solarquarter october 2014 vol3 issue10

8/10/2019 SolarQuarter October 2014 Vol3 Issue10

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INR 300

Monthly Print Edition

Volume 03 I Issue 10 I October 2014

www.solarquarter.com



Page No 2 www.solarquarter.com News

India pipeline reaches 4GW with 500MW Telangana tender

Gujarat solar power model for Odisha

ReneSola to provide 10-MW solar modules to Indian frm

Indian State Telangana Issues 500 MW Solar Power Tender

Karnataka Government launches a scheme to allow farmers to set up solar power plants

India proposes ultra mega scheme to scale solar PV

70 MW solar power project to be set up by SunEdison

Green think tank revived in Delhi to tap solar power

Solar anti-dumping plan dropped by India before Modi meetsObama

World’s largest single rooftop solar power project commissioned in India

Tata solar Power bags order from JNNSM

NTPC may be forced to tap international solar power suppliers

India’s new state of Telangana has launched a500MW solar tender. This tender adds to a 4GWpipeline of solar development contracts across In-dia. The state of Telangana currently suffers from

blackouts and has formed the solar auction to helpmeet its power decit.

Solar power project developers can bid for 25-yearPower Purchase Agreements (PPA) from the stateutility, Southern Power Distribution Company ofTelangana Limited (TSSPDCL). Bidders can bid auniversal tariff for the continuation of the 25-yearPPAs, or they can bid to split the tariff into 10-

After making solar power a success in its ownstate, the Gujarat Energy Research and Manage-ment Institute (GERMI) has decided to supportother states in replicating similar models.

The autonomous body will provide technical sup-port to the Odisha government to generate veMW of electricity through roof-top solar powerplants in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.

The rooftop plants will be set up on top of 120buildings in the twin cities by Green Energy Devel-opment Corporation of Odisha Limited (GEDCOL).

Solar photovoltaic (PV) product manufacturerReneSola Ltd has inked a contract with an Indianengineering, procurement and construction (EPC)rm Juwi India Renewable Energies Pvt. Ltd. tosupply 10 megawatt (MW) of its Virtus solar mod-ules to the latter.

As per the agreement, ReneSola will provide themodules in Sep and Nov 2014. The delivery will be

rolled out from the company’s original equipmentmanufacturing (OEM) facilities in India.

This is in line with India’s applicable domestic

Telangana has issued a large solar power tenderin an attempt to bridge the gap between powersupply and demand.

The Telangana government has issued a tender toinstall 500 MW solar power capacity. The projects

will be allocated through reverse auction, and thewinners are expected to be announced by the endof this month. The new state, which was carvedout of Andhra Pradesh has, urged the central gov-ernment for assistance in power supply. The staterequires about 4,000 MW of demand every day,

Karnataka Government on launched a scheme thatallows farmers to set up small solar power plants intheir farms and sell electricity at the tariff xed byKarnataka Energy Regulatory Commission.

Energy Minister DK Shivakumar said that it wouldbe covered by the ‘Surya Raitha Scheme’, underwhich government will also supply solar pump setsat subsidised prices to overcome the power crisis

being faced by farmers due to a huge gap in de-mand and supply.

A new proposal by India’s Ministry of New and Re-newable Energy (MNRE) wants to wed those fac-tors into a self-sustaining formula for steep andsustained economic growth. The scheme is called“Ultra Mega Solar” and the secret ingredient iseconomies of scale.

The scheme plans to establish 25 “solar parks” inthe next ve years, which would allow for the de-

ployment of 20 gigawatts (GW) of solar photovol-taic systems. Each individual solar park would havespace for installation of between 500 megawatts

SunEdison has announced that it has signed anagreement with Antofagasta Minerals S.A. to setup 69.5 MW solar photovoltaic power project atone of the latter copper mine in Chile.

Antofagasta plans to use solar power to meet apart of the electricity demand at its Los Pelambresmine.

This would not be the rst clean energy initiativeto be implemented by Antofagasta for the LosPelambres mine.

The union government’s elaborate agenda for re-newable energy has led Delhi government to makethe Energy Efciency and Renewable Energy Man-agement Centre which will act as a ‘think tank’ forsolar energy projects in Delhi more active.

EERM was earlier under the environment depart-ment and not very active in delivering renewableenergy projects.

It has now been moved to the power departmentwith the objective of analyzing how building roof-tops can be used to maximize solar energy genera-

India has dropped plans to impose an anti-dump-ing duty on solar panel imports, a move that islikely to help mend frayed commercial ties withthe United States before Prime Minister NarendraModi meets President Barack Obama this month.Days before Modi took ofce in May, a quasi-

judicial body ordered the imposition of the dutyon panels imported from the United States, China,Taiwan and Malaysia to protect domestic solarmanufacturers. The order issued had set duties of

L&T India’s largest EPC Company in the solarpower market has just commissioned the world’slargest single rooftop solar photovoltaic powerproject. The 7.52 MW solar power plant has beencommissioned in the northern state of Punjab.

Larsen and Toubro reported that it has alreadycommissioned or is working on solar power proj-ects with total capacity of 400 MW.

This includes the largest solar thermal power plantin Asia Reliance Power’s 125 MW linear Fresnel

Tata Power Solar (TPS) has won one of the largestorders of JNNSM phase-2 batch-1. The companywill supply the entire module requirement for the20 MW (AC) project to be built by ACME Solar, aleading solar power developer in India.

Rahul Budhwar, Vice President, Manufacturingand Business Development, Tata Power Solar saidthat ACME and EDF awarded the business to us af-

ter a rigorous selection process. This is a testimonyto our superior and world-class manufacturing ca-pabilities we have built over the last 25 years.

Country’s largest power company NTPC may beforced to tap international solar plant suppliersdue to shortage in domestic capacity.NTPC was laying emphasis on developing a solarpower portfolio and had invited tender for 1,000MW of solar power project open to only domesticsuppliers. NTPC Chairman Arup Roy Choudhurysaid that we have already invited tender for 1000MW. But, after discussions we have indicationsthat the available capacity to supply by domestic

and 15-year prices. The deadline for bids is the 26September, with the bid process scheduled to becomplete by 23 November. The tender will allocatePPAs through competitive bidding.

The Telangana solar auction matches its nowneighbour state, Andhra Pradesh’s 500MW solartender – deadline 17 September. However, be-cause of the larger 200MW limit, and the exibilityin bidding, the Telangana auction is expected toreceive more interest, although Andhra Pradesh’sauction also has a longer 12 month developmentdeadline.

GEDCOL has earmarked land to set up three solarparks at Rengali, Manamunda and Bhawanipatna.

It is estimated that about 270 MW of solar powercould be generated by setting up projects on theseidentied land plots, sources said.

The Centre has also asked the state to identifyland to set up an Ultra Mega Solar Power Plant(UMSPP), which will have the capacity to generatemore than 100 MW.

content requirements (DCR) to use domesticallyconstructed equipments at its homegrown solarprojects.

Juwi India will utilize the solar modules at a utility-scale project based in the Indian state of Rajasthan.

The project will be constructed by an Indian rm,Atha Group, which is engaged in mining, steel

manufacturing, power and renewable energy busi-nesses.

while it can arrange for only 3,500-3,600 MW.

A 1,000 MW solar power project planned beforethe division is planned in a district which now sitsinsides the borders of Telangana. This motivatedthe Andhra Pradesh government to announce its

own 1,000 MW solar power plant.

The state also announced an ambitious plan toadd 5,000 MW solar power capacity and 4,000MW wind energy capacity by 2019.

The Union Government has allocated one lakhpump sets to all the states in the country, he said.

The farmers would get subsidy up to 90 per cent,out of which 30 per cent would be borne by theUnion Government, Mr Shivakumar said.

The pump sets would be useful for farmers to getassured water for their elds and be useful in plac-

es where electricity is not available, he said.

and 1 gigawatts of capacity.

The MNRE mentioned the solar parks in Gujarat –the ‘Charanka Solar Park’ and Rajasthan – ‘BhadlaSolar Park’ as models for the parks to be construct-ed as part of the “Ultra Mega Solar” scheme.

The draft proposal describes the Charanka SolarPark in Gujarat “as a pioneering rst-of-its-kind

large scale solar park in India with clear land andtransmission connectivity.”

The mine operators, from the very beginning, hada clear plan to implement sustainable energy solu-tions. After the solar power project, the mine op-erator plans to use hydro power as well. By 2015,

30% of mine’s energy supply would come fromrenewable energy projects.

Antofagasta needs to invest in renewable energy,as it reported a 5% increase in CO2 intensity be-tween 2012 and 2013.

tion. It has about four to ve environmental engi-neers and renewable energy experts, and will actas the nodal agency coordinating matters betweenthe ministry of new and renewable energy and theDelhi government.

Since the union government’s focus is on solarpower, it was decided that EERM will be movedunder the power department who have better ex-pertise to propose solar projects that can be imple-mented successfully in Delhi.

between 11 and 81 U.S. cents per watt followingan investigation which started in 2011. The rul-ing had to be published by the Finance Ministrywithin a stipulated time frame to take effect.Themove over solar panels comes two days after theModi administration said it was trying to speedup clearances for all pending patent applicationsand working on an intellectual property rights (IPR)policy seen by analysts as another step towardssmooth things over with Washington.

power project located in Rajasthan.

The company has also worked on several othersolar power projects under the National Solar Mis-sion.

Punjab has some of highest power tariffs in thecountry. Being an agricultural state, power supplyto the farmers is of paramount importance, whileindustries and commercial users are low on thepriority list.

Manoj Kumar Upadhyay, CEO, ACME Solar, saidthat modules constitute the single largest compo-nent in a solar power project, upwards of 50% ofthe total cost.

ACME Solar goes through a very tough process ofapproval for module manufacturers. Tata PowerSolar had recently announced a 60% increase intheir module manufacturing capacity, and the Ban-

galore facility now has 200 MW module and 180MW cell production capacities.

solar plant could be only around 300MW a year.NTPC has an aggressive target and aims to set up3,000 MW of solar power projects over the next3-3.5 years, he said. If domestic supply is unable tomeet our demand then we may consider overseassuppliers.

NTPC was in talks with states like Madhya Pradesh,Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan, who are keen ondeveloping solar energy parks, Choudhury said.

Project News

State News

National News



Page No 3 www.solarquarter.com News

7.52 MW rooftop solar unit commissioned by L&T in Punjab

Telangana set to turn towards solar power Delhi Plans to Spur Rooftop Solar With U.S. Style Policy

East Central Railway to tap solar energy to light up crossings Now, sell solar power to discoms

Suzlon Energy eyeing at EPC contracts in solar power segment

L&T Construction said it has commissioned a largerooftop solar plant of 7.52 MW at Amritsar.

More than 30,000 panels have been erected onthe rooftop of a shed spread over 94,000 sqm.The energy generated from the unit is being fedto the local grid through a power purchase agree-ment (PPA) with the state distribution companyunder the New and Renewable Sources of Energy(NRSE) Policy.L&T said it has used the multi-crystalline moduletechnology and central inverters to optimise ef-

The Telangana southern and northern power dis-tribution companies have decided to go aheadwith a proposal to set up a 500 MW capacity solarpower plant in Adilabad district.The selected bid-der would set up the solar power generation unitsby getting all clearances and permissions from lo-cal bodies and the Centre. The developers wouldset up the units on build-own-operate basis andsupply power through inter connectivity to the

substations for a period of 25 years. This is the rsttime that the state is moving ahead with a concreteplan to add solar power to the energy generationmix in the state.All the 10 districts of Telanganahave been reeling under power shortages, espe-

India’s blackout-prone capital introduced a policyfor households and businesses to earn credits forsolar power produced on rooftops, planning toreplicate a model that sparked booms in the U.S.and Japan.

The Delhi policy follows a pilot program set up inGandhinagar, the capital city of Modi’s home state

of Gujarat, where residents lease their rooftops toprivate solar utilities and get paid 3 rupees (5 U.S.cents) for every kilowatt-hour of electricity pro-duced. The Delhi regulator didn’t say what tariff

Concerned over frequent mishaps at unmannedgates under the East Central Railway (ECR), rail-

ways has decided to further improve safety mea-sures at both manned and unmanned railwaycrossing gates under the ve divisions of the zone.According to ECR GM Madhuresh Kumar, railwayswould tap solar energy for adequate lights at bothmanned and unmanned railway crossing gates inthe zone.Railways have identied the most ‘critical un -

On September 2, Delhi took a huge leap in renew-able energy generation Power watchdog Delhi

Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) an-nounced regulations for net metering of renew-able energy, giving Delhiites a chance to becomerenewable energy suppliers. The regulations out-line how people can generate renewable energyin their premises, and then reduce their electricitybills by the amount of power they supply to thegrid. While the net metering regulations applyto all forms of renewable energy like solar, hydro

Suzlon Energy is eyeing engineering, procurementand construction business in the solar power seg-ment.A lot happened in the past six years. While the costof putting up solar photovoltaic plants droppedsteeply — from $3 to 60 cents per panel spaceneeded to produce a watt of energy — Suzlon’sfortunes dropped, too, after its acquisition of Ger-man company REPower for $1 billion, just beforethe global economy collapsed.Under the exercise, the company is selling chunks

ciency.Since the modules were to be placed on fragileasbestos roof sheets, lightweight aluminium struc-tures were used for mounting the modules andwater proong techniques followed to avoid leak-age.

L&T said it has also erected a permanent networkof aluminium walkways on top of the roof sheetsto create a safe working environment for execu-tion, operation and maintenance.

cially during the past few months. Even during themonsoon, the power distribution companies havebeen imposing three to six hour power cuts bothin urban and rural areas. 60 megawatts of cleanenergy to be generated by 30 oating solar powerin Japan Kyocera Corp. and Century Tokyo Leas-ing Corp. are partnering to build two massive solarpower islands that will oat on two reservoirs andgenerate about 2.9 megawatts of energy.One of

the water-mounted mega solar power plants willbe built to reside on the surface of Nishihira pond.It will generate about 1.7 megawatts of energy,which would make it the world’s largest oatingsolar plant, according to the announcement.

consumers would get for surplus credits, only say-ing they would be paid “per the rates notied bythe commission from time to time.

The capital could install 2 gigawatts of solar on itsroofs by 2020, roughly equal to what the wholeof India has built to date, according to a July 2013report by advisory Bridge to India Energy Pvt. and

Greenpeace.

manned gates’ in ECR. Proper lights could avertmishaps on tracks at unmanned gates during night

GM Kumar said. Under the new plan, the ECR islikely to engage people for intensive counsellingto semi-literate or illiterate people in remote areasabout the need to follow safety measures whilecrossing unmanned railway gates, he said, addingsafety awareness is a must for every person forcrossing both manned and unmanned gates.

and wind, in Delhi only solar generation is feasible.Many households and organizations already gen-

erate solar power for their own consumption, butthe new regulations will allow them to supply tothe grid and receive energy credits or adjust theunits supplied against their electricity bills.To become a renewable energy generator, a per-son will have to apply to their area’s discom for aconnection to the renewable energy system. Thediscom will then allow the connection after analyz-ing transformer-level capacity.

of its business to its European subsidiary Senvionand paying off debts with the proceeds. Net prof-its, Tanti has said in statements, are visible in twoquarters.

Sources in Suzlon have said that the company hasenough land-plus-transmission infrastructure tosupport creation of 80-100 MW of solar PV ca-pacity. Land for another 300 MW can be quicklymobilised, as the company has ‘agreements to sell’in place.

National News



Page No 4 www.solarquarter.com

Mr. Oliver Behrendt,Managing Director –

AEI Power India Pvt. Ltd .

ABOUT THE COMPANY :

Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.

(Nasdaq:AEIS), is a global leader in inno-

vative power and control technologies for

high-growth, precision power conversion

solutions. REFUsol, which Advanced Ener-

gy acquired in April 2013, will now oper-

ate as Advanced Energy in India. With the

acquisition of REFUsol, Advanced Energy

incorporated the company’s three-phase

string inverters into its product portfolio

as the AE 3TL line. Advanced Energy of-

fers a full suite of inverter products, rang-

ing from single-phase string inverters to

award-winning three-phase inverters and

utility-scale central inverters. Advanced

Energy inverters are available for world-

wide distribution.

Mr. Oliver

Behrendt ( Managing

Director – AEI Power In-

dia Pvt. Ltd ). Designated

as the Managing Director

of Advanced Energy In-

dustries, India Mr. Oliver.

Behrendt holds a Degree

in Electrical Engineering

and a Masters in Business

Adminstration. He’s hav-

ing more than 20 years of

experience background

in the electronic industry,

specially with semicon-

ductors, electronic manu-

facturing and PV

industry.

Interview

1. Advanced Energy recently launched a

new AE 3TL 40/46k inverter. Could you tellus more about this product?

The three-phase AE 3TL 40/46 inverter is avail-able in two power levels: 40 kW for 400 VAC,and 46 kW for 460 VAC voltages.• It is best in class with our proven and mostsolid UltraEta™ inverter technology.• It features high power output at a weight of

just 68 kg.• It complies with protection class IP 65 and isthe only inverter on the market that is passivelycooled. Therefore, the string inverter is mainte-nance-free and ideal for decentralized outdoorconcepts.• It has very high full- and partial-load efficiency.Even with partial loads, the efficiency is greaterthan 98 percent, which accelerates return oninvestment.•The wide input voltage range of 350 to 1000

VDC enables flexible, modular planning.• DC junction boxes and DC string fuses can beincluded as attachable boxes to the inverter dueto its modular design.• Four-channel string monitoring is possiblewith no extra hardware, and the inverter has anintegrated data logger.

