SE March-April 2018

SmartEnergy March/ April 2018

Volume V, Issue II

Pages 60

`200

ISSN 2348-5027

Complete Renewable Energy Intelligence

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36

Using Muncipal Bonds to Finance Rooftop Solar Projects

13-14 April 2018 Hitex, Hyderabad

48

Leading I-V Curve tracer for PV Modules

INDIAN STATES

GO LARGE ON SOLAR

52

Scaling up Renewables for the 'Make in India' growth story

PRODUCT UPDATES DEIF, PANASONIC INDIA, MECO, WAAREE, DELTA ELECTRONICS SU-KAM, SMA, CANADIAN SOLAR

visit www.supersmartenergy.com for latest updates

SmartEnergy Complete Renewable Energy Intelligence

Editor Santosh Khadtare santosh@supersmartenergy.com

Associate Editor Anisha Ganguli EDITORIAL ADVISER Pragya Sharma Editorial Coordinator Varsha

Graphic Designer D. Vaidya Advertising & Marketing Head- Marketing & Business Development Sapna K sapna.smartenergy@gmail.com

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 necessarily 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 Printed, published and edited by Santosh Khadtare on behalf of Genesis Info-Media, published at 509, Pushp Plaza, above Snehanjali Showroom, Manvelpada Road, Virar Dist Thane and printed at M B Graphics, B 28, 3rd Floor Shri Ram Industrial Estate,Wadala West, Mumbai.

4 SmartEnergy March/ April 2018

Words from the

Editor

“In India, we have started the world's largest renewable energy expansion program. We will generate 175 GW of electricity from renewable sources of energy by 2022, of which 100 GW will be from solar power. We have already achieved 20 GW installed solar power,” Honorable PM Modi said here at the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Summit that was co-hosted

by French President Emmanuel Macron.

But even as the PM boosted about India’s achievements in solar, the ground realities have been changing fast from celebrations to concern and caution.

Concerns about higher taxes and import duties on solar panels making the developers reluctant to bid for new projects. Amidst this gloom there is hope from the states, which have been focusing and relentlessly trying to add solar capacity. Telangana, Karnataka, AP, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu are the top 5 states that are carrying the mantle successfully. In doing so, states like Karnatak have gone large by successfully commissioning 600MW of the 2000 MW Solar Park located at Pavagada Taluka in Tumkur district. Pavagada mega solar park is a phenomenal project and the unique thing about this project is that not a single acre has been acquired from the farmers; instead the land has been procured through signing of long-term leases with landholders. Another state that is making its presence felt is the state of Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh has set the target of 10,700 MW for solar power, including 4,300 MW from rooftop solar projects, by 2022.

The writer of the cover story in this edition of Smart Energy Magazine tracks the overall performance of solar sector in 2017 and the efforts and support from the key states in achieving overall target.

This edition also carries an interesting article on muncipal bonds as a source of finance for rooftop solar projects. Also, you get to read about Exicom Power Solutions, a company with over 20 years of experience in designing, engineering and manufacturing of complete range of power solutions for ever changing telecom requirement, Industrial, IT and other markets. In the candid interaction Mr. Nahata, young and dynamic MD of Exicom, shares his experience of installing EV Charging stations at UN office and NITI Aayog.

Like always this edition of Smart Energy Magazine is packed with powerful stuff to keep you engaged. Enjoy reading and yes don’t forget to give your feedback to me at info@supersmartenergy.com

Santosh K Editor Santosh@supersmartenergy.com

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Content

32 EXPERT INSIGHT Anant Nahata

42. COVER STORY Indian States Go Large on Solar

52. VIEW POINT Scaling up Renewables for the 'Make in India' growth story

Managing Director, Exicom Power Solutions

54 IN CONVERSATION Arvinder Bir Singh Vice President, Solar Business, Eastman Auto & Power Ltd.

Authored By: Tulsi Tanti, Chairman, Suzlon Energy Ltd.

36. ROOFTOP SOLAR

50. COMPANY PROFILE

Using Muncipal Bonds to Finance Rooftop Solar Projects

Sai CabTech : Comprehensive Solar and Renewable Energy Solution Provider

53. TECH REVIEW Head-to-Head: PERC or Mono Half-Cell Contributed By: JinkoSolar

48. QUALITY & PERFORMANCE Leading I-V Curve Tracer for PV Modules

REGULARS 08. News & Views 20. To the Point 22. Products & Services Deif, Panasonic India, MECO, Waaree, Delta Electronics, Su-Kam, Philips, Canadian Solar, SMA, Haliade-X 12MW

Contributed By: Isothermal Technology Pvt. ltd.

57. EVENTS WATCH 58. ADVERTISERS INDEX

6 SmartEnergy March/ April 2018

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News & Views

We Need A Solar Revolution Not Only in India But in The World: PM Narendra Modi at Founding Conference of ISA

W

ith French President Emmanuel Macron by his side at the founding conference of the India-initiated International Solar Alliance (ISA), Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented a 10-point action plan to promote the use of solar energy. Speaking at the plenary session of the conference, Modi said there should be a full ecosystem for availability and development of technology, economic resources, development of storage technology, mass manufacturing and innovation.

"We all have to think about the road ahead and I have a 10-point action plan that I would like to share with you. "First of all, we should ensure cheap and easy availability of solar technology.

The solar ratio in the energy mix should be increased and innovation should be encouraged so that solutions for our various needs can be provided," he said.

The Prime Minister called for concessional financing at lower risk for solar projects. He said regulatory aspects and standards should be developed to find solutions fast. "Consultancy support should be developed for bankable solar

projects in developing nations.

"We should work for increased participation and inclusiveness.

We should build a comprehensive network of centres of excellence keeping local circumstances and factors in mind. We should look at our solar energy policy development in totality so that this can play a role in meeting the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals of the UN)." Modi also called for a strong and professional ISA Secretariat located in Gurugram.

Launched by Modi and then French

President Francois Hollande in 2015, the ISA was conceived as a coalition of solar resource-rich countries to address their special energy needs and provide a platform to collaborate on dealing with the identified gaps through a common, agreed approach.

It is open to all 121 prospective member countries falling between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.

"Of the 121 prospective nations, 61 have joined the alliance, 32 have also ratified the framework agreement. But in this alliance our biggest partner is the sun god which spreads light outside and gives strength to our resolve," Modi said.

He, along with Macron, who was on a four-day visit to India, cochaired the conference.

"Even before life first opened its eyes on earth, for ages the sun has been enlightening and enriching people. From Japan to Peru, be it Greece or Rome, Egypt, Incas and the ancient Mayan culture, every civilisation has glorified and given importance to the sun.

"However, in India, from thou-

8 SmartEnergy March/ April 2018

ďƒœ www.supersmartenergy.com

sands of years ago, the central place that has been given to the sun is unparalleled. From thousands of years ago, the Vedas in India have seen the sun as the soul of the world.

"In India, the sun has always been seen as the nurturer of life. Today, when we are trying to find paths to fight challenges like climate change, we have to look at this ancient idea."

Stating that a green future will depend on "what we can all do together", Modi said in India work had started on the world`s largest new energy initiative.

"By 2022, we will generate 175 GW of renewable energy of which 100 GW will be solar power," he said.

"Of this, we have already met a target of 20 GW of installed solar power."

He said the aim of the Atal Jyoti Yojana was to install street lights based on solar energy in areas faced with the problem of inadequate electricity.

"The Solar Study Lamp Scheme has benefitted seven million school going children.

"We need a solar revolution not only in India but in the world," the Prime Minister asserted.

He said India had contributed $62 million to the ISA corpus fund and for the establishment of the ISA secretariat.

"I am happy to announce that

India will provide 500 training slots per year for ISA member states."

Modi said 13 solar projects by India across the world worth $143 million have been completed or are in the process of being executed.

India, he said, would give $1.4 billion in aid to 15 other developing nations for 27 more solar projects.

"We have set up a project preparation facility consultancy support to partner countries in designing bankable projects.

"I am happy to announce that to fill the solar gap, India will launch a Solar Technology Mission. Its focus will be global and our governmental, technical and academic institutions will lead in R&D efforts in the solar sector." 

Narendra Modi, Emmanuel Macron inaugurate UP's biggest solar power plant Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron inaugurated Uttar Pradesh's biggest solar power plant in Mirzapur district's Chhanvey block.

The prime minister, Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath received the French president and his wife Brigitte at the airstrip here.

The prime minister and the French president pressed a button to energise the solar panels and dedicated the 75 MW facility to the people.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) and French President Emmanuel Macron (L) at the inauguration of a solar power plant in Mirzapur

Built at a cost of around Rs 500 crore by French firm ENGIE, the

75 MW solar plant has come up at Dadar Kalan village on the hilly terrain of the Vindhyas range.

Some 1,18,600 solar panels have been set up in over 380 acres.

Power would be transmitted to Jigna sub-station of Mirzapur range of Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd. The plant will generate 15.6 crore units of electricity annually, about 1.30 crore units per month 

9

March/ April 2018 SmartEnergy

News & Views Pavagada Solar Park Inaugurated Chief Minister Siddaramaiah inaugurated the 2,000 mega watt (MW) solar power park at Pavagada in Karnataka's Tumakuru district.

"Karnataka has emerged as the third largest producer of renewable energy in the country. We have set a goal to source at least 20 per cent of people's power requirements from renewable projects," Siddaramaiah said during the inauguration.

In the future, Karnataka aims to be an energy surplus state, he said.

Built on 13,000 acres across five villages, the solar power park is being set up with an investment of Rs 16,500 crore.

"The solar park has farmers from the Pavagada region as partners and beneficiaries, leasing out their lands for the park," said the state's Energy Minister D.K.Shivakumar.

The 2,000 MW solar park, also called the Shakti Sthala, is situated at Pavagada in Tumakuru district of Karnataka. The massive park has been built over 13,000 acres across five villages with an investment of Rs 16,500 crore.

According to a press statement, "The project has been executed within a record time of two years, with zero land acquisition.

Moreover, the farmers who have leased out their land are reaping greater benefits with Rs 21,000

per acre being offered as rental, an amount which has the scope to grow by 5% every two years."

One of the most drought-prone regions in the state, Pavagada has witnessed large scale migration over the last decade. With the solar park, the government aims to help local farmers and also create a source of unlimited clean energy.

"Pavagada, in Tumkur district, is one of the most arid regions of our state. Over the last five decades, due to extreme weather conditions and low possibilities of economic growth, more than 10,000 people had migrated annually from Pavagada. To solve this problem, we are building the world's largest Solar Power Park of 2000 MW in Pavagada taluk on mission mode. This ambitious project, spanning five villages, looks at farmers as the key partners, as also beneficiaries. Shakti Sthala is creating new job opportunities and economic growth leading to the prosperity of the people of Pavagada," DK Shivakumar, state energy minister, said.

Under the 'Karnataka Solar Policy 2014-2021' launched in May

10 SmartEnergy March/ April 2018

2014, several innovative policies and initiatives are being implemented across different parts of the state. As of January 2018, 5092 MW capacity has been distributed, while projects of 2490 MW capacity have been implemented, the government said.

The government claims that the state has, for the first time, recorded a massive capacity of 23,379 MW by the end of January 2018 in just four years. The state has also been awarded for Excellence in Renewable Energy by the Government of India.

The Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited, it said, has strengthened 311 substations and started 141 new substations of various capacities in just four years.

"As a result, people are gaining more power, with transmission losses reduced from 3.81% in 2012- 2013 to 3.288% in 2016-17.

The number of substations has increased from 1,353 in 2012-13 to 1494 in January 2018. 40 new substations have been set up in 2017-18 alone, increasing the overall transmission line capacity of various voltages," it said â–

ďƒœ www.supersmartenergy.com

News & Views JinkoSolar Closes First Order of 2.5MW Module Sales from India Entity JinkoSolar Trading Private Limited (A JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd subsidiary), India’s leading photovoltaic (PV) module supplier, today announced that it has successfully closed its first order of 2.5MW high efficiency 320Watt Polycrystalline 72-cell Module sales to Rockford Solar India Pvt. Ltd, also one of the leading solar EPC in utility, commercial and industrial rooftop projects. Hodson Renewables Pvt. Ltd., which is the SPV to execute BOOT model projects in C&I, owns the solar project solar sector in India.

The modules have been used for a Jindal company rooftop

project in Nashik, Maharashtra.

After commissioning, the project is expected to generate a total of 3.6 million units annually and also help offset 2,160 tons of carbon emissions in a year.

Commenting on this order, Mr. Donald Leo, Managing Director – Asia South, JinkoSolar said, “We are glad to kick start our India entity business. This is our first order under the India entity – Jinko Solar Trading Private Limited. Given the scale and market potential of India, JinkoSolar is confident to scale this business to greater heights. This year we are targeting 1.5GW sales in the region and are confident to

meet and exceed our customer expectations."

JinkoSolar has shipped over 1GW within India and is bringing best-in-class products with high efficiency and premium technology to its customers here. The company has also launched the Half- cell technology, in addition to monocrystalline and polycrystalline products that offer greater efficiency and productivity. It is especially suited to the distributed generation segment wherein increased output and higher shade tolerance of half-cell modules significantly improves the project performance ■

Bolivia Ambassador H. E. Mr. Sergio Dario Arispe Barrientos lauds superior technologies of Su-Kam Bolivia’s Ambassador to India H. E. Mr. Sergio Dario Arispe Barrientos visited the headquarters of Su-Kam and lauded the state –of- the- art technology offered

by Su-Kam. The visit was a part of his plan to explore Indian companies that have potential to manufacture lithium-ion batteries and thus augment trade relations with India.

Bolivia ambassador Mr. Barrientos accompanied by Mr. Juan Jose, Councillor, Embassy of Bolivia, even visited Su-Kam’s Research and Development wing and the factory at Gurugram. He met Su-Kam Managing Director Mr. Kunwer Sachdev and the discussion between them centered on the potential of bilateral trade between Bolivia and India.

There were also talks about the possibility of Su-Kam imparting training to manpower of Bolivia in the solar and power electronics segment.The delegates saw a big scope for using SuKam’s technology in the power

sector. Su-Kam is also mulling over exporting their products to Bolivia and customizing them as per the country’s requirement.

Regarding the future of IndiaBolivia ties, Bolivia ambassador Mr. Barrientos said: “We are the future of the world. We are both really young countries; our future lies with each other.

The sooner we realize this, the sooner we will work together. We will start selling and buying in each other’s markets. We see the future of humanity in countries such as yours. We are expecting our minister of foreign affairs to be here next month. This is our way of enhancing diplomatic and economic ties with India.”

“We are honoured to host Ambassador of Bolivia. Since Bolivia has large untapped reserves of lithium and India has advanced technology, our country can play an instrumental role in imparting the technical know-how to Bolivia’s population and bridging

12 SmartEnergy March/ April 2018

the power deficit in the country.

We look forward to a mutually beneficial association in the long run,” said Mr. Kunwer Sachdev, Su-Kam Managing Director ■

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News & Views Vikram Solar Ties up with France’s CEA to Drive Innovative Technology Research and Development Vikram Solar, one of India's leading module manufacturer and a prominent rooftop solar & EPC solutions provider signed a Collaboration Agreement with the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), a key player in research, development and innovation.

The agreement was exchanged during Honorable French President, Mr. Emmanuel Macron's India visit. A high efficiency hetero junction module manufactured using both organisations' know-how and technological expertise was showcased at the Rashtrapati Bhavan during the ISA Founding ceremony on 11th March.

The association will look to enhance research and developments on high efficiency crystalline silicon cells, modules, systems and a host of high efficiency generation and storage

technologies for French and Indian markets.

