Rooftop Solar

Despite rising module prices and lockdown restrictions, the nation maintained its quarterly solar capacity installation above the 2 GW level in the second quarter.

The comparison of two solar cladded roofs in Sydney, Australia, one bare beneath its panels and the other adorned with native grasses and plants, has found the panels on the green roof were, on average, 3.63% more efficient, producing an average daily output 13% greater than the conventional roof. The improvements are believed to stem from the lower temperatures on the green roof, thanks to its plants – which also provided a plethora of additional benefits.

A 6 MW solar plant, coupled with a 15 MWh battery energy storage system, will meet the village’s day and night electricity requirements. Moreover, 1kW rooftop solar systems have been installed on houses.  

The solar-powered EV charging station at Karna Lake Resort, Karnal, is one of the 20 such stations set up by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) along the Delhi-Chandigarh highway. It is equipped with AC001 (3×3.3kW), DC001 (15kW), and 72kW (50kW DC+22kW AC) chargers to charge all types of electric cars plying currently in the country.

India’s commercial and industrial solar sector added 501 MW of solar capacity in the January-March period of 2021, taking the cumulative C&I PV capacity to 10,485 MW as of March 31, 2021.

Philippines-based AC Energy, which operates 150 MW AC ground-mount solar plants in India, is joining hands with Hong Kong-based solar developer NEFIN to develop, construct, and operate rooftop solar projects across Asia.

The adoption of local, community-based energy solutions like rooftop solar and batteries can help make the energy grid more flexible and reliable. Home solar and batteries will enable the growth of ‘prosumers’ who produce and share energy, as well as consume it.

The energy payback time of a silicon PV rooftop system mounted in India is only 0.44 of one year (160.6 days), compared to 0.53-0.67 year in Africa, 1-1.3 years in Europe, and 1.42 years in Canada, reveals a world map by German research body the Fraunhofer Institute of Solar Energy Systems (ISE). For the calculation, the report authors considered the installation used a typical, Chinese-made, 60-cell, PERC, 19.9%-efficient solar module.

According to a new report, India’s commercial and industrial sector will increase its rooftop solar deployments by 47% year-on-year, with bifacials and large-size high-wattage modules offering cost-effective support for reducing electricity costs.

The Ministry of Power has issued a draft amendment to Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020, which allows net metering for rooftop solar systems of loads up to 500 kW or up to the sanctioned load, whichever is lower and net billing (gross metering) or net feed-in for above 500 kW.