eq int'l magazine feb 2016 edition

Highest standardsfor maximum productivity

As one of the world's leading players in clean energy today, Bonfiglioli has the

innovative know-how and technical capacity to bring medium-large and

utility-scale PV installations to life.

Bonfiglioli designs and manufactures a wide range of hi-tech power

conversion systems up to 3 MW turnkey solutions inside the Bonfiglioli

Vectron center of excellence in Germany, ensuring an optimal return of

investment.

In-depth understanding of markets dynamics, 21 commercial subsidiaries,

four photovoltaic production centers on three continents and a wide range of

inverters, make Bonfiglioli a long-standing and riskless industry player for

photovoltaic field developments anywhere in the world.

The future is bright with Bonfiglioli!

Bonfiglioli Renewable Power Conversion India (P) LtdNo. 543, 14th Cross, 4th Phase, Peenya Industrial Area, Bangalore - 560 058 Ph: +91 80 2836 1014 / 2836 1015 Fax: +91 80 2836 1016 www.bonfiglioli.in [email protected] www.bonfiglioli.com

Over 750 MW installed in India served by Bonfiglioli inverters

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FINAL Brochure CURVE.indd 1 2/8/2016 1:23:18 PM

Highest standardsfor maximum productivity

As one of the world's leading players in clean energy today, Bonfiglioli has the

innovative know-how and technical capacity to bring medium-large and

utility-scale PV installations to life.

Bonfiglioli designs and manufactures a wide range of hi-tech power

conversion systems up to 3 MW turnkey solutions inside the Bonfiglioli

Vectron center of excellence in Germany, ensuring an optimal return of

investment.

In-depth understanding of markets dynamics, 21 commercial subsidiaries,

four photovoltaic production centers on three continents and a wide range of

inverters, make Bonfiglioli a long-standing and riskless industry player for

photovoltaic field developments anywhere in the world.

The future is bright with Bonfiglioli!

Bonfiglioli Renewable Power Conversion India (P) LtdNo. 543, 14th Cross, 4th Phase, Peenya Industrial Area, Bangalore - 560 058 Ph: +91 80 2836 1014 / 2836 1015 Fax: +91 80 2836 1016 www.bonfiglioli.in [email protected] www.bonfiglioli.com

Over 750 MW installed in India served by Bonfiglioli inverters

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TDNV GL Acquires Swedish Power System Expert Gothia Power

Clean Energy Investments In 2015 Hit A New Record Of $329Bn

Skf India Announces Solar Mission, Inaugurates 1 MW Rooftop Solar Plant At Its Pune Facility

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Owner : FirstSource EnergyINDIA PRIVATE LIMITED

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I NTERNAT IONAL

VOLUME 8Issue # 2

Yamaha Motor India Inaugurate

Solar Power Project At

Surajpur Plant

19

Solarpack Is Awarded Its

First Contract To Develop 100 MW DC In India

07SOLAR ROOFTOP & OFFGRID

BUISNESS & FINANCE

INTERVIEW with Hemal Ghelani, Vice President and General Manager at Meyer Burger India Limited

INTERVIEW with SVEN KRAMER, Vice President Sales Solar Technology at teamtechnik Group

Analysis of Amendments in National Tariff Policy

CESC Commissions 18 MW Solar Project In Madurai

Jinko Solar Signs One Gigawatt Supply Agreement With Spower

Shri Goyal Urged Agricultural Pump Manufacturers To Scale Up Production Capacity With Special Focus On Quality Maintenance And Competitive Pricing

India’s Yes Bank Signs MOU With London Stock Exchange Group

Cabinet approves amendments in Power Tariff Policy to ensure 24X7 affordable Power for all

54

08Suzlon Forays Into Solar; Wins 210 MW Projects In Telangana

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09

44

2449

2538Essel Infra And GCL Sign MOU For 5GW Module Manufacturing Capacity In Andhra Pradesh

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POLICY & REGULATION

70 With Ashish Khanna, ED & CEO at TATA Power Solar

72 Save Your Money While Contributing To A Greener Planet

74 Why Rs. 4-5 Is The New Normal For Solar Tariffs

76 Independent Power Producers Association Of India (Pre-Budget (2016-17) Suggestions for the Ministry of Finance, Government of India)

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42 Quality, Safety And Longer Span Of Life Of Wires & Cables

48 Cabinet approves new power tarrif Policy

52 Feedback’s Opinion on Amendments in Power Tariff Policy

62 Total Corporate Funding In Solar Sector Comes In At $25.3 Billion In 2015, Reports Mercom Capital Group

65 COP 21 / Paris Agreement: Outcomes and Implications New Era To Hold Climate Change Ensured

PRODUCTS 78-85

BALANCE OF SYSTEM

POLICY & REGULATION

COP 21 “PARIS”

SOLAR ROOFTOP

INTERVIEW

SOLAR POWER

EXPERT OPINIONRESEARCH & ANALYSIS

Solarpack Is Awarded Its First Contract To Develop 100 MW DC In India

olarpack is in a partnership with Think Energy Partners, a USA based entity that develops, finances and constructs photovoltaic solar plants in India, The state distribution company, TSSPDCL will acquire all the generated electricity through a long term power purchase agreement (PPA) for a period of 25 years. This is the first contract that is awarded to Solarpack in India, which was the only Spanish company among the winners of this bid. These plants are expected to generate around 160 GWh annually; thus catering to the huge energy requirements of the country.

To achieve the total power awarded, the Consortium will build six plants for a total of 100 MW DC, that will be located in the districts of Mahbubnagar, Medak and Nizamabad in the Indian State of Telangana. The construction will begin during the first half of 2016 and the plants are expected to be in operation at the end of January, 2017.

Solarpack, a multinational Spanish company that develops, constructs and operates photovoltaic solar plants globally has been selected to build six photovoltaic solar plants with a total power of 100 MW DC in the Indian state of Telangana.

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“The entry into a market as important as India´s and demonstrates our experience and growing international presence that permits us to be competitive in the most relevant markets. In addition, we count on the support of Think Energy Partners that is already widely established in the country, to respond to any challenges that may be encountered”. Mr. Burgos also guarantees that “the drive of Solarpack is to bet for company growth and the development of solar energy projects in regions with high development potential”.

- Mr. Pablo Burgos CEO of Solarpack

“This is just the beginning and we will continue to work toward bringing more and more experience and solar business into India; thereby catering to India’s increasing energy demand. Our vision is to become one of the leading solar power developers in India over the next 3-5 years. We will leverage our global presence and local expertise to provide a reliable platform for our partners”.

- Mr. Ravishankar Tumuluri Managing Partner of Think

Energy Partners

Solarpack has commissioned

62 MWp in another three plants in Peru.

35 MWp in five sites in Spain

37 MWp in three solar plants in Chile

} INDIA

10 www.EQMagPro.comEQ February 2016

Through its subsidiary Solairedirect, ENGIE has won 140 MW in solar energy projects located at two sites of 70 MW each in India’s State of Rajasthan.

Engie Wins Solar Energy Project Bidding For 140 MW In India

hanks to a very competitive offer (INR 4.35/kWh, or approximately USD64/MWh) that was more than 40% lower than the winning bid for India’s first call for tender for years earlier, Solairedirect took one-third

of the National Solar Mission’s call for tenders.The very competitive bidding among 22 Indian and international contractors illustrates the sharp drop in solar energy prices and achievement of grid parity in India.

Through Solairedirect, ENGIE confirms its pioneering role in solar power in India and reaffirms its objective of building 2 GW of photovoltaic projects in the country between 2015 and 2019. To this end, the Group relies upon an experienced local team based in Pune

(Maharashtra), as well as its global network and industrial experience recognized for developing, operating and investing in solar power plants throughout the world.

This strategy is in keeping with the Indian government’s objective to develop 100 GW of solar power capacity by 2022, reflecting the country’s desire to accelerate its energy transition by building up solar energy capacities.With a presence in India through Solairedirect and through energy services and natural gas infrastructure activities, ENGIE thus strengthens its position as a major player in the Indian solar energy market where it has total solar energy capacity of 325.6 MW[1] located in three States – Rajasthan, Télangana and Pendjab.

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} INDIASuzlon Forays Into Solar; Wins 210 MW Projects In Telangana

Hanwha Q Cells Supplies 50 MW Of Solar Module To Adani Group Of India

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“Solar and wind are complementary, hence we will leverage our project execution capabilities and end-to-end solutions to deliver solar projects. With a strong backing of skilled workforce, excellent operations and maintenance service network, current infrastructure and 20 years of experience in building the wind business, I am confident that our maiden solar journey would be a success. It has further boosted Suzlon’s strong presence in renewable energy sector. We aim to contribute to the nation’s sustainable growth by offering clean energy solutions with innovative technologies and unique business model. We are also working on integrated renewable energy solutions by combining wind and solar projects at a single location.”

- Mr. Tulsi Tanti, Chairman, Suzlon Group

Suzlon’s renewable energy portfolio enhances, adding solar with 210MW maiden projects

Suzlon plans to develop solar PV (Photovoltaic) projects aggregating 210MW at 6 sites across Telangana

Suzlon will be the developer and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) provider

These projects shall be commissioned in FY 2016-17

anwha Q CELLS Co. Ltd., a top-10 global photovoltaic manufacturer of high-quality, high-

efficiency solar modules, has signed 50 megawatts (MW) of module supply contract with Adani Group of India (“Adani”). This new contract is the second batch supply to Adani following its first supply of 70 MW, previously announced in July 2015.

The modules will be installed to power the province of Tamil Nadu and the construction is scheduled for a completion by March 2016.

“We are pleased to partner with Adani Group again as its trusted partner in its endeavor deploying more sustainable energy solution in India,” said Mr. M.Y. Kim, SVP of Hanwha Q CELLS in India. Mr. Kim also added, “Hanwha will continue to participate in India’srobust growth of solar industry by brining high quality products and services to our local partners.”

11 www.EQMagPro.com EQ February 2016

T he plant will be commissioned in April 2016 and will be the largest on-ground solar power plant till date in Haryana,” a press statement said. The project was awarded to the company by the Haryana government in June last year with an aim to increase the share of renewable power in its total energy consumption, it said. JBM Group Chairman S K Arya

today laid the foundation stone of the solar power plant at Barwas village in Bhiwani, Haryana. This is the second solar power plant of JBM Group. Last year, the group had commissioned a 250-KW solar plant at the rooftop of India Habitat Center, New Delhi. JBM Group forayed into solar power generation in 2015 with plans to invest Rs 1,600 crore through its new entity JBM Solar Pvt Ltd. The company expects to have an installed capacity of 300 MW by 2018. JBM Solar is an independent power producer focusing on on-ground as well as rooftop projects.

} INDIA

RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group’s power utility arm CESC Ltd today announced commissioning of an 18 MW solar power plant in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.

JBM Solar(P) Ltd, part of the Gurgaon-based conglomerate JBM Group, will commission the “largest” solar power plant in Haryana by April 2016. With a total investment of Rs 120 crore, the solar power plant once commissioned, would have a capacity to produce 20 MW electricity.

CESC Commissions 18 MW Solar Project In Madurai

JBM Solar To Commission Power Plant In Haryana By April

i t h t h e adding of this fourth renewable power plant,

the Group has reinforced its thrust on energy diversification and expects the total renewable capacity to touch 113 MW by the end of this fiscal year,” the company said in a press release. According to the statement, the company has entered into a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO).

The project, including 15 km transmission line, has been completed within a period of 6 months.

W “We are leapfrogging towards the next level of expansion where we want to reach a target capacity of 500 MW solar and wind power in the next 18 months while expanding our footprint simultaneously.”

- Sanjiv Goenka, Chairman, CESC and

RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group

CESC’s total thermal and renewable generation capacity stands at around 2,478 MW. The company currently has 86 MW wind power capacities in Rajasthan and Gujarat, and 27 MW solar capacities in Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.

Source:Moneycontrol


} INDIA

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is working with the Indian government to assist in meeting its large-scale solar energy generation goals. IFC is supporting the government of Madhya Pradesh to set up the 750-MW Rewa ultra-mega solar power project. This will be the largest single-site solar power project in the world.

IFC Supports India’s Madhya Pradesh State to Develop World’s Largest Single-Site Solar Power Project

I FC will extend its global expertise to structure and implement the transaction to help attract private investments of about $750 million. IFC’s work on this project will be supported by its partnership with Department of Foreign Trade, Government of Australia.

“Successful implementation of the Rewa Ultra-Mega Power project will be a key milestone for Madhya Pradesh’s outstanding efforts and leadership in renewable energy and the central government’s remarkable vision on solar power. The project will provide competitively-priced renewable power to state and central entities. IFC’s global expertise in PPPs, leadership in renewable energy, and convening power with investors, will help us implement this unique project.”

“The project is highly attractive as the state government has made about 1300 hectares of land available to the project, out of a total of 1500 hectares. Power Grid Corporation Limited is constructing its transmission substation within the project boundary.”

- Mr. Rajendra Shukla, Minister of Energy, Mines and Minerals

Government of Madhya Pradesh

- Mr. Anthony JC de Sa, Chief Secretary, Madhya Pradesh

The project is supported by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, under its solar parks development scheme. Madhya Pradesh Urja Vika Nigam Limited (MPUVN) and the Solar Energy Corporation of India have created a joint venture company—Rewa Ultra-Mega Solar Power Limited—to implement the project. IFC will work closely with the New and Renewable Energy Department of the state government and MPUVN on this project. The plant will help Madhya Pradesh meet its renewable purchase obligations, which mandates that each state generate a certain percentage of its electricity through renewable sources.

India is IFC’s top country exposure. IFC’s committed portfolio in India is over $5 billion as of June 30, 2015. In FY15, IFC committed $1.4 billion in new investments. In addition to strengthening local capital markets in India, IFC is focused on boosting financing in infrastructure and logistics, promoting financial inclusion, helping create conditions to attract increased private capital, and helping structure public-private partnerships.

- Mr. Mengistu Alemayehu, IFC’s Regional Director for South Asia

“With this project, India can demonstrate to the world that innovative business models and partnerships to build scale can help achieve challenging goals. IFC is privileged to be part of India’s and Madhya Pradesh’s determined approach to build a sustainable future,”

Rattan India Solar Wins 40 MW Project In Maharashtra

R attan India Solar recenntly said it has won 40 MW solar project in Maharashtra at a tariff of Rs 4.43 per kWh.”RattanIndia

Solar, through its company Sepset Constructions Limited, a part of the RattanIndia group, has won solar project of 40 MW capacity at a tariff of Rs 4.43/kWh plus a viability gap funding of Rs 49 lakh/MW in reverse e-auction conducted by Solar Energy Corporation Limited (SECI) on January 22, 2016,” the company said in a statement.

Overall combined capacity of 450 MW was offered in this bid, it added. Under this bid, arranging land for the project was the responsibility of the bidder.

“However, the acquisition of land has become extremely challenging in the wake of new land regulations for private players as well as government which resulted in limited participation of bidders,” the statement said. RattanIndia shall develop this project on its land available in Katol industrial area near Nagpur city of Maharashtra where it is already operating 4 MW of solar power plants for last more than 5 years in part of the land, it added.”RattanIndia is fully committed to provide clean and green energy at most affordable cost. Having ready land bank of over 200 acres for this project is a huge positive for us.

This also differentiates us from other players who will start land acquisition now which in itself is a huge challenge. RattanIndia had recently won 70 MW of solar project in Rajasthan and with

this project, the group’s current solar portfolio has increased to more than 240 MW which is spread across the country.With this project, the group has bagged 110 MW solar projects in a span of just 4 days.RattanIndia was also the second lowest bidder for 900 MW of NTPC solar projects in Andhra Pradesh.The group will also be implementing 10 MW of grid connected solar rooftop projects on CPWD buildings in

Delhi and West Bengal which includes important government buildings like Supreme Court and Krishi Bhawan.

- Anjali Rattan Nashier, CEO, RattanIndia Solar


} INDIA

Afresh Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with this objective was signed recently in the presence of DMRC’s Managing Director, Dr. Mangu Singh and other senior officials from DMRC and SECI. DMRC intends to take 1,000 MU annually from “offsite” renewable sources, through a one stop solution. As per the MoU, both the organizations

shall collaborate for sourcing additional requirement of power by DMRC from other developers /generators not on DMRC sites within NCR region. In the initial phase, 500 MWp capacity of ground mounted solar power projects within a duration of three years is targeted. Both DMRC and SECI shall jointly develop an ‘Action Plan’ to source solar power on mutually agreed terms and conditions, from sources other than solar power generated on DMRC sites.

The whole process of tendering and conducting bidding process / e-auction shall be conducted by SECI. DMRC shall enter into Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Developer as may be decided by DMRC out of the names selected and forwarded after the whole tendering process by SECI.In order to carry out the above mentioned ambitious project, DMRC and SECI will constitute a Joint Development Team (JDT) which will consist of senior officials from both the organizations. The Joint Development Team shall decide the ACTION PLAN in achieving the objective of DMRC in the best manner possible through collaboration with SECI.

As per the MoU, both the companies have also decided to extend the understanding incorporated in an earlier MoU dated 17th Sep 2013 and further collaborate for the development of Solar PV Projects (ground mounted, rooftop and other possible modes) at identified DMRC sites.

SECI And DMRC Sign MOUThe Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) will now jointly collaborate on taking up an ‘off site’ solar power project, to maximize the use of renewable energy, mitigate the impact of regular increase in grid tariffs and to reduce the carbon footprint.


} INDIA

Chhattisgarh Signs MOU On ‘Uday’; New Dawn For The State

he Scheme UDAY was launched by the Government of India on 20th November, 2015 to ensure a sustainable solution to enable the Distribution utilities across the country to break out of a long standing debt of almost Rs.4.3 Lakh crore.

The signing of the MOU would have significant benefits for CSPDCL, with the State Govt. of Chhattisgarh taking over 75% of the outstanding debt of CSPDCL as existing on 30.09.2015 and the balance debt re-priced or issued as State guaranteed DISCOM bonds, at coupon rates around 3% less than the average existing interest rate. The DISCOM’s debt would reduce from Rs.1740 cr. to Rs.435 cr., ie. by Rs.1305 cr. CSPDCL would have annual savings of about Rs.52 cr. as annual interest cost through reduction of debt and through reduced interest rates on the balance debt.

Sustainability of operational and financial performance is at the CORE of UDAY. Through UDAY, the State of Chhattisgarh and CSPDCL would bring about operational efficiencies through compulsory feeder and Distribution Transformer metering, consumer indexing & GIS mapping of losses, upgrade/change transformers, meters etc., smart metering of high-end consumers, reduction in transmission losses and increased power supplies in areas with reduced AT&C losses. The reduction in AT&C losses and transmission losses itself is likely to bring additional revenues of around Rs.2350 cr. to CSPDCL till FY 19.

Demand Side interventions in UDAY such as usage of energy- efficient LED bulbs, fans & air-conditioners and efficient industrial equipment through PAT (Perform, Achieve, Trade) would help in reducing peak load, flatten load curve and thus help in reducing energy consumption in the State of Chhattisgarh. The gain is expected to be around Rs.630 cr. till FY 19.

The Government of India, the State of Chhattisgarh and the CSPDCL (Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Limited) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) under the Scheme UDAY – “Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana” today for operational and financial turnaround of the CSPDCL. Chhattisgarh would derive an overall net benefit of approximately Rs.3100 cr. through UDAY. Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy witnessed the signing ceremony here today.

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The Govt. of Chhattisgarh has committed to improve the Billing efficiency from 79.27% in FY 16 to 85.28% in FY 19. Similarly, the gap between Average Cost of Supply (ACS) and Average Revenue Realization (ARR) of Rs.0.35 per unit in FY15 would also be eliminated. The Govt. of Chhattisgarh would extend a graded Operational funding requirement (OFR) support of Rs.450 cr. in FY 16 and Rs.350 cr. in FY 17, to CSPDCL, to ensure smooth cash flow, till the DISCOM achieves turnaround.

The Central government would provide incentives to the DISCOMs and the State government, aimed at improving Power infrastructure growth in the State and lowering the cost of power. The State of Chhattisgarh would get additional/priority funding through the Central schemes such as DDUGJY, IPDS, Power Sector Development Fund or such other schemes of MOP and MNRE, if they meet the operational milestones outlined in the scheme. With the financial turnaround through financial and operational efficiencies, the DISCOM rating would improve, thereby reducing their Cost of Borrowing for future capital investment requirement for sustainable operational improvements.

The people of Chhattisgarh would be the biggest beneficiaries of this MOU. Increased demand for power from DISCOM would mean higher PLF of Generating units and therefore, lesser cost per unit of electricity thereby benefitting consumers. The scheme would allow speedy availability of power to around 885 villages and 9.88 lakh households in Chhattisgarh that are still without electricity. Availability of 24*7 power to hit her to unconnected villages/households etc. would increase the economic activity and improve employment opportunities, which would reduce the influence of extremist and maoist ideologies in the State, restoring normalcy of life and further accelerate the economic growth of the State.

Signing of this MoU under UDAY will accelerate the process of reform across the entire power sector and will ensure 24*7 Power For All at affordable rate. In true sense, the scheme would also herald the UDAY (rise) of a ‘Powerful India’.


First MOU On “UDAY” Signed , Heralds The Onset Of Major Power Distribution Reforms In The Country

} INDIA

The Government of India, the State of Jharkhand and the JBVNL (Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) under the Scheme UDAY – “Ujjwal Discom Assurance Yojana” on 6 Jan. 2016

he MoU for operational & Financial turnaround of Discoms was signed by Dr A.K Verma, JS (Distribution), Ministry of Power, Shri S.K.G Rahate Principle Secretary (Energy), Jharkhand and Shri Ameet Kumar, MD, Jharkhand Bijli Vitaran Nigam Ltd (JBVNL) in presence of Chief Minister of Jharkhand Shri Raghubar Das, Shri P.K Pujari, Secretary, Ministry of Power, Shri Upendra Tripathy, Secretary, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, Shri Anil Swarup, Secretary, Ministry of Coal and Shri Rajiv Gauba, Chief Secretary, Jharkhand. Jharkhand would derive an overall net benefit of approximately Rs. 5,300 Crores through UDAY. Signing of this MOU heralds the onset of major Distribution reforms in the country under UDAY.

T- Shri Raghubar Das,

Chief Minister of Jharkhand

- Shri P.K Pujari, Secretary, Ministry of Power

This is a historic moment in history of power sector of the country. The MoU will help in electrifying remaining 2200 villages in state and thereby making

the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of providing 24×7 electricity to all, a reality. He also informed that the Jharkhand government is planning to provide off-grid power in 434 villages due to their geographical barriers.

UDAY will usher new dawn in Nation’s Power Distribution sector. He further added that the

scheme has addressed concerns of all the stakeholders and thus become a win-win situation for all of them.