Under the MoU, CEA will share their know-how and technologies in the field of solar energy, storage, smart grid and thermal efficiency while Vikram Solar will apply these technologies in large volume manufacturing with a wider objective of improving solar photovoltaic cells and modules to perform at record-efficiency in energy conversion and simultaneously developing battery solutions by increasing their energy storage capacity. Other advanced research and development areas of collaboration will include crystallization and wafering, mono and bi-facial modules, Agri photovoltaics, Solar mobility etc. as well as exploring new competitive materials in order to reduce costs.

Mr. Gyanesh Chaudhary, MD & CEO, Vikram Solar Limited,

shared on the occasion, "Vikram Solar has always been at the forefront of innovation through research and development that helps India grow and develop and be a more sustainable nation.

Our association with CEA will strengthen our focus on newer technology and in turn increase opportunity for both parties to work towards a more sustainable and efficient ecosystem."

Mr. Christophe Gégout, Deputy Chairman of the CEA, commented, "Our association with Vikram Solar comes at a time when the need for renewables is at an all time high in India as well as globally. This is a perfect time for us to leverage our strength in research and development and fuse it with Vikram Solar's long standing position as a leading global solar module player with key focus on quality, technology and innovation." ■

Waaree to set up 1,000 Solar Experience Centres across India In a first-of-its-kind initiative to support the government’s efforts in achieving its ambitious solar power generation target of 100 GW by 2022, Waaree Energies plans to open around 1,000 solar experience centres in the next one year across India. The plan is to meet the growing requirement of electricity from the rural and unelectrified regions across India.

the developers and the customers. Going ahead, the company believes government-sponsored schemes such as UDAY for the improvement of the financial health of stateDISCOMs will compel people in rural and semiurban areas to save for electricity as an important expense, creating huge demand for untapped electricity for power generators.

The company sees an addition of INR 500 crore to its top line from these centres in FY19. Sunil Rathi, Director sales and marketing at Waaree Energies, said in a statement released. Thee solar business that was earlier dependent on MNRE-funded subsidies has become financially viable in the last couple of years for both

“To meet the requirement from this segment, we are opening around 1,000 solar experience centres along with our business partners at the district level to provide an end-to-end service to our customers from demonstration to installation of our PV panels and inverters. Customers want distributors and service centres to

14 SmartEnergy March/ April 2018

be close to their house to get the issues addressed immediately,” Rathi said.

There are two types of revenues from the business, first for the business partners who are expected to break even in less than a years’ time, and an additional top-line of INR 500 crore for the company in FY19, the statement noted 

 www.supersmartenergy.com

News & Views Mahindra achieves financial closure for Rewa project Mahindra Renewables, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mahindra Susten, has achieved financial closure for its 250 MW solar power project in Madhya Pradesh for Rs 950 crore.

The financial closure has been achieved with Yes Bank for assistance in the form of project debt to the extent of Rs 750 crore and from other financial institutions up to Rs 200 crore, the company said in a statement released.

The 250 MW project of Mahindra Renewables is expected to generate over 525 million units and is envisaged to sell 78 per cent of the power generated to Madhya Pradesh Electricity Distribution Utilities and the balance to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. The project is expected to commence commercial operations

by December 2018.

"The Rewa project is a significant step in building our sustainable presence in the renewable energy space.

This project also demonstrates the Group's commitment and focus towards the sector," Mahindra Partners, President Zhooben Bhiwandiwala said 

CETC lays foundation stone Tata Power for 200-MW solar PVC unit a p p o i n t s at Sri City Mr. Praveer CETC (India), an ancillary of China Electronics TechSinha as its nology Group Corporation (CETC), performed the ground-breaking ceremony for 200-MW solar phonew CEO & tovoltaic cell (PVC) manufacturing park (phase 1) at Sri City in Andhra Pradesh. Liu Liehong, General MD Manager, CEO, CETC, laid the foundation stone for the facility expected to be commissioned within 18 to 20 months.

Seeking the State Government’s support for getting all approvals on time, he said: “We look forward to work hand in hand with Sri City and AP Government.”

J. Krishna Kishore, Chief Executive Officer, Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board (APEDB), said that Andhra Pradesh is building an integrated system of electronics manufacturing in the country, and CETC’s investment will be a mutually rewarding partnership between China and India.

Ravindra Sannareddy, Founder Managing Director, Sri City, said: “This will be the 6th Chinese company in Sri City, and we are very happy to have yet another major unit in the renewable energy sector. CETC's entry to Sri City assumes greater significance, as it would help boost solar power production capacity in the country.”

The plant, which will be built in 18 acres in the domestic tariff zone (DTZ) at an initial investment of around Rs 320 crore, will be commissioned by the last quarter of 2019. The project would generate employment for 300 people in the first phase and about 1,500 jobs in a phased manner ■

Tata Power announced the appointment of Mr. Praveer Sinha as the firm’s new Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director with effect from 1st May 2018 to oversee the next phase of expansion of India’s leading energy and infrastructure player.

Mr. Sinha is currently the CEO & Managing Director of Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (Tata Power-DDL). Tata Power-DDL is a Public Private Partnership (Joint Venture) between Tata Power and Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi, supplying power to over seven million people in North and North-West Delhi 

Amplus inks pacts with AP, Maharashtra for 500 MW solar energy Amplus Energy Solutions announced in a statement released that it has signed agreements with Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh to build solar projects with an investment of Rs 2,700 crore.

The Gurgaon-based company has signed a MoU with Andhra Pradesh to install 200 MW solar capacity with investment of Rs 1,200 crore. The project is expected to create 400 jobs in the state, the statement added.

The MoU with Maharashtra is for 300 MW solar capacity, of which 250 MW would be for ground-mounted captive

16 SmartEnergy March/ April 2018

and 50 MW for rooftops across the state. This will require an investment of Rs 1,500 crore and is expected to generate employment for 150 people.

Amplus Energy MD and CEO Sanjeev Aggarwal said, “Our agreements with Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh governments will help us expand in these states and ramp up our business and achieve our solar power targets."

For funding its projects, Amplus has a partnership with Yes Bank to cofinance and develop projects in the solar energy sector in India   www.supersmartenergy.com

IBC SOLAR Connects 3 MW Dr. Rahul Walawalkar Solar Power to the Grid in honored with ISG Forum India Under Open Access President’s Award 2018 IBC SOLAR, a global leader in photovoltaic (PV) systems and energy storage, has widened its business in India with the inauguration of 2MW Solar Power Project in the state of Tamil Nadu.

The project is part of India's Open Access Policy.

With the Electricity Act (2003), the government confirms open access to the transmission lines as an encouragement to private investors to enter the electricity generation sector. Under this provision, every person who has constructed a captive generating plant is entitled to open access to the transmission lines for carrying electricity from their plant to the destination of its use. It is similar to a self-consumption plant with some distance between generator and consumption point. The now inaugurated project is IBC SOLAR's first solar park under this provision. LNB Renewable Energy executed the complete project development, approvals and transmission line works whereas IBC SOLAR performed the EPC. "This is a very interesting project," says Shailendra Bebortha, Managing Director of IBC SOLAR in India, "As it combines a lot of unusual factors."

In fact, the project has quite a few of 'first times'.

While IBC SOLAR so far concentrated on Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Odisha, this is its first solar park in Tamil Nadu ■

Dr. Rahul Walawalkar, Executive Director of India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) and President & M.D. of Customized Energy Solutions (India) was honored with India Smart Grid Forum President’s Award 2018 for his invaluable contribution towards the growth of Smart Grids in India at the ongoing India Smart Grid Week 2018, New Delhi. Dr. Kirit Parikh, Former Member Planning Comission and P.Umashankar, Former Secretory Ministry of Power were the past recipients of ISGF President's Award 2017 for their contribution towards growth of Smart Grids in India. Various IESA member companies also won ISGF Innovation Awards in different categories ■

China’s CECEP Solar to supply PV modules for Indian power plant Chinese firm CECEP Solar Energy Technology (Zhenjiang) Co Ltd has secured an order for supplying PV modules for a 35-MW centralised power plant project in Chennai. The project is a government sponsored developed by one of the ten major developers in India and is planned to finish grid connection in March 2018. The cooperation achieved this time not only gets the overseas business of CECEP Solar off to a flying start in 2018, but also demonstrates the recognition of the high quality of products manufactured by CECEP Solar from Indian customer.

The module supplied for the pro-

ject is CECEP Full Power Series 325W common module featuring high efficiency and quality and its particularly excellent pressure bearing performance and responsiveness to weak sunlight make it the first choice in terms of modules required by a ground-mounted centralised power plant.

The high quality of such modules manufactured by CECEP Solar comes from strict quality assurance in each and every process.

Qualification and production capacity of CECEP Solar firstly passed the strict screening by ECP ■

Schneider inaugurates a Solar Lab in the Delhi Schneider Electric India Foundation (SEIF), the social commitment arm of Schneider Electric India, announced the inauguration of a world class Solar Lab in the capital city, as a part of its robust ongoing skilling mission. The solar lab project will be part of New Delhi Municipal Council’s (NDMC) Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) Smart City Center, and will be educating youth on various facets of renewable energy sector in India, particularly solar 

17

March/ April 2018 SmartEnergy

News & Views ISMA to a file a fresh Petition with Recent Period of Investigation Indian Solar Manufacturers’ Association (ISMA) announced that it has withdrawn its petition for antidumping duty on solar cells and modules, covering the period of investigation till June 2017. The association added it will soon file a fresh petition with a more relevant and a recent period of investigation.

“The import trends since then (filing of the petition) have made the period of investigation irrelevant. Despite an ongoing investigation, the exports from China, Taiwan and Malaysia of cells and modules increased by 33 to 45 %, during the period from July 2017 to Dec 2017,” ISMA said in its statement.

The association added the massive increase in volumes was enabled by a significant price reduction to dump more material in India. The prices in the same period fell by about 25%.

“This has resulted in an enhanced injury to the Domestic Industry which would not have been fairly addressed by the outcome of an investigation covering the period upto June 2017,” ISMA added.

ISMA remains confident it will soon

approach the concerned authorities with a fresh petition “The objective is only to get a fair and just redressal of our grievance,” it said in its statement.

The association in its petition said that around 80 per cent of the solar cell and modules market had been cornered by imports. The petition filed for investigation till June 2017, was the association’s third such attempt to bar solar imports from flooding the Indian market.

The first case was filed in 2012 against the US, European Union, China, Malaysia and Taiwan. The case ran for two years saw solar cell makers, allied electronics industry and even glass makers asking for protection against the import of solar panels. While DGAD finalised duties from $0.48 per unit to $0.81 per unit on solar cells imported from the above mentioned countries, the ministry of finance did not impose the same and let the duty lapse in May 2016. In 2014, the makers filed a complaint with Directorate General of AntiDumping (DGAD) under the ministry of commerce and Directorate General of Safeguards (DGS) under the ministry of finance 

Government invites tenders for 3,000MW solar projects In what turns out to be a surge in solar tenders, the central government has invited bids for 3,000 MW of solar power projects connected to the interstate transmission system. With this, the capacity of solar tenders invited by the central government in the first two months of 2018 stands at more than 5,000 MW (275 MW in Uttar Pradesh, 200 MW in Karnataka and 2,000 MW inter-state in January). The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) would sign 25-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) with the winning bidders and sell the power to electricity distribution utilities (discoms).

The ceiling tariff for the latest tender has been set at Rs 2.93 per unit. The

18 SmartEnergy March/ April 2018

reverse auctions would be conducted for 12 projects of 250 MW each. The capacity additions would help the country achieve the target of 100 gigawatt (GW) of installed solar energy capacity by 2022.

Power and renewable energy minister RK Singh had in November announced the break-up of his action plan for completing 80 GW of solar auctions

by FY20, leaving a margin of two years to complete the projects by 2022.

According to that agenda, another 8 GW of solar tenders can be expected

by March 2018. Electricity production capacities added annually in the solar segment surpassed coal for the first time in 2017 

WTO agrees to Set Up Compliance Panel for the Ongoing India-US Solar Trade Dispute In a relief for India, the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) has agreed to set up a panel to look into the ongoing trade conflict between the United States and India.

The panel would determine whether India has complied with the previous WTO ruling regarding the Domestic Content Requirements (DCR) for solar cells and modules.

The request to establish a compliance panel was put forth by India in the face of stiff resistance from the U.S. delegation. The first request for the formation of a panel was blocked by the U.S. on February 9, 2018.

In its request, New Delhi reiterated that it has complied with the findings of the panel and appellate body and that the logical course for disagreements over whether a member has complied with a WTO ruling is recourse to compliance panel proceedings under Article 21.5 of the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU) 

 www.supersmartenergy.com

Suzlon Installs and Commissions S128; SECI ModiIndia's largest Wind Turbine Generator fies Terms Suzlon Group, India’s largest renew- generation turbine is well equipped for Federal able energy solutions provider, has to improve energy yield and support announced the installation and com- competitive tariff environment in India Wind Energy missioning of its new product, S128; while protecting customers return on the largest wind turbine generator investment (ROI).

Auctions (WTG) in India. The first prototype of S128 has been commissioned at the Sanganeri, site in Tamil Nadu. Testing is underway with certification expected in Q3 of Calendar Year 2018 (CY2018).

The S128 WTG is available in 2.6 MW to 2.8 MW variants and offers hub heights up to 140 meters.

The S128 wind turbine generator is the latest addition to Suzlon’s product portfolio and features the time tested Doubly Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) technology. It also consists of the country’s largest rotor blade measuring 63 meters and has a rotor diameter of 128 meters. The SB 63 blade has been engineered and developed by Suzlon utilizing carbon fiber which provides the capability to utilize thinner aerodynamic profiles. This technology provides excellent performance in low wind sites. The S128 series offers ~33% more swept area (12,860 m2) and is expected to deliver ~32% more energy generation compared to the S111. It is designed to optimally harness wind resources at higher altitudes making low wind sites viable. This next

J.P. Chalasani, Group CEO, Suzlon Group said “The S128 wind turbine is going to be a revolutionary product in India. It has been our continuous effort to reduce the levelised cost of energy (LCoE) and we continue to invest in R&D with an aim to develop technologically advanced and innovative products. It is a proud moment for us to manufacture, install and commission the largest wind turbine generator in the country. With its reduced levelised cost of energy (LCoE), cost effective design and superior performance S128 will unlock unviable sites and set new benchmarks in the Indian wind industry”.

Duncan Koerbel, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Suzlon Energy, said “Our focus is on developing efficient turbines that ensure higher ROI to our customers. The prototype of the S128 is delivering close to conventional fuel competitive Plant Load Factor (PLF). We are leveraging the S128 technology to further grow our portfolio to bring offshore size technology onshore to India and other developing markets.” 

Sembcorp Energy wins 300 MW wind project in India Sembcorp Energy India Ltd (SEIL) announced that it has been awarded a 300-megawatt project in the country’s third wind power auction conducted recently. This is the third consecutive win for the subsidiaries of Sembcorp Green Infra, a wholly-owned arm of SEIL, the company statement said.

The nationwide wind power auction was conducted by Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). With this order, SEIL has bagged a combined capacity of 800 MW from the three auctions, which is by far the largest combined capacity won by an independent power producer, it added.

SECI in a letter of award has confirmed acceptance of SEIL’s final offer and committed to purchase power from the new project.

The project is proposed to be set up in Gujarat. After completion, the project’s entire power output would be sold to SECI under a 25-year power purchase agreement.

The project will be connected to India’s Interstate Transmission System and supply power to many states, helping them meet renewable energy requirement 

Solar Energy Corporation of India has modified some requirements for the fourth federal-level wind energy auction.

First, SECI has made amendments to the original Request for Selection (RfS) document so that project developers willing to participate in the auction can submit various kinds of fees through electronic means, in addition to submitting physical instruments.

Next, SECI has also diluted some requirements for foreign companies with regards to submission of audited financial documents.

This will be a major breather for foreign companies looking to participate in the auction and also attract more international companies to India’s wind energy market.

