Eliminating emissions from the air would increase solar radiation by an average of 11%, allowing solar cells to generate one tenth more electricity claim researchers in a new study. Focusing on China, they say an additional 85-158 TWh of electricity could be generated annually in 2040, if the air was clean.

Solar and/or wind are said to be the cheapest source of new energy generation in all major economies, apart from Japan, finds BloombergNEF. It adds that China’s utility-scale PV market has contracted by over a third this year; and that battery costs are set to drop a further 66% by 2030, driven by EV adoption.

The tipping point, where the world shifts from oil and gas to renewables, will be the year 2035, says Wood Mackenzie. This is when renewables and electric-based technologies converge, with around 20% of global power needs being met by solar or wind, and roughly 20% of miles traveled by cars, trucks, buses and bikes using electricity. Will the transition come soon enough, however?

In a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on October 8, two coal companies formed a joint venture (JV) to install 3 GW of solar and 2 GW of thermal power. More details have now emerged on the partnership.

The Solar Corporation of India (SECI) has extended bids for a 150 MW floating solar tender in Uttar Pradesh; and for a 2 MW PV plant coupled with 1 MW of storage in Himachal Pradesh.

In a memorandum of understanding, NLC India Limited (NLCIL) and Coal India Limited (CIL) have said they will install 3 GW of solar projects and 2 GW of thermal power projects in India.

Azure Power has announced the early closing of a financing deal worth INR 4 billion (around US$58 million) for a 100 MW solar plant in the Indian state of Karnataka; and INR 6 billion (around $88 million) for a 200 MW solar power plant in Rajasthan. It also signed 415 rooftop solar PPAs in Madhya Pradesh.

In another ambitious announcement, SoftBank Group CEO, Masayoshi Son has said he will give free power from solar power projects after 25 years of PPA to all ISA member countries. He was speaking at the Indian Government organized RE Invest 2018.

In recent years, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has laid the foundation for a clean energy expansion through robust policies and initiatives. India’s solar energy capacity has jumped a thousand-fold from a mere 17 MW in 2010, to more than 23 GW in 2018. Similarly, the wind market has more than doubled in recent years, from around 13 GW of installed power in 2010, to 34 GW by June 2018. These developments help move India closer to its ambitious clean energy goal of 175 GW installed capacity by 2022. However, in spite of several public financial institutions, private banks, and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) providing capital, financing remains a key barrier in scaling India’s clean energy markets further.

As the deployment of renewable energy continues to expand around the world, driven by various inputs, such as capital allocation and investment, falling capital costs, competitive LCOE and various policy mechanisms, we are now moving towards a new era for renewable energy. ‘Renewables 2.0’ will have significant, wide-ranging consequences for all market players, as regulators reduce their support and power producers seek new revenue models. In this article, Duncan Ritchie, partner at Apricum – The Cleantech Advisory, will look at the key market developments for renewables, explode the myth of grid parity, highlight the need for flexibility and explain the importance of new financing solutions that are capable of meeting the new complexities brought about by ‘Renewables 2.0’.