Smart Energy April/May 2014

SmartEnergy April/ May 2014

Volume I, Issue II

Pages 68

`100

ISSN 2348-5027

Complete Renewable Energy Intelligence

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GANGADAN SOLAR PARK INDIA’S FIRST, ONE & ONLY SOLAR POWER PLANT IN MULTIJUNCTION CELL TECHNOLOGY WITH 40% EFFICIENCY

ABOUT

GANGADAN SOLAR PARK (50 X 2 MW)

Gangadan Energy Pvt. Ltd.(GEPL) is independent system integrators; we build capital ventures and operate solar power stations in the multi-megawatt range. We provide turn-key solutions for utility scale solar PV power plants as well as off grid and rooftop solar PV Systems on “Concept to Commissioning” basis.

Located at Pokaran, Rajasthan, Gangadan Solar Park is owned and managed by GEPL. We have started booking and selling sections in multiple of minimum of 250 KW each. Ideal for corporate sector players, HNI individuals and entrepreneurs and investors who want to become solar power producers

ADVANTAGE “GANGADAN SOLAR PARK” • Highest solar irradiation zone, 6 to 7 kWh/m2 with 3200 Sunny hours annually • Minimum Return on Equity of 22% • Substantial Tax Saving: Depreciation @ 80% in the first year and 80(IA) Benefit of Tax holiday on income generated from sale of power.

• Additional revenue from CDM/Carbon Credits trading.

• Benefit from REC Certificate per MW production • Flexibility in trading of the electricity generated (Sale to Electricity board/captive use/3rd party Sale/APPC REC).

• Provision to sell excess power produced to SPO consumers.

• 70% to 85% foreign debt available @ 5% annual interest rate.

• Guaranteed power purchase from IPPs • Upfront tariffs • Bankable PPA from the financial institutions • 24 X 7 Operation & Maintenance support • Excellent Power trading facilities by GEPL. • Tracking technology which increases energy output by roughly 20%.

• Necessary infrastructure available such as Power evacuation with 132 KVA line & GSS, roads, boundary wall, drainage, water and security

THE GANGADAN EDGE More than 15 years of experience in power generation Combined group experience of 35MW Solar PV projects 14MW PV projects under conceptualisation and designing stage GANGADAN’S CORE SERVICES - KEY SOLUTIONS FROM “CONCEPT TO COMMISSIONING” Research & DPR Land Acquisition Grid Connectivity Statutory Clearances Project Allotment

Project Finance EPC O&M Plant Automation SCADA

Green City Design Solar Park Design Smart Grid Solution Rural Electrification Building Integration

Gangadan Energy Private Limited 1st Floor, P-3 Industrial Estate, New Power House Road, Jodhpur - 342001 Rajasthan Phone/Fax: +91 291-2613874/9166111999/9414039911 Email: info@gangadan.in; www.gangadan.in

Risk Management Business Modelling Marketing Strategies Power Trading Carbon Trading

SmartEnergy Complete Renewable Energy Intelligence

Editor Santosh Khadtare santosh@supersmartenergy.com

Associate Editor Anisha Ganguli EDITORIAL ADVISER Pragya Sharma Editorial Co-ordinator Varsha Graphic Designer D. Vaidya Advertising & Marketing Head- Marketing & Business Development Sapna K sapna@supersmartenergy.com

Marketing Executive Swaraj Panigrahi Chief Executive Officer Rahul Raj Chandra Support Team Sunil Pawar Bharti Shetty Disclaimer All efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy and information in this magazine, opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not neccessarily reflect the vies of the owner/ publisher and the editorial team. Genesis Info-Media shall not be liable for any consequences in the event such claims are found- not to be true

Editor's Note Welcome readers to the second edition of Smart Energy. The first issue of Smart Energy was widely appreciated and we thank you for the support and encouragement, in the form of appreciation letters, we received from our readers. Your encouragement reassures us that we are moving in the right direction.

At the moment more than 80% of our energy comes from fossil fuels. The remaining comes from renewable resource, predominantly hydro and traditional bio fuels like charcoal which are used inefficiently and unsustainably. At the moment solar energy technology contributes 0.02 % of our total energy supply, while wind supplies around 2% of the global electricity demand. Other renewable resources like geothermal and ocean power are still in nascent stage with geothermal energy beginning to discover its true potential while ocean power has several pilots underway to develop tidal energy and design sustainable tidal systems.

This scenario underlines the fact that we are still to realize the true potential of renewable energy. The path is long and sought with many challenges but is definitely not impossible to achieve.

Taking into consideration the current growth and future prospects in renewable energy, we have come up with an cover story that takes into consideration a hypothetical, but achievable, assumption of achieving 100% electricity through renewable resources by 2050. The Cover story analyses the current contribution of different renewable resources and their future potential. It elaborates on the different challenges and the role of energy efficiency in achieving the goal of 100% renewable energy by 2050.

We also bring to you a special article on the wind sector that is grappling with questions surrounding the continuation of different incentives. The article sheds light on the role of technology development and deployment that could lead to growth if the sector independent of government support and incentives.

This issue also contains regular feature and industry voices, in the form of interviews that update us on the course the industry is taking and help us gauge the true potential of the sector going into the future.

As always, we await your comments and suggestions to help us improve the quality of the magazine further and hope that you contribute to further issues with enthusiasm.

Santosh Editor

Printed, published and edited by Santosh Khadtare on behalf of Genesis Info-Media, published at 208, pushp plaza, above snehanjali shworoom, manvelpada road, Virar East Dist Thane and printed at Shree Nayan Arts, 123,New Kirti Premises, Bhyander East- 401 105

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April/ May 2014 SmartEnergy

SmartEnergy

NEWS THIS MONTH

Contents

View this issue online on www.supersmartenergy.com

24

34 BUSINESS LEADER Vijay Pramod Karia CMD, Ravin Group

COVER STORY A Glorious Vision of RE Future

38 EXPERT SPEAK Rajeshwara Bhat MD, Juwi India Renewable Energies Pvt. Ltd.

08. News This Month 13. International News 14. Quick Takes

46

16

FACE 2 FACE Sriram Ramakrishnan CEO & M.D, Consul Consolidated Pvt Ltd

SPOT LIGHT Technology to Instill True Competitiveness in the Wind Industry Authored by Robert C. Rugh

50

20

IN CONVERSATION Ketan Mehta Director, Rays Power Infra(P) Ltd.

IN FOCUS Wind Energy Key Driver for Low Carbon Economy Authored by Shailendra Singh Rao

42

MARKET TRENDS Prepaid Smart Metering Authored by Souvnik Roy

58 TECH REVIEW Power Outage Management Authored by Prof C. Balasubramanya

54. Country Profile 62. Product Review 64. Events Watch 6 SmartEnergy April/May 2014

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The biggest source of power combined with innovation

14-C, Thacker Industrial Estate, N.M. Joshi Marg, Delisle Road, Lower Parel (E) Mumbai - 400 011 Tel.: T : 91-22-3053 5272 / 2300 4652 info@abhaenergy.com,www.abhaenergy.com

NEWS THIS MONTH

Gujarat Scientists float Novel Concept for Solar Power Generation A time may soon come when farmers who feed the people of India will also produce electricity to feed the national power grid.

so produced can be used to pump water for irrigating their crops and any excess electricity generated may be sold to the power grid.

That is the conclusion of an innovative study by Tirumalachetty Harinarayana, director of the Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute (GERMI) Research Centre in Gandhinagar, and Vasavi Kamili, a student of the Medha Engineering College in Hyderabad.

In other words, farmers can augment their income by renting out their land to the government or to the solar developer who will erect the solar panels while they grow food crops as usual in the same land. The scientists have found this novel concept feasible after ensuring -- through computer modelling studies -- that the reduction in sunlight caused by the solar roof has no adverse impact on the growth of crops below.

Their research published Feb 11 in the online version of the international journal "Smart Grid and Renewable Energy" suggests that farmers can use their land for dual purpose rather than growing only food crops.

While continuing to grow foodgrains, farmers may simultaneously produce power by laying a roof of appropriately configured photovoltaic (PV) solar panels over the same land to generate electricity from sunlight, Harinarayana told in a statement. The power

Their studies have shown that a set of PV panels placed at a height of five metres above the cultivated land and "arranged like a chess board with gaps in between" was the ideal configuration that would allow enough sunlight to fall on the crops while generating power at the same time.

They claim that the observed small reduction of sunlight

may in fact help the plants to grow better as the reduction was limited to noon time when the level of harmful ultraviolet radiation coming from the sun is high.

For the purpose of computer modelling, the scientists used the solar radiation data pertaining to places in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu where mostly rice is grown, and wheat growing states of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.

The novel idea is the latest innovation of GERMI scientists who had earlier made two proposals. One involves stacking two layers of solar PV panels one above the other, separated by a small distance, instead of using a single layer. They showed that using this approach, a given land area can be used to generate 70 percent more energy than what is possible with a single layer solar panel. In the second proposal, they claimed that India's major roads can double as "solar highways" by having a roof of solar panels over their entire length ■

Solar Energy Corp gets Electricity Trading Licence Solar Energy Corporation of India, which has been set up to develop the solar power sector, has received inter-state electricity trading licence. The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has approved 'Category III' inter-state power trading licence to the company. Among others, an entity should have a net worth of Rs 5 crore to be eligible for trading licence under Category III -- where there is some limit on volumes of electricity that can be traded.

"We are satisfied that the

8 SmartEnergy April/May 2014

applicant company meets the requirements of the (Electricity) Act and the Trading Licence Regulations for grant of interstate trading licence for Category III," the regulator said in an order dated April 1.

The licence has been issued subject to certain conditions including limit on trading volume. In exceptional circumstances, SECI can undertake trading in electricity up to the maximum of 120 per cent of the volume of trade authorised under the licence granted to it.

Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), set up in September 2011, comes under the administrative control of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

Mandate of SECI allows wide ranging activities to be undertaken to facilitate implementation of JNNSM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission) besides it has the objective of solar technologies and inclusive solar power development in the country ■

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GE unveils turbine for Wind Energy in India Multinational General Electric (GE) unveiled a low-speed turbine to generate wind energy for meeting India's unmet power needs.

"The new turbine (1.7-103) has been developed and engineered specifically for India's low-wind speed conditions. A 100MW wind farm powered by the new version of turbines can produce electricity that can light up 413,000 homes annually," GE South Asia chief executive Banmali Agarwala said in a statement.

Renewable accounts for five percent of the country's energy mix by production and 12 percent by installed capacity. The US-based global power major has already installed 22,000

wind turbines worldwide using its evolutionary technology platform.

"The new wind turbine is a testament to our commitment to energising India and catering to its low wind speed environment. The offering also signifies our effort to provide localised solutions with reliability and high performance standards," Agarwala said on the occasion.

The cost of wind power is closer to grid parity and technology advancement is making its generation more predictable. With about 5,300 technologists, GE's research centres in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Chennai are developing technologies for domestic and overseas wind farm operators.

"The turbine's 103-metre rotor will help delivery high-efficiency output and attractive project economics," Agrawala noted.

With 13 manufacturing facilities across the country and 13,000 employees, the company's 112-year-old Indian subsidiary provides products and solutions in energy, healthcare, infrastructure and financial services to improve the quality of life in the sub-continent.

GE's power business unit works in all areas of energy sector, including renewable resources such as wind and solar, biogas and alternative fuels besides coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy ■

Acme Solar wins bids for Suzlon acquires Big Sky 100 MW at JNNSM Phase-II wind farm in U.S. ACME Solar, the leading solar power player in India, announced in a statement released that it has been selected as Solar Power Developer for 100 MW solar PV power projects during the financial bids opening for JNNSM Phase-II held at SECI. ACME Solar has received one of the largest shares of the projects.

Commenting on the occasion, Manoj Kumar Upadhyay, Chairman, ACME Solar said, “The success of the phase II of JNNSM is a momentous occasion for all stakeholders in achieving the goal of clean and green energy. We thank the Solar Energy Corporation of India and look forward to support from all stakeholders to help us actively contribute in achieving the target of generating 22,000 MW solar powers by year 2022″.

ACME Solar is a three-way joint venture between ACME Cleantech Solutions Limited, EDF Energies Nouvelles (EDF EN), the renewable energy arm of French state-run electricity utility Électricité de France S.A., and Luxembourg-based natural resources saving group EREN. The joint venture has a portfolio of 150 MW including JNNSM Phase II Projects and on way to have solar power generation portfolio of 1000 MW by the year 2017 ■

Suzlon Energy, through its U.S.-based subsidiary Sweco, has taken possession of Big Sky wind farm from Edison Mission Energy to recover the loan amount it had advanced to the troubled firm.

With this acquisition, the wind farm consisting of 114 S88 wind turbines located in Illinois will now be Suzlon Group’s biggest wind farm in the U.S. and one of the best performing installations in the country, the company said in a statement released.

“We are very pleased to have worked with our long time customer Edison Mission on this transaction. Our relationship with Edison Mission dates back to the earliest days of Suzlon doing business with the U.S. and we are pleased to have been their partner,” said Duncan Koerbel, CEO, Sweco.

The wind farm with a generating capacity of 240 MW has been operating since 2011 and it was owned by Midwest Generation LLC, a unit of California-based Edison Mission Energy which is now in bankruptcy.

In 2009, Suzlon had provided a loan to finance the project despite knowing that the project had no long-term contract to sell power. The loan estimated at $230 million could not be repaid ■

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NEWS THIS MONTH

Ujaas Energy Ltd. to add 200 MW of Solar Power in 2014 - 15 Ujaas Energy Limited (formerly known as M and B Switchgears Limited) recently announced on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) commissioning of 105 MW installed Solar power capacity . Ujaas Energy Limited under the National Solar Mission and the National Tariff Policy which envisaged around 20 GW solar power by 2022 under the aegis of the Ministry of Power requires installation of 34000 MW of solar power by 2022 to cater the Solar Renewable Purchase Obligation of the nation, was the first to install 2 MWs of solar PV power plant in the country under REC mechanism.

As the pioneer of the initiative in the country, Ujaas Energy Limited with its very first installation of 2 MWs of solar PV power plant in the country under the REC mechanism, Ujaas Energy became the first developer and integrator and made the concept of solar REC a reality. The company’s ambitious plan is to add another 200 MW in India

alone in FY 2014-15 and it also has major plans to execute projects abroad in the near future.

With an objective called 'Own your sun' the company didn’t stop here and started providing turnkey services in their solar parks to the energy enthusiasts who wanted to venture in this upcoming field. From the installation of 2 MW in March 2012 the company has today commissioned 105.18 MWs of solar PV power plants in their solar parks state of Madhya Pradesh for themselves and their clients.

The company being bullish on REC mechanism own 14 MWs of solar PV power plants under this mechanism.

There are very limited numbers of integrators which have achieved an installation figure of 100 plus MWs in solar PV in their entire tenure. Ujaas being a young and dynamic company headed by the young visionary Mr. Vikalp Mundra, Joint Managing Director, Ujaas Energy

Ltd. has achieved this figure in a short span of less than TWO years and has successfully entered in the club of large EPC players in the country. As Mr. Vikalp Mundra, Joint Managing Director, Ujaas Energy Ltd. says, ”don’t show your bruises to the world share your glory…”

He added, " the dream of achieving energy self reliance in India will be made possible by the growth of Solar and other renewable power generation and we are pleased to be a part of this dream."

Ujaas with the installation of their first solar PV power plant in Rajgarh in Madhya Pradesh in March 2012 is also the first company to install a MW size grid connected solar PV power plant in the state of Madhya Pradesh. With an aim of 2000 MWs by 2015, the state of Madhya Pradesh has high ambitions to promote solar pv technology and Ujaas energy has emerged as a major contributor to the cause ■

BHEL enters solar wafer business with Indigenous tech, Rs 3,000-crore plant SState-run BHEL is looking at expanding its limited footprint in the renewable energy sector by getting into the manufacture of solar wafers.

The public sector power equipment major’s initiative marks a welcome start to the country as a whole, since there is no domestic production yet of this key component of solar photovoltaic cells. A plant in Maharashtra’s Sakoli will start manufacturing the solar wafers, apart from photovoltaic cells, modules and solar panels. The company is investing R3,000 crore in the venture.

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BHEL will use indigenous technology to make the wafers cut from crystalline silicon ingots.

This will help reduce the cost of photovoltaic cells, giving a boost to the clean energy segment. The cost of putting up solar power projects is around R8-10 crore per megawatt.

Tariff for electricity produced from this route could be R7-8 per unit.

BHEL is already present in the solar power segment with manufacturing facilities for lanterns, photovoltaic cells and modules and water heating systems, mostly made at its plant near

Bangalore.

BHEL is also looking at developing a hybrid system that integrates wind, solar and biomass-based power generation. It is also producing wind power generators and miniand micro-hydro-power sets.

The company has embarked on major diversification and R&D exercise to de-risk its main thermal power business by expanding its renewable energy play and entering into new areas in defence production and transportation ■

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University of Surrey collaborates with India and Tata Steel to revolutionise renewable energy Researchers from the University of Surrey have been awarded funding by the UK government and the government in India for two projects which will explore how nanotechnology will impact the future of renewable energy.

Awarded to researchers from the Advanced Technology Institute (ATI) at the University of Surrey through the UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UK-IERI), both programmes will involve close collaboration between universities in the UK and India, as well as with Tata Steel Research and Development UK. The first project will bring together researchers from the University of Surrey and

the University of Hyderabad, India, with collaborators from Tata Steel Research and Development UK to look into how to effectively capture and store solar energy using an approach known as ‘inorganic-in-organics', in which composite materials work together to increase efficiency. Tata Steel will lend its fuel cell expertise, partnering research with industry to provide technologies for improved energy generation and storage.

The second project will examine the use of zinc oxide nonmaterial’s in ultra-high sensitivity gas sensors. These gas sensors can be used in environmental monitoring devices to deliver improved sensitivity and increased energy effi-

ciency. They can also be used in breathalysers, and even for sensing potentially explosive gas leaks in places such as hydrogen storage facilities.

This project will bring together academics from the University of Surrey, Queen's University Belfast and the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research.

Tata Steel is part of the Indian multinational conglomerate company, Tata group, which comprises over 100 companies operating in seven business sectors, including communications and information technology, engineering, materials, services, energy, consumer products and chemicals ■

Tata Power concludes Net Metering close to acquisition of Saurashtra reality Wind farm in Gujarat Residents of Gujarat state in India will be able to Tata Power Company said in a statement release that it has completed the acquisition of US-based AES Corporation's arm AES Saurashtra Wind farms, which owns and operates a wind energy farm of 39.2 mw capacity in Gujarat. The acquisition is done through Tata Power's green energy arm Tata Power Renewable Energy for an undisclosed amount.

"Tata Power endeavours to generate 20-25% of its total generation capacity from clean energy sources and is proud to have completed this acquisition of the 39.2 mw operational wind farm.