There is also good news for successful developers in case they miss the scheduled date to commission projects. The reduction in tariff by Rs 0.50/kWh (0.77¢/kWh) for each day of delay of over six months in project commissioning has now been reduced by 70% to Rs 0.15/kWh (0.23¢/kWh). Several other provisions that project developers would find beneficial have been modified slightly 

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March/ April 2018 SmartEnergy

To the Point NATIONAL India Solar Bids Rise With Increase In Imported Module Prices The impact of increased imported solar power modules has become evident with the substantial rise in solar power bids in the recent auction.

The lowest tariff in an auction held by the Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited (KREDL) was Rs 2.94/kWh (¢4.6/ kWh). The tariff is at a premium of 20% to the lowest solar power tariff recorded in India so far. The lowest tariff in India, of Rs 2.44/ kWh (¢3.8/kWh), was discovered in an auction held last year by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) for projects in the Bhadla solar power park in Rajasthan.

Microsoft announces first renewable energy deal in India Microsoft announced the completion of its first renewable energy deal within the Karnataka state of India. The agreement will see Microsoft purchase 3 megawatts of solar-powered electricity from Atria Power to help power its new office building in Bangalore. This will meet 80 percent of the projected electricity needs at the new facility. This deal is part of a state government of Karnataka program to encourage investments in local solar energy operations, in line with the larger Indian government goal to ramp up solar power generation to 100 GW by 2022, as part of India's efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Kor Energy Bags Green Future Leadership Award for Best Rooftop Solar EPC Company Kor Energy (India) Pvt. Ltd., a Noida based Rooftop Solar EPC Company has been honoured with ‘Best Rooftop Solar EPC Company

award’ 2018. The award was a part of ‘ET Now Rise with India’, a Solar Leadership Award. The Award was sponsored by ET Now, part of Times Group. The award was presented to Ms. Priyanka Mohan, Director- Kor Energy India Pvt. Ltd. at a function held in Mumbai.

“We are honoured to have received this award. This award is recognition to our commitment for promotion of green energy by utilizing rooftops of residential, commercial and industrial buildings across India. We always give best in technology at reasonable price to our customers so that they can achieve best return on investment, which they had made in their Rooftop Solar Installations.”, Ms. Priyanka Mohan, Director- Kor Energy India Pvt. Ltd.

IIT-B creates solar study lamps for rural studentst IIT-Bombay (IIT B) have initiated ‘Solar Urja Lamp’ (SoUL) that aims to provide solar lamps (Solar Study Lamps) to the rural students through skill transfer to local communities. Through this project, the institute is lighting up homes with renewable energy and providing rural women with the chance to become entrepreneurs.

Avaada Power to invest $1.55bn to develop 1.6GW solar projects in India Avaada Power has announced its commitment to invest INR100bn ($1.55bn) for the development of 1.6GW solar power projects in the state of Uttar Pradesh (UP). The company has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the UP government at the Investors Summit 2018, held in the state capital of Lucknow.

Renew Power to invest $ 2.2bn in Maharashtra

Ventures Pvt Ltd is likely to invest a total of INR 140 billion (USD 2.16bn/EUR 1.75bn) in renewable energy projects in the state of Maharashtra.

Railways to provide charging points for e-vehicles at stations tThe Railways is considering providing space for electric vehicle charging stations at the parking lots of train stations to promote the use of green energy. To begin with, the parking lots at the New Delhi and Nizamuddin railway stations in the capital have been identified to set up e-vehicle (EV) charging spots and "necessary preparations" are underway.

Japan gets its first office building fully powered with solar energy Japan’s first office building fully powered by off-the-grid solar energy opened in the city of Saga.

Daiwa House Industry Co. is promoting the two-story, 2,400-square-meter facility as a “net-zero energy building” that offsets primary energy consumption through the use of renewable energy created on the site.

Samsung SDI to supply batteries for Hawaii solar project Samsung SDI Co. announced that the company is going to supply 13,000 battery modules for an energy storage system (ESS) linked with Hawaii's largest solar project.

The South Korean battery maker will work with AES Distributed Energy, a U.S. power company, to supply batteries for the ESS, which can store excess solar energy, on Kauai, Hawaii's fourth-largest island, the statement said, without disclosing the amount of the contract ■

According to reports Independent power producer ReNew Power

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21

March/ April 2018 SmartEnergy

Products & Services

DEIF’s Solar Solutions

A

cross the world, the need to make the energy portfolio environmental friendly is a pressing need. Among the renewable sources, Solar power is gaining momentum in India with the push given by government and the abundant solar potential in India. The increasing demand is driving down the cost of solar energy which is attracting more and more investment in this sector.

While the investment and increasing of Solar share in the energy sources is fully justified, it is also equally important to have efficient controls that will enable solar penetration to maximum possible extent including the possibility of exporting the excess power back to the grid.

Challenge with solar In a contemporary system, solar power can only be utilised as long as the utility supply is available. In the absence of utility, solar power can no longer deliver the power and the diesel generators come in to deliver the backup power.

The Solar systems are not geared up to supply power along with the diesel or gas genset as the load sharing between the two groups is a challenge. This leads to burning the fuel (diesel/gas) for the genset to take the entire load for the duration for which the utility is absent, in spite of solar power

DEIF’s Automatic Sustainable Controller

source being available.

DEIF’s answer challenge

to

the

DEIF with its experience and expertise in the field of power generation control solutions; has come up with an innovative solution to this challenge. DEIF introduces the Automatic Sustainable Controller (ASC), a solution that provides integrated solution for systems with utility, diesel and solar power source.

The system provides an interface between the diesel/gas genset and solar, with or without presence of utility power - a solution that enables you to share the load between solar PV cell and diesel/ gas genset with maximum solar penetration, thus resulting in maximised savings even during utility failure. DEIF solutions being costeffective balance your economy and conserve the environment as they are highly efficient.

A solar system consists of series of PV cells connected to their respective inverters.

DEIF’s solar controller is connected to the master inverter or central control point of the group of inverters and interconnected among Utility and Genset Controllers through CAN

22 SmartEnergy March/ April 2018

bus communication. DEIF’s solar controller serves as an interface between Solar source and the diesel genset controllers/Utility Power, namely Advanced Genset Controllers (AGC), over the CAN bus to adjust power output to meet the load requirement with solar system taking the maximum load share. When the utility fails, Genset start up to provide the reference and provide minimum load that will let it run efficiently and let the solar meet the rest of the demand. If the solar power output decreases due to bad sunlight, the deficit will be met by diesel/gas genset through the intelligent interface, thus ensuring reliable supply of power in all conditions. If the export of power from Solar is not demanded then the Automatic Sustainable Controller will restrict the solar generation to the desired limit.

How much can you save?

To get a glimpse of what you would be your minimal saving after installing DEIF’s solution, let us consider a simple real life example.

On an average, considering power loss of up to 20 hours per week implies that in a year you can have almost 1000 hours of lack of util-

 www.supersmartenergy.com

ity power. Considering that the diesel consumption normally is of 125 litres per hour (500 KW at full load) and assuming 1.5 $/litre as cost of diesel, for 1000 hours of no utility power, 187.5 $/hour is the cost for running a diesel genset for one hour. For 1000 hours you would spend 1, 87,500 $ and for running 2 genset, the total spending will be 3, 75,000 $ on fuel cost alone. In addition to this, the cost for handling the fuel, managing resources, maintenance of genset, gas emissions, and environmental

setbacks add to the overheads.

On the other hand, DEIF’s solar solution enables you to use solar power even in the absence of utility with high solar penetration.

Say with a 60 % solar penetration you can run just one genset and save on fuel cost of the other in the period of utility failure which implies a saving of 1, 87,500 $.

Using solar for the additional period of the year can make that period also further green and help maximize the project’s over-

all return on investment. DEIF’s solar solution will thus prove to be a boon to India’s evolving solar sector ■ Contact us: For further information or any other questions you may have, don’t hesitate to contact us on (+91) 22 4245 2000 or please feel free to write us at India@ deif.com. We look forward to working with you.

Panasonic India launches new Energy Storage Solution for Telecom Towers

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anasonic India, the local arm of Japanese electronics corporation Panasonic, announced it has introduced its new line of energy storage solutions targeting the telecom tower market at industry event ELECRAMA 2018. The newly launched compact business power solution is called CBPS 8000.

The company said the product will address challenges faced by telecom towers located across geographies. The product's remote configuration and diagnostic feature allow identifying faults remotely, the company said in a statement.

The demand for lithium-ion battery-based systems comes mainly from the push by Indian telecom service operators, for environmentally friendly and sustainable solutions to power telecom

towers and other services in the country. With a market share of 35 per cent in the category, currently almost 40,000 telecom towers run on Panasonic Batteries.

“With the increase in data consumption and various government led initiatives such as Digital India and Smart cities, we are experiencing an exponential growth in the nation’s telecom segment. This has led to an increase in telecom towers and sustainable renewa-

ble back up options powered by batteries,” said Atul Arya, HeadEnergy Systems, Panasonic India.

Apart from introducing new storage solutions for its existing business line-up, Panasonic India is further looking to offer energy storage solutions for industries such as data centres, commercial and industrial sector and rural micro-grids 

23

March/ April 2018 SmartEnergy

Products & Services

MECO “Pocket Size Digital Multimeter”

M

ECO introduced new 4000 Count Pocket Size Digital Multimeter, Model: 108B+.

± 1.0%rdg + 4dgt, and for AC Current ±2.0%rdg + 4dgt. It has special features like Auto Power Off, Resistance, Capacitance, Frequency, Duty Cycle, Diode Test, Audible Continuity, Data Hold.

101B+ is a 4000 Counts Auto Ranging Digital Multimeter with LCD Backlight having Voltage Range upto 1000V DC & 750V AC and Current Range upto 10A AC & DC. Basic accuracy for DC Voltage ± 0.5%rdg + 4 dgt, for AC Voltage ±1.2% rdg + 4dgt, for DC Current

MECO introduced new 6000 Count TRMS Pocket Size Digital Multimeter, Model: 108B+ TRMS.

108B+ TRMS is a 6000 Counts Auto Ranging Digital Multimeter with LCD Backlight having Voltage Range upto 1000V DC & 750V AC (TRMS) and Current Range upto 10A AC (TRMS) & DC. Basic accuracy for DC Voltage ± 1.0%rdg + 10dgt, for AC Voltage ±1.0% rdg + 3dgt, for DC Current ± 1.5%rdg + 3dgt, and for AC Current ±1.5%rdg + 3dgt. It has a special feature like Auto Power Off, Resistance, Capacitance, Frequency, Duty Cycle, Temperature, Diode Test, Audible Continuity, Data Hold 

For details please visit our website: www.mecoinst.com

MECO “New 6000 Count TRMS Digital Clampmeters”

M

ECO introduced new 6000 Count TRMS Digital Clampmeters, Models: 1080-TRMS and 1008-TRMS. 1080-TRMS is a 3 5/6 Digit 6000 Counts, Current Range upto 1200A AC & DC, Auto / Manual Ranging Digital Clampmeter with LCD Backlight having Voltage Range upto 1000V DC & 750V AC and with Jaw Opening size of 30mm.

Basic accuracy for DC Voltage is

±0.5%rdg + 3dgt and for AC Voltage ±0.8%rdg + 5dgt, for DC Current ±0.8% + 10dgt and for AC Current ± 2.0% rdg + 30dgt. In addition it has special features like Auto Power Off, Resistance, Capacitance, Frequency, Duty Cycle, Temperature, Diode Test, Audible Continuity, Data Hold etc.

ter with LCD Backlight having Voltage Range upto 1000V DC & 750V AC with Jaw Opening size of 30mm. Basic accuracy for DC Voltage is ±0.5%rdg + 3dgt and for AC Voltage ±0.8%rdg + 5dgt, and for AC Current ± 2.0% rdg + 30dgt. In addition it has special features like Auto Power Off, Resistance, Capacitance, Frequency, Duty Cycle, Temperature, Diode Test, Audible Continuity, Data Hold etc 

1008-TRMS is a 3 5/6 Digit 6000 Counts, Current Range upto 1000A AC Auto / Manual Ranging Digital Clampme-

For More Information Contact: Mr. Prashan Thakkar (Manager - Battery & Solar Product) Email Id: prashant.thakkar@mecoinst.com Mobile No. 09867266639

24 SmartEnergy March/ April 2018

 www.supersmartenergy.com

Products & Services

Waaree Energies launches 'Pronto' to Revolutionise Rooftop Solar in India

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olar panel manufacturing company, Waaree Energies Ltd., recently launched a first of its kind, do-it-yourself solar kit - 'Pronto'.

Available at all Waaree Solar Experience Centres, this revolutionary product aims to transform the renewable energy sector in the country, by making clean energy accessible to one and all.

With a solar PV based power generating system, Pronto can deliver at least 30 percent savings on electricity bills.

"Pronto is a result of the continued commitment of Waaree to make renewable energy accessible across the country. It brings together the best in technology and innovation, to a product that can be used across residential, industrial and commercial sectors. We hope Pronto marks the beginning of a new chapter and encourages people across demographics to opt for green energy," said director, Waaree Energies, Sunil Rathi.

Pronto is available in the range of one to five KW, and requires only two people and 30 minutes to be

PRONTO Ready To Install Solar Kit installed.

It comes with a patented rooftop non-penetrating racking system, with a focus on a design that embodies simplicity and is sturdy to withstand any weather.

The product also provides, by bypassing numerous sourcing and logistics steps, the same cost benefits as large rooftop solar systems.

In addition, since it can be used for any net-metering based application, consumers can get credits for excess generation gains.

With state of the art technology, Pronto is also beneficial for small scale industries.

The solar kits, which include all critical components like solar modules, solar inverter, and structure, are backed by warranty.

With optimum design for maximum power generation, the product also comes with an inverter with latest Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) technology with remote monitoring and is available in both single phase and three phase inverters 

Delta Electronics Launches Complete Range of EV Charging Solutions

I

n support of the government’s electric mobility drive, Delta Electronics India Pvt. Ltd., a part of $7.7 billion Delta Group from Taiwan launched its complete range of energy efficient electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions in India.

Exhibiting at Elecrama 2018, Delta showcased its diverse portfolio of EV solutions with DC Quick, AC Chargers and Site Management System. These chargers can be

»

26 SmartEnergy March/ April 2018

 www.supersmartenergy.com

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Products & Services conveniently installed in multiple applications such as parking spaces, highway service, as well as residential and commercial buildings, said the company in a statement.

Hsieh Shen-Yen, President of Delta Electronics (Thailand) PCL. says the business climate in India offers Delta exciting opportunities to partner with the government to power India’s growing economy.

In line with our vision to be a strong catalyst and partner in India’s growth story, we are also announcing our fourth manufacturing plant in the country. This is testimony to our commitment to the “Make In India” initiative.

Delta’s goal is to develop sustainable and energy efficient integrated solution offerings in India, for India, that will offer immense employment opportunities across the geography,” added Shen-Yen. The manufacturing plant in Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu, will be operational in 2019 and is

expected to generate employment for thousands in the state.

Along with its state-of-the-art R&D Centre in Bengaluru, Delta is looking at investments of over a US$150 million in India. The EV charging solutions launched by Delta will also be manufactured at this plant.

Delta has had a presence in India for almost a decade and half and has seen itself grow 35 times over in the past 14 years.