} INDIAThe signing of the MOU would have significant benefits for the JBVNL, with the state of Jharkhand taking over 100% liabilities of outstanding dues with CPSUs and 75% of the outstanding debts of JBVNL as existing on 30.09.2015. The JBVNL would have annual savings of almost Rs 115 crore as annual interests costs through reduction of debts of JBVNL from Rs 1165 crore to Rs 291 crore, i.e by an amount of Rs 874 crore. The balance debt would be repaid with fresh State guaranteed DISCOM bonds to be issued at coupon rates around 3% less than the average existing interest rate. As a special dispensation, the JBVNL would also be able to wipe out its outstanding dues amounting to Rs 6000 crore to the Central Public Sector Undertakings. This would help the DISCOM to save more than Rs 1000 crore annually by way of surcharge on outstanding dues to Power Generators.

Sustainability of operational and financial performance is at the CORE of UDAY. Through UDAY, the State of Jharkhand and the JBVNL would bring about operational efficiencies through compulsory feeder and Distribution Transformer metering by states, consumer indexing & GIS mapping of losses, upgrade/change transformers, meters etc., smart metering of all consumers consuming above 200 units/month, and increased power supplies in areas with reduced AT&C losses. The reduction in AT&C losses itself is likely to bring additional revenues of around Rs 2000 crore to JBVNL till FY 19. Demand Side interventions in UDAY such as usage of energy- efficient LED bulbs, agricultural pumps, , fans & air-conditioners and efficient industrial equipment through PAT (Perform, Achieve, Trade) would help in reducing peak load, flatten load curve and thus help in reducing energy consumption in the State of Jharkhand.

The MOU envisages that the State of Jharkhand and the JBVNL would adhere to a designated AT&C loss trajectory to reduce the AT&C losses from the current levels of almost-

During the entirety of the reform period, the State government of Jharkhand would extend a graded Operational funding requirement (OFR) support to JBVNL during the period of reforms from Rs 2321 crore in FY16 to zero in FY19 to ensure friction-less cash flows. To ensure that various milestones and interventions proceed at the targeted pace, the MOU identifies various Officials of JBVNL who are accountable in respect to various activities envisaged in UDAY.

To this effect, the State of Jharkhand has committed to improve the Billing efficiency from 73% in FY 16 to 85% in FY 19 and Collection efficiencies from 89% in FY 16 to 100% in FY 19. Similarly, the gap between Average cost of supply (ACS) and Average revenue realization (ARR) would be reduced from Rs 3.55 per unit in FY15 to zero by the FY19.

40%-50%By the year 2018-19

The scheme would help the financially stressed DISCOMs to supply adequate power at affordable rates, enable the Governments to make efforts towards 100% Village electrification, 24X7 Power for all and supply clean energy. These interventions would help the Country in improving the quality of life of its citizens, and catalyse overall economic growth, and the removing impediments towards national priorities such as “Make in India” and “Digital India”.

The Central government would provide incentives to the DISCOMs and the State government aimed at increased Power infrastructure growth and lowering the cost of Power to the State. The state of Jharkhand would get additional/priority funding through the Central schemes such as DDUGJY, IPDS, Power Sector Development Fund or such other schemes of MOP and MNRE, if they meet the operational milestones outlined in the scheme.The state shall also be supported through additional coal at notified prices and in case of availability through higher capacity utilization, low cost power from NTPC and other CPSUs. Other benefits such as coal swapping, coal rationalization, correction in coal grade slippage, availability of 100% washed coal would help the state to further reduce the cost of Power. This alone would yield benefits to the tune of Rs146 crore. With the financial turnaround through financial and operational efficiencies, the DISCOM rating would improve, thereby reducing their cost of Borrowing for future capital investment requirement for sustainable operational improvements.

The people of Jharkhand would be the biggest beneficiaries of this MOU. Increased demand for power from DISCOM would mean higher PLF of generating units and therefore, lesser cost per unit of electricity thereby benefitting consumers. The scheme would allow speedy achievement of power to around 2333 Villages and 29 lakh households in Jharkhand that are still without electricity. Availability of 24 x7 power in turn, would improve quality of life for the consumers. The business and Industry in the mineral rich Jharkhand would be benefited as it would accelerate the growth process in manufacturing as well as help in agricultural and economic development of the State.

The Scheme UDAY was launched by the Government of India on 20th November, 2015 in consultation with various Stakeholders including States, DISCOMs, Banks and Financial Institutions to ensure a sustainable solution to enable the Distribution utilities across the country to break out of a long standing Debts of almost Rs 4.3 Lakh crore.

Signing of this MoU under UDAY will accelerate the process of reforms across the entire power sector and will ensure that power is accessible, affordable and available for all. In true sense the scheme would also herald the UDAY (rise), of a ‘Powerful” India.


Rajasthan Joins “UDAY” Scheme, Became 3RD State To Sign MOUThe Government of India, the State of Rajasthan and the DISCOMs of Rajasthan (Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited, Jodhpur Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited and Ajmer Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited) signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) under the Scheme UDAY – “Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana” today for operational and financial turnaround of the DISCOMs. The signing ceremony was held in the august presence of the Shri Piyush Goyal Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy.

ajasthan is the third State to sign the MOU under UDAY, the other two States being Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. The Scheme UDAY was launched by the Government of India on 20th November, 2015 to ensure a permanent and sustainable solution to the debt-ridden Distribution utilities to achieve financial stability and growth. The Distribution Utilities across the country have a long standing debt of almost Rs.4.3 Lakh crore. UDAY is an effort to make these DISCOMs financially and operationally healthy, to be able to supply adequate power at affordable rates, and enable the Governments to make efforts towards 100% Village electrification and 24X7 Power For All.

By signing the MOU under UDAY, the DISCOMs of Rajasthan have taken the first step towards financial turnaround. The outstanding debt of the DISCOMs as on 30.09.2015 stands at Rs.80500 crore, out of which 75%, ie. Rs.60500 crore would be taken over by the State, as envisaged in the scheme. The scheme also provides for the balance debt of Rs.20000 crore to be re-priced or issued as State guaranteed DISCOM bonds, at coupon rates around 3% less than the average existing interest rate. The Rajasthan DISCOMs would have savings of about Rs.3000 crore in annual interest cost through reduction of debt and through reduced interest rates on the balance debt. UDAY lays stress on improving operational efficiencies of the DISCOMs. The State of Rajasthan and the DISCOMs have committed to bring about operational efficiency through compulsory Feeder and Distribution Transformer metering, consumer indexing & GIS mapping of losses, upgrade/change transformers, meters etc., smart metering of high-end consumers, thereby bringing about reduction in transmission losses and AT&C losses.

R

} INDIAThe gap between cost of supply of power and realisation will also be eliminated by FY 18. The reduction in AT&C losses and transmission losses to 15% and 3.5% respectively is likely to bring additional revenue of around Rs.7300 crore to DISCOMs till FY 19.

Demand Side interventions in UDAY such as usage of energy-efficient LED bulbs, agricultural pumps, fans & air-conditioners and efficient industrial equipment through PAT (Perform, Achieve, Trade) would help in reducing peak load, flatten load curve and thus help in reducing energy consumption in the State of Rajasthan. The gain is expected to be around Rs.2000 crore till FY 19.

The Central government would also provide incentives to the DISCOMs and the State Government for improving Power infrastructure in the State and for lowering the cost of power. The State of Rajasthan would get additional/priority funding through the Central schemes such as DDUGJY, IPDS, Power Sector Development Fund or such other schemes of MOP and MNRE, if they meet the operational milestones outlined in the scheme. The State shall also be supported through additional coal at notified prices and in case of availability through higher capacity utilization, low cost power from NTPC and other CPSUs. Other benefits such as coal swapping, coal rationalization, correction in coal grade slippage, availability of 100% washed coal would help the state to further reduce the cost of Power. The State would gain around Rs.3000 crore due to these coal reforms. With the financial turnaround through financial and operational efficiencies, the rating of the DISCOMs would improve, which would help them in raising cheaper funds for their future capital investment requirement. This is expected to provide interest cost saving of around Rs.150 crore to the DISCOMs in 3 years.


Rajasthan would derive an overall net benefit of approximately Rs.21000 crore through UDAY, by way of savings in interest cost, reduction in AT&C and transmission losses, interventions in energy efficiency, coal reforms etc.

} INDIAThe ultimate benefit of signing the MOU would go to the people of Rajasthan. Higher demand for power from DISCOMs would mean higher PLF of Generating units and therefore, lesser cost per unit of electricity thereby benefitting consumers.

The DISCOMs would also increase power supply in areas with reduced AT&C losses. The scheme would allow speedy availability of power to around 396 villages and 30 lakh households in Rajasthan that are still without electricity.

Availability of 24×7 power to hitherto unconnected villages/households etc. would increase the economic activity and improve employment opportunities. This MOU can see Rajasthan develop into one of the leading industrialised States in India.

Signing of this MoU under UDAY will accelerate the process of reform across the entire power sector and will ensure 24×7 Power For All at affordable rate. In true sense, the scheme would also herald the UDAY (rise) of a ‘Powerful India’.

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BSES Announces Plans To Procure 700 MW Of Green Energy

Essel Commissions 50 MW Solar Project In U.P.

SES discoms are always looking at various ways to reduce the power cost for their consumers. The discom has been exploring options to procure the renewable energy at competitive rates, so it doesn’t unduly burden the consumers of BSES

while meeting the RPO targets. In line with this, BSES is seeking to procure around 700

MW of ‘green’ energy at very competitive rates. Infact, this will be the largest private sector ‘green’ bid in India under the MNRE guidelines.

To source renewal power in order to meet their RPO targets, BSES discoms

had floated a tender in November 2014, where the lowest bid received was at Rs 6.19

per unit and average at Rs 6.4 per unit. Finding the price expensive and based on the result of a ‘reverse auction’ and constant reduction in solar prices, BSES unilaterally wrote to the DERC withdrawing the earlier tender and requesting permission to procure both solar and non solar power through ‘reverse auction’.

ssel Infraprojects Limited (EIL) recently said it has commissioned the 50 MW Solar Power Project in Uttar Pradesh. “The plant at Jalaun in Uttar Pradesh was inaugurated by Chief Minister Akhilesh

Yadav under the Uttar Pradesh Solar Power Policy 2013,” the company said in a statement. It is built with the state-of-the-art technology located in 250 acres of land at Kuhana and Shajahanpur villages in Jalaun district, Uttar Pradesh signed under UP Solar Power Policy in December 2013 for 25 years.

B

E

Delhi consumers to benefit in a big way as it will keep the retail tariff low.

Plans to procure renewaBlE power at under Rs 5 per unit as Opposed to Rs 6.19 per unit which was the lowest rate in earlier bid.

To help reduce cost for the green energy basket by around Rs 200 crore annually .

Promote clean and green energy in a big way and to reduce cost for the green energy basket.

BSES is using “reverse auction” for procuring both Solar as well as Non-Solar power

Benefits-• This process will enable BSES discoms

to honour their Renewable Power Obligations (RPO) at a competitive rate, without burdening consumers.

• It will help BSES procure renewable power at a lower cost (save around Rs 1.50 per unit),translating into annual savings of around Rs 200 crore for the consumers.

“This will open a new avenue of procuring power at competitive rates from renewable sources. The whole process is ultimately going to help consumers in a getting a cleaner energy at competitive rates and keep the retail tariffs low” - BSES, spokesperson said

BSES is hopeful of drastic reduction in tariff offered by bidders in line with the emerging market trends, thus favorably impacting consumer tariff.

This will enable BSES to procure ‘green’ power at extremely competitive rates and greatly benefit its consumers.In an order dated December 29, 2015, DERC allowed BSES discoms to procure renewable power through this process in line with MNRE guidelines.

Source:Moneycontrol

85 Million

The solar plant is expected to generate-

units per year & connect to 132 KV Sarsela-Kalpi sub-stations.

} INDIA


ROOFTOP &OFF GRID

Yamaha Motor India Inaugurate Solar Power

Project At Surajpur Plant

he project was inaugurated by Mr. Hiroaki Fujita, Chairman, Yamaha Motor India Group Companies and Mr. Takashi Terabayashi, Managing Director, India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd. T

April 6 8 , 2016 Korea

Korea’s No.1, Asia’s Top 3, World’s Top 10 photovoltaic exhibition

The sole exhibition co-organized by the Korea 4 major associationsin renewable energy fieldThe most important exhibition in Asia market

Global forum, Korea’s largest Renewables Energy Conference concurrently held

GSA Members Joined Global Solar Alliance as a representative of Korea

[email protected]

Yamaha Motor India has inaugurated a 4000 KW solar plant project at its Surajpur Plant, in order to support the Green India mission. The company has partnered with the solar service provider in India, M/s. Amplus Solar for installation, operation and maintenance of Solar Power System. The installation will get completed by April this year.

- Mr. Hiroaki Fujita , Chairman, Yamaha Motor

India Group Companies

“With this initiative, Yamaha has led the way towards Green Manufacturing and demonstrated the much needed balance between economy and nature. We have always believed in investing in environment friendly technologies. This project reinstates our

commitment towards the objective of energy conservation and support the country’s Green India Mission.”

Source:oncars


Cabinet Approves Setting Up Of Over 5,000 MW Of Grid-Connected Solar PV Power ProjectsThe Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval for setting up over 5,000 MW of Grid-Connected Solar PV Power Projects on build, own and operate basis. The work will be implemented by Solar Power Developers (SPDs) with Viability Gap Funding (VGF) under Batch-lV of Phase-ll of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM).The total investments expected under this scheme is about Rs 30,000 crore.

his would help in creating additional 5000 MW capacity of Grid-connected solar PV power generation projects in four trenches of each 1,250 MW capacity during four financial years viz. 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19. This would also help in employment generation of about 30,000 people in rural and urban areas with reduction of about 8.525 Million T of CO2 emissions into environment every year.

The tenders will be State-specific based on the demand from particular State. States/Union Territories/Discoms/State Utilities are the beneficiaries. This will also facilitate to create employment and infrastructure in the States. Installation of 5000 MW Solar PV plants will generate about 8,300 Million units per year, which caters power to almost 2.5 Million households.

The estimated requirement of funds to provide VGF for 5,000 MW capacity solar projects is estimated to be Rs. 5,050 Crore (Rs 1.00 Cr / MW). This includes handling charges to Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) @ 1% of the total grant disposed and Rs. 500 crore for payment security mechanism for all three VGF schemes of 750 MW, 2000 MW and 5000 MW.

T

The phasing of investment is estimated as under:

YEAR

2015-16 500.00 5.00 505.002016-17 1125.00 11.25 1136.25

2017-18 1125.00 11.25 1136.25

2018-19 1125.00 11.25 1136.25

2019-20 1125.00 11.25 1136.25TOTAL 5000 50.00 5050.00

TOTAL (RS CRORE)

HANDLING & MONITORING

CHARGES FOR SECI @ 1% (RS CRORE)

TOTAL FUND REQUIREMENT

(RS CRORE)

The upper limit for VGF will be Rs. One Crore per MW. In case there is savings in the total VGF requirement, quantum of capacity of 5000 MW can be enhanced. The Viability Gap Funding (VGF) scheme will be implemented for setting up over 5000 MW capacity of grid connected solar power projects by solar power developers on build, own and operate basis through open and transparent competitive bidding to provide solar power at a pre-defined tariff of Rs. 4.93 per kWh for the first year. The overall effort is to continuously reduce Government financial support for grid connected solar power as the prices of solar power comes down.

The Scheme will be implemented by SECI as per MNRE Guidelines. SECI shall prepare necessary bidding documents for inviting the proposals for setting up of projects on a competitive bidding through e-bidding. SECI will enter into Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the selected developers and the Power Sale Agreement (PSA) with the buying entities.Requisite funds for provision of the VGF support will be made available to MNRE from the National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF), operated by Ministry of Finance. Out of 5,000 MW, some capacity in each tranche, will be developed with mandatory condition of solar PV cells and Modules made in India. This will be called the Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) category and remaining will be in open category.

The State Governments shall appoint a State Level Agency for providing necessary support to facilitate the required approvals and sanctions in a time bound manner to achieve commissioning of the projects within the scheduled timeline.

a) Project Locations: Projects could be set up in the Solar Parks being developed under a separate MNRE Scheme and also at other locations, which could be selected by the bidders on their own.

b) Commissioning period would be 13 months from the date of signing of PPAs.

c) MNRE will provide 100% VGF to SECI to disburse to Solar PowerDevelopers (SPDs) immediately after commissioning, subject to availability of funds.

d) Due to competitive bidding, there may be savings in the VGF amount of Rs.5,050 crore. In that case, the total capacity will be increased from 5,000 MW, so that, maximum capacity can be set up in the VGF of Rs.5,050 crore after accounting for grant of Rs. 500 crore to be given for payment security mechanism for

all three VGF schemes of 750 MW, 2000 MW and 5000 MW.

e) The bidders will be free to avail fiscal incentives like Accelerated Depreciation (AD), concessional customs and excise duties, tax holidays, etc. available for such projects. However, no bidders will be allowed to claim both AD and VGF.

The selection of 5,000 MW Solar PV Projects will be under State Specific VGF Scheme and projects will be set up in the Solar Parks of various states,developed through coordinated efforts of Central and State Agencies. SECI will purchase the power from the selected Solar PV plants at the pre-determined tariff and sell the power to willing State Utilities/ Discoms under 25 years Power Sale Agreements (PSAs), at the applicable tariff.

Some other important features are as follows:

} INDIA


} OffGRID &ROOFTOP

PKP components a company involved and specialized in Press and precision turned components decided to take a revolutionary approach in feeding their continuous load demand of energy, by installing 70 KWp solar rooftop project at their factory in Bommsandra Industrial area.

PKP Components Capitalizes On Its Vacant Roof By Setting Up Solar Power Plant From Enerparc Energy

nspired by recent developments happening in solar industry especially on reduction of capital cost for setting up system and to achieve consistency’ n reliability in energy supply, they decided to use their entire roof for installing solar power system.This will help not only in generating green energy on regular basis but also help them during regular power breakdowns and avoid putting up an additional diesel generator.

I

“When we decided to go ahead and install solar photovoltaic system at our premises, we went around to see installations done by various vendors in and around Bengaluru and we were really impressed with installations done by Enerparc Energy. It showed the difference in terms of German Engineering as well as clean execution of site by German company and that’s how we decided to go ahead with Enerparc Energy”

.In few weeks’ time after receipt of project order, system was installed and commissioned last week. Withinstallation of system completed it would help them in improving overall efficiency of production in terms of cost savings on energy as well as higher availability of their machinery for production.

- Mr. Prakash Bhatia , PKP Components


SA is part of Prime Minister’s vision to bring clean and af fordable energy within the reach of all and create a sustainable world. It will

be a new beginning for accelerating development and deployment of solar energy for achieving universal energy access and energy security of the present and future generations.Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi stated that ISA will be India’s first international and inter-governmental organization headquartered in India.ISA will be dedicated to promotion of solar energy for making solar energy a valuable source of affordable and reliable green and clean energy in 121 member countries. He thanked the President of France for his continued help and support in shaping ISA.

Appreciating India, President of France, Mr. Francois Hollande said that at Paris Conference, India showed that it was ready to fully commit to energy transition and the fight against climate change. Thanks to India’s commitment, we were able to secure an ambitious, fair

and dynamic agreement in Paris, which is binding for all of humanity, Mr Hollande added. He also said that India’s role will be just as essential in implementing the Paris Agreement and the commitments which have been made. Mr. Hollande reaffirmed his commitment by saying that France want to build the post-Paris Agreement world with India and ISA paves the way for this. The Alliance has France’s full support. He announced that the French Development Agency will allocate €300 million to developing solar energy over the next five years in order to finance the initial projects. He stressed on the fact that contributing to the success of the Alliance also means launching French-Indian projects.

Welcoming the dignitaries , Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal & New and Renewable Energy informed that an Interim Administrative Cell (IAC) has been made functional for facilitating transition of ISA from de facto to a de jure entity. He also stated that in addition to contribution for creating ISA corpus fund, Government of India has offered training support for ISA member

countries at NISE and also support for demonstration projects for solar home lighting, solar pumps for farmers and for other solar applications. Shri Goyal further informed that the interim ISA Secretariat has started functioning from the Surya Bhawan of NISE. He mentioned that locating ISA in NISE campus is a great value addition and both the institutions will immensely benefit from each other’s presence and establish vibrant linkages.

On this occasion, Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA and Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) announced contribution of US $ 1 million each to the ISA corpus fund.ISA has been envisioned as a specialized platform and will contribute towards the common goal of increasing utilization and promotion of solar energy and solar applications in its member countries. The Paris declaration on International Solar Alliance states that the countries share the collective ambition to undertake innovative and concerted efforts for reducing the cost of finance and cost of technology for immediate deployment of competitive solar generation, financial instruments to mobilise more than 1000 Billion US Dollars of investments needed by 2030 for the massive deployment of affordable solar energy and to pave the way for future solar generation, storage and good technologies for countries’ individual needs.

Prof Kaptan Singh Solanki, Governor, Haryana; Shri Manohar Lal, Chief Minister Haryana; Ministers from the Government of France, and Government of UAE also graced the occasion. Representative from over 60 resident Diplomatic Missions in New Delhi; large number of representatives from International Organizations, Indian Industry & Businesses, Media; and Farmers from Haryana were present in the event.

} INDIAInternational Solar Alliance Will Be The First International And Inter-Governmental Organisation Of 121 Countries To Have Headquarters In India With United Nations As Strategic Partner

The Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi, and the President of France Mr François Hollande, recently jointly laid the foundation stone of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Headquarters and inaugurated the interim Secretariat of the ISA in National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), Gwalpahari, Gurgaon.Government of India has dedicated 5 acre land in NISE campus for the ISA Headquarters and also has contributed Rs 175 crore for ISA corpus fund and also for meeting expenditure for initial five years.

I


OffGRID &ROOFTOP}Shri Goyal Urged Agricultural Pump Manufacturers To Scale Up Production Capacity With Special Focus On Quality Maintenance And Competitive Pricing Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy said that the center-point of any responsible government is the welfare and the future of the farmers.

n his interaction with the Agricultural Pumps manufacturers and other stakeholders at the workshop , the Minister urged them to scale up production capacity with special focus on quality maintenance and competitive pricing. Shri Goyal stated that India will require 3 Crore energy efficient pumps in the next 3 and half years and so Agriculture Demand Side Management projects can be helpful in providing start-ups and employment opportunities to the people of the country. Congratulating EESL on launching the initiative, Shri Goyal said that there is no doubt that this programme will be a success story for EESL in creating an energy efficient ecosystem for farmers.

Shri Piyush Goyal felicitated farmers of AgDSM projects in India and also released the tool kit for comprehensive implementation of AgDSM projects across the country on the occasion. The workshop aims to promote the implementation of AgDSM projects in the country for better energy efficiency. Principal Secretaries of various states, subject experts, representatives of distribution companies, Bankers, Pump manufacturer’s and several other policy makers attended the workshop.