The project is a clean energy project, which will enhance and increase the company's clean energy footprint," Anil Sardana, managing director, Tata Power, was quoted as saying in the release. The acquisition comes at a time when Tata Power has taken a deliberate decision to hold its expansion plans in the thermal power sector in India given the multiple problems faced by the beleaguered sector. With this acquisition, Tata Power's total generation capacity now stands at 8,560 mw. The company aims to reduce its carbon footprint and intends to have a 20-25% of its generation from clean power sources ■

sell electricity from their solar panels back to the grid system in several weeks. Gujarat is India’s leading solar power provider, so allowing net metering there is a big development.

It has been estimated that the introduction of net metering could increase the size of new solar power installations and the number of them by 50%. Selling solar power back to the electrical grid would be an obvious way for owners to make back some of their installation costs.

A pilot solar rooftop program in Gandhinagar, Gujarat’s capital, has been running for some time.

It provides incentives to rooftop owners when they install rooftop photovoltaic.

Gujarat has been a leader within India and Asia in the renewable energy field. It has the first 500 MW solar power park in Asia and was the first state to have an energy agency to market a solar power cooker. About eighty solar power projects have been commissioned in Gujarat.

Residents of Gujarat state in India will be able to sell electricity from their solar panels back to the grid system in several weeks ■

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NEWS THIS MONTH

Intertek Recognized as a Certification Body by India’s Centre for Wind Energy Technology Intertek, a leading quality solutions provider to industries worldwide, is now recognized as a certification body in India for Wind Turbines under India’s Centre for Wind Energy Technology (C-WET) program.

This expands Intertek’s global renewable energy capabilities, allowing manufacturers across Europe, China, and India to take advantage of Intertek’s industry-leading response time, capacity, and expertise.

On March 18, 2014, Intertek was enlisted as a certification

body by C-WET, an autonomous research and development institution under the Government of India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), which serves as the technical focal point of excellence to foster the development of wind power in India.

Intertek now joins a select group of certification bodies recognized by C-WET to test and certify complete Wind Turbine Generator Systems (WTGs) per IEC international standards and GL Guidelines for safety and

performance of wind turbines.

Mr. Rajesh Saigal, Intertek’s Managing Director for South Asia, said, “Energy from wind holds high promise in India as a non-conventional energy source that can supplement grid power generation. C-WET is envisioned to foster development of wind energy in the country, and Intertek is committed to offering the highest level of service to the wind energy market.” ■

Finnish Energy Company Fortum Empowers education for Hundreds of Students in Rajasthan Three schools in Rajasthan will be equipped with solar powered infrastructure by Finnish energy company Fortum. It is part of Fortum's corporate social responsibility initiative accompanying the company's first investment in 5 MW solar plant in Bhilwara. Both Fortum's investment in carbon free energy production and its contribution to the development and well- being of the local society werewelcomed by Finland’s former PresidentMs Tarja Halonen visiting the company's

first production facility in India.

Finnish energy company Fortum has pledged to equip three Bhilwara schools providing education to around 1200 students with solar-powered infrastructure. Solar panels will meet the schools' power needs in an efficient and sustainable way.

The former Finnish President is taking interest in how Finnish companies develop their business locally ; she attended the Delhi Sustainability Devel-

opment Summit organised

by The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI) recently. On her visit to Fortum's plant, she has met representatives of local government and education institutions in Rajasthan.

The discussion focused on how companies such as Fortum can add value to the development of sustainable energy production but also help in the development of the Indian society from a local perspective ■

Solairedirect Wins 30 MW bid in Phase 2 of the JNNSM Solairedirect Energy India Pvt. Ltd., a unit of Paris-based Solairedirect Group, one of the leading solar firms worldwide, has won two projects under phase II batch I of JNNSM for a total of 30 MW, to be built in the state of Rajasthan. The allocation represents 100% of the projects bid by Solairedirect in the batch. The winning bids are entirely included in the Domes-

12 SmartEnergy April/May 2014

tic Content Requirement (DCR) segment of 375 MW, which makes Solairedirect the only international bidder entirely focused on that segment, and is a testimony to the company's sustained commitment to solar equipment manufacturing in India.

2013 at the inauguration of Solairedirect's first solar park in India, an event graced by the presence of Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Minister of New and Renewable Energies. It is a key milestone in a plan to develop and build over 300 MW in the country by 2016 ■

This success vindicates a strategy presented on June 12th,

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

First Solar Sets Thin-Film Module Efficiency World Record of 17.0 Percent First Solar, Inc. Announced in a statement that it has set a world record for cadmium-telluride (CdTe) photovoltaic (PV) module conversion efficiency, achieving a record 17.0 percent total area module efficiency in tests performed by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

The new record is an increase over the prior record of 16.1 percent efficiency, which the company set in April 2013. This announcement comes weeks after First Solar announced it achieved a world record in CdTe research cell efficiency of 20.4 percent.

The record-setting module was created at First Solar's Research and Development Center in Perrysburg, Ohio, using production-scale processes and materials, and included several recent technology enhancements that are incrementally

being implemented on the company's commercial production lines.

Notably, the First Solar research module also has a confirmed "aperture area" conversion efficiency of 17.5 percent. Many manufacturers often quote this aperture area efficiency when claiming record performance, particularly for small minimodules custom-built in R&D labs. First Solar's record is all the more significant because it is full production size.

"This achievement demonstrates our ability to rapidly and reliably transfer research results to full-size modules. We can take CdTe innovation from the lab to production faster and more reliably than other technologies due to our robust, adaptable manufacturing processes and the accommodating nature of CdTe material tech-

nology," said Raffi Garabedian, First Solar's Chief Technology Officer. "Our R&D efforts are delivering technology that will quickly be scaled to real-world application as part of our integrated power plant systems, which are engineered to deliver the best performance, reliability and value for our customers."

Based on the company's sustained high velocity in technology development, Garabedian said First Solar has accelerated its production module conversion efficiency roadmap, raising its lead-line production nameplate efficiency target for YE2015 to 15.6 to 15.8 percent.

First Solar also extended its module conversion efficiency roadmap to 2017, with targets for year-end lead-line production nameplate efficiency of 17.7 to 18.4 percent in 2016 and 18.1 to 18.9 percent in 2017 ■

Trina Solar’s collabora- Gamesa Wins First Eurotive IBC solar cell to be pean Order For G114-2.0 commercialised MW Wind Turbines Having worked with the Australian National University (ANU), the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS) and PV Lighthouse, a three year plus (June, 2010) R&D program with Trina Solar to develop an n-type mono Interdigitated Back Contact (IBC) solar cell is set to be commercialised. Trina Solar said that the Fraunhofer CalLab in Germany independently tested the lab-based solar cell, confirming it could deliver a conversion efficiency of 24.4%.

Dr. Pierre Verlinden, Vice-President and Chief Scientist of Trina Solar said, "This marks a milestone in solar cell research with an improved IBC cell efficiency of 24.4%. This world-class efficiency demonstrates our commitment to leading innovation in PV technology. We remain committed to engaging in effective partnerships with the best PV research centers, which are fundamental to delivering R&D breakthroughs ■

Gamesa has reached an agreement with Swedish wind farm developer Eolus Vind for the supply of four G114-2.0 MW turbines - a deal that marks the European debut of the new wind turbine model.

With a rotor spanning 114 meters, the new turbine's swept area is 38% greater than that of the G97-2.0 MW, while it produces up to 20% more energy a year, according to Gamesa. The company adds that it designed the G114-2.0 MW to maximize performance at medium and moderate wind speed sites.

Under the terms of the agreement, Gamesa will supply, install and commission the turbines at the 8 MW Notasen wind farm starting this summer.

The company will also provide the facility’s operations and maintenance services for a period of five years. This is Gamesa’s second supply agreement with Eolus Vind, having already installed two 850 kW turbines for the developer ■

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April/ May 2014 SmartEnergy

QUICK TAKES NATIONAL Su-Kam to power up 40,000 rural households in Uttae Pradesh Leading power back-up solutions provider Su-Kam said in a statement released that it has won a large-scale rural electrification project to install and commission solar power systems in 40,000 rural households in Uttar Pradesh.

Bosch commissions 5MW solar power plant in Tamil Nadu Bosch Limited, a supplier of technology and services, has commissioned a 5 megawatt (MW) solar power plant in Tamil Nadu for Sri Vinayaga Green Power Generation Private Limited. The power plant, spread across 23 acres, is expected to produce close to 7.6 million units a year, and the generated power would be sold to third-party power consumers, a statement from the company said.

Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Dr. Farooq Abdullah held a bilateral meeting for promoting cooperation in renewable energy with a delegation from Sudan. The Sudanese delegation was led by Mr Al Simah Al Siddiq Al Nour, Minister of Industry. He along with other members including Mr Magdi Hassan Yasin, State Minister of Finance and National Economy from Republic of Sudan met Dr. Farooq Abdullah to discuss ways of enhancing cooperation in promoting renewable energy between the two countries.

Sanjay Aggarwal is the new Managing Director of Fortum India Fortum, a Euro 6.1 billion Finnish energy major, which has big ambitions in India in solar energy, has appointed Sanjay Aggarwal as the Managing Director of Fortum India. Sanjay Aggarwal is a former executive of Tata Power and has worked for Finnish company Wartsila, ABB and Thermax.

Solar-powered toiled to be unveiled in India soon

KS Popli is the new chief for IREDA

A revolutionary University of Colorado Boulder toilet fuelled by the sun that is being developed to help some of the 2.5 billion people around the world lacking safe and sustainable sanitation will be unveiled in India this month.The self-contained, waterless toilet, has the capability of heating human waste to a high enough temperature to sterilize human waste and create biochar, a highly porous charcoal, said project principal investigator Karl Linden, professor of environmental engineering. The biochar has a one-two punch in that it can be used to both increase crop yields and sequester carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.

KS Popli has taken over as the Chairman and Managing Director of Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency. IREDA is Government-owned agency under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy that is mandated to promote, develop and extend financial assistance for renewable energy and energy efficiency. Prior to this, he was Director (Technical) at IREDA. Earlier, Popli was associated with organisations such as NHPC and PFC ■

India and Sudan Agree to Promote Cooperation in Renewable Energy

14 SmartEnergy April/May 2014

INTERNATIONAL Petra Solar is now Petra Systems The Japanese province of FukuPetra Solar, a global technology provider for the renewable energy, energy efficiency and dis-

tributed power generation markets, announced in a statement release that it has changed its name to Petra Systems. In addition, the company introduced a new smart city solution for municipalities, transportation authorities and utilities.

Threat of Sanction looms over Taiwan’s Solar Industry Taiwan’s solar technology industry, the world’s second largest, faces possible U.S. government trade sanctions after selling components to Chinese producers that shipped finished modules onward to the United States. Word in Taipei: They’re not guilty but might be hit anyway as Washington tries to protect local developers against red-hot imports.

Juwi to Build 10-Megawatt Solar-Power Plant for El Paso Electric Juwi AG, a German clean-energy developer, will build and operate a 10-megawatt solar plant in Texas for regional utility El Paso Electric Co. (EE) Construction of the Newman project in El Paso will start this summer and be completed in December, Juwi said in an e-mailed statement. El Paso Electric will purchase the power generated for 30 years, the statement further added, without providing financial terms.

Dr. Al Jaber is the new chairman of Masdar Mubadala Development Company (Mubadala), the Abu Dhabi-based investment and development company, announced that Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber has been appointed chairman of the board of Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, and Dr Ahmad Belhoul will be CEO of the company ■

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April/ May 2014 SmartEnergy 

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TRUE TECHNOLOGY TO INSTILL

COMPETITIVENESS IN THE WIND INDUSTRY

Article Authored by Robert C. Rugh

A

s the wind sector grapples with questions surrounding the continuation of incentives and government support, the industry should also focus on accelerating technological development and deployment. Doing so would continue driving down the cost of wind energy and, therefore, lead to further growth.

The past two decades have seen an increase in wind turbine power output sizes and ratings, as well as significant progress in the refinement and reliability of the equipment. The sub-megawatt-rated turbine sizes of the early 1990s gave way to 1-MW-class ratings by the mid-to-late 1990s. Blades have gotten longer, meaning rotor diameters are larger, easily exceeding the wingspans of large aircraft such as the Boeing 747 and the Airbus A380. Towers have gotten higher, with heights now commonly easily exceeding the length of a football field, meaning more than 30 stories high.

16 SmartEnergy April/May 2014

The electrical side of power generation is also more advanced now. Induction generator system architectures have given way to a variety of doubly fed induction generator, permanent magnet generator and synchronous architectures. Turbine control systems have become more complex, and power output quality has improved dramatically. Grid-fault and low/no-voltage transient ridethrough systems now rival – and, on occasion, outperform – conventional power generation ridethrough capabilities.

Onboard sensors are measuring and recording more and more data – gigabytes per day per turbine – to enable control systems to provide better onboard telemetry and improved uptime performance. What used to be the weaker aspects of wind turbines, such as WHAT, has largely been mitigated through innovations borne from technical investigation and subsequent design improvements.

Today, reports of gearbox, generator and bearing failures are the exception rather than the rule. Additionally, damage from lightning strikes to blades and other structural areas of a turbine as well as insulated gate bipolar transistor failures in power converter systems, have been diminished significantly. Technology has pushed modern wind turbines to a marked trend of improvement in reliability and turbine availability performance.

Equipment trends As turbine power output ratings continue growing larger, so too will the turbine’s physical attributes. So, what does the future hold for wind turbine technology development?

Blades. Many original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are introducing longer blades on existing turbine platforms – meaning that rather than completely redesigning the turbine’s load-bearing  www.supersmartenergy.com

SPOT LIGHT components, some companies have finessed the design by bolting on larger blades and refining the operating algorithms. Rotor blade lengths – and, therefore, rotor diameters – have increased as much as 35% over the past several years. The resulting improvements have translated to higher capacity factors, higher megawatthour production, and an increased revenue stream for the turbine owner, thereby improving the competitiveness of wind power compared to other competing forms of power generation.

In addition to innovative advanced dynamic blade design configurations, increasingly sophisticated advanced control systems will become more prevalent to better manage the otherwise-increased loads resulting from the longer blades and, thus, largely avoid significant and costly changes in other areas of otherwise-unchanged turbines.

Major turbine OEMs and several blade OEMs are also working to develop sturdier, lighter and more durable blade designs with an increasing scrutiny on multipiece and monocoque – or structural skin – blade structures. Using low-mass and high-performance materials will help achieve higher capacity factors, which ultimately will yield favorable economics.

Efforts continue to focus on lowering cost while improving performance, on both a capital cost per megwatt rating and on a cost per megawatt-hour basis.

Towers. Until recently, the push for higher towers has been less bullish, due primarily to the incremental cost of materials required for higher towers and the foundations to support them. Simply put, a higher tower does not necessarily yield a benefit at every wind site – unless site wind shear conditions are present. Therefore, the benefit is site-specific.

Like the movement to larger rotors, the rationale for higher towers is increased energy capture. Expectation of higher energy

Capacity of Siemens' 3-MW D3 platform wind turbines increases to 3.2 MW thanks to the use of larger rotors and higher towers (Image Courtesy : www.siemens.com/press)

capture is driven by the expectation that mounting a rotor higher in the air exposes the rotor to the higher wind velocities than at lower distances from the ground.

A cost/benefit analysis for any given site can provide guidance as to whether a higher tower is cost-effective. Nonetheless, efforts continue to develop more cost-effective tower solutions that yield much higher towers than the current 80-meter norm.

Tower heights in excess of 140 meters are now being contemplated by several turbine OEMs, such as Vestas, GE and Siemens, as well as by tower fabricators, such as Max Boegl. These tower configurations incorporate design innovations, such as advanced lattice designs, advanced concrete design and hybrid steel/concrete.

For example, GE is fielding a recently acquired lattice tower design that provides for a 120meter tower at a more economical cost, without the maintenance issues traditionally associated with lattice tower designs.

Other manufacturers have been developing and fielding their own approaches to advanced

towers. It remains to be seen whether these will be accepted into the mainstream; nonetheless, economics and transportability issues are pushing the industry in this direction.

With respect to the future, look for higher towers for deployment in those projects wherein the cost/ benefit analysis yields a favorable conclusion for the added expenditure.

Performance optimization. In the quest for more efficient, reliable and dependable turbine operation, including greater productivity via greater megawatt-hour generation on both new and existing equipment, OEMs and others are trying to mine the mountain of data generated by each turbine via onboard sensors. The number of sensors has increased dramatically in recent years, with turbine control systems and SCADA systems monitoring and potentially reporting the data per established protocols.

With the proliferation of sensors comes a proliferation of data which, when properly stored, cataloged and analyzed algorith-

» April/ May 2014 SmartEnergy 17

SPOT LIGHT (Image Courtesy: www.siemens.com/press)

Siemens has installed its first prototype of the new wind turbines with a power rating of 6 MW and a rotor diameter of 120 meters

mically, can provide a basis for optimizing performance. This is already done in most new cars, wherein the average new car generates about 15 gigabytes of information per hour. The same rationale is now being applied to wind turbines. The amount of data available for capture and analysis today far exceeds the gigabyte level – hence the term “big data” – and can provide a gold mine of opportunity for deep analysis and fine-tuning of the turbines in the continuing quest for improved operation and performance to an optimal level.

OEMs and others are developing and deploying such analytic and optimization tools. GE, for example, recently introduced its PowerUp performance optimization product. Firms specializing in asset management and firms specializing in operations & maintenance, as well as firms serving as owner operators, are also digging into new ways to utilize the mountain of data generated by the wind turbines, in a quest to improve operating performance with the prime focus on net revenue optimization.

Other technological innovations. Among the most interesting turbine advances are technologies that have the potential to change the current paradigm, such as integrated drivetrain solu-

18 SmartEnergy April/May 2014

tions, integrated power converter/ inverter/controller systems, mass flow modeling and optimization focused on energy capture from various meteorological conditions.

Though years away, such gamechanging technologies truly demonstrate the potential of future turbine technology.

For example, Boulder Power is developing a new integrated generator technology that could revolutionize the wind power industry.

The company is developing an anxial (AXIAL?) gap air core permanent-magnet direct-drive generator that – the company claims – can produce the same torque with half the mass of conventional ironcore direct-drive generators. This design enables a more compact and favorable mass-to-output ratio. Potentially, the technology could achieve greater reliability and yield more power at a lower cost than comparably rated generators. Boulder claims its technology has the potential to lower the cost of energy as much as 20%.

Not to be outdone, the Delft University of Technology is developing the Electrostatic WInd Energy CONvertor (EWICON), a generator that converts wind energy into electricity without the use of moving parts. According to the university, the EWICON generator features substantially lower maintenance costs.

Overcoming objections Technological development and refinement is the key to addressing almost every issue and objection facing the wind power industry. The following is essentially a to-do list for technology to resolve and solve: Cost-competitiveness. Over the past several years, by way of a combination of larger rotors, more efficient generators, more reliable equipment, and a comprehensive understanding of the physical phenomena yielding more sophisticated and efficient control systems, the cost of energy per kilowatt-hour from a wind turbine has continued to decline dramatically, becoming very competitive. The widely held belief is that federal incentives such as the production tax credit are what make wind power competitive. In reality, this is decreasingly true, as compared to historic comparisons.

