Installations

The Finnish clean energy company, which works primarily on a build-operate-transfer model in India, has signed the agreement to divest its 250 MW solar plant in Karnataka and 250 MW in Rajasthan to UK investor Actis. The transaction is valued at approximately EUR 280 million and will enable Fortum to invest in building new projects.

In a white paper, the three Chinese module manufacturers have reiterated the well-known refrain “bigger is not always better.” Experts from the three companies compared the BoS costs of 182mm-wafer-based modules and 210mm products, and found that the former have a slight advantage in racking, foundation, and land costs.

The power ministry has announced that the exemption on grid charges is now available to solar and wind projects to be commissioned up to June 30, 2025. The waiver is also allowed for pumped-hydro storage and battery energy storage system projects.

Sunil Thamaran, India head for USA-headquartered Enphase Energy, explains why microinverters are a good investment for rooftop solar. He also talks about the trends in microinverter design and their company’s India plans.

Floating PV is a growing market, especially in Asian countries with land pressures. However, like many promising niches, it is growing faster than the standards surrounding it. With installed floating PV capacity set to double in 2021, a raft of various and sometimes competing standards are being floated, but the question remains – what is truly the best way forward?

The 6.2MWp solar carport at Tata Motors’ plant in Maharashtra spans over 30,000 square meters. It will generate 86.4 lakh kWh of electricity per year, helping to offset about 7,000 tons of carbon emissions annually.

An international research team has designed a residential solar-plus-storage system based on gravity. The system was built with a solar power generator, a bulk booster charge controller, an inverter, a solenoid device, a deep cycle battery, a pulley block, a geared motor, a microcontroller, and wire ropes. Its creators said the system is ideal for regions with high solar radiation. They found that, due to its high electrical requirements, the system needs to rely on high-power solar modules with an output of over 500 W.

Danish fund IFU will hold 39% ownership and United Nations’ S3i 10% in Acme Solar’s 250 MW Rajasthan project. Acme holds the majority stake of 51%.

The National Capital Region Transport Corporation has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Solar Energy Corporation of India to arrange blended renewable energy, including solar power, for the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Corridor.

Ruchi Gupta is a research fellow at the University of Geneva’s Institute for Environmental Sciences. She focuses on how flexibility options, such as sector coupling with hydrogen production, can support renewable energy integration and decarbonize a wide range of sectors.