I

The agriculture sector in India predominantly uses inefficient irrigation pump sets and therefore can provide significant savings by promoting BEE star rated and higher efficiency pump sets. Such Demand Side Management (DSM) interventions could lead to energy savings of 30 to 35 percent. Replacing an estimated 20.27 million pump sets used in agriculture sector with energy efficient pump sets would result in annual energy savings of 46 Billion kWh. This will also lead to GHG emission reduction of 45 m tonnes of CO2 annually.

Keeping these facts in mind, Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) has taken up a initiative of accelerating the implementation of AgDSM scheme in India. EESL successfully completed its first project for 590 number of pump sets in Byadi and Nippani circles under the Hubli Electricity Supply Company Limited (HESCOM), Karnataka. Further, the company has replaced 1337 number of pumps sets in Mandya District in Karnataka. At present, EESL is implementing an AgDSM project for 2496 number of pump sets in Rajanagaram Mandal in East Godavari District in Andhra Pradesh.

AgDSM project aims at providing free of cost BEE Star rated Energy Efficient Pump Sets to the farmers along with an electrical control panel. The new pump sets are provided with free repair and maintenance.

RM/PS

BACKGROUND Shri Goyal said this

while delivering valedictory

address at the Ist National

workshop on Agriculture

Demand Side Management

(AgDSM) being organized by

Energy Efficiency Services Limited

(EESL).

his agreement is JinkoSolar’s largest contract in the United States to date. JinkoSolar will supply over three million of its high efficiency solar PV modules to sPower for use in various projects that are to be built before the end of 2016.sPower develops solar and wind energy projects across the United States and the UK for several years, including utility-scale solar projects in California. The company recently announced the doubling of its operating portfolio in 2015 to 500 MW and plans to bring an additional 700 MW on line within the next twelve months.

T FINANCIAL &BUSINESS }

Jinko Solar Signs One Gigawatt Supply Agreement With Spower

JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. a global leader in the solar PV industry recentLy announced that it has entered into an agreement to supply up to one gigawatt (GW) of solar PV modules to sPower, a leading US independent power producer (IPP) company.

“JinkoSolar is proud to be sPower’s strategic partner, a key player in the US solar development market.This

agreement is evidence of the reliability of

JinkoSolar’s operation and competitiveness of its advanced module technology.

This deal affirms that JinkoSolar has quickly become one

of the leading solar panel suppliers in the US.”

“The timing of the agreement is significant in light of the recent extension by the US Federal Government of Investment

Tax Credits for utility-scale solar development. Strategic sourcing is an element of sPower’s plan to secure

resources in order to ensure that we successfully achieve our aggressive development goals.”- Mr. Nigel Cockroft ,

General Manager, JinkoSolar US

- Mr. Ryan Creamer , sPower CEO


OffGRID &ROOFTOP}

his ‘Green’ proposal of the State Government was approved by an Inter-Ministerial Central Sanctioning & Monitoring Committee (CSMC) chaired by Dr.Nandita Chatterjee,

Secretary(HUPA). Unit Cost of greening these 10,000 EWS houses in 157 Town Panchayats is estimated to be Rs.2.53 lakh per house. Of this, Ministry of HUPA will provide an assistance of Rs.1.50 lakh per house while the State Government will contribute Rs.0.60 lakh and the beneficiary’s contribution will be Rs.0.43 lakh.

The Committee today also approved construction of 7,204 houses under Affordable Housing in Partnerhsip (AHP) component of PMAY (Urban) in 9 cities and towns at a total cost of Rs.572 cr with cost of construction ranging from Rs. 7.22 lakhs to Rs.8.46 lakhs per house. Of this, central assistance will be Rs.1.50 lakh per house and the rest will be borne by the

state government and beneficiaries. As per the Committee’s approval, another 6,272 houses of Economically Weaker Sections will be improved with required additional construction at a total cost of Rs.188 cr under the ‘Beneficiary led Construction’ component of urban housing mission in 9 cities. For this, central government will provide an assistance of Rs.1.50 lakh per each beneficiary while the state government and beneficiary will contribute Rs.0.60 lakh and 0.90 lakh per house. Of the total cost of construction/improvement of 23,476 houses in Tamil Nadu approved today, central government will provide a total assistance of Rs.352.14 cr. Affordable houses approved for construction/improvement are : Chennai-4,635, Pudukkottai-1,920, Namakkal-1,392, Madurai-1,362, Ranipet-1,086, Tiruchirapalli-896, Vellore-521, Erode-448, Coimbat tore-356, Nagapat t inam-336, Thanjavur-256, Hosur-190 and Viruddhnagar-78.

SER To Use Solar Power In A Bigger Way- Mr. Goel

10,000 EWS Houses In Tamil Nadu To Be Fitted With Solar Energy Panels At A Cost Of Rs.253 Cr Under PMAY- A First Under Urban Housing Mission

The South Eastern Railway (SER) will install solar power in a bigger way at some of its selective establishments including some railway stations in a phased manner.Speaking at an interactive session with members of the MCC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, SER General Manager Ashish Kumar Goel said 60 locations including railway stations, hospitals, office establishments and guest houses have been identified for illumination with solar energy.

bout 60 locations including railway stations, hospitals, office establishments and guest houses have been identified where solar energy will be used for lighting,

heating water and illuminating gardens and the likes,” Goel said stressing the need for green energy.The project would be implemented on a PPP model, Goel said adding the SER has already invited tenders where private parties would have role in designing, engineering,procurement, commissioning and looking after generation from the Solar photovoltaic system.

“Tenders for installation at Adra, Chakradharpur and Kharagpur have been invited, while the process for other locations will begin soon,” he said adding “At present solar powered illumination is there from Rajkharsawan station in Jharkhand to Purulia station in West Bengal.” Replying on some development projects, Goel said Shalimar and Santragachi stations were being developed as model terminal stations with world class facilities at a budgetary allocation of nearly Rs 400 crore.

To a question, Goel said the SER also has plans to eliminate over 600 unmanned level crossings (UMLCs) in the next three years.”The SER will eliminate 200 UMLCs each year by making alternatives through subways and road diversions for which an annual budget of about Rs 100 crore has been earmarked,” the SER GM said.

A

In a first of its kind under Prime Minister’s Awas Yojana (Urban),

the Ministry of Housing &

Urban Poverty Alleviation

today approved fitting of roof

top solar energy panels

over 10,000 houses belonging

to Economically Weaker Sections

in Tamil Nadu at a cost of

Rs.253 cr.

T


othia Power’s 28 power system experts work out of offices in Gothenburg, Malmö, Västerås and Oskarshamn. The company offers advanced analysis and measurements for power production, power transmission and power consumption. “Sweden is one of the most interesting energy markets in Europe. It has a strong and innovative industrial base, especially within power and transmission. In addition, Sweden’s power system is tightly integrated with the rest of the Nordics and Baltics, both physically and through the Nord Pool power exchange. This is one of the reasons why DNV GL views Sweden as a strategic growth market,” Eriksen explains.

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DNV GL Acquires Swedish Power System Expert Gothia Power

Gothia Power, a leading Swedish power system analysis company, has been acquired by DNV GL.

FINANCIAL &BUSINESS }

“This company’s expertise and services are a perfect match for DNV GL’s existing portfolio in the renewable power, transmission and distribution industries. I am therefore happy to announce this acquisition, which establishes DNV GL’s technical and strategic power system services in the Swedish and Baltic energy markets and further strengthens our leading position worldwide,

“It is with great anticipation that we have now concluded the acquisition process with DNV GL. Together, I see many advantages; our unique competence in power system analysis can reach new customers in a global market and at the same time we see great opportunities to strengthen our services to existing customers in Sweden and the wider Nordics. DNV GL’s strategy to address the energy trilemma of reliability, affordability and sustainability in the energy industry is aligned with the technological and business-related opportunities we see in the future.”

“We are very pleased to join forces with Gothia Power. This company has built a fantastic market position

and competence base during the past decade, focused around our own

core values of quality, integrity and sustainability. Sweden is facing challenging and complex decisions around its energy future and we will now be able to offer this market, and the other Nordic and Baltic countries, our most advanced power system services through an established and highly respected group of specialists.”

- Mr. Remi Eriksen, President and CEO,

DNV GL

- Mr. Fredrik Sjögren, CEO of Gothia Power

- Mr. Johan Sandberg, Country Manager for Sweden at

DNV GL – Energy

DNV GL provides advanced technical advisory services worldwide throughout the electricity value chain as well as certification and verification of power system technologies. As the world is transitioning into a low carbon future, these services are essential for nations making strategic decisions about their power market policies and energy future.


EIB Issues First Green Bond Of 2016

The European Investment Bank (EIB), the EU Bank owned by the EU Member States, increased the 0.500% Climate Awareness Bond (CAB) November 2023 by EUR 500m, bringing the total amount outstanding to EUR 1.5bn. Crédit Agricole SA is one of the main investors of the tap, in the context of its recent commitment to invest EUR 2 billion in high quality Green Bonds.

IB’s CABs have been awarded a Sustainability Bond Rating of ‘b+’ from Oekom, one of the leading ESG rating agencies worldwide. This is the highest rating so far assigned by the agency. The transaction, which takes the total

CAB issuance to EUR 11.8bn, highlights EIB’s commitment to the sustainable growth of the Green Bond market by increasing the liquidity of EIB’s EUR Green Bond curve. The EUR 1.5bn CAB due 11/2023 provides a benchmark

of intermediate maturity between the EUR 3bn ECoop CAB due 11/2019, currently the largest Green Bond outstanding, and the EUR 1.25bn CAB due 2026 – the longest outstanding Green benchmark. In EUR, CABs are distributed in mini-benchmark / ECoop format. This means they have a EUR 500m minimum size, and EUR 250m minimum for re-openings upon actual demand. As in 2015, EIB

is first to issue a Green Bond in 2016, thereby drawing attention to their relevance in the current policy and market context. Transparency and accountability are among the key features of the recent Paris agreements of COP21. The delivery of climate goals is not only a question of volume; it implies a wide-ranging transformation of business practice, and the credibility of climate finance is crucial for the effective involvement of capital markets.

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Green Bonds enhance the transparency of climate finance and promote the debate on definitions, impact assessment methodologies and impact reporting principles, permitting stakeholders to increasingly engage for higher comparability and improvement in these fields. This engagement is essential for a shift from financing climate activities in incremental ways, to making climate change – both in terms of opportunities and risk – a core consideration and “lens” through which institutions deploy capital.

Powerhive Announces Completion Of $20M Financing Round To Support Development Of Off-Grid Energy Access Solutions In Emerging Markets

Powerhive, an energy solutions provider for emerging markets announced recently that the company has closed a $20M Series A financing round, which will support Powerhive’s expansion into new markets in Africa and the Asia- Pacific, as well as continued growth in Kenya where the company has operated rural microgrids since 2012

relude Ventures led the round, which also includes participation from Caterpillar Ventures, Total Energy Ventures, Tao Capital Partners, Pi Investments, and select other private investors.

Powerhive leverages its proprietary technology platform to develop and operate portfolios of renewable microgrids that supply affordable, reliable, and productive electricity to offgrid communities in emerging markets. Powerhive’s long- term and scalable energy access solution drives rural economic development, reduces energy poverty, and results in cleaner, more resilient energy infrastructure in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.

P“We’re thrilled to be working with such a diverse and well -respected investor base. Each investor brings unique expertise and experience, which will prove invaluable as we advance our mission to provide clean energy access to millions of people around the globe.”

“Powerhive has developed a unique platform and business model to address one of the fastest growing electricity markets in the next decade energy access in emerging markets. Bringing sustainable and scalable electricity to these communities will be life changing for millions of people. We’re very excited about partnering with the company, a global investor syndicate and partners like Enel to scale the Powerhive opportunity.”

- Mr. Christopher Hornor , CEO, Powerhive

- Mr. Tim Woodward , Managing Director, Prelude Ventures

The financing round comes on the heels of an announcement last month that Powerhive received an $11M equity investment in the company’s flagship project, which will serve approximately 90,000 people in western Kenya. As the company has demonstrated at its existing microgrids, Powerhive’s electricity service supports the use of productive equipment and vital community services such as health clinics and schools.



“Following the historic visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the UK, the YES BANK – LSEG strategic MoU presents an incredible opportunity to create mutually beneficial partnerships. YES BANK will strive to improve the access to long term overseas funds for corporations in India, through capital markets in the UK particularly towards Green Infrastructure Financing, which is high on India’s agenda. We also look forward to working with LSE in establishing London as the leading instrument for raising rupee denominated offshore capital via ‘Masala bonds’.

Given the Indian Government’s focus on renewable energy with a target of-

175 GWof additional capacity installation by 2022, it is estimated that the renewable energy sector will require significant and structured financing.

- Mr. Rana Kapoor , Managing Director & CEO, YES BANK

ES BANK was the first issuer of the Green Infrastructure Bonds in India. As a catalyst for Green Infrastructure finance, allowing investors to facilitate funding towards renewable and clean projects in India, YES BANK is also the first Indian Bank to have made a commitment to funding 5000 MW of renewable energy.As part of the agreement with LSEG, YES BANK confirmed that it plans to list a Green Bond of up to $500m on London Stock Exchange by December 2016. YES BANK will also evaluate the possibility of raising further capital in London, potentially through the listing of Global Depository Receipts (GDR) as part of its overall $1bn of equity capital raising plans, basis market conditions.

The agreement, signed by Mr. Rana Kapoor, Managing Director & CEO of YES BANK and Nikhil Rathi, CEO, LSE Plc will help strengthen the increasingly vibrant economic and financial ties between the UK and India.

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India’s Yes Bank Signs MOU With London Stock Exchange Group

YES BANK and LSEG to collaborate on debt and equity issuance

YES BANK aims to list up to $500m Green Bond on London Stock Exchange in 2016

YES BANK to potentially raise equity capital through global depository receipt listing basis market conditions

Collaboration confirms London’s position as leading international green finance centre

At the moment, sector limits, high street interest rates and asset-liability mismatch are the main challenges faced by the existing financing mechanisms. Therefore, a need for innovative financing mechanisms to finance projects in renewable energy and energy efficiency space has risen.


STORAGE &ENERGY}DNV GL Releases One-Stop Guideline For Safe And Reliable Grid-Connected Energy Storage Systems

DNV GL, the world’s largest resource of independent energy experts and certification body, recently announced the GRIDSTOR Recommended Practice . This independent set of recommendations combines all key standards and guidelines with credible industry experience and insights, to help guarantee the safe implementation and operation of energy storage systems for all stakeholders such as end users, manufacturers, investors or insurance companies.

he Recommended Practice is published eight months after DNV GL launched its GRIDSTOR Joint Industry Project, a global consortium for the energy storage sector working together to create a Recommended Practice. The Joint Industry Project has been pivotal in defining grid-connected energy storage and quality considerations that can successfully impact deployment.

As a technical expert with extensive experience in the renewable energy market, DNV GL was the catalyst in bringing international industry stakeholders together to speed up the process of developing a Recommended Practice. The Recommended Practice has been developed in cooperation with seven other parties consisting of technology producers, grid service providers, energy consultants and universities. Because of this, and by incorporating the insight, knowledge and authority of an additional 36 major industry players participating in the review process, the document answers the real quality needs of all stakeholders of grid-connected energy storage systems.

The GRIDSTOR Recommended Practice provides simple, clear and practice-based guidance on energy storage safety, performance and operation and goes

far beyond any existing standards in covering the key quality criteria in those areas. Careful and unambiguous definition of relevant parameters, concepts and processes promotes clarity and understanding between stakeholders. Addressing a broad range of energy storage technologies and applications, the Recommended Practice is aligned with on-going international standardisation activities, based on globally accepted regulations and best practices such as IEC, ISO and IEEE standards. With a vast number of energy storage systems currently being deployed across the globe, and the absence of guidelines covering all relevant aspects on a system level as well as component level, the release of the Recommended Practice is well-timed.

DNV GL offers customers tailored support to ensure that their energy storage systems are compliant with the GRIDSTOR Recommended Practice. The new guidelines clearly define the life cycle phases of energy storage systems and corresponding activities as well as the scope of responsibilities for each player in the industry, allowing smoother processes, better relationships between those in the value chain and ensuring that all expectations are in sync with everyone involved.

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“With energy storage being so important for the transition to more renewables , the GRIDSTOR initiative is timely for the support of solid investment decisions in the development, deployment and operation of energy storage assets. We’re proud to participate with DNV GL and the consortium partners to deliver this relevant project.”

“At DNV GL we believe that actions such as the Recommended Practice supports the entire industry and global community by offering a single standalone, all-encompassing guideline. By bringing together the most important and relevant standards and guidelines and combining them into one document, DNV GL and its consortium has managed to fill a gap in the industry to help our customers and partners maximise their possibilities, exceed their expectations and reach their regional goals for energy storage.”

- Stephen Tordoff , GRIDSTOR Participant Energy Canvas

- Jillis Raadschelders , Head of Department Renewables & Storage , DNV GL

“Energy storage has become one of the key elements of the electricity network to solve issues such as network balancing or congestion. As an experienced system integrator in The Netherlands, energy storage has been in our attention for the last years. There were limited shared practices about it and not enough standardization. This project was a great opportunity to learn from each other’s experiences and expertise. It resulted in a wonderful collaboration between various parties with different views on energy storage. We have been involved in several projects where we applied this knowledge and we further develop it to a new level.”

- Nadina Baghina , GRIDSTOR, Participant Joulz

2016International Expo & Conference on Renewable Energy & Energy Storage

Date :- May 04 - 05, 2016Auto Cluster Exhibition Center Pune

RenewCon Maharashtra Organised By :

BooK YouR SpacE NoW


STORAGE &ENERGY}

Mercom Capital Group, llc, a global clean energy communications and consulting firm, released its report on funding and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity for the Smart Grid, Battery/Storage and Energy Efficiency sectors for 2015.

Smart Grid, Battery/Storage And Efficiency Companies Raise $1.7 Billion In VC Funding In 2015

Smart Grid

Venture capital (VC) funding (including private equity and corporate venture capital) for Smart Grid companies increased slightly to

$425 million in 57 deals, compared to $384 million in 74 deals in 2014. Total corporate funding, including debt and public market financing, equaled $527 million, compared to $844 million in 2014.The Top VC funded company in 2015 was SIGFOX, bringing in $115 million. Actility brought in $25 million followed by PubNub with $20 million, Smart Wires with $17.3 million and Bit Stew Systems with $17.2 million. There were 103 VC investors in the Smart Grid category in 2015 compared to 88 in 2014. Top VC investors this year included GE Ventures, Bpi France, E.ON, EnerTech Capital, Idinvest Partners, Khosla Ventures and Maryland Venture Fund. Smart Grid Communications companies, including Home and Building Automation technology companies, attracted the largest share of VC funding this year with $183 million in 16 deals, followed by Data Analytics companies with $63 million in 11 deals. There were two debt and public market financing deals announced in 2015, totaling $102 million. The only IPO this year was the $98 million raised by Alarm.com. There were 20 Smart Grid M&A transactions (10 disclosed) for $5.3 billion. The top disclosed transaction was Honeywell’s $5.1 billion acquisition of the Elster Division of Melrose Industries. Other transactions included the acquisition of AlertMe by British Gas (part of the Centrica plc group) for $100 million, Silicon Labs’ acquisitions of Bluegiga Technologies for $61 million and Telegesis for $20 million, and IXYS’ acquisition of RadioPulse for $22.5 million. EnerNOC, ABB, Schneider Electric, GE and Seimens have led the M&A activity in the sector since 2010.

Battery/Storage

Battery/Storage companies brought in $397 million in 37 deals compared to $431 million

in 34 deals in 2014. Total corporate funding, including debt and public market financing, came to $676 million, compared to $921 million in 2014. Flow Battery companies received the most funding with $120 million followed by Energy Storage System companies with $96 million.The top VC funded companies included VionX Energy which raised $58.1 million, Younicos with $50 million, Stem which brought in $33 million, and Primus Power and UniEnergy Technologies each raising $25 million.There was a total of 57 VC investors who participated in Battery/Storage deals in 2015. Three investors were involved in multiple deals including AltEnergy, DBL Partners and Pangaea Ventures with two deals each. Debt and public market financing for Battery/Storage companies fell to $279 million from the $490 million raised in 2014. There was one IPO this year, the $15.6 million raised by Electro Power Systems. FuelCell Energy announced a project finance fund of $30 million.There were 11 M&A transactions in Battery/Storage, of which four transactions were disclosed, totaling $2.4 billion compared to 18 M&A transactions (six disclosed) in 2014 for $232 million. The most prominent transaction was the $2.2 billion acquisition of Polypore International’s energy storage business by Asahi Kasei.

Efficiency

VC funding for the Energy Efficiency sector increased to $852 million in 67 deals compared to $797 million in 80 deals in 2014. Total corporate funding, including debt and public market financing, was over $2 billion, compared to $1.2 billion in 2014.The top VC funded companies were View (formerly Soladigm), which raised $150 million, followed by Verne Global with $98 million. Renovate America raised $90 million, Transphorm had a $70 million raise and Clean Fund brought in $60

million.Lighting technology companies captured the most funding with $187 million in 23 deals. A total of 123 investors participated in funding deals; six of them were involved in multiple deals. BDC Entrepreneurs First, CEA Investissement, E.ON, GE Ventures, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Rockport Capital had two deals each. Energy Efficiency companies also raised nearly $1.2 billion in debt and public market financing. There were five securitization deals this year in the sector for $801 million. Since 2014, securitization deals in Energy Efficiency have now exceeded $1 billion in seven deals. There were two IPOs raising a combined $168 million; MLS raised $154 million and BuildingIQ raised $14 million.There was almost a two-fold increase in M&A activity in the efficiency sector this year with 45 transactions, 22 of which disclosed amounts. In 2014, there were 26 M&A transactions, of which only 10 disclosed transaction amounts.

The largest disclosed transaction was the $2.8 billion acquisition of an 80.1 percent interest in Lumileds by GO Scale Capital Investment Consortium. With increased consolidation activity, Lighting companies were the most active this year with 19

transactions compared to 11 in 2014. The top four M&A transactions in the sector this year involved Lighting companies.