What got us here to a point of near parity? Two primary factors: market and technology. While the industry cannot necessarily control the market, it can absolutely control technological progress. That is the key. Some might say that natural gas has the cost advantage now. Why? Because of fracking. The reality is that fracking is a technology developed by the oil and gas industry. Therefore, technology developed by the

 www.supersmartenergy.com

wind industry can do the same for wind power – reduce the cost and improve competitiveness. In the end, the industry improves its vitality, technological sophistication grows, low-cost energy helps the economy grow and the average consumer benefits as well.

Everyone wins.

Financeability. At the end of the day, financing for a wind power project differs little from funding other types of projects. Indeed, a unique wrinkle to wind power development is a tax equity investment play, which is present in a number of wind power projects.

However, the financing is market based, meaning the market looks at individual project returns and financial performance to determine whether to participate. Technology can provide the means by which acceptable returns can be achieved, without tax policy support and with reasonable risk mitigation. Technology paves the way to the money.

Policy. When there is stable policy, wind energy proliferates. We all know the inverse is also true. But proper technological development and deployment can result in wind power being competitive without incentives. Then the issue becomes not one of subsidizing wind power, but one of the country holding a critical debate toward establishing a proper energy policy aimed at the real issues – economy, environment, energy autonomy/independence, and decisions based on what the country believes in, and not ones served only by powerful parochial interests.

Grid management. There is a lot of debate regarding grid penetration, spinning reserve and equipment availability. Objective research and study, without the noise of partisanship, can reduce this to a technological issue, with finite problems to be resolved by specific technology-based solutions.

Environmental considerations.

These include, but are not limited,

to avian migratory patterns, predator avian compatibility, noise generation, shadow flicker and bat compatibility. In each case, proper technological enhancement can help resolve the issues.

So, what does all of this mean to investor-owned utilities, developers, community wind projects, and other wind turbine developers, owners and operators?

First, appropriate emphasis on technology will provide the means to meet the needs of each of the stakeholder groups. Utilities need energy and power generation solutions that are reliable and low risk, provide proper returns on investment, and easily integrated into the grid as manageable and predictable energy blocks.

Developers, on the other hand, are more focused on lowrisk, financeable power generation solutions. Community wind

owner-operators are looking for economically viable energy solutions that can be funded and will reliably provide energy on an ongoing basis to the community.

Technological innovations and advances provide a strong level of support to achieve the unique goals of each stakeholder group ■

Acknowledgement: This article originally appeared in the Jan 2014 issue of North American Windpower.

Robert C. Rugh, a wind industry veteran, is currently president/ CEO at Acorn Business Associates, a Tehachapi, Calif.-based renewable energy consultancy serving a broad spectrum of industries. He can be reached at rughrc@gmail.com

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IN FOCUS

Wind Energy Key Driver for Low Carbon Economy

Authored by- Shailendra Singh Rao, MD & CEO Envarrior Consulting Services t

L

ife on Earth has been driven by Energy. There has been life on Earth for at least 3 and Half Billion years, and over this time there has been a constant evolution in the forms and means of energy being used. The ability to use Extrasomatic energy (Existing outside the Body) has enabled humans as great specie ever existed on the Earth.

Inventions like control of fire and exploitations of Fossil fuels have made it possible for Human beings to release, in short time, vast amount of energy that accumulated within and outside of the Earth, even before the species appeared. By using Extrasomatic energy to modify more and more of its environment to suit human needs, the human population effectively expanded its resource base so that for long periods it has exceeded contemporary requirements.

Human race in 21st century cannot imagine life without energy in any form. Energy can be in the form of Electricity, Heat etc, which we all need. But the exhaustion of fossil fuels, which supply three quarters of such energy, is not far off, and no other energy source is abundant and cheap enough to take their place.

The greatest scientific achievement of the nineteenth century is the discovery of electricity. The twentieth century is making use of electricity so extensively that it has almost changed the face of the earth. “Electricity—carrier of light and power, devourer of time and space, bearer of human speech over land and sea, is the greatest servant of man, though it is itself unknown.

In today’s world, Electricity is the most widely used form of energy. Electricity has made Human lives easy. To generate and harness electricity on a large scale means the development of machinery capable of doing so. The various multipurpose schemes, which we are running at such a heavy cost over the years, are for the production of large-scale electricity. And large scale electricity production also makes major contribution towards the Global Warming by usage various means of Fossil Fuel.

20 SmartEnergy April/May 2014

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Fossil fuel based Electricity generation is the Single largest source of GHG Emissions, contributing nearly 40% of Global CO2 emissions equivalent. There is a need to move to a more sustainable form of Power Generation is Clamant for avoiding the adverse impacts of Climate Change, in line with the Global target of keeping Global Mean Temperature rise below 2o C above pre – industrial levels, as agreed by World National Leaders.

To achieve this target, we must fundamentally transform the way we generate Electricity, and use the power to boost our economies. This demands a shift away from the last century’s legacy of unrestrained fossil fuel use and its associated emissions towards cleaner and Renewable sources of energy. If we are serious about securing out planet’s future against ill effects of Climate change, the displacement of conventional fossil fuel usage with Low Carbon technologies must be dealt with utmost seriousness.

Wind Power fits the bill effectively as one of the few proven and technically viable green technology with the rapid scale up potential.

In the present scenario, Wind energy is techno-economically viable efficient alternative to fossil fuel, due to its zero emission factor and non pollutant nature, as in power generation process it does not emit Greenhouse Gases.

In less than an year of operation a WTG (Wind Turbine Generator) can offset all emissions from its construction to operate virtually carbon free for the remaining of its 20 year’s lifetime. Openly and freely available Wind resource, if tapped effectively, can suffice Global energy requirement several times over the current Global electricity consumption.

India’s Wind Power Scenario: India’s electricity demand is projected to more than triple between 2005 and 2030. In the recently released National Electricity Plan

(2012) the Central Electricity Authority projected the need for 350-360 GW of total generation capacity by 2022.

Under the New Policies Scenario of the World Energy Outlook (2011), total power capacity in India would reach 779 GW in 2035.

To achieve this target, capacity must grow over 20 GW per year from 2009 through 2035. Renewable energy has thus a larger role to play in the years to come.

As of march 2012 renewable energy accounted for 12.2 percent of total installed capacity. Wind power accounts for 70 percent of t his installed capacity. India had a record year of new wind energy installations between January and December 2011, installing more than 3 GW of new capacity.

There are two forces that will drive the growth of wind energy in India. One is the rising energy demand in India and the other is obligations on India’s part to encourage clean development. There are abundant wind resources available in India; there is institution like C-WET (Centre for Wind Energy Technology) which does regularly assessment of wind resources. India also has cost advantage attributed to available indigenous wind technology.

There are three key incentives which provide further support to this sector: Generation Based Incentives (GBI), Accelerated Depreciation (AD), and Renewable Energy Certificates (REC).

But, the insufficient grid infrastructure, unattractive incentive policies and absence of an integrated policy framework deter the growth of the sector. Multitude of regulatory agencies, add to the confusion. While the policy environment for renewable energy in India has been improving in recent years, the wind industry is facing challenges in the aftermath of the sudden reduction in tax incentives. Due to lack of policy guidelines and incentives, states are not willing to repower the old wind machines.

Wind Power Resource In 2011 the state-run Centre for Wind Energy Technology reassessed India’s wind power potential as 102,778 MW at 80 metres height at 2% land availability. If the estimated potential of 102 GW were fully developed, wind would provide only about 8 percent of the projected electricity demand in 2022 and 5 percent in 2032 [LBNL 2012].

95 percent of the nation’s wind energy development to date is concentrated in just five states in southern and western India – Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Gujarat [LBNL, 2012]. But, States of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala are quickly catching up.

Repowering Many of the older low-capacity (< 500 kW) wind turbines installed more than 10 to 12 years ago occupy some of the best wind sites in India. These turbines need to be replaced with more efficient, larger capacity machines. One of the immediate benefits after repowering the old wind turbines is that more electricity can be generated from the same site.

A study on repowering potential conducted by WISE for the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy estimated India’s current repowering potential at approximately 2,760 MW16.

Due to a lack of policy guidelines and incentives for repowering, concerns are raised on a number of subjects including disposal of old machines, fragmented land ownership in existing wind farms, clarity on the feed-in tariff offered to newly repowered projects and constrained evacuation of the extra power generated.

Wind Technology Wind Power is a mature and scal-

» April/ May 2014 SmartEnergy 21

IN FOCUS Installed Wind Power Capacity between 01.04.2011 & 31.03.2012 States Tamilnadu Gujarat Rajasthan Maharashtra Karnataka Madhya Pradesh Andhra Pradesh Kerala Others Total

Annual Installations (MW) 1083.5 789.9 545.7 416.75 206.7 100.5 100 54.1 0 0 3197.15

Cumulative Installations (MW) 6987.6 2966.3 2070.7 2733.3 1933.5 376.4 376 245.5 35.1 3.2 17351.6 source: C-WET, MNRE 2012

able clean energy technology and India holds a domestic advantage in it. Established and proven wind turbine technology in India led to huge investments in the sector.

India is emerging as a major wind turbine-manufacturing hub today

of electricity being handled by the power utility) to procure power from renewable energy sources.

The mandate, which is called a Renewable Purchase Specification (RPS), varies from 0.5% to 10% in various states over 2012-13.

As of 2012, 16 existing manufacturers have a consolidated annual production capacity of over 9,500 MW. Indian manufacturers are engaging in the global market by taking advantage of lower manufacturing costs in India. Indian companies now export domestically manufactured wind turbines and blades to Australia, Brazil, Europe, USA and a few other countries. Leading manufacturers like Suzlon, Vestas, Enercon, RRB Energy including newer entrants like Gamesa, GE, Siemens, Regen Powertech and WinWinD have set up production facilities in India.

Incentives

Policy and Regulations Tariff Determination The SERCs determine the tariff for all renewable energy projects across the States, and the stateowned power Distribution Companies (DISCOMs) ensure grid connectivity to the renewable energy project sites, which generally are situated in remote locations away from major load centres.

By June 2012, as mandated under Electricity Act, 26 SERCs had fixed quotas (in terms of %

22 SmartEnergy April/May 2014

There are three main policy incentives that have attracted investment in Wind Energy Projects in India. ›› Accelerated Depreciation: A total of 35% accelerated depreciation is allowed in the first year (effective from 1st April 2012): 15% normal depreciation and 20% additional depreciation for power sector projects. ›› Generation Based Incentives (GBI): In 2009, the Government implemented a Generation Based Incentive (GBI) scheme for grid connected wind power projects.

A GBI of INR 0.50 per kWh (~ 1 US$ cent), with a cap of approximately $29,000 per M W per year, totalling $116,000 per MW over 10 years of a project’s life was offered under this scheme. Between March 2010 and October 2012, 2,021.29 MW capacity of wind projects had availed themselves of the GBI benefit and 1,830.43 MW projects of AD benefits25. ›› Renewable Energy Certificates (REC): The Electricity Act 2003 proposed mandatory Renewable Purchase Specification (RPS) for all the states. To date, 26 states have

specified targets for the uptake of electricity from renewable energy sources. With the introduction of the Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) scheme in 2010, states are now looking at fulfilling the RPSs under this provision by procuring equivalent RECs. An REC is a tradable certificate of proof that a renewable energy plant has generated one MWh of electricity. Under this framework, renewable energy generators can trade RECs through a power exchange platform that allows market based price discovery, within a price range determined by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission. The respective price limits are called forbearance price and floor price and their values are calculated separately for solar and all nonsolar sources (i.e. wind, biomass, small hydro).

Climate Change Mitigation It’s needless to doubt the role wind energy plays in the battle against the Climate Change. The question is how soon enough its role helps reach the goal of keeping Global Mean temperature below 2o C. For India, climate change and energy security concerns have come together in a way that draws increasing attention to its energy policy. The need to address both climate change and energy security has given rise to a prime Minis www.supersmartenergy.com

terial directive called the National Action plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) which identifies eight areas or “missions” for focused energy and climate policy interventions: solar energy, energy efficiency, sustainable habitat, water, Himalayan ecosystems, sustainable agriculture, strategic knowledge for climate change and a ‘Green India’.

Each of the missions will proceed in what are known as public, private and people (PPP) partnerships, which bring together central and state governments, businesses, civil society and community organizations to create an effective and realistic strategy for the implementation of the eight missions.

In January 2010, the planning Commission appointed a 26 member expert group to prepare a ‘low-carbon growth strategy’ for India. The mandate for the expert committee included preparation of a cross-sectoral study and recommendations on critical low carbon initiatives to be undertaken, including sector specific initiatives with timelines and targets starting in 2011. In its draft report, submitted to government in September 2010, the committee identified core GHG emission sectors and recommended its action plans for the power sector, transport sector, forestry, iron and steel industry, cement industry, oil and gas industry, fertilizer industry, etc Wind Energy Technology helps prevent the adverse effects of Climate Change as well as boosting the Low Carbon Economy in the Nation, Established and proven wind turbine technology in India has lead to huge investments in the sector. Increased domestic demand and expansion of the in–house manufacturing capacity of the Indian wind industry has resulted in attracting many new manufacturers into the fray. India provides cheap labor and lower manufacturing costs, and WTG Manufacturers are taking advantage of it. With increased wind power penetration into the grid,

WTGs will have to address issues related to grid stability and power quality in the immediate future.

Barriers to the Wind Energy Growth The 12th Plan envisions installing 100 GW of new capacity of which 30 GW is projected to come from Renewable Energy Sources, of which wind would account for 15 GW. Historically the Indian wind energy sector has met and occasionally exceeded its allocated target. India has an annual manufacturing capacity for over 9.5 GW of wind turbines today.

The country is seeing about 3 GW in annual installations under the 12th Plan target. This modest pace of utilization of the country’s wind power manufacturing and resource potential so far is attributable to several factors, including lack of an appropriate regulatory framework to facilitate purchase of renewable energy from outside the host state, inadequate grid connectivity, high wheeling and open access charges in some states, and delays in acquiring land and obtaining statutory clearances. Following are the main potential barriers to the growth of Wind Energy Sector: ›› Reduction in Accelerated Depreciation Benefit from 80 to 35 percent in the first year of turbine’s operation. ›› The GBI in its first few years of operation has not attracted as many Independent Power Producers as envisaged, since the investors were of the opinion that the current rate of INR 0.5/ kWh [~ 1 US$ cent] was not adequate or at par with the fiscal benefit offered under the Accelerated Depreciation scheme. ›› The State wise RPS (Renewable Purchase Specification) targets provide support to the sector growth but, there are no incentives in the current framework for the wind-energy rich states for adopting RPSs higher than the levels suggested by the NAPCC (

National Action Plan on Climate Change) ›› Inadequate Grid infrastructure another key issue that needs to be addressed urgently. Across most of the states with significant wind potential, the grid does not have sufficient spare capacity to be able to evacuate ever-increasing amounts of wind power. As a result, the state distribution utilities are reluctant to accept more wind power generation and usually tend to prefer thermal power generation. Thus, there is an urgent need to augment general grid capacity. ›› Land clearance for wind power installation and land conversion issues are very time taking. ›› Another barrier to the growth of the wind sector is inordinately high borrowing costs. In India, a significant majority of wind power projects are conceived with a 70:30 debt-equity ratio as a project financing method. The high interest rates (at present > 13 percent) make for some very expensive debt under tough macroeconomic conditions ■

About the Authore Shailendra Singh Rao is the Promoter, Managing Director & CEO of Envarrior Consulting Services.

Shailendra is an MBA specialized in Marketing, from The Indian Institute of Planning & Management, holds 6+ Years of domestic and international experience into management & marketing function, at various capacities. Have expertise in the field of Environment for Climate Change mitigation, Carbon Credits Cap & Trade and in varied sectors such as renewable energy (wind, biomass, solar, hydro, NG, Nuclear Power), energy efficiency, agriculture, waste management, B2B Sales & Marketing.

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April/ May 2014 SmartEnergy

COVER STORY

A GLORIOUS VISION OF A RENEWABLE ENERGY FUTURE

24 SmartEnergy April/ May 2014

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In the year 2011 organizations, scientists and experts associated with renewable energy proposed a vision of 100% renewable energy by 2050. After four years the vision is still as important as it was when it was laid in 2011. There is enormous progress on different renewable resources like solar, wind and hydro. While geothermal and tidel energy have moved from pilots to actual production, albeit on a very small scale. This article by Rashmi Nayak looks into the vision of 100% renewable energy by 2050 , the current status of generation of energy from various renewable resources, the progress and challenges and why the vision of 100% renewable energy by 2050 still catches the imagination of people associate with renewable energy.

U

ntil the advent of the steam engine, the horse was the fastest mode of transport.

Once the world discovered how to harness fossil fuels, it took only 250 years more to reach the moon. Since the onset of the Industrial Revolution, the politics, economics and sociology of the world has been shaped by the discovery of the uses of fossil fuels. They spurred imperialism and were the catalyst for many wars, yet mankind witnessed an exponential growth in science and technology due to the availability of these sources of energy. Fossil fuels made the world a smaller place by revolutionizing the modes of travel and helped in the greater dissemination of knowledge. Readily available power and the invention of fuel powered machines, made mankind to be able to afford leisure for the first time. Fossil fuels were one giant leap for mankind.

With the imminent threat of the depletion of fossil fuels throughout the world, our generation has the onus of ensuring that our progeny are not hamstrung by the lack of power. Our dependency on the fossil fuels has hampered the growth of renewable and non-conventional sources of energy. However as the world became aware of the predicament it was slowly sliding into various governments and scientists around the world started to pay more attention to these obscure forms of energy. These forms of energies such as solar energy, wind energy and geo-thermal energy have been used since ages in different forms albeit in a small scale. The challenge that we face is to make these forms of energy viable and enable a wide spread usage globally.

Renewable energy exists infinitely. It never runs out. It won’t be long before we tap out on fossil fuels - coal, oil, natural gas - making renewable energy

»

25

April/ May 2014 SmartEnergy

COVER STORY (RE) the next big thing. While the former sources of energy took millions of years to form and are likely to get over in the not too distant future, RE exists freely and can be easily replenished.

Also known as green energy, this includes solar, wind, hydro-power, biomass and geothermal sources.

The energy harnessed can be used for a multitude of activities in our daily lives.

Why makes RE so important?

As it is now widely recognized that the fossil fuels and other conventional resources, which are presently the primary source of the electrical energy are not renewable, perishable at a near future and at their current capacity insufficient or unsuitable to keep pace with ever increasing demand of the electrical energy of the world.

This combined with the pollution created by the emission of greenhouse gases from the coal based steam power plants, or the radioactive pollution created by nuclear power plants, are a grave concern for the future of the world. This problem is likely to be more acute in the coming days. Therefore we have to explore renewable and non-conventional sources of energy to mitigate these problems. The non-conventional methods of power generation may be such as solar cells, fuel cells, thermo-electric generator, thermionic converter, solar power generation, wind power generation, geothermal energy generation, tidal power generation, bio mass etc.