"Our India growth trajectory has been a resilient legacy of accomplishments in Telecom Power, Industrial Automation, Solar Inverters, Display Solutions, to name a few. We have now embarked on the journey to expand upon these core values and entering the EV Charging, Energy Storage and Rail Transportation Solutions industries. Our entire suite of solutions in EV Charging will complement the Indian e-mobility initiative providing a reliable technology and backing of the Delta brand.” said Dalip Sharma, Managing Director

of Delta Electronics India Pvt. Ltd. Herman Chang, General Manager, Energy Infrastructure Solutions BG Delta Electronics, said, “The absence of a reliable infrastructure for charging electric vehicles, is perhaps the biggest roadblock impeding the rise of EV adoption in India. With our new range of electric vehicle charging solutions, we intend to support the GOI’s mission to drive electric mobility. Delta’s solution also encompasses smooth integration of micro-grids with EV charging providing a future-proof roadmap for a homogenized ecosystem of power prosumers.”

Delta also showcased its Energy Storage Solutions, Renewable Energy Solutions, Telecom Network Energy Solutions, Industrial Automation Solutions, Display & Monitoring Solutions, Building Automation Solutions and UPS & Datacenter Infrastructure Solutions at the Elecrama 2018 

Su-Kam showcases state-of-the-art solar products at Middle East Electricity

S

u-Kam Power Systems Ltd, one of India’s leading companies in power-backup and solar solutions showcased its state-of-theart range of products at Middle East Electricity meet held at Dubai World Trade Centre, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Among the products showcased on the occasion were BrainyS 1000, Emergency Rescue Device (ERD), Falcon+1250, Grid Tie Inverter, Hybrid Grid Tie Inverter, Solar Online UPS and Solar Streetlight.

Brainy S is world’s first solar PCU with zero change over time. While generators and ordinary inverters take a moment to kick in, Brainy S provides continuous power supply to all sensitive equipment such as a computer to keep it running and

prevent damage. Not only this, Brainy S draws energy from both solar and grid — always giving preference to solar– and saves

28 SmartEnergy March/ April 2018

money on electricity bills.

Equipped with unique features, Falcon + can be called the best UPS in the world. World -class ATC  www.supersmartenergy.com

technology that enhances battery life, an option of choosing battery as per your personal backup needs, its ability to run heavy-duty appliances make it the best Home UPS in India.

Su-Kam’s Lift UPS (ERD) is so designed to provide full power backup in case of power failures in elevators or a fall in mains power to below unacceptable levels. The highlight of the product is seamless, jerk-free elevator ride even during power failures. Su-Kam’s Online UPS Range is the best in industry. Online UPS is designed and developed to provide continuous power supply to small and large- scale enterprises and provides excellent power backup

option for areas with chronic power shortage.

Su-Kam’s solar grid tie inverter is connected to the mains supply of your home which is why it is also called the On-Grid system.

Take advantage of net metering policy in your state by selling solar electricity to Government through grid-tie solar installation at your home or office. Su-Kam’s Grid-Tie solar inverter is designed to generate maximum solar power with an efficiency of 98% and can work in even the most extreme weather conditions.

Hybrid –Grid tie inverter is an intelligent combination of a normal inverter and Grid Tie

Inverter which can work as both off-grid and on-grid system. This is the only system which can utilize the maximum solar power by feeding power to the grid when mains is available. When mains is not available, solar power can be utilized to run load and charge battery at the same time.

On the occasion, Mr. Kunwer Sachdev, Managing Director, Su-Kam, said: “Power industry has a promising future. However, the demand-supply gap continues to plague the sector. Solar energy can be crucial in bridging this gap and is an eco-friendly alternative to conventional sources of power.” 

Philips Lighting unveils solar powered street lighting products

T

he focus on sustainability inspired Philips Lighting to launch Philips SunStay, an all-inone integrated solar street light, in India earlier this year. This street light combines the solar panel, luminaire, charge controller and battery in one housing, thus making it compact and easy to install and maintain. This also saves on cabling costs and reduces the carbon footprint, thereby lowering overall capex and opex cost.

With an output of 2,000 lumens and an efficacy of 175 lm/W, it is more efficient compared with existing systems in the solar street lighting market.

Philips SunStay will be launched globally in the second quarter of 2018.

Extending light after dark To enable access to lighting and power off-grid communities, Philips Lighting launched the PhilipsLifeLight solar lantern in

India in December 2017. Along with a USB port for charging phones and other devices, LifeLight comes with a replaceable new generation battery, which extends its life far beyond its two years warranty.

“Lack of light after dark is the single largest factor making women feel unsafe in their communities. Introducing the Philips LifeLight to offgrid areas is helping transform the lives of people in these communities. It extends their day for commercial activity, education, and community life. The replaceable battery feature is highly valued by end customers,” said Shalini Sarin, Head of CSR at Philips Lighting.

“On top of bringing light to offgrid communities, replacing kerosene-powered lamps with solarpowered lanterns is saving lives.

According to a World Bank report, every year 1.5 million people die

due to woodfires, kerosene or candles. This amounts to twice the population of Frankfurt.”

Thousands of lights in the sky To increase the safety of citizens and help rural communities, Philips Lighting will install approximately 84,000 solar street lights in India. Together with Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), an energy service company of the Government of India, the company will install 60,000 Solar Smart Bright street lights in off-grid villages in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa & Assam. The company is also providing Uttar Pradesh New & Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA) with 24,000 Solar Green Lightline Smart street lights in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

“Installing solar street lighting in rural communities in India really enhances lives after sunset,” said Sumit Joshi, Market Leader for India at Philips Lighting. “Citizens feel safer and it allows children in these communities to play in the streets after dark.” 

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March/ April 2018 SmartEnergy

Products & Services

Canadian Solar announces new bifacial and high density solar modules

C

anadian Solar recently announced two new solar panel lines, which were first on display at last month’s PV EXPO 2018 in Tokyo, Japan.

The BiKu line of modules is Canadian Solar’s entrance into the bifacial market. Canadian Solar’s poly BiKu modules (CS3U) have a power output of 360 W from the front side, with the backside contributing up to an additional 30% power generation. Adding both sides together, the total power output of a 360-W CS3U

BiKu module can reach as high as 468 W. For mono BiKu modules (CS3K), the power output of the front side is 315 W, with up to 30% additional energy generated from the backside. Both sides combined, the total power output can achieve up to 409.5 W. BiKu is a nice choice to reduce LCOE and improve ROI on commercial and utility power plants.

Delivery of the bifacial products will start in April 2018.

Also new is Canadian Solar’s high density HiDM modules. The most distinctive feature of HiDM is its excellent power output and conversion efficiency performance.

HiDM modules incorporate the latest solar module technology that maximizes the module power output and power efficiency. The power output of Mono HiDM CS1K-MS can achieve 330 W with module efficiency of 19.86%, which is 30 W higher than similar sized 300-W mono PERC modules 

SMA Launches Improved Power+ Solution with Greater Speed and Simplicity With speed as a top priority for solar professionals in today’s market, SMA has revealed an improved Power+ Solution, which builds on SMA’s already simple, high-performance and cost-effective MLPE solution to provide even more speed and simplicity. The UL-listed Power+ Solution, which is the fastest residential PV system to install, is currently available through the company’s Authorized Distributor network.

“With the introduction of the improved Power+ Solution, we are addressing the need to accelerate and simplify the installation process,” said Nick Morbach, executive vice president of SMA’s Residential and Commercial Business Unit. “This includes fewer components, reduced labor and a single, simple monitoring platform. We are excited to introduce this next-generation solution to solar installers.”

One of the most significant improvements to the Power+ Solution is a major reduction in system components within a new Rooftop Communication Kit. This means

faster installation, fewer p o t e n tial points of failure throughout the system, and less equipment to service.

Additionally, a single plug-andplay communication connection speeds installation and reduces labor. The new Power+ Solution offers 50% faster commissioning within Sunny Portal, which was ranked the number one monitoring platform worldwide by GTM Research in 2017. SMA was also ranked number one in residential monitoring and energy management in 2017 by Navigant Research.

The Power+ Solution now also features SMA Smart Connected, a proactive service solution that can decrease truck rolls, lengthy ser-

30 SmartEnergy March/ April 2018

vice calls and system downtime, saving installers time and money and maximizing a homeowner’s power production.

Solar professionals looking for technical training can attend The New Speed of Solar Tour, where they will receive valuable instruction and gain access to SMA personnel. Installers will also benefit from training provided by solar sales and design expert Aurora Solar at select stops 

 www.supersmartenergy.com

Haliade-X 12 MW, the largest offshore wind turbine in the world to date

I

ntroducing the Haliade-X 12 MW, the largest offshore wind turbine in the world to date, featuring a 12 MW capacity (the world’s first), 220-meter rotor, a 107-meter blade designed by LM Wind Power, and digital capabilities. In addition to being the biggest offshore wind turbine, the Haliade-X will also be the most efficient of wind turbines in the ocean. Best of all, it’s capable of transforming more wind into power than any other offshore wind turbine today.

The Haliade-X 12 MW also features a 63% capacity factor*- five to seven points above industry standard. Each incremental point in capacity factor represents around $7 million in revenue for customers over the life of a windfarm.

POWER MEETS EFFICIENCY The offshore wind turbine design of the Haliade-X is what makes it unique. The combination of a bigger rotor, longer blades and higher capacity factor makes Haliade-X less sensitive to wind speed variations, increasing predictability and the ability to generate more power at low wind speeds.

The Haliade-X can capture more Annual Energy Production (AEP) than any other offshore wind turbine even at low wind conditions.

This 12 MW ocean wind turbine can also generate 67 GWh annually, which is 45% more AEP than the most powerful machines on the market today, and twice as much as the Haliade 150-6MW. One Haliade-X 12 MW can generate enough clean power to supply European 16,000 households according to wind conditions on a typical German North Sea site.

Based on a 750 MW windfarm and an estimated AEP, the Haliade-X 12 MW could produce enough power for up to 1 million households.

BOTTOM LINE IMPACT Haliade-X 12 MW doesn’t just set a new benchmark for the size of wind turbines at sea. It can also bring higher profitability to customers. The Haliade-X 12 MW provides significant savings across offshore wind turbine manufacturing, installation cycle times, service and repairs, through its simplified process and intelligent components. While the Haliade-X 12 MW sea turbine is well-suited for high-to-medium wind speed environments, its larger capacity can produce energy even at lower wind speeds, increasing profits and dramatically lowering the levelized cost of energy.

With fewer machines and offshore wind turbine foundations to install, in addition to reduced cycle times and simplified operation, the Haliade-X 12 MW generates robust savings on overall project cost (CAPEX Balance of Plant**) over the life of a windfarm, saving an average of $26 million per turbine per 100 MW when compared to Haliade 150-6MW. Digital tools (based on GE’s Predix platform) are currently being developed exclusively for the offshore environment with an operations approach, that will

help customers perform remote diagnostics, improve time management (less time at sea) and optimize operations.

INVESTING IN THE FUTURE The offshore wind market is booming and is expected to grow significantly over the next two decades; from today’s 14 GW install capacity to 100 GW+ by 2030. Recognizing this need, GE is leading the field of offshore wind turbine manufacturers by investing $400 million over the next three to five years in development and deployment of the Haliade-X. This investment will take place over the next two to five years and includes a $57 (€46) million investments in Saint-Nazaire to adapt the site for Haliade-X nacelle assembly. Saint Nazaire’s knowhow will play a crucial and leading role in the development of this innovative project, with offshore wind turbine construction at higher capacities. An additional $93 (€75) million in Cherbourg for tooling, blade molds, assembly line and blade development. This project will create 550 direct jobs in Cherbourg over the course of the next 3 years (around 100 in 2018) 

31

March/ April 2018 SmartEnergy

Expert Insight

 Anant Nahata

Managing Director, Exicom Power Solutions

"We are a Company with an International Footprint, Global Presence and a Local Engineering Capability"

Q

.Tell our readers in brief about Exicom and the range of Power and Energy Storage solutions that you offer in India?

Our core building blocks are AC-DC Rectifiers and Controllers which are a key components for IndoorOutdoor High-Efficiency DC Power Systems from 500 W to 300 KW, Renewable Hybrid Power Systems, Grid-Genset Hybrid System, li-Ion battery Power & Storage solutions for DC telecom, energy storage solutions (from kW to MW scale), battery management systems (BMS/CBMS), and charging infrastructure solutions for EV applications including two wheelers, three wheelers, passenger cars, and commercial transportation.

The company has over two dec-

ades of in-house experience in conceptualising, designing, engineering and manufacturing of these efficient, reliable and cost effective power and energy solutions for information technology, telecom and renewables.

Q

.Shed some light on the various energy storage projects commissioned by Exicom to substantiate storage’s ability for grid support services and its importance for India in adopting new storage technologies?

We are pioneers in Energy Storage Projects in Distributed Form (in Telecom) and have done very well on grid-scale solutions as well.

We have successfully deployed

32 SmartEnergy March/ April 2018

over 600 MWh of Battery Energy Storage System out of which 450 MWh Lithium-ion Battery Solutions at Telecom Tower Sites have been progressively deployed for a period of 5 years. They have been performing well and above satisfaction levels of our esteemed telecom customers. Our batteries are making their telecom network more stable and greener by reducing DG run hours while ensuring demand supply management and lesser carbon footprints.

We have also executed three gridscale high voltage projects of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) for PGCIL and CEL that were used for frequency regulation, voltage regulation and energy storage application respectively. The suc www.supersmartenergy.com

cessful running of these projects over years will provide Policy / Regulatory advocacy for deployment of such technologies for grid stability and improve power quality in our country. The team has worked tirelessly to overcome many technical challenges while doing PGCIL Project in Puducherry that is a coastal region to create exemplary projects to accelerate India’s transition to a clean energy future.

Exicom has bagged majority of Govt. based tender opportunities and has always stood at a dominant position in this field.

Q

.With the current government’s emphasis on electrical vehicles (EVs), how do you look at the charging and storage market for EVs in India?

With Government of India’s push, EVs have really taken a quantum leap compared to what it was a year back. There are many nodal agencies like NTPC, BHEL, IOCL, PGCIL etc. which are working to build charging networks and supporting infrastructure in the country to make EV mission a success and ensure electric vehicles have a smooth ride on Indian roads.

Companies like EESL are doing mass procurement of over 10000 EV’s and doing the deployment all over India, As per the information on public network EESL is going to deploy over 4000 charging stations shortly. With the momentum enthused by EESL and other nodal agencies, many private companies and Government PSUs are planning to deploy either EVs or EVSEs as part of their plan. Many State Governments have already started procuring and deploying the electric buses/cars and charging infrastructure to support them. We do see lot of progress in the EV industry and foresee a good growth in the coming years as well.

Q

.Share what are the challenges and opportunities

in developing reliable EV infrastructure? Also, share with our readers your experience of installing EV charging stations at UN office and NITI Aayog?

Making electric mobility mainstream is one of the biggest challenges and opportunities we face.

If electrification of transportation is successful, it will bring many benefits in the form of better air quality, lower operating costs for vehicles and environmental savings - not to mention better vehicle performance. E-mobility also represents an important opportunity to overhaul our energy infrastructure and make necessary investments in renewables and new grid technologies.

We feel that the government has played a significant role in setting standards and regulations for charging infrastructure and providing incentives for electric vehicles. The government should also encourage research and development, localization, and training to improve energy access to developing charging infrastructure. Policy interventions, including mandates and incentives that promote investments in developing local EV targets, will also be needed sooner than later. We need to work very quickly on building up infrastructure in power both on quality and reach side. There is also a need to scale up the rollout target by focusing on shorter and pre-defined routes as well as by providing charging stations at multiple locations which would further enable the cost of storage to drop.

We had a very good experience of installing EV Charging stations at UN office and NITI Aayog. These chargers are being used to charge the Government cars. The support from various administrative and electrical bodies both within UN Office & Niti Aayog has been exemplary.

Q

.Tell us more about Exicom’s lithium-ion battery technology, its key features and advantages?

In stationary application, Exicom uses LFP lithium-ion battery technology which provides higher lifetime/cycle life, decent volume and safety. While in EV application, we are using both LFP and NCM lithium-ion battery technology depending upon the cycle life and specific energy needs which are required.