STORAGE &ENERGY}Late 2015 Pipeline Growth Signals Impending Rise In Global Energy Storage Market, IHS Says

Battery cost reductions, government funding programs and utility tenders led to a 45 percent increase in the global energy storage pipeline in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2015 compared to the previous quarter. According to IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS), the leading global source of critical information and insight, the global pipeline of planned battery and flywheel projects had reached 1.6 gigawatts (GW) in Q4 2015.

everal large-scale projects were announced at the end of 2015, signaling that the storage industry is shifting from research-and-development demonstration projects to commercially viable projects. These projects include a 90 MW order by major power producer STEAG from LG

Chem, to compete in the primary reserve market in Germany, and 75 MW of contracts awarded by PG&E to a diverse mix of companies using various established and emerging technologies.The IHS Technology Energy Storage Project and Company Database currently tracks approximately 900 megawatts (MW) of global grid-connected battery projects that are expected to be commissioned in 2016, supporting a predicted doubling in the global installed base for grid-connected energy storage in 2016. Planned storage installations in the United States will make up nearly half (45 percent) of planned installations, followed by Japan at 20 percent.The IHS Energy Storage Company and Project Database is part of the IHS Energy Storage Intelligence Service, which addresses the opportunities and market dynamics for batteries, fly wheels and other distributed energy storage systems.

uring the next decade, growth in advanced batteries for utility-scale energy storage applications is projected to be robust. Click to tweet: According to a new report from Navigant Research, global revenue for advanced batteries for utility-scale storage is expected to grow from $231.9 million in 2016 to $3.6 billion by 2025.

Because they offer the best mix of performance specifications for most energy storage applications, lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries lead in utility-scale applications of batteries on the grid, according to the report. However, flow batteries have the potential to deliver long-duration energy storage applications at anticipated low costs.

The report, Market Data: Advanced Batteries for Utility-Scale Energy Storage, analyzes the global market for advanced batteries for utility-scale energy storage. The study examines the strengths and weaknesses of the major battery chemistries and how they match to specific applications. Global market forecasts for energy capacity, power capacity, and revenue, segmented by region, application, chemistry, and subchemistry, extend through 2025.

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“Continued battery cost reduction, government funding programs and utility tenders have helped spark a notable acceleration in the global energy storage market, and IHS recorded an increase of nearly 400 megawatts in the global pipeline during the final quarter of 2015. Suppliers and developers around the world are preparing for a record year in 2016, with significant growth projected in a wide range of regions and market segments.”

- Marianne Boust , Principal Analyst for IHS Technology.

“Today, several factors are converging to enable the growth of grid-connected utility-scale energy storage markets. Battery energy storage systems (BESSs) have demonstrated that value can be delivered by energy storage technology on the grid, and regional transmission and distribution (T&D) system operators have recognized these advances and are enacting new rules to allow BESSs to participate in power markets.”

- William Tokash, Senior research analyst with Navigant Research

Global Revenue For Advanced Batteries For Utility-Scale Storage Is Expected To Reach $3.6 Billion By 2025

A new report from Navigant Research examines the market for advanced batteries for utility-scale energy storage, with global market forecasts for energy capacity, power capacity, and revenue, segmented by region, application, chemistry, and subchemistry, through 2025.Improvements in advanced battery energy storage technologies, developing regional regulatory and market drivers, and emerging new business models are poised to make utility-scale energy storage a growing and viable part of the electricity grid in coming years.


nergy storage will increase the distributed solar market by 25 GW annually in 2026. Adding storage adds costs, affecting revenue streams and addressable market size, but as installed solar system costs decline – from $3.83/W in 2015 to $1.87/W in 2035 – an attractive economic case will emerge in 2023, leading to strong growth.E

“As the solar-plus-storage market matures, interesting developments will unfold on a number of fronts. There will be more vertical integration between the two industries, increased financing options and even a move towards energy-sharing between communities.

- Cosmin Laslau, Lux Research Senior Analyst and lead author of the report titled “Helping Renewables Shine On: Analyzing the New Business Cases Where Batteries Make Sense for Solar Systems.”

Energy Storage For Solar Systems Will Be An $8 Billion Market In 2026

Distributed storage for solar systems will be worth $8 billion in 2026 as solar combines with storage in order to continue its remarkable growth, according to Lux Research. Solar-plus-storage is a key necessity for solar to overcome limitations like intermittency and the lack of power after dark.

STORAGE &ENERGY}Lux Research analysts studied the impact on distributed solar of its integration with storage to maintain growth. Among their findings:

Solar-storage partnerships begin to emerge. Partnerships between Stem and SunPower, Green Charge Networks and SunEdison, and Sonnen and Sungevity reveal the industry’s future. First Solar even joined a $50 million investment in Younicos, a leader in grid-scale energy storage integration. Software is a key differentiator. Leaders like SolarCity and others are offering demand management software that can help integrate storage. Sunverge’s system can link to smart devices and electric vehicles, while Sonnenbatterie’s software can analyze weather data to optimize solar consumption and storage. Policy support has big impact. Thanks to policy support, Germany has installed 12,000 solar-plus-batteries systems since 2013 with a recent growth rate of 35%. Japan has launched a subsidy program to cover two-thirds of the installation costs for lithium-ion battery systems at 1kWh or larger, while California offers a $1.46/W incentive – and mandates utilities to install 1.3 GW of storage by 2020.

The report, titled “Helping Renewables Shine On: Analyzing the New Business Cases Where Batteries Make Sense for Solar Systems,” is part of the Lux Research Solar Intelligence, Energy Storage Intelligence, and Distributed Generation Intelligence services.

To hear more about energy storage trends, register for the complimentary webinar, “The Coming Battery Revolution: How Improving Batteries Will Enable Entirely New Products and Applications” on April 5th at 11:00 EDT.

Adding Solar Increases Solar Installations By More than 10 GW Per Year After 2025-


ontinuing on its rapid growth path, Leclanché has been selected to deliver one of the largest Grid Ancillary Services projects in North America. Leclanché will provide the entire Battery Storage Systems for all the contracted facilities to be built

near Toronto, Ontario – Canada. Leclanché will team up with Deltro Energy Inc. who will procure, design and construct the site facilities balance of plant scope and high voltage connections to the grid. Deltro will also be the operator of the facilities and Greensmith Energy will provide the energy management system, when the projects come on line, expected in 4Q 2016.

The IESO, the system operator in Ontario awarded the contracts through a competitive solicitation process in 2014 as part of its Energy Storage Procurement Phase 1 project. The IESO plans to use the energy storage systems to meet its needs for fast-reacting ancillary services. The principal service provided under these contracts is voltage control and reactive power support, an application that’s becoming increasingly important for Ontario and other regions with significant amounts of intermittent wind and solar power now on the high voltage transmission networks.

o. 2 was listed as SMA with 18.1% (with both grid tied and off-grid inverters combined) and No. 3 was Su-Kam with 7.6% market share. This was the second year in a row that Delta was listed in the

No. 1 position for grid tied inverters in the Indian market.The total installed capacity of rooftop solar systems in

India for the stated period is 525 MW and the Delta share until October 1 is listed as 120 MW.There are several reasons for Delta’s remarkable success in the Indian solar inverter market:

• DeltaGrouphashadalongtermpresenceinIndiawithawidespreadchannelpartnernetworkandpresenceacrossallmajorcities.

• TheDeltaIndiaSolarinverterteamhasserviceengineersandwarehouselocationsacrossIndiathroughwhichtheycanoffertimelysupporttosolarcustomers.

• Apartfrompost-salessupportthesolarinverterteamalsoofferscustomerspre-salesandapplicationsengineeringsupport.Theapplicationengineeringteamcanoffersolutionsforcomplexcustomerissuesandtailor-madesolutionssuchasreversepowerflowprotection,fuel-savingcontrollersfordieselgeneratorsandcustomizedSCADA&monitoringsolutions.

• Deltaofferstherightproductsforbothlocalandremotemonitoringwhichmakesfortherightproduct,priceandperformanceforaPVplant.

• Deltahasreadystocksofinvertersacrosswarehousesbecauseofwhichdeliverytimehasneverremainedachallengeforus.

• Deltaputsinextraefforttowardskeyaccountmanagementtoaccommodatedifferentrequirementsacrosscustomers.

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Leclanché To Supply One Of The Largest Energy Storage Systems In The World Delta Retains Its No. 1

Position In Grid Tied Inverters In The Indian Market

Hecate Canada Storage II, LLP, an emerging Canadian Project Development and Electrical Systems Integrator, selects Leclanché as the exclusive partner to provide 13MW / 53MWh Energy Storage Systems.

Project covering six Ancillary Services agreements with Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), positioned at several locations, is due for financial closing in H1 2016, at which time the purchase order will be completed.

Delta was the top supplier for the period from January 1 to October 1, 2015

with a total market share of 22.7%.

STORAGE &ENERGY}

“After an intense round of competitive bidding among many of the world’s largest energy storage providers, we have decided to team up with Leclanché for this project because of their high quality battery storage products, very professional approach and ability to provide thoughtful solutions for the complete design and construction of a full battery power plant. We have asked Leclanché to deliver these storage systems on a turn-key basis and will work closely with them to ensure this project is successfully constructed and fully integrated into the IESO grid”

“We are extremely happy to retain the No. 1 position for string inverters in India for the second consecutive year in a row and this reaffirms our customer’s faith in Team Delta having the right approach from products, pricing to post-sales customer support activities.”

“We are very pleased to have been selected for this world leading project. Thanks to the exceptional engineering and project development capabilities of Deltro and the quality Ancillary Services agreements, we are confident that the project will soon reach financial closing. We hope to start the construction in spring 2016 and start the first operation by the end of the year. This win is yet another solid proof of the effective execution of Leclanché’s growth plan and the market appreciation of Leclanché’s full product and services offering”.

- Anil Srivastava, CEO of Leclanché

- David Del Mastro, CEO of Deltro

- Mr. Niranjan Nayak, Vice President of Delta’s Solar Inverter Division

SOLAR INVERTERS


STORAGE &ENERGY}

he report is calling for the true value of energy storage to be recognised by taking into account both its

cost and revenue benefits. It looks at a number of storage costings across the technology spectrum to conclude that the widely used levelised cost of energy methodology is hindering the progress of energy storage. The analysis identifies “double trouble” problems with the methodology, namely arbitrariness which does not allow for differences in application cases, and incompleteness as only limited account of revenue is taken.

T“Energy storage is a critical catalyst of the energy transition whose benefits are still undervalued. The costs have already come down, but will have to fall further for a much broader roll-out and use in household and e-mobility. The investment community has good reason to be excited about the innovation and business models that will emerge from new opportunities. The report also estimates that with the many new technologies in the pipeline, storage costs of energy will fall by as much as 70% over the next 15 years. Solar storage will become more competitive as new battery technology drives prices down, and wind storage more attractive as technical advances in areas such as composite materials enables the power generated by wind turbines to increase. While batteries are currently too expensive for large-scale use, improving technology is cutting costs, which means storage systems could replace some plants and avoid the need for new ones, as well as reduce demand for oil.

“To take full advantage of the growing wind and solar electricity shares, policymakers must review electricity market design so to incentivise the build-up of storage capacity and ensure reliable and affordable electricity supply.” Christoph Frei, added.

In order to create the right policy environment that will unlock the potential of energy storage and capitalise on its true cost and value benefits, the report makes five recommendations to policymakers:

* Go beyond just costs – cheapest is not always best * Examine storage through holistic case studies – generic cost estimates are not sufficient * Work with operators and regulators to accelerate the development of flexible markets – often the full value of flexibility is not sufficiently recognised and monetised * Establish supporting policies and an enabling regulatory framework to facilitate further commercial deployment of storage technologies * Consider storage as a key component for grid expansion or extension

The World Energy Council report ‘E-storage – shifting from cost to value’ is the work of 23 leading industry and academic experts from across the world who are in the World Energy Council Storage Knowledge Network. The lead author is DNV GL with PwC making a significant contribution towards the cost analysis.

The Storage Knowledge Network is one of 15 Knowledge Networks in the World Energy Council who will all be preparing reports for the World Energy Resources flagship study which will be presented at the 23rd World Energy Congress in Istanbul, Turkey in October 2016.

World Energy Council: Bright Future For Energy StorageA narrow focus on cost alone may be leading to

misconceptions about the real value of energy

storage according to a new report by the

World Energy Council ‘E-storage – shifting from cost to value’.

The report, which focusses on solar

and wind applications, says that the focus only on investment costs is leading to

the perception that energy storage is

more expensive than it actually is because it ignores the system

value of stored energy.

- Christoph Frei, Secretary General of the World Energy Council

However, the report warns that the value of stored energy needs to be assessed on a case by case basis because revenue streams will vary over time and between countries as they are dependent on the market, policy regime and variability of competing resources.


MANUFACTURING &SOLAR PV}

olar wafer maker Sino-America Silicon Products Inc yesterday said it signed a memorandum of understanding with

Huawei Technologies Co to buy solar inverters made by the Chinese firm for its solar power plants.The deal is part of the company’s efforts to improve its position in the supply chain.SAS is to help distribute Huawei’s solar inverters outfitted with smart solar grid software, which allows solar power plant operators to improve efficiency and to remotely monitor the operation of their plants via smartphones.

SAS has been engaged in solar power industry via its subsidiaries such as GlobalWafers Co Ltd. Last summer, SAS established a new company, SAS Sunrise Inc, joining domestic companies to offer better-return solar power plants to minimize operation risks.SAS expects the company’s first solar power plant, located in the Philippines, to begin commercial operation in the second quarter of this year. The plant is expected to have an installed capacity of 50 megawatts.The company is also seeking to strike new deals with potential partners to build solar power plants around the world, including Taiwan, SAS said.

SAS plans to spend more than NT$3 billion (US$88.65 million) on manufacturing equipment and investments on solar power plants this year.Sino-American chairman Lu Ming-kuang told investors last week that global solar installation market would likely grow 10 percent year-on-year to 65 gigawatts this year.The growth is mainly driven by rising demand from the US, China and emerging markets, Lu said.Early this month, SAS reported a record high revenue of NT$28.28 billion for last year with its solar business growing 9 percent annually.

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Solar Wafer Maker SAS Joining Forces With PRC’s Huawei

LG Electronics Invests Additional USD 435 Million In Solar Cell Production

LG Electronics (LG) recently announced plans to significantly expand its solar energy solution business with a multimillion dollar investment to expand its solar panel manufacturing capabilities in South Korea.

G entered into a memorandum of u n d e r s t a n d i n g with the Korean city of Gumi to invest USD 435

million (KRW 527.2 billion) to expand the company’s solar cell manufacturing facilities in the city. The addition of six production lines to the current eight will increase capacity from 1GW to 1.8GW by 2018 and 3GW — equivalent to the electrical power consumed by one million households — by 2020.

LG launched its solar business in 1995 and established the Energy Business Center in November 2014 to oversee its Solar, Energy Storage System (ESS) and Lighting businesses. In August 2015, LG introduced its most advanced NeON™ 2 solar energy solution with innovative Cello technology consisting of 12 thin wires instead of three busbars, ideal for homeowners who want to maximize the energy production potential within a limited rooftop space. NeON™ 2 was also recognized with the Intersolar AWARD for Photovoltaics last year.

L“As a result of this investment, LG’s solar power business will be in a much stronger position to be a dynamic engine for growth moving forward. LG has been actively involved in the solar energy business for two decades and we believe that mainstream consumers are more than ready to give solar more serious consideration.”

- Lee Sang-Bong, LG president and head of its Energy

Business Center and B2B Office

SOLAR INVERTERS


MANUFACTURING &SOLAR PV}Essel Infra And GCL Sign MOU For 5GW Module Manufacturing Capacity In Andhra Pradesh

A consortium between India-based integrated utility and solar developer Essel Infra and China-based PV material manufacturer Golden Concord Holdings (GCL) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh government to invest US$2 billion in developing 5GW of module manufacturing capacity by 2020 in the Indian state.

he module manufacturing facility would cater to both the domestic and overseas PV markets, said and Essel Infra release. The project will also create 15,000 skilled jobs. The announcement was made during the recent Partnership Summit at Visakhapatnam.

The Essel and GCL consortium are also planning to build and operate a smart industrial park, along with a LNG Terminal, involving further indirect investment of more than US$10 billion by encouraging Chinese and other Indian manufacturers to setup multiple manufacturing facilities for various industries within the park.

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“We are very excited to be a part of the ‘Make in India’ campaign of prime minister Narendra Modi. GCL looks forward to contributing towards the progress of this wonderful country by not only bringing in investments but also the latest available technologies of PV industry.”

“Renewable energy is the key for the economic growth of our country. It will aid clean energy initiative of the government. Taking the lead, Essel Group intends to facilitate India’s green energy requirement by delivering sustainable energy and creating value to empower people, communities and businesses.”

While utility-scale PV deployment stole the headlines in India last year, 2016 has already seen a number of annoucements regarding the manufacturing sector.

PV component and module manufacturer RenewSys India (RIPL) ordered a 100MW solar cell line from unnamed European manufacturers in order to expand its own manufacturing facility in Hyderabad.

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) signed an MoU with the Russian Energy Agency for both entities to develop utility-scale solar PV plants and manufacturing facilities in India between the years 2016-2022.

- Shu Hua, Vice Chairman, GCL Group

- Subhash Chandra, founder and chairman of Essel Group

Meanwhile last December the Government of India said it was considering supporting polysilicon, ingot and wafer production in India as part the ‘Make in India’ programme. There are currently no polysilicon, ingot and wafer manufacturing facilities in India.

N. Chandrababu Naidu Chief Minister Andhra Pradesh

Source:PV tech


MANUFACTURING &SOLAR PV}Two Lamination Lines Ypsator® 2022-6 SL Increase EMMVEEs Module Capacity By 350 MW

Dutch Solar Company Eternal Sun Acquires Spire’s Sun Simulator BusinessThe German equipment supplier Bürkle has received

an order for 2 Multi-Opening Lamination Lines Ypsator® 2022-6 SL from EMMVEE Photovoltaic Power India. This is Bürkle’s first project with Multi-Opening Laminators in India.

The Bürkle Multi-Opening Lamination Line Ypsator® is available in different sizes and configurations between 4 and 10 openings. For the lamination of glass-backsheet modules the lamination process is carried out in a vacuum membrane press followed by a cooling press. For the lamination of glass-glass modules (either thin film or crystalline cells) Bürkle offers a unique lamination process. The lamination process is divided into 2 steps. In the first step the modules are pre-laminated and sealed. The final lamination is carried out in a hot press with top and bottom heating platens which results in a very uniform heating and reduces the edge pinch of the modules. The cooling is carried out in a separate cooling step.

ach Lamination Line has 6 openings and can process 2 pieces 60 cell or 2 pieces 72 cell solar modules per opening which results in a capacity of 12 modules per cycle. The Laminators are equipped with the SL-Process Technology from Bürkle, which can run process times of >7,5min in a one step process. These short cycle times make the Bürkle Ypsator® Lamination

Line to a high efficiency tool with a huge throughput and a high uptime at a maximum yield. This extension increases the annual capacity of EMMVEE Photovoltaics Power up to 350MW, even on the limited floor space in the factory.

utch solar company Eternal Sun announces the purchase of Spire Corporation’s sun simulator technology division. Objective testing has a critical part to play in developing a mature, global

industry which can compete with the full range of energy sources in today’s demanding cost environment. In acquiring these assets, Eternal Sun takes the next step in its journey to become the international leader in the development and testing of solar panels. Eternal Sun was founded in 2011 by Chokri Mousaoui and Stefan Roest and is based in The Hague. It takes over the solar testing division of Spire Corporation in an asset deal funded through a capital injection from Eternal Sun’s current investor, the Belgium family fund Vermec NV.

The two companies address different markets, and together are able to offer quality control, insight and confidence across the entire supply chain. R&D institutions use Eternal Sun’s patented solid state (continuous light) technology to emulate sunlight accurately with up to 98% accuracy, while the manufacturers use Spire’s flash technology to provide quality assurance during manufacture. In addition to this complementary technology, Eternal Sun will benefit from the brand, market access and talent pool of the Spire employees related to the simulator business.

ED

“We have seen that customers like the idea of using a maximum output solution on a limited floor space. The

possibility to replace a 50 MW line with a 3 times or even higher capacity on the same floor space is one of the unique advantages. The Multistack solution founds the possibility for the customers to expand their capacity without building new factories and generates the possibility to save time and costs in a massive amount. India is a fast growing PV Market

and the YpsatorO Lamination System is the perfect solution to scale up production capacity in a short period of time.”

“we are proud to have a partnership with Bürkle. This partnership matches to EMMVEE’s philosophy of developing strong relationship with technology leaders.”

R

- Michael Essich, Sales Director PV at Bürkle

- Manjunatha D.V , Managing Director, EMVEE

“This deal places us well to compete in the dynamic solar manufacturing industry in Asia, and to continue to disrupt the R&D market across the globe. Over the last five years we have worked tirelessly to grow our company from a Dutch startup to a global solar player. Today marks the exciting next step of this journey as we acquire a respected business line and move forward with our ambitious growth plans with renewed pace and with the confidence that we can serve our worldwide customers throughout future cycles of our industry’s growth.”

- Chokri Mousaoui, CEO of Eternal Sun

Eternal Sun serves customers across the world by focusing on customer needs and creating products that meet those needs. This deal brings Eternal Sun’s customer-focused rigor to Spire’s simulator customers and reinvigorates its innovation pipeline. Customers will certainly benefit from the unique and dynamic experience Eternal Sun brings to the industry and this deal places Eternal Sun in a very favorable position to respond to increasing demands, under a new company operating as Spire Solar, LLC.


MANUFACTURING &SOLAR PV}Imec Extends Collaboration With Total On Next Generation Silicon Solar Cells

Anchor Electricals Aims To Be Export Hub For Panasonic

Nanoelectronics research centre imec and global energy company Total, announced today that they have extended their collaboration to significantly increase the energy output of PV panels.

Anchor is also exploring opportunities in the solar segment in the country. It

has has set a target of 100 MW in installations by 2018

in this segment. “We have started solar segment

and exports last year. We expect these to grow at a

rapid pace in the near future,” Anchor

Electricals’ Director – Sales and Marketing,

Ashok Gangar told PTI.

mec’s industrial affiliation program (IIAP) on next-generation crystalline silicon solar cells is a multi-partner R&D program concentrating on further increasing the conversion efficiency of silicon solar cells and modules, while at the same time reducing industrial manufacturing cost.

Total joined imec’s industrial affiliation program (IIAP) on next-generation crystalline silicon solar cells in 2009, which is a multi-partner R&D program bringing together companies along the value chain of solar cell manufacturing. Within this framework, researchers from Total collaborate with the solar R&D team at imec, including imec experts, solar cell manufacturers, material and equipment suppliers, and academia. Future R&D will build upon research breakthroughs achieved in the previous collaboration, such as 22.5% large area two-side contacted n-type PERT solar cells. Imec and Total will continue with the development of advanced cell architectures aiming at +23% bifacial n-type cells, novel low-cost module interconnection concepts, smart modules and techniques to more accurately predict the energy production from solar cell modules under varying weather conditions. With this, the partners aim to significantly increase the energy output of PV panels, in this way bringing the cost of electricity from solar further down.

nchor Electricals, owned by Panasonic Corporation, is aiming to be the export hub for the Japanese conglomerate for Africa, South Asia and Middle East markets in categories like switches, switchgear, fans and luminaries. Anchor is also exploring opportunities in the solar segment in the country. It has has set a target of 100 MW in installations by 2018 in this segment.

