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.

A new IEEFA note discusses the impact of the proposed market-based economic dispatch mechanism for procuring bulk power, and regulations for frequency control ancillary services.

The New York-headquartered technology provider will supply over 1.16 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of its lithium-ion battery cells to power India-based Omega Seiki’s lineup of electric vehicles. The cells, assembled into batteries, will be delivered over the next five years.

Under the partnership, Tata Power will provide end-to-end electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions across Lodha Group’s residential and commercial projects in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and Pune.

Moreover, two big Russian corporations have unveiled plans to produce hydrogen and Portuguese utility EDP said it wants to set up a a pilot project for a green hydrogen plant in Brazil.

The state-owned engineer and solar EPC has commissioned a 25 MW project at NTPC’s Simhadri thermal power station, in Andhra Pradesh.

BayWa r.e. and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE have built a 258 kW agrivoltaic system that hosts apple cultivation under four different crop protection systems. The system utilizes agrivoltaic technology with permanent, light-permeable PV modules that block rain, and tracking PV module tech that blocks rain only if necessary.

Bidders now have until September 24 to lodge their interest in engineering, procurement, and construction of a 100 MW solar project. The responsibility for the land arrangement lies with the installer. 

Bidders have until October 22 to lodge their interest to set up the 45 MW grid-connected solar project in the Mirzapur Jagir village of the Jalaun district.

The solar project, located in the Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan, benefits from a 25-year power purchase agreement with the Solar Energy Corporation of India. It shall supply the electricity generated to the state of Bihar at a tariff of INR 2.55/kWh (US$ 0.035).

The Indian solar manufacturer will start producing its HELOC̣ Pro series M10 (182mm) modules from November, and add G12 (210mm) panels to its lineup next year.

Multiple factors affect the productive lifespan of a residential solar panel. In the first part of this series, we look at the solar panels themselves.

The German solar brand shall start commercial production of 540Wp mono PERC modules through its India subsidiary starting next month. The modules are 20.9% efficient. 

The three Chinese panel manufacturers found an agreement on the module size and the mounting hole spacing.

The Chinese manufacturer and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) have improved the average cell efficiency by 0.68% through a post-cell hydrogenation process. The cell’s average open-circuit voltage increased by 7 mV from 696 to 703 mV, and the average fill factor from 82.03% to 83.07%.

Developed by an Italian manufacturer, the panel is available in three versions with a power output of 100, 120, and 240 W and has a weight of 5 kg. It is encapsulated in thermoformable plastic technical polymers and can be connected in series with other modules around the same post.

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.

The mounting structure relies on a 5.8m long support rail that does not lie on the roof but is connected directly to a purlin placed below with self-drilling support screws.

Dutch startup Solarge has developed a 500 W panel that weighs 50% less than conventional glass-backsheet modules. The new product can be fixed to rooftops with roofing anchors, which eliminates the need for ballast, according to the manufacturer.

Eight key developments are accelerating the advancement of electric vehicles. These range from the improvements in cost and performance of electric vehicle (EV) batteries to hydrogen-powered vehicles.

The Gujarat-based extractive metallurgy technology solutions provider will set up a 1,000 tonnes per annum (TPA) lithium-ion battery recycling plant, primarily based on the hydrometallurgy process developed in-house. It plans two more such facilities, taking the overall capacity to 10,000 TPA. 

Scientists in Germany developed a new process for manufacturing battery electrodes, that they say could be both more cost effective and environmentally friendly compared to current technologies. The technique could be applied to a range of different battery materials/chemistries and its creators say they are in discussion with a number of battery cell manufacturers regarding pilot production.

Bidders have until September 29 to lodge their interest to set up the solar-plus-storage system at Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited’ Kutch Lignite Thermal Power Station in the Kutch district of Gujarat.

Shouldn’t we all be driving in affordable electric cars with 800-plus kilometers of driving range by now? Surely yes, according to many of the announcements coming from battery scientists over the past decade. Yet for all the scientific breakthroughs, few in fact “break through” into commercial applications. Christian Kuss of the University of Manitoba makes the case for a holistic approach to battery materials development, and reminds us to look beyond the stars of the show and consider their interactions with the auxiliary materials that hold the whole thing together.

NREL researchers developed a system that uses heated silica particles for thermal energy storage. The baseline technology is designed for a storage capacity of up to 26,000 MWh and is claimed to have a cost of of between $2 and $4 per kWh.

Power generated by renewable sources and corresponding action taken by business layers is not predictable. So it’s imperative that the latest controls are leveraged in the service of smart grids.

Large-scale solar parks will be key to India’s transition to clean and green energy. Such parks are already being built or planned in States like Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. However, there is still scope for forward-looking and well-aligned policies across States to make the most of this global phenomenon. 

The amendment to Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020 provides multiple options in addition to net metering, which will balance out the concerns of all the stakeholders.

The adoption of local, community-based energy solutions like rooftop solar and batteries can help make the energy grid more flexible and reliable. Home solar and batteries will enable the growth of ‘prosumers’ who produce and share energy, as well as consume it.

The Ministry of Power has issued a draft amendment to Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020, which allows net metering for rooftop solar systems of loads up to 500 kW or up to the sanctioned load, whichever is lower and net billing (gross metering) or net feed-in for above 500 kW.