Exicom’s Li-ion battery solutions have been designed & customized to accommodate most complex telecom operating platforms and other diverse applications. Their compact size and high energy density allow them to deliver the maximum possible performance in a limited space. Exicom Energy Qb Li-ion (LFP) solutions allow consumers to get rid of all pain points of traditional lead acid batteries by giving high cycle life, zero or low maintenance, making batteries smart and intelligent and environment friendly. Whether it is urban setting or rural, with good grid or poor grid, indoor or outdoor, big requirement or small one, hot or humid climates – Exicom’s Li-ion solutions can serve all customer’s needs. These batteries have great cyclic capabilities, long life and are smart. Capability to do fast charging helps in reducing DG run hours in off grid and poor grid scenarios.

With our core R&D and BMS expertise, we have been able to successf u l l y modify a n d innovate the products suitable for local conditions and deploy-

»

EXICOM DC Fast Charger

33

March/ April 2018 SmartEnergy

Expert Insight ment in any part of the world. Our state-of-the-art manufacturing setup in Gurgaon, and pan India service support set us apart from the competition and conventional systems.

Q

.Could you share us road map for achieving 1GW of storage solutions by 2018-19?

We already have announced our target to deploy 1 GWh of energy storage solutions across different applications by the financial year 2018-19. Out of which we have already deployed over 600 MWh of energy storage solutions.

We continue to grow as the size of the industry grows. However as an early entrant & market leader, we already have an advantage over the competition due to our experience and mass deployment of technologies.

Exicom AC Charger

Lots of initiatives have been announced by Govt. for Telecom and other sectors for early adoption of these advance technologies. We want to capitalize our current market leadership position & experience in deployment for approx. 5 years in the said sector.

In Mobility, we have supplied decent number of battery solutions in India and will be providing many more in next few months.

Presently EXICOM is offering both off the shelf as well as customized battery solutions for home and public charging for 2W, 3W, Passenger Segment and Commercial Vehicles.

Well suited for Indian rugged conditions, these are suitable for deployment at Residential, Commercial and Com-

munity Parking locations. We are also working on couple of innovative solutions which presently are in research & development stage.

As the Industry grows, we look at a big market share in battery solutions and charging infrastructure for us.

Q

.Tell us more about your R&D and manufacturing facilities in India?

Exicom opened its new state of the art manufacturing facilities in late 2016 for power and energy solutions in Gurgaon, India. The facility is equipped with automatic and manual insertion lines, module assembly and system assembly lines, automatic test stations at every point, burn in / environment testing rooms, and robotic inventory management systems.

Exicom is supported by in house team of amazing R&D engineers whose job is to design optimum DC Energy systems, develop rectifiers, control/monitoring devices, software and other building blocks that go into the assembly of power systems. Almost all of Exicom’s revenues are derived from in house developed products. The development efforts focus both on leading technologies, & incremental improvements of existing designs and always with an overall aim of increasing performance while reducing costs.

We have also invested heavily in infrastructure by means of putting up exclusive Battery Repair Centers across India with trained manpower to support mass deployment and ensure smooth functioning & performance as per desired SLAs.

Q

.Exicom has been bestowed with various awards and recognitions, to what do you attribute your success to?

We have come a long way since the year 2013 (when we first focused on energy storage) in our initiatives to establish and embrace energy storage technolo-

34 SmartEnergy March/ April 2018

gies – and continuously trying to get as much value out of them as possible. Today we are well recognized as a trusted partner for various pilot and mass scale projects with experience and a track record of 600 MWh deployment – we are a company with an international footprint, global presence and a local engineering capability.

Exicom is active contributors to the ‘Make in In0000dia’ initiative.

000We are championing the cause of establishing Lithium-ion technology across various sectors so that competitive pricing can set in and encourage the industry. All these factors have made us one of the most preferred companies by customers.

Q

.What role do you envisage Exicom to play in the India power and energy storage space in the coming 5 years?

The Indian energy storage market looks promising with opportunities for both stationary and EV applications, particularly with the government’s push towards EV segment. With the ambitious target of installing 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022, energy storage technologies have strategic importance for India’s energy security and clean energy future.

Also with introduction of supporting policies and investments at the right time, it is very likely that India will become one of the leading markets and a manufacturing hub for energy technologies, not just for domestic production but for various export markets as well.

Historically being a charger company and having a rich background of providing power electronics solution to our big global customers and meeting captive orders, and with the acquired experience since the early stage in power and energy storage space, we hope to emerge as one of the leading solution providers in the opening market and having an advantage over the competition due to our experience and our mass deployment of technologies   www.supersmartenergy.com

let’s read anytime, anywhere, any device

Your Favourite Magazine on your smart devices visit www.supersmartenergy.com for latest updates from the solar and renewable energy industry

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Rooftop Solar

Using Municipal Bonds to Finance Rooftop Solar projects

T

here is both an opportunity and challenges of using municipal corporation for the acceleration of rooftop solar. Therefore, if municipalities are to play a role in the necessary acceleration of rooftop solar in India, they will need to look for new sources of finance and business models to spur the required development.

This will also require building partnerships with local solar developers and other stakeholders in the domestic and even international financial markets.

accounts for approximately 84% of currently existing rooftop solar systems in India and is mainly driven by commercial and industrial operators.

There are two business models to deploy rooftop solar in India.

›The second model is the OPEX model or the third party financing model in which a renewable energy service company (RESCO) provides all the necessary capital and is responsible for installing, operating, and maintaining the rooftop solar system in exchange for a fixed tariff Power Purchasing Agreement (PPA) with a customer, or multiple customers. This model is also referred as third-party financing model.

›The first one is the CAPEX model in which the consumer fully owns, finances and consumes the energy generated by the PV system. Consumers in the CAPEX model are fully responsible for all capital expenditures, and bear all risks of operations, management, and maintenance. The CAPEX model

As CAPEX model is a self-funding model for the rooftop solar projects as far as the end consumer is concerned, it does not require much financing support from external entities. On the other hand, the third party financing model requires significant debt investment from the capi-

36 SmartEnergy March/ April 2018

tal market. Hence, the municipal corporation can collaborate with the rooftop solar developers to facilitate the access of the debt capital from the capital markets under the OPEX model route.

A research article published by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) proposes the OPEX model as one of the promising solutions to address several barriers to scaling rooftop solar. According to studies conducted by CPI, the third party financing model is expected to dominate the rooftop solar market, given its benefits for consumers of no upfront and installation cost and the operation and management services being carried out by local developers.

Globally, the third-party financing model has been a significant driver of growth in the rooftop solar sector. However, the third party financing model has not picked up in India at the rates expected due to the lack of avail-

 www.supersmartenergy.com

ability of debt capital at competitive cost, which affects the ability for companies advancing this business model to scale.

Thus, to achieve further scale for the OPEX model for rooftop solar in India, alternative methods of financing should be considered.

Overview of Solar Municipal Bond Model:

all activities from design to operation are taken care by a private developer. In the proposed model, however, CPI recommendes that municipalities should raise debt capital to finance rooftop solar development. The transaction structure is similar to the Morris County model successfully used in the USA for financing the rooftop solar but limited to the public

places only. The proposed SMB model advocates its implementation beyond public buildings.

Rationale for municipal bonds for rooftop solar projects: Before discussing the transaction

Âť

The CPI study propose an alternate approach where municipal corporations can play the role of finance aggregators for rooftop solar projects deployed under the OPEX route. The proposed model called Solar Municipal Bond (SMB) model advocates a bottom-up approach to facilitate financing for rooftop solar projects and complements the existing government efforts to achieve the 40 GW national targets. The SMB model suggests using municipal financing for rooftop solar projects. It is based on a publicprivate-partnership (PPP) investment approach for rooftop solar projects at city level where municipalities would issue bonds and then transfer the proceeds to private solar rooftop developers through special purpose vehicles (SPVs).

This model differs slightly from a conventional designbuild- finance-operate (DBFO) model.

In a typical DBFO investment model,

37 

March/ April 2018 SmartEnergy 

Rooftop Solar Bond Issuer

Source of Finance

Bond Service Payments

Corporate Muncipal Entity (CME)

Lease Payments

or

Investor Bond Proceeds

Escrow Account

Master SPV

Solar Asset Transfer (Via Capital Lease)

PPA Payments excluding lease payments Advance Payments or a Security fee toweards lease

Project SPVs Electricity (as per PPA)

Figure 1: Transaction Structure of Solar Municipal Bond Model

structure of the solar municipal bond model in more detail, let us take in to account the rationale of using municipal bonds as financing mechanism for the rooftop solar: ii Build-in Incentives for Municipalities under Solar City Program Municipalities have target-based responsibilities to increase renewable energy deployment under the Solar City Program, so they have a built-in incentive to increase rooftop solar in their jurisdiction.

However, the targets set under the program are quite moderate and municipal corporations can be given additional responsibilities to increase these targets as per their true potential. ii Municipalities are in a better position to raise capital by issuing bonds The main advantage for the proposed public-debt based financing for rooftop solar under the OPEX model is that compared to private developers; municipal governments are in a better position to raise capital by issuing bonds.

The key reason behind this is that Municipal Corporations have relatively larger balance sheets as compared to that of a rooftop solar developer, which provides the feasible financial strength and

capital base to raise bonds from the capital markets. ii High credit worthiness One important reason why municipalities are in a better position to raise debt-based finance than project developers is their credit ratings relative to that of rooftop solar project developers. More than half of the rated municipalities - 94 in total- are investment grade (i.e. BBB- or above); whereas almost all rooftop developers are below investment grade. A high credit worthiness is essential for successful listing of a bond as it not only helps in reducing the cost of debt servicing but also attracts long-term institutional investors. ii Easier access guarantees:

to

public

Being government-backed entities, municipal corporations can leverage upon the strength of the state or central government to secure guarantees on bonds. This helps in raising the credit rating of the bonds. For private project developers, it is quite difficult to access such guarantees from the government institutions. ii Security for investors In addition to the project revenues which are used to service the bond payments, municipal corporations

38 SmartEnergy March/ April 2018

PPA Payments

Consumers, Off-takers

have various other streams of revenues such as property taxes, service taxes etc. which can provide security for investors in case project revenues are not sufficient to service the bond payments. Private solar developers rarely have revenues other than that from solar energy generation. ii Enhanced Feasibility One of the key issues that a private rooftop solar developer faces in raising the debt capital is the small size of the projects, which increase transaction costs. Given municipalities’ relatively good proximity with the consumers, the municipal corporation can quickly facilitate rooftop solar project aggregation. If rooftop solar developers would like to access the debt capital through municipal bonds, multiple developers would have to aggregate their projects at city level which would ensure the aggregation of the projects and make the issuance of the bond more feasible. This process will also help to reduce the transaction costs of raising the debt capital.

Incentives for municipal corporations Municipal bond issuance can expedite governance reforms. A municipal bond issue would mean not only a plethora of challenges

 www.supersmartenergy.com

but also offer the local body a number of opportunities. Most importantly, a successful bond issue warrants financial discipline and accountability of the issuer.

Past experiences have proved that efficiency of project management systems, procedures to reduce time delays and cost overruns, and a healthy revenue system are essential for constant engagement with capital markets. A rooftop solar project in this respect could be a less risky project than alternative projects to be funded through bonds as the revenue streams of a rooftop solar project are largely assured due to PPAs and would prepare municipalities for larger issues in the future.

Transaction Structure of the Proposed Municipal Bond Model The proposed solar municipal bond model for rooftop solar combines public debt-based finance with an existing OPEX model.

Under this mechanism, a public entity would issue a bond at low cost- long tenor and transfers the bond proceed to a private developer. This model is quite similar to bond-PPA model called Morris County Model, named after Morris County in New Jersey, U.S., which developed the model to finance solar power installations on public facilities in 2011.

However, in the proposed bond model for India, CPI proposes going one step further from the U.S. based Morris county model. In Morris County model, the municipal corporations raise bonds to facilitate the financing of only those solar projects, which are installed for municipal corporation consumption. In the CPI model, the fund raised through a municipal bond would be used to finance as many rooftop solar projects as possible including residential, commercial, and industrial customers.

The model combines many of the benefits of self-ownership and third-party ownership from the perspective of local government as consumer. Like self-ownership, the model allows local government to leverage low-cost public debt. Like a third-party financing model, the proposed model enables the developer to benefit through savings passed on from tax incentives i.e. the accelerated depreciation benefit. In addition, the local government and the other consumers receive fixed electricity costs for a long-term contract and have no operating and maintenance responsibilities for the solar equipment.

Figure 1 shows the transaction structure of the municipal solar bond model that is based on public-debt and OPEX model of project deployment. A public entity, in this case a special purpose vehi-

Âť

Rooftop Solar cle (SPV) which is 100% owned by a municipality, issues a revenue bond which would be ring fenced with the project cash flows. We refer to this SPV as Master SPV or the corporate municipal entity (CME).The bond can be raised by the municipal corporation directly as well. The main reason of raising the bond via SPV is to de-link the financial risk of the project from the municipal corporations’ financial books. However, we have assumed that the CME or the municipal corporation, whoever is raising the municipal bond, meets the required eligibility criteria laid

by SEBI (SEBI 2015). The CME then issues a request for proposal (RFP) seeking solar developer(s) to build, operate and own solar rooftop projects or a portfolio of projects on municipal buildings and other consumer segments.

The CME floats the bond to finance/refinance the development cost of solar PV projects.

The CME then enters into a capital lease agreement with the project SPVs owned by project developers. The project SPVs then sign a PPA with consumers to sell the electricity from PV systems.

Limitations of the Solar Municipal Bond structure ii Size of municipal bonds As per the SEBI’s guidelines, a bond should have a minimum issuance size of INR 1 billion if the issuance is via public placement route.

Municipal Corporations can also go for a private placement route to raise the bond as there is no such restrictions. However, if we want to optimize the transaction cost, the issuer should ideally raise at least INR 1 billion for private placement and INR 1.5 billion for public placement. Debt-based capital of this size would allow municipalities and solar rooftop developers to build rooftop solar systems of large-scale, and achieve low capital costs by pooling in individual small-scale projects. ii The model is more suitable for

Table 2: Estimated impact of expected low cost and long-term municipal bond on indicative cost of solar power DEBT TERMS (COST OF DEBT, TENOR)

RT SOLAR REDUCTION LCOE IN SOLAR (INR/KWH) LCOE

Commercial Loan (Base Case)

(11.5%, 12 Yrs)

5.79

Municipal Bond with cost similar to recent green bonds

(9.33%, 12 Yrs)

5.48

5.38%

Tax Free Municipal Bonda*

(8.00%, 12 Yrs)

5.28

8.78%

Municipal Bond with longer tenor

(11.50% 15 Yrs)

5.69

1.66%

(8.00%, 15 Yrs)

5.12

11.52%

Tax Free Municipal Bond with longer tenor

*Tax-free municipal bond are considered here to show one of the best scenario as far as the reduction in cost of financing is concerned. However, power generation projects may not be eligible to raise capital via tax-free municipal bonds under current regulations.

non-residential consumers The credit rating of the bond is one of the key criteria to ensure its successful subscription. In addition to the credit rating of the SPV, which depends partially on the rating of the respective municipality, the off-taker risk would be of utmost important. In the case of rooftop solar installed under the Opex route, enforcement of PPA contracts is a major concern for the project developers. This enforcement becomes relatively difficult when the off-taker is a residential consumer. On the other hand, off-taker risks of municipal, commercial, and industrial consumers are relatively lower.

Also, most of the existing rooftop solar projects under OPEX models in India involve commercial and industrial customers. Hence, for initial success of the SMB model, it is recommended disbursing the capital from the bond proceeds for the projects in the non-residential consumer class. Hence, the solar municipal bond model will remain most suitable for nonresidential customers because of low off-taker risk until a solution is found to reduce residential offtaker risk.

