Utility Scale PV

Uttar Pradesh released a new solar policy on December 7 for the development of 10.7 GW of solar installations in India by 2022, including 4.3 GW through rooftop solar. The government has proposed several incentives and offers to promote solar growth in the state.

India has installed total 1,861 MW rooftop PV as of September 2017 as the state of Maharashtra overtakes Tamil Nadu to become largest for rooftop solar, as per latest report by Bridge to India. Analysts have revised India’s rooftop projection to 10.8 GW by 2021.

Trina Solar may scrap planned Indian PV fab amid tumbling prices driven by solar auctions, reports Bloomberg New Energy Finance during its Shanghai summit. Demand for lithium, meanwhile, poised to reach record high on back of expected EV growth.

“Huge demand” will be created in the Indian solar market in 2018 on the back of the government’s plans to auction off 20 GW worth of projects, says IHS Markit. Companies will only be permitted to take part in the auctions, it says, if they set up manufacturing facilites in the country. Jobs will also be created.

The Solar Energy Corporation of India has signed power purchase agreements for the five solar projects totaling 750 MW. At auction, the Bhadla projects attracted the country’s lowest bids at INR 2.44 ($0.037)/kWh.

India plans to take action against solar power companies using imported equipment for projects, which were awarded under the country’s domestic content requirement scheme, according to local media.

SECI has postponed the uploading of a tender document for 14 MW worth of grid-connected solar plants, including 42 MWh battery storage systems, for the Leh and Kargil districts of J&K.

The Indian government has finally clearly stated its solar objectives, and unveiled its plans for speeding up the work required to achieve them. The government is confident of achieving its 100 GW solar goal by 2022. The issue of rooftop solar is still to be addressed, however.

Despite the 250 MW solar project securing a record low bid of INR 3.15 ($ 0.05)/kWh in April, Andhra Pradesh refused to buy the generated power, after tariffs fell further in subsequent auctions. This decision has now been rescinded, according to The Economic Times, with the affected parties having reached a compromise.

Record growth continues as India installed 2,247 MW of solar projects in Q3 2017, up 15% from Q2 2017. The total installation at the end of 2017 is expected to range from 9.5 GW to 10 GW. The 7 GW solar installation in first nine months covered more than one-third of total new power capacity addition in 2017.