“We have started solar segment and exports last year. We expect these to grow at a rapid pace in the near future,” Anchor Electricals’ Director – Sales and Marketing, Ashok Gangar told PTI. Presently, the company is making switches, switchgear and wiring devices for Panasonic brand. It also has plans to make luminaries.

“Panasonic is making big investments in Anchor in India and it could be a hub for exports to Africa, South Asia and Middle East markets,” he said. Anchor is exploring possibilities to export all of its products. “We have already started the process to get British Standards approval, which is required for exporting to the Gulf markets,” Gangar said, adding that the company has also started design changes as required. Presently, the company is trying to get approval for switchgear, switch, some lighting products and fans. “As soon as we would get the (British Standard) approval, we would start exporting,” said Gangar. In the solar segment, apart from selling equipments, Anchor is executing several EPC projects. “Anchor plans to aggressively expand in the solar panel and EPC business and has set an ambitious target of 100 MW in installations by 2018, Panasonic’s foundation centenary year,” he said. Anchor Electricals had a turnover of Rs 1,839.5 crore in 2014-15.

“This year (2015-16), we are expecting it to be around Rs 2,100 – 2,200 crore,” he said, adding that the company is growing with a CAGR of 15 percent. Presently 75 percent of its total revenue comes from the power business, which comprises switches, switchgear, wires and cable verticals. Rest 20 percent is from lighting and the remaining from ancillary businesses, including exports. Panasonic had acquired Anchor in 2007.

I

A

“I am pleased that Total has extended its partnership to imec’s R&D program on silicon solar cells and am looking forward to building upon the work we have done thus far, Investing in R&D and innovation, is crucial for companies to prepare for the future and to stay ahead of the competition in a challenging environment such as the PV market. Total’s commitment confirms the leading positions of imec’s PV research in the global PV and energy market.”

- Rudi Cartuyvels, Executive Vice President of smart

systems and energy technology at Imec

Source:Moneycontrol


ANALYSIS&RESEARCH}

Key Facts

IHS Confirms Solar Wafer Supply Shortage In 2016

IHS issued a research note to warn about a potential solar wafer supply shortage in 2016 . Now, as we enter into the first quarter of 2016, we have found new evidence to confirm this earlier concern.

Due to strong demand, pre-payment is being applied to many contracts, which might in the end create some additional stretch on module manufacturers’ balance sheets. Both contract pricing and spot pricing of multicrystalline wafers has been increasing since the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2015.

With current wafer capacity and market growth demand in a near future, wafer supply will continue to be tight in 2016. IHS estimates an 83% utilization rate for all suppliers and 88% for Tier 1 suppliers, which is the highest utilization level registered since 2010. With capacity expanding year over year, tier 1 wafer suppliers are forecasted to reach a high average utilization rate of 85% in the following three years.

Currently multicrystalline spot wafer ASP is $0.88 per piece. Some suppliers are expecting to further increase their selling price to more than $0.90 per piece. IHS expects continued stability in multicrystalline wafer pricing throughout 2016. With the continued decline in polysilicon prices, average wafer gross margin will reach 20% in 2016.

Monocrystalline wafers are expected to increase share of market in 2016, due to the increasing share of roof-top installations. In fact monocrystalline wafer production will increase to 26% of total wafer production in 2016, from 24% in 2015. Considering that monocrystalline wafer ASP has been declining for the last 12 months, the pricing gap between monocrystalline and multicrystalline wafers is becoming increasingly narrow. Monocrystalline wafer ASP will not fall lower than multicrystalline wafer ASP, and the pricing of monocrystalline wafers should stop declining faster than multicrystalline wafers this year. Overall, IHS forecasts a blended wafer ASP of $0.20 per watt (W) in 2016, a decline of nearly 1% over 2015.

Questions remain about the effect of this strong wafer pricing on module suppliers manufacturing cost and margins. It is not yet clear if manufacturers would opt to reduce their current margins in light of high material costs, or if they would try to pass along part of this cost increase to their customers, which could lead to increasing module prices in some markets.

Vertically integrated Tier 1 module suppliers have an increasing gap between their wafer capacity and

cell/module capacity, and they must heavily rely on outsourcing from wafer producersMost wafer buyers choose to have long-term contracts, or to pre-order, rather than buy on the spot market — pricing in these contracts is usually adjusted on monthly basis. Multicrystalline Wafer average selling price (ASP) will continue to increase in the first quarter of 2016Monocrystalline wafer technology is expected to increase its market share in 2016. Global wafer production increased to 61.9 gigawatts (GW) in 2015, up from 47.6 GW in 2014. Close to 40% of total wafer supply volume comes from vertically integrated players, such as Trina solar and Yingli Green Energy, which use all of their wafer production for in-house production; therefore, a very significant part of the wafer supply is not available to the wafer merchant market.

The top three independent wafer producers (i.e., those not using wafer production for internal capacity) are GCL-Poly, Xi’an Longi silicon, and Green Energy Technology. Together they comprised one third of total wafer

market share in the last two years, including internal wafer capacity from vertically integrated players. These three players have an even stronger position in the merchant wafer market close to 60% market share in 2015), which places them on an even stronger negotiating position.

Due to strong demand, GCL, GET and other Tier 1 manufacturers are outsourcing part of their manufacturing to Tier 2 partners in China. These agreements for several hundreds of megawatts (MW) are not only punctual, but are also intended to be long term agreements, using equipment condition, wafer quality, and the financial situation of Tier 2 companies as their main criteria for the selection of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partners.

Most vertically integrated players have for a long time opted to not increase in-house wafer capacities and outsourcing manufacturing via long term contracts with minimum fixed volumes and prices adjusted on monthly basis. Given this strong wafer demand and shortage situation, wafer manufactures do not want to lock-in the price of these contracts, although final pricing is usually linked to payment conditions.


Everyday our life is improving because of level of income is increasing and according to our level of income we require more comforts and more electrical house hold equipments. It shows that continuously we have been increasing the load on our Wires and Cables. It has been noticed that many a times contractors and even user does not know about the Quality of Wires and they have been using it in their household or buildings due to which they find problems that wires are not able to withstand higher current and get softened. Secondly, many a times user try to purchase wires or cables which is cheaper to save money but ultimately they put themselves into trouble when load increases.

Balance Of System

QUALITY, SAFETY AND LONGER SPAN OF LIFE OF

WIRES & CABLES

Electricals Wire and cables have become part of our daily life so need arises for Good Quality of Wires & Cables which is safe and have longer span of life. You may talk about light-ing in your house, your refrigerator, your household electrical appli-ances everything revolves around the Wires and ca-bles because ev-erything requires Power to run and Wire & Cables is the only way to power them.

Many a times we hear that there are fires in Residential and Commercial buildings it is just because cables & wires are not able to withstand the load and get melted and short circuit conditions are there hence they are putting life into danger. Now a days Fire

Departments are making stringent rules so that safety of the people can be maintained. Hence, it is making people aware of the safe wires and cables which can reduce chances of fire hazards. This is very very important that we may take care of the human life which is very precious. We find that projects like Malls, Theatres, Railways Stations, Airports where general public visits regularly and they need to be protected from such Fire Hazards. This is possible only when we use good quality of Wires and Cables in such projects. Wire and Cables used in such projects should be Halogen free, flame retardant and meet the requirements of keeping the life of human as safe as possible. It is also necessary that life of the cable should be longer so that it does not require change of wires & Cables very frequently which will cost us cost of cable and rewiring charges etc. Wire and Cable used should be such the it does not catch fire, halogen free, flame retardant, having longer life and over and above Wires and Cables should be able to carry future load on the cable. We should be very particular in area where temperature goes upto 50 Deg. C.

HOUSEHOLD AND COMMERCIAL

BUILDING

By: APAR INDUSTRIES LTD.


Balance Of System

Our R&D Department has developed Wires and Cables which can meet the stringent requirement as explained above. APAR’s has come out with a solution that the Wires and Cables are able to withstand higher temperature, Halogen

Free, Carry higher current and PVC does not melt and flame retardant. APAR’s Wires & Cable will give full protection to various commercial and residential projects where general public visits regularly and in large numbers. It is added that even if there is any fire it will not propogate and keep the buildings safe and fire proof. It has been noticed that gases eminating from the Wires & Cables are often suffocating the human life and Wires & Cables we developed reduces halogenic gases and making the life of the human safe. Our R&D Lab has developed specially formulated PVC so that it meets the requirement of Halogen, Smoke, Fire Retardancy and having longer life.

We in Apar is constantly working with their R&D team to bring solution the problems we have discussed. APAR has seen so many accidents and it was observed that we may bring a solution to the problem so that human lives are safe and

solution should not be costly ie., solutions should be cost effective also We have installed state of the art Electron Beam Accelerators (1.5 MeV and 3 MeV) have been installed as one of the greefield project in Western India at Khatalwada Gujrat about 20 kms from VAPI. At Apar we have complete handling system to Irradiate the Wires, Cables and various other materials to improve their properties. Details of some of the improvements are given below in the Table:

• HigherTemperaturewithstandingcapacityutpo105Deg.C• Highcurrentcarryingcapacity• Preventshortcircuit• HeatandMeltresistant• PassestheHotDeformationTest• Reducedsmoke.• ReducedToxity• Longeroperationlifespan.

Properties Specified Value as per IS:694

Value after E Beam

Operating Temperature

70 Deg C 105 Deg C

Thermal Stability 80 Minutes 90-110 MinutesAmpere Load 11 18HCL contents 28-30% 18-19%Smoke Density Rating 90-100% 65-70%.

SOLUTIONS

WE AT APAR

In nutshell let me conclude this that Wires and Cables with E Beam Irradiation are:-

• An Electron gun is housed in a thick vessel

• Number of Electron are accelerated in an accelerator tube and there power can be regulated.

• The Electrons are directd to a scanner magnetically

• The material which is required to be irradiated are passed under the beam through set of under-beam requirements and given exposure to predetermined doses.

• High accelerated electrons penetrate the insulation or sheath of cables resulting in generation of carbon radicals which links or cross links the polymer chains of the plastic three dimensionally with each other.

TYPICAL WORKING OF E BEAM

TECHNOLOGY


EQ : Please explain briefly about your Group, its

background, strengths.

SK : teamtechnik’s headquarters is located in Freiberg

am Neckar in the Southwest of Germany. teamtechnik

Group has been producing intelligent and reliable automa-

tion solutions for 40 years. For the global photovoltaic indus-

try the company has specialized on high-throughput stringer

machines. These high-performance production tools are de-

signed to combine reliable 24/7 production with unexcelled

levels of string quality. teamtechnik Group has provided

stringer systems producing solar modules with a total of

over 18 GWp of power output per year, and is therefore

a global market leader in this segment. The company

employs 900 people around the world and has

subsidiaries in Germany, Poland, China and

the USA. Local sales and service part-ners complete the global footprint

of the company.

Please enlighten our readers on the technology you propose for PV Manufacturing, its advantages.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi “Make in India” Mission. What are your views, Does it excite you?

SK : We have supplied over 600 STRINGER TT sys-tems to date, which has made us the world’s market leader in just a few years. The processes, control systems and drive technology used in the Stringer Systems are all cutting-edge. The high output 50 MWp Stringer TT1800 achieves consistently high production levels of 1800 cycles per hour on a single track. The patented hold-down device separates the soldering process from the handling processes. This enables minimum breakage rates of 0.1 -0.3 % and the largest possible processing window for consistent and reliable production.

SK : Definitely. We can feel the new spirit every time when we visit our customers and potential customers. Since the announcement of “make in India” we were able to gain a significant number of orders to support this mission. Soon we will have delivered Stringers with a production capacity of over 1 GWp per year to India!

Q.

Q.

INTERVIEW

Interview with

SVEN KRAMER


The Global Solar Trade Wars…How is it likely to influence or change the landscape of Solar PV Manufacturing for India & the world

Technology obsolescence. How do you ensure your buyers against this threat when they deploy your manu-facturing line

As an Indian, I want to see a lot of manu-facturing in India, Is this possible? What are the challenges or requirements from India ? How can we challenge the Chinese or Taiwanese or Korean.

SK : We see the tendency that additional production capacities are set up in regions that have until last year not been known for module production. These investments were made to avoid any kind of antidumping. Additionally at the same time contract manufacturers are increasing their capacity to offer “antidumping- free” modules to their customers. Growth in India is generated by domestic demand which will be more sustainable.

SK : Thanks to the modular design of teamtechnik stringers we offer a flexible system that can be upgraded according to new technical and material requirements.

SK : Yes, of course it is possible. Many companies prove it every day. But we see one roadblock which are the high interest rates for the financing of the investment of new solar production facilities. Lower interest rates are key drivers for new invest-ments and would help to grow the manufacturing base in India even more.

Q.

Q.

Q.

Vice President Sales Solar Technology at teamtechnik Group

Please explain the technology roadmap in detail of solar photovol-taics, especially in reference to the technology you propose to offer

SK : Crystalline PV will stay the majority of production capacity over the next years. At this time we see a big push towards the PERC technol-ogy. teamtechnik stringers are well designed for the usage of PERC cells. Our non-contact IR light soldering technology combined with our gentle cell and ribbon handling technol-ogy will ensure a high yield and low breakage rates process-ing PERC cells. Upcoming technologies will be HJT- and BC-cells for which team-technik has already developed solutions. Bi-facials cells and of course half-cut cells can be processed as well with our system.

Right now the industry is in the transition from 3-bb to 4-bb cells. Our Stringer TT1800 is designed for the processing of even 5-bb cells. Some customers have been already processing 5-bb cells. All teamtechnik stringers are well prepared for easy upgrades to provide a future-oriented base for new and upcoming developments.

Q.

INTERVIEW


INTERVIEW

EQ : Why should someone buy your PV

Manufacturing Equipment. Whats

the unique and foremost advantage.

SK : teamtechnik offers the world’s fastest single-

track-stringer with highest throughput in a proven

design which helps our customers to keep the running

costs at a very low level while the uptime is guar-

anteed. At the same time we have a local Indian

partner called iNEtest Technologies India Pvt.

Ltd. that covers all service activities and instal-

lations with an engineering team of experts

that already made many installations of teamtechnik stringers in other

regions like China or Mid-dle East.

What are the expected costs of solar pv in the short-medium and long term

Please explain in detail the various solar pv technologies and its suitability applications wise (which pv technology suits which solar application…and why)

What are the key set of mac-ro business environment such as infrastructure, business environment, finance, policy etc required in India.

The evergreen debate on thin film vs crystalline silicon and further bifurcations un-der these . Please enlighten our readers on the entire technology landscape and its roadmap

Please enlighten us on how your equipment, technology and customers are performing in India & Worldwide.

What is your order book from India. What are your expectations from this market in recent future.

SK : We will see an ongoing cost reduction following the well-known PV-learning curve (see: ITRPV2015, International Technology Roadmap for PhotoVoltaics)

SK : I think there are many case studies by universi-ties and research institutes published about this topic.

SK : Fast decisions for financing at low costs and interest rates might be the good driver to further de-velop the business environment.

SK : As mentioned earlier the crystalline PV technol-ogy is the dominating technology in the market. More than 90% of the worldwide produced solar panels are crystalline solar panels. Efficiencies of both tech-nologies will increase but we believe the crystalline technology will grow at a higher rate.

SK : Our customers in India are producing for the domestic and for the world market. The “Make in India Mission” and the “National Solar Mission” will increase the domestic demand. More than 600 Stringers are installed world-wide producing every year more than 18 GWp of solar modules.

SK : As mentioned earlier, we will have soon delivered String-ers with a production capacity of over 1 GWp per year to India! We are currently in final negotiations with several new potential customers. We are convinced that the Indian PV market will grow and that much more production capacity will be installed to support the “Make in India” Mission.

Q.

Q.

Q.

Q.Q.

Q.

Shivanand NimbargiMD & CEO

Green Infra Limited

Hitesh DoshiCMD

- Waaree Energies Ltd.

Shaji JohnChiefSolar Initiatives

L&T

Rajesh Bhat Managing Director

juwi India Renewable

Energies Pvt Ltd

Sunil JainiChief Exe. Off. &

Exe. Director Hero Future

Energies Pvt Ltd.

Pashupathy Gopalan

Managing Director MEMC-

SunEdison

Inderpreet Wadhwa

CEO Azure Power

Arturo HerreroCSO

Jinko Solar

Himamsu PopuriCEO

Nuevosol Energy Pvt. Ltd.

Gyanesh Chaudhary Managing Director

Vikram Solar Private Limited

Gaurav Sood Managing Director

Solairedirect Energy India Pvt Ltd

K Subramanyam Former CEO

Tata BP Solar

Ravi Khanna - CEOSolar Power Business

Aditya Birla Group

Rabindra Kumar Satpathy - CEO-Renewable Power

Emami Power Ltd

EQ International Magazine

Editorial Advisory Board


Policy And Regulation

“Union Cabinet approved a new power tariff policy which will promote clean energy, support Swachh Bharat

programme, better regulations for discoms and encourage faster roll out of investments in the sector,” said

a source after the Cabinet meeting here.

he Cabinet approved a new power tariff policy that aims at promoting clean energy, better regulation of discoms and faster rollout of investments. “Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a new power tariff policy which will promote clean energy, support Swachh Bharat programme, better regulations for discoms and encourage faster roll out of investments in the sector,” said a source after the Cabinet meeting here. Besides encouraging faster roll-out of investment, the new policy will reflect a concern for environment and encourage renewable energy. It will also look to strengthen regulatory mechanism so that discoms become more efficient and conscious towards their duties to consumers.

T

Source:Moneycontrol

It will also promote Swachh Bharat initiative. Under the policy, the power plants will have to use processed municipal waste water available in their vicinity (in 100 km radius). The proposed policy will bring in several unique aspects which have not been touched in the past. It will allow distribution companies to buy any amount of power produced from the waste.

“By indicating that the policy will focus on clean energy, Mr. Goyal recently said “Now that we have a challenge to add 1.75 lakh MW of renewable energy, we are also bringing in certain more elements in tariff policy which will promote renewable energy. We are brining in elements, which will promote Swachh Bharat Abhiyan & help waste-to- energy prosper in India. The certain new elements we decided to bring in.”

In 2006, the central government had approved the National Tariff Policy under the provisions of Electricity Act, 2003.

- Piyush Goyal , Minister (MNRE)



The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Power for amendments in the Tariff Policy. For the first time a holistic view of the power sector has been taken and comprehensive amendments have been made in the Tariff policy 2006. The amendments are also aimed at achieving the objectives of Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY) with the focus on 4 Es: Electricity for all, Efficiency to ensure affordable tariffs, Environment for a sustainable future, Ease of doing business to attract investments and ensure financial viability.

Cabinet approves amendments in Power Tariff Policy to ensure 24X7 affordable Power for all

Highlights of Amendments are-Electricity Environment• 24X7 supply will be ensured to all consumers

and State Governments and regulators will devise a power supply trajectory to achieve this.

• Power to be provided to remote unconnected villages through micro grids with provision for purchase of power into the grid as and when the grid reaches there.

• Affordable power for people near coal mines by enabling procurement of power from coal washery reject based plants.

• Renewable Power Obligation (RPO): In order to promote renewable energy and energy security, 8% of electricity consumption excluding hydro power, shall be from solar energy by March 2022.

• •RenewableGenerationObligation(RGO): New coal/lignite based thermal plants after specified date to also establish/procure/purchase renewable capacity

• •Affordablerenewablepowerthrough bundling of renewable power with power from plants whose PPAs have expired or completed their useful life.

• •Nointer-Statetransmissioncharges and losses to be levied for

solar and wind power.

• •SwachhBharatMissiontogeta big boost with procurement of 100% power produced from Waste-to-Energy plants.

• •Toreleasecleandrinkingwaterforcities and reduce pollution of rivers like Ganga, thermal plants within 50 km of sewage treatment facilities to use treated sewage water.

• •PromotionofHydroprojectsthrough long term PPAs and exemption from competitive bidding till August 2022.

• •Ancillaryservicestosupportgrid operation for expansion of renewable energy.

Efficiency• •Reducepowercosttoconsumersthrough

expansion of existing power plants.

• Benefit from sale of un-requisitioned power to be shared allowing for reduction in overall power cost.

• Transmission projects to be developed through competitive bidding process to ensure faster completion at lower cost.

• Faster installation of Smart meters to enable “Time of Day” metering, reduce theft and allow net-metering.

• Lower power cost by creating transmission capacity for accessing power from across India.



Ease of Doing Business

• Generate employment in coal rich Eastern states like Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh etc. by encouraging investments. States allowed to setup plants, with up to 35% of power procured by DSICOMs on regulated tariff.

• Remove market uncertainty by allowing pass through for impact of any change in domestic duties, levies, cess and taxes in competitive bid projects.

• Clarity on tariff setting authority for multi-State sales. Central Regulator to determine tariff for composite schemes where more than 10% power sold outside State.

These amendments will benefit power consumers in multiple ways. While reducing the cost of power through efficiency, they will spur renewable power for a cleaner environment and protect India’s energy security. They would also aid the objectives of Swachh Bharat Mission as well as Namami Gange Mission through conversion of waste to energy, usage of sewage water for generation and in turn ensure that clean water is available for drinking and irrigation.

These amendments will ensure availability of electricity to consumers at reasonable and competitive rates, improve ease of doing business to ensure financial viability of the sector and attract investments, promote transparency, consistency and predictability in regulatory approaches across jurisdictions. It will further facilitate competition, efficiency in operations and improvement in quality of supply of electricity.

These holistic amendments to Power Tariff Policy which complement schemes like UDAY will ensure the realization of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of 24X7 affordable power for all.


Feedback’s Opinion on Amendments in Power Tariff Policy


The amendments to the National Tariff Policy have been a mixed-bag of boons and banes for the Indian power sector. The new policy draws from the strengths some of the past successful schemes and steps them up a notch. Although it is a very safe move, it misses out on the opportunity to bring in any fresh thought into the mix.

Electricity-Highlights of the amendments:-• 24X7 supply will be ensured to all consumers and State

Governments and regulators will devise a power supply trajectory to achieve this.

• Power to be provided to remote unconnected villages through micro grids with provision for purchase of power into the grid as and when the grid reaches there.

• Affordable power for people near coal mines by enabling procurement of power from coal washery reject based plants.

Positive Aspects:• Targeting 24x7 power supply to all has always been

a welcome step and this would in general boost the demand and economic prosperity of one of the least per capita power consuming countries in the world i.e., India.

• Responsibility of the regulator would be focused on how they can make power more affordable to the Bottom of Pyramid (BOP) consumers.