40 SmartEnergy March/ April 2018

ii Short-term solutions for refinancing projects through the municipal bond It should be noted that the origination of initial debt would be through a conventional bank as bonds are not suitable when portfolios of projects have not reached to a certain scale, as is the current case in India for rooftop solar. Once the projects get stabilized and start generating regular revenues, the initial debt would be refinanced through the municipal bond. It is assumed that a bank would agree to originate the short-term loan because of: a) the larger size of the projects achieved through aggregation of all the projects at the municipal corporation level; b) the assurance from the municipal corporation that the initial short-term loan would be paid or refinanced through a Municipal bond within a year or two.

Another way to reach the required stability in project portfolios before the municipal bonds can be raised would be to create a warehouse line of credit. This

»  www.supersmartenergy.com

warehouse would take care of the required aggregation of the creditworthy rooftop solar projects and also provide the initial line of credit over a period not exceeding 24 months. Once the required aggregation and the stability in terms of project cash flows is achieved, the refinancing of the warehouse line of credit would be done by issuing asset backed municipal bonds. The refinancing should reduce the loan costs and free up capital from the warehouse line of credit to finance additional projects.

Expected benefits of the solar municipal bond ii Reduced levelized cost of electricity from rooftop solar The solar municipal bond structure is expected to offer better debt terms than commercial alternatives, which are passed on to electricity consumers. In this model, the project developers make capital lease payments that fully cover the bond service payments. These lease payments would be lower than the payments on commercial loan that a solar developer would otherwise have borrowed. The lower cost is expected due to the better credit rating of the municipalities, overcollateralization of the bond, and certain upfront payment towards the capital lease. The tenor of the lease is also expected to be longer compared to that of the commercial loan due to more flexibility available in a capital lease mechanism. Hence, the cost savings due to low-cost, long-term lease capital would enable the project developer to offer an attractive PPA price to its consumers.

Table 2 shows the expected impact of cost of financing using municipal bonds on the cost of rooftop solar power. As there are little empirical data about the yield curves of municipal bonds in India, it is difficult to estimate the probable costs of municipal solar bonds. Thus, here the cost of debt of the recent green bonds raised by Indian entities is used as

a proxy to estimate the benefits of the proposed municipal bond.

of investors into the rooftop solar sector

A tax-free bond for a tenor of 12 years can reduce the solar power cost by 8.38%, and, if tenor can be increased to 15 years, the reduction would be more than 11.5%.

This means that rooftop solar power would become cost competitive for residential consumers in the states of Delhi, Karnataka, Haryana, Punjab if these states opt for the municipal bond approach.

The recent municipal bond (taxable) issued by Pune Municipal Corporation has a coupon rate of 7.59%. If a similar coupon rate is assumed for municipal rooftop solar bonds, then the reduction in the cost of solar power can be even greater than 11%.

A study conducted by Climate Policy Initiative (CPI 2016c) showed that domestic investors including institutional investors, non-banking finance companies (NBFC) and development finance institutions have a total debt investment potential of USD 56 billion to be channeled to renewable energy in India.

Even if the bonds are issued as taxable instruments, the relatively better credit rating of the municipal corporations is expected to make their borrowings cheaper than that of the solar developer.

For example, recently, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) raised a bond at a coupon rate of 7.51% and New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) announced its plan to raise a bond via nonconvertible debenture (NCD) route and is expecting similar coupon rates. Both these municipal corporations are being rated AA+ by credit rating agencies and hence have a competitive cost of debt. ii Issuance of municipal bonds enhance the capacity of local governments to access capital markets Given that rooftop solar projects have become commercially feasible in India, raising municipal bonds for such projects is attractive for municipal governments interested in accessing capital markets for a broader range of projects, as well as for prospective investors in these bonds. This model will be a good proof-ofconcept for municipalities to build their capacity for future bond and capital market-financed projects

Solar power generation projects provide a relatively stable stream of revenues for longer duration via PPAs. This will attract investors, especially institutional investors who prefer longer, stable and predictable returns on their investments. Hence, a significant amount of untapped investment can be unlocked for rooftop solar through the municipal bond route.

Municipal bonds issued in the past have been able to attract large domestic institutional investors (DIIs), such as provident funds, insurance companies, mutual funds, and commercial banks, irrespective of the projects for which the bonds were raised. Hence, investments from these DIIs can be mobilized into the rooftop solar segment via municipal bonds.

As they will be issued for clean energy projects, municipal bonds for rooftop solar will be green bonds that can attract additional classes of investors such as the dedicated green bond funds, private and public investors and multilateral organizations. India is already among the top ten largest green bond issuers in the world, with the majority of proceeds (76%) allocated to renewable energy projects. Hence, the proposed bond can be labelled as ‘green’ municipal bond to tap these additional classes of investors 

ii Mobilization of a varied class

41

March/ April 2018 SmartEnergy

Cover Story

Indian States

Go Large on Solar In recent years India has quickly Telangana and Karnataka have rapscaled up its use of renewable power. idly expanded their solar capacities In 2014 India had 3GW of solar power and have overtaken state like Gujaand by the end of this fiscal India is rat, which once was the torchbearer likely to achieve 20GW of solar power. of solar in India. In this article writer One of the key factors facilitating the rapid transformation in the renewable landscape is the efforts and supports from state governments and implementing agencies. States like

I

Sneha Shah tracks the overall performance of solar sector in 2017 and the efforts and support from the key states in achieving overall target.

ndia has demonstrated great commitment and execution capabilities in installing solar capacity across the country. It achieved a cumulative 20 GW of solar energy installations in 2017 itself which was National Solar Mission’s original2022 target.This number is expected to further expand by another 10% to 22 GW by end of March 2018. Out of this total installed solar capacity, 7295 MW of solar power capacity was added in FY 2017-18 itself, compared to 5526 MW addition in FY 2016-17. The major southern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana led the solar growth last year. For the first time, solar energy was the biggest source of new power capacity addition in India.Solar tariffs also touched historical new lows of INR 2.44 per unit in India during last year.

However, the government still has the mammoth task of achieving 100 GW of solar installation target by 2022 and would require billions of dollars in additional funding and investment to achieve its renewable energy target. The rate of new tender announcements and auction completions have slowed down at the end of the last year mainly due to uncertainty created due to the possible imposition of the 70% safeguard duty on import of solar panels. The other major challenge facing the solar industry in India is that a number of states such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Punjab have reached a power

42 SmartEnergy March/ April 2018



The Pavagada Solar Park, touted to be the largest in the world, was launched March 1, 2018.

The 2,000 MW solar park, also called the Shakti Sthala, is situated at Pavagada in Tumakuru district of Karnataka. The massive park has been built over 13,000 acres across five villages with an investment of Rs 16,500 crore.

 www.supersmartenergy.com

surplus status and hence capacity addition might slow down in these states.

Policy Scenario remains supportive amidst strong growth across segments The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) announced a new policy providing incentives to distribution companies for commissioning rooftop solar projects.

One of the biggest hurdles in accelerating rooftop solar deployment has been the reluctance of utilities in providing timely approvals and grid connections. Under this policy, DISCOMs would be given a monetary incentive for achieving pre-set targets of rooftop solar additions. Besides this, ambitious bidding trajectory for adding 100 GW capacity of utility solar energy has also been laid down for the next three years. Major schemes for implementation of Solar Park, Solar Roof Top Scheme, Solar Defence Scheme, Solar scheme for CPUs Solar PV power plants on Canal Bank and Canal Tops, Solar Pump, Solar Rooftop etc. havealso been launched over the last two years.

India is not only leading the way in installing solar at home but also promoting solar energy in other developing countries. The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is the brainchild of the Prime Minister and has started to gain traction.

The French President pledged to provide over $860 million for solar projects in developing countries by 2022during the recent ISA summit in India. The member nations of the ISA have targeted to invest $1 trillion for creating 1,000 GW (or 1 TW) of solar power capacity by 2030. The Indian Prime Minister presented a financial plan focusing on concessional and less-risky

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March/ April 2018 SmartEnergy

Cover Story funding for solar projects to help nations gain access to affordable solar technology and raise the share of solar power in their respective country’s energy mix.

Top 10 Solar States in India State Ranking Based on Total Installed Utility-Scale Solar as of Dec 2017

India is also seeing a sharp growth in solar products and off grid segment. Over 1.42 lakh solar pumps and 41.8 lakh solar lighting systems were installed in the country as of November 2017 and solar projects of 23,656 MW capacities have been tendered with LoI for 19,340 MW being issued. The capacity of “Development of Solar Parks and Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects” scheme has also been doubled to 40,000 MW. India has distributed 28 crores LED bulbs over the last three years and has launched the ‘Atal Jyoti Yojana’, to benefit over seven million school going children under the Solar Study Lamp Scheme.

The Rooftop Solar Segment is seeing a strong push by the government The government of India has been aggressively promoting rooftop solar in the country as India suffers from a paucity of land and high real estate prices. The government recently implementedthe“Grid Connected Rooftop and Small Solar Power Plants”program which will aid in the installation of 2100 MW capacity through Central Financial Incentive (CFA)in the residential, social, Government/PSU and institutional sectors. Moreover, concessional loans for solar rooftop projects amounting to $1,375 million have been granted to leading PSU banks in India like State Bank of India, by multilateral

Installed Capacity

State

Other amendments in tariff policy to promote renewable energy include enhancement in solar RPO to 8% by March 2022, bundling of renewable power which will ensure affordability, no inter-state transmission charges for solar and wind power etc.

Telangana

3,154 MW

Karnataka

2,744 MW

Andhra Pradesh

2,279 MW

Rajasthan

2,261 MW

Tamil Nadu

1,720 MW

Gujarat

1,381 MW

Madhya Pradesh

1,295 MW

Punjab

793 MW

Maharashtra

776 MW

Uttar Pradesh

672 MW

The top four states which, now have over 2 GW of installed solar capacity, represent approximately 58 percent of the total installed capacity in the country

17.9 GW

Cumulative Solar Capacity

2.2 GW

Solar Installations Q4 2017

* Data from Mercom's India Solar Project Tracker

development institutions such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and New Development Bank.

The government has also proposed a new scheme“Sustainable Rooftop Implementation for Solar Transfiguration of India” (SRISTI), to provide financial aid of INR 23,450 crore for 40,000 MW of rooftop solar installations.As per this program, a maximum subsidy of INR 18,000 per kW will be provided to the residential sector, while INR 5,500 per kW will be given for all social, institutional, government and commercial sectors.India has planned to install 100 GW of solar power by 2022, out of which 40 GW will be rooftop solar installations. However, the country has achieved a meagre 1.6 GW of rooftop installations as of December 2017.

44 SmartEnergy March/ April 2018

According to the Rooftop Solar

Map 2017 by Bridge to India, Tamil Nadu had the largest rooftop solar capacity with 163 MW, followed

by Maharashtra with 137 MW and Rajasthan with 88 MW as of March 2017. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, cost of electricity from rooftop solar has nearly halved in the last five years.

The Railway Minister launched Mission 41k energy plan for Railways, which is expected to save INR 41,000 crores over the next decade by changing the overall energy mix of trains by using more renewable energy sources like solar and wind energy. 11 railway stations in Palakkad and Thiruvananthapuram divisions have decided to install rooftop solar panels withtotal capacity of 390 kW to reduce their electricity bills. It is expected that the installation could reduce electricity tariff from INR 8.10 per unit to INR 3.64

 www.supersmartenergy.com

per unit for 25 years.The Indian Railways have adopted solar in a big way setting up solar panels at the rooftops of its offices and railway stations.

Another new and laudable step undertaken by the southern hi-tech city of Bengaluru is the application of light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology to map the rooftop solar potential of the city. The city aims to generate 1,000 MW of rooftop solar energy by 2022. Such initiatives will be directed towards assessing on ground risks and true potential, and eventually aid in developing a clear and actionable plan to achieve this target.

Key Solar States driving the solar revolution in India The major renewable energy rich states in India are Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

The state with the highest solar installations in 2017 was Telangana followed by Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.Karnataka, Andhra

Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab together accounted for 80% of India’s total installed capacity. While Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Rajasthan have added more than 3 GW of solar capacity each, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab have added another 2 GW and 1 GW respectively.

Karnataka Karnataka leads Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat in terms of installed as well as tendered pipeline capacity. That state installed a whopping 2 GW of solar power in 2017. The state has also upwardly revised its solar installation target to 6000 MW by March 2021 out of which 40% will come from rooftop solar installations.

Karnataka’s estimated solar power potential has also been increased to 24.7 GW from 20 GW earlier.

The state is regarded as having one of the friendliest regulations and policies towards distributed solar generation. The solar policy in Karnataka encourages public private participation in this sector, solar rooftop generation and decentralized generation where grid is inaccessible. Karnataka is also inspiring farmers to lease their land for wind and solar farm



Uttar Pradesh’s biggest solar power plant in Mirzapur district’s Chhanvey block

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron stand together during the inauguration of solar power plant in Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh State on march 12, 2018

development. The state recently inaugurated the first phase of the world’s largest solar park of 2000 MW capacity spanning across 13,000 acres.

Telangana Telangana is another southern state that installed 2 GW of solar power in 2017. The state has shown tremendous growth in surpassing leading solar states like Gujarat to becomethe second largest solar state in India currently.

Telangana recently crossed the 3 GW mark in the first quarter of 2018 becoming one of the first Indian states to surpass 3 GW mark intotal solar installations.

Telangana is focusing on a distrib-

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March/ April 2018 SmartEnergy

Cover Story uted development model rather than accelerating solar installations through the solar park approach. The state’s decentralized solar power policy has helped in attracting solar developers and reducing transmission losses. It is planning to generate 5,000 MW solar powerby 2019. Telangana hashuge solar potential and is targeting to install 2,000 MW of rooftop solar by 2022. Favourable state policies like reducing red tape in government departments through fast approvals and 100% refund of VAT, GST, stamp duties etc. have ensured support for solar installations. The state has in a few short years of its creation become a solar superpower through enactment of progressive policies and rapid execution.

The addition of large solar power capacities has not only reduced the power deficit but also helped in keeping the prices of power affordable.

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh is another leading solar state. For comparison sake, Andhra Pradesh’s power consumption is only one-third that of Maharashtra, but its installed solar capacity is three times in comparison. The state has plans to achieve at least 5000 MW of total solar power capacity addition over the next five years. Its solar policy aggressively supports developing solar parks as well as distributed generation hand-in-hand.

The state government is promoting solar installations on the rooftops of public buildings, commercial and industrial establishments on gross and or net meter basis.

Andhra Pradesh solar policy also provides incentives in the form of exemption of transmission and distribution charges and losses, cross subsidy surcharge, electricity duty for captive consumption etc. Andhra Pradesh has seen a large number of industries adopting solar power as it has become cheaper than buying grid based power.

Rajasthan Rajasthan has the highest solar potential in India due to its vast land area which is mostly uninhabited and also receives very high solar radiation. The state has the potential to become a major solar power generator as well as exporter of this power to other states. The state government announced its solar energy policy in 2014 to add an additional capacity of 25,000MW in Rajasthan. The state also has Net metering scheme to promote rooftop generation. Jodhpur has the maximum projects in the state. Rajasthan’s 500 MW Bhadla solar park witnessed record low winning bids of INR 2.44/ kWh by Acme Solar Holdings Pvt. Ltd and SBG Cleantech Ltd. Gujarat The 2009 solar policy of Gujarat has a target for solarinstallations of upto 1 GW. However, there is a drawback in the state’s solar policy that permits only home owners to set up rooftop solar plants to take benefit of all incentives, and not allowing leasing of roofs. Gujarat which was once the trailblazer in solar capacity additions has slowed down as the state became power surplus. Gujarat under the current PM had installed a large number of solar power plants at relatively high rates. This made the distribution utilities reluctant to buy more solar energy. This allowed other states particularly

46 SmartEnergy March/ April 2018

the power deficit states of the south to lead the march. However, Gujarat has again started to add more wind and solar power over the last year and is planning to add 250 MW over the next couple of years.

