Page 10 - Solar Power

Identify the right levers

A virtuous cycle can be created in areas like climate change where supportive policy can help cut cost of carbon reduction technologies

India must tap new debt, equity routes to meet 100-Gw solar target: Report

India has 23 Gw of installed capacity in solar power at present

Govt's first solar panel manufacturing tender draws zero response

The tender for setting up solar cell and module manufacturing plant in India on "build own operate" basis was issued in May 2018

Solar power leads capacity growth in April-July as coal generation falls

Under the guidelines laid out by Central Electricity Authority, thermal plants that have completed 25 years will either wind up or switch to less polluting, super-critical technologies

Rooftop solar power systems pay off in long run despite high upfront costs

You can recover your money in four or five years and then enjoy free power. Besides, you will be doing your bit for the environment

Safeguards duty on solar cell import could increase costs of new projects

The solar industry had calculated that this duty imposition would lead to an escalation of 50-60 paise in the final solar tariff

Mahindra, Azure Power, Hero propose to set up 100 Mw solar plants in Odisha

Odisha recently cleared a plan by NEEPCO to invest Rs 9.44 billion to set up a 200-Mw solar power plant

Centre readies policy changes in solar bids, likely to award 10-15 GW

The move comes just within a month of SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son meeting officials from the PM's Office

SoftBank, China's GCL team up for $930 million Indian solar venture

SoftBank and GCL's new venture will eventually have a capacity of 4Gw and will be implemented in two 2Gw phases

Solar power will cost less than thermal in 6-7 years, says Ajay Mathur

India's dependence on thermal power would end by 2050, says Ajay Mathur

India reaches 20 GW in installed solar capacity 4 years ahead of target

The top state for solar installations was Telangana, followed by Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan

After LED and e-cars, EESL sets benchmark rates in solar power

Energy Efficiency Services (EESL), the joint venture under the power ministry to unlock and expand the market in this regard, has after programmes in LED and e-vehicles, branched out to the clean energy sector.It has procured indigenously made solar power panels at 30 cents/kwh capacity (Rs 20.63/kwh), cheaper than the current rate of good quality Chinese panels. It has procured 300 Mw of disaggregated solar power modules for use in multiple applications.It is procuring the panels from Adani Green Energy at the said bid, and from Bharat Heavy Electricals, Tata Power Solar and Central Electronics which agreed to meet the price. The company (it is a joint venture of a number of state-owned companies in the energy sector) said two programmes where these panels would be used have been standardised. One is for solar rooftops; it has agreed with the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to set up solar rooftops in the latter's area for up to 20 Mw. The other is with Maharashtra State ...

Tamil Nadu to procure 1500 MW of solar power at Rs 3.47 per unit

By 2021, the state has set a target to generate 5000 MW, including the 1500 MW for which MoUs were signed.

India added more solar power in first half of 2017 than in all of 2016

Uncertainty over GST, utilities renegotiating to get better rates pose challenge for future addition

Giving domestic solar manufacturers a leg-up

In 2010-12 nearly 80% of projects tendered were in the DCR category; in 2013-14 it was just 50%

India's solar power capacity to be 22 Gw by March: Piyush Goyal

India set a target of having 100 GW of solar energy and 60 Gw of wind power capacities by 2022

Viability cloud over solar power as price hits new low

Firms offer as little as Rs 2.62/unit, lower than average price of coal-based power

Low solar power rates to boost equipment import

With solar power bidding rates touched a new low of Rs 2.44 a unit this week, sector experts say there will be a problem for equipment makers. "The current bids are not viable if one was to consider the true cost of manufacturing, even for Chinese import. These bids are also forward looking, with an expectation that solar panel prices globally will fall further," said Santosh Kamath, partner at consultancy KPMG India.Over 80 per cent of India's solar equipment requirements are met through import and Vimal Kejriwal, managing director at KEC International (into power transmission engineering), expects this to continue. "Modules will predominantly remain a market dominated by Chinese suppliers, unless there is major growth in the indigenous wafer and cell manufacturing industry. Structures and trackers are largely sourced from Indian players today and likely to remain that way. The balance systems equipment will be dominated by multinational companies, with last-mile assembling and/or ...

Global pension funds buy into PM Modi's $100 bn solar push, scout for deals

Investors' focus is primarily on solar power generation, funding large-scale solar parks

Solar-powered device harvest water from dry air: All you need to know

The solar-powered harvester can work in conditions as low as 20 per cent humidity