• Investment risk for the micro grid developers faced when the grid reaches to the remote location has been taken care of, and this would help more investment and participation in the micro grid sector.

Negative Aspects:• Coal washery rejects based power plants would

indeed be helpful in supplying inexpensive power to the community, but the high ash-content fuel being used would mean that in some ways it acts against the Environmental objective of this policy.

Efficiency-Highlights of the amendments:-• Reduce power cost to consumers through expansion

of existing power plants.• Benefit from sale of un-requisitioned power to be shared

allowing for reduction in overall power cost.• Transmission projects to be developed through

competitive bidding process to ensure faster completion at lower cost.

• Faster installation of Smart meters to enable “Time of

Day” metering, reduce theft and allow net-metering.• Lower power cost by creating transmission capacity for

accessing power from across India. Positive Aspects:• Higher focus has been given on the transmission sector

and rightly so. These steps would help the sector to transform it into an enabler from a bottleneck. This move would reduce congestion and share of un-utilized or un-requisitioned power in the system resulting in lower cost of power.

• Expansion of existing power plants is a welcome step, given that the hurdles like fuel availability, pricing aspect and a mechanism to minimize the impact of fuel price hike are taken care of.

• Lower power cost resulting from better transmission networks and implementation of UDAY scheme will see more PPAs, which would finally reduce the investment risk of the developers and will help in the overall growth of the sector.

• A better transmission network would result in a stronger spot power market, with better interconnection between the generators and consumers. This would help the generators to increase PLF of the existing plants, and recover energy cost and earn better profits at the same time.

Additional Expectations:• Faster installation of smart meters and ToD metering will

help in shaving the peak power demand, however the policy is silent on the implementation part and who will finally bear the cost for implementation of smart meters at such large scale.

• This section could have helped in many other ways to tackle the hurdles being faced in demand-side management programmes, which seems like a missed opportunity with this amendment.

• Another futuristic concept that could have been addressed under this head is what has become a common practice in much developed countries, where power generation at grassroots level with the objective of self-consumption is giving rise to a breed of “prosumers”



Amendments to Power Tariff Policy By : Rudranil RoysharmaSenior Consultant – Energy VerticalFeedback Business Consulting Services Private Limited

Aditya RavindranAssociate Consultant – Energy VerticalFeedback Business Consulting Services Private Limited

Environment-Highlights of the amendments:-• Renewable Power Obligation (RPO): In order to promote

renewable energy and energy security, 8% of electricity consumption excluding hydro power, shall be from solar energy by March 2022.

• Renewable Generation Obligation (RGO): New coal/lignite based thermal plants after specified date to also establish/procure/purchase renewable capacity.

• Affordable renewable power through bundling of renewable power with power from plants who’s PPAs have expired or completed their useful life.

• No inter-State transmission charges and losses to be levied for solar and wind power.

• Swachh Bharat Mission to get a big boost with procurement of 100% power produced from Waste-to-Energy plants.

• To release clean drinking water for cities and reduce pollution of rivers like Ganga, thermal plants within 50 km of sewage treatment facilities to use treated sewage water.

• Promotion of Hydro projects through long term PPAs and exemption from competitive bidding till August 2022.

• Ancillary services to support grid operation for expansion of renewable energy

Positive Aspects:• The policy is another push by the Government to increase

renewable power installation in the country and improve share of renewable power in the energy mix. The Government is trying its best to make solar and wind power more affordable and accessible.

• The plan to make renewable power affordable may lose its relevance in coming days as cost of power from renewable energy sources is touching new lows day after day.

• Hydro power segment is traditionally surrounded by many more uncertainties as compared to any other conventional power plants. Tariff forecast is quite difficult here, hence cost-plus method will help to revive the sector and will reduce investment risk for the developers. This will also attract IPPs to invest in this segment

Additional Expectations:• The environment aspect of the policy seems to be more about

pushing the agenda of renewable energy, Swachh Bharat and Namami Gange Missions, while ignoring any measures for improving the environmental impact of the existing plants. Aging infrastructure means there are more of old polluting plants every year.

• Implementation of Waste-to-energy plant by MNRE did not see any remarkable growth in the past due to some inherent challenges of the industry like availability of wastes, improper segregation facilities, poor technical know-how etc. Some strong push would be needed to get this technology moving. Similar is the case with ancillary services.

• Hydro power projects are reeling under much bigger problems, most of which stem from environmental clearances and R&R issues. Till a trade-off is achieved between the environmental impact and economic gains, hydro power project will not pick up steams, and the policy fails to address that. The policy is silent on execution related challenges and its mitigations.

• The renewable power growth story will be halted without a proper policy on storage / banking. This policy is silent on that aspect

Ease of Doing Business-Highlights of the amendments:-• Generate employment in coal rich Eastern states

like Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh etc. by encouraging investments. States allowed to setup plants, with up to 35% of power procured by DISCOMs on regulated tariff.

• Remove market uncertainty by allowing pass through for impact of any change in domestic duties, levies, cess and taxes in competitive bid projects.

• Clarity on tariff setting authority for multi-State sales. Central Regulator to determine tariff for composite schemes where more than 10% power sold outside State.

Positive Aspects:• Incidentally, coal rich eastern states are also the

states which are lagging in economic development. This policy, with its focus on such states, would create more employment in those states and will finally help in inclusive growth.

• Pass through mechanism will reduce the risk of bidders from unforeseen circumstances, and we will help in increasing participation in future.

Negative Aspects:• Coal-rich states are already in a state of power-

surplus. More pit-head power plants would indeed provide power at lower tariffs, but lack of evacuation infrastructure being a bottleneck at present, this may result into lot of unutilized / lost generation in the system.

Additional Expectations:• The risks faced by projects under competitive

bidding are much larger from international sources and foreign exchange fluctuations. Pass through of change in domestic taxes, duties and levies do not address such major uncertainties.


The government recently amended the National Tariff Policy (NTP). Several reform measures have been announced in this change. NTP 2016 has increased focus on renewable energy, sourcing power through competitive bidding and the need for ‘reasonable rates’ (see box – Word Analysis of the NTP).

Analysis of Amendments in

National Tariff Policy

- By Vibhav Nuwal & Vishal Pandya, REConnect Energy Solutions Pvt. ltd.

Executive Summary » Co-generation from non-RE sources to

attract RPO

» Competitive bidding to be the norm for RE procurement (maximum 35% of in-stalled capacity can be sourced from determined/preferential tariff)

» Provisions for Renewable Generation Obligations (RGO) announced

» Long term RPO to be announced by Ministry of Power

» Vintage and technology multiplier al-lowed in REC

» Inter-state transmission charges waived off for RE power

» Solar RPO to be 8% by 2022 (excluding hydro power)

» Calculation of Cross-subsidy method-ology is suggested to be changed to make it less arbitrary



Detailed AnalysisBefore delving into the nitty-gritties of the NTP, it is worthwhile to step back and understand the importance of this document. The NTP says that CERC and SERCs “shall be guided” by the tariff policy. Thus, the NTP is in no way binding. In fact, from previous NTP’s several provi-sions remain only on paper. For example the NTP 2011 required that tariffs be within

+-20% of average cost of supply. States have certainly not followed that.

Renewable Purchase ObligationsThe most significant change made is that the ambiguity on applicability of RPO on co-generation has been removed.

This change, once incorporated in the regulations of states, will have a significant impact on RPO applicabil-ity. Many CPPs are currently avoiding fulfilling renewable obligations due to the regulatory confusion resulting from orders from ApTel (Lloyds Metal) and Gujarat HC

Solar RPO will increase to 8% by 2022. This is a substantial increase as current solar RPO is below 1% in most states.

Another major change suggested in this clause is that solar RPO will not apply to power sourced from hydro power plants. The policy document states – “8% of total consumption of electricity, excluding hydro power, shall be from solar energy by March 2022”

This is a significant deviation from the Electricity Act 2003 (EA2003) and current RPO regulations, which require that RPO be calculated on ‘total consumption’. This change will open up major issues in RPO implementation – for example, can this change be done when it is contrary to the requirement of the EA2003, and why should similar exemption not be extended to non-solar RPO.

“Provided that cogeneration from sources, other than renewables shall not be excluded from the applicability of RPOs.”

- NTP 2016 says

1.

2.



More clarity has been provided on Renewable Generation Ob-ligation (RGO) provisions. When RGO provisions were announced earlier, there were concerns of double-counting. However, the current provisions hint that RGO will not be incremental to RPO. The policy says:

Long term RPO to be declared by ministry of power in consulta-tion with MNRE.

3.

4.

“The renewable energy produced by each genera-tor may be bundled with its thermal generation for the purpose of sale. In case an obligated entity procures this renewable power, then the SERCs will consider the obligated entity to have met the Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) to the ex-tent of power bought from such renewable energy generating stations. ”

Thus, RGO merely appears to bring thermal genera-tors into the mix and make it convenient to meet RPO. It will not result in expand-ing the requirement for RE overall.

Provision for allowing vintage multiplier (to take care of cost changes for RE projects) and technology multiplier (to encour-age specific technologies) has been incorporated.

5.

Procurement of powerThe preferential tariff regime for RE power ap-pears to be on its way out. The policy says:-

“States shall endeavor to procure power from renewable energy sources through competitive bidding to keep the tariff low.”

Further, an overall maximum of 35% of installed capacity only can be procured by the state from SERC determined tariff. This limit includes all generation, not just RE.



Inter-State transmission charges and losses for renewable power (solar/wind) have been exempted. This is a welcome change, as it will encourage inter-state transaction of power.

However, it seems that this exemption will apply only to wind and solar projects, and not other renewables like small hydro or biomass. The draft policy had suggested that such an exemption apply to power from all renewable energy sources.

1

Transmission of power

Cross-subsidy & open access

In calculating the cross-subsidy surcharge (CSS) a change in the methodology is proposed. At present, cross subsidy is calculat-ed by using the cost of marginal power (top 5% power at the mar-gin). Instead, now the weighted average cost of power including transmission and wheeling losses will be used.

Further, it is mandated that CSS cannot be more than 20% of the applicable tariff to the category of consumer seeking open ac-cess.

As we have shown in earlier articles, CSS determination is often arbitrary and with a pur-pose to discourage open access. One hopes that with the revised provisions the subjective aspects of CSS calculations will reduce. However, the policy still gives a wide leeway to SERC on this topic:

“Above formula may not work for all distribution licensees, particularly for those having power deficit, the State Regulatory Com-missions, while keeping the overall objectives of the Electricity Act in view, may review and vary the same taking into consideration the different circumstances prevailing in the area of distribution licensee.”Levy of “additional surcharge” has also been made more difficult as it needs “conclusive demonstra-tion” of stranded capacity.



Solar Rooftop &

Offgrid

SKF India targets CO2 emission reduction upto 4000 metric tons by 2017

1 MW Rooftop Solar Plant At Its Pune Facility

KF India today announced its solar mission with the inauguration of one of the largest rooftop solar installations among manufacturing companies in Pune, with 1 MW capacity. The launch of the project is a part of SKF India’s ongoing solar mission across all major facilities in the country. The installation in the Pune facilityis expected to generate 1.5 GWH units per annum. This initiative is expected to reduce the Pune facility’s CO2 emissions by approximately 1200metric tons per annum.

Earlier, SKF installed a rooftop solar plant at its Bengaluru facility and along with the Pune plant; the combined capacity is 2.1 MW. Additionally, SKF has also installed a hybrid solar thermal plant at its Mysore facility with obtained energy of 120 MwH per year. The Mysore facility is part of SKF Technologies India (Pvt) Ltd, wholly owned subsidiary of SKF Group. SKF plans to scale up this initiative and install similar rooftop solar plants at other major facilities across India. The project is in line with SKF’s Environment Care philosophy and sustainability goals.

S

From L-R : Mr. Shrikant Savangikar, Director Sustainability and Business Excellence, Mr. Rob Jenkinson, Director – Sustainability, SKF Group, SKF AB, Mr. Shishir Joshipura, MD, SKF India Ltd

Skf India

Announces Solar

Mission,

Inaugurates

“Sustainability is a long-term commitment for SKF. Our environmental strategy SKF BeyondZero is to create a positive impact on the environment, by reducing the negative impact from our own operations and offering innovative technologies, products and solutions with improved environmental performance. The solar mission is directly aligned with our sustainable business goals.”

- Rob Jenkinson , Director, Corporate Sustainability,

SKF Group


Solar Rooftop &

Offgrid

“We are pleased to have commissioned this project for SKF, which is in line with our highest quality standards and engineering capabilities. Solar rooftop installations not only help corporates save on cost of power but also enable them to become active participants in reducing their carbon footprint.”

- Sumant Sinha , Chairman and CEO, ReNew Power

“We at SKF, firmly believe that development must take place in alignment with environment needs.Sustainability is not only a responsibility, but also a way of developing our business. This embodies our principle of Environment Care. Our solar mission is a reflection of our commitment to the ongoing sustainability programs and aligns with India’s National Solar Mission.”

- Shishir Joshipura, Managing Director & Country Head,

SKF India Ltd

www.EQMagPro.com

Now Read on Tablet & Smartphone


Research & Analysis

Mercom Capital Group, llc, a global clean energy communications and consulting firm, released its report on funding and merger and acquisition (M&A) activity for the solar sector in 2015. Total global corporate funding in the solar sector, including venture capital/private equity (VC), debt financing, and public market financing, raised by public companies came to $25.3 billion, compared to $26.5 billion in 2014.

Total Corporate Funding In Solar Sector Comes In At $25.3 Billion In

2015, Reports Mercom Capital Group

S olar downstream companies accounted for 69 percent of the VC funding in 2015, with $727 million of the $1 billion raised. Investments in PV technology companies came to $173 million and Balance of Systems (BoS) companies raised $87 million. Thin-film companies brought in $44 million, service providers raised $15 million, and the CPV and CSP categories each raised $3 million. Over $100 million in VC funding went to companies focused on off-grid markets in Africa, India, and South Asia.Among the Top 5 VC deals in 2015, the largest was the $300 million raised by Sunnova Energy, followed by the $105 million raised by Silicor Materials. Sunlight Financial raised $80 million and Sungevity raised $50 million. Completing the Top 5 was Conergy, which raised $45 million.

“Overall it was a good year for the solar sector considering the turbulence in the stock markets and trouble with yieldcos in the 2nd half of the year. The extension of the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) was a much needed boost for the sector, paving the way for a strong 2016.” Global VC investments came to $1.1 billion in 83 deals in 2015, compared to $1.3 billion in 85 deals in 2014.

There were 109 active investors in 2015 with 14 involved in multiple rounds. The 14 were DBL Partners, Infuse Ventures, Bamboo Finance, Clean Energy Venture Group, DOEN Foundation, ENGIE Rassembleurs d’Energies, Hudson Clean Energy Partners, International Finance Corporation, Kohli Ventures, Longwall Venture Partners, MTI Partners, Parkwalk, Tenaska, and University of Oxford.Despite a weak fourth quarter, public market financing had its strongest year with almost $6 billion raised in 38 deals, compared to the 2014 record of $5.2 billion in 52 deals. There were seven IPOs bringing in a total of more than $1.8 billion including Sunrun, Xinte Energy, CHORUS Clean Energy, SolarEdge Technologies and Grenergy Renovables. Yieldcos raised $1.1 billion in two IPOs, TerraForm Global Yieldco and 8point3 Energy Partners.

- Raj Prabhu , CEO of Mercom Capital Group


Research & Analysis

Debt financing in 2015 totaled $18.3 billion, slightly down compared to $20 billion in 2014. More than half of the debt funding raised came from China, $10.9 billion in 33 deals. There were four securitization deals in 2015, totaling $335 million, by Solar City, SunRun, BBOXX and AES.Announced large-scale project funding in 2015 exceeded $11.6 billion in 124 deals this year, compared to 2014 in which $14.2 billion was raised in 144 deals. A total of 145 investors funded about 6.6 GW of large-scale solar projects this year.

Since 2009, third-party owned financing firms offering lease, PPA and loans have raised more than $17 billion.Corporate M&A transactions in the solar sector in 2015 came to more than $3 billion in 80 transactions, compared to 116 transactions in 2014 for over $4 billion. Solar downstream companies had the greatest number of acquisitions with 49 transactions. SPI Solar acquired four companies and Global EcoPower acquired three companies.

The largest disclosed transaction was the $1 billion acquisition of an 80 percent stake in Gestamp Asetym Solar from Gestamp Renewables by KKR, an investment firm.

Top investors were Santander with 12 projects, Rabobank with nine projects and CIT Bank, Credit Agricole and KeyBank with six projects each.It was a record year for dollars raised in residential and commercial solar project funds in 2015 with 23 funds announced for a combined total of $5.5 billion, compared to the $4 billion raised in 34 funds in 2014. SolarCity, Sungevity, Onyx Renewable Partners, Sunlight Financial, Brite Energy and Kilowatt Financial were top fundraisers in 2015.

“With the ITC extension, we predict third-party owned financing companies will continue to raise residential and commercial funds in large numbers.” - Raj Prabhu , Commented.

There were a record 204 large-scale solar project acquisitions for over 12.7 GW, double that of 2014 where 6.4 GW changed hands in 163 transactions. Spurred by yieldcos, 2015 has been by far the best year for solar project acquisitions.


EQ : Please explain

briefly about your Group, its

background, strengths.

HG : Meyer Burger is a leading global tech-

nology company specialisingin innovative sys-

tems and processes based on semiconductor

technologies. The company’s focus is on pho-

tovoltaics (solar industry) while its competen-

cies and technologies also cover important

areas of the semiconductor and the optoelectronic industries as well as

other selected high-end markets based on semiconductor

materials.

Please enlighten our readers on the technology you propose for PV Manufacturing, its advantages.

The Global Solar Trade Wars. How is it likely to influence or change the landscape of Solar PV Manufacturing for India & the world

HG : Meyer Burger’s offering in systems, production equipment and services along the photovoltaic value chain includes the manufacturing processes for wafers, solar cells, solar modules and solar systems. Meyer Burger provides substantial added value to its custom-ers and clearly differentiates itself from its competitors by focusing on the entire value chain.

The company’s comprehensive product portfolio is complemented by a worldwide service network with spare parts, consumables, process know-how, cus-tomer support, after-sales services, training and other services.

HG : Companies investing capital in manufacturing need to ensure size, scale and speed as all three criteria affect ability to be globally competitive and profitable.

Key message is ‘energy’ and the industry needs to move from $c/Wp to LCOE. Companies with that differentiator will create a market for themselves.

Q.

Q.

INTERVIEW

Interview with

Hemal Ghelani


Prime Minister Naren-dra Modi “Make in India” Mission. What are your views, Does it excite you?

As an Indian I want to see a lot of manu-facturing in India, Is this possible? What are the challenges or requirements from India ? How can we challenge the Chinese or Taiwanese or Korean.

HG : The Indian government has demon-strated a strong vision and commitment to renewable energy by expanding the vision and business opportunities for both solar and wind energy and that is commendable. This expansion of business opportunities has certainly helped raise the interest level of global investors to participate in the Indian renewable energy sector. We see a positive expansion in the interest for manufacturing across the PV production value chain and are cautiously optimistic about the potential scalability of PV manufacturing in India on a globally competitive scale.

Meyer Burger is excited about India’s poten-tial to become a force in global manufactur-ing for PV. We are ready with our portfolio of technology and production solutions to enable the Prime Minister’s ‘Make in India’ mission.

So far the PV industry’s response has been mixed. Companies investing capital in manufacturing need to ensure size, scale and speed as all three criteria affect ability to be globally competitive and profitable with a business model that should include both upstream and downstream plans. Given the investments involved and the challenges that remain in financing manufacturing projects, ‘Make in India’ will take time to realize.

HG : Coming out of a major downturn, lessons have been learned and both PV technologies and business models have evolved. Companies expecting to be globally recognized Tier 1 suppliers need to ensure a minimum size and scale of 1GW+ with control of manufacturing across the PV value chain. Most global Tier 1 com-panies are adopting a downstream independent power producer (IPP) approachto complete their business models which in turn is driving cell technology upgrades. Doing what the Chinese or Taiwanese companies are doing from a technology standpoint will not be enough given the headstart the companies there already have in terms of scale and cost leadership. Indian companies need to differentiate themselves. A focus on energy generation vs. installed capacity will increasingly drive technology adoption and play a major role in driving the discussion from $c/Wp to LCOE. High efficiency cell technologies like Heterojunction technology with an initial cell efficiency of 22% will play a key role in driving the Indian manufacturing industry towards a high efficiency regime and help Indian companies achieve a key differentiator against the competition from Chinese, Taiwanese and Korean companies Manufacturing definitely is possible in India on a globally competi-tive scale. A key challenge that still remains from a manufacturing standpoint is project financing. Unless financing is considered as an enabler to create local production of scale, India risks under achieving her manufacturing potential. Is the government ready to have over $40 billion in foreign exchange outflows to import mod-ules or does the government prefers spending that money to help Indian manufacturing compete on a globally competitive scale?

PV manufacturers need to be aggressive with their scale up plans and timelines in order to achieve technology differentiation. The investment environment in our sector will continue to be challeng-ing if the investors don’t see a credible business plan in terms of size, scale and speed to achieve profitability. However, companies serious about manufacturing with a proven track record and willing to put in enough equity will see support from investors.

Q.

Q.

INTERVIEW

EQ : Technology obsolescence. How do you ensure your buyers against this threat when they deploy your manufacturing lineHG : Meyer Burger works in close collaboration

with each of its customers to develop customized PV manufacturing solutions which meet the cus-tomer’s long-term visionary production require-

ments. Through our detailed product, technology and process knowledge along the entire PV

value chain and with our high level of maturity in project planning services, we are able to provide our customer individual pro-duction concepts with offer them distinct long term manufac-turing advantages.

Vice President and General Manager at

Meyer Burger India Limited


EQ : Why should

someone buy your PV Manufacturing

Equipment. Whats the unique and

foremost advantage.

HG : Meyer Burger is a leading technology group for innova-

tive and cost efficient manufacturing solutions based on semi-

conductor technologies and with a focus on photovoltaics. A team

of over 400 technical experts in our R&D centers worldwide strives

to shape the industrial processes of the future. Meyer Burger

invests over 20% of its net sales in R&D to enable continuous

development and define industry standards. Over 236 registered

patents and more than 250 patents pending underline our inno-

vativeness and our goal to create sustainable added-value for

our customers. Meyer Burger provides the customer with a

holistic view of photovoltaics manufacturing with tech-

nology and product coverage along the entire value

chain, in-depth knowhow for tailored individual and

complete solutions, integrating solutions with

comprehensive service and provide

the customer everything from a

single source.

What are the key set of macro business environment such as infrastructure, business envi-ronment, finance, policy etc…required in India

Please enlighten us on how your equipment, technology and customers are performing in India & Worldwide.

