Parity in the total cost of ownership already exists for electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers (with subsidy) vis-à-vis their internal combustion engine counterparts. Policy impetus, coupled with the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for batteries and auto components (exclusively covering EVs), is likely to further reduce costs and accelerate the transition to electric vehicles (EVs). The transition will also open up the market for new-age companies and innovators across the value chain.

India has seen substantial activity in the domestic battery storage and green hydrogen markets, from the entry of Reliance and Acme Solar in green hydrogen to gigawatt-scale battery storage tenders by NTPC and the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). There are more private ventures in the offing, indicating the government’s policy push is in the right direction.  

A report from Australia’s Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre which analysed the development of battery hubs in the U.S., Germany and Japan, has found that co-location and cooperation between industry and government were key to their success. For Australia to play the same game, it will have to leverage its wealth of resources, and clean up its act along the way.

A robust distributed renewable energy ecosystem with a strong domestic industry will help provide good-quality, reliable electricity to rural households and enterprises and thus turbocharge green entrepreneurship—paving the way for a self-reliant India.

The information and communication technology (ICT) and telecom industry is now equipped with a sophisticated range of solutions to meet the enhanced demand for high-speed data and digital services in a green and energy-efficient manner.

The floating solar plant, located at Meghadrigedda reservoir in Visakhapatnam, occupies 0.005 sq. km out of 5 sq.km of the reservoir area.  

State-owned coal miner The Singareni Collieries Company Limited has invited bids from project management consultants for its 250 MWp DC floating solar power plant in Telangana. The selection will be made through domestic competitive bidding followed by reverse auction.

The map attempts to identify and locate all primary and secondary sources of energy and their transportation/transmission networks to provide a comprehensive view of energy production and distribution in the country. 

The EnerPack from Indian manufacturer Jakson consists of a hybrid inverter, lithium ferro phosphate batteries, and an intelligent energy management system that can smartly combine grid power, solar power, wind power, and even diesel generator power supply to maximize the use of renewable energy.

Spanish company Axial Structural is introducing a new type of tracker for agrivoltaic installations. The product can be adapted to various ground conditions and gradients, with programmable to optimize light and shade for different crops in different climates.

A new report finds the current credit rating mechanism for power distribution companies in India is highly linked to their operational and financial performance. The report highlights the need to revise discom ratings to reflect their green mandates, decarbonization plans, and tariff implications to resolve the challenges of payables (and receivables).

Manufacturing giant JinkoSolar has set another world record for n-type solar cell efficiencies with its TOPCon technology, this time pushing to 25.4%. The new world record was confirmed by JET laboratories in Japan, and surpasses JinkoSolar’s previous record of 25.25% set back in May.

Reliance New Energy Solar has signed an agreement with Danish firm Stiesdal A/S to develop and manufacture Stiesdal HydroGen electrolyzers for green hydrogen production in India.  

Cell manufacturers are expected to prioritize larger customers in the automotive industry over relatively small energy storage system integrators.

Today, both Reliance and Fortescue are realizing the huge investment, employment, import replacement and export opportunities in zero emissions industries of the future, both for India and Australia. And they look to be leading the way, fully supported by global financial institutions increasingly seeking to deploy trillions of patient capital in low volatility, non-commodity price exposed zero-emissions energy sources of the future.

The renewable energy arm of NTPC seeks to enter into sourcing partnerships with Indian manufacturers for 15 GW of solar modules over the next five years. Manufacturers planning to set up their facilities in the next six months under the production-linked incentive (PLI) Scheme of the government of India are also eligible to apply.

There are increasing signs that a new era for PV production in Europe may be dawning. However, two pioneers of PV technology have decided, at this moment, to part ways. And while at present there are more questions than answers, technology and business strategy both appear to have played a role.

A new report published by the International Energy Agency offers a series of guidelines for the design of recyclable PV modules. The report aims to help manufacturers find the balance between durability and recyclability, to better address concerns about the 78 million tons of end-of-life PV modules expected by 2050.

Meyer Burger plans to start selling a new building-integrated PV product from 2022. It says the solar tiles have a high energy yield, with simplified installation and the ability to also provide heating. German engineering company paXos designed the tiles.

The Reliance Industries Ltd arm, which plans solar gigafabs in Gujarat, has raised a stake in German wafer manufacturer NexWafe with an investment of EUR 25 million ($29 million). 

Magenta, in collaboration with State power discom BSES, will deploy innovative EV charging solutions in the discom’s service area in Delhi. It will undertake the installation, operations and maintenance of EV charging solutions under the ChargeGrid brand.

A power system modeling study, jointly carried out by Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT) and Wärtsilä, explores the feasibility of a net-zero-emissions power system in India by 2050. It shows that an all-renewables power system, when paired with flexible generation technologies (thermal balancing power plants and energy storage), can improve the affordability of electricity while ensuring the reliability of system operations.

The system has dimensions of 834×417×1,766 mm and weighs 205 kg including the design panel. It achieves an electrical efficiency of 56% and can be connected with a hot water storage unit.

The venture capital arm of British energy company bp has invested $13 million in BluSmart in a $25 million Series A funding round. The investment will help BluSmart bring its electric vehicles and charging stations to five major cities.

The Australian-Singaporean group behind a proposed 20 GW solar PV farm and 42 GWh battery energy storage project under development in Australia’s remote far north has hinted that other, similar-sized projects are already in the pipeline.

The Indian solar power sector is undergoing a technology-backed transformation at every stage from manufacturing to installation to improve cost and performance efficiency.

A combination of booming demand for coal-fired power and a shortage of the black stuff – exacerbated by a political row with Australia – have forced up prices to the extent fossil fuel generators are making a loss on every unit of electricity they produce. pv magazine‘s Vincent Shaw considers the potential solutions.

To achieve its sustainability targets, Southeast Asia will require integrated strategy and execution across generation, transmission, and distribution, as well as planning that balances both capital and operational expenditures. The regional power industry will need partners who can merge data analytics with engineering expertise to deliver timely and actionable insights that realize the full potential of assets and facilities.

The current proposed draft policy has the potential to act as a game-changer for the renewable energy industry. However, the government needs to relook at certain elements.

Modules account for a huge percent of the project’s total cost, and since independent power providers (IPPs) have lower margins in the Indian solar energy sector, even a small increase in module pricing will put them under more strain.