26 SmartEnergy April/May 2014

Renewable Energy around the world The US Energy Information Administration (EIA), an information body, estimates that in 2008, 10% of the world’s energy consumption was from RE sources. It predicts that by 2035, the consumption will scale up to 14%. Although RE has not taken the world by storm, the numbers show a steady increase in countries adopting RE technologies every year. According to a report prepared by National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) Director Dan Arvizu, 138 countries around the world have defined renewable energy targets for themselves in 2013, most of which are developing and emerging economies.

It is difficult to ascertain which countries are leading the world in terms of RE. The answer is inconclusive because it can be based upon a variety of factors. Online encyclopedia Wikipedia has doled out a list of top countries that produce electricity from renewable resources. China heads the list (797.4 terawatt-hours per year), followed by the United States (325.1), Brazil (459.2), Canada (399.1) and Russia (166.6).

Social network website Care2, which helps connect activists from around the world, showcased a report

stating the United States holds the best record for using renewable energy (24.7 per cent of the world total). This is followed by Germany (11.7), Spain (7.8), China (7.6) and Brazil (5.0).

100% Renewable Energy by 2050 The incentive to use 100% renewable energy, for electricity, transport, or even total primary energy supply globally, has been motivated by global warming and other ecological as well as economic concerns. Renewable energy use has grown much faster than anyone anticipated. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said that there are few fundamental technological limits to integrating a portfolio of renewable energy technologies to meet most of total global energy demand. At the national level, at least 30 nations around the world already have renewable energy contributing more than 20% of energy supply. Also, Professors S. Pacala and Robert H. Socolowhave developed a series of “stabilization wedges” that can allow us to maintain our quality of life while avoiding catastrophic climate change, and “renewable energy sources,” in aggregate, constitute the largest number of their “wedges.”

Mark Z. Jacobson says producing all new energy with wind power, solar power, and hydropower by 2030 is feasible and existing energy supply arrangements could be replaced by 2050. Barriers to implementing the renewable energy plan are seen to

 www.supersmartenergy.com

Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project, Tonopah, Nevada: This 110MW, 17,500 mirror solar energy project commissioned in 2014

be “primarily social and political, not technological or economic”.

Jacobson says that energy costs with a wind, solar, water system should be similar to today’s energy costs.

Similarly, in the United States, the independent National Research Council has noted that “sufficient domestic renewable resources exist to allow renewable electricity to play a significant role in future electricity generation and thus help confront issues related to climate change, energy security, and the escalation of energy costs. Renewable energy is an attractive option because renewable resources available in the United States, taken collectively, can supply significantly greater amounts of electricity than the total current or projected domestic demand.”

The major criticism levelled at renewable sources of energy is the high cost of set-up and equipment cost. Fingers have been pointed at the effectiveness of the produced energy and the various technical, geographical and climatic impediments that discourage investment in the renewable energy sector.

However the target to use 100% renewable energies can be materi-

alized if and only if there is a major social and political bent to it.

In order to achieve this lofty goal the change has to start from the society itself. We have to promote and use the most energy efficient products and start developing clean energy products.

Clean energy grids should be activated in order that renewable energy produced elsewhere can be utilized. Clean energy and the technological knowhow should be passed on to developing countries so that such countries can satiate their increasing need for energy by using green forms of energy.

Investments should start happening in green and renewable sources of energy. Investments should start happening in renewable, clean energy products and buildings. As a society we must start promoting food that has been prepared using clean energy and which can be then used for biomass. Public transport should be encouraged by the government and the public alike in favour of personal transport. Initiatives to develop electric and hydrogen powered vehicles should be supported by the industry and the government. Everyone should start recycling and reusing products, and use biodegradable prod-

ucts. There needs to be strict environmental guidelines in place for industries in order to minimize their carbon foot print.

The hypothetical situation of achieving 100% renewable energy by 2050 can be realized if all the above points are acted upon from now on by world governments.

The shift should start from substituting fossil fuels to electrical energy that is generated from vast solar and wind farms along with sustainable hydro-electricity plants. Since solar and wind farms will generate electricity sporadically, vastly efficient and modern grids need to be designed which can and store and re-distribute the produced electricity. The design of houses and buildings need to be done in such a way to minimize energy consumption.

Transport and freight which need forms of energy which can produce very high temperatures can start utilizing bio-fuel which can be harvested in an ecofriendly way such that the natural resources are not depleted and without threatening ecological systems or increasing the carbon footprint. These measures will

» April/ May 2014 SmartEnergy 27

COVER STORY

About 100 wind power turbines is situated on Näsudden, Gotland, east of the Swedish mainland. (Image: Flicker/ used under CCL)

require heavy capital investment at first in order to set up and install all of these green power generation plants but soon the costs will be over-ridden in comparison to the fossil fuels. This is because around 2040, 50% of our fossil fuels will get depleted and the existing sources will become prohibitively expensive and accessible to only the wealthier countries. In fact the need for green sources of energy is more imperative for the developing and the undeveloped countries of the world.

Solar energy – an overview of harnessing, applications and prospects The tiny fraction of Sun’s energy that hits the Earth is enough to meet all our needs. This solar energy, converted into electricity is a huge help to households in rural and remote locations. It is only recently that this is being harnessed in urban cities as well.

Solar energy is advantageous because it is clean. It can be independently operated or can be used along with traditional energy

28 SmartEnergy April/May 2014

sources. It is not dependent on fuel-delivery infrastructures, foreign relations or the price machinations of energy brokers and big business.

The only factor to look out for when harnessing it is the availability of solar radiation. If it varies from day to day and from season to season, it will prove to be expensive. For now, it is expensive to build solar power stations, although the cost is coming down as technology improves. Here are some solar energy harnessing systems. Since there are no moving parts in these systems they are reliable and easy to maintain.

Some of the technologies used to generate solar energy are via Photovoltaic cells, Thermal systems, Solar furnaces etc.

As of now only 0.02% of the world’s energy is generated from solar plants. In comparison if only 0.3% of the Sahara Desert were a concentrated solar plant, it would suffice for the entirety of Europe’s power needs. In order to reach the target of 100% renewable energy by 2050, solar power needs to play the most vital role.

Half of our domestic power needs and 15% of our industrial needs should be generated in order to

meet that goal.

PV cells which convert the solar energy into electricity can be installed in every house which can take care of all the domestic needs of illumination and heating.

Concentrating Solar Power (CSPs) use lenses and mirrors to concentrate the direct sunlight in order to boil the water which in turn can be used to power a turbine producing electricity. Energy saving design of houses and buildings can minimize energy consumption.

Currently most of our solar power comes from PV cells or CSPs which have a major disadvantage as solar power is not generated during the night time nor during cloudy days. This has been cited as the biggest hurdle to the large scale implementation of solar energy. Solar Energy also faces resistance from industries which require high temperatures for performance such as freight or transport. These hurdles can be resolved by solving that perennial problem of storage of energy. CSP systems which can store energy in the form of heat and which can be then converted into electricity are the future of the industry.

The issue of variability can be addressed by combining solar  www.supersmartenergy.com

electricity with other renewable electricity sources.

Wind energy – an overview of harnessing, applications and prospects The Sun heats our atmosphere unevenly, so some patches become warmer than others, causing the phenomena of winds. Electricity can be generated through the movement of propellers which in turn works on a generator. Wind mills or wind farms are effective with wind speeds of around 25 km/hr. Preferred areas are coastal areas, tops of rounded hills, open plains, gaps in mountains - places where the wind is strong and reliable.

The larger the propellers, the more the energy extracted from the largest possible volume of air.

The blades can be angled to ‘fine’ or ‘coarse’ pitch, to cope with varying wind speeds. The higher the wind towers, the more effective it is as the winds are stronger higher up. This way the land beneath can

still be used for farming. Like solar energy, it is free and clean, but intermittent. Lack of winds or high speeding winds (resulting in over heating of generator) does not help generate electricity.

The stature of wind energy as the most viable form of renewable energy is growing steadily as more and more countries have started harnessing it. India, late entrant into the sector has made noteworthy progress and is the fifth largest producer of wind energy of renewable energy in the world. Currently wind energy accounts for 2% of all the generated energy. But in countries like Denmark, wind energy provides for one-fifth of all power generated. For the world to realize a 100% renewable future by 2050, wind energy should be providing a quarter of the entire energy produced. This can be possible with the installation of 1,000,000 onshore and 100,000 offshore turbines. Off-shore turbines tend to be less variable and the turbines can be bigger.

The environment impact of on-shore wind farms can be controlled to a large extent. When situated in agricultural land, the

entirety of the land can be used for farming or crops. Unlike fossil fuel plants or nuclear plants, wind farms don’t need huge quantities of water. The planning needs to be done really sensitively with deep care to ensure the local ecology is not affected such as the habitats of bird populations. Floating turbines which do not affect the sea bed are under development in order to minimize the ecological impact of off-shore turbines.

Other RE sources Tidal power is harnessed with the help of large underwater turbines, placed in areas with high tidal movements. Like harnessing wing energy, they are designed to capture the kinetic motion of the waves.

Alternatively, tidal power can also be harnessed with the help of tidal barrages. They are built across an estuary or bay. The difference between high and low tide needs to be more than five meters for the barrage to be work.

»

Image of Tidal Turbine

29

April/ May 2014 SmartEnergy

COVER STORY

60 MW geothermal power plant owned and operated by Landsvirkjun in the North of Iceland

As the tide comes in, water flows through the dam into the basin, trapping the water in the basin or estuary. As the tide goes out, gates in the dam which contain turbines are then opened. The flowing water passes through the turbines, generating energy. However, tidal barrages are damaging to the environment. Tidal barrages when constructed on a lower scale are called tidal lagoons. Harnessing tidal power can be disadvantageous as it requires huge capital costs as for massive concrete constructions.

Although this is a vast and infinite source of energy, the technical challenges of converting it into electricity are significant. A lot of pilot projects are underway to see how we can tap this renewable source of energy in the most efficient way and so that tidal energy can provide almost 1% all the electricity produced in the world. A lot of care has to be taken such that maritime and coastal ecologies are hampered and the fish populations are not affected.

Biomass is renewable solid, gas or liquid fuels developed from plants and organic material that can be processed to produce fuel to power our cars, heat our living spaces or operate machin-

30 SmartEnergy April/May 2014

ery. They are renewable in the sense that we get the resources to make the fuel from something that can be replenished easily in a reasonably short period of time -- like plants. While oil and natural gas also come from plants, these aren’t renewable because it would take millions of years to refresh our supply of these fossil fuels.

They emit less carbon dioxide than other greenhouse gases.

Biomass has a variety of applications. Some of them even include - increasing bioenergy production, reducing waste disposal costs, and improvement of water quality.

Among various renewable energy sources, biomass offers a wide range of products to meet the present days’ challenges.

Unlike other forms of renewable energy sources, biomass offers a wide variety of bi-products similar to the fuels presently derived from fossils for other applications, whereas the residues still offer their energy potential. So biomass is the best and dependable. A practicable long term strategy helps us to store large quantities of energy in the form of biomass, whereas large investments are required to store solar energy or wind energy in batteries.

However, such a large amount of

solar energy can be stored in the form of biomass by the process called photosynthesis.

Not all transport fuels and industrial heat and fuel supply can be substituted with electricity however and by 2050 a substantial contribution from biofuels will also be needed. Air and freight transport, for example, will require large quantities of bio-fuels to maintain current and future high levels of activity. More so than other sources, bio-energy requires a careful consideration of sustainability conditions. Sufficient source options and conversion technologies for bio-energy are available; source options that meet stringent sustainability criteria for biodiversity, non-degradation of land systems and effects on food production. Following this approach, energy from organic residues and waste will contribute the largest proportion of bioenergy to the 2050 energy supply, followed by the sustainable use of fellings from forestry and, to a lesser extent, energy from crops and algae.

Hydropower Energy is currently the world’s largest renewable power source, providing nearly one-fifth of all electricity worldwide, Large scale hydropower  www.supersmartenergy.com

plants store water in a reservoir behind a dam and then regulate the flow according to electricity demand. Hydropower can provide a relatively reliable source of power on demand, helping to balance variable sources like wind and solar PV. However hydropower can have severe environmental and social impacts. By changing water flow downstream, dams threaten freshwater ecosystems and the livelihoods of millions of people who depend on fisheries, wetlands and regular deposits of sediments for agriculture. They fragment habitats and cut off fish access to traditional spawning grounds.

Creating reservoirs means flooding large areas of land which has resulted in the displacement of 40-80 million people due to large hydroelectric schemes.

In order to address these concerns we need to rely less on hydro power and lessen that share of hydroelectricity than the present.

Until new hydropower schemes meet stringent environment sustainability and human rights criteria and minimize the negative impacts on river flows and freshwater habitats, we should temper our usage of hydro power.

Geothermal energy is thermal energy generated and stored in the Earth. Thermal energy is energy that determines the temperature of matter. Earth’s geothermal energy originates from the original formation of the planet, from radioactive decay of minerals, from volcanic activity, and from solar energy absorbed at the surface. The geothermal gradient, which is the difference in temperature between the core of the planet and its surface, drives a continuous conduction of thermal energy in the form of heat from the core to the surface.

In order to achieve the goal of 100% renewable energy by 2050, geo-thermal energy has to take up a major challenge. Almost a third of the energy required to heat buildings has to come from

geo-thermal sources. This is not restricted to the active volcanic areas of the world, direct geothermal energy can provide power for heating buildings for all almost all the areas of the earth.

In volcanic regions where the temperatures are much higher, geothermal energy can be used to generate electricity and local heating, including high temperature requiring industrial processes.

Geothermal energy unlike wind or solar energy is not variable and can provide a constant supply of electricity. Iceland with all its volcanos and extreme geo-thermal activity produces a fourth of its electricity and all it’s heating from geo-thermal energy. Phillipines located on the Ring of Fire produces a fifth of its electricity from geo-thermal energy. By 2050 we need to double the current growth rate of geothermal energy so that at least 4% of our electricity is provided by geothermal energy.

Challenges The world can technically meet its energy needs from renewable sources by 2050. But it throws up some difficult challenges – and not just technical ones. The social, environmental, economic and political issues are equally pressing. On the technical side, two key factors will enable the world to meet its energy needs from renewable sources: (i) We need to reduce demand by improving energy efficiency and reducing wasteful use of energy; and (ii) because electricity and heat are the forms of energy most easily generated by renewables, we need to maximize the use of electricity and direct heat, with improvements to electricity grids to support this.

Certain manufacturing processes (e.g. steel, cement) need specific properties of their fuels that cannot yet be substituted by renewable fuels. This leads to a residual fossil energy use of 5% in 2050 for which substantially new

technologies or alternative products would need to be developed.

Renewable energy, as a source, is not the limiting factor; the technical potential of renewable sources is much higher than that used in the scenario. Grid constraints are another reason why the renewable energy sources are not used to their full potential. New and renovated grids are necessary to accommodate the evolving balance between ‘supplydriven’ power (solar and wind) and ‘demand-driven’ sources (biomass or hydropower). With an increase in transmission range and capacity, a share of 20–30% ‘supplydriven’ power can be achieved. To accommodate higher shares of up to 60%. We need a re-design of our grids, making full use of demand side management and storage A sustainable energy future must be an equitable one. Its impact on people and nature will greatly depend on the way we use our land, seas and water resources. Changes in lifestyle also have a critical role to play. Moving to a renewable future will mean rethinking our current finance systems. It will also require innovation. Local, national and regional governance will need to be greatly strengthened to secure an equitable energy future. We need international cooperation and collaboration on an unprecedented level to bridge the gap between the energy-rich and energy-poor, both within and between countries.

E nerg Conservation:

y

Energy conservation is one of the prerequisites of a future powered by renewables. We will not be able to meet the needs of our planet’s expected nine billion inhabitants if we continue to use it as wastefully as we do today.

In manufacturing, using recycled materials greatly reduces energy consumption. Finding

» April/ May 2014 SmartEnergy 31

COVER STORY

➤ The Photograph of Wind Turbine Line-production, Image Source: Nordex SE alternatives to materials that take the most energy to produce, such as cement and steel, will mean further energy savings.

Product design also has considerable implications for energy use. Despite some very innovative models on markets already, there is still huge potential to tap into much higher efficiency levels for all energy-hungry appliances.

In the developing world, more than 160 million households now use improved biomass cooking stoves. Simply using a ceramic lining instead of an all-metal design can improve efficiency by up to a half. The stoves cost little, reduce carbon emissions and deforestation from charcoal production, and have immense health benefits. Even more efficient are solar cookers, which simply use and concentrate the heat from the sun. Distributed widely enough, these small-scale solutions add up to a significant reduction in energy demand.

We need to radically improve the energy efficiency of our existing buildings. We could reduce

32 SmartEnergy April/May 2014

heating needs by 60 per cent by insulating walls, roofs and ground floors, replacing old windows and installing ventilation systems that recover heat. . For all buildings to meet these energy efficiency standards by 2050, we will need to retrofit 2-3 per cent of floor area every year. We will also need to move to more efficient modes of transport; making greater use of buses, bikes, trams and trains, sending more freight by rail and sea, and swapping short-haul flights for high-speed trains. The more energy we save, the easier the task of moving to a renewable energy future will become. It is one area where everyone can play a part.

Conclusion: A 100% renewable future by 2050 might seem wildly ambitious bwut if the political and social bent is determined to achieve that, it is not that far-fetched. Although cynics will point at the costs involved in such a future, the truth points otherwise. Large additional

upfront investments are required in the early decades but a considerable share of these will be recouped before 2050 through additional savings. The investments will be approximately 1–2% of the global gross Domestic Product (gDP); comparable to the value that the world currently invests in clean air and water. There are significant economic gains stemming from a large decrease in material and energy use and by 2035 these annual gains can be higher than the annual investments. The net profit will reach approximately 2% of the global gDP by 2050 from the energy system alone. Financial gains aside, the additional economic benefits from reduced pollution and better climate are intangible. By ensuring this vision is a reality we would be leaving our progeny a better world than the one we had ■

 www.supersmartenergy.com

Organiser

Government of India

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE & EXPO ON RENEWABLE ENERGY

India’s Number 1 Renewable Energy Event

Exhibiting Sectors

Over 200 Companies • 15,000 Business Visitors • Special Emphasis on Solar PV and Solar Thermal as TN has the most Ambitious Solar Policy in India • Focus on Companies Providing Unique and Innovative Solutions in all Sectors • Product Launches and Live Demos • 3-days international conference & Complimentary Business Matching • CEO / CTO Conclaves • Training Programmes and Workshops

> Solar PV

•

12 - 14 June 2014

> Solar Thermal > Waste to Energy > Wind Energy > Biomass Energy > Energy Efficiency > Green Mobility > Green Buildings

Stay ahead of your competitors!