2. What impact does this product have on your overall project portfolio and business strategy for India?

Advanced Energy provides power and controltechnologies for a range of high-growth, preci-sion power applications.

The inverter product line, and specifically the AE3TL 40/46 model, further strengthens AE’s pres-ence in India’s dis

tributed generation PV segment, the expand-

ing rooftop market, and small- to medium-sized PV plants up to 2 MW. The ease of in-stallation and maintenance-free design makeit especially attractive.

3. From the developers’ point of view,what key characteristics of an inverter

should be kept in mind while investing intheir projects?

The developer should always consider a reli-able inverter from a reputable manufacturerto harvest the maximum energy from its PVplant. Specific inverter selection criteria shouldinclude:

• High DC-to-AC power ratio up to factor 1.75• High efficiency, even with partial-load condi-tions• Broad MPPT range to ensure fast amortiza-

tion• MPPT tracking speed and accuracy, which ismore important than the number of trackers• Maintenance-free operation• Easy, online monitoring

4. Post commissioning, what are the keyissues faced by developers related to in-verters?

The major problems are mainly due to unstablegrid conditions and grounding of DC cableswhich, in turn, affects the inverters. Second-arily, internet connection failures can hampermonitoring and control of the inverters.

5. What is your USP which gives AdvancedEnergy benefit over other competitors inthe field?

Advanced Energy India’s sales and service struc-

ture, without any intermediate distributionnetwork, is the most influential benefit to ourcustomers. Our customers can reach us directlyfor any sales, service, or technical inquiry. Wealso have customer-responsive R&D right herein India.Apart from that, our best-in-class, technicallysuperior string inverters, with their field-provendesign topology and architecture, offer flexible,scalable building blocks that provide real valuewith maximum power generation, a completesystem approach with SmartHybrid™ controllercommunications, monitoring, combiner boxes,and more.

6. According to you, what can the Gov-ernment of India do to support the up-

stream PV manufacturing in India?

The Indian government has a legitimate goal to

use forward-looking technologies with a quickand valuable return on investment. Supportinglocal, high-tech research, development, andmanufacturing here in India is one way to ac-complish this goal. Increasing local content re-quirements across the entire solar value chain,not only PV modules, might be an appropriatemethod to encourage this support.

7.What do you think will be the key influ-encing factors for the growth of solar en-ergy space in India?

The central and state solar missions, with newlyintroduced feed-in tariff policies, specifically forsolar, have become a source of interest for all

in the renewable energy market in India. Con-tinued government support, along with creative

and cost-effective solutions from the renewable

energy sector, shall be the key influencing fac-tors for growth in solar energy here.

8. Finally, what are Advanced Energy’smarket expectations from India in terms ofgrowth?

Founded in 1981, Advanced Energy is a world-wide organization with a unique ability to deliv-er on expectations across industries because webring a broad product portfolio, robust globalinfrastructure, decades of technology leader-ship and a track record of outstanding serviceto each new business challenge and customerengagement. Advanced Energy’s presence inthe global PV market as well as in India is verysignificant; we are well positioned with the rightproducts to satisfy the market. Our regional ac-tivities here continue to pay off.

Product Photo

Advanced Energy provides power and controltechnologies for a range of high-growth,

precision power applications



Page No 5 www.solarquarter.comNews

Indian State Plans To Cover 300 Government Buildings withRooftop Solar Power Projects

Yingli4You launched In Australia for rooftop solar installers Alabama Steel Company move towards Off-Grid with Solar

Rooftop solar plant installed in Coimbatore Business solar rooftop installations to be encouraged by Chi-nese government

450 MW solar power to be generated in Delhi through rooftop

Governments across Indian states seem to bescrambling to launch programs to set up solarrooftop projects after the success of such projectsin Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s homestate. The latest state to join the bandwagon is thesouthern state of Tamil Nadu, which has had yearsof supply-demand issues in the power sector.The Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency(TEDA) has announced plans to set up solar roof-top projects at about 300 government buildingsacross the states. The state government is sup-

The Australian arm of the world’s largest PV maker,Yingli Solar, has announced a new digital quality

control program aimed at raising the benchmarkfor the nation’s rooftop solar industry. Yingli4You,launched by Yingli Green Energy Australia, is de-scribed as an educational, incentive, technical andproject management package to help the modulemaker’s partner installers to raise industry stan-dards.Installers can maintain a database of installations,add location-based tags to installation images and

Apel Steel Corporation in Cullman, Alabama (US)

contracted Ace, LLC Solar to move them off-gridwith a PV solar power generating system. The340kW system was designed and developed togenerate 470,213 kWH of AC electrical power an-nually to meet 98% of the energy requirements forthe heavy machinery and plant operations and isexpected to save Apel Steel more than $3,000,000on its electric bills over the 30-year life expectancyof the system.

Tata Power Solar has installed a two Mega Watt(MW) rooftop solar plant for Murugan Textiles atPalladam. According to a press release, the systemhas been installed on the roof of a building thathouses the spinning machinery and a warehouse.The plant is to have totally three MW and work foranother one Mega Watt will begin next year.

City Union Bank conducted a cut and soiled notesexchange mela on Wednesday and Rs. 14.50 lakh

China, the world’s largest solar production market,is expected to guarantee further industry growth,with the announcement of legislation that will en-courage the installation of rooftop solar panels onbusiness and commercial rooftops.Large energy users will be encouraged to utiliserooftops and unused ground spaces to install solar

panels, with excess power outage to be distributedto nearby customers. This will reduce power costs

An internal survey reportedly carried out by thecity administration has revealed that 2.25 lakhsquare metre space on the roof-tops of govern-ment buildings could be easily utilised for settingup solar panels in the national capital. The surveyis said to have suggested that the setting up ofthe solar panels would help the administration togenerate about 450 MW of electricity, which isone-tenth of the average power consumption ofthe entire city.In a recent meeting, lieutenant-gov-ernor Najeeb Jung directed his ofcers to identifythose government buildings having clear roof tops

posed to allocate this capacity among projectdevelopers by 2015. However, the implementa-tion of the policy is almost certain to be delayed.Of the 3,000 MW capacity, about 12% has beenreserved for the rooftop segment.Compared toTamil Nadu’s targeted solar power capacity, India’scumulative installed capacity stands at 2,821 MW.Thus, the target may seem quite ambitious but thegovernment has also implemented policies to cre-ate supply for solar power.

orientation and pitch image grabs. They can alsolog Yingli inventory via a barcode reader and verify

the compliance of a solar PV installation againstClean Energy Council (CEC) standards.The website and app also allows installers to pro-cess product warranties online and to verify theauthenticity of Yingli Solar PV panels. The CleanEnergy Council has recently launched its own solarconsumer guide, to help ensure households andbusinesses install the PV system best suited to theirneeds.

The system was installed by Ace, LLC Solar, based

in Pulaski, Tennessee (US). The 1088 Suntech pan-els were mounted on 45 Solar FlexRack Series G1Lracking systems, which are factory pre-assembledand developed to adapt to any terrain. They arealso certied to withstand heavy wind, rain andsnow loads.

worth fresh currency notes were issued to the pub-lic, according to a press release from the bank.The Coimbatore unit of Kirloskar Brothers has wonthe Gold Award given away by ASSOCHAM (In-novation Excellence Awards 2014) for its advance-ment in the area of science and technology. In2011, the workers at the plant took 60 seconds

to assemble a pump and it was brought down to17.25 seconds in April 2014.

and carbon emissions, especially in industrial zonesreliant on large amounts of fossil energy.Ahead of the announcement, which is expectedlater this month, major Chinese solar manufactur-ers saw their stocks increase in value, with TrinaSolar seeing a growth of 8.1%. Competitor Jinko-Solar Holding co. also saw also saw an increase of

7.1%. China is still aiming to install 8 gigawatts ofdistributed solar power by 2015.

of more than 100 square metre for setting up ofsolar panels in the national capital. He said that theexercise would enable power department to workout a detailed plan for roof top solar photovoltaicprojects in an integrated manner.The power department on its own asked the PublicWorks Department to identify government build-ings having rooftop area of about 500 square me-tres. The power department has suggested thatthe PWD should also identify hospitals and schoolsand colleges which were getting 100 per centfunds from the city administration.

OFFGRID NEWS




Mr. Manoj GuptaVP - Solar

Fortum India

Interview

1. Indian solar dream seems to get biggerevery day. How have the things developed

at Fortum this financial year?

Fortum is closely observing the developmentin Solar in India and we appreciate the variousannouncements so far by MNRE, specially withrespect to Solar park concept wherein Nodalagency will provide land and Power Evacuation.We hope our dream will also become biggeralong with Indian solar dream. Presently, weare developing 10 MW project under NSM-II,batch-1 and also evaluating other solar oppor-tunities available in market today.+

What will be your growth strategy for solarbusiness in India? Are you looking at moreacquisitions?

Fortum sees India as a market with potentialowing to its geographical location and high

energy requirements. Our aim in India is toevaluate investment opportunities contributingto the development of India’s energy infrastruc-ture. We believe that Fortum has a lot to offerto the rapidly developing Indian energy marketbased on our long track record in sustainablepower and heat production and our energymarket competence.

As far as our growth plans are concerned, wehave studied the market in detail, and now weare getting ready for our next phase. In June2013, we acquired a 5 MW solar power plant inRajasthan to understand the Indian energy land-scape. The company’s short term ambition is toquickly build a sizeable photo-voltaic (PV) solarportfolio across states to gain experiences indifferent solar technologies. Going forward, weaim to strengthen our focus on solar through

organic and inorganic way, however oneneeds to evaluate, compare the investment ra-

tionale based on ground realities and potentialreturn on the investment

2. According to you what are the barriersfor solar sector development in India?

We believe JNNSM has injected the solar mo-mentum in our country and definitely the gov-ernment has put up a commendable effort.

The southern and western part of India havewitnessed significant traction in rooftop instal-lations but equally challenged with open ac-cess charges. We believe such barriers blockthe momentum of the solar revolution in ourcountry.

We also feel that there needs to be a uniformi-ty between state solar policy and central minis-try directives. There are also disparities in solar

policies across states, which makes the growthpotential restricted for the country. Therefore,differences in issues like land acquisition, ap-provals from state electricity board etc. havenever allowed the nation to take off in the so-lar space, few states succeeded and rest arelagging behind.

3. Solar market is growing at a rapid pace.Which state, according to you, will seemaximum growth in solar installations?

India is itself a heaven for solar energy. Thereare multiple states in the country which of-fers the comfort of 300+ days of sunshine.We would definitely rate Rajasthan amongthe preferred for solar installations as we havealready experienced the solar potential of thestate. However, we should not forget states

like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradeshand Tamil Nadu which offer equal business po-

tential to the solar power developers.

4. Besides solar, what are the other growthmarkets in today’s low carbon economy?What other opportunities do you see in theIndian market?

India has plethora of opportunities consideringthe high energy needs. We want to utilise theopportunities by having a stronger foothold inother sustainable technologies as well.Fortum has a strong expertise in CHP with ex-isting fleet of 27 operational CHP plants in Eu-rope and Russia. CHP contributes 33% of totalpower production and 83% of the total heatproduction at Fortum.

India is strategically positioned for CHP offer-ing with the government focussing to createmore industrial clusters. CHP will also equally

relevant to the existing clusters which are fac-ing a challenge to expand further due to thepollution issue. CHP is a proven technology tocut down pollution atleast by many folds. Apartfrom this, we have another area of expertise inhydro which contributes 26% to Fortum’s pow-er generation and we are also keen to tap thisopportunity in India in the longer run.

5. As an investor and developer of projectinto clean energy, what sort of project re-turns do you expect from the projects youundertake?

We have been operating in the business ofpower generation successfully for more than 90years. And we have experienced success when-ever we have invested, as our approach towardsthe business with long-term agenda and our

global standards have contributed immensely toour success.

However, every project is a business investmentfor us but the returns are calculated based onfactors like locations, local demand, transmis-sion losses, state government policies, lands andmany more. Hence every project brings differ-ent statistics.

6. CSR is growing buzz in the industry.Besides financial returns, what are socialreturns of clean energy projects? Any proj-ects you remember that have had a signifi-cant impact on the society?

Fortum strongly believes in giving back to thesociety. Especially in a country like India, whereenergy needs are enormous, it is imperative tocome up with solutions that meet its demandswithout hampering the environment.

With this principle, we have equipped threeschools around our Bhilwara (Rajastan) plantwith solar-enabled infrastructure early this year.Amidst the heat wave in Rajasthan, where mer-cury goes beyond 45 degree Celsius in sum-mers, we are glad to witness that our effort hasbrought relief to the lives of 1200 students fromthese schools. The attendance rate in theseschools during summers has improved signifi-cantly in comparison to the previous year.

This initiative has also inherited the sense ofenergy utilisation among these young kids andmade them realise the values that solar energycan bring into our lives.

We have always wanted environment friendli-ness to be a way of life and thus took this ini-tiative to empower the community as a whole.

ABOUT THE COMPANY :

Fortum’s purpose is to create energy

that improves life for present and future

generations. Fortum provides sustainable

solutions that fulfill the needs for low

emissions, resource-efficiency and energy

security, and deliver excellent value to

their shareholders. Their activities cover

the generation, distribution and sales

of electricity and heat as well as related

expert services. Fortum’s operations focus

on the Nordic countries, Russia, Poland

and Baltic Rim area and now in india.

In the future, the integrating European

and fast-growing Asian energy markets

provide additional growth opportunities.

In 2012, Fortum’s sales totalled EUR 6.2

billion and comparable operating profit

was EUR 1.6 billion. We employ approxi-

mately 10,400 people. Fortum’s shares

are quoted on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki.

India Is A High Growth Market For Solar And

Chp: Fortum

Mr. Manoj Gupta is the Vice

President Solar for FORTUM

in India. Prior to joining

FORTUM, he was the Head

– Business Development

for Solar Projects with the

biggest solar power devel-

oper company. After having

more than 6 years exposure

in Industrial

sector, Manoj has dedicatedhimself in Renewable Ener-

gy sector ( wind & solar) for

past 11 years. He has more

than 17 years of experience

in Industrial and Renewable

Energy sector. Manoj holds

a B. Tech Degree in

Electrical and Electronics

Engineering from NIT

Calicut, Kerala.




Bookings open for Sponsorships & Exhibition,Contact : Mr Vipul K, E: [email protected],

M : +91 9920917193

For Delegate Registeration,Contact : Prateeka Jathan , T : +91 9920917136

E : [email protected] / [email protected]

Previous Sponsors

Conference - Exhibition -

Awards - Cocktail




Mr. Vineet Mittal Vice Chairman,Welspun RenewablesEnergy Pvt. Ltd.

Interview

1. Welspun is associated with the renew-able industry for a very long time. How hasbeen the journey so far?

Our growth has been in direct correlation withthe growth of the overall sector since past fouryears. We commenced working on our visionof lighting up India with clean and sustainableenergy nearly four years ago. Since then wehave been developing some of the largest so-lar capacities that states like Madhya Pradesh,

Rajasthan, Karnataka and Maharashtra haveever seen. Our rapid expansion of solar powerprojects across the country has gained us themarket leadership position with 328 MW (DC)commissioned capacities. Through these proj-ects we have mitigated over 648633 tons ofCO2 emissions

During this journey, we have laid an imprint onthe industry by commissioning one of the larg-est solar projects in the world – the Neemuch151 MW (DC). We have set benchmarks in proj-ect execution by consistently delivering aheadof commitments. Our innovations and bestpractices in project development have won usrecognition from the Prime Minister of India andthe industry alike. Post commissioning, our proj-ects have been numbered among India’s high-est performing power plants.

With a project pipeline stretching across eightstates, we are now building mega capacity windprojects. In the next three years the organisationwould be leading India’s solar and wind revolu-tion with a commissioned capacity of 1.75 GW.

2. Recently Welspun announced that it isgoing to invest more than Rs 15K cr in so-lar, wind energy segments. Could you tellus more about your investment strategy?

We have been building a pipeline of 1.75 MWsolar and wind power projects across the coun-try Given that these capacities comprise ofprojects of varying scales, their commissioningdates will vary from within this year to next fewyears. The financial closures of these projectswill hence be achieved according to respectiveproject schedules. The funding received from

global industry stalwarts like General Electricand Asian Development Bank will be chan-nelled towards setting up these projects.

3. What sort of returns do you expectwhile investing into renewable energy

projects? Do financers look at any risk premiums involved with the sector giventhe weak financial positions of the Dis-coms?

To asses any investment one needs to foreseethe importance of the sector in the overallnational development plan and renewableenergy industry holds a prime position. Bothprivate investors and financial institutions rec-ognize this, more so since the government hasannounced their commitment to exponentiallybuild up the solar capacity.

Given that each state is obligated to fulfill itsRPO targets, there are abundant opportunitiesto set up solar power projects. The quantumof solar power projects in any given state’senergy basket is still miniscule, hence pay-ments are comparatively easily managed. Ifthe quantum was to increase to let’s say 20%,we would be witnessing a similar scenario asexperienced by existing thermal projects.We have been analyzing state wise power sce-nario in the country and basis which we have

developed projects in states where there is astronger payment security mechanism. How-ever, the government needs to take construc-tive steps in allying the fears of the financialinstitutions.

