Rooftop Solar

January 4 is the last date for EPC contractors, manufacturers and system integrators to submit techno-commercial bids for grid-connected rooftop solar capacity that shall come up in residential premises and residential welfare associations/group housing society premises in the state.

U.K. researchers have developed a way to optimize urban rooftop use with solar PV and agriculture.

The pan-Asian renewable energy development platform, owned by Australian investment bank Macquarie’s Green Investment Group (GIG), has acquired a majority stake in Hyderabad-based commercial solar developer Vibrant Energy.

The solar installation in India is making a slower-than-expected recovery as Covid-related disruption continues to hurt construction progress. Safeguard duty extension and module price increase have added to the pain.

A new report by Auroville Consulting highlights gaps and challenges existing today in financing rooftop solar based on its evaluation of the international lines of credit’s implementation at the state level (for Tamil Nadu), and the availability and accessibility of the financial support. 

The 438 MW of new solar capacity added during the three months ending September includes 283 MW from large-scale installations and 155 MW rooftop.

India added rooftop solar capacity of 399 MW in the second quarter (July-Sept) of FY 2020-21, compared to 188 MW installed in the corresponding period last year.

Bids are invited to install and commission various capacities (11-500 kWp) of grid-connected rooftop solar plants at individual households and residential buildings across the state. Bidding closes on November 25.

The Airports Authority of India Limited has invited bids to set up a 330 kWp (DC) grid-connected solar power system at Deoghar Airport in Jharkhand. Bidding closes on December 1.

It has been a rocky year for installers with issues like availability of modules from Chinese suppliers, restricted construction due to local lockdowns, and uncertainty over import duties. Going forward, the market could see a dramatic rebound if net-metering is allowed with a current cap of 1 MW and re-introduced in the states that have shifted to gross-metering.