Chennai Trade Centre Nandambakkam, Chennai Tamil Nadu, India

BOOK NOW Marketing and Knowledge Partner

www.renergyteda.com

CONTACT DETAILS Rajneesh Khattar M: +91 9871726762 E: rajneesh.khattar@bm.com

Julian Thomas M: +91 9940459444 E: julian.thomas@ubm.com

Gaurav Singh Iyer Narayanan M: +91 9008018873 M: +91 9967353437 E: gaurav.singh@ubm.com E: iyer.narayanan@ubm.com

INTERVIEW BUSINESS LEADER

"Generation of renewable energy calls for a high degree of engineering skill, which we are capable of providing" Vijay Pramod Karia Chairman and Managing Director, Ravin Group

Q

.Ravin Group manages diverse business interests in the power and energy sector, what is the brand identity of the group and what does it stands for its customers and its employees?

Ravin group is today a 64 year old group of companies which are well spread out across the world.

Various companies operate in various verticals like cables, EHV projects and services, renewable energy segment, power products and equipments and retail energy products. The 3 main pillars that our Group stands on are sustainability, safety and dependability.

We believe that all our products also should be of similar nature, and have to be safe, dependable and sustainable. We also believe that in the Indian context in the coming decade, accessibility, availability and affordability are going to be very important pillars for any company to grow on , and hence we are looking to have ourselves in a position where we can provide

technology products at affordable prices. This would stand for safety and dependability at affordable prices for the customers , and for the employees it would stand for working in an organisation which nurtures and cares for its people and one in which people could be at the centre of the growth of the organisation.

Q

34 SmartEnergy April/May 2014

.Could you shed some light on the new business segments that Ravin has ventured in the last few years? What are the growth that you are targeting and the opportunities that you are looking at in these segments?

Ravin Group now operates into five clear verticals – (1) Manufacturing of Energy Cables up to 220 KV (2) EHV installations, projects and services (3) Solar energy EPC projects, with emphasis on Tracker systems (4) Specialised power products like Moisture Removal systems for Transform-

ers (5) Retail Energy products. We are targeting a CAGR of more than 25% over the next 5 years into all these areas, and we are confident of achieving the same.

Q

.One of the segments that the group is highly active is in Renewable Energy; could you tell us more about your interest in renewable energy and the strategic thinking behind entering this segment?

Ravin Group has always been keen to enter into areas of technology and we believe that renewable energy segment holds a huge potential in the country. The renewable energy segment however like most other segments in India which get very easily and quickly saturated, has also reached the position where the segment has actually become commoditised. People have to realise that generation of renewable energy just does not mean installation of solar panels, invert-

 www.supersmartenergy.com

ers and batteries, but it calls for a high degree of engineering skill, which we are capable of providing. Other than focusing on fixed solar installations, we decided to go in for tracker systems, which basically means that the solar panels are installed on a single axis or on a dual axis tracker, which moves during the day with the sun, like the sunflower moves towards the Sun. So also this tracker system moves the panels so as to get maximum energy from Sunlight, and this means an additional of almost 35% increase in generation capacity, at a nominal 10-15% CAPEX cost. Thus your ROI is much faster and the dependence on fossil fuel reduces by that extent. The best thing is that these systems can be retrofitted onto the existing installations. Hence we felt that this was a segment in which we will need to invest more of technology and we have done so.

Q

.Today the solar energy segment is highly saturated with similar products offering from different companies, what are the innovative products that you have launched in the solar sector? What are their unique features?

As stated above, the solar energy segment is saturated with similar products but all these are fixed installation products and we have moved with tracker systems. The uniqueness of the tracker system is that it tracks the Sun and in a vast country like India especially on rooftops installation of this tracker system can be a big boon and boost to the Solar segment, as it does not occupy roof space as well as increases the output tremendously.

Q

.What are your views on offgrid solutions and its role in providing power to the segments where it’s not possible today? What policy push you suggest to make it more aligned to the larger goal of providing



In a tracker systems, the solar panels are installed on a single axis or on a dual axis tracker, which moves during the day with the sun, means an additional of almost 35% increase in generation capacity, at a nominal 10-15% CAPEX cost



power to all?

I entirely agree that the renewable energy segment requires a huge policy change as well as it requires a lot more vision and thrust as well as aligning of various ministries together.

If you see the MNRE does not have funds, because I believe the same have not been allocated by the Finance ministry. So we see that almost all renewable projects are struggling, and the smaller projects which are under subsidies are not taking off at all.

Moreover if we see, all utilities across the country are yet making losses, as they are supplying electricity to the agricultural sector and to the railroad sector at concessional rates. Now, Concessional rates are one thing, but one has to understand that the cost of first supplying the electricity, then billing it and then collecting money for it, means a huge administrative cost. So, rather than losing money by supplying at subsidized rates, which mind well the subsidized rates are being subsidized by the common man only, as well as the industry which is facing higher electricity tariffs, have to increase the prices of their products which are then sold in the markets out here.

Off Grid systems would greatly reduce the cost of supplying electricity to small villages and to the agricultural sector. So, what is happening is that utilities are facing huge amount of losses by way of subsidization and states like Maharashtra, I believe are

facing a yearly loss of almost Rs.6000-9,000 crore by way of these subsidies to provide electricity to these smaller villages, where as I said it is not just the cost of providing electricity but then maintaining it is pretty high.

So, what we would like to do is to give off grid solutions to these areas which can greatly enhance the reliability of power supplies to that area, as well as enhance reliability of power supplies to other areas where the utilities are supplying, as the utilities would then be supplying to a focussed area which would then help them to be profitable also and going further can reduce the cost of supply of electricity into those areas.

Hence, As far as policy pushes would go ,I’d like to suggest (a) Encourage off grid solutions and have faster disposal of subsidies for rooftop and other smaller projects (b) make the local industry more competitive by creating import barriers and having tariffs such that it could help the local industry (c) have long term policies , 6 month or yearly policies will not just work (d) capital spent on infrastructure especially on the renewable energy segment and on the electrical segment needs to go up considerably (e) really look at the need for allowing 100% FDI into this segment as Multinational companies do not need protection as they have deep pockets.

If we look at this area an industry with a $100 million capex for setting up a plant with decent tech-

» April/ May 2014 SmartEnergy 35

INTERVIEW BUSINESS LEADER



nology would translate into revenue of about $1 billion per year, and of these one billion dollars, the company will easily be able to earn $100 million in the first year itself. So, a foreigner who is putting $100 million will take out that amount of money in the first year itself, and then for the entire duration of the company’s life, would be catering to the local markets and taking out their profits.

We have developed lanterns with solar panels, the unique feature about this lantern is that apart from the light, it contains a USB port which can be used for charging the mobile phone



Why don’t we support the local people in setting up industry and why don’t we give them access to technology?

in the market and the feedback that we are getting from consumers is that they were not aware of these products earlier and now that these products are available, they are keen to buy such products and are looking to go high end rather than just going in for cheaper products. We are very happy with the feedback and with the kind of pull that we are getting from the market.

Q

.Tell us more about your foray into retail energy solutions? What made you to foray into this highly competitive segment? What strategy are you adopting in marketing these products?

The retail energy segment is something which is an unexplored segment. It is not a highly competitive segment in terms of products or in terms of technologies but it is highly price competitive, because cheap products are being imported into the country and it is very easy to steal on such products so the consumer is forced to buy these products as he does not have any other branded products available in market. We intend to cater to such a market where people will be quality conscious and will be able to discern quality products across non quality and unsafe products. We are employing multiple strategies in marketing these products, as well as are adapting multiple outlets, with a clear ideology to have these products reach our segment of the market and help people use these products on a repeated basis.

Q

Q

.How has the response been to these solar retail products? What is the feedback that you are getting from the consumers?

These retails products, which also consist of solar products have been doing extremely well

36 SmartEnergy April/May 2014

.Could you tell us more about Ravins solar lighting solutions for rural areas? What are its key features?

We have developed lanterns with solar panels which are of course a boon for the rural areas but can be used for all places including urban areas. The features of these lanterns are that it has an adjustable dimmer, and it has LED’s, which are guaranteed for a life of 1 lakh hours. Hence the lantern can run for more than 36 hours in one charge, with the lowest setting, and can run for more than 12 hours at the highest brightness.

The unique feature about this lantern is that apart from the light, it contains a USB port which can be used for charging the mobile phone. Hence a person with lantern is not only able to light up his house or his place of business, but is also able to charge his mobile phone from the same lantern, and hence is free from any electricity needs for communication purposes also. This is also a big hit with various vendors and people with handcarts, who find it a problem to charge their mobile phones for the full day.

Q

.Going forwards which business is likely to contribute more to the growth of the group?

We see all our verticals contributing heavily to the growth of our Group, but emphasis is going to be on the renewable energy segment and on the EHV segment, which are areas of high potential and growth.

Q

.As a CMD of the company, how do you define success for yourself and your company and where do you see the group 3 to 5 years from now?

As the CMD of the company, I hold myself responsible for the performance of each and every member of the organisation, and success for me personally is to have a happy, enthusiastic and empowered set of colleagues working in the company, and we want to see ourselves as a preferred employer .Success for the company is not only to be a preferred employer but to be a debt free company in the next few years time, and we look to work towards that area.

Three to five years from now we see our Group spread across the globe, employing various technologies in the energy segment, which would be the hallmark classification of a truly diversified power products company.

We see ourselves as an efficient workforce who is truly interested in the work that they are doing, and their enthusiasm will be infectious so that even the customer feels happy in working with us ■

 www.supersmartenergy.com

INTERVIEW EXPERT SPEAK

"Our aim is to achieve Grid Parity through 100% RE" Rajeshwara Bhat Managing Director, Juwi India Renewable Energies Pvt. Ltd.

Q

.To begin with, tell us more about the “100% Renewables” campaign and the role of Juwi Group in creating a safe, ecologically friendly and economic energy supply system independent of imports?

100% renewable a unique campaign not only envisions itself in providing uninterrupted power supply thru utilizing various verticals of RE by economizing its efficiency to make sure that economies of scale works well and makes renewable energy a viable and economical source of power. When we reach grid parity thru such innovative concepts; there is not only a clean energy generation thru safe and eco-friendly power produced but also it makes RE a viable option to conventional energy by providing optimal usage.

Q

.Tell us more about Juwi Groups Indian Operation and the areas you are active in and the different products and

service you offer in India?

Juwi India operation started off in 2011 in Bangalore as Head office for India with a regional operation in Delhi and O&M entities in various locations of India. Our vision till 2013 was to establish and build Juwi India operation as Solar EPC provider and we have constructed prestigious projects for major developers in the country. As on date we have executed 83 Mwp including some in APAC. Our services include EPC, O&M of Juwi built plants as well as acquisition and maintenance of 3rd party O&M’s. Currently we are maintaining 65 Mwp projects in India. We are also into project development including land identification providing evacuation permits, enabling finance to offer one stop solution to IPP’s and investors.

Q

38 SmartEnergy April/May 2014

.How important is the Indian operation for Juwi and what are the areas that you are looking at in terms of

growth and opportunities?

Juwi India operation is important from the perspective of brand establishment in Asia pacific as it was the first operation started with a vision of 100% RE. Our main focus is to be a turnkey solution provider with one stop solution for all the renewable energy provider with Project development, Project finance, EPC and plant management. We on an average contribute approximately 10% of group’s executed capacity in solar PV projects. As the demand in India is huge, targeted to be 20Gw in the next 8 years, and the demand is to provide electricity to many, the need, unlike other countries is required for sustainable growth.

Q

.Post the launch of the second phase of the JNNSM, what are the projects that you are working on in solar energy?

According to you how critical is the demand outside the national mission going to be for the growth of the sector? Any  www.supersmartenergy.com

suggestions?

The opportunity in JNNSM currently is 750 Mw. Juwi India being one of the prime EPC contractors with track record of performing plants post execution for the last 3 years is slated to evaluate opportunities to the tune of 100 Mwp. Outside the national solar mission there are projects under state policies like Punjab, AP, TN, Karnataka, which are still to be firmed up.

Q

.What role can the government play in terms of support so that the industry can flourish and be competitive enough to take on the external challenges?

All efforts should focus on reaching grid parity to make solar a viable option. Appropriate technology needs to be developed to achieve technologies across the value chain (ingots to modules) to manufacture and offer modules of international quality at international market prices. Government should actively focus on Policy stimulus to develop technology and infrastructure for setting up large manufacturing facilities, like developing industrial parks in suitable locations, assured power, water, Ports for imports, exports, transport infrastructure, local vendors for various items, etc. By developing a robust PV manufacturing base we will be ensuring proper energy mix and energy security for our country.

Besides we will have huge opportunities to export our modules to international markets.

Q

.What is your outlook for the wind energy in India?

What are the challenges that the industry is currently facing and your suggestions for overcoming those challenges?

Wind Energy India: Wind energy has been an important component of India’s energy planning process. Strong policy and regulatory support in terms of

WIND ENERGY IN INDIA: CHALLENGES & POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS Issues/Challenges

Potential solution

High cost of financing and limited experience with non-recourse debt finance

Capacity building by domestic banks through initiatives by world bank and IFC which demonstrates case studies on project viability, Introduction of financial instruments like insurance or partial credit guarantee facility which reduce political and project risk

Sector lending limits on Policy makers should suggest banks to keep Indian banks on lending exposure limits for RE projects to be sepain power and RE sector rate from power sector limits and increase cap on lending by banks to wind sector Enforceability of RPO Govt. should take initiatives to ensure penfor success of REC alty mechanism for non-compliance of RPO and the same be implemented thereby creating confidence in a stable REC price and thus incentivizing investment in wind sector Dynamic policy review SERC’s should create separate open access to tackle emerging policy for wind sector with zero cross subsidy issues (open access) surcharge and either minimal or zero open access charges (transmission & wheeling charges and transmission and wheeling losses) Delayed payments to State Govt. should allocate separate funds wind power generators for timely payment to wind power generators from utilities in order to resolve cash flow problems Outdated structure Land

grid

infra- Govt. along with private players should invest in grid infrastructure and strengthen of transmission system State Govt should ease obtaining land permission and land acquisition process to facilitate speedy development

preferential tariffs (Rs. 3.51/kWh – Rs. 5.81/kWh) and incentives (Wheeling, Banking, Concessional open access charges) at both state and central level ensures that it will continue to be an important part of the energy mix.

As the second largest wind power market in Asia, India’s year on year growth experienced nearly a 30% drop in 2012. The country installed 2,336 MW of wind power, making it the world’s fourth largest market by annual installation and the fifth largest in terms of cumulative capacity. The slowdown was mainly triggered by expiration of an important tax benefit, accelerated depreciation of wind power assets, and incentive payments for wind power production, known as the Generation Based Incentive (GBI). Both were taken out on 31

March 2012. The GBI is however reinstated.

Driving forces propelling the wind energy sector in India include: ›› Technological stability and advancement ›› A colossal demand for energy due to strong economic growth ›› Supportive legislative framework of various SERCs, incentives available for investment ›› Rising prices of fossil fuels ›› The short gestation period for installing wind turbines ›› The increasing reliability and performance of wind energy machines ›› Grid parity has been achieved by introduction of preferential tariffs

»

39

April/ May 2014 SmartEnergy

INTERVIEW EXPERT SPEAK



By developing a robust PV manufacturing base we will be ensuring proper energy mix and energy security for our country. Besides we will have huge opportunities to export our modules to international markets



›› National target for renewable up to 2020, established in National Action Plan on Climate Change in June 2008 which calls for 10% renewables by 2015 and 15% by 2020 ›› National target for wind set for the 12th Five Year Plan (20122017) is 15 GW ›› Renewable Purchase Obligations enacted by 22 state Electricity Regulatory Commissions ›› The Renewable Energy Certificate mechanism was launched by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission in 2010 ›› National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) introduced in 2010 to fund projects and research into the clean technology sector The Indian wind power market suffered a temporary slowdown but the overall health of India’s economy ahead looks promising. It is expected that the annual demand for wind capacity in India will gradually increase year on year.

Q

. Affordability and its impact on energy prices are the areas of concerns for the future growth of renewable energy, what are the ways for optimization and cost reduction?

For us to achieve 100% vision, we have to combine various sources of renewable energy like solar, wind, bio, and hydro if possible.

Solar energy is produced the daytime and wind is typically seen to be produced during the nighttime.

So combining these two sources of energy, with effective utilization of grid and reduced CAPEX cost brings us nearer to grid parity.

In Germany Juwi has executed approximately 20 Mw of such projects, which has been working satisfactorily. We can achieve cost optimization depending on the location.

Q

Q

.Renewable Energy is predominantly wind and solar, what role do you envision energy sources like biomass and geothermal to play in the future for energy security of countries like India?

The challenge for energy sources like biomass and geo thermal for providing energy security to India is the availability of raw material for Biomass. Our vision is to have a clean energy and make environment livable thru 100% RE thru solar and wind combinations.

40 SmartEnergy April/May 2014

.Another area of concern is that of project financing, in the wake of reduced bank liquidity and constrained balance sheets, what are the emerging ways of project financing?

Till now the concern of the project financiers was the performance of PV plants. Since 2011 we have had approximately 2200 Mwp of solar energy in the country. The projects that have been executed

by EPC’s have been delivering power as per the initial design.

This has given confidence to the investors including financing community. Today we believe this is the most predictable source of energy. Unlike coal we need not worry about the availability of the resource. Hence, in the interest of achieving energy security for the

country, project-financing community have to offer reduced debt interests. The regulatory policies also have to provide Clarity on policies relating to wheeling and banking charges. The regulator has to ensure that the wheeling and banking charges is zero for the debt period, which is typically 12 years. To reduce the risk of NPA we need to evaluate methods of Qualifying of EPC companies on their performances and company valuation with certain key criteria’s.

Q

.What differentiates Juwi from its contemporary’s and how do you keep ahead of your competitors? ›› E x c e l l e n t engineering capabilities ›› Stringent qualifying process for use of products in the projects by centralized German team. ›› On time delivery of projects ›› Quality ›› Technology and trained resources ›› Customer focus ›› Frame work contracts with Suppliers and central purchase obligations for achieving economies on SCM

Q

.How do you define success for yourself and for your company and 3 to 5 years from now where do you see Juwi in India?

To be the best company in India to achieve Grid parity through 100% RE In pursuant in this path we have already executed 83 Mwp and evaluating opportunities in developing wind energy in the next 2 years. We are also evaluating effective usage of efficient technologies, storage, smart monitoring with predictability as part of our offering in time to come. Our plan would be to build 500 – 1000 Mw in next few years in RE technology ■

 www.supersmartenergy.com

NEWS THIS MONTH

PREPAID SMART METERING Authored by Souvnik Roy

S

mart meters are becoming the meter of choice in many countries such as Italy, Sweden, Australia, Canada and UK but is India ready for this advanced technology?