4. Welspun also provides EPC services. Isthis a business segment you are lookingto develop in the renewable space or will

you evolve into a pure-play IPP?

Our venture into renewable energy segment isthrough two of our entities – Welspun EnergyPvt. Ltd. (WEPL) and Welspun Renewables En-ergy Pvt. Ltd. (WREPL).

While WREPL as an independent power developer (IPP) has been bidding and setting up In-dia’s largest clean energy projects; on the

The successful development of any projectis also to an extent the responsibility of the

project developer or the IPP

other hand WEPL is the leading builder of re-newable energy projects through its strong En-gineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC)capabilities.WEPL has built some of the largest solar capaci-ties the states have seen – the Neemuch 151MW (DC), Phalodi 55 MW (DC) or the Chitra-durga 19 MW (DC) projects. The best practicesand innovations developed by WEPL have beenrecognised widely; the Golden Peacock Innova-tive Service Awards and IPPAI Power Award in

Innovation as two recently won recognitions.Committed to India’s energy security, WEPL islending its specialist services to other IPPs. Theorganisation is now building Maharashtra’slargest solar project of 50 MW under PPP modelfor Maharashtra State Power Generation Co.Ltd (Mahagenco). Apart from ground mountedprojects the EPC company has recently builtthree rooftop projects for prestigious institu-tions – Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur,Medanta Medici City Hospital and Ansal Uni-versity.

5. How should the project developers eval-uate EPC service providers? How can theyminimise some key project risks?

The right EPC partner not only ensures thatthe project is commissioned as per committeddeadlines but also ensures that necessary plant

performance standards are achieved during op-erations. Our EPC company, Welspun Energyhas for the last four years, built projects in var-ied terrains in India. It’s worth mentioning thatthese projects were consistently commissionedwell before the committed deadlines and arecounted among MNRE’s top notch generatingplants. While partnering with an EPC player, itis essential to evaluate the strength of its engi-neering team. WEPL for example, has patents toits name and has been repeatedly recognised bythe industry bodies for its innovations in projectdevelopment.

The successful development of any project isalso to an extent the responsibility of the proj-ect developer or the IPP. However, during thesite construction phase an EPC organisation canlook at the following measure:

Building relations with local communities: a ho-listic development approach has to be adopted.The EPC player needs to build strong relationswith the neighbouring communities and resi-dent government agencies. This helps in gar-nering support for the project. Ensuring plantperformance: given the magnitude of invest-ments involved it is necessary that the most op-timum solar technology be used. A reasonablyexperienced EPC company will have identifiedthe foremost technology manufacturers. WEPL

has been working with global Tier 1 technol-ogy manufacturers, this has ensured that all ofits projects are counted among the best per-forming projects in the country, as adjudged byMNRE.

Strengthening local vendor base: most solarprojects are developed on barren tracts of land,away from human inhabitations. In this sce-nario, it is critical that a chain of multiple ven-dors be created. IN addition to this WEPL hasalso carried out extensive training programs forboth the vendor and his employees. This helpsin ensuring they are kept on par with the latesttechnology development and best practices inproject development. Strong safety mechanismat the site: a typical solar site during construc-tion period hosts heavy machinery. It is impera-tive that necessary safety mechanisms are putin place. It is due to these stringent measures

that all of WEPL’s projects sites have achieved‘accident free status.’

6. Please let us know about the status of your major projects in the country. What is your expected commissioned portfolio bythe end of this fiscal?

Spread across five high wind velocity and irradi-ation sites, WREPL’s solar and wind projects arein advanced stages of development. Our majorthrust is on building mega scale wind projectsin Rajasthan and Karnataka. On the other handthe Punjab and Tamil Nadu solar capacities areprogressing well. Given the size of these capaci-ties, the actual commissioning dates will extendto next few months to the coming years; well inline with the 1.75 GW target.

A serial entrepreneur, Vineet is known for visionary leadership and execution abilities. AsVice Chairman of Welspun Renewables Energy Pvt. Ltd., his strong emphasis on generat-ing sustainable clean energy has led to the organization’s success. An alumnus of HarvardBusiness School, Vineet is a significant contributor in developing strategies and policies

for emerging economies. Vineet is on B20’s Green Growth Action Alliance & World Eco-nomic Forum’s (WEF) Steering Committee on Infrastructure and Urban Development. He isa member of Solar Energy Advisory Council, MNRE (Ministry of New & Renewable Energy)and was felicitated twice as ‘The Solar Power Man of the Year’ in 2014 & 2012 and as“Entrepreneur of the Year” at The Madhavrao Scindia Leadership Awards 2009.



Page No 9 www.solarquarter.comNews

Jakson Power plans Rs. 700-cr investment in solar energy proj-ects

Finance Committee approves additional solar panels in Mer-iden

Tamil Nadu sets solar power price

India not to impose anti-dumping duty on solar panels SunEdison Closes $160 Million Fund With Barclays and Citi

A university in Australia receives $9 million for solar energyresearch

Jakson Power today outlined the company’s plansto invest about Rs. 700 crore in setting up solarpower farms, taking the company’s installed ca-pacity to 200 MW over the next two years.Part of the Jakson Group, Jakson Power, which isengaged in the manufacture of diesel gensets, so-lar energy-based products, solar power farms and

the hospitality sector, today announced the set-ting up of their ofce in Telangana to market theirproducts and services.

Members of the Finance Committee of the CityCouncil unanimously approved plans for two more

sets of solar panels in South Meriden. The plansfrom a California-based company, SolarCity, toadd panels on the east and west sides of EvansvilleAvenue include a potential energy savings for thecity of $1.8 million over 20 years. One set of solarpanels at the city’s water pollution control facilitywould save an estimated $328,000 over 20 years,while a set at the Meriden-Markham.

The electricity regulator for Tamil Nadu set a pricefor solar power producers after failing for the past

two years to attract investments to a state thatgets about 300 days of sun a year.Tamil Nadu’s state-run distribution utility will payRs.7.01 a kilowatt-hour for power from solar pho-tovoltaic plants and Rs.11.03 a kilowatt-hour toplants using solar-thermal technology, accordingto an order on the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regula-tory Commission’s website.The state’s solar policy, introduced in October

Side-stepping a Commerce Ministry investigation,the Finance Ministry did not notify its recommend-ed anti-dumping duty on imports of solar panelsfrom four countries, including the U.S. and China.Owing to the Finance Ministry’s inaction, the win-dow that was available to India for slapping theserestrictive duties aimed at protecting the strug-gling domestic industry has lapsed. The CommerceMinistry’s quasi-judicial ruling had to be publishedby the Finance Ministry for which it had a stipu-lated timeframe of 3 months.

SunEdison, Inc. a leading provider of solar energysolutions and services, announced today that ishas closed a$160 millionfund for distributed gen-eration projects inthe United States with Barclaysand Citi. The lease pass-through fund representsa unique structure that will provide the tax equityfor 40 U.S. projects. The portfolio includes a mixof ground-mounted, rooftop and canopy photo-voltaic systems with an average size of 1.1 mega-watts per project. The fund’s innovative nancialstructure is designed to enable efciencies for the

Five major solar energy research and developmentprojects being undertaken by researchers at theAustralian National University received more than$9.1 million in new funding. The grants camefrom the Australian Renewable Energy Agency(ARENA), an independent agency established bythe government in 2012, as part of its strategy to

increase the use of renewable energy technologiesin Australia by making them competitive with con-ventional energy sources. In the rst stage, ARENA

Sameer Gupta, Managing Director of JaksonGroup, said that the company, which had a turn-over of Rs. 1,500 crore last scal, is aiming at rev-enues of about Rs. 2,500 crore over the next twoyears.Currently, the company has an installed capacityof 30 MW of solar power generation, 20 MW in

Rajasthan and 10 MW in Uttar Pradesh. We are inthe process of setting up 30 MW more in UP.

Electricity generated at the water pollution con-trol facility would be used at the plant, and the

second set of panels will take care of the fairlyminimal need for electricity at the airport. MayorManny Santos asked councilors if there had beenany discussion on potential glare from panels atthe airport. Having gained support by the FinanceCommittee, the proposals will now go before theWallingford Planning and Zoning Commission, be-cause the airport property straddles the town line.

2012, ordered large energy consumers to sourceat least 6% of their electricity from solar a rule that

was challenged by companies in court. Tamil Naduhas only built 109 megawatts of solar plants todate, according to the order.The latest tariff, which plants will be able to earnfor 25 years, assumes investors won’t claim ac-celerated depreciation tax benets. For those thatdo, the tariff drops to Rs.6.28 a kilowatt-hour forphotovoltaic plants and Rs.9.88 for solar-thermalplants.

Following a three-year long investigation, theCommerce Ministry had proposed to the FinanceMinistry in May restrictive anti-dumping duties inthe range of $0.11-0.81 per watt on solar cells im-ported from the U.S., China, Malaysia and ChineseTaipei. The investigation had upheld the Indian so-lar panel manufacturers’ contention that the subsi-dies the U.S. and Chinese competitors receive fromtheir governments allowed them to dump theirproducts in India at articially low prices.

tax equity investor. The investment structure willallow SunEdison to accelerate the growth of itsdistributed generation portfolio for commercialand industrial customers, a segment where SunE-dison enjoys a leading market share position inthe United States. The vice president of projectnance, North America at SunEdison said that weare excited to complete this new fund with Citiand Barclays. SunEdison is pioneering new nanc-ing structures and cutting-edge solar offeringswith top tier partners.

is making a $21.5 million investment in 12 cuttingedge solar projects, with the funds being matchedby over 6.5 times worth of contributions fromother partners. The projects led by ANU scientistsinclude research to make it easier to manufacturesolar cells, research into making silicon solar cellsand solar modules more efcient and affordable,

and two projects to facilitate the commercialisa-tion of high-temperature solar thermal technology.

Finance News



Page No 10 www.solarquarter.comGlobal Outlook

Bloomberg, Jim Rogers, Chairman aEnergy recently said that if the cost

and installation kept coming down aner management through combining so

battery technology is introduced, thention could be created for backing up ene

Four Major

Innovations InSolar

The future is not the fossil fuels, but the solar ener-gy that is accessible in limitless quantity. Everyoneis aware of this fact, and that’s the main reasonalmost all the major economies such as UnitedStates of America, China, Russia, Japan, India, etc.have started paying more diligence towards devel-oping solar energy stations than they used to payin previous years.

They want to make an investment in solar energy

today so that they can enjoy an impeccable futuretomorrow. Last year could be considered as oneof the best years in terms of global investment insolar energy, but nevertheless 2013 is over, so theworld will have to move forward. Recently GoogleInc. invested close to $280 million in order to de-velop a competent solar solution. It has alreadyannounced another $94 million investment in themonth of December, which shows how activelythe world is moving towards solar energy.

Another example can be of Warren Buffett’s deci-sion to invest $2 billion in order to buy photovolta-ic farm. He is considered as one of the most intel-ligent and thought-provoking investors. He knowswhat is right for him better than others.

If he has decided to put this much of money insolar power development, it means that he knowsthe future belongs to solar not fossil fuel and to-day’s investment will whip up a lot higher returns

for him and the rest of the world in the future.

These are just couple of examples out of hundredsof small and large initiatives taken by various coun-tries, companies and individuals across the globe.On the basis of these initiatives, one can predictthat if last year was one of the best in regard withsolar investment, then this year can be better thanthat. Here are four major innovations that havetaken place in the solar energy sectors over thepast few years-

Financial innovation:

Solar energy has transformed into one of the mosttrusted industries over the past few years. Ev-eryone is aware of its potential and future need;therefore, no one has any doubts about the re-turns that solar industry can offer in the future.Due to this fact, solar nancing or arranging fundsfor residential solar has come out as a major nan-cial innovation in this industry.

It’s not a hidden fact that solar plant installationand solar energy production requires a lot of fund-ing. No private or public entity wants to put itsworking capital in something that will give returnsin the long run.

That’s the main reason all the major companieshave started asking for public funding for solarenergy production, which is similar to any nor-mal initial public offering or bond issue. It’s ideal

to put it similar to a public bond issue keeping

Warren Buffett’s decision to

invest $2 billion in order to

buy photovoltaic farm.

Work Begins on Massive Solar Power Plant in Nevada

Japan to construct world’s largest oating solar power plantsChina adopts new policies to support solar energy

Dubai homes to be powered by solar energy Russia’s Largest Solar Power Plant Opens in Siberia

China policy is promoting rooftop solar in world’s top market

Construction has begun on a $1 billion solarpower generating station in the Mohave Desertthat ofcials say will produce enough electricity topower about 80,000 California homes when it iscompleted in 2016.The 250-megawatt project, dubbed Silver StateSouth, will capture solar energy with panels spreadacross almost 4 square miles of federal land southof Las Vegas, according to a fact sheet obtainedFriday from a First Solar representative.

Kyocera Corporation, Century Tokyo Leasing Cor-poration and Ciel Terre have announced they’llbe teaming up to build the two largest oatingsolar power plants in the world. Kyocera expectsto have the two solar plants up and running bythe beginning of April next year. Kyocera, a so-lar panel company, recently constructed 28 solarpower plants.The two new plants will be located at NishihiraPond and Higashihira Pond in Kato City, in theHyogo region.The new oating system will be

The National Energy Administration of China hasreleased a new policy document that details thecountry’s plans to embrace clean energy more ag-gressively through new nancing schemes that arefocused on distributed solar power.

China has plans to see some 14 gigawatts of in-stalled solar energy capacity through distributedpower and utility-scale projects by the end of2014. China is adopting new nancing schemesto accelerate adoption of solar energy. The coun-try will be introducing new nancing plans thatare similar to those being used by companies like

The regulations to govern solar power connectionin Dubai homes and businesses are in the nalstages of development. Dubai aims to feed moresolar power into its main grid, currently heavily de-pendent on gas-red turbines - as part of its strat-egy to diversify resources. Once this happens, thecost of electricity for homes may be reduced con-siderably but it will be nalised once the system isready to use.

Solar power will help meet the city’s power de-

On September 4, a solar power station opened inSiberia’s Altai republic has become the biggest fa-cility of its kind in Russia.The Kosh-Agachskaya plant, which has a capacityof 5 megawatts (MW), will be the rst of ve solarpower facilities to open in the region by 2019, theKremlin said .The project, which has a price tag of more than 5billion rubles ($135 million), will bring Altai’s total

China is trying to spur rooftop solar installations, apolicy that would help the nation making most ofthe world’s panels to also become its biggest mar-ket this year.The National Energy Administrationasked local authorities to identify projects wherepower can be delivered to nearby customers, pro-vide extra subsidies for public organizations and inrural areas and allow more projects to qualify forsubsidies, according to an agency statement datedSept. 2. China is targeting this year to add 8 giga-

Kornze said in a statement that since 2009, theBLM has approved more than 50 renewable ener-gy projects around the country. When completed,it would be the same size as the largest solar proj-ect in the state, a 250-megawatt plant that FirstSolar is building on Moapa Paiute tribal land alongI-15 north of Las Vegas. That project broke groundin March.

constructed from a series of newly updated solarpanels, on top of a newly patented bracketing sys-tem. The brackets keep these very expensive solarpanels from sinking to the ocean oor, and alsoallow for easy cooling of the panels. They’ll alloweasy access for any necessary repairs.Plans are underway to develop a large series ofsolar plant all across Japan’s ocean borders to pro-duce some 80 MW of renewable power by the endof the year.

SolarCity. Companies that install photovoltaic sys-tems and banks are also working on forming bet-ter partnerships that will foster the adoption ofsolar energy among homeowners and businesses.The policy document also outlines plans to launch

an initiative that is heavily based on solar energy.This initiative involves the adoption of new con-struction standards with an emphasis on energyefciency. The initiative will also focus on the con-struction of more affordable homes and transpor-tation hubs.

mand while turning it further away from non-re-newable energy sources. Sunlight or solar radia-tion is abundant in the clear skies of the UAE andis increasingly being harnessed for conversion intoelectricity. In the coming 16 years, Dubai aims toreduce gas use to 71 per cent, and mix its energysources by depending 12 per cent on nuclear en-ergy, 12 per cent on clean coal and ve per centon solar power.

solar power output to 45 MW, the statement said.Russia’s previous record holder for solar-powergeneration was a plant in the North Caucasus re-public of Dagestan that was opened in 2013 andhas an output of 2 MW.According to the Energy Ministry, Russia couldobtain four times the energy that it currently con-sumes per year if it properly utilised renewablesources, especially insolation and wind power.

watts of solar energy for small users and 6 giga-watts for larger projects, which would make it thebiggest market for photovoltaics. The smaller proj-ects would be used by industrial and commercialcompanies with large rooftops it said. The largestconsumers of electricity are also being encouragedto develop solar projects as a way to reduce theirenergy costs. Installations of solar panels will bepromoted on public infrastructure such as railwaystations and airport terminals.

Global News



Page No 11 www.solarquarter.comGlobal Outlook

According to the company, these batteries willbe installed on high-voltage powerlines. With thehelp of these batteries, power generation compa-nies will be able to store the excessive energy gen-erated on the line and deliver it to the grid as andwhen required.

