Highlights

Up to 150 GW of PV and wind projects could be postponed or canceled throughout the Asia-Pacific region by 2024 if the coronavirus-triggered recession continues beyond the current year, according to new research by Wood Mackenzie.

Given Covid-19 spread, India’s ministry has decided to conduct the third Global Renewable Energy Investors Meet and exposition (3rd RE-Invest)—scheduled from October 15 to 17—on a digital platform. The ministry has sought proposals for an interactive IT platform to facilitate the same.

Distributed generation with battery storage can revolutionize solar development in India in the shortest time period with minimal investment.

Scientists in the U.K. have developed a system which makes panels vibrate to provide cleaning. The academics have conceded, however, they are yet to calculate the ‘sweet spot’ of mechanical stress to be applied.

June 3 is the last date to submit bids for installation and commissioning of the NTPC Solapur solar project tendered under the domestic content requirement category. Major items including modules and inverters for the project shall be provided by NTPC to the EPC contractor.

A blanket extension equivalent to the period of lockdown and additional 30 days for normalisation after the end of the lockdown is allowed for completion of solar projects.

Indian scientists have developed a low-cost electrocatalyst based on iron, manganese and N-doped carbon derived from fish gills (Fe/Mn/N-FGC) that increased the performance of a homemade rechargeable zinc-air battery when used as the air cathode. The Fe/Mn/N-FGC cathode based battery achieved open-circuit voltage of 1.41 V and a large power density of 220 mW/cm2 at 260 mA/cm2 current density—compared to commercial platinum/carbon based battery’s 1.40 V and 158 mW/cm2—with almost stable charge-discharge voltage plateaus at high current density. 

The draft Electricity Bill 2020 moves us with a toolbox of structural reforms, towards not only efficient but also a progressive electricity market.

A U.S. research group is now developing new inverters to protect solar installations from cyberattacks. The researchers also aim to create new cybersecurity standards. Professor Alan Mantooth, the group’s research coordinator, said that inverters can be shut down if they are hacked, or contribute to grid instability and result in the overcharging of batteries, while potentially creating problems that we still don’t know how to address.

Bids are invited for supply, installation and commissioning of balance-of-system (BOS) items for NTPC’s 100 MW (AC) grid-connected floating solar plant in Telangana. Bidding closes on April 27.