According to recent industry reports, distribution utilities globally are expected to spend US$ 378 billion in smart grid technologies by 2030 where India is estimated to install 130 million smart meters by 2021. Sweden-based analyst firm Berg Insight says that penetration rates for smart metering technology will grow to around 50% in Europe and North America, and to over 75% in the Asia- Pacific region from just around 15% to 25%, respectuvely, today. And by 2020, it estimates that penetration rates for smart meters are expected to approach 100% in most developed countries, with massive rollouts also taking place in new smart meter territories such as Latin America, India and

42 SmartEnergy April/May 2014

the Middle East.

As India takes steps towards modernizing India’s grid system by investing in AMI, through this article we take a look at the conventional prepaid metering systems, the advantages and disadvantages of conventional prepaid systems, the concept of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), and the benefits of prepaid smart metering over the conventional metering systems.

Introduction to Conventional prepaid metering system Conventional meter reading system uses a smart card or a token that is read and stored within the meter. An electronic prepaid meter will act as a “bank”, as long as some credit is available inside the meter, services (supply of electricity or gas or water) will

be made available to the customer. The level of credit inside the meter will be deducted according to the tariff as programmed for the respective customer. The prepaid meter issues warnings when the credit reaches a threshold or zero. Also the conventional prepaid meters have an emergency credit which could be used after the credit becomes zero. After the use of emergency credit, the service is disconnected. Customer needs to recharge the smart care or token and eventually the prepaid meter to avail the services again (reconnect).

Disadvantages of conventional prepaid systems ›› Additional hardware cost and maintenance cost ›› Potential Safety issues – Appliances/systems can be switched on when the service has been termi-

 www.supersmartenergy.com

MARKET TRENDS nated. When the prepaid system is being recharged, it could cause potential safety issues. ›› Increased surcharges charged to the customer to finance and maintain the prepaid meters ›› Customers cannot choose dynamic rate plans like Time of Use pricing (TOU), Critical Peak Pricing (CPP) or real time pricing.

This requires field visit to configure such rate plans on the meter. ›› Credit is only available from certain outlets. Also it is required that the customer is at the premise to recharge the meter. ›› Best energy deals on the market aren't available to prepayment customers. ›› The meter may continue to collect fixed charges even when there is no credit on the meter, depending on which type of meter it is. ›› It is more expensive than Direct Debit and on-line payment methods. ›› If the customer is repaying a debt through meter, customer may not be able to switch to another supplie ›› Inconvenience - will often require trips to a shop to 'top up' keys and smartcards A d va n c e d Metering Infrastructure?

AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) is the collective term to describe the whole infrastructure from Smart Meter to two waycommunication network to control center equipment and all the applications that enable the gathering and transfer of energy usage information in near real-time. AMI makes two-way communications with customers possible and is the backbone of smart grid. The objectives of AMI can be remote meter reading for error free data, network problem identification, load profiling, energy audit and partial load curtailment in place of load shedding.

AMI and Energy Metering

Benefits from Conventional Prepaid System Benefits to end customers Pre-plan the budget required for paying utility bills

Benefits to Utility Reduction in collection of customer's debt

No additional charges are imposed Reduced paper work as the customon the customer upon connect ers are not billed on a regular basis Customers don't need to pay security deposit to avail the services

Enhances in reduction of customer energy consumption

Improved customer service with the control left to the customer

Reduced financial risks - Enhances utility to receive payments ahead of the energy consumptions

No problems of unsettled bills

Improved operational efficiencies Reduced cost of meter reading

The development of Advanced Metering Infrastructure or AMI system has brought the greatest change in the technology of energy metering. The technology upgrades from mechanical rotating disc energy meter to electronic energy metering device and then to intelligent energy meter, called automatic meter reading (AMR).

This technology helps send energy consumption data from buildings, factories and houses to the utilities for load curve, power quality analysis and consumers’ billing purposes. In the meantime, the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is also introduced to integrate the meter with grid and households for better analysis of transmitted power and usage. The AMI technology includes two-way communication between utility companies and customers’ smart meter. In order to deploy AMI system into electric distribution system, seven systems inside the smart meter need to be considered namely, system communication, system control, remote communication and monitoring, system security, remote software upgrade and data collection and encryption Prepaid metering through the virtue of AMI With Smart Grid and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) in

place, utilities do not require prepaid meters to serve the prepaid customers. A simple smart meter with remote connect-disconnect switch can perform the function of prepaid meter. With powerful interval data available at utility's disposal, utility application(s) can calculate the credit left on the prepayment account and can initiate necessary actions like generating alerts, performing disconnect/reconnect etc. With the AMI architecture in place, many of the disadvantages of the existing prepayment metering system would be addressed. ›› Smart AMI meter will be installed at customer's premise which can operate on credit mode or prepayment mode. Such smart meters will be equipped with remote connect-disconnect switch. ›› Customer can opt to be on credit-billing or prepayment billing and this will be performed at the Utility application - Customer Information System (CIS) and/or prepaid application. ›› AMI meters provide interval reads on a daily basis and is stored in Meter Data Management System (MDMS). ›› The rate at which the customer will be billed is stored in Customer Information System (CIS). ›› MDMS feeds interval reads to CIS and Prepaid application. These two applications in conjunction

» April/ May 2014 SmartEnergy 43

MARKET TRENDS will calculate the bill periodically (daily or twice a day) and would deduct the bill amount from the available credit. ›› When the available credit reaches a threshold, alerts can be sent to the customer. Alerts can be sent via SMS gateway or IVR's outbound calling system or email or In-Home Display units (IHD). ›› When the available credit reaches zero, additional alerts are sent. Certain regulations recommend an emergency credit to be available. In such case, when the credit reaches the emergency credit threshold or when the credit reaches zero (when there is no concept of emergency credit), CIS/ Prepaid system issues remote disconnect request to the AMI meter. ›› Customers can make the required payment using existing infrastructure like web payments, payment kiosks, check payments, IVR payments etc. Once CIS system receives the payment/memo; it issues a reconnect request to the AMI system. ›› Certain CIS systems have the capability of performing the prepaid application. In such case, a separate prepaid application is not required. ›› The proposed solution could be extended to provide smart prepayment services. For example, this service can be extended to the function of charging PHEVs. When PHEVs are charged in the charging stations, the cost required to charge the PHEVs can be deducted from the prepayment account; provided customers use the same prepayment account.

Benefits of Smart Prepayment system Following are the benefits of

implementing a smart prepayment system that is controlled by the utility applications. ›› Utilities don't need to invest on hardware cost (purchase of prepayment meters) and the maintenance and field force cost associated to it. ›› Customers have the luxury to switch between credit meters and prepaid meters on the fly without additional overhead of field visit ›› Prepayment customers have the luxury to change their rate plan and opt for attractive rate plans like Time of Use billing, Critical Peak Pricing and real time pricing. The billing is performed at the utility application instead of the meter hardware, hence attracting prepaid customers to participate in energy conservation rate plans. ›› Customers don't need to carry smart cards or tokens or need to be at the meter location to recharge the prepaid meter.

Customers can use SMS, phones, web or call center application to recharge the prepayment account. ›› Since the overhead on the hardware and field force is reduced, cheaper prepaid rate plans would attract the customers. ›› Existing payment mechanisms will be used to charge the prepaid accounts. No additional payment mechanism is required. ›› Customers with medical conditions can still enroll into smart prepayment and the CIS/prepaid application can handle the issue of not issuing disconnect for special customers. ›› With IHDs and Smart Portals in place, customers have an effective way to maintain the smart prepayment account, to understand the usage pattern and methods to limit their usage within their available credit.

›› Utility doesn't need to put in additional infrastructure to provide this functionality. Existing AMI infrastructure would be leveraged. ›› With regulations permitting, there would be no reconnect charges.

Disadvantage of Smart Prepayment system ›› Most of the utilities receive interval reads only once a day, probably during the off peak hours. Hence reevaluating the available credit and issue of disconnect request to AMI systems might happen at off peak hours causing inconvenience to the customers to be disconnected during night hours. ›› Most of the utilities receive interval days once a day. Hence the disconnect request cannot be sent to AMI systems when the available credit exactly reaches the threshold.

Conclusion Utilities are embarking Smart Metering deployment strategies; replacing conventional meters with smart AMI meters. With the increase in awareness of prepaid metering systems, it is required to implement a prepayment system that is independent of the meter hardware, providing attractive rate plans to such customers.

Hence, Utilities can exploit the AMI infrastructure and interval data to provide the prepayment function instead of procuring and maintaining smart prepaid meter hardware. This would provide a win/win proposition to the utility, regulators and the customer ■

Souvnik Roy has pursued his Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from followed by that he pursued his Master’s Degree in Master of Engineering in Sustainable Energy from RMIT University, Melbourne. Apart from the engineering knowledge he also possess a Graduate Diploma Degree in Engineering Management obtained from RMIT University. Currently he is working with Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute (GERMI) as a Research fellow in the Solar Research Wing in GERMI’s Research Innovation and Incubation Centre (RIIC).

44 SmartEnergy April/May 2014

 www.supersmartenergy.com

INTERVIEW FACE 2 FACE

"Consul offers a wide range of solar power products like Solar PCU's, Solar MPPT Charge controllers, off-grid and on-grid solar systems that cater primarily to institutions and business customers" Sriram Ramakrishnan CEO & M.D, Consul Consolidated Pvt Ltd

Q

.To begin with, could you give us an overview of Consul Consolidated? What have been some of your organization’s key highlights and benchmarks achieved since its inception?

Consul is one of the leading Indian companies in the power electronics space. It is one of the few companies that manufacture and supply a full range of power conditioning, power back-up, solar & energy conserver products, services and solutions. Consul solutions and products are backed with over three decades of field experience in developing customised power products that meet the exacting standards of clients in supporting critical and sensitive equipment in various industrial and commercial applications.

Consul also assists customers optimize their power protection & energy consumption through tailor-made products & solutions.

The company currently operates 3 modern manufacturing facilities, 2 located in Chennai and 1 in Pune

where we manufacture Servo Voltage stabilizers, UPS, Industrial Inverters, Isolations transformers, Isolation Transformers and Solar PCU’s. Consul was recently ranked as the No 3 Power Electric Company (PEC) in India for 2013 by Softdisk at its annual SD awards; Consul has consistently been ranked among the top 5 Indian PEC companies for the last 4 years with an A+ customer satisfaction rating.

We have an enviable base of more than 250,000 successful installations across India, Middle-East, Africa and South Asia representing over 1000 MW of product capacity delivered. Adding on we have one of the largest Pan India service network represented by 250 trained service engineers in 7 regional offices and 75 branch offices spread across the country.

Q

46 SmartEnergy April/May 2014

.Tell us more about your products and services and the industries you cater to?

What are the business seg-

ments that are driving growth and what are the segments that are likely to be the growth drives in the future?

Consul offers the full range of power conditioning, power back up, energy conservers and solar powered products and solutions.

This coupled with one of the largest pan India service network covering 75 locations ensures that today we provide products and services to practically all industry segments ranging from manufacturing, banking, telecom, healthcare, hotels, retail, IT & ITES as well as specialized agencies like DRDO, ISRO. Consul today provides power back up to over 15,000 ATM sites in the country, more than 6000 hospitals today have a Consul product.

5000+ buildings use Consul ELOS to back up their lifts. Over 4000 solar installations and over 10,000 industries using Consul products.

We are preferred partners for OEM’s like Wipro GE, Philips healthcare, Siemens Healthcare,

 www.supersmartenergy.com

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We are working on new solar products that allows us to be well placed to offer products and services for both off-grid and on-grid solar power



CNC manufacturers like LMW, ACE Micromatic among others.

We are seeing a steadily growing demand from all segments especially With e-commerce, IT-ITeS, government, SMB, entertainment, banking, healthcare, and telecom sectors growing exponentially there is a further demand for data centers and power back up solutions. Steady demand from industries like process and industrial automation, infrastructure, retail, manufacturing, etc., have also contributed to this growth.

The mushrooming of the SMB and SOHO segments and the expansion of the IT/ ITES industry in tier II and tier III cities. We expect e-commerce, e-governance programs, renewable energy programs for industry, rural telephony and rural banking to drive growth in a large way in the near future.

New solutions like large capacity inverters like those offered by Consul have also opened up new segments that were earlier being powered by DG sets. Consul Inverters are a viable and cost effective option for offices & retail outlets instead of diesel genset. The option of DG sets is not a smart idea as cost of diesel is rising and the cost per unit of electricity generated through a DG set is around Rs 15-25 per unit. In situations of extended power cuts power back up customers can consider a solar power system offered by Consul . ELOS (Emergency Lift Operating Systems) another custom solution developed by Consul is opening up new segments in residential and commercial complexes as a cost effective power back-up source for lifts as compared to diesel gensets.

Q

.What was the strategic thinking behind acquiring Megatech? With this acquisition what is the growth that you are targeting? Also, share with us your experience of integrating Megatech with Consul?

Megatech is now a 100% subsidiary of Consul Consolidated. Megatech product range complements the existing range of products offered by Consul and positions Consul as one of the only Indian manufacturer to offer a full range of power conditioning, power back up, energy conservers and solar energy products.

The acquisition of Megatech allows us offer our customers a range of innovative solar power products like off-grid solar inverters and solar power conditioning units (PCUs) which have been developed for Indian power and site conditions, tested and approved to IEC standards.

With an installation base of over 4000 off-grid solar installations in India, it provides a solid reference base to offer robust solar power products to our customers across India.

Through this investment we have moved forward in our aim to be India’s leading power solutions provider. We also continue to invest heavily into R&D to develop the next generation solar PCUs and inverters and have a team of over 20 engineers working in our DSIR approved R&D centre. We are working on new solar products

that allows us to be well placed to offer products and services for both off-grid and on-grid solar power.

Q

.What are your views on the Power backup market in India? How do you perceive the market in the next five years?

Power or electricity is today the life blood of modern industry and commerce as it powers machinery and equipment used directly in manufacturing of products and enables the delivery of services.

Businesses as varied as Retail, Banking, Manufacturing, Hospitals to Restaurants all need reliable power for their operations.

There is a significant growth in the UPS AND Inverters space which is being driven by a number of factors. One of the most important factors is the fact that today almost all equipment and machines used by factories and industries require a power back-up (UPS or Inverter) for protecting the equipment in the event of power failure or disturbances .

From coffee machines in popular hangouts to the POS billing machines with attached printers/ electronic cash registers, to large machines used in process industries to lab and diagnostic equipment in hospitals and clinics to ATM’s need a UPS or an inverter not just to protect the equipment but also to ensure uptime and minimize the losses due to downtime.

Secondly the demand for the UPS and Inverters is today extending to the Tier 3 & 4 towns and not just restricted to the Metros and Tier1 &2 towns like earlier. Thirdly the large thrust by the Govt with new e-governance initiative and programs is driving the demand for UPS & Inverters to ensure that the programs & services are up and running for the people to use .

Lastly new segments data centres,

» April/ May 2014 SmartEnergy 47

INTERVIEW FACE 2 FACE IT, ITES, Banking & ATM and Telecom are driving growth in both the low as well as high capacity UPS & Inverters. The new drivers are retail, E-commerce, Cloud Computing.



We have over 5,000 customers and we enjoy high customer retention rate with most customers contributing to repeat business

Businesses as varied as Retail, Banking, Manufacturing, Hospitals to Restaurants all need reliable power for their operations. Businesses are increasingly looking at having a power back up option to ensure uninterrupted operations.



built-in with MPPT chargers based with superior algorithm and intelligent battery management system that ensures that we can extract the maximum power from solar panels even during cloudy days.

Q

.Give us a small brief about your solar power pack, the specific benefits of the products? What are the specific applications and the kind of feedback you have to share with us from your customers?

Solar is a viable alternate source to bridge the deficit between power generation and demand considering that most parts of the country get up to 300 days of sunshine.

Consul, one of India’s leading Solar power manufacturer offers a wide range of solar power products like Solar PCU’s, Solar MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) Charge controllers, off –grid and on-grid solar systems that cater primarily to institutions and business customers. Consul has now launched solar power packs in the range between 500Wp to 100kWp offering 2 to 4 hours of back up.

Consul solar power packs come

Consul solar power packs are the ideal solution for small, medium business and home owners looking at using solar power to provide backup power for their houses and offices. Consul solar power packs are off the shelf solar products that eliminate the time and resource intensive activity of sizing the solar power system.

The critical factor for solar power pack performance is to correctly match solar panel, battery & Solar PCU (Power Conditioning Unit) and Consul’s R&D team has done extensive research to put together the best combination of panel, battery & PCU to deliver maximum energy.

Consul solar power packs are therefore a smart hassle free way of leveraging solar power.

Q

.Can you share few success stories of those who have benefitted by using solar power packs?

Would like to illustrate the success of the solar power packs with the installation that was made for an organization working in the social sector. Why this is significant is in terms of the impact that the installation of the solar power pack has done in the work that is being done with a steady power back up source.

CONSUL Solar Power Packs

48 SmartEnergy April/May 2014

The NGO working in the interior of Karnataka a 1.5 hour journey from Mysore helping mentally

challenged patients was facing a major challenge in the smooth running of the facility. The facility was receiving only 7 hours of electricity intermittently in a day which was affecting the cooking, water pumping and other operations.

The solar power system from Consul has now ensured that the facility is able to provide on time meals to patients, the administrators and doctors are able to work smoothly.

Q

.Give us a brief insight into the EPC solutions that consul offers for roof-top solar power? What are the projects that you have worked and are currently working on?

Consul has completed various roof top projects aggregating to over 2MW for Primary Healthcare Centers, village hostels and hospitals in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh. These were battery based roof top solutions primarily for lighting applications.

We have also done On-Grid roof top projects for industrial customers like a 100kW system for a textile mills in Tamil Nadu.

Q

.How important is service for the success of product?

Tell us more about the mobile application that you have launched recently? What more technology enabled services consul is looking at to introduce in the near future?

We believe Service is a key differentiator for products we sell. We operate a 7x365 days Call Centre with agents where all customers’ calls are registered and allocated to our service engineers across  www.supersmartenergy.com

India. We also monitor our TAT (Turn Around Time) to ensure our customers satisfaction.

We have recently launched a Mobile App, the main idea behind this was to give our customers a platform where they can put a service request in a minimal time on a 24/7 basis without waiting for the availability of the customer care centre. Almost everyone in the corporate world today owns a smart phone and we thought what could be better than a mobile app to provide our customers with a convenient touch point.

The main highlight of the app is a customer with an android or an iOS mobile connected to the internet can instantly login from anywhere and register their product or place a request for service, a simple process to avail the benefits of the application. The application is designed to strengthen and fast track the existing customer services as the app is very convenient and easily accessible for customers.

Q

.What are the competitive factors that differentiate your products and your company to stay ahead in this market?

The energy and power sector is flooded with brands that offers power back up solutions . In such a scenario it’s a challenge to standout in the market but we have overcome that challenge as we are an Indian company who manufactures products in India and offer solutions for India. All our products are customised to tackle the power crisis problem and also suit the climatic and site



conditions in India.