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu accounted for almost one-fifth of India’s total renewable energy generation in 201617. Tamil Nadu has long been the leader in terms of wind power capacity in India accounting for a lion’s share of wind energy generation. Now it plans to increase the solar power installed capacity by 5,000 MW in the coming years. The state has the potential to increase its solar capacity by six times till 2027. Renewables account for more than 35% of the state’s total power generation fleet. The state also has a strong pipeline of about 2 GW of solar projects.

Maharashtra The government of Maharashtra has set an installation target of 7500 MW of solar power generation capacity by 2019. Compared to other states, Maharashtra has not installed solar energy at the same rapid rates. However, the state has started to become more focused on renewable energy and has a huge potential to add more solar power.

Uttar Pradesh

 www.supersmartenergy.com

Uttar Pradesh is also slowly but steadily moving ahead in the solar race. The government of Uttar Pradesh has set a target of 10,700 MW for solar power installation by 2022 and projects to source 8% of its power needs from renewable energy sources. The state is infamous for its shoddy power infrastructure and developers are also jittery in signing new projects given the bureaucratic lethargy in the state. Recently, UP’s largest solar power plant was inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron. The 75 MW solar power plantwasbuilt at a cost of around INR 500 crore

by French firm ENGIE, spanning across 380 acres of land.

Chandigarh Chandigarh has been named as the rooftop solar capital of India.

The Union Territory had issued a notification making installation of solar panels mandatory on the rooftops of residential houses measuring 500 square yard and above as well asgroup housing societies.Installation of rooftop solar power plants was made compulsory for new construction and the owners of existing houses were given two years to comply with the direction. With only two months left for the twoyear deadline to expire, the Chandigarh administration is all set to issue notices to owners to have failed to comply.

According to a survey conducted by BTI, the industry voted for Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat as the top three states in ease of doing business for solar projects, while Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu were ranked as the least attractive. Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were voted as the top three states on attractiveness of their open access solar market.

India is amongst the few countries to host some of largest solar power plants andalso has the highest solar electricity production

per watt installed. The 648 MWKamuthi Solar Power Project, Tamil Nadu is worth mentioning here.

The plant was built in a record time of eight months and is the largest solar plant at a single location, which can provide enough electricity to power 150,000 homes. Kurnool Solar Park in Andhra Pradesh has emerged as the world’s largest solar park. With 1000 MW capacity, the park is fully commissioned and operational.

35 solar parks of total capacity exceeding 20,500 MW have already been approved in 21 states.As a result of capacity enhancement under Solar Park Scheme last year, three new solar parks were approvedinRajasthan, Gujarat and Mizoram with total capacity exceeding 1500 MW.

Risks & Challenges As per Indian government’s Make in India policy, domestic solar companies have been encouraged to manufacture solar components and equipment in India. However, cheap imports from China and other neighbouring countries have almost completely captured the domestic market with a share of more than 90%. The government of India has therefore, proposed a 70% preliminary safeguard duty and 7%+port duty on imported modules.

This has created regulatory uncertainty in the country and developers are afraid of signing new PPAs or making further commitments.

The other major risk is regulatory uncertainty around the Goodsand Services Tax (GST) which qualifies modules for a concessional rate of 5%, but there is still no clarity around rates on other equipment. Overall, the country suffers from a lack of a clear and unified solar policy vision. Often government policies are conflicting in nature which leaves developers in a state of confusion. The country still has to install 80 GW

in the next five years and inconsistent policies might imposechallenges to further growth of the industry.

Other than that, the continuously falling price of solar projects has led to cancellations of several on-going solar tenders. For example, 2017 witnessed states including Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu renegotiating projects which were previously allotted at higher tariffs. Not even one PPA has been signed for the 1 GW Jharkhand solar tender.

As prices continue to fall, solar will become more and more financially lucrative. It will not only become attractive from theenvironmental perspective but will also become an attractive investment proposition in the long run.

As the solar market matures, the government will slowly withdraw all the incentives.

The truth is that even if MNRE makes guidelines, the real power to enforce those lies with the state DISCOMs. In order to achieve the 8% RPO target by 2022, the MNRE has allotted state targets, but state’s performance has not been very impressive so far.

Conclusion Though the government is trying hard to promote solar aggressively, some of its policies still lack clarity and structure, which has led to a slowdown in installations. It is imperative for the Indian government to implement policies that remove uncertainties for the industry and create an environment conducive for solar growth. The government needs to realise that the largest renewable capacity expansion program is being taken up by India, globally.

Currently, renewable power in the country constitutesaround 18% to the total installed power generation capacity. The government’s target is to take this figure to 40% by 2030 as per its global climate change commitments 

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March/ April 2018 SmartEnergy

Quality & Performance

LEADING I-V CURVE TRACER FOR PV MODULES

T

he verification of system performance and energy output from the panels is particularly important and a major reason why periodic verification and testing of the system can also be very important – as well as being essential to comply with warranty and PV system guarantees. Seaward Solar offers PV installation testers that provide a complete solution for Solar PV electrical and environmental testing.

The absolute minimum testing that needs to be undertaken involves continuity measurements, open circuit voltage, short circuit current, insulation resistance and irradiance. Other tests involving the use of I-V curve tracers and power analyzers are very useful to carry out certain diagnostic testing or to assess different performance parameters of the solar PV system. One important parameter that stands out and needs to be tested to ensure the health of the PV system is the I-V curve.

Pre-installation Testing the modules prior to installation saves time in the long run and helps during troubleshooting at a later date. It also gives an indication of the power output prior to installation so that the LID (Light Induced Degradation) effect can be monitored.

Commissioning Taking an I-V curve of an array at the commissioning stage gives us a benchmark for future comparisons. It also helps the commissioning team to diagnose

issues before going off site thus saving return visits. The PV200 from Seaward can perform all the required solar PV commissioning tests included in IEC 61829 and IEC62446.

Ongoing Operation and Maintenance Loss in power generation can be noted and understood by measuring the I-V curve of an array. Testing the string can identify issues at the modular level and this can help in saving a lot of time on the site. The Seaward PV Mobile App has been designed so that the curve report can be emailed directly from the field.

The PV200 Solarlink Test Kit is an all-in-one tool that can perform all commissioning test requirements of the IEC 62446:2016. It holds the secret to making PV testing more efficient, easier and safer. Solarlink connectivity between the PV200 tester and Solar Survey 200R irradiance meter, allows the results from the irradiance, module and ambient temperature from the 200R to be transmitted over a wireless link and be recorded in real time in the PV200.

as testing its electrical output, to know whether it is working to its potential under the existing irradiance levels. If the electrical output is different from the manufacturers’ quoted values, it must be determined whether this is due to a fault in the PV installation, or simply because irradiance was different from STC. This is very important for I-V curve tracing where the accuracy of irradiance data, including the changes in irradiance during a test, are very important. The PV200 tester is the only hand held PV electrical test instrument on the market offering short circuit current, open circuit voltage, insulation resistance, earth continuity and I-V Curve tracing functionality.

I-V Curve Tracer for the health of your PV Module The electrical power produced by a solar PV cell or module is a function of the current (I) and voltage (V) characteristics. Measuring the relationship between current and voltage whilst varying the electrical load connected to the PV cell

The electrical output will vary significantly with changes in the level of in-plane irradiance. Solar PV panel manufacturers quote the electrical output at standard test conditions (STC) with an irradiance level of 1000 W/ m2. Therefore, when commissioning a PV system, it is necessary to measure the level of irradiance at the same time

48 SmartEnergy March/ April 2018

 www.supersmartenergy.com

Use I-V Curve technology for maintaining your power plant Solar module datasheets show I-V curves that give an indication of the maximum power output of the module at Standard Test Conditions (STC). This reading is taken in the PV manufacturing plant under laboratory conditions. By using a handheld I-V curve tracer and intelligent software, it is possible to transpose the I-V curves in the field to the STC levels. These curves can then be compared in order to get an indication of the

Pmax

.......................................

Is/c Impp .......................................................................................................

Mpp

Current

Power is the product of voltage and current and so the power vs voltage curve shown can be generated from the measured voltage and current data. The power vs voltage curve shows the point at which the power is a maximum (Pmax). The corresponding maximum power point Mpp is shown on the I-V curve. Loading the PV module such that the current is Impp and voltage is Vmpp will operate the PV module at the maximum power point (Mpp) and result in the maximum power generation.

I-V Curve

Voltage plant’s predicted performance vs its actual performance.

Hundreds of units of PV200 have already been supplied all over India to leading EPCs and module manufacturers like L&T, Adani, Suzlon, Renew Power and Azure Power etc. There are many instruments available on the market that are sold under the title of Solar Testing so it is vital to ensure that the instruments selected are capable of performing all of the tests required by the IEC 62446 standard.

The nature of PV testing is such that it can expose the installer to high voltages, so the selection of an instrument, which is capable of automatically, and safely performing tests greatly improves efficiency and safeguards the installer.

The availability of new multipurpose solar PV test instrumentation also means that the functions of a number of individual test instruments can be combined in a single tool – with consequent sav-

..........................................................................................

or module from open circuit to short circuit produces a characteristic current vs voltage (I-V) curve as shown below. The points where the curve meets the current and voltage axes are the short-circuit current Is/c and open circuit voltage Vo/c respectively.

Vmpp

Vo/c

ings in cost and improved practical considerations. All the commissioning tests, irradiance, temperature and I-V characteristics can be recorded at the press of a button.

Simultaneous measurement and recording of irradiance, open circuit voltage (Voc) and short circuit current (Isc) is required for the PV Array Test Report for IEC 62446. While many of the more reputable and discerning solar PV installers recognize the importance of testing to the standard, it is of serious concern that some installers are failing to perform the required tests, or at best only partly fulfilling this obligation.

Isothermal Technology Private Ltd. (ITPL) is the premier instrumentation solution provider through its wide range of products such as testing instruments, calibration standards and calibration benches relating to Temperature, Pressure, Electrical, Electronics, Process, Flow, Humidity and Solar applications  For any queries please visit our website or contact us at: Website: www.itplindia.co.in Email: solar@isotech.co.in Phone : +91-9810339072/ +91-9810134932

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March/ April 2018 SmartEnergy

Company Profile

Sai CabTech Comprehensive Solar and Renewable Energy Solution Provider

S

ai Cab Tech, an ISO 9001:2015, is engaged in designing, manufacturing, supplying, installation, testing and commissioning of various types of products and services for electrical substation/switchyards, power transmission &distribution, electrical transformers, EPC for all Renewal energy project, electrical panels, HT/LT electrical power cables & conductors, marine cables, all electrical installation work, telecom infrastructure, telecom cable inclusive of optical fiber cables, hybrid cables and cables for special application.

We channelized through a single window system, the company provide a complete customized turnkey –based solutions in the field of power transmission and distribution, electrical installations, Solar energy projects, telecom infrastructure and complete industrial power solutions etc.

The company also provides service for preparation of feasibility study report for solar power generation projects, preparation of power purchase agreements, legal agreements, technical and commercial DPR, solution for renewable purchase obligations, compliance audit of renewable power procurement by the distribution licensees’ captive generator, open access users etc. on annual basis.

It provides customized solution with quality, timely delivery and after sales services as and when required as per customer needs.

The company operates throughout India.

The company is a Government approved electrical contractor for

Leadership Mr. Prakash Soni, Chairman & Managing Director

power & telecom sector.

SAI CABTECH P. LIMITED & TELEPOWER INFRA COMPANY founded by Mr. Prakash Soni, a Technocrat holding a first class Bachelor of Engineering with Masters in Business Administration. He brings with him over more than two decades of experience into Designing, Research & Development, and Manufacturing of customized product and cost effective solutions in the field of

Possessing sound technical knowledge, Mr. Soni along with his team of experienced engineers, initiated focusing on imparting indepth knowledge with the industries involving them in designing of Power, Telecommunication and Electrical System as per their specific requirements.

This earned him recognition, acceptance & ample response from the industries that resulted in various opportunities to work with the industry´s majors. Under his expert guidance, Sai CabTech P Ltd and Telepower Infra Company today are reckoned amongst leading solution provider to the most complex requirement of various areas globally.

66 Kv class and channel partner to MNRE and state nodal agency for solar power projects.

Turnkey Solar Projects The company offers expertise in installations of a wide range of tailor made solutions for Solar Rooftop On Grid for residential rooftop, industrial roof, metal roof mounting structure commercial buildings, hospitals, school and college buildings. The whole system is composed of PV mod-

50 SmartEnergy March/ April 2018

ules, solar inverter, smart controller, solar mounting structure and an online monitoring system.

Through residential rooftop solution, the resident can generate its own power onsite and enjoy the benefits of sustainable and reliable power with no major recurring cost and minimum maintenance.

They can also avail of subsidy and accelerated depreciation benefits, which reduce their carbon footprint and helps to maintain towards a greener planet for future generation. The company  www.supersmartenergy.com

also provides customized rooftop solutions to meet specific requirements and offer an independent power source for commercial and residential consumers. The company installs industrial Rooftop in mills, warehouses, manufacturers, processors etc. and undertakes solar farms or solar ranches projects. The company also undertakes installation of off grid solar energy systems for residential and industrial site.

Sai CabTech solar solutions for agriculture include understanding of nature of water requirement, the type of irrigation employed and the depth of water availability.

Based on these, the type of pump, the controller capacity and the solar module capacity required are worked out. The structures can be made either stand alone or tracking based on the site conditions The company’s client base

includes Reliance industries, ONGC, Adani, Larsen & Turbo, Tata consultancy services, Ford Motors, BSNL, Indian railways, ISRO, NTPC, BHEL, Bharat Electronics, GSPC and many other prestigious clients.

Solar Solutions Sai CabTech is specialized in system designing and commissioning solar projects. The company is also channel partner with MNRE for developing solar projects. The company also provides Post-installation services that are integral to maintaining energy production and high level of per-

formance for the project, including preventative maintenance and a quick mean time to repair (MTTR).

The solar operated water pumps manufactured by the company is well suited under low maintenance and proven technology to meet water pumping needs using Solar Energy 

Solar Power Projects r fo cy en Ag l da No e at St & E A Channel Partner of MNR for 66KV Class Govt. Approved Electrical Contractor

+91 9898694400 I + 91 79 40088752

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March/ April 2018 SmartEnergy

View Point

Scaling up Renewables for the 'Make in India' growth story

T

he scaling up of Renewable energy is imperative to the success and growth of the ‘Make in India’ initiative. With government’s thrust, the country is experiencing positive winds of change in the Energy sector particularly in Renewables.

Clean energy sector is already contributing ~13% of India’s total installed power capacity which is mainly driven by over 32 GW of Wind power. The government has set an ambitious target of 175 GW of Renewable energy capacity by 2022 in order to provide 24/7 power to all and achieve energy security in an environmentally sustainable way. Indeed, India has the potential and capability to lead the global transition to renewable energy sources and become the renewable energy technology hub to the world. What we require now is policy predictability and execution.

I believe, renewable industry can play two pivotal roles in actualizing the vision of ‘Make in India’ initiative. ii India can be transformed into a manufacturing hub for renewable energy technologies: There is enormous scope for indigenizing technology and component manufacturing. India is still heavily reliant on imports especially for Solar PV cells and other components. By securing the supply chain for Wind, Solar and other Renewable technologies in India, we can not only reduce the cost of these technologies, but also create value additions and employment in the country. This would act as a GDP multiplier as seen in Europe and China ii Renewables energy is key to competitiveness of Indian manu-

facturing and exports. Take any major Industry in India, power constitutes as a critical input and cost. Owing to rapidly declining cost of energy from renewables, renewable energy sources such as Wind is less expensive than the prevailing commercial or industrial tariff. In fact, many corporates, Public sector units and Small and Medium enterprises such as in textiles have already tapped the benefits of Wind power to hedge their energy costs. Indian industries can hedge 25 years of their energy costs by investing into Wind or Solar. Therefore, to develop a strong manufacturing and export base with global competitiveness, we need large scale renewable energy base in India.

services.