HG : To further develop the India’s domestic solar value chain, there is an urgent need to invest in polysilicon, wafer, and cell manufacturing in India. These manufac-turing sectors require multibillion dollar investments to gain economical advantage over countries such as Chi-na. While there are many investors willing to put these plants, the scale of investment is beyond the reach of most of the investors. Investors are keen to have further support from the Indian government in following ways:

CAPITAL & PRODUCTION SUBSIDIES:

Capital subsidies should beavailable prior to in-vestment rather than after post plant construction. Additionally,capital subsidies should be at 40% of the total capital cost.

Most investors require more than one source of power to operate these huge plants.Hence, cost of captive power plant required to operate these plants, should also beincluded in the capital cost of the plant. Produc-tion subsidies of 10% should remain available to the manufacturers.

ELECTRICITY:

Electricity constitutes 45% of total operating cost of these plants. Hence, Government should offer electricity at Rs 3/Kwh.

CAPTIVEPOWERPLANT:

Alternatively, government should consider building a captive power plant at no cost to investor. Captive power plant would minimize distribution losses and make electricity available to investors at a lower cost. Even with captivepower plant, government should con-sider offering electricity to investors at a price nomore than Rs 3/kwh.

LAND: Provide land or grants for lands in special economic zones at subsidized rates

HG : Meyer Burger’s technology and products are industry benchmarks across the entire value chain from wafering through cell to mod-ule. Diamond Wire Technology from Meyer Burger is enabling slicing of thinner wafers, Heterojunction cell technology is defining the next generation high efficiency cell architec-ture with cell efficiencies exceeding 22%. MB-PERC (Passivated Emitter Rear Contact) cell technology is the industry benchmark currently with Meyer Burger owning 93% of global market share. The Smart Wire Connec-tion Technology (SWCT) for module allows busbarless cells and results in reduction of Ag consumption by upto 80% further reducing the cost of ownership.

Top global PV manufacturing companies rely on Meyer Burger’s technology and manu-facturing solutions to drive down the cost of manufacturing while leading the technology adoption to produce high efficiency cells and modules.

Q.

Q.

INTERVIEW

EQ : What are your expectations from the Indian market in near futureHG : We expect the Indian market to scale up on PV manufacturing across the

entire value chain and eventually move up the high efficiency regime once more real-istic and sustainable PPA tariffs become a reality. What is more important is gen-eration and not installed capacity. All the stakeholders including the gov-ernment will soon realize this and there will be a course correction.


COP 21 “PARIS”

COP 21 / Paris Agreement: Outcomes and Implications

aris climate conference (COP21) in December 2015, 195 countries adopted the first-ever universal, legally binding global climate deal. The agreement sets out a global action plan to put the world on track to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2°C. The agreement is due to enter into force in 2020. The Paris Agreement ensures that all 195 countries which are a party to the agreement have to work towards limiting climate change, and not just the 38 development countries which were required to do so under the Kyoto protocol. This means that any signatory to the agreement can be buyer or seller of emission units, blurring the line between developing and developed nations.

P

New Era To Hold Climate Change Ensured

By Manish Dabkara, CEO, EKI ENERGY SERVICES LIMITED


» A new mechanism will effec-tively completely replace CDM after 2020. Rules for the new mechanism will be finalized in the upcoming COP meetings, maybe 2-3 years from now.

» Projects Registered before 1 Jan 2013 , Credit Selling Strategy shall be as –

» Such Projects will continue to find buyers at least till year 2020, majorly its EU.

» Renewable Energy Projects may apply for Gold Standard labelling to sell credits at premium rates (generally 3-4 times higher than normal CERs).

» Getting into Verification cycle by doing fixed / floating rate forward ERPA (Emission Reduction Pur-chase Agreement) for Dec 2016 delivery deadline.

» If crediting period is 21 years

then at 8th & 15th Year starting of crediting period get applica-tion filing for renewal of period, between 180 to 270 days before end of last crediting period.

» Carbon Credits issued / not issued before 31 Dec 12 are not tradable in the compliance market but they can be traded in the voluntary market. Two selling strategies are as –

» Conversion of CER to VER & sell them

» Selling of CERs directly at https://offset.climateneutralnow.org

» Projects Registered after 1 Jan 2013 , Credit Selling Strategy shall be as –

» There are comparatively less buyers for credits generated from projects registered under CDM on or after 1-Jan-2013. During upcoming COP meetings in year

2016 & 2017, these projects credit demand will increase as compliance buyers will ratify CP2 period of Kyoto Protocol.

» The best strategy as of now for upcoming projects is to get it registered under voluntary mechanisms (GS, VCS, etc.) while parallel registration with CDM Program. Then whichever market offers higher rate, credits must be sold. At present rates of Voluntary Market Credits is higher than compliance market credits considering vintage effect but this condition shall be reversed soon as per our forecast.

» Increased CER demand for CP1 & CP2 Credits: A lot of action has taken place in terms of the Paris Agreement as well as a lot of pledges & commitments by various countries as a result of the Agreement should lead to an increase in the demand for CERs

» Once –in-every-five-years “Stocktake” Nations will review their pledges every five years and possible scale up their targets based on current situations and availability of improved technologies

» Voluntary cancellation of CP1 units Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden & Britain have voluntarily cancelled 635 million CP1 CERs and will not count them towards their CP2 targets. This will also put pressure on other countries, especially Australia, to follow suit.

New Source of Demand

» International trading of carbon units Declaration by NZ supporting use of international carbon units has been endorsed by 17 countries including US, Australia, Canada, Germany & Japan. More than 80 countries have indicated that they are open to using carbon markets to help them meet their INDC goals.

» Ratification of Doha Protocol The Agreement urges all nations, who have not yet done so (Japan, Canada, New Zealand, Australia etc.) to ratify and implement Doha Amendment to Kyoto Protocol. As more & more countries come on board, demand for compliance CP2 units will increase.

» Increase in the voluntary buyers at National & International fronts.Specially GS labeled Credits are getting highest rate.

Implication for Projects (Current & Upcoming)

COP 21 “PARIS”

» Temperature target: The global long-term goal of the Agreement is to limit global average warming to “well below” 2°C above pre-industrial levels. While aiming to pursue efforts “to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C”.

» Differentiation between rich and poor: A big hurdle in climate talk over the years has been agreeing how to share responsibility between developed and developing countries. Earlier, there was a binary division of respon-sibly between Annex 1 (developed) and non-Annex 1 (developing) countries for more than two decades. The Paris Agreement has no reference to “Annex 1”. There is now more flexible sharing of responsibilities. Different responsibility for rich and poor still pervade the Agreement, but not as a fixed list of countries. Now, “all parties are to undertake and communicate ambitious efforts”.

» A long-term climate agreement: Countries agreed to submit new climate action targets every five years, suggesting the Agreement may remain in force until the long-term goal of phasing out greenhouse gases is met. All countries will have to communicate new INDs every five years, with developed countries taking the lead. Countries would have to make each round of INDs more ambitious than the last.

» Adaptation, and “loss and damage” : Adaptation refers to the steps countries can take to avoid dam-age from climate change, for example by building flood defenses, The Agreement establishes a new global goal for adaptation, which has been missing under climate negotiations to date, and is favored by poorer, more vulnerable countries . But some climate change may be impossible to adapt to, such as severe storms or sea level rise. And so vulnerable countries also wanted compensation for this damage. The Agree-ment recognizes for the first time this concept of “loss and damage”. However, the Decision makes clear that developed countries will not accept liability for climate compensation.

» Finance: Countries agreed that $100 billion annually would be the floor value for climate finance from 2020, with a new amount to be decided by 2025.

» Transparency: As of now, only Developed countries already report their emissions annually and report progress towards their emissions targets every two years. Developing countries don’t face such obligations. The Agreement introduced an “enhanced transparency framework” both for mitigation and financial support. Almost all countries would now “regularly” measure their emissions and report progress against their NDCs. This reporting would be at least every two years.

Major Highlights of the Agreement

COP 21 “PARIS”

Cour

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NFCC

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“These figures are a stunning riposte to all those who expected clean energy investment to stall on falling oil and gas prices. They highlight the improving cost-competitiveness of solar and wind power, driven in part by the move by many countries to reverse-auction new capacity rather than providing advantageous tariffs, a shift that has put producers under continuing price pressure.”

- Mr. Michael Liebreich, Chairman, advisory board

Bloomberg New Energy Finance

hina is likely to include further actions to steer the country away from coal towards less polluting options in its 13th five year plan (2016-20), to be unveiled in March 2016. A national carbon emission trading programme – the world’s largest – is set to be launched, covering nearly 10,000 companies emitting 3-4bn tonnes of CO2.Meanwhile, solar and wind tariffs for new plants were reduced from 1 January 2016. Bloomberg New Energy Finance expects new PV build in China to be 18-20GW in 2016. For wind, it forecasts 20-23GW in 2016 and 2017, and 19-20GW in 2018-20. The note China cuts tariffs for PV, wind and coal provides more details of these forecasts. A country that could join the renewables high-growth list soon is Iran, which is aiming for an “economic leap” after the lifting of sanctions. It already has a generous feed-in tariff programme for renewables, and a fairly strong pipeline of projects. BNEF expects the country’s non-hydro renewables capacity to increase from 400MW at the end of 2015 to 5.6GW by 2020, led by wind (3.9GW) and solar (1.4GW). Details of projects and developers in the country can be found in the recent note The wind blows Iran’s way. The European Investment Bank announced that it would lend EUR 100bn ($109bn) for climate action over the next five years. The Luxembourg-based development bank provided a record EUR 20.6bn to green projects in 2015, it said in an e-mailed statement. It targets 25% of its total lending towards climate action, a proportion that was surpassed last year.

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Buisness & Finance

Clean Energy Investments In 2015 Hit

A New Record Of $329BnThetotalnewinvestmentincleanenergyjumpedtoarecord$329bnin2015,withtheAsia-Pacificregionaccounting

foroverhalftheinvestment,accordingtoBloombergNewEnergyFinancenumbersreleasedlastweek.Chinaremainedthelargestcleanenergyinvestor,accountingfor$111bn,whilesolarattractedthelargestchunkoffunding.

ChinaNationalBuildingMaterialssignedaGBP1.1bn($1.6bn)agreementwithaUKunitofHongKong-basedWelinkGlobaltodevelopsolarpowerprojectsandenergy-efficienthousingintheUK.InTurkey,theEuropeanBankforReconstructionandDevelopmentandtheCleanTechnologyFundformedaprogrammetolend$125mtodevelopgeothermalinTurkey.Thegoalistodevelopfivegeothermalpowerplantswithacombinedcapacityofatleast60MW,theLondon-baseddevelopmentbanksaidinastatement.TheDevelopmentBankofJapanandJapanWindDevelopmentannouncedthecreationofthenation’sfirstfundforwindpower.TheyaimtointroducetheJPY50bn($423m)jointfundinApril.

Therewerealsosomeannouncementslastweekonexpansionofmanufacturingcapacity:LGElectronicssaiditplanstoinvestasmuchas$435mtobuildsixhigh-efficiencysolarmanufacturinglinesinSouthKoreaandYingliGreenEnergysaiditwillbuilditsfirstoverseasfactoryinThailandasitseekstogrowoutsideChina.Activityinthegreenbondsuniversepickedupinthelastquarter,thoughthetotalissuesfortheyearwerelimitedto$46bn,comparedto$39bnin2014.


Towards 2025, we expect floating offshore wind to be competitive with fixed-bottom developments,.The industrialisation process – larger turbines, fewer cabling arrays and

better technology will contribute to the cost reduction.The spar buoy technology to be used in Hywind,

Scotland’s first floating wind farm, can be more easily industrialised than competing alternatives, according to project developer Statoil, due to its existing application in deep-sea drilling. “Industrialisation of floating wind is a key opportunity for companies with skillsets from the oil and gas business,” said Bull, speaking from the new energy solutions unit of the Oslo-based oil and gas company.

The Hywind pilot park will have a capacity of 30MW and is expected to be operational and producing power by the end of 2017, according to Statoil. The company is investing some NOK 2bn ($225m) in the project, to be located approximately 25 to 30km off the coast of

Peterhead in Aberdeenshire. Financial close was reached in November last year. The five floating turbines will be kept stable in waters of 100 metres in depth with spar buoys – a type of foundation commonly used in the oil and gas industry, involving a sealed steel tube and mooring lines with drag anchors. Statoil has chosen to use a 6-MW turbine made by Siemens for Hywind, but as more opportunities open up for floating wind in favorable regions such as Japan, Australia and the US, it will be possible to use turbines at a higher capacity, provided that balance is maintained with the sub-structure, said Bull.

“Scotland has the potential to be an early global leader in floating wind,” with the capability to build a distinct skillset to export internationally, he said. Scotland’s provision for offshore wind pilot projects under the Renewables Obligation indicates that the technology is a contender for a role in the country’s program to diversify its electricity supply and strengthen its energy industry.

Floating offshore wind cost level with fixed by 2025, says Statoil

Stephen Bull, senior vice president

for offshore wind at Statoil

told Clean Energy and Carbon Brief in

an interview

The following is an extract from the Q&A with Stephen Bull, senior VP for offshore wind at Statoil, published in yesterday’s Clean Energy and Carbon Brief.

Q: Statoil has invested EUR 214m (NOK 2bn) –representing a 60-70% cost reduction on the earlier Hywind demo project. How has this been achieved?

Q: Does Statoil have a levelised cost of energy target for floating wind?

A: More efficient marine operations are a part of it, and we are also using a larger, 6-MW turbine as opposed to the 2.3-MW turbine we used in the demo, so from a levelised cost of energy point of view it will be more efficient. It’s also been about putting into practice some of our installation learning and measuring efficiency, use, and power yield curves from our existing operations using the 2.3-MW – thinking about its relevance in the case of a 6-MW.

A: Yes, we have a clear LCOE roadmap, both for fixed and floating wind. Towards 2025, we expect floating to be competitive with fixed-bottom developments. This takes into account that fixed-bottom turbines have been through a distinct cost reduction curve of late – at least about 25% down in the past 4 years if you look at some of the projects in Europe, and particularly the UK.The industrialisation process – larger turbines, fewer cabling arrays and better technology such as high-performance parallel and distributed computing technology [often used in managing industry clusters] will contribute to reducing cost..

Q&A of the week

Buisness & Finance


EQ : What is your view on the performance of Hon’ble PM Shri Narender Modi, Hon’ble Minister

Shri Piyush Goyal & New BJP Government in the last 1 year

AK : We are encouraged with the Government of India’s

promotion and positioning of solar energy as a reliable

and sustainable source of energy in India. The 100 GW

solar target by 2022 set by the Government, is ambi-

tious yet achievable.However there is a lot more that

needs to be accomplished, especially from a manu-

facturing and right technology perspective, so as to

ensure that new investments not only provide de-

sired energy in a highly efficient and cost ef-fective waybut also encourage production

of these products within the country so as to have a sustainable

growth beyond 2022.

Including Renewable Projects under Priority Sector Lending by RBI. Kindly comment and express your views

Government took a bold decision of not imposing Anti-Dumping Duties on Solar Modules/Cells Imports.What are its effects.Please express your views

AK : Considering the focus towards renewables and green energy along with the targets set by the Government, it is imperative that in order to attract substantial investment and funding, which are the key drivers required for this industry, we feel making renewables a priority lending sector is a step in the correct course. Through steps like these, we can ensure faster and better access to funds, which is a critical requirement for the development of the solar market in India.

AK : The Indian manufacturing companies were looking at anti-dumping, not as a protectionist measure but to create a level playing field especially vis-à-vis certain companies who are selling their products in India at exorbitantly lower costs and in order to achieve the same are compromising on quality. While we respect the Government’s decision of increased allocation under DCR to ensure domestic com-panies are given the necessary support in place of impos-ing these ADD’s, what is critical is to consider the quality of panels being used. A panel having 25 years life means that the quality of panels cannot be compromised and enough checks and balances would need to be in place to ensure long term quality of solar generation.

Q.

Q.

INTERVIEW

Interview with

Ashish Khanna


Do you forsee the Anti-Dumping might come back anytime in future

Is the government planning & talking big but the action is yet to be seen? What are the ex-pectations in the next 2-4 years

Do you think the target of 100GW Solar by 2022 is achievable. What are the challenges and roadblocks

What’s the current state and future of Solar PV Manufacturing in India. Recently some order for Cell lines and module lines are finalized in the market. what’s your view

AK : The intent is to create a level-playing field for Indian manufacturing companies, and we support all measures taken by the Government in this direc-tion. There have been multiple studies which have shown that the emerging solar manufacturing sector has the highest employability compared to any other energy producing industry and hence encouraging our domestic manufacturing will have more than one tangible benefit. Even USA and Europe have taken steps to dissuade supply of low-cost low-quality panels from some countries. We strongly suggest India should also encourage high-quality cost opti-mal panel’s production within the country and for the same adopt an appropriate policy.

AK : We are certain that the Indian Government is moving in the right direction which will result in positive developments in the solar industry. Currently, we are still in the initial stages of achieving a mammoth goal of 100GW, and there will be a huge pick up in momentum over the next couple of years. We also believe in next few years’rooftops and solar-based distributed genera-tion will have rapid growth and reduction in storage costs will also facilitate deeper penetration and accep-tance of these cost effective energy solutions.

AK : The target of 100GW solar power by 2022 is ambitious, but achievable. While the target is to achieve 100GW, it is not a race or milestone that needs to be achieved for an external purpose. This is a guiding line for us, and more than a number goal we should be looking at solar contributing to gaining India’s energy independence. One of the biggest drivers needed to achieve this goal, would be attracting substantial investment and funding. Another key challenge we could face could be sub-standard quality of the panels used. If we use sub-standard panels to reach this ambitious goal, it will impact the long term feasibility of solar and derail the entire thrust towards it. Foreign ex-change fluctuations are also a concern: for instance, projects that were financially closed when the dollar was at $63, are suffering from a 5-6 per cent hit since then at present rates, affecting their business model and IRR. Since solar is an infirm power, investments in grid balancing is also required. Adding to this, there are frequent challenges of acquir-ing land in a short time. Lastly, majority of the 100GW projects will be handled predominantly by private sector solar companies in compari-son to government bodies. The government bodies will play a key role in helping build an ecosystem for the private players to set up projects by using the power generated. Accordingly health and intent of state distribution companies will also play a pivotal role in long term perspec-tive. If the system of reverse bidding continues with lowered pricing, there is a possibility of these corporate players who are investing in this sector to back out, since it won’t be financially viable for them.

AK : We think that the future of solar PV manufacturing could be a lot better and there is a huge scope for growth in this market. While there have been instances of growth in bits and pieces by various compa-nies across India, the entire industry as a whole is still to take off. We are hopeful that we will see some improvement in the coming years to ensure the steady growth of this space in the Indian solar journey. More supportive policy initiatives towards highly efficient cells, panels and R&D would have provided sustainable growth to the industry and reliable, highly efficient, low cost energy solutions for various needs of the consumers.

Q.

Q.

Q.

Q.

INTERVIEW

ED & CEO at Tata Power Solar

EQ : Make in India Program. How does this is going in respect to Solar manufacturing in India. What are your suggestions, comments etcAK : While the government has taken great efforts to ensure the growth of solar power

generation through various projects across India, we believe more support should have been given towards encouraging the manufacturing sector. Despite the successful launch of Make in India

initiative, across other sectors, we have not seen the same enthusiasm within the solar space.

Another reason is the absence of a level playing field that the manufacturers are facing, and hence we have not wit-nessing enough progress on the ground in the solar manu-facturing sector.


World over, Solar power is gaining dominance over

conventional sources of energy. The same trend is now being

seen in India. While solar power adoption is widespread in residential, commercial and Government sector, our industries are slowly yet steadily picking up pace in solar power adoption.

SOLAR ROOFTOP

Author- Anand Srivastav, Director- Finance & corporate Development, Sunsure Energy


Project parameters and cost-benefit• System size = 40 kWp• Shadow free area reqd = 500 sq. Mtrs.• Investment = Approx Rs. 28 Lakhs• Effective current electricity tariff = Rs. 8.2 / unit• Tariff escalation = 5% / annum• Payback period = 2-3 years• The positive cash flow is after deducting bank

EMI, principal repayment and Operations & Maintenance expenditures from the electricity savings

RooftopsolarpowerplantatTulipInternational

Upto 50% reduction in

electricity tariff

Net Metering: Now you can sell electricity

back to the grid

Tax benefit: 80% Accelerated Depreciation

Clean-Green Power: Be a

social champion

It runs your machinery. No

battery required

It is mandatory in some states like Haryana Switch on the

sun in your industry

Lower your electricity bill

with solar

+VE CASHFLOW FOR PLANT LIFETIME Your money multiplies 20 times in 25 years

Your money multiplies 4 times in 10 years

Bank Loan Period

A right size solar power plant will produce the right amount of savings for any industry. The following graph shows how positive cash flow is achieved for the lifetime of the plant:

ne of Hyundai’s Vendor, M/S Tulip International, manufacturers of Car seat covers, recently embarked on the Green Journey by installing a 40 kW solar power plant on their rooftop. They have been

able to reduce their electricity bills each month by approximately 50%. Apart from this, they have also benefited from the depreciation benefit that is being offered by the Government on Solar projects. Easy availability of loan from banks on renewable energy projects has made it easier and more attractive for companies like Tulip International to go for solar power. The project was executed in 1 month time by SunSure, a renewable energy services company which has been founded by IIT Alumni. The success of this initiative has led to widespread interest in the industry cluster to benefit from the multiple benefits of Solar power. The benefits are summarised in the figure below; also shown is a snapshot of the installation at Tulip International.

OSOLAR

ROOFTOP

Footnote:TheprojecthasbeenahugesuccessintheindustrialclusterandHyundaiMobisseesthisasabenchmarkprojectforotherHyundaisupplierstoadoptandbenefitfrom.Solar,withitsmultiplebenefitsisanidealenergyalternativeforindustriesthatarelookingtoreducetheirelectricitybills,gainfromGovernmentincentivesandcontributetoacleanerenvironment.


SOLAR POWER

Many in the Indian solar industry are shocked at the low tariffs that have emerged as winning bids recently and some are even calling them unviable. Since Nov last year’s bid of Rs.4.63 by SunEdison and same in Dec by SBG Cleantech, a new low of Rs. 4.34 was touched in Jan 2016. Finnish company Fortum Finnsurya Energy

bagged a PPA for 70-MW under NTPC’s Bhadla Solar Park tender at this rate. The other winners were at Rs.4.35 - Rs.4.36 but a total of 9 bidders had bid below the

earlier low of Rs.4.63 from 1-2 months before! There is something cooking that many might not be smelling yet.