The leading solar sector company SolarCity hasalready started distributing energy storage toolto various commercial customers. They can save alot of money in times of higher demand by sav-

ing energy through these batteries. Currently, TeslaMotors; electric vehicle company is manufacturingand providing these batteries with a minimumlease period of ten years.

Utilities investing in solar:

It’s the fourth highest rated innovation that hastaken place in the solar sector over the last sometime. It’s very easy for customers to avoid cen-tralized power grid station for their power needsthrough roof-top solar plant installation.

While interviewing with Bloomberg, Jim Rogers,Chairman and CEO of Duke Energy recently saidthat if the cost of solar panels and installation keptcoming down and a proper power managementthrough combining solar energy and battery tech-nology is introduced, then a suitable option couldbe created for backing up energy in future.

Normally investor-owned utilities are considered asa threat for customers, but they can also be oppor-

nd CEO of Dukeof solar panelsa proper pow-

lar energy andsuitable op-

rgy in future

in mind its poten-tial, lack of risk andability to generate

a return over a longtime. Most of the com-

panies tend to gener-ate funds through third

party payments and usethat payment to transform

solar energy into electricity.

The payback of the funds isdone in the normal way just

like any other public funds of-fering.

A few major companies in U.Shave used this way to gener-

ate funds, for example the lead-ing solar installer SolarCity closed

$54 million bond offering in 2013.It was the rst such offering in the

industry. The com-pany is planning tocome up with another$200 million in securi-tized debt offering thisyear. Another example

can be of Vivint Solar,which recently closedtwo rounds of nancingthat generated total $540

million. These are just a fewexamples, and the world

will see a lot more such bondofferings in coming months.

Residential solar:

It’s slightly a new concept, butif you clearly have a look at theprevious year’s data, then youcan understand that the growthpotential in residential solar is

limitless. So far it has grown witha steady rate, but it will soon takea ight as the need of electricity isincreasing, despite limited availabilityof fossil fuels to generate electricity.

Recently GTM Research collected thedata of residential solar nancing mar-ket in U.S, after executing ample analy-

sis, the rm came to the conclusion thatresidential solar market of U.S amounted

to $1.3 billion in 2012, while it will cross $5.7 bil-lion mark by 2016. The residential solar energymarket is going to increase with the rapid pace inthe coming years. As per the research work con-ducted by GTM Research, U.S will add another4,400 MW capacity this year, which is all set tosurge heavily over the coming years.

It becomes very difcult for home-owners to get intouch with government authorities directly in or-der to install solar kit on roof-top; hence, the con-cept of third-party power solar model has becomevery popular. They work not only professionally,but also respond very quickly and serve in a user-friendly way. Due to this approach of third-partymodel has got a lot of popularity in U.S.

The only risk associated in this model is nothingbut the clash between central and state authori-ties over various issues. If the government cantake care of this issue, then there is no other thingwhich can stop the growth of residential solarpower concept in coming months.

Storage-backed solar:

What if you could store your solar energy and useit whenever you want? Doesn’t it look fascinating?Take it in a similar way that people use in termsof their bank account. They deposit money; theyget interest, and they can use it as and when theywant. How about this concept getting implement-ed in solar energy sector.

Intermittent generation has not been very support-ive to various renewable energy technologies, butrecent innovations in terms of energy storage insolar power industry have narrowed down the gapbetween reality and expectations.

According to Steve Hellman, President EOS EnergyStorage, “Introduction of battery storage in thesolar industry will prove to be very cost-effectivein the long run.”

He thinks that present trends may not be support-ing cost-effective energy storage, but soon timewill change and then it will become one of themost preferred means to use solar energy. In thisseries of innovations, Hitachi; well-known manu-facturer of batteries is planning to manufacture1-MW lithium-ion battery that can store renew-

able energy.

tunities. If the solar utilities can add value to inves-tors and customers by adding new services that aretime-saving and cost effective, then a lot of inef-ciencies can be sorted out. Quite a few utilitieshave already shown willingness to invest in solarenergy through utility leasing programs and un-regulated subsidiaries. If the national governmentcan give it a try along with the support of stategovernment, then surely an easy, cost-effectiveand long lasting way can be found out. It will notonly lead to hassle-free solar energy production,

but also save a lot of unnecessary funds that canbe utilized in other important projects.

So these are four most important innovations thathave taken place in solar energy sectors over thepast couple of years. It’s just a starting and thedata that is visible in terms of investment madeby government and several organizations and in-stalled capacity of solar energy. Coming monthswill bring in a lot such numbers.

Fossil fuels are going to last one day, but solar en-ergy is unlimited, provided all the countries makeuse of it in an efcient manner. Last few years havebeen tremendous in terms of growth of solar ener-gy. It can be seen in the form of above-mentionedinnovations that have taken place.

If everything goes in line, then by the end of cur-rent year many more innovations will take place insolar energy sector.



Page No 12 www.solarquarter.comIndustry Insight

Major developments in the Indian solar marketover the last three months have been dominatedby general elections, the anti-dumping case andthe recent release of draft guidelines for Phase II,Batch 2 of the Jawaharlal Nehru National SolarMission (JNNSM).

Approximately 500 MW of solar have been in-stalled so far this year. We are lowering our 2014forecast slightly - to approximately 900 MW - asdelays caused by elections and the uncertainty thatsurrounded the anti-dumping case have slowed in-stallations. It appears 2014 will be the third con-secutive year solar installations have been stuckaround the 1 GW mark.

According to Mercom sources, to make up forantidumping case, the government has assureddomestic manufacturers a guaranteed market byproviding ‘adequate offtake’ through governmentprograms, which will employ domestic content re-quirements.

A draft policy guideline for Phase II, Batch 2 proj-ects was recently announced, which continues the

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2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014F

C u m u l a t i v e I n s t a l l a t i o n s ( M W )

A n n u a l I n s t a l l a t i o n s ( M W )

Source: Me rcom Capital Group, llc

India Solar Installations (MW)

Annual Solar Installations

Cumulative Solar In stallations

Aug 28, 20 14

Data derived from MNRE, MercomProject Tracker & Public Sources

The Indian government let the August 22, 2014deadline lapse on the proposed imposition of anti-dumping duties on cells and modules manufac-tured in China, Taiwan, Malaysia and the UnitesStates, indicating that there will be no anti-dump-ing tariffs placed on components imported fromthese nations. India’s solar industry is collectivelybreathing a sigh of relief that a potential disasterhas been averted and projects that were stalledcan now re-start. However, the drama surroundingthe anti-dumping case, which was entirely avoid-able, brought project development in the countryto a standstill with developers essentially stoppingthe procurement process due to uncertainty sur-rounding the case.

The optics were less than ideal - the Trade andCommerce Ministry, lobbied by manufacturers,pushed for duties while the Renewable EnergyMinistry opposed them, giving the perception thatthe government and solar industry are “out oftouch” with the daily suffering of the citizens andbusinesses dealing with regular power shortages.Although this affected the short-term outlook oninstallation growth, the end result was good andthe new NDA administration was able to take deci-sive action, making a pragmatic, ‘big picture’ deci-sion that will remove uncertainty and help put thesolar industry back on track for sustainable, long-term growth.

status quo, with policies developed under the UPA(former) government. However, the new adminis-tration has assured us that there will be a ‘revised’draft in the coming months, which will have the“stamp of approval” of the solar-friendly NDA ad-ministration. There is some good news for Indianmanufacturers - they are exporting more. Almost$270 million (~$1,620 crore) in solar exports wereregistered in FY 2013-14, a 152 percent year-over-year growth, and another reason to avoid tradedisputes and retaliation. Most of the Indian exportswere to the European market taking advantage ofthe EU-China trade dispute which set a price bandfor sale of Chinese modules in Europe.

Some big possible changes in the upcoming re-vised draft may include:

An overhaul of the pricing mechanism, away fromCERC tariff base, to a more market-based tariffmechanism

An increase in the size of the batches from a cur-rent 1,500 MW, and State-specic auctions whereNTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN) will handlethe bidding process for states while states with anNVVN payment guarantee will purchase power,provide land and infrastructure. According to ourchecks, Andhra Pradesh may be the rst state totake on this program with 1,000 MW, while otherstates are showing interest.The Ministry of Newand Renewable Energy (MNRE) will also be work-ing on the development of solar parks of 500 MWor more by providing support of $20,00,000/MW(~$33,333/MW) and an NVVN payment guaran-tee, for states that provide land and infrastructure.Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Gu-

jarat and Karnataka could be rst in line as theyhave supposedly already identied lands for solarparks.

If the upcoming policy is laid out with long-termvisibility and a focus on healthy yearly installationgrowth, which appears to be the direction of thenext draft policy, it could effectively shift the In-dian solar market into the next gear. Most of oursources indicated that the new Power Minister isextremely engaged and wants to ‘go big’ on solar.

Industry PerspectiveIn our conversations with developers, manufactur-ers and investors, there were divergent views on

the current state of the market. Developers are op-timistic that there is a new policy in developmentthat is expected to be much more robust in termsof installation targets, and a more sustainable tariffstructure which they see as a game changer.

Developers are relieved by the anti-dumping deci-sion and welcomed a new level of certainty in themarket. One developer mentioned that there is asignicant difference between quoted and deliv-ered pricing under the DCR category in the previ-ous Batch which may result in cancelled projects,while aggressive bidding in the open category maylead to projects being sold due to unviable projecteconomics.

Of the manufacturers we spoke to, some werepositive about the increase in exports. Module

manufacturers indicated that cell availability is low,with high prices and onerous payment terms, andlamented that prots are elusive if they buy cellsdomestically.

Instead of protectionist measures, some manufac-turers indicated that removal of duties on importsof raw materials like glass, copper interconnect,encapsulant lm and backsheet, along with a 5.5percent value added tax in Karnataka state and 5percent central sales tax in other states, can cuttheir overall cost of production by about 8-10 per-cent.

Without these, they could compete with importedmodules. Manufacturers were optimistic that thenew administration will bring about much-neededchange as they see government ofcers workingwith a renewed sense of responsibility indicative ofthe new administration’s priorities.Investors werealso more positive, with many conrming that they

are becoming increasingly comfortable investing inIndia’s solar market.

Banks, on the other hand, continue to expressconcerns about state policies due to both low tar-iffs and the more important concern of off-takerrisk, with several states behind in payments andcontinuing to maintain poor credit ratings. Someinvestors mentioned that they are lending to proj-ects with tariffs above 6 (~$0.1) as long as devel-opers were experienced and off-takers were cred-ible without evacuation issues.

Imported modules from well known brands werepreferred by investors. Other risks cited were landacquisition issues, aggressive bidding, with sev-eral developers bidding for state projects and thendropping them for higher tariff projects (such asthe JNNSM projects), and lack of RPO enforce-ment. All investors we spoke with viewed anti-dumping and DCR unfavorably, as they see projectIRRs signicantly affected, making most projectsunviable. Investors had a positive view of the newEnergy Minister who they see as knowledgeableand hands-on. When asked about nancing com-

36%

7%

53%

117% 124%

-46%

76%

-68%

-34%

152%

-100%

-50%

0%

50%

100%

150%

200%

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14

Y o Y C h a n g e

U S $ i n M i l l i o n

Indian PV Exports (2003-2014)

Exports

YoY Change

Data derived romDe artment o Commerce Source: Mercom Ca ital Grou ,

mercial rooftop projects, investors indicated theywould look to provide nancing on these projectsas long as they were bundled into portfolios of 8MW and larger.

Policy Updates

MNRE: Phase I Batch 1

PPAs for Batch 1 projects were signed for 610 MW(140 MW-PV, 470 MW-CSP). All 140 MW of PVprojects have been commissioned, but only one50 MW CSP project (of the original 470 MW dueto be commissioned by May 2013) has been com-pleted.

The CSP developers, who had earlier received anextension until June 30, 2014, led a petition be-

fore the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission(CERC) in March asking for a further extension,along with a tariff revision. The CERC referred thecase to MNRE, which sent a technical team to in-spect the project sites. The MNRE expert commit-tee has submitted its report and a decision on theextension will be made by the end of August. Phase I Batch 2 - 310 MW of the 340 MW Batch IIprojects have been commissioned to date, with theremaining 30 MW delayed.

JNNSM - Phase II Batch 1

Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) openedbids for the allocation under Batch 1, Phase 2 ofJNNSM. Under the DCR category, power purchaseagreements (PPAs) were signed for 22 projectstotaling 375 MW. Under the non-DCR category,PPAs were signed for 25 projects totaling 375 MW.Of the signed PPAs, developers canceled 20 MW

under the DCR category and 30 MW under thenon-DCR category. The deadline for completion ofthe remaining projects is May 2015.

JNNSM - Phase II Batch 2

The MNRE recently released draft guidelines forthe implementation of 1,500 MW grid-connectedsolar PV projects under Phase II, Batch 2, of

By Raj Prabhu, CEO and Co-Founder of Mercom Capital Group, llc.

We are revising our 2014

forecast to approximately

900 MW as - delays caused

by the elections and un-

certainty that surrounded

the anti-dumping case has

slowed installations

With Antidumping Case Behind it,Indian Solar Industry Looks to Refocus

on Growth



Page No 13 www.solarquarter.comIndustry InsightJNNSM. The selection of these projects is to be car-ried out by NVVN, through a tariff-based reversebidding process (the bidding process was changedfrom tariff-based to viability gap funding VGF inthe previous batch, and has subsequently beenbrought back again).

Rajasthan: 60 MW of solar projects have beeninstalled so far under the Rajasthan state policy,including the 20 MW that was commissioned inApril 2014 out of the 75 MW solar projects thatbid in March 2013. Of the remaining 55 MW, only30 MW is expected to be commissioned in 2014.

The state recently released the draft Rajasthan So-lar Energy Policy, 2014. It aims to achieve 25,000MW capacity in the next seven to eight yearsthrough grid and off-grid projects and the devel

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1,000

Kerala

Arunachal Pradesh

New Delhi

Uttarakhand

Goa & UT

West Bengal

Chhattisgarh

Haryana

Jharkhand

Punjab

Odisha

Uttar Pradesh

Karnataka

Tamil Nadu

Andhra Pradesh

Maharashtra

Madhya Pradesh

Rajasthan

Gujarat

India Solar PV Installations (MW) By Location (as on Aug 28, 2014)

Source: Me rcom Capital Group, llc

Total PV Installation

2,697.5 MW

opment of solar parks by private developers. Thestate wants to promote solar parks by investingup to 26 percent equity (including cost of land)in joint ventures formed for the development ofparks with a capacity of 1,000 MW or more. Thegovernment plans to offer special customized in-centive packages for plants above 500 MW on acase-to-case basis.

Uttar Pradesh: The Uttar Pradesh Power Corpo-ration Limited (UPPCL) signed PPAs for 110 MWsolar projects in December 2013; 50 MW of theseprojects are expected to be commissioned by De-cember 2014. A Request for Proposal (RfP) wasannounced this month to set up 300 MW of solarPV projects. The projects will be allotted through areverse bidding process.

The successful bidders with project capacities ofless than 25 MW will have to commission projectswithin 13 months, and those with capacities ofmore than 25 MW will have 18 months to com-mission projects.

Andhra Pradesh: The government of AndhraPradesh decided to allow any company to setup a solar project in the state at a tariff of 6.49(~$0.11) per kWh, including those who did notparticipate in competitive bidding for 1,000 MW.

PPAs have been signed for only 147 MW of PVprojects under competitive bidding, according toTransmission Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Lim-ited (APTRANSCO). Out of this, only 25 MW havebeen commissioned this year.

The DISCOMs i.e. Southern Power DistributionCompany of Andhra Pradesh Limited (APSPDCL)and Eastern Power Distribution Company ofAndhra Pradesh Limited (APEPDCL) are intendingto procure 500 MW of solar power through a com-petitive bidding route.

The state has also allotted a 500-acre site in An-antapur district to set up a 100 MW solar project.The land will be allocated to the rms interestedin setting up solar power units through the NewRenewable Energy Development Corporation ofAndhra Pradesh lease, not extending beyond 33years, with the rent xed at 10 percent of the mar-ket value of land assessed at 2,00,000 (~$3,333)

an acre every year.

Punjab: Punjab opened bidding for about 250MW of PV projects last year. With average tariffs

ranging between 8.20-8.40 (~$0.13-0.14)/kWh,PPAs were signed in December 2013 after a delaydue to land acquisition problems during the elec-

tion period. According to our sources, only a smallnumber of these projects will be commissionedwithin the year and the rest will be commissionedby the rst quarter of 2015.

The government of Punjab also recently approveda policy on net metering for grid interactive roof-top solar projects.

Kerala: Under the 10,000 Rooftop Solar PowerPlants Program, approximately 7,000 installationshave been completed so far. The remaining 3,000installations may take another year to be commis-sioned. These projects are up to 1 kWp in size andfor captive use.

Madhya Pradesh: To date, 175 MW of solar proj-ects have been installed under Madhya Pradesh’sstate policy.

Haryana: A 5 MW solar project developed underthe state policy is expected to be commissionedduring 2014. A tender inviting bidding for 50 MWsolar projects was issued in April this year.The state has approved the Haryana Solar PowerPolicy 2014. The policy aims to achieve megawatt-scale grid-connected solar power projects, rooftopgrid interactive SPV system, small capacity grid so-lar power projects and devices, promotion of solarthermal collectors and provision to install meteringequipment among other things.

