Highlights

Scientists led by MIT have suggested chitin, a carbon and nitrogen-rich material made from waste shrimp shells, could produce sustainable electrodes for vanadium redox flow batteries and other energy storage technologies.

Scientists measuring air pollutants and PV performance in the city have found the lockdown conditions imposed since late March have brought about a significant reduction in air pollution which has led to an 8% increase in solar irradiation reaching rooftop arrays.

The amount of non-uniform shading an array will experience determines the technology choices that can be made. However, it can be complicated to formulate more general rules for when to use what type of technology. Most would agree that module-level power electronics are better at handling non-uniform shading, but how do they handle the sun? A recently promoted study brought the discussion into sharp relief.

The 1.95 MW solar plant with 2.15 MWh battery storage will power four islands of the union territory—Agatti, Kavaratti, BangaRam and Thinnakara. 

The country—which meets over 80% of the solar module demand through imports—can turn the present crisis into an opportunity by ramping up domestic manufacturing with measures like fiscal incentives.

Cost savings associated with switching to least-cost energy solutions like wind and solar can be redeployed for economic recovery. At the same time, building resilience on fronts like energy system design and supply-chain management is crucial to deal with unexpected shocks and crises.

The industry body has recommended a series of measures including a continuation of FAME II Scheme to 2025, short-term booster incentives for consumers and support for in-house R&D to boost the electric vehicle sector. 

Domestic bids are invited for engineering, procurement and construction of a 50 MW floating solar project that shall come up over a 303-acre water body in Kollam District. Bidding closes on August 11.

Developers have until September 1 to bid for the tendered capacity that shall come up along railway tracks on railway land in various states.

The renewable energy developer—which owns and operates 172 MW of wind capacity in India—has claimed its first solar tender win in the country with a SECI award for 300 MW power.