Consul as a brand has grown over the last 30 years and today is one of the few national Indian power electronic company. We have tie ups with leading OEM’s like Wipro GE, Philips Healthcare, Siemens healthcare, LMW, ACE Micromatic. Consul’s strength has been its approach to selling, Consul has always sought to be an Power Adviser (Counsellor) while dealing with customers.

This approach has been possible because of our intimate knowledge of the Indian power landscape which allows us to develop products that are robust and cost effective in tackling the vagaries of the power environment, it also helps in developing customized solutions for specific industrial needs. This has been amply highlighted through the development of the Energy Conserver for lighting applications that was developed in association with the CII. The DSIR approved R&D centre in Pune is a key pillar in ensuring that Consul is in the technology forefront.

In addition to the products and technical expertise another major strength of Consul is its pan India service network that covers over 70 cities in India backed by a central IVRS (Interactive Voice Response System) call centre supporting 4 languages English, Tamil, Hindi and Telugu. We have also recently strengthened the service response through the rollout of a Mobile App for warranty registration and placing service requests for both android and iOS operating systems.

We also have a target to reach 500 crore turnover plus we also have plans to expand our business and take it to the international market

Q

.Consul is bestowed with many awards and recognitions, to what you attribute your success to?

The company is well recognized and respected for several reasons like the broad range of for the products that we offer and we are the preferred partner of renowned brands Wipro GE Healthcare, Philips Healthcare, Siemens Healthcare,Ace Micromatic, Mazak, Amada, MAG etc Other factors that drive the success of our company is the strong customer base. We have over 5,000 customers and we enjoy high customer retention rate with most customers contributing to repeat business. Some of our clients include LMW, Hitachi, Blue Star, Mazak, Fortis, JIPMER, Apollo Hospitals, DRDO, ISRO, Ford, Hyundai, Kotak Mahindra Bank, HDFC Bank, Toshiba, Indian Railways, Vodafone among others.

Q

.Going forward, the next five years, what are some of the critical tasks that need to be accomplished in order to extend your current position?

Five years down the line we aim to be become a one stop shop in the power back up and power conditioning sector. We also have a target to reach 500 crore turnover plus we also have plans to expand our business and take it to the international market.

Consul recently moved its operations to a new factory in Chennai that gives it much needed real estate for expansion of the production facilities. There has been a concerted move to strengthen the human capital of the organization with expansion as well as emphasis on training and development.

Continued focus on R&D is also expected to deliver new products and keep a robust product line up to address the power problems faced by our customers ■

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April/ May 2014 SmartEnergy

INTERVIEW IN CONVERSATION

"In the next 3 to 5 years we are looking to touch around Rs.1000/- crores in turnover and aiming to execute 50 to 100 MW every year"

Ketan Mehta Director, Rays Power Infra(P) Ltd.

Q

.To begin with, tell us more about Rays Power Infra, the genesis of its formation and its core operating philosophy?

Also, shed more light on the JV with Coramandel Infra?

Rays Power was started by the professors and students of IIT Roorkee as a research initiative. Slowly we started doing our own projects and developing solar power parks through turnkey solutions.

We have done cumulatively up to 50 MW till today and constructed three solar parks across India in Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and are now doing a solar park in MP. Rays power today stands at a turnover of around Rs100/- corers and we have around 20 MW Projects in hand waiting to be executed in the next six months. Further we have a team for design, engineering, construction and procurement. We call ourselves turnkey solution providers as we provide land, Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), Financing offering the customer everything from concept to commissioning of the project.

Our focus in now on creating a viable business models for investors and developers. We are doing different kinds of structuring for selling power through open access, third party sales.

We are also selling green power to banks where RNPs and renewable energy components are sold directly. We are also promoting our solar parks, a first of its kind; build across India that gives a plug and play model for the customers.

stage where it involves the government, the PPA, financing, land and approvals and the second stage is the execution of the project on site. In the Solar Parks that Rays Power Infra has and is developing the first part is already taken care of giving the developers a head start of up to six months. When it comes to execution we have the strength and competence of executing up to 15 MW capacities of projects in less than 90 days.

We also have a strategic partnership with Coramandel where they come in as a financial partner helping us bid and execute certain large projects from the government and private players.

Our strength is that there is direct involvement of decision makers allowing them to make quick decision on critical aspect on site, which is very important in any project. For us project implementation is the key and the decisions are taken on site, that’s how we have successfully achieved the timeline of delivering the projects in less than 90 days.

Q

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.Commissioning involves timely delivery of project, what steps do you take to ensure timely delivery of the projects? What are the difficulties your encounter and how do you overcome those difficulties?

There are two aspects to a project; one is the initial development

Q

.Operation and maintenance are critical for the functioning of any projects, share with us your operation  www.supersmartenergy.com

NEWS THIS MONTH and maintenance expertise along with the team that takes care of this critical aspect?

If we ensure the quality on the construction site itself then the operation and maintenance becomes very easy. Our main focus at Rays Power is to select the best equipments available and construct a quality project. Our philosophy while constructing a project is to do a conservative design. In any of our projects till date we have never faced breakdown or contingency situation because of quality making O & M activity very easy.

Secondly any O&M activity has three aspects; one is preventative maintenance. Preventative maintenance prevents the problems from happening for example we use thermal imaging cameras that helps us in detecting hot spots helping us rectify the problem before it affects the generation or the plant. Second is routine maintenance, we have a complete schedule for maintenance of each and every equipment that is followed from our head office on daily basis. We conduct third party audits to rectify recurring problem to prevent loss of generation. The third is monitoring, we at Rays Power use monitoring solutions that are the best in the world giving us highest level of accuracy.

Apart from these three things we carry daily cleaning, housekeeping, security and other things that helps us in running the plant successfully.

Q

.Shed more light on the concept of solar parks, there advantages and the facilities available at the park?

Right now we have three solar parks; one in Rajasthan and two in AP and the fourth one we are coming up in MP, these are plug and play modules where all the approvals are in place. The customer just has to sign up with us and start implementing the project. Following are the facilities and advantages of these solar parks.

Q

.What are your views on the current status of solar power industry in India, what is the future going to be like and what opportunities for growth you are looking at?

The current status is that the solar power is close to grid parity. If the dollar eases and electricity prices from conventional sources increase further then the solar power will reach grid parity, at least for the industrial and commercial customer, by the end of 2014 itself.

Facilities ›› PPA available with industries at very good rates ›› Ready to use land with clear title. ›› Approach road, common bore well and Periphery fencing of the site. ›› Pooling substations to set up power to 132 KV and 33 KV level in Rajasthan and AP respectively.

Advantages ›› Proper North-South oriented plots to be allotted so as to reduce land wastage, which are ideal for solar plant designing. Clear title land with ready to move & start facility available. ›› Reduction in time to both start and execute the project. ›› Ease of work execution and management. ›› Relief from local issues which again will result into time and money saving in project execution. ›› Individual metering at pooling substation for ease of billing. ›› Grid down time is also minimum for 132/33 KV sub-station, which means higher revenue generation.

Going into the future, the high-end consumers can be easily tabbed wherever the government policy is favorable. We will see big IT companies, large industries, hotels and hospitals working on solar. Wherever they will hedge the power cost they will use green energy and contribute to the society and help in reducing the carbon footprint. You will see augmentation in capacity without any government control, tendering and without any hassles moreover the benefits of depreciation and tax is going to be an added advantage creating a win-win situations for the consumers, developers and investors.

Q

We at Rays Power see active participation in open access and captive power as more and more industries look at setting up power plants to generate and consume their own power so that they have control over the cost. Secondly with the implementation of net metering rooftop is going to see lots of action. You will see all rooftop owners set up their own off grid system or lease them out and use their own power. This is

.What is the current status of your solar park in Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh?

What projects are currently operational and their status?

At Rajasthan we have the capacity of about 80MW of which 15MW is operational. While in AP we have the capacity of about 35-40 MW of which 13MW of capacity is operational. In addition we can ramp up the capacities in any of this park very easily.

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Power is synonyms to development and we want to develop the remotest place in India and bring prosperity, health and provide a stable life

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April/ May 2014 SmartEnergy

INTERVIEW IN CONVERSATION going to be feasibly without any government support or subsidy.

These are the areas where you will see tremendous increase in capacity and tremendous increase in demand.

technical expertise to evaluate the viability and feasibility of the project. They either out rightly reject the project or ask the promoter for security or collateral. This are the two main reason why funding is not happening.

Q

As for alternate avenues available for financing, you can target US Ex-Im financing for specific policy projects with bankable PPAs, you can also explore buyer’s credit option where if you are importing capital equipment you can take a credit of up to five years for infrastructure projects at very low interest rates. Other than, you can also explore institutional financing.

.What are your views on the current state of REC Market in India? What steps the government needs to initiate for the growth of this market?

First of the thing that has to come is compliance and the onus is on the CERC to implement what they have committed to the investors and developers. This is one thing that the government has to proactively do. Till that happens, what we are trying to do is to reduce our dependence on REC by increasingly focusing on third party and open access so that we are able to generate at least nominal returns.

Having said that, CERC has to get into action against noncompliance, and stop extending and exempting utilities from RPO as it is only going to send a negative message and is a bad precedence for the future policies, projects and guidelines. The government needs to take strict actions, at least after March, against those who have not completed RPO. They should be penalized and forced to buy the REC. Otherwise if it continues further it is only going to destroy the REC market completely.

The most important thing is to get a good project backed by assured PPA and revenue. Both this things makes it easy to get financing for the project.

Q

Q

.One of the major concerns for the Solar Industry is of financing, what do you think are the reasons for reluctance on the part of banks to finance solar projects and what are the other avenues available for project financing?

There are two reasons why the Indian banks are not able to finance solar projects, one is that policy clarity and compliance is not there. The banks even don’t trust the PPAs by the state governments. Second thing is that Indian banks don’t possess sufficient technical knowledge to judge a project. They don’t possess the

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.Express your views on India’s position on DCR vis-a-viz that of America? And your suggestions on making the domestic industry more competitive?

One thing is to understand that India doesn’t have capacity to put DCR Projects. If we want to implement 375MW with domestic content with the implementation time of six months, India should have a manufacturing capacity of 800MW and in current situation India doesn’t have the capacity of 800MW. Cell manufacturing is a very technology oriented process; it is not that easy to setup a cell line and start manufacturing it.

Regarding India’s stand, if you think that just by making it compulsory for few projects the manufacturing industry can be improved it is a big mistake. If you look at any manufacturing hub like Taiwan or china they have not grown by making their products compulsory. They have grown by giving incentives to the manufacturers to set up their manufacturing line and make them globally competitive.

The better think is to encourage the manufacturers by giving the incentives of SEZs, R&D incentives, financing at low costs, encouraging technology collaboration to make the product globally competitive to sell the product not just in India but also abroad, that is how you are going to develop manufacturing, develop exports and develop the competitive edge that is required. So, DCR is a short term strategy that is not going to payoff in the long term.

Q

.How do you define success for yourself and your company and where do you see Rays Power Infra 3-5 years from now?

Our vision at Rays Power Infra is to encourage green power consumption, educate and advice the people to switch to more sustainable solutions and not create a win-win situation between different communities.

In terms of financials, in the next 3 to 5 years we are looking to touch around Rs.1000/- crores in turnover and aiming to execute 50 to 100 MW every year. Our focus will be creating more solar parks across India as this will help us augment our capacity. We will also focus on off grid scheme of things, advising the common man to switch to green power and also participate in construction projects both as a developer and solution provider.

Grid parity is the ultimate aim of every person working in the industry. You can use the abundant source of solar energy to power your homes, power your industry even run your car, shops and get electricity in the remotest of areas where it is unimaginable, where there is no infrastructure and there is no access to basic thing in life, we want to get electricity or power to those areas.

Power is synonyms to development and we want to develop the remotest place in India and bring prosperity, health and provide a stable life ■

 www.supersmartenergy.com

COUNTRY PROFILE

JAPAN The Dawn of Renewable Energy

Jap

an is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters that make up Japan’s name mean “sun-origin”, which is why the country is sometimes referred to as the “Land of the Rising Sun”.

Japan remains a traditional

society with strong social and employment hierarchies - Japanese men have tended to work for the same employer throughout their working lives. But this and other traditions are under pressure as a young generation more inclined towards Western culture and ideas grow up. On the other hand, one of the biggest challenges that successive Japanese governments have faced is how to meet the huge social security costs engendered by an ageing society.

Twenty percent of the world’s earthquakes take place in Japan, which sits on the boundaries of at least three tectonic plates.

Schools and office workers regularly take part in earthquake drills, and waiting for “the big one” is deeply engrained in the national psyche. The March 2011 earthquake unleashed a devastating tsunami, and Japan is still coming to terms with its impact - not least the question of restarting its nuclear energy programme after the closure of the crippled

➤ Tokyo Tower at Night

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 www.supersmartenergy.com

Fukushima plant.

Economy Japan has the world’s third-largest economy, having achieved remarkable growth in the second half of the 20th Century after the devastation of World War II. Japan’s rapid post-war expansion - propelled by highly successful car and consumer electronics industries - ran out of steam by the 1990s under a mounting debt burden that successive government failed to address. The 1997 Asian financial crisis, and bouts of recession, precipitated major banking, public spending and private sector reforms.

Despite Japan’s challenging domestic economic environment, many Japanese companies have continued to perform well on the world stage. As of 2012, Japan counted 68 companies in the Fortune/CNN Money Global 500 ranking of the world’s largest corporations. Japanese companies in the top 100 of the Fortune ranking include: Toyota Motor, Hitachi, Honda Motor, Nissan Motor, Panasonic, Sony and Toshiba. Japan’s corporate sector has continued to push the technology envelope in fields such as robotics, medical devices, clean energy, satellite communications and spacecraft, water processing and other high tech industries.

Foreign Relations Japan is a member of the G8, APEC, and “ASEAN Plus Three”, and is a participant in the East Asia Summit. Japan signed a security pact with Australia in March 2007 and with India in October 2008. It is the world’s third largest donor of official development assistance after the United States and France, donating US$9.48 billion in 2009.

Japan has close economic and military relations with the United States; the US-Japan security alliance acts as the cornerstone of the nation’s foreign policy A member state of the United Nations since

1956, Japan has served as a non-permanent Security Council member for a total of 20 years, most recently for 2009 and 2010.

It is one of the G4 nations seeking permanent membership in the Security Council.

Japan has deliberately elected to take a largely passive stance toward involvement in international conflicts and disputes for most of its post-WWII history.

Article 9 of The Constitution of Japan, adopted on November 3, 1946, renounces going to war or “the use of force as a means of settling international disputes.”

In lieu of a conventional military, Japan established the Japan SelfDefense Forces (also known as the SDF, JSDF or Jietai) as an extension of the Japanese police force and a strictly defensive mechanism to provide for the country’s national security and assist with national emergencies.

Bilateral Relations: India-Japan Throughout history, India–Japan relations have traditionally been strong. For centuries, India and Japan have engaged in cultural exchanges, primarily as a result of Buddhism which spread indirectly from India to Japan, via China and Korea. Political relations between the two nations have remained warm since India’s independ-

ence. Japanese companies, such as Sony, Toyota, and Honda, have manufacturing facilities in India, and with the growth of the Indian economy, India is a big market for Japanese firms. Japanese firms in fact were some of the first firms to invest in India.

Japan is currently India’s third largest source of foreign direct investment; Japanese companies have made cumulative investments of around $2.6 billion in India since 1991. In recent years, Japan has assisted India in infrastructure development projects such as the Delhi Metro Rail Project. Both sides are discussing the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Project and Dedicated Freight Corridor Projects on the Mumbai-Delhi and the DelhiHowrah routes. The Japanese government has also expressed interest to help establish a Chennai-Bangalore Industrial corridor and a Dedicated Freight project in the south, connecting the cities of Bangalore and Chennai.

In October 2008, Japan signed an agreement with India under which it would provide the latter a low-interest loan worth US$4.5 billion to construct a railway project between Delhi and Mumbai.

During Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Japan in 2010, both countries agreed to foster increased business exchanges, people-to-people contact and

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COUNTRY PROFILE

➤ The Sanyo Solar Ark, located Anpachi in the Gifu Prefecture, is a unique, ark-shaped, solar photovoltaic power generation facility. Stationed at the center of the Solar Ark is the Solar Lab, a museum of solar energy and one of the more unusual museums in the world.

signed a memorandum of understanding to simplify visa procedures for each other’s citizens.

Under the memorandum, any Japanese coming to India for business or work will be straightway granted a three-year visa and similar procedures will be followed by Japan. Other highlights of this visit include abolition of customs duties on 94 per cent of trade between the two nations over the next decade. As per the agreement, tariffs will be removed on almost 90 per cent of Japan’s exports to India and 97 per cent of India’s exports to Japan.

Electricity In 2008, Japan ranked third in the world by electricity production, after the United States and China, with 1,025 TWh produced during that year. In 2008, Japan consumed an average of 8507 kWh/person of electricity. That was 115% of the EU15 average of 7409 kWh/person and 95% of the OECD average of 8991 kWh/ person. Japan had 282 GW of total installed electricity generating capacity in 2010, the third largest in the world behind the United States and China.

While Japan had previously

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relied on nuclear power to meet about one fourth of its electricity needs, after the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster all nuclear reactors have been progressively shut down for safety concerns.

Electricity Grid Unlike most other industrial countries, Japan doesn’t have a single national grid but instead has separate eastern and western grids. The standard voltage at power outlets is 100 V, but the grids operate at different frequencies: 50 Hz in Eastern Japan and 60 Hz in Western Japan. The grids are connected together by 3 frequency converter stations, but these can only handle 1 GW. The two grids were originally developed by separate companies. Tokyo Electric Light Co was established in 1883 which also established electric power in Japan. In 1885 demand had grown enough that TELCO bought generation equipment from AEG of Germany. The same happened in the western parts of Japan with General Electric being the supplier to Osaka Electric Lamp. GE’s equipment used the US standard 60 Hz while AEG’s equipment used the European standard of 50 Hz.

Energy Diversification Japan does not have significant domestic fossil fuel resources, except for a small amount of coal.

Therefore, Japan is the top hard coal and natural gas importer in the world. In fact, since 1970s, Japan has mainly relied on oil from the Middle East. Although Japan depended on oil for 75.5% of its entire energy resources in 1973, due to oil costs, the country gradually shifted its energy use resources from oil to other resources, such as nuclear energy, natural gas and coal, or it tried to develop new energy technologies.

As a result,Japan has promoted the diversification of its energy resources and the current energy supply, including not only oil and coal, but also natural gas, nuclear energy and renewable energy, such as hydropower, natural energy and geothermal(ground heat) energy.

Renewable Energy According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Japan holds 55% of the world’s renewable energy patent applications. It is followed by the U.S. with 22% and the European Union with  www.supersmartenergy.com

7%. Japan’s research and development in the renewable energy field is “very advanced” both in academic and public research institutes and private sector.

Japan is leading the world in the field of solar cells and wind power field, and geothermal generation technologies have maintained equivalent position to the US and EU nations. Additionally Japan’s market for energy is small and some people think that because of this small domestic market Japan may be slow to commercialize.