Maharashtra: There are 170 MW of solar projectsinstalled under Maharashtra’s state policy.

Gujarat: Gujarat has over 890 MW of solar proj-ects installed under its state policy. Recently, 30

MW were commissioned out of a 50 MW projectdeveloped by a power company to meet its RPOobligation. The remaining 20 MW is expected tobe commissioned by the end of this year.

India’s Appellate Tribunal for Electricity dismissedan appeal by Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd. (GU-VNL) to reduce the solar-power tariff as “devoidof merits”, according to a copy of the judgment.GUVNL, the bulk buyer of power in the state, hadsigned 88 contracts for a total of 971.5 megawattsof solar capacity with the developers starting in2010. Last year, it led a petition seeking to lowerthe rates, citing the excessive prots of plant own-ers who beneted when solar equipment pricesplunged after contracts were signed. GUVNL’s at-tempts to revise tariffs agreed to under 25-yearcontracts threatened to stall investments.

Chhattisgarh: Chhattisgarh State Power Distribu-tion Company Limited (CSPDCL) announced bid

results for solar projects totaling 100 MW. Thelowest bid price was 5.54 (~$0.09)/kWh, and thehighest 7.81 (~$0.13)/kWh. CSPDCL will sign 20-year PPAs with the successful bidders.

Karnataka: The state has 51 MW solar projects in-stalled to date, including the 30 MW already com-missioned of the 60 MW solar projects announcedin Batch I. Of the remaining 30 MW, 10 MW isexpected to be commissioned this month and 20MW in early 2015. A 10 MW CSP project, underBatch I, is expected to be commissioned in 2015.There were 130 MW of solar projects announcedin Batch II for which the PPAs are signed and theprojects are to be commissioned within 12 monthsof the date of signing.

Recently, the state also announced nancial bidsfor solar projects totaling 50 MW in Batch III, with7.74 (~$0.13)/kWh the highest bid price and

6.66 (~$0.11)/kWh the lowest bid price and 7.34(~$0.12)/kWh as average bid price.

The state also revised its solar policy on May 22,2014, (renamed Karnataka Solar Policy 2014-2021) with the main objective of adding a mini-mum of 2,000 MW of solar power generation by2021, in a phased approach. It is targeting 1,600MW of grid-connected, utility-scale projects and atleast 400 MW of grid-connected rooftop projects.Based on this new policy, Karnataka RenewableEnergy Development Limited (KREDL) invited RfPsfor solar projects totaling 500 MW with bid sub-missions due by August 20, 2014.

Uttarakhand: The government of Uttarakhandhas issued a request for selection for procurementof solar power from grid-connected solar PV pow-er projects for aggregate capacity of up to 30 MWthrough a tariff-based competitive bidding processunder its Solar Power Policy 2013.

Tamil Nadu: Tamil Nadu has petitioned the Su-preme Court against last year’s order of the Appel-late Tribunal for Electricity, which stated that thestate government could not order specied con-sumers to buy solar power.Note: Dollar-rupee conversions were calculated at$1 = 60.

About Mercom Capital GroupMercom Capital Group, llc, is a global commu-nications and consulting rm focused on Clean-tech, Healthcare IT, and nancial communications.Mercom’s consulting division advises companieson new market entry, overall strategic decision-making, and provides custom market research.Mercom delivers highly respected industry marketintelligence reports covering Solar Energy, WindEnergy, Smart Grid and Healthcare IT.

Our reports provide timely industry happeningsand ahead-of-the-curve analysis specically for C-level decision making. Mercom’s communicationsdivision helps companies and nancial institutionsbuild powerful relationships with media, analysts,local communities and strategic partners. For moreinformation, visit: http://www.mercomcapital.com. To receive Mercom’s popular market intel-ligence reports, visit: http://mercomcapital.com/ market_intelligence.php.

Raj Prabhu, CEO and Co-Founder of Mercom CapitalGroup, llc.

India’s solar industry col-

lectively breathes a sigh of

relief that a potential disas-

ter has been averted and

projects that were stalled

can now re-start

Exports are up for Indian

manufacturers




Playing with FireWhy allegedly “compatible” PV cables are sodangerous

This time, the warehouse burnt down completely.The solar system on the roof of the warehousehad caught re again. It was the third re on the450-square-meter photovoltaic system within thetime of just a few weeks. Although the re servicehad quickly managed to get the other res undercontrol, this time they were just too late. The rehad been started by a PV connector becoming toohot. The results: a disaster for the company and acompensation claim against the installer.

Minor Cause – Big Impact

“Every re is a re too many,” states Dr. HeribertSchmidt, Project Manager at Fraunhofer ISE. Theinstitute deals with the re risks of PV systems and

reports that, over the last 20 years, there havebeen 350 res in the 1.3 million PV systems cur -rently installed in Germany. In 120 cases it was thesolar system that caused the re. There was ma-

jor damage in 75 cases, with the building burningdown completely in 10. Schmidt continues: “Firesare often caused when inexperienced installationteams install systems on a piecework basis. If thesolar connectors are tted with combination pliersinstead of a special tool, or if noncertied connec-tor systems are used, then the weak point is builtin from the beginning. System operators shouldnot be making false economies.”

The connectors were to blame for the burnt-outwarehouse, too. They became so hot that theycaught re. However, the PV installer had onlymeant well. He chose plug-in cables that the man-ufacturer claimed were “compatible” with themodule junction boxes. The saving compared tooriginal cables added up to a few hundred euros.

It gave the installer the breathing space he neededto win the bidding war among PV providers. Look-ing back, he explains: “The plug-in cables ttedperfectly, and at rst glance you could see no dif-ference in terms of color and nish.” Now he facesa civil suit, the outcome of which could cost himhis livelihood.

Mostly, Compatible Does Not Mean CompatibleEverybody should be aware that TÜV and UL certi-cations are invalidated if the cable systems ttedare not consistently from a certied manufacturer.Both testing bodies do not approve of combiningconnectors of different makes. In the case of thecatastrophic re, the installer had relied on the pro-vider’s assurance that its connectors were compat-ible. He now realizes that that was little more thanadvertising speak without any real backing. RomanBrück from TÜV Rheinland explains: “Currently,the ‘compatibility’ of PV connectors can only beguaranteed for products in the same range from

the same manufacturer or products from contractpartners using the same materials and informingone another of any planned changes.”

TÜV Rheinland examined “crossover connections”with PV cables, and its interim report includessome sobering results: The connector tempera-tures in the cross connections were signicantlyhigher than the maximum levels. It was also in-teresting that resistance of the cross connectorsstarted off very low when rst tted, but increasedsubstantially over time. Where the same connec-tor ranges were tted, resistance remained virtu -ally consistent. In mixed systems, compliance withthe IP degree of protection is made more difcultby a number of factors, including connector toler-ances, as the connectors are often too loose. Theconsequences: line losses, considerably increasedtemperatures or even re risks, deformation ofconnectors resulting in altered air and creepage,and thus the risk of electric shock.

Legal Implications Can Be Massive

Roman Brück comes to the following conclusion:“Crossover connections can be found in many PVsystems and can lead not only to technical butalso to legal problems. Among other things, theuncertain position of combined PV connector sys-tems from different manufacturers in the eventof a guarantee claim means that inspectors of PVsystems are required to report these combinationsas a fault.”Manufacturers will accept no liabilityfor mixed systems. Alongside breakages, defor-mations, and the fact that live parts can be leftunprotected and exposed, the best-case scenariois reduced yield for the system operator. However,there is also the possibility that, as time goes on,these connectors could come to melt and catchre.

Even if the connectors appear to t, there is thepossibility that tensile and twisting forces, contam-ination, and mutual inuence of materials (cas-ing, seals, connector pins [tolerances unknown],etc.) do not comply with standards and would beagged up in an inspection.

Market Leader Targeted by Forgers

The Swiss company Multi-Contact is one of thepioneers in the eld of PV connectors. These PVconnectors have been used millions of times allaround the world. The company has dened “defacto standards” with its MC3 and MC4 PV con-nectors. As with all Multi-Contact products, thereal technical nesse lies in the gas-proof connec-tion between the pin and the socket using Mul-tilam technology. The copper-alloy contact stripsconsist of numerous Multilam links. They allow

electrical contact to be made via a number of con-ductive contact surfaces. Each Multilam link formsan independent, spring-loaded power bridge, andall the Multilam links arranged in parallel reducetransition resistance and therefore power losswithin the circuit as a whole.

It is not surprising that market leader Multi-Con-tact is constantly targeted by product forgers.Multi-Contact makes a distinction between plagia-ries, also known as forgeries or illegal copies, onthe one hand, and imitations or authorized copieson the other hand. Forgeries are designed to makethe customer believe he has an original productin his hand. Forgers use the original name or theoriginal logo. Multi-Contact takes very severe ac-tion against these companies. Multi-Contact isalso supported by Aktion Plagarius e.V., which“awards” negative prizes to fraudsters every year:“Cheap copies do not happen ‘by accident.’ Theforgers act willfully. They are unscrupulous and

only after one thing: money. They copy the n-ished product, which is successfully established inthe market, and minimize their own business risk.”

The manufacturers have less legal recourse againstimitations, which can look very similar to the origi-nals. They are often purported to be “compati-ble.” However, Multi-Contact categorically refusesto accept any liability if these third-party productsare used. Markus Müller, Key Account Manager atMulti-Contact Deutschland, notes: “If you consid-er the importance of the quality of the connectorsfor the safety of a PV system and its yield, I believeour position is understandable.”

Illegal copies of the MC3 and MC4 connectors arecropping up more and more often, most of themfrom Asia. It is difcult to differentiate these low-quality copies from the original just by looking atthe outside. But on a technical level, the forger-ies often demonstrate considerable shortcomings

when it comes to quality. And the most critical ofthese relate to safety. Top of the list of faults area lack of UV resistance and high resistance levels.Resistances that are too high can lead to the con-nector overheating and cause a re risk. Where thesystems are not completely destroyed by re, theseconnectors reduce effectiveness. The weather isoften given as an excuse for a gradual reduction inpower yield, but in reality the connectors are oftento blame. At the same time, if water penetratesinto a connector with a faulty seal, it can traveltoward the module as a result of the capillary ef-fect and cause ashovers that can cause expensivedamages. It soon becomes clear where the realrisks are when these losses are set off against thesavings made during installation.

When People Rely on Their Solar Systems

The subject is even more important if we considercases where the solar system is the only source

of power. PV systems help improve the quality oflife for many people living in rural areas all overthe world. For example, solar systems allow bet-ter medical care and help people communicatewith the rest of the world. While the failure of asolar system mostly affects us in our pockets, inthese countries it can lead to major problems anddangerous situations.This is why the current sys-tems need to be exemplary in terms of reliabilityif knowledge of the added value they provide is tobecome more widespread among the population.Quality connectors make an important contribu-tion to photovoltaics becoming a success even inthe most remote corners of the earth.For safetyreasons, Multi-Contact recommends not usingforgeries. Consumers who have been offered MC3and MC4 connectors and unwittingly received ille-gal copies have the right to replace the connectorsfree of charge. The costs are borne by the installeror retailer responsible for the deception.

Cross section through MC connector with Multilam:

Fortunately, this re did not spread ...

Temperature increase of mated connectors from different manufacturers:

Tata Power Solar ranked as the topIndian solar player

Bangalore , India; 17th September, 2014: TataPower Solar, India’s largest integrated solarplayer, has been ranked as the leading domes-tic player in the India solar industry for 2014.As per the India Solar Map 2014, released byBridge To India, a leading consulting rm in In-dia’s Cleantech market, during 2013-14 TataPower Solar emerged as the largest third-partyEPC player as well as domestic manufacturerof crystalline PV modules in India. Comment-ing on the map, Dr. Tobias Engelmeier, Founder

& Director, Bridge To India, said, “Our annualIndia Solar Map is a detailed and easily com-prehendible analysis of the market shares ofIndia’s solar players. We interact with the EPCcompanies, module and inverter suppliers andproject developers to distill a reliable snapshotof the state of the industry. Over the last 12months, Tata Power Solar has been the mostsuccessful company in executing third party(i.e. discounting own projects) EPC contractsin India. Among the domestic module suppli-ers category also, it is the leading player.The company has been particularly success-ful at winning large, public sector projects –one of the key growth drivers in the future.”For more details on the map, click here. TataPower Solar is ranked #1 for 2014 (in the last12 months) and #3 for cumulative third-partyEPC, rising from a ranking of #9 cumulativethird-party EPC in 2013. This makes Tata Pow-

Press Release

er Solar one of the fastest growing third-partysolar EPC players in the country.In the module manufacturing segment, TataPower Solar has reafrmed itself as a pio -neer and leader among domestic crystallinePV modules manufacturers. The company isranked #1 domestic manufacturer for 2014and the only Indian manufacturer among thetop 10 module suppliers for the Indian market.Commenting on the result, Ajay Goel, CEO,Tata Power Solar, said, “We are extremely hap-

py with the ndings of the report by Bridge ToIndia. We have been growing aggressively overthe last couple of years and this achievementis a testimony to the results we have accom-plished during this period.”The company hascompleted several prestigious EPC projects,including 50 MW for NTPC and commission-ing of a 3 MW project for South India’s largestrooftop solar plant. They have recently wontwo orders to supply domestically manufac-tured solar panels, under DCR, to L N Bangurgroup and ACME Solar (a subsidiary of EDFEnergy).Tata Power Solar is the only Indian companywhose modules are ranked as Tier 1 in Bank-ability by GTM Research and has been success-fully certied by Potential Induced Degrada-tion (PID). Last year they added an additionalmodule manufacturing capacity of 75 MWtaking the total capacity to 200 MW.

Ranked #1 third-party EPC player as well as #1 domestic module supplierfor 2014

By Staubli Tec Systems India Pvt Ltd.




The global solar module price trends have notbeen that uctuating for the last ve years. If onepay a close attention to the price of solar panels oflast ve years, he can nd that most of the time itwas at. It’s the rst time when they have start-ed to rise. The entire world had to face nancialturmoil during 2007-08, which not only affectedbanking and other nancial institutions, but alsoto solar equipment providing companies. A lot ofcompanies went on to become bankrupt due toless demand and decreased prices. As the price of

solar panels has again started to rise; therefore,those manufacturing companies and their inves-tors can feel happy about this trend.

If you try to look at this change from a differentangle, then you can experience a different situa-tion altogether. Where manufacturers and theirinvestors are happy with price rising trend in solarpanel segment, developers and a few other envi-ronment groups don’t want it to happen. The rea-son is pretty simple, with the increment in the priceof solar modules, the price of overall consumptionof solar energy will increase.

It is already a little higher than the fossil fuel as ofnow and inclined price curve in solar module willfurther increase the price of solar energy, whichall the developers and environment groups don’twant in order to maintain a continuous growth insolar energy demand.

Right from the nancial crisis in 2008, the price ofsolar modules has been under immense pressureespecially due to two reason, falling renewableenergy subsidies and global over-capacity. Due toa marginal shakeout in the industry, demand andsupply are again falling in one line, which is result-ing into the price hike. As per the inputs given bya few manufacturers, the overcapacity is declining,which is good for them. It is a broad scenario, butif you take into consideration the data reported bycompanies over the last few months, then youcan gure out that they are trying every bit pos-sible to survive in the market. There are a few newcompanies which have even decreased the pricingof solar installation in order to compete with othercompanies. As per the information provided in therecommendation given by the Renewable EnergyTarget review panel, there are rumors that subsi-dies for small-scale systems may get cut in the nearfuture, which has also played a signicant role inincreasing the demand.

Solar module pricing trends across the globe:Various important aspects of solar module pricingtrends over the last some time can be understoodwith the help of below-mentioned points-

Solar Panel Pricing Trend in Japan and China:

Due to a new minimum European report price fol-lowed by trade disputes with China has played amajor role in bringing supply back on track. Ja-pan has already introduced enough measures inorder to take the demand of solar panel on newheights. Average selling price of solar panels hasincreased in China, according to a report pub-lished by Hanwha SolarOne. It is one of the big-gest manufacturers of solar panels in the world.Recently it published a report, according to whichthe average selling price of solar panels amongtop-notched manufacturers in China was $0.62-$0.68 per watt.

Trina Solar, a major solar module manufacturerof China, reported a signicant surge in averageselling price of solar panels over the past fewquarters. According to one of the spokespeopleof the company, the sales and protability of thecompany increased in the rst quarter of 2014, ascompared to the same period of 2013. The mainreason behind this surge as per the company wasincreased average selling price and decreased costper watt.

One other Chinese player Jinko Solar recentlystated while announcing rst quarter nancialand operational performance of the companythat main sources of YOY increase in total reve-nues were improved average selling price of solarmodules, increase in electricity revenues and ship-ment activities. According to Qu, Chief ExecutiveOfcer and Chairman of the company, “The cur-

rent year has been phenomenal so far, and we areexperiencing strong demand across all the majorgeographical areas. We expect it to continue incoming months as well.” He further added thatCanada, Japan, China and U.S. were expected togenerate maximum revenue in coming months.The demand could continue going up in remainingpart of 2014.

Biggest market in solar panel segment:

According to Qu, China has the potential to re-main on top for many years. The average solarmodule installation in the country is 11 GW to12GW as of now, but as the time progresses, itcan touch 14 GW mark.

