Highlights

Austrian solar manufacturer Energetica aims to commercialize gapless PV modules by the fourth quarter.

The developer has commissioned a 7.805 MW solar plant for Larsen & Toubro’s metro rail project in Hyderabad. Touted to be one of the largest behind-the-meter solar projects in India, the plant will supply electricity to the metro project’s 24 stations and two depots.

Bidders have until February 22 to lodge their interest to develop the ground-mount, grid-connected solar plant with net metering. Technical and commercials bids will open on February 23.

Despite big ambitions and even bigger projects being built across the region, PV manufacturing in the Middle East has never got off the ground. In Saudi Arabia, however, one manufacturer is realizing plans for a gigawatt-scale module factory. Over the next five years, Desert Technologies plans to bring 3 GW of heterojunction production to the Kingdom. pv magazine takes a look at the challenges facing PV manufacturers in Saudi Arabia, and the opportunities the nation may hold.

A new report suggests that the State shut down 3.1 GW of old coal plants and replace the lost generation with renewables. It also advocates switching from expensive power (tariffs > INR 4/kWh) to renewable energy (which now costs INR 3/kWh or less) and halting the construction of new coal plants.

The system generates electricity and heat for residential houses and small businesses. An integrated energy management system should guarantee maximum self-consumption of the solar power produced.

The project—to be set up in captive mode—will come up at Omkareshwar reservoir as two units of 13 MW and 12 MW capacity. The generated power will be used, through Narmada Valley Development Authority, for pumps of various irrigation and multipurpose projects.

The Andhra Pradesh solar auction was oversubscribed by 8.5 GW, but the final prices are significantly higher than the INR 1.99-2.00/kWh record-low tariffs discovered in recent auctions.  

Work is underway for the installation of 10 GW hybrid renewable power projects in the Indian Union Territory of Ladakh. Land identification and preparation of a detailed project report (DPR) for the necessary transmission infrastructure have already begun.

Dutch transmission system operator Tennet, which also serves Germany, is planning to create flexible electricity demand and reduce grid congestion by promoting the use of smarter heating systems and heat pumps that can also be powered by solar and wind energy. According to its experts, intelligent control of heat pumps may result in the creation of between 0.5 and 1 GW of temporary grid flexibility by 2030.