Why Rs. 4-5 is the new normal for

SOLAR TARIFFS

- By Anand Srivastav, Director- Finance & corporate Development, Sunsure Energy


SOLAR POWER

LetusanalyzehoweachfactorbelowcanlowerthesolartariffquotedbyprojectdevelopersinIndia-

1. Debt financing : Low cost of foreign funding is a huge advantage almost all the bid winners enjoy. In countries like Finland and Japan where interest rates are even below 1% lately, sovereign and pension funds can lend out money at 7-8% including the FX hedging costs in the longer term versus 11-12% available in the domestic market. Similar low rates could be attained by developers from Develop-ment Banks like ADB. And if not, then there is a possibility of refinancing at cheaper than prevailing rates in 1-5 years after commissioning (once construction risks are out of the equation) driving up the returns.

2. Upfront project costs : Panel, structure and other equip-ment costs are to be incurred only 10-14 months after bid date, thus there is a very good possibility of imported equipment/material prices lowering down due to 1) rupee appreciation in the short term and 2) latest technologies such as low cost & technological advanced solar modules , trackers etc. New structural innovations in design like shielding effect (as per CFD analysis, wind force on bound-aries are higher) and innovation in materials like Galvalum can decrease structure costs. All this leads to lower project costs. The current drop in equipment prices though could be a short term trend due to 1) lower commodity prices and 2) chinese dumping. Global renewable energy consultant,

GTM Research estimates panel prices of 36 cents by 2017, Inverter prices to 5-7 cents (from 9, now) and ‘balance of system’ to 25-30 cents.

3. Land acquisition & transmission infrastructure - In the solar park the costs are higher for leasing and park develop-ment charges compared to procuring land outside the solar park. But being inside a solar park significantly reduces the bureaucratic risks with delays in procurement of land and permissions for transmission infrastructure. The cost of development reduces even more in desert and arid areas like Bhadla.

4. Offtaker risk : NTPC and SECI have a better offtaker pro-file so lower risks of payments as well as possibly cheaper debt funding. This is in contrast with state distribution companies as offtakers which can pose greater evacuation issues and payment delays.

5. Irradiation : Can be different in districts inside same state and indeed plays an important factor. Bhadla in Jodhpur district has one of the highest solar radiation in the country.

6. Economies of scale : 10MW versus 70MW versus 300MW should have cheaper sourcing of materials respectively.

Thuswebelievelowtariffslike4.34arenotatallunviableifthecostsandrisksareappropriatelyjudgedpertainingtoeachtenderandthedeveloperbidding.ThatiswhyothertendersliketheKarnatakastatebidfor1200MWshouldhavesignificantlyhighertariffsthantherecentbids.


The upcoming Union Budget (2016-17) provides an opportunity to put in place levers to strengthen the demand situation in the economy. This is important to impart momentum to the capex cycle and put GDP back on high growth track. Independent Power Producers Association of India (IPPAI) did a workshop for its members to know of their broader viewpoints on some of the most important things they would like to see in the budget, from power sector’s perspective.

Pre-Budget (2016-17) Suggestions for the Ministry of Finance, Government of India

INDEPENDENT POWER PRODUCERS

ASSOCIATION OF INDIA

EXpert’s Opinion

Independent Power Producers Association of India (IPPAI) conducted a roundtable meeting for key stake-holders from the power sector which included Power Consumers/industry, Independent Power Producers, Captive Power Producers, Energy Research Insti-

tutions, Banks and Financial Institutions to know of their viewpoint and compile suggestions on some of the impor-tant areas they would request to be addressed in the Union Budget. Some of the suggestions which IPPAI, on behalf of stakeholders in power sector, would like to make for gov-ernment and your ministry’s consideration with a view to boost demand and investments in the economy especially in core infrastructure such as the power sector have been provided for your kind perusal. May we request the Ministry of Finance, Government of India to kindly consider these suggestions while preparing the Union budget for 2016-17.

Some of the suggestions which IPPAI would like to make for your kind consideration with a view to boost demand and investments in the economy have been placed below.

» It is proposed to extend the 10-year tax holiday to companies that start power generation by March 31, 2020. Industry players have called for the extension of the sunset tax clause for power companies to include plants that provide power till March 2020 as opposed to 2017 earlier.

» It is strongly recommended that Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) should be reduced to 10 percent and the entire provision of MAT needs to be re-examined to incentivize investments in the power sector.

» Reduction in Customs Duty on Coking Coal - Import duty of coking coal had been increased to 2.5% in the Union Budget 2014-15. Negligible quantity of coking coal is available domestically, and thus the need is met mainly from imports. It is therefore recommended that the duty on coking coal be exempted as was the case prior to the Union Budget 2014-15.

» Clean Energy Cess - Levy of a clean energy cess on coal (INR 200/ton) – which increases the cost of ther-mal power leads to increase in power tariff for con-sumers across the spectrum in a scenario where most power consumed in the country is coal fired power. May we request that the aforesaid cess may be restricted to only those power producers who do not adopt clean technologies / modernize their plants. Power produc-ers who have already adopted internationally recog-nized clean technologies, at considerable investment, should be incentivized and encouraged by way of being exempted from levy of any clean energy cess. Moreover, the cess is collected as National Clean En-ergy Fund (NCEF) and is disbursed for renewable en-ergy based initiatives and power projects. Looking at the current scenario where the solar power tariffs are being at an all-time low (lowest being INR 4.63/unit), the aforesaid cess may kindly be abolished for power producers who use clean coal technologies.

» Power transmission & distribution (T&D) sector should be granted infrastructure industry status and related tax benefits available to other infrastructure sectors be given to this sector as well, thereby reducing the cost of power projects and the per-unit tariff which is ulti-mately borne by consumers.


However, a relief has been provided by limiting temporary tariff to 125% of normal tariff category.

Other changes:

Some other important changes are:1. Differential duties have been dis-couraged, particularly when states impose differential duties on captive generation.

2. Licensees have been given the option to charge lower tariffs than those determined by the SERC if competitive conditions so demand.

3. Provisions regarding micro-grids and protecting the investments made by micro-grid operators have been incorporated.

4. Smart meters have been man-dated for consumers consuming 500 units by 2017 and 200 units by 2019.

5. Procurement of power from waste-to-energy plants has been made compulsory.

The changes proposed in the policy are encouraging and can have far-reaching impact, particularly on the RE sector. Provisions regarding RPO

on co-gen, higher solar RPO, RGO and compet-itive bidding can radically change the demand for RE and the way new capacities are set up.Rational and transparent cross-subsidy calculations can also help in encouraging open access to a large extent.However, we remain cautious on these changes. The RE related changes will require that states be willing to implement these, and the wide leeway available to SERC on cross-subsidy means that only those states that are anyways in favor of encouraging open access will adopt them. It is unlikely to expand the open access market significantly.

Analysis of key words used in NTP 2016

An analysis of the frequency of words used in the NTP 2016 amendment vs the 2011 amendment throws a light on the changing

priorities of the government:

Conclusion

Figure: Frequency of key words used in NTP 2016 and NTP 2011

EXpert’s Opinion


SolarEdge’s StorEdge™ Solution is Now Internationally Available

SolarEdge Technologies, Inc. a global leader in PV inverters, power optimizers, and module-level monitoring services, announced recently the immediate international availability of its StorEdge™ solution. At the end of 2015, the company already completed a number of StorEdge™ installations in select locations around the world.

PR DUCTS

Solar Edge Single Phase Solar Inverters

The SolarEdge PV inverter combines sophisticated digital control technology with ef-ficient power conversion ar-chitecture to achieve superior solar power harvesting and best-in-class reliability.

Single Phase Inverter Feature highlights:

ompatible with Tesla’s home battery, the Powerwall, StorEdge™ is a DC coupled storage solution that allows home owners to reduce elec-tric bills and gain energy independence. With StorEdge™, unused solar energy is stored in a battery and used when needed to maximize self-consumption and for power backup. StorEdge™ also supports Time-of-Use management, which promotes energy consumption when electric demand from the grid is low (off-peak rates) and lower consumption when demand is high (peak rates). The backup function allows home-owners to store solar energy and use it during electric outages.

he fixed-voltage technology ensures the solar inverter is always work-ing at its optimal input voltage, regardless of the number of modules in a string or environmental conditions. A proprietary data monitor-ing receiver has been integrated into the single phase solar inverter and aggregates the power optimizer performance data from each PV module. This data can be transmitted to the web and accessed via the SolarEdge monitoring portal for performance analysis, fault de-tection and troubleshooting of PV systems. The single phase inverter can be fitted with a seamlessly attachable cabling duct for manag-ing the installation wiring. The inverters are lightweight and can be installed by a single person on a supplied bracket.

• Solar inverters specifically designed to work with power optimizers• Superior efficiency (>97%)• Excellent reliability with standard 12 year warranty (extendable to 20 or 25 years)• Small, lightweight and easy to install• Built-in module-level monitoring receiver• Communication to internet via broadband or wireless ZigBee• IP65 / NEMA 3R – Outdoor and indoor installation

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T

“With the evolution of the solar energy market and subsidy pro-grams, innovative solutions are increasingly necessary to cre-ate synergy between distributed solar energy and storage, As a top global inverter company, So-larEdge is committed to contrib-uting to a thriving solar industry by offering products, such as StorEdge™.”

- Lior Handelsman, Vice President (Marketing & Product ) SolarEdge’s

The solution is based on a single inverter that manages and monitors solar energy generation, consumption, and storage. With the complete SolarEdge DC optimized StorEdge™ system, home-owners benefit from higher generation, higher efficiency, simple design, enhanced safety, full monitoring, and easy maintenance. Available in Australia, Europe, South Af-rica, and the United States, StorEdge™ can be ordered by PV installers via SolarEdge distributors.


PR DUCTS

“The need for accurate PV testing to maximize the yield, reduce the risks and deliver supportive functions to contribute to grid stability is growing worldwide, It is our aim to be the best partner for cost effective renewable energy genera-tion, and to provide the best solutions for monitoring and controlling utility scale projects worldwide.”

- Juergen Sutterlueti, Head Of Energy Segment

& Business Development At Gantner Instruments

he new solution for monitoring on string level “string.bloxx All-in-one” recognizes design and production errors with high resolution down to PV module level. It combines DC

measurement, fuses, overvoltage protection and communication, leading to an improved ROI and

a cost reduction of 30 per cent compared with standard concepts. The significant re-duction of interfaces leads to

reduced risk and faster plant installation time.Gantner Instru-ments will also be presenting

the Q.reader control unit at the summit, which is a compact solu-tion for logging and controlling, as

well as its independent real-time analysis platform for data acquisi-tion and effective O&M activities, the gantner webportal. In addition to data acquisition, the portal is also a platform for storage and control, which offers investors solid and reliable information enabling them to evaluate their PV portfolio per-formance and develop preventive maintenance strategies.

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Gantner Instruments Presents New Monitoring Solutions For Utility-Scale PV Plants At The World Future Energy Summit In Abu Dhabi

The leading independent PV monitoring company, Gantner Instruments, is presenting its latest solutions for monitoring, data collection and plant control at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi from January 18 to 21. With offices in Europe, Asia and the US, and representatives in 32 countries, the company has developed efficient solutions for maximizing the performance of PV systems, reducing downtime, increasing yield and maintaining international standards.


PR DUCTSIBC Solar Presents System Solution

For Agricultural IrrigationIBC SOLAR AG, one of the world’s leading photovoltaic (PV) system service providers, is giving farmers the opportunity to switch to a non-toxic, low-cost and reliable water supply: expensive and high-maintenance diesel generators can now be replaced with a PV system linked to the IBC PumpController. This system can be connected via a Siemens frequency converter to existing water pumps. Existing irrigation systems can therefore easily be converted to use a significantly more efficient and lower-cost power supply.

A pilot plant on a farm in Namibia has been showing the practical functions of the system solution since June 2015.

An IBC SOLAR PV system with a maximum output of 17.7 kWp and an IBC PumpController has permanently replaced an 11 kVA diesel gen-erator. This conversion has made possible the environmentally-friendly and, above all, reliable

drip irrigation of arable land, while saving 30 litres of diesel per day. “The investment in the solar-powered pump solution will pay off within 3 years,” explains Dieter Miener, Tech-nical Applications Engineer at IBC SOLAR.

IBC SOLAR will include 10 performance classes ranging between 3 and 90 kW in its portfolio. Due to the positive experiences

gained in Namibia and further countries, IBC SOLAR is now offering the system solution in the target markets of Africa and Latin America through its Premium Partners. In addition to its use in agricultural fields, the solution can also be implemented in the fish farming, wastewater treatment or tourism sectors.

oth the existing pumps and the entire irrigation infrastructure are conserved during the conversion, and only the diesel generator is replaced by a PV

system. The IBC PumpController system solution combined with a PV system is structured around concepts of standardisation, modularisation and the global quality promise of IBC SOLAR. Only standard components are used by IBC SOLAR as they are easy to maintain and replace. The Sinamics S120 frequency converter including Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) from Siemens installed in the IBC PumpController ensures that the maximum output can be taken from the photovoltaic generator. Replacing expensive diesel with reliable solar powerThe benefits of the solar system solution will be immediately noticeable to farmers who are converting to a solar power supply. Diesel fuel is expensive to purchase and poses risks dur-ing transportation and storage. Diesel is also not cost effective as a fuel source because the cost of importing is supported by government subsidies in many countries. Solar energy, on the other hand, is a reliable and low-cost form of power supply in the agricultural sector, espe-cially in areas where demand for water is high. Furthermore, energy supply and water demand fit together perfectly. Water is typically in need after sunny days, thus right after water tanks have been filled with the aid of solar power. Once installed, the PV system also only incur minimal maintenance costs.

B

Pilot plants with cost recovery within 3 years


he proposed device consists of a rod of some mate-rial, ideally tin oxide or titanium dioxide, which would absorb sunlight to allow the water to oxidise, gen-erating hydrogen peroxide. Tin oxide and titanium dioxide are very stable compounds.In other words, they do not like to bond; hardly any chemicals stick to them.

That property of binding so weakly to other com-

pounds causes the formation of hydrogen peroxide. Using energy from the solar photons, tin oxide and titanium oxide oxidise the water molecule (H2O) to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Then, once the hydro-gen peroxide has eliminated all of the water’s bacte-ria and organic pollutants, the device would self-shut down – when it runs out of things to clean, hydrogen peroxide is unstable in water.

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PR DUCTSDevice For Solar-Powered

Water Purification In Offing

An Indian-origin scientist in US has

designed a device that can sanitise dirty

water merely by absorbing sunlight,

an advance that could be a global

game-changer in the potable water crisis.

“And once the catalytic reaction has finished, you would take the stick out and expose the water to sun-light for a little bit longer. If the water heats up even just a little bit, the hydrogen peroxide will decom-pose and become water and oxygen again. It is predicted that about 3 billion people would not have access to clean drinking water by 2020, but he is hopeful that the device, when it is eventually prototyped and released, will bring that number down.

Along with colleagues designed a conceptual device which would combine with unsanitary water and sunlight to create a potable water source. Theoretically, you would dip a stick of this material in a bucket of water, take it outside, and it would absorb sunlight, What we are doing, essentially, is using the energy of the Sun to excite or oxidise water into a compound that has the potency to clean,”

- Venkat Viswanathan, Assistant Professor

Carnegie Mellon University in US

- Venkat Viswanathan, Assistant Professor, Carnegie Mellon University in US


Heraeus Photovoltaics Releases New Family Of Metallization Pastes With New Silver Powders

Heraeus Photovoltaics, the worldwide leading supplier of metallization solutions to the PV industry, recently announced a new and comprehensive supply chain strategy to ensure of AG silver powders for its product line. As part of this comprehensive plan, Heraeus has implemented a multi-supplier sourcing strategy, an expanded safety stock policy as well as redundant paste options for customers.

hese changes were made in order to quickly re-spond to recent events that affected the opera-tions of a major supplier of silver powder. The in-cident revealed that the global PV industry could be vulnerable to an even short-term interruption of the supply of key raw materials. Heraeus, while experiencing a very partial impact, used the event to strengthen its supply chain and manufacturing strategies. As a result, Heraeus has expanded its trading partner network to include additional silver powder suppliers as well as a careful safety stock policy. Heraeus now releases its newest family of pastes based on different silver powders than before. The purpose of this family-release is the round-up completion of Heraeus’ set of redundant pastes which backup each other.

This redundant product offering by Heraeus helps to further decrease key material depen-dency. Samples of the new paste family are al-ready available and shipped to customers. This approach enables Heraeus customers to be as-sured their current and future PV needs will not be vulnerable to events or interruptions that could have potentially negative impact on their business interests.

For many years, Heraeus has successfully implemented a multiple sourcing strategy for key raw materials such as silver powder. By this strategic supply chain approach Heraeus’ cus-tomers benefit from continuous product quality and supply se-curity. Additionally, safety stock inventories of silver powder are maintained to minimize short-term effects of potential inter-ruptions in raw material supplies to the greatest possible extent. Presently Heraeus is working very closely with its customers to implement solutions, which fulfill both their short-term demands as well as their long-term deliv-ery requirements.

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PR DUCTS


Schneider Electric Selects AlsoEnergy As Preferred Monitoring Provider for Conext

CL Series Power Inverters

Schneider Electric™, a global leader in solutions for the solar power conversion chain, has designated AlsoEnergy as the preferred monitoring provider to pair with their Conext™ CL series of three-phase string inverters. AlsoEnergy has been selected for their ability to deliver the best user experience with these inverters: seamless integration of technologies, along with proven results for overall system design, deployment, and Operations and Maintenance (O&M).

PR DUCTSlsoEnergy serves a wide range of solar power projects with two in-dustry-leading software products for PV performance evaluation (PowerTrack and DECK Monitor-ing). With a host of customizable display-and-analysis options for aggregated portfolio data, AlsoEn-ergy solutions are a perfect fit for the large decentralized systems that will choose the Conext CL Se-ries. Together these technologies will help customers optimize yield and reduce maintenance costs, so projects can achieve increased ROI.

Schneider Electric has lever-aged 180 years of energy man-agement experience to create the Conext CL Series. Built for decen-tralized architecture, Conext CL inverters are the ideal solution for commercial buildings, carports, and decentralized power plants. Optimized modular design enables faster installations and easy scaling for systems of all sizes. Users ben-efit from minimal system downtime due to short replacement lead time and ease of servicing. This line of inverters offers full grid support features and all the system capa-bilities of the Schneider Electric product line. The Conext CL Series is now available in 18 kW and 20 kW for North America.

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Schneider Electric relies on strong and competent partners to deliver top performance for integrated power systems. “As a global specialist in energy management, Schneider Electric understands customers choosing Conext CL series inverters expect reliable, high efficiency performance and increased ROI” says David Norman, Director of Business Development for Solar Business, North America. “Recognizing the importance of a robust monitoring solution to achieve our customers’ goals, we confidently recommend Also Energy as our trusted partner to provide superior technology, support, and solar expertise.”

- David Norman, Director Of Business Development For Solar Business, North America

AlsoEnergy is a leader among independent solar monitoring providers, with over 4 GW of power monitored at more than 12,000 independent locations worldwide. “We are honored to be named as a preferred partner by a major industry player such as Schnei-der Electric” says AlsoEnergy CEO Robert Schaefer. “We are particularly pleased to work with Conext CL tier I inverters, a product line that is optimized for today’s decentralized solar power projects.”

- Robert Schaefer, CEO Schneider Electric


PR DUCTSJinkoSolar Becomes The First PV Company To

Receive CQC’s “Top Runner” Program Level One Energy Efficiency Certification In China

JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd. , a global leader in the solar PV industry, recently announced that its multi-crystalline PV modules were the first to receive the China Quality Certification Center’s (“CQC”) Top Runner Program level-one energy efficiency certification in China.

ntroduced by China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) in 2015, the Top Runner Program’s is aimed at facilitating the appli-cation of advanced PV technol-ogy and upgrading the industry. JinkoSolar has been steadily improving the quality and power output of its modules, achieving record-high power output of over 285W for its mass-produced multi-crystalline 60-cell mod-ules. JinkoSolar’s technological strength resulted in the Com-pany’s PV modules receiving China’s first level-one energy ef-ficiency certification. JinkoSolar was also among a small number of solar PV companies to have been awarded the Top Runner Program’s Best Module Suppli-ers award in 2015.

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“We are honored to become the first solar module manufacturer to receive Top Runner Program level-one certification. Our modules distinguish themselves by conforming to the Top Runner Program’s high standards for power output and quality, and were also recognized by the national third-party certification agency. Our R&D team has been working diligently to overcome many technological barriers and succeeded in creating real breakthroughs in the manufacturing of multi-crystalline modules. At the same time, our quality control team has been closely monitoring every single step of the manufacturing process to ensure that production management is transparent, delicacy and controllable. We will continue to provide our cus-tomers with reliable high-efficiency PV products as we work to pave the way for the sustainable devel-opment of the PV industry in China.”

- Mr. Kangping Chen, CEO of JinkoSolar


PR DUCTSRenusol Presents New PV Mounting

System For Flat RoofsRenusol is introducing its new ballasted flat-roof mounting system FS10-S and FS18-S for mounting south-facing photovoltaic panels. It requires few components and uses especially short rails, making the system price-efficient and quick to install. As it has little surface area exposed to the wind and is equipped with wind deflectors, minimal ballasting is required, making the new mounting system especially suited for commercial and agricultural buildings with lightweight roofs.

“Renusol is increasingly emphasizing simple mounting systems that can be installed very quickly and comfortably at the construction site”, explained Sven Künzel, Managing Director of Renusol. “For example, our product developers have opted for an innovative screw joint that works without a nut, meaning that fewer move-ments are needed. Since the rails are delivered pre-punched, there is also no need to take cumbersome measurements on site, which decreases installation errors.”

- Sven Kunzel, Managing Director, Renusol

ll standard framed solar modules can be mount-ed with the new system. The FS10-S system mounts PV modules at a 10 degree angle, while the FS18-S mounts at an 18 degree angle. Short rails with lengths of 1.38 m and 1.73 m are used with the FS10-S and FS18-S, respectively. Both sizes are easy to transport and manoeuver on the construction site. The remaining system components also offer easy handling and stor-age – an advantage for wholesale customers. The short rails are joined with connectors, mak-ing it possible to compensate for unevenness in the roof. In addition, slots in the rail connectors compensate for temperature expansions, which could otherwise lead the PV system to shift on the roof.

A “Our customers also really appreciate that solar modules can be mounted up to half a meter from the edge of the roof. This makes it possible to install more modules on the roof and deliver a maximum power potential”, reports-

- Marko Balen, Product Manager at Renusol.

The new mounting system is suited for bitumen, concrete, foil and gravel roofs. There is no need to penetrate the roof membrane in order to safely fix the system on the roof. Instead, pavers or concrete slabs are placed in the channels of the wind deflectors. Renusol offers a ten-year product warranty.

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