
lot going on. The US Argonne National Laboratory is, in
efficiency (turning the sun into actual power) and lower
its own terms, “working in overdrive” to develop battery
material costs. And the trend is actually accelerating, with
systems both for electric cars (an effort well reported in
costs falling 60 percent since 2008.
No wonder, then,
Steve Levine’s book, The Powerhouse) and for the grid.
that in both the United States and globally, the use of
The goal of Argonne’s Joint Center for Energy Storage
solar is rising sharply. In 2016, the United States installed
Research (see image above) is to develop batteries that
9.5 gigawatts of utility-scale installations (meaning big
store five times as much energy, at one fifth the cost, in
projects, not panels on rooftops), more than any other
the next 5 years. Many other countries are also hard at
single source. (One gigawatt can power about 700,000
work, including companies and labs in Brazil, Britain,
homes.) That was triple the figure for 2015, and more
Canada, China, Germany, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Russia,
than the previous 3 years combined. In short, the market
Singapore, and South Korea. Aside from battery initiatives,
has spoken. As prices have fallen, consumers have proved
ultra-long duration storage projects and technologies may
more and more willing to buy and use solar.
yet achieve lower costs and better performance, such as
What does this mini-history have to do with storage? Like solar in the 1990s, there is a lot of enthusiasm for storage among energy, green, and tech wonks. To put it simply, energy storage is the ability to absorb power, hold it, and then release it on demand. To be widely used, 2 to 4
the EU 90 million euro grant to a compressed air energy storage project in wind-saturated Ireland, hydrogen storage in England, and pumped hydroelectric storage in an abandoned coal mines in Germany. It is hard to believe that this code won’t be cracked.
hours duration is necessary, and of course, the longer the
Cheap solar is already proving a challenge to
better. At the moment, renewables like wind and solar can
in some markets, and cheap storage could complicate
only be dispatched when the wind is blowing or the sun
matters. In broad terms, the broad use of energy storage
shining. If solar energy generated in the heat of day could
could mean customers staying with the grid for reliability,
be stored in, say, a battery, and then released that night (or
but generating almost all their own energy. That is a
the next day), the potential of renewables would be greatly
business model that makes utility executives shudder. As
expanded.
McKinsey put it, “Utilities must start now to understand
As my McKinsey colleagues noted in their work on the subject, there are other advantages to storage. It can smooth the flow of power; provide backup service to electricity
utilities
Most research on energy storage technologies is taking place in developed countries, which makes sense as they have the resources and expertise. And there is a lot going on. The US Argonne National Laboratory is, in its own terms, “working in overdrive” to develop battery systems both for electric cars (an effort well reported in Steve Levine’s book, The Powerhouse) and for the grid.
how low-cost storage is changing the future. In effect, utilities need to disrupt themselves—or others will do it for them.”
systems; increase the utilization of power-generation or
The more intriguing and powerful (so to speak) possibilities
transmission and distribution assets; and help to smooth
could be in areas that have never known the luxury of
out the costs, because the cost of generating power is
flipping a switch. More than a billion people have no
different at different times of day. Indeed, my McKinsey
electricity—about half of them in Africa—and for billions
colleagues think that at first, the demand for storage will
more, power is only available a few hours a day. Used in
not be from renewables, but from such ancillary services.
conjunction with site-specific solar installations, storage
And that’s a good thing—the more useful storage is, the
could help fill the gap. The analogy here might be to the
better its prospects, as there are more reasons to invest
mobile phone, which made communications available
and innovate and more ways to make money from it. “The
to areas that had never seen a land line; users simply
game-changing nature of energy storage is its ability to
leapfrogged over the 20th century technology.
could be in areas that have
To the extent that happens in terms of storage, that would
never known the luxury of
balance power supply and demand instantaneously,” concludes the Energy Information Administration, “which makes power networks more resilient, efficient, and cleaner than ever before.”
also be happy news in terms of climate. India, for example, has been ramping up investment in coal, citing the need to get power to the people and to fuel economic growth. If
Those are the advantages. The disadvantage comes down
costs were to come down, renewables-plus-storage could
to one word: Money. Right now, storage is too expensive
provide a cleaner alternative—an option that is already
to bother with much ( just like solar in 2000). But the
gaining traction, with pilots in the works in several Indian
economics are improving rapidly. Battery-pack costs could
states. South Africa is also experimenting with storage, and
be as little as $200 per kilowatt hour in 2020, half the level
China has more than 100 projects going, and is growing
of 2016, and less than $160 by 2025, according to McKinsey
fast.
estimates. As the technology matures, McKinsey thinks the global storage market could reach 1,000 gigawatts in the next 20 years. And many leading solar companies are working to integrate storage into future development. Bloomberg New Energy Finance has a slightly different set of assumptions (its cost estimates are higher, but sees steeper declines). Even so, it sees storage systems in Texas breaking even around 2025. Energy storage is so tiny at the moment, however, that it can barely be categorized as boutique. At the end of 2016, there was 540 MW of batteries in the US market—not much
The emergence of storage as a routine technology cannot be assumed, but the prospects are more promising than ever.
Another implication is that regardless of what
happens in terms of international agreements like the Paris climate accords, the emergence of cheap technology will play an important and possible definitive role in decarbonizing the global energy. First, second, and last, though, the economics have to be right. Mr. Scott Nyquist Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company
The more intriguing and powerful (so to speak) possibilities
flipping a switch. More than a billion people have no electricity—about half of them in Africa— and for billions more, power is only available a few hours a day. Used in conjunction with site-specific solar installations, storage could help fill the gap.
in the context of a total US generation capacity of more than a million megawatts. Still, there is momentum—another
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