However Japan still leads other countries in almost all fields of renewable energy.

Wind Energy: Japan currently generates about 2.2 gigawatts (GW) per year, whereas Germany and United States produce over 20 GW per year. According to Ministry of the Environment Research, the potential capacity of wind power in Japan is estimated to be around 1800 GW in theory, including 283 GW from onshore turbines and 1572 GW from offshore turbines.

The Tohoku area is ideal for wind energy due to the wind tendency and land shape. Hokkaido, which is located at the north end of Japan, is estimated to have the best onshore potential. As for off-shore wind power potential, Kyushu is estimated to be top region. Hokkaido, Tohoku and Kyushu follow Kyushu.

Solar Energy: Japan continues to lead this sector in Asia, and Japan produced 4.7 GW in 2011.

In Japan, almost all solar PV is connected to the power grid. It means that Japan is likely to build smart cities easier than other countries.

According to Ministry of the Environment research, the total potential solar power is theoretically estimated over 350 GW, including 200 GW for residential and 150GW for commercial (nonresidential). In addition, the Japanese government is planning to unveil a plan that will mandate solar panels on the top of every new building constructed in Japan and will standardize this by 2030.

Geothermal Energy: Japan produces only 0.5 GW with 18 existing geothermal power plants, whereas global installed geothermal power capacity is now nearly 11GW. However, because the country is one of the most active volcanic countries in the world, geothermal energy in Japan will be able to contribute more significantly.

Hydropower: Japan has abundant water resources because rivers in the country are characterized by their relatively short lengths and considerably steep gradients due to the narrow and mountainous topography of the land. Japan has the potential to produce between 1.1 GW and 7.4 GW through small and medium hydroelectric plants, depending on feed-in tariffs, technology innovation and available subsidies.

Biomass Energy: Japan’s current installed capacity of biomass energy is 3.2 GW. The ratio of biomass energy in Japan’s energy mix is less than 1%, and most of the results came from waste. After the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, which caused the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl, an interesting and possibly foreshadowing event is taking place in Japan. Woods from the nuclear power plants is being used as a source of biomass energy. As of today Japan is making every effort to utilize biomass energy.

Energy Sector Reforms Post the Fukushima nuclear crisis Japan’s lower house and upper house successively passed legislation to start electricity sector reform from 2015. The new bill, designed to break up monopolies, curb electricity prices and facilitate the development of renewable energy through a series of liberal reforms, is the child of the Fukushima nuclear crisis.

2015. This entity, after merging different regional grids, will be authorized to instruct power companies to supply electricity to each other when needed to overcome supply shortages. This reform emphasizes electricity transfer among regions, making sure that power shortages during the Fukushima incident would not happen again. The second and third stages of reform seek to liberalize the sale of electricity to households and strip the major power firms of power transmission and distribution functions.

Whether this series of reforms can achieve lower electricity prices for households and corporations remains to be tested. What is certain is that old monopolies will face challenges from new energy providers and pressure to improve their services and prices. Renewable energy providers will have a bigger stake in Japan’s electricity market ■ References • www. http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Japan#Economic_history • http://www.japanfs.org/en/ news/archives/news_id031147. html • renewable_energy_potential_ of_Japan_by_2020 by Takatoshi Kojima Research Associate, Global Energy Network Institute (GENI) • http://www.globalsherpa.org/ japan • http://www.bbc.com/news/ world-asia-pacific-14918801 • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Energy_in_Japan • http://www.indembassytokyo.gov.in/india_japan_economic_relations.html

The reform plan consists of three stages. The bill in question provides the legal background for the first stage of reform – the creation of a national grid company in

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TECH REVIEW

Power outage management by employing Smart metering Technology -Indian context Authored by Prof C.Balasubramanya

S

mart meters have two main components: an electronic meter that measures energy information accurately and a communication module that transmits and receives data. Smart meters are part of an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system that consists of smart meters, a communication network, and an IT application to manage the network and supply the required meter data and events to the utility’s various IT systems, including its outage management system (OMS). OMS allows a utility to better manage power outages and restoration events as well as reduce outage duration and costs.

Single Outage Events Customers often call their electric service provider when they have problems with service in their homes. Some of these calls come

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as a result of a larger outage or utility problem. Many other calls are received for single customer outages where the problem exists on the customer’s side of the meter. Without a smart meter, these “no lights” cases are typically resolved during a phone conversation with the customer or, more often, during a trip to the customer’s residence.

Smart meters allow the utility to better understand if the outage is related to the utility service or is related to a problem within the customer’s premises. The utility can then take the proper action to resolve the problem in a timely and cost effective manner. Smart meters provide power status information automatically and on request. The automatically generated information includes the “power fail” indication when power is lost and “power restoration” indication when power is restored. A mid-western utility has seen a major benefit for this

capability since installing smart meters. It eliminated almost all unnecessary no lights trips and helped customers address problems more quickly. The volume of no lights calls per year on average are 1.5 percent of the total customer base, and up to 30 percent of single customer calls were determined not to be an outage event. For instance, an average utility with one million customers would average 15,000 single no light calls per year which would equate to 4,500 outage events per year that are not utilitybased outages.

Multiple Outage Events (Storms) Multiple outage events come in just about every size and shape, from a single fuse to a massive outage caused by a major event such as a hurricane or an ice storm. All such outages have a negative impact on customers.  www.supersmartenergy.com

Performing timely repairs and restoring service is a top priority for utilities. To restore power as efficiently as possible, the first step is to understand the scope of the current power outage. Most utilities use OMS to leverage all available information, such as customer phone calls, to define the number and location of affected customers.

Prior to smart meters and more advanced technology, the only input to OMS was the customers’ phone calls or the utility’s inspection crews. Customers’ phone calls will always be important, but in general, less than 20 percent of affected customers will report an outage for a variety of reasons, e.g., not being home or assuming that the outage has already been reported. As AMI gathers and sends data, OMS processes and analyses it using the tracing and prediction analysis functions of a real-time distribution network model to determine the impact.

OMS will make a prediction for the outage location and the extent, and dispatch appropriate crews to restore service based on the information available. The adjoining Figure refers to the continuous improvement PDCA cycle.

Smart meters send a last gasp message to the utility’s OMS system before the meter loses power. Not all last gasp messages make it, but usually enough messages are received to help the utility adequately determine which customers are affected.

Smart meter outage data can increase the accuracy of outage predictions and help utility personnel to readily and accurately react to problems. The end result is that customers’ power is

restored more quickly and utilities operate more efficiently and decrease costs.

Another benefit of smart meters is verification of power restoration. Restoration verification is accomplished when a meter reports in after being reenergized.

This will provide automated and positive verification that all customers have been restored, there are no nested outages, and associated trouble orders are closed before restoration crews leave the areas. This reduces costs, increases customer satisfaction, and further reduces outage duration.

During a major event and prior to smart meter technology, it was common for utilities to dispatch crews to restore service to a customer whose service had already been restored. Utilities maximize the value of smart meters for service restoration through automated integration with AMI and OMS. This integration provides utility personnel the ability to visualize the full scope of damage and perform service repairs efficiently.

Summary of Outage Management Improvement Benefits Utilities can use smart meters to determine if an outage is within the utility’s infrastructure or at a private residence, they can reduce unnecessary and expensive truck rolls. By gathering data from smart meters, utilities can quickly locate and repair utilityside problems. They use smart meters to find nested problems often caused by severe weather

events. Benefits include a reduction in travelled miles, especially during severe weather, which improves worker safety and reduces vehicle carbon emissions.

Smart meter data can help utilities visualize, analyst, and efficiently manage repairs, reducing outage times and costs while quickly and accurately verifying service restoration.

Outage Avoidance Utilities, their customers, and their regulators all want to reduce the number and duration of power Auto re closing equipment, such as circuit re-closes, track the operation count, but it is often difficult to correlate these counts to the number of actual events and problems. By collecting detailed momentary outage data on a select number of meters, utilities can identify the number of events and pinpoint locations where there is a lot of activity. By mapping momentary data, utilities can determine where additional tree trimming might be needed or where some equipment may be defective.

Utilities can then take corrective action to eliminate the problem and prevent a possible sustained outage.

If a utility is looking to improve its outage avoidance capabilities, then it must add mapping and analytical applications to maximize the value of smart outages.

Tools that reduce the number of sustained outages include trimming trees, maintaining the grid, and deploying automation to restore service. Smart meters

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Continuous Improvement

Identify

Plan, Schedul and Organize

Check Readiness

Execute

Review and Improve

Continuous improvement chain in smart meters

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April/ May 2014 SmartEnergy

TECH REVIEW report many abnormal events, such as momentary outages on a per- customer basis, which are often a precursor of a grid failure.

This information can help a utility predict where a future sustained outage might occur and be better prepared when it does occur.

Accurate Mapping A benefit of smart meters working with mapping and analytical tools would be to verify the electrical phase to which a single-phase smart meter is connected. Smart meters’ data can then be used to verify and correct the utility’s electrical maps in its OMS. It is essential that the relationship between a smart meter and its electrical circuit is correct to ensure that the OMS predicts the scope of the outage correctly. Accurate understanding of the phase a meter is connected to will also improve the single phase loading. This leads to better asset utilization.

Outage History and Reliability Metrics Smart meters timestamp all power up and power down events.

Thus, precise outage times and durations can be calculated.

Utilities can use this information for a more accurate calculation of their reliability metrics (SAIFI, CAIDI, SAIDI, etc.), identifying the overall performance as well as the best and worst performing circuits. Utilities can then develop the most cost effective action plan for future grid modernization investments.

Smart meters reduce power outage and restoration time, and are beneficial for single and multiple events. Smart meter data can be used with mapping and analytical applications to help prevent future power outages and ensure that the electrical maps in the OMS are correct for the most accurate predictions.

Grid resiliency, energy effi-

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ciency, and operational optimization have always been strong drivers for utilities. When integrated with distribution automation and grid reliability programs, investments in AMI will enable utilities to further reinforce and strengthen critical utility infrastructure before and during storms, reducing restoration costs and minimizing customer outages.

What technology solution do you use, and how does M2M work in this context?

Solution comprises an MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching to speed up network traffic flow), a VPN (Virtual Private Network to connect to remote sites), VSATs (Very Small Aperture Terminals that give high speed broadband connectivity through satellites) and customized GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) to connect data centers, regional offices, other offices, substations and consumer meters for R-APDRP projects driven by the Indian government in different states. M2M or SIM-card based machines require sensors, wireless networks and a computer connected to the Internet. Bharti Airtel being a pan-India telecom service provider with solutions comprising the abovementioned technologies—MPLS, VSAT, GPRS/EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution), 3G (third generation), NLD (national long distance) and the Internet—can provide M2M solutions for different m-governance and corporate applications. challenges in building the technology?

There have been challenges in terms of hardware deployment in remote locations for lastmile connectivity. However, we could overcome them with our pan-India network presence and support from electricity boards.

In our experience of building the technology for state-level connec-

tivity, we found that the capability of providing connectivity on a hybrid platform is a major differentiator. Hybrid connectivity essentially provides a wide range of connectivity options to a services provider, and these can be suitably picked up depending on different applications.

How successful has M2M been globally?

Globally smart grids are a huge success across developed cities.

They have been deployed in China with China Mobile Ltd and in the US with AT&T Inc. and T-Mobile US Inc. Can variations of this technology be used in other areas in the Indian market? tThe same concept can be used across all utility segments like water meters, smart towers for mobile tower companies and fuel management in remote cities.

The grid of today operates more like an office network than the Internet, and there is often little warning of brewing issues. Grid intelligence brings aspects of "self-healing" and automation—or at the very least, monitoring—to the grid, helping prevent trouble before it occurs.

Reducing Risk Of Unexpected Equipment Failure Transformers are key components of an electric grid. A catastrophic failure of a critical transformer would result in power outages in the downstream network and could cause significant economic and environmental challenges.

Smart grid monitoring and diagnostics technologies help utilities maximize asset performance and reduce unexpected transformer failure and subsequent power outages through alerts, detection, diagnosis, and prognosis. By mon-

 www.supersmartenergy.com

itoring different conditions within the transformer, such as gas levels, smart sensors will detect and report potential problems back to the utility in real-time.

The information sent to the utility can be stored and analyzed by advanced software, helping predict and prevent potential transformer failure before it happens.

Compare this to the past, when utility personnel would drive around manually inspecting transformers on the grid and periodically extracting transformer oil for laboratory testing—typically, not as often as they should.

Smart grid asset optimizations technologies help maximize asset performance and life for just a small fraction of what it would cost to replace them all together.

In addition to improving grid reliability by predicting and preventing asset failure, these technologies also have environmental benefits - preventing spills of oil and other environmentally hazardous material when transformers unexpectedly fail.

Automation, Monitoring & Control Smart grid technologies help utilities improve power reliability through smart devices, automation technologies, and applications that adapt in real time. Utilities are able to monitor performance and identify outages, restore power, and precisely dispatch crews. The result: less "downtime" and happier customers. In fact, by 2020, smart grid technologies could decrease power interruptions by over 75% and save industry more than $50 billion dollars. smart grid automation technologies, such as distribution management systems and outage management systems, can work in conjunction with smart meters and advanced metering infrastructure to provide real-time knowledge of the grid's status, enabling utilities to prevent trouble before

it occurs.

In the case of an outage situation, these technologies will help alert the utility to exactly which homes and businesses are out of service- before a customer ever has to call. Geospatial information systems (GIS)—much like Google maps for the grid—will help utilities more easily and efficiently direct repair crews. In fact, mobile workforce applications empower smarter crews with this information on the road.

In advanced applications, monitoring and control technologies— known as fault diagnosis, isolation and restoration—can help mitigate the problem before deploying a repair crew. Using monitoring and control software, utilities will be able to identify problems on the grid and automatically reroute power to isolate damage and impact. Technically, these technologies help detect and isolate faulted feeder sections by opening and closing the necessary switches to restore power to the healthy feeder section within seconds. Once isolated, crews will immediately be dispatched to correct any problems.

Conclusion Deploying a smart metering system gives utilities the chance not only to ensure an effective meter to cash process and to enable new customer-focused applications, but also to get realtime visibility into the distribution grid. This capability is transformative for utilities, providing a realtime view of consumption patterns, distribution system loading, voltage and power quality variations, and power outages.

Power outages have traditionally been estimated using notifications from customers. This approach provides relatively slow notification of both outage and restoration, but also inconveniences the customer and often requires multiple trips from line-

men to completely restore power.

Smart Metering system deployment provides a new paradigm in outage management.

Fast and efficient outage response With the Smart Metering System deployed, utilities have real-time visibility into outages and restoration. By integrating the Smart Metering system into outage management systems, utilities reap many benefits that show up in improve SAIDI and SAIFI metrics as well as reduced operations costs. The Smart Metering systems allow utilities to: ›› Detect outages faster – in many cases before phone calls start coming in Quickly determine the scope of an outage – immediate feedback on the scope of an outage enables a quick determination of where to send a truck for repair ›› Immediately validate restoration – ensuring nested outages can be addressed before the crews are withdrawn ›› Validate restoration without phone calls to customers – minimizing customer disruption and maximizing customer satisfaction ›› Provide customer real-time visibility into outages as they happen – through websites, smartphone apps, and text messages ■ About the Authore

C.BALASUBRAMANYA is presently working as a Professor of SMART GRIDS & SMART METERS in on line teaching stream and a free-lance consultant in providing metering solutions after retirement from the services of BHEL, Bangalore.

He can be reched at balagubbi@ gmail.com

61

April/ May 2014 SmartEnergy

PRODUCT REVIEW

Larson launches solar powered generator

T

he fully automated EL inspecLarson Electronics, a supplier of explosion proof lighting, has launched a solar powered generator called SPLT-1.8K-400A-30 with a pneumatic light tower mast.

The 1.8Kw solar generator system will include six 30W solar panels, a solar charging system, and a battery bank. It can refills 200 amp hours of usable battery capacity per day.

According to the company, each panel of the 24 volt system is terminated with a fused combiner box with a single lever action cut-off switch.

When the switch is on, the combiner box passes power to the 80 amp capacity outback extreme charge controller, which will charge a 400 amp battery bank.

Power from the component control center and batteries to the light mast is brought through a built in wire raceway.

Larson has provided an access panel for making connections from the power source to the cabling

within the pneumatic mast has been provided at the base of the light mast. In addition, the compressor is equipped with a pressure switch that maintains the pressure within the mast.

Rob Bresnahan of Larson Electronics said that the company's new solar powered pneumatic light mast is fully solar and requires no fuel to operate.

"In the event that there is an issue with the solar trailer, the operator can simply remove the SD card from the Mate 3 and send it in for analysis," Bresnahan added.

Larson Electronics carries an extensive line of light towers, portable distribution systems, explosion proof lights, portable work lights and industrial grade area lights ■

Socomec Launches Its First India-Made UPS The Chennai-based Socomec Innovative Power Solutions, 100% wholly-owned subsidiary of the France-based €443 million Socomec Group, rolled out its first UPS product Delphys MP Elite from the Gurgaon plant.

With the industry segment being a prime focus, t h e brand h a s taken an initial step

towards

62 SmartEnergy April/May 2014

the goal, and started producing its existing UPS product Delphys MP Elite, which is well-known for industrial applications in its 5200 square meter plant in Gurgaon, India. The facility has the capacity to produce 500 units annually.

Currently, the factory is producing energy efficiency, power control and safety equipment.

Delphys MP ensures high quality energy and power protection to critical applications. The product range starts from 80 to 200 kVA and the facility is capable of producing all the ranges. The key features of Delphys MP Elite includes neutral-free IGBT rectifier with sinusoidal absorption, transformer base UPS, several new UPS architecture, high output performances etc.

ing of its products. It has a strong workforce of 3,200 employees spread over 25 subsidiaries around the world, including 321 employees in India. In India, its offices are spread in 16 locations, serving the length and breadth of the country. Socomec is networked by 46 business partners, 50 active value added resellers and many channel partners and associates across geographies which promote their products and services. Other than Delphys MP Elite, Socomec has many technologically advanced UPS products ranging from 600 VA to 5400 kVA ■

Socomec has total control of the design, manufacture and market www.supersmartenergy.com

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Inviting Articles for

SmartEnergy Magazine Smart Energy covers the entire spectrum of renewable energy- wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, hydro- including both grid and off-grid connected power solutions vital to the growth and security of the country. It also covers emerging technologies like smart grid, micro grid and distributed generation. It addition, the magazine also includes topics related to sustainability, energy efficiency, energy conservation and environment.

In our endeavor to service the industry we are looking for articles, research papers, case studies, success stories and write ups on renewable Energy. Readers and professionals from the industry are invited to send material with original photographs supported by statistics if any. The photograph should be provided in high resolution files. Smart Energy will publish the article along with a brief introduction of the writer along with the photograph of the author in the relevant issues of the magazine.

KIndly Send the Articles along with relevant photographs to the Editor at santosh@supersmartenergy.com

66 SmartEnergy April/May 2014

 www.supersmartenergy.com

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