Major reasons behind improved pricing of solarpricing over the past few months:

The improved pricing of solar panels has broughtsmile on the face of a lot of manufacturers andtheir investors, whereas it has also drawn a lineof worry on developers and various environmentgroups. The important point here is that the priceof solar panels has affected protability of a lot oforganizations. The main reason behind this pricesurge can be the elimination of over-capacity. An-other reason of increased prices of solar panel asper told by Yingli Solar was EU-China trade agree-ment. It imposed pre-specied fees on all the im-port transactions of solar panels, which automati-

cally made the end product very expensive. Thedecision was taken by the Chinese governmentafter a lot of European manufacturers complainedabout the unfair competition practices.

If you talk about the pricing trends of solar mod-ules in Europe, then you can clearly see that the av-erage sales price of solar modules in Europe surgedby 25% in the fourth quarter of the previous yearas compared to the prices of solar panels in therst quarter of the same year. The main reason be-hind this astonishing price surge was nothing butthe initiative taken by the organization, in whichit sold all the solar panels in more than their mini-mum import price.

The current state of solar energy is quite competi-tive. A lot of corporate houses, companies and bigmarket players are trying to enter into the industryafter realizing its long-term bright future. Govern-ment is also under pressure to keep the pricing of

solar energy within pre-specied limitations, sothat public doesn’t face any problem affording it.Government has been so defensive right after thenancial crisis, in order to keep the momentumgoing on. The government doesn’t want to givesubsidy to ensure that the competition in the mar-ket remains in control. If this situation continuesfor some more time, then there are strong chancesthat solar power prices will have to compete withfossil fuel, that too without any government sub-sidy by the end of this decade.

The world has seen a price surge trend lately insolar energy eld, but still there are a few solarmodule making companies which think that pric-ing of solar modules can be kept under control.The only condition is to follow economies of scaleand continuous cost saving concepts over thecoming years. Hanwha SolarOne stated in its an-nual full year report that it expected the prices ofPV products to go down in coming months as the

supply of PV products would increase as comparedto demand. At the same time, the manufacturingcost would also decrease in coming time due toimproved technology.

Road Ahead:

There was a report titled ‘PV Technology and CostOutlook, 2013-2017’ was published recently byGTM Research. As per the analysis done by vari-ous market experts, the above-stated research rmcame with a conclusion that solar panel produc-tion cost of industry giants such as Jinko Solar, Tri-na Solar, Renesola and Yingli Green Energy wouldfall signicantly over the next few years. In thefourth quarter of 2012, the cost of solar produc-tion was 50 cents per watt, while it would declineto 36 cents per watt by the end of 2017. Some ofthe main drivers of cost reduction will include ad-vanced metallization solutions, diamond wire saw-

ing for PV wafers and increased automation ratherthan manual labor. It will reduce not only the cost,but also improve the productivity and efciency ofthe organizations.

According to Shyam Mehta, Author of the reportand Senior Analyst at GTM Research, “PV cost re-duction roadmaps of the past are no longer rel-evant for the present.” Few years ago, the produc-tion cost used to come somewhere around $1 per

Solar Module

Price Trends

Schneider Electric unveilstwo new inverters at REI Expo 2014

New Delhi, 5 September 2014: SchneiderElectric India launched two products – ConextCL and Conext XW+ – at the Renewable En-ergy India (REI) Expo 2014, India Expo Centre,Greater Noida in the National Capital Region.Conext CL is a new line of three-phase stringinverters, while the new Conext XW+ is thenext-generation version of the Conext XW hy-brid inverter. Both products come from Schnei-der Electric Solar Business – a global leader insolutions for solar power conversion chain.Speaking at the launch, Mr Anurag Garg, VicePresident, Solar BU, Schneider Electric Indiasaid, “The Conext CL addresses a wide rangeof customer needs and is the ideal solution forcommercial buildings, carports and decentral-ized power plants, while the Conext XW+ is asingle solution for grid-tie backup and off-gridsolar for homes, businesses and communities.At Schneider Electric, we are accelerating ourinvestment by transferring global technologyto India, increasing our local R&D capabilitiesand manufacturing locally in our world classfacilities. The launch of these new invertersfurther reinforces our commitment to the In-dian market.”

Conext CL

The Conext CL offers high exibility (an in-tegrated wiring box with ve congurationoptions gives customers installation exibilityand lowers costs by eliminating the externalDC combiner box cost, and 10-to-90-degreetilt angle allows exible mounting); easy instal-lation and service (lightweight 45-kg inverter

Press Release

with detachable 16-kg wiring box makesmounting easy and fast); high ROI (98.4%peak efciency, designed for high uptime pro-viding customers maximum energy harvestfrom their solar plants); high reliability (elec-trolyte-free design works in harsh environmenttoo).Built for decentralized architecture, withfull grid support features, a broad range ofSchneider Electric’s low and medium voltageproducts and industry leading system capa-bilities, Conext CL is backed by Schneider Elec-tric’s global service infrastructure and expertisein energy management.

Conext XW+

The new Conext XW+ is the next-generationversion of the Conext XW Hybrid inverter– a hybrid inverter specically designed forbackup power for homes and businesses, resi-dential retrot of grid-tie solar with backup,residential self-consumption, off-grid homesand businesses, community electrication andmicro-grids. With the Conext XW+, one cansimplify system installation with the ConextXW+ Power Distribution Panel, integrate Con-ext MPPT solar charger controllers, AC couplewith compatible PV inverters, and monitor bat-tery resources with the New Context BatteryMonitor. Moreover, with Schneider Electric’snew Conext ComBox, one can monitor andcongure an entire system seamlessly from aPC or tablet device.

watt, and soon there will be a time when it willbe 36 cents or even lesser. The industry lacks insetting-up a realistic goal for module supply chainfor next ve to ten years, situation will improve sig-nicantly as soon as it will come over this problem.It is important for manufacturers, developers, in-vestors, installers and other related parties to set arealistic goal and then follow it willingly in order tomaintain a balance between demand, supply andcost of power to people.




Reliable Renewable

The sun oods the earth with over 5,000 timesthe energy we consume on average. So it was onlya matter of time till this energy – that innovatorshave used for powering cookers, irrigation pumps,de-salinators, datacenters, cement plants or evencities – became relevant for governments, globally.Solar energy is abundant, clean, and modular forinstallations of any size, and with some tweaking,for any application.

Commercializing solar energy also has its chal-lenges. Land acquisition, infrastructure, storage,and nancing, intermittent nature, grid integra-tion, to name a few. The price of solar photovoltaic

systems has fallen substantially over the past fewyears, marginally reducing cost issues. These chal-lenges can be overcome or compensated throughtechnology and policy, while expertise and experi-ence gain relevance over long term.

Countries across the world have been progres-sively tapping renewable resources, and they pro-vide us with several case studies to learn from. Forexample, Germany beneted from open accessbut did not allow volume based reduction. On theother hand China only recently started focusing ondistributed generation. Whatever the approach, astudy of these examples reect a commitment toquality assurance and energy stability. This is donewith a view to long-term investment to bring maxi-mum protability, making quality one of the keysuccess imperatives.

Over the last four years, India’s solar generation ca-pacity has reported a compounded annual growth

rate of over 250 percent, making the country thefth largest producer of solar energy in the worldwith over 2,600 megawatts capacity. As the Indiansolar market ramps up, it needs to have a greaterfocus on quality and sustenance in order to ensuresafe and efcient project operations and maximizereturns to producers and consumers.

Immediate vs. long term benefts

Developing nations are usually faced with a dif-cult decision - to balance other infrastructureneeds in the pursuit of a sustainable energy mod-el. So decisions for solar energy with limited fundsentail judicious choices with an outlook towardsquality and reliability.

As with many other industries, technology andpolicy support are the two elements that will seethe industry through from incubation to com-mercially viable. Over time, cost reductions due

to technology advancements and volume, have

made solar competitive. Since 2009 the averagecost of solar PV systems has more than halved,while oil prices have risen by 36 percent, globally.In effect, solar energy has the potential to insulatean economy from energy price uctuations – a bigconcern for India.

Technology should not only help extract maximumvalue from resources, but also do this consistently,reliably and over an extended period of time. Onutility scale, reliability of core technology compo-nents is a key concern. Sites (solar plants and windfarms) are remotely located and any breakdownof critical components that affect generation can

be extremely costly. Also, the viability of suchprojects are based on these plants functioningwithout trouble for 20 - 25 years. Therefore longterm performance of the core technological equip-ment such as the inverter in case of solar and theconverter/ generator for wind turbines can reallymake or break long term viability of a project. Thisis often overlooked by EPC vendors whose deci-sions tend to be based on short term considerationthat focuses on contractual obligations rather thanlife time performance. Such short-term approachcan be detrimental to the industry. Plant operatorswhose business model is dependent on derivingbenets over the entire lifecycle of the plant facethe prospect of declining returns arising from fre-quent failures.

Industrial adoption

Despite having the fth largest electricity genera-tion capacity in the world, over 300 million people

in India are not connected to the grid and another300 million have unreliable power. Load sheddingin the southern states have adversely impactedindustry output and diesel generators have beenan expensive stopgap. Such an environment hasdriven growth of captive power plants (largelythermal) that now contribute 16 percent of allpower generated.

Captive thermal power plants are uneconomicalbelow a certain size and whether to reduce de-pendence on the grid or to comply with state solarpower policies, captive solar plants are gaining ac-ceptance in industry. Companies with excess gen-eration are even eligible for Renewable Energy Cer-ticates, additionally assisting state governmentsmeet state RPO targets. As utilities and industriesincreasingly adopt solar as a source of energy, thedemand will spawn equipment manufacturers inthe emerging market ecosystem – small, and lack-ing experience. These could be vulnerable to busi-

ness closure or end up becoming takeover targets.

This raises complexity in long term service andsupport commitments. It is necessary to evaluatean equipment vendor’s past credentials and futurevision to maximize value from investments in thenew technology. The existence of an extensive ser-

The solar energy industry’s nascent stage makes it possible to mold it and prevent a slow-

down in momentum due to quality and sustenance issues.

By Mr. Subir Pal, Head Dis-crete Automation and Motionat ABB India

vice network would count as a critical aspect inselecting the right partner.

If India is inviting the world to bring their manu-facturing to our country, we must provide themwith the power to do so. Current transmission anddistribution infrastructure will have to be strength-ened, while facilitating captive renewable energygeneration will be critical in bringing a sustainablebalance to the energy mix.

Sunny rural India

The sun is democratic, and so it is only fair thatbenets of solar energy are enjoyed by everybody– companies to farmers, those connected to thegrid to those who aren’t.Signicant subsidies onsolar pumps for irrigation were announced as apart of the Union Budget FY15. Farmers who arenot connected to the grid are obvious beneciariesof this technology. But on tracking load sheddingpatterns one observes that a lot of farmers whoare connected to the grid do not have power dur-ing the day – making solar pumps’ proposition justas valid for them.

The state government of Karnataka recently an-nounced plans of rolling out what it calls the solarfarmer scheme. Under this scheme, a farmer us-ing solar-powered irrigation pump sets can use asmuch electricity as he needs, and then feed thesurplus to the grid. This way, apart from makingfarming independent of the grid, the state govern-ment provides less power at subsidized rates (farmsector accounts for an estimated 38-40 percent oftotal power consumed in Karnataka), amountingto signicant savings over the years. Such projectswill be effective only with the adoption and ad-aptation of new technologies by India that wouldenable the grid.

To provide a perspective, a mature market likeGermany has close to ve million small producers— individuals and cooperatives — accounting foraround half of the country’s installed renewableenergy capacity. In India, we have close to 250 mil-lion individuals associated with farming, if ve per-cent of them invest in solar pumps, we could have12 million empowered energy producers!Besides empowering individuals who producesolar energy, the industry has the potential to

improve lives through employment generation. Arecent report by a key player in the Indian solarindustry that examines the ideal solar road map forIndia through comparative analysis of four distinctscenarios of solar power generation – residentialrooftops, large rooftops, utility scale projects andultra-mega projects estimates creation of up to670,000 jobs in India over next 10 years.

Reliability crucial for success

It is true that the growth potential in renewableenergy eld has attracted a lot of attention frommushrooming technology vendors. This has result-ed in a confusion over choice of vendors for thecore components from a plethora of new entrants.It is necessary to understand that the renewableenergy sector is still young and many of the tech-nologies are yet to stabilize. There is no historicalrecord available for long term performance ofmany of these vendors. At the heart of these tech-nologies is power electronics and depth of researchand development in this eld is the key ingredientin producing the most reliable equipment for theemerging sectors. Fortunately, there are a coupleof leading names that have proven track record indiverse power electronic applications such as thevariable speed drives, HVDC, power inverters thathave proven over the years in critical applications.This expertise is essential in robust design that canwithstand the test of time.

It must be remembered that some of these corecomponents could comprise only 5-6 percent ofthe entire plant and compromising on these forupfront cost considerations is a very short sightedapproach. Companies like ABB that have pio-neered many breakthroughs in power electronicstechnology are considered long term reliable part-ners for critical equipment that is in the heart ofsolar and wind farms built by the most reputedplant builders and plant owners across the worldand in India. In a short span of four years, ABB hasattained leadership position in the solar invertermarket with, a third of the total installed base inthe country for grid tied solar plants. Customersnot only count on us for product quality, but theentire package that includes market expertise andservices that maximize uptime.



Page No 17 www.solarquarter.comIndustry Outlook

The government is starting to deliver on thehopes it has raised about meeting the country’smaximum energy requirements by the summer of2015. Multiple initiatives have been taken by thecentral and state governments to full the upcom-ing energy demands. The solar policies, includingnet-metering, have been announced by variousstates like Delhi, Karnataka, Gujarat, Kerala, TamilNadu, Punjab and Haryana which should providea boost to the upcoming solar era. Now Delhiiteswith solar rooftop systems will be able to supplyexcess solar energy to the grid. This will earn themenergy credits, which can be adjusted against their

electricity bills. On September 2, 2014 the DelhiElectricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) an-nounced the “Net Metering for Renewable EnergyRegulations”.

Evolving net-metering model regulation forrooftop based solar PV projects

In the coming years we could see thousands ofrenewable energy producers feeding the grid orsupplying electricity to consumers through localmini grids. Millions of consumers will be generat-ing their own electricity and feeding the surplusto the grid. The fact is we are just beginning torealize the potential of the renewables to open theenergy market and democratise energy generationand consumption.

Here are certain corrective measures taken by

Evolving net-metering model regulation for rooftop based solar PV projects

By Mr. Abinav Gupta,Founder & CEO, SunSwitch India

Emerging Solar

Energy

Multiple initiatives havebeen taken by the centraland state governments tofull the upcoming en-ergy demands.

The fact is we are justbeginning to realize the potential of the renew-ables to open the energymarket and democratiseenergy generation andconsumption.

With the NationalSolar Mission, launchedin 2010, India denedan ambitious nationalgoal of installing 20 GWof grid connected solar power by 2022.

Government to boost the solar energy Market incountry.

In 2014 Budget government has allocated Rs. 500crores for solar power projects.

Focusing on the importance of solar power, Fi-nance Minister Arun Jaitely in his maiden Budgetspeech has announced that he will allocate Rs 500crore for solar power projects. New solar powerprojects will be started soon in Rajasthan & Lad-hak. The largest monetary outlay was assigned forthe development of the largest solar power proj-ects in the world. The project is likely to achievethe capacities between 2,000 MW and 4,000 MWupon their completion, would be located in J&K,Gujarat, Rajasthan & Tamil Naidu.

Government plans biggest solar-power auc-

tion of 1,500 megawatts.

Indian Government plans to auction 1500 MW ofsolar power capacity in its biggest tender yet, say-ing photovoltaic may supply solar power as cheap-ly as coal 5 years earlier than it expected. Power

Minister Piyush Goyal says solar electricity may be-come cost competitive with fossil fuel-based gridpower by 2017, instead of 2022.

4,000 MW solar power projects to set up by BHELat Rajasthan.

An ultra Mega solar power project (UMPP) with acumulative capacity of 4,000 MW will be set upin Rajasthan in the sambharsalts Limited (SSL) areaclose to Sambhar Lake about 75kms.The plantshall be set up in two phases over a period of 7years with phase I comprising 1,000 MW & thebalance 3,000 MW in subsequent phases. With anestimated plant life of 25 years, generation poten-tial of the 4,000 MW solar plant is estimated tobe 6,400 million units of (solar) electricity per year.Solar energy projects for 25 villages in each Odhisadistrict

In order to meet the power demand and promote

solar energy in the state, the Odisha governmenthas initiated the process of identifying at least 25un-electried or power starved villages in each dis -trict for implementation of solar Photo Voltaic (PV)projects on a pilot basis.The pilot scheme, to belaunched by the Union ministry of New & Renew-able Energy (MNRE) will have solar PV (photo vol-taic) based home systems that would be providedto every household in two villages/hamlets in everyLok Sabha/Rajya Sabha constituency. Each house-hold will be provided with a 10-200 watt peak so-lar PV system enough to provide power to 3-5 LEDlights, 1-2 fans, provision of mobile charging andrunning other small appliances at the discretion ofthe household.