I suggest some key measures to boost renewable energy and wind energy in particular.

The success of ‘Make in India’ needs long term and integrated policy approach amongst all stakeholders- India Inc, policy makers, and academia amongst others. I am confident, with a collaborative approach the Indian renewable sector will grow manifold and India can emerge as the innovation and manufacturing hub for renewables.

ii Availability of grid and land infrastructure at state level is a concern and the state governments need to invest in that area well in advance based on available wind and solar resources in the state. ii Renewable energy needs largescale funding so Banks and Financial Institutions should earmark a certain percentage of finance for Renewable Energy projects and finance should be available for longer period of 20 years. This will ensure lower cost of energy which will benefit the end consumer. ii Renewable Energy is the key catalyst for economic growth of our country and development of renewable energy such as Wind is vital to attract domestic manufacturing in the country, rural employment through projects and operation and maintenance

52 SmartEnergy March/ April 2018

ii It is imperative for the industry players to raise the quality standards and asset value optimization efforts. From the Wind energy perspective, we need to introduce many more innovative products that can harness energy from low wind sites at a competitive cost. Turbines with advanced control systems, improved scheduling and forecasting, digitally controlled smart grids and storage systems are also required in order to smoothen out variability. ii We have numerous opportunities to bring down the life cycle cost of energy from wind further by leveraging technology and optimizing supply chain.

The views expressed in this article are that of Mr. Tulsi Tanti. He is Chairman of Suzlon Energy Ltd, a company dealing in wind energy. The views are part of the blog published on www. suzlon.com. You can read more of him at www.suzlon.com/blog.

 www.supersmartenergy.com

Tech Review

Head-to-Head: PERC or Mono Half-Cell

B

oth technically advanced and low cost seems like a dichotomous notion that rarely coexists in a singular form. However, things are about to change in solar as one of major technical advancements, half-cell modules, hits the market. Many Tier 1 manufacturers have already been heavily focused on developing half-cut designs. Industry experts expect that half-cut cells will continue to gain market share over the next 10 years.

Take JinkoSolar as an example.

Half-cell has been a technology that the company has been very excited about as the company finds that the performance gains by cutting the cells in half are well worth the extra manufacturing requirements. Compared to its conventional full-cell product, at JinkoSolar, half-cell products has a roughly 5-10 W output advantage based on different modules. The gains from half-cell technology are the most significant when applied to standard monocrystalline products.

Given the performance and economical strengths of half-cell products on monocrystalline products, the conversation today when picking high performance modules is no longer about whether to pick monocrystalline or polycrystalline module, but about figuring out what dollar per kW/h to opt for.

Traditionally, you have the flagship Monocrystalline PERC, which has extremely high output figures with a very sub-

ucts through a comprehensive set of benchmarks to find out which is best – take a deep dive into output, degradation, prices and Mono PERC Cell LCOE too. While some Mono PERC users will conTaking a deeper dive, the range tinue to use Mono PERC if they topping PERC products current face heavy space constraints, I see has an output of over 305-310W. Mono half-cell launching a very Guess what? So does the rangstrong campaign against to unseat ing toping half-cell products.

Mono PERC as the high-efficiency JinkoSolar’s half-cell mono series module of choice. puts out a respectable 300W and can reach a peak as high as 310 However don’t worry too W. Yet, the half-cell products are much, as JinkoSolar has been significantly cheaper than PERC raising the bar when it comes to modules. Half-cell mono module monocrystalline module. Both can achieve far more generation of JinkoSolar’s Mono PERC and at a far less marginal cost. Beyond Mono half-cell have been a hit. price, half-cell modules also have So if quality panels with a great much better shade tolerance than price-performance ratio are what that of full-sized modules, so if you seek, you won’t go wrong with you're doing a residen- either of JinkoSolar’s modules tial project where JinkoSolar is a global leader there may be a in the solar industry. JinkoSolar lot of shade, distributes its solar products and you might sells its solutions and services even getter to a diversified international better output utility, commercial and residenfrom halftial customer base in China, the cell modules United States, Japan, Germany, than PERC the United Kingdom, Chile, South modules.

Africa, India, Mexico, Brazil, the So, if you United Arab Emirates, Italy, Spain, are think- France, Belgium, and other couning about tries and regions. JinkoSolar has installing a built a vertically integrated solar conventional product value chain, with an intemono PERC grated annual capacity of 6.0 GW module, it for silicon ingots and wafers, 4.5 might be GW for solar cells, and 7.5 GW time to take for solar modules, as of June 30, a look at the half- 2017  cell mono. Put both prod-

stantial pricetag. Thus, if your project is not extremely tight for space, then the monocrystalline half-cell product may fit your high output needs without costing you an arm and a leg.

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March/ April 2018 SmartEnergy

In Conversation

 Arvinder Bir Singh

Vice President, Solar Business, Eastman Auto & Power Ltd.

"Eastman Auto & Power plans to make a strong hold on the residential rooftop segment and also foray into commercial rooftop segment"

Q

.To begin with tell our readers more about Eastman Auto & Power Ltd. (E.A.P.L), its operations and the energy storage and solar solutions that it offers?

Eastman Auto & Power limited is acknowledged globally for its innovative approach, quality and excellent services. Established in 2002, EAPL is the leading manufacturer, supplier and exporter of all kinds of energy storage solutions and solar solutions with manufacturing and research units in India.

The range of products offered by Eastman is known for its quality, durability and performance. The

company provides batteries for vehicles, Inverters & UPS systems applications as well as E-rickshaw and solar solutions.

EAPL also provides the most comprehensive portfolio of customized packages, solutions and services along the solar PV product line for SOHO, Rooftop, Residential and CSR applications. The company offers support and maintenance services across the world help to ensure efficient solar and energy storage installations.

With the determination to stand tall as a global leader in the power industry, Eastman Auto & Power

54 SmartEnergy March/ April 2018

Limited has been working relentlessly to establish a better brighter India for the future generation. At EAPL Manufacturing happens to be our core thrust area and forms the very structure of our operations. The flawless manufacturing facilities coupled with a highly functioning research and development cell ensures that we stand at the forefront of battery and solar services. Eastman Research and Development Cell is the offspring of this respect for the pursuit of a better life through innovation with the aim to propagate a culture of curiosity and innovation.

 www.supersmartenergy.com

Q

.As a panel manufacturer what are your views on the proposed safeguard duty on imported solar cells and modules? How do you see the safeguard duty affecting the solar sector in India, more particularly on project developers, manufacturers, innovation, R&D, and Make-in-India?

The Central Board of Excise and Customs has sought to reclassify imported solar panels and modules in a category that attracts 7.5% duty and various kinds of cest with the cost of a solar cell, around 30 cents at present, will go up to around 50 cents for Indian developers if 70% safeguard duty is imposed. The cost of solar power will accordingly go up to around Rs 7 per unit.

The market share of imported solar equipment widened to 90% from 86% in this time, while that of domestic manufacturers shrank to 7% from 13% as India’s solar programme expanded dramatically, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi setting an ambitious target of 100,000 MW of solar capacity by 2022. India’s solar capacity was about 15,600 MW at the end of October.

We think domestic solar industry is faced with a significant loss of potential employment and innovation opportunities with manufacturing units and R&D. This could also act as a roadblock in the Make in India initiative in the power Industry.

Q

.In addition to the proposed safeguard duty what are your suggestions to make India a global manufacturing hub for solar products?

India is blessed with ample amount of sunlight so there is a great scope for the solar industry in India. India is in the process to achieve one of the most ambitious solar targets globally of 100 GW by the year 2022. The recent years have been marked by a number of remarkable initiatives from the government such as “Make

in India” and ramping up of the solar target. The solar mission can only be successful if the domestic manufacturing sector is also developed. Currently the solar module manufacturing capacity is around 7.5 GW annually and the solar cell manufacturing capacity is around 1.7 GW. Currently 85-90 per cent of the solar module installations are from China. Such high volumes of imports lead to a forex outflow of approximately INR 20,000 Crore or USD 3 Billion.

If unchecked, this is expected to increase to USD 20 Billion by the year 2025.

Introducing favourable policies for domestic solar manufacturing, driving innovation through R&D support in the sector, focusing on skill development - are few of the many steps that Indian solar industry drastically needs for growth. Incentivizing manufacturing will also make sure that India continues to remain a leader towards fighting climate change post COP21 agreement in Paris.

Undoubtedly, Indian market is showing an incredible growth rate, but we are still in infant stage when compared to countries like China and US that already dominate huge parts of the solar product supply chain. Given the huge potential of India, it is important to compete with these countries to claim a larger share of the industry, cashing in on the growing green energy growth and initiate socio-economic reform in the country.

Q

.Shed some light on the range of Solar Inverters you manufacture? The key features and differentiating factor?

We have various types of solar solutions i.e. the MPPT, GRID-TIE inverter and the Solar Pulse Width Modulation Technology GRID-TIE inverter is an energy system that allows for uninterrupted power flow to the appliances in an organization or home.

The Grid-Tie generates electricity that is converted to usable AC

EAPL provides batteries for vehicles, Inverters & UPS systems applications as well as E-rickshaw and solar solutions.



electricity and then powers the connected loads through the main supply inlet. In the case of extreme low sunlight condition, the system then runs the load through the main power supply. Hence, it works as a fail-safe method to ensure proper power throughout the day for any connected place.

The main feature of the Gridtie inverter is that during times when solar energy produced by your inverter is not utilized to run the load, it will not let it go waste instead it feeds the power back to the utility grid thus reducing your electricity bills and often leading to additional electricity units in your account that can be used in the next month.

MPPT generates electricity from a solar PV array and then stores it using specially designed solar batteries after regulating the produced electricity through a charge controller, which is inbuilt in the MPPT PCU. With the latest innovations in every part of the product, the Eastman MPPT guarantees the best possible services.

The system is optimized to gain the maximum possible power from the solar panel system with the highest tracking efficiency of greater than 98%. This is the best choice for residential homes and commercial establishments.

The Eastman PWM range comes with the highest efficiency in its class and provides the ability to generate your own energy while using a low-maintenance, silent and pollution-free method. While solar energy usage is always the

55

March/ April 2018 SmartEnergy

In Conversation first priority, an option of using it as an investor in the absence of solar panels is available. The advanced DSP technology and intelligent mixing feature, to mix grid current with solar in case of an energy shortage, make it an efficient and reliable way to get uninterrupted power for your needs.

Some key features include Intelligent mixing of grid current with solar in case of solar energy shortfall, advanced DSP based technology, built in energy meter, pure Sine wave output, LCD screen for user convenience, intelligent selection models for high/ medium/low power cut areas, temperature compensated charging, highest efficiency in its class, remote monitoring and data logging, Advanced MPPT technology with 98% tracking efficiency.

Q

.How do you look at the market and key challenges for Energy Storage in India?

Traditionally, in India, energy storage for commercial purposes has been done using lead acid or similar systems, which though have a mature technology, suffers from poor conversion efficiency, higher maintenance, negative environmental impact and shorter life.

Thus, more efficient and smart energy storage system which completely or partially eliminates all the above drawbacks of the legacy system needs to be incorporated for better utilization of resources.

Looking into this Eastman has introduced the Gel technology based batteries that have higher efficiency and low maintenance, we aim to develop more such innovative technologies in future.

Q

.Going forward what are the technology trends that are likely to be drivers of growth for Solar Inverters? How is EAPL preparing for the new opportunities?

The confluence of powerful trends

Eastman has introduced the Gel technology based batteries that have higher efficiency and low maintenance, we aim to develop more such innovative technologies in future



underway across the nation’s electrical-energy system is driving the need for a drastically different approach to managing the grid system in the 21st century.

The trends are the rapid penetration of intermittent renewable resources include distributed wind, solar photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage.

EAPL is planning to expand its solar solutions portfolio and offer standalone solar products like solar street light etc. We are preparing for new opportunities by aligning ourselves with govt initiatives like reaching the target of 100GW by solar. EAPL plans to make a strong hold on the residential rooftop segment and also foray into commercial rooftop segment.

Q

.Shed some light on EAPL’s manufacturing facility and future expansion plan?

Manufacturing forms the backbone of our operations and happens to be the wing brimming with innovations and new possibilities. Manufacturing coupled with an active R & D cell are our core thrust areas and form the very structure of our operations.

The facility at our Nalagarh plant is strategically located near major markets to ensure that the produce is well traded and marketed.

The suppliers of the raw materials that are required for manufacturing are carefully selected to make our facility logistically efficient. The Nalagarh plant is the leading manufacturing located in India constructed with equipment that delivers over 1 lakh 30 thousand Tubular LA, tubular

56 SmartEnergy March/ April 2018

Gel & E-Rickshaw batteries every month. In future, we plan to expand are manufacturing facility and increase our production from 1.3 lakh batteries per month to 2.5 lakh batteries per month by the year 2020.

Q

.What are the opportunities for growth from the export markets that EAPL is looking at?

What are the geographies that are likely to contribute to future growth?

Opportunities of growth will be: ›› Energy storage segment ›› Solar solutions ›› Home UPS & inverter segment Geographies for future growth: ›› North America ›› South America ›› European continent ›› African continent

Q

.What role to you envisions EAPL to play in the solar sector in India and how do you see EAPL contributing to the 100GW target set by the GoI? To be the leading in residential rooftop market segment and moving forward we want to penetrate into the commercial market segment for the manufacturing and supplying of state of the art solar products such as solar PV modules, solar outdoor lighting, solar grid tie PV inverter, solar off grid power conditioning units, power packs and focus our strengths to contribute towards the 100GW target set by the GoI 

 www.supersmartenergy.com

2018 19 EVENTS WATCH APRIL

20-21 2018 Event: RenewX Hitex, Hyderabad, India

JUNE

15-16 2018 Event: Solar South Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai

AUG

16-18 2018 Event: Guangzhou International Solar PV Exhibition 2018 Guangzhou, China

SEPT

18-20 2018 Event: Renewable Energy India Expo 2018 Greater Noida, India

APRIL

19-21 2018

JUNE

08-10 2018

Event: Re-Invest

Event: Solar Tech Show

India Expo Centre, Greater Noida, India

Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

JUNE

20-22 2018 Event: Intersolar Europe 2018 Munich, Germany

AUG

21- 23 2018 Event: 9th WRETC & Expo-2018 New Delhi, India

OCT

23-25 2018 Event: Dubai Solar Show 2018 Dubai, UAE

APRIL

10-12 2018 Event: Solar Today Expo BIEC, Bangalore, India

SEPT

19-21 2018 Event: PV Taiwan Taipei, Taiwan

DEC

11-13 2018 Event: Intersolar India 2018 Bangalore, India

57

March/ April 2018 SmartEnergy

ADVERTISERS INDEX Anushree Greentech India Pvt.Ltd.

21

Apar Industries Ltd.

07

DEIF India Pvt. Ltd.

IFC

Dhanush Group

15

Electrotherm (India)Ltd.

13

Electrotherm Solar Ltd.

25

Gravin Earthing & Lighting Protection System (P)Ltd.

37

Guangdong Yihua Stainless Steel & Aluminum Co.Ltd.

39

Isothermal Technology Pvt.Ltd.

05

Meco Meters Pvt.Ltd.

03

Mersen India Pvt.Ltd.

11

Renewx 2018

BC

Sai CabTech Pvt. Ltd.

51

58 SmartEnergy March/ April 2018

 www.supersmartenergy.com

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