Amtronics CC has paid U.S. firm Quantum Materials Corp an initial $500,000 as part of an agreement securing the right to manufacture quantum dots and thin-film quantum dot solar cells based on QMC technology for commercial supply in India. Construction has already started on a manufacturing facility in Assam, which will produce solar cells via a continuous, rapid-feed, flexographic-based printing process.

Under this MoU, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) would transfer the technology to Tata Chemicals so that it may manufacture lithium-ion cells of varying capacity, size, energy density and power density—catering to a wide spectrum of power storage requirements.

State-run utility Indraprastha Power Generation Company Limited will install solar rooftop plants at 30 school buildings, with capacity of one megawatt in all.

The state has decided to withdraw almost all incentives available to open access solar, including exemption from electricity duty and distribution losses for projects injecting power at 33 kV or below. The policy reversal—clearly to appease state discoms—is likely to impact capacity addition.

The committee is constituted for overall monitoring, sanctioning and implementation of the scheme, according to an order of the Department of Heavy Industries.

As part of the viability gap funding scheme for 12 GW of new solar, SECI has invited bids for setting up of 2 GW of grid-connected solar PV projects. The projects, to be developed on ‘build, own, operate’ basis, can be located anywhere in India for self-use or use by government entities at maximum fixed tariffs of Rs 3.50/kWh. The deadline for bid submission is May 3.

Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (Tata Power-DDL) has partnered with European firms Enedis, Schneider Electric, Odit-e and VaasaETT to implement a 1MW smart grid pilot in India, which would be insulated from any blackout in the main grid.

The latest government initiative that offers central financial assistance for Group Housing Societies and Residential Welfare Associations would help better adoption of rooftop solar among residential power consumers, which account for only around 9% of the total rooftop solar systems installed in the country (against almost 70% by industrial and commercial users).

GE Renewable Energy will implement, in the state of Rajasthan, an advanced grid management project that will provide real-time data monitoring to better understand current and future energy usage and enable transmission of renewable energy based on demand.