Rooftop solar panels on 300 governmentBuildings in Tamil Nadu

Particulars Tami l Nadu AndhraPradesh

Punjab Delhi Uttara-khand

Kerela

E ligibi li ty HT tar iffII-A, HTtariff III, LTTariff IA, LTtariff I-C, LTtariff II-A,LT tariff II-B,LT Tariff Vas speciedin the com-mission’sretails tarifforder in

force

Consumerswith three-phase sup-ply will bepreferred

All Con-sumers

All Con-sumers

All Con-sumers

Cap onbankingof surpluspowers

Up to90% ofelectricityconsump-tion at theend of thesettlementperiod




Not speci-ed

Targetcapacity

Tariff forexcess gen-eration

75% ofsolar tariffapprovedby TNERC

APPC rateset byAPERC

Rs. 9.20per kWh

APPC rateof Rs. 1.99per kWh

Restrictionon gridpenetration

30% ofthe localtransformercapacity

50% ofthe nearestdistributiontransformerratedcapacity

Not Speci-ed

15% of thedistributiontransformerratedcapacity

50% of thedistributiontransformerratedcapacity

Eligibilityfor RECs Not eligible Not speci-ed Not speci-ed Not speci-ed Not speci-ed

Maximumsystem size

Not speci-ed

3kW forsingle-phaseconsumers

80% of thesanctionedload of theconsumeron the ACside

Sanctionedload of theconsumer

100kW forprojectswithbattery

3MW

Month oforder

Nov-13 Mar-13 Aug-13 Feb-14 Aug-13

OrderStatus

Final Final Draft Draft Final Draft

The work on installing 30 kW solar plant in secre-tariat would begin shortly. With the installation of300 seven KWp solar plants and 30 KWp plantsin secretariat, the government buildings wouldbe nearly generating 34.08 lakh units of energya year. As per the Tamil Nadu solar energy policy2012, the government envisages to add 3,000MW to the grid. All the new government buildingswould be constructed with rooftop solar systemwhile existing structures would get these units ina phased manner.

Today, India’s power mix is still dominated by coal,which makes up around 60% of installed capacity.Solar stands at just around 1%. With the NationalSolar Mission, launched in 2010, India dened anambitious national goal of installing 20 GW of

grid connected solar power by 2022. Since 2010,however, the fundamentals of energy supply in In-dia have changed signicantly. Solar was aroundseven times as expensive as coal to produce perkWh in 2010. This has changed to a factor of lessthan two.

•India’s power mix is still dominated by coal butsolar is ready to go mainstream•Initially, ultra-mega power projects will help tobring down the cost at a faster rate; but greateremphasis needs to be on distributed solar.

Now the need to increase the use of renewableenergy sources for sustainable energy develop-ment has been recognised by the government. Itis expected that, 2040-50 may nally be the de-cade when the installed renewable energy capacityin India would overtake the coal based installedcapacity. Government has already taken variouscorrective measures to meet India’s tremendous

energy needs, as the India’s energy needs can bemet entirely by solar and other renewable sourcesin the near future.

APERC: Andhra Pradesh Electricity Commission; TNERC; Tamil Nadu Electricity

Regulatory Commission

Source: State Net metring guidelines




ISO Certied for quality, safety and environmen-tal management, Nuevosol adds CE Marking to its

credentials.

SunSwitch India launches New Range of SolarPowered Products for Indian market

Tata Power Solar ranked as the top Indian solar player Ranked #1 third-party EPC player as well as#1 domestic module supplier for 2014

Nuevosol a leading turnkey mounting solutionsprovider has successfully implemented internation-al standards for quality, health and environmentmanagement. Nuevosol has recently undergonean audit of the same, and the processes have beencertied to be in line with these standards.

As a turnkey mounting service provider, Nuevosol’sactivities involve, design, supply and installation,which at every stage require quality assurance sys-tems, to ensure durability and reliability. ISO 9001provides guidelines to implement quality manage-ment systems for manufacturing and services.Nuevosol over its 450 MWs of experience in past3 years has implemented more than 75 projectsacross India, these quality management processes

specic to solar mounting structures have been inpractice and have been derived from this experi-ence. These quality norms form the base of the25-year durability for solar structures. Manufactur-ing quality is intertwined with installation qualitywhich in-turn impacts the integrity of the struc-

~Launched the products at the 8th Renewable En-ergy Expo 2014~Launches Solar Home Lighting System (HLS), So-lar Retrots for Home Inverters~Attractively priced solar products to light up In-dia’s rural areas and underserved consumers~Targets Rs. 1o cr revenue from solar business byFY 2015

New Delhi, 05 September 2014: SunSwitch India,a full service provider of solar energy solutions, to-day launched a new range of solar powered prod-ucts to strengthen its foothold in the rapidly grow-ing solar sector to cater tothe needs of both urban& rural markets in India. As a part of their businessand growth strategy in solar business, the compa-ny has introduced unique and innovative productswhich are modular Solar Home Lighting Systems(HLS) and Solar Retrots for Home Inverters.

Bangalore , India; 17th September, 2014: TataPower Solar, India’s largest integrated solar player,has been ranked as the leading domestic player inthe India solar industry for 2014.

As per the India Solar Map 2014, released byBridge To India, a leading consulting rm in India’sCleantech market, during 2013-14 Tata Power So-lar emerged as the largest third-party EPC playeras well as domestic manufacturer of crystalline PVmodules in India.

Commenting on the map, Dr. Tobias Engelmeier,Founder & Director, Bridge To India, said, “Our an-nual India Solar Map is a detailed and easily com-prehendible analysis of the market shares of India’ssolar players. We interact with the EPC companies,

tures. Customized stringent quality check lists atevery stage of design, manufacturing and instal-lation and procedures to ensure the adherence tochecklists form the corner stone of these qualityassurance plans.

OHSAS 18001 standards for safety, and healthof the employees working in manufacturing andservices have been implemented by Nuevosol.Constructing solar power plants involves workingin harsh climatic condition and difcult terrainsin remote locations all over the country. Erect-ing mounting structures and mounting modulesinvolves movement of machinery, use of heavyequipment and handling of steel proles, whichare heavy and have sharp edges. Apart from these

working with electrical equipment and cablingworks have heavy risk for human safety. Theseneed to be performed by skilled workforce and theinstallation procedures should be framed with dueconsideration to the safety of workmen. Healthcare facilities are minimal in many remote loca-

SunSwitch India Pvt. Ltd. - the innovative start upinsolar energy solutions is offering solutions thatshall enable rural electrication through innovativeproducts that are cost effective and durablesup-ported by the large after sales service network.SunSwitchwill introduce the new range of solarproducts in a phased manner across the DelhiNCR/ UP region. As a part of its marketing drive, thecompany is planning to add many new dealersand distributors to increase the footprint. With thelaunch of the new range of solar powered prod-ucts, SunSwitch India is targeting to reach revenueof Rs. 10 cr.inthe solar business by FY 2015.

Speaking on the occasion on the launch of solarproducts, Mr. Abhinav Gupta, Founder & CEO,SunSwitch India, said“We are delighted to launchthese environment friendly and efcient products.We intend to address critical areas of unending

power decit.

module and inverter suppliers and project develop-ers to distill a reliable snapshot of the state of theindustry. Over the last 12 months, Tata Power Solarhas been the most successful company in execut-ing third party (i.e. discounting own projects) EPCcontracts in India.

Among the domestic module suppliers categoryalso, it is the leading player. The company has beenparticularly successful at winning large, public sec-tor projects – one of the key growth drivers in thefuture.” For more details on the map, click here.

Tata Power Solar is ranked #1 for 2014 (in the last12 months) and #3 for cumulative third-party EPC,rising from a ranking of #9 cumulative third-partyEPC in 2013. This makes Tata Power Solar one of

tions where solar power plants are constructedand Nuevosol has implemented norms to ensurethat hygiene, health and safety of the workmenare of utmost importance.

Nuevosol as a part of its export business, has asales line for mounting solutions in Europe and theMiddle East. To assist the bid for bring rapid inter-national exposure, Nuevosol has also implementedCE marking norms and has been awarded the CEcerticate by external auditors. CE marking certi-cation opens up several oppurtunities for Nue-vosol’s roof and ground mounted products in theEuropean countries. In a similar manner Nuevosolis also acquiring credentials for entry into Japan,which has even stringent design, quality, and pack-

aging norms for solar products.

Solar industry, is playing the key role in India’s runfor renewable and sustainable energy, and Nue-vosol being a frontrunner in the Industry has takenup the responsibility to implement Environment

Keeping in mind the deprivation of availabilityof power in the sub-urban as well as rural India,SunSwitch India has developed solutions to ad-dress these problems by developing AnantUrja (12V) and Surya Dhani (3.25 V), our two Solar Homelighting systems based on Li-Ion battery technol-ogy. These are modular systems, wherein the cus-tomer can invest in pieces and add components tohis system over a period of time, as and when hisbudget allows. We have also launched Pakshakwhich is an unbeatable solution for retrottingHome Inverters with Solar charging facility. We arepositive about the potential use of these productsfor our target audience”.

The company is utilizing its in-house design andmodernmanufacturing infrastructure to bring tothe market these product ranges that comprises of

various components like Conversion kits, Domes-

the fastest growing third-party solar EPC playersin the country.

In the module manufacturing segment, Tata PowerSolar has reafrmed itself as a pioneer and leaderamong domestic crystalline PV modules manufac-turers. The company is ranked #1 domestic manu-facturer for 2014 and the only Indian manufac-turer among the top 10 module suppliers for theIndian market.

Commenting on the result, Ajay Goel, CEO, TataPower Solar, said, “We are extremely happy withthe ndings of the report by Bridge To India. Wehave been growing aggressively over the last cou-ple of years and this achievement is a testimonyto the results we have accomplished during this

management systems compliant with ISO 14001,which ensure the process involved in manufactur-ing, transport and installation of mounting struc-tures have minimal carbon foot print.Nuevosolenvironment consciousness is inbuilt in every stageof execution. Nuevosol supplies more than twolakh tones of steel, and used most of the roadnetworks to transport these to remote locations.Manufacturing involves usage of heavy power andit makes it essential to design for manufacturingease to reduce the time to manufacture and there-fore the fuel consumption. The logistics networkhas to be optimized and using of green certiedlogistics providers is of importance. ISO 14001,Environment management principles have beenimplemented by Nuevosol in all of these processes

and has been certied for the same.

tic lighting system etc. company hasregional cumsales ofce presence in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.About SunSwitch India (www.sunswitch.in):Founded in November 2013 by Mr. Abhinav Gup-ta, Sun Switch is a privately held company and ispart of a Steel Conglomerate called M/s. AmbicaSteels Limited, India’s biggest speciality stainlesssteels long products producer. SunSwitch employsover 20 power professionals and has been grow-ing rapidly since its inception.

The company’s core competency lies in deliveringturn-key solar rooftop projects on EPC (Engineer-ing Procurement and Construction). It rmly be-lieves that the demand-supply gap in the powersector of India can hardly be met through theconventional sources of power, without causingserious environmental and economic degradation.

period.”

The company has completed several prestigiousEPC projects, including 50 MW for NTPC and com-missioning of a 3 MW project for South India’slargest rooftop solar plant. They have recently wontwo orders to supply domestically manufacturedsolar panels, under DCR, to L N Bangur group andACME Solar (a subsidiary of EDF Energy).

Tata Power Solar is the only Indian company whosemodules are ranked as Tier 1 in Bankability by GTMResearch and has been successfully certied by Po-tential Induced Degradation (PID). Last year theyadded an additional module manufacturing capac-ity of 75 MW taking the total capacity to 200 MW.

Company Updates




What’s Stopping The Indian Solar Boom?

Miya, Bibi raazi, Qazi also raazi.

The Developer is ready to invest. The EPC player isready to construct. The Govt has a Policy in place.But why isn’t the marriage taking place?

Studies indicate that the sun produces enough en-ergy in one minute to power mankind’s needs forone year. The problem is that we are not able toharness this energy. Imagine a world of abundant

power, where we can use limitless lights, fans,ACs, induction heaters for cooking, ovens, electricirons, electric cars, electric scooters, et all!!

Will that ever happen? Given the present situation,this is most unlikely. But why? There is ample sun-light, isn’t there?

Just sunlight is not enough!! We need technology– affordable technology to be able to harness thissunlight. I use the word ‘affordable’, because, costis what seems to be reining in the proliferation ofthis technology.

Solar technology is still expensive in comparison toother forms of electricity generation. For an inves-tor to come forward to invest in this technologyand expect a decent return over time, is question-able. To overcome this challenge and to be ablecome up to the standards of Germany (32,000

MW of installed solar capacity) and the US (7,700MW), the Govt of India (which is at 2000 MW)has come up with several incentives to enable aninvestment friendly climate and bring solar costsdown.

One plausible way to bring down costs is to al-low more raw material makers to thrive, increasecompetition and thus bring down the costs in theentire value chain of the solar industry. The solarindustry’s principal component is the solar module,whose core component is the solar cell.

Manufacturing of the cell and its primary com-ponent, the solar wafer is an expensive process,which is not undertaken in India (there are very

few manufactures of solar cells in India) and if thisindustry is incentivised and allowed to blossom,there is a good chance that the Indian solar mod-ule maker will not have to look abroad for solarcells and thus module costs may nd a quick re -duction, thereby reducing the costing of the entireindustry. Easier said than done?

The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission set toitself a clear goal of 22,000 MW of solar installa-

tion by 2020. The JNNSM phase 1 was a runawaysuccess, with the Ministry of New and RenewableEnergy having successfully surpassed its rst inter-mediate milestone of 500 MW of Solar PV installa-tions in phase 1 by 2013. MNRE is now looking atphase 2, which is targeting 2000 MW of Solar PVinstallation by 2017.

Parallely, Central Electricity Regulatory Commis-sion in conjunction with State ERCs announcedRenewable Power Purchase Obligations (RPOs),compelling HT consumers to buy a percentage oftheir annual consumption from solar power (andother renewable power too) as an obligation. Thiswas a wonderful policy which would certainly en-sure the growth of the solar industry.

A wise man once told me, just throwing pieces ofmarble doesn’t make a Taj Mahal. Perseverance isneeded. While the govt has set these targets for

polluting industries, and renewable power pur-chase obligations are in place, who will enforcethese RPOs? Is there any state in the countrywhose SERCs have started penalising the HT con-sumers for not adhering to the RPO obligationsspelt out by the CERC?

Frankly, the solar RPO scheme is underperforming.It started very well with a huge demand for SolarRECs. Since there weren’t sufcient solar plantsoperating in the REC mode, the cost of REC trad-ing in the rst few month was superb. It greatlyencouraged Promoters and Developers to comeforward to establish REC solar plants.

But the procedure for establishing an REC plant is

a mile long. One needs a Connectivity Approval, aPollution Control Approval, Nodal Agency Approv-al, Chartered Engineer approval, MNRE approval,Panchayat Approval, MRO approval, Industry ap-proval, SLDC approval, NLDC approval, Open Ac-cess Approval, Transmission line estimate approval,CEIG approval, (and many more which I am notable to list out), each of which is story by itself. Atotal of 224 signatures needed for approvals andsanctions! There is a huge ambiguity and cloudi-ness in the minds of every ofcer regarding theprocess, with each table trying to interpret the ex-isting guidelines and apply the existing template ofwind, hydro and thermal to solar plants.

The worst part is that plants established threemonths ago have not yet got Open Access Ap-provals and are losing a valuable amount of invest-ment each day of delay. Unlike wind, solar plantsoperate only in the day. The scheduling of poweris more or less predictable with the mornings andafternoons generating low power and the daytimegenerating a substantial amount of power. But in-structions from the regulatory commission (or itsinterpretations) equate wind and solar sectors andexpect a constant generation in 24 hours (which isobviously not possible). In absence of a clear regu-lation and lack of logic and clarity, any developernds it an uphill task to go solar.

In the case of Solar Plants taking the REC or RPOroute, the developer relies on two incomes. Onefrom the PPA that he gets from the private partyand the second from the RPOs. Just the Private PPAat Rs 6 per unit (the current rate of electricity) orbelow is not viable for Solar Developers. The SolarDeveloper opting for this route needs the incomefrom the RECs too, to break even early and to callthe investment worthwhile.

Its a macro economic outcome. Enforcement ofRPOs by the ERCs, would increase the Demand forRECs, which in turn, should lower the price of thesolar electricity generated for the PPA holder andhike up the REC price for the developer- a win-

win situation. This will encourage the developersto come forward and establish more solar plants.More demand for solar plants, coupled with smartgovernmental incentives to encourage growth ofcomponent supply chain market, will push pricesof power plant construction down. This will aidcreation of more solar plants and the abundantsupply thus created will push the prices of solarelectricity down in the long term, thus achievinglong term power parity goals.

From the developer perspective, the faster we con-struct our solar plants, the higher return on equitywe can expect, since REC demand is certainly go-ing to be high in Feb and March, since the obli-gated entity has to complete his annual purchaseby 31 March each year.

The more an indecisive Developer delays his go-

A wise man once told me, just throwing pieces ofmarble doesn’t make a Taj Mahal. Perseverance isneeded. While the govt has set these targets for pol-luting industries, and renewable power purchase ob-ligations are in place, who will enforce these RPOs?

By Col (Retd) Ajay Reddy

Mr Col (Retd) Ajay Reddy

green evaluation, the lower the REC would go,since there is a huge line of REC developers alreadyvirtually queued up outside the Electricity Boards,seeking clarity in REC regulations. As and whenthe SERCs put in a mechanism for enforcement ofRPOs and the policy on Open Access solar trade isstamped clear, the solar energy will be the order ofthe day and power woes of the country will beginto wane.The Solar Key lies in the hands of the Elec-tricity Regulatory Commission. It is they who willdecide if solar energy becomes an accepted entityin Power Pool or remains a far off dream.

“Premier Solar’s 14 MW Solar Plant in Jharkhand

Industry Insight

Just sunlight is notenough!! We need tech-nology – affordable tech-nology to be able to har-ness this sunlight. I use

the word ‘affordable’,because, cost is what seems to be reining in the proliferation of thistechnology.




In 1880, Thomas Elva Edison claimed -

“After the electric light goes into general use, nonebut the extravagant will burn tallow candles.”

It has been over 130 years of cutting-edge tech-nologies and inventions that have tried to makethis claim turn into realty. However, 20% of theworld’s population lives without access to electric-ity.

One-third of rural and over 5% of urban popula-tion in India has no access to electricity and theareas covered reel under the impact of erratic sup-ply. Whereas, the electried area faces the chal-lenge of ensuring contiguous energy while effortsare done to store energy to be used in the non-lithours.

The industries and infrastructure struggled withthis challenge and adopted the less-efcientmodes at energy storage at KW-scale that are pol-luting or hazardous with high content of heavymetals and acid. The problem is evident from thefact that the total amount of diesel-led power is upto the tune of 50 GWh.

Solution

Over the last one decade, the telecom industryhas helped the energy industry through introduc-

ing the chemical engineering marvel of Lithium-ion based energy storage systems (ESS) that havebeen powering our mobile handsets, cameras andlaptops for over a decade.

This solution holds key to the future of energymanagement.

The advent of such new-age technologies havehelped the increase in focus on the green energygeneration and have brought us to a stage wherethe industry and infrastructure developers look to-wards green energy generation at captive as wellas utility-scale with contiguous power supply. Thishas further helped the industry eliminate or de-crease the dependence on grid-connected or fossilfuel led energy generation.

While we have not begun leveraging it complete-ly, we denitely have realized its true potential.Companies like ACME, Samsung, and others are

leveraging this technology to develop solutions inthe MW-scale that can provide back-up to the ul-

tra mega power projects in renewable space thushelping the renewable generating units providecontiguous power supply.

This technological breakthrough is a boon to thevarious other important elds like distributed gen-eration for the rural areas, telecom, defense, trans-port, utilities and many others.

Advantages and Comparison

The advantage of LIB ESS and its efciency is fur-ther highlighted when compared with the existingrange of Lead-Acid batteries that have been in usefor decades.The existing solutions have a lot of disadvantag-es like energy inefciencies, pollution, recurringmaintenance, frequent replacements. They alsolead to increase in the cost of energy owing tothe limited charging cycles, slow charging capa-bility, operating temperature conditions and shortlife. Over and above, the Lead and Acid contentis environmentally hazardous and does not have areliable disposal mechanism.

The most prominent USP of this technology is itslifecycle. Whereas any conventional ESS has acycle-life of 400 cycles, the life of a Lithium-ionsystem is over 4,000 cycles i.e equivalent to overa decade. The cost advantage of the diesel-ledpower generation compared to the new-age en-ergy storage is way less, levelized over the life of

the solution.

The technological advancements of the LiB ESSalso make it suitable for use in varied temperaturerange and 85% recovery capacity after 12-monthsof idle storage.

Please nd below a chart displaying the advan-tages this energy storage solution has over theconventional energy storage applications.

Applications

This only manner this problem can be eliminatedby the hybrid model of Renewable Energy genera-tion clubbed with LiB Energy Storage Technology.This hybrid solution rewards us with contiguousenergy with least reliance on any fossil fuel gener-ated energy.

This solution comes to the rescue at hostile terrains

where conventional means of energy resource isnot viable. The transport industry has already be-

gan utilizing the benets of LiB ESS to their ad-vantage and few industry leaders have committedseveral billion dollar investment to fully exploit thistechnology.

This disruptive solution is the best suited applica-tion to make the renewable energy reliable andthe grid stable at the same time in the backdrop ofthe vision to install 20,000 MW solar capacities by2022. This form of energy storage solutions will

truly revolutionize the way we manage our energyneeds and help in bringing the renewable energyto the mainstream of energy in the country whilethe country aims to increase its percentage sharein the overall power generation. It reduces carbonfootprint and promotes green solution with built-in CSR for industrial users.This technology will alsoplay a major role in supporting businesses as wellas critical operations. Remote areas that have limit-ed / no connectivity to national supply can benetthe most. They also nd their application in Pump-ing Stations for Water and Oil Pipelines, Oil Fields,Lighthouses, Sewage Schemes, Defense Installa-tions, Islands, and places like Hospitals, OperationTheaters where loss of supply can endanger lives.The solution can also be extended to several otherapplications such as Process Industries, Commer-cial Buildings, Banks, Dairies, Cold Storages, Agri-culture Pumps, Water Pumping Stations and so on.The customized Solutions can be created at anypower level from Kilowatt to Megawatt.

Energy Storage Holds Future to EnergyEfficiency Importance of Lithium-Ion

Technology in Energy StorageBy Mr. Manoj Kumar Upadhyay

Founder & Chairman - ACME Group

About ACME

ACME is an integrated green technology solutionsprovider with more than 10 years of deep domainexpertise in the Indian energy industry with a busi-ness focus on 3E’s i.e. energy generation, energyconservation and energy management.

Being an energy company and having industryleading engineering expertise, ACME provides so-

lutions for any conceivable need for energy.

Our game-changing LiB Energy Storage Solutionsare ideal for use in sensitive environments, as wellas under extreme conditions.

You can count on ACME to meet your high stan-dards. We continue to push the boundaries, bring-ing our vast engineering expertise from large-scaleprojects to the new range of LiB Energy StorageSolutions.

These efcient, economical and environmentallyfriendly systems offer a reliable power supply if lo-cal grids fail. For all these reasons and more, facili-ties all over the energy industry depend on ACMELiB technology for a constant source of power andassurance of maximum productivity.

Sterling & Wilson bags the BMGI-Energize Power Sector

Awards 2013-2014 for “Excellence in Solar EPC” and “Inno-

vation in Solar Energy”

Mumbai, July 16, 2014:Sterling & Wilson -part of the 148-year old Shapoorji PallonjiGroup - has been awarded the prestigiousBMGI Energize Power Sector Awards 2013-14second year in succession, for “Excellence inSolar EPC” and “Innovation in Solar Energy”.Energize 2013 - 2014 has been organized byTalwar Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (TSPL), in associationwith ETNOWand knowledge partner BMGI – aworld renowned strategy consulting rm. Ster-

ling & Wilson, which was recently recognizedby the world renowned IHS solar research asIndia’s leading solar EPC in 2014, stepped intoelite league for the second year in succession,alongside recipients of the award under othercategories which included Indian Power Sectorgiants such as NTPC and B.E.S.T.BMGI-Energize Award 2013-2014 is insti-tuted to recognize those organizations andindividuals, who have made and are making adifference to India’s energy sector. The evalu-ation committee evaluated the applicants onthe contributions made by each applicant inadopting the ever best practices to meet timelycompletion, cost escalation/optimization, Hu-man resource management, technology use,project design, impact on stakeholders, iden-tication & mitigation of project risks, apartfrom focus on innovation that the applicants

Press Release

introduced for aiding solar power generationin terms of cutting edge technologies, busi-ness models, methods, processes. The intenseevaluation also included scrutiny of nancials,project performance parameters, client sat-isfaction, processes, technology, EHS, carbonfootprint reduction of the applications to de-cide the winners.Sterling & Wilson emerged as the organizationadopting the best practices as per the above

in the two categories earmarked for the so-lar power industry and successfully won theaward for “Excellence in Solar EPC” and “In-novation in Solar Energy” for the year 2013– 2014 in Mumbai this year.Mr. Ajoy Mehta, IAS, Managing Director ofMSEDCL, presented the prestigious award toSterling and Wilson. The award was receivedby Mr. Bikesh Ogra, President, Solar Businessof Sterling & Wilson Limited.Speaking on the award, Mr.Bikesh Ogra said,It was indeed a moment of great pride to havereceived the award for Excellence in Solar EPCand Innovation in Solar Energy. At Sterling &Wilson, excellence is a deliverable that goesunsaid with our strong service commitment toclients and it motivates us toalways strive toprovide superior solar EPC services in line withInternational standards.




Solar Energy Marketin India, an US$ 41.73

billion Opportunity

India has the world’s fth-largest electricity gen -eration capacity which stood at 250.25 GW as of31st July, 2014. The power sector in India is highlydiverse with varied commercial sources for powergeneration like coal, natural gas, hydro, oil andnuclear as well as unconventional sources of en-ergy like solar, wind, bio-gas and agriculture. Thedemand for power has been growing at a rapidrate and has overtaken the supply, leading to pow-er shortages in spite of manifold growth in powergeneration over the years.

Renewable energy excluding large hydro powerconstitutes for only 12.91% of overall installedcapacity in India. The total solar energy potentialin India is 1,00,000 MW. India till 31st July 2014has been able to achieve only 2753 MW of solarenergy installed capacity which is only 2.95% ofthe overall solar power potential.

The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE),Government of India has set a target of achievingoverall solar energy installed capacity of 20,000MW by 2022. To achieve this target, India will haveto add 17,353 MW of solar energy installed capac-ity by 2022.

A recent study called “Solar Energy Market in India2014-2022” launched by NOVONOUS, estimatesthat India will have to invest US$ 41.73 billion inthe solar energy market till 2022. This provides ahuge opportunity for Indian as well as foreign play-ers to invest in this sector.

As per 2011 census, 43% of rural households stilluse kerosene for lighting purpose compared to6-7% in urban areas. As of 31st May, 2014 outof total 597,464 inhabited villages in India 25,982villages are yet to have access to electricity.Solar energy can be used to make a differencein these segments by providing electricity wherethe demand is without the need of setting up anytransmission infrastructure.

Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM)has planned to focus on key areas using solartechnology like rooftop solar PV, off-grid lightingsystems, solar city scheme, solar water pumping,solar powered telecom towers, solar water heat-ing systems, solar cookers and steam generationsystems, industrial process heat applications, solarair conditioning / refrigeration, solar water puri-

cation/desalination and concentrated solar power(CSP) plants.South Indian states Andhra Pradesh,Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have plannedto add 12,500 MW in next few years which repre-sents direct investment opportunity of US$ 16.67billion. India’s exports of solar PV cells and mod-ules have fallen after FY 2010-11 majorly due tofall in prices by about 80% (US$ 3/watt to US$0.6/watt) during 2010-13 in international mar-kets. The major reason behind this was the hugeincrease in capacity build-up by Chinese manufac-

turers backed by a US$ 43 billion subsidy and soft l

oans from Chinese government. India’s solar PVcell export improved in 2013-14 at US$ 282.58million which was US$ 106.94 millionin 2012-13.

Germany, United Kingdom, Netherland, Japan andBelgium were the top ve nations importing Indiansolar PV cells in 2013-14. India exported solar PVcells worth US$ 245.00 million to these ve coun-tries which represents 86.70% of the overall solarPV cell export from India in 2013-14. The exportedquantity to these ve countries was 1.62 millionsolar PV cells which represents 30.04% of over-all solar PV cell export from in India in 2013-14 involume terms.

India’s solar PV cell import decreased in 2013-14 atUS$ 711.12 million which was US$ 827.07 millionin 2012-13.

China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore and SouthKorea were the top ve nations exporting solarPV cells to India in 2013-14. India imported solarPV cells worth US$ 684.41 million from these vecountries which represents 96.24% of the over-all solar PV cell import in India in 2013-14. Theimported quantity from these ve countries was14.49 million solar PV cells which represents 94%of overall solar PV cell import in India in 2013-14in volume terms

Incentives offered by government like GBI (genera-tion based incentives), AD (accelerated deprecia-tion), exemption from excise duty and allowanceof 100% FDI (foreign direct investment) in Indiansolar energy market is expected to provide the sec-tor much needed boost in the coming years.

By Ambarish Kumar Verma , CEO, NOVONOUS

About NOVONOUS

NOVONOUS helpsorganizationsdiffrentiatethemselves, breakentry barriers, trackinvestments anddevelop strategies byproviding businessintelligence that worksfor their business.



Page No 22 www.solarquarter.comMarket Statistics

The recent trading session of the Renewable Ener-gy Certicates (RECs) was concluded on 27th Au -gust at the Indian Energy Exchange Limited (IEX) inNew Delhi and the Power Exchange India Limited(PXIL) in Mumbai.

In case of non- solar RECs demand fell by almost200% as compared to last trade session and sup-ply grew by close to 6%. Non Solar price contin-ued to remain at oor (INR 1,500 per REC). Thetotal solar RECs issued in August was 613871 andof which only 1163 were redeemed. The prices re-mained at at INR 9300/ REC.

Power Markets

The electricity traded in the spot market at IndianEnergy Exchange (IEX) increased in the month ofAugust to 2.5 BUs (Billion kWh), almost 8% higher

than 2.3 BUs traded in the previous month and7% higher over 2.3 BUs traded in the same monthlast year. An average of 80 MUs was traded ona daily basis, again an 8% increase over 74 MUstraded last month.

As regards the demand and supply of power, thespot market received purchase bids of 4.72 BUswhile the Sell bids were only 3.01 BUs, clearly indi-cating that demand surpassed supply this month.Consequently, the average Market Clearing Price(MCP) for the month went up to ̀ 4.49 per unit, upby 19% from ` 3.76 per unit in July’14.

The increase in demand and the consequent riseprice of power could be attributed to a couple ofreasons i.e. scanty rainfall and consequent reduc-tion in hydro generation, coal and gas shortagesand increase of agricultural load in some States.

The inter-state transmission congestion was alsolower over last month as about 200 MUs couldnot be traded this month as compared to 223 MUslost in July.

Short Term Power Markets

Total share of the short term market transactionsin the scal 14 continued to be 11% of the totalgeneration in the country. The volume transactedcompared to last year increased from 98.94 BUs inFY 13 to 104.64 BUs in FY 14.

In the short term, the volume traded through trad-ers or directly between Discoms was about 50%of total short term transactions whereas, IEX con-tributed 28%. Volume of electricity transactedthrough power exchangeswitnessed an increase ofabout 30% over 2012-13 volume.Whereas, the volume of UI continued to witness adecline and in the last year.

Inneon Consolidates Leading Position in Power

Semiconductors; Growth DespiteWeak Market;

Number One for the First Time in MOSFET Segment

Neubiberg, Germany – September 8, 2014– Inneon Technologies AG consolidated its

position as global market leader in powersemiconductors last year. With a market shareof 12.3 per cent, the company came in rstfor the eleventh time in a row, according toa study carried out by IHS Inc (NYSE: IHS), abusiness information provider. Inneon alsotook the lead for the rst time in the marketfor MOSFET power transistors. These are verycompact switches that are required, for ex-ample, in energy-efcient power supply units.

The global market for power semiconductorsdropped by 0.3 per cent to around 15.4 bil-lion US dollars in 2013. Despite this weakerenvironment, Inneon increased its turnover,thereby boosting its market share by 0.9 per-centage points compared to the previous yearto 12.3 per cent. In the MOSFET power transis-tor segment, the company enlarged its marketshare by 1.6 percentage points to 13.6 percent, thereby becoming the largest provider

in this segment for the rst time. Inneonalso gained market shares in the submarketsfor discrete IGBT power transistors (rst placewith 24.7 per cent) and IGBT modules (secondplace with 20.5 per cent).

“Inneon’s strategy proved right: By taking thestep from product-oriented thinking towards asystems-level perspective, we are offering ourcustomers just the right products to becomeeven more successful. Our continuous gainsin the eld of MOSFET power transistorsareimpressive evidence of this. Even in a weakermarket phase, we have managed to continueon our growth path,”saysDr. Reinhard Ploss,CEO of Inneon Technologies AG.

Power semiconductors are available as dis-

Press Release

cretes, as modules or assembled as stacks,depending on the area of application. They

control and convert electrical power rangingfrom just a few watts tomultiple megawatts.

Typical areas of application include the powersupply of servers,notebooks, smartphones,tablets, consumer electronics and mobile com-munications infrastructure. In addition, powersemiconductors are an important element inthe electronic controlof drive systems of allkinds (for example in pumps, ventilators andcompressors) and are also used for the mo-tor control of high-speed, regional, suburbanand underground trains. Inthe automotivesec-tor, they are used in the powertrain, comfortelectronics (power windows, etc.) andsafetysystems (electronic power steering, etc.). Theyare also a fundamental element of hybrid andelectric vehicles.

About Inneon

Inneon Technologies AG, Neubiberg, Germa-ny, offers semiconductor and system solutionsaddressing three central challenges to modernsociety: energy efciency, mobility, and secu-rity. In the 2013 scal year (ending September30), the company reported sales of Euro 3.84billion with close to 26,700 employees world-wide. Inneon is listed on the Frankfurt StockExchange (ticker symbol: IFX) and in the USAon the over-the-counter market OTCQX Inter-national Premier (ticker symbol: IFNNY).

Further information is available at www.in-neon.comThis news release is available online at www.inneon.com/press

REC balance reaching 10 million




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solarquarter october 2014 vol3 issue10

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