The long read: Fit for the 21st century
Co-extruded backsheets are opening up novel circular possibilities for the solar industry, as well as driving durability and lowering costs, writes Netherlands-based materials specialist DSM.
Government again attempts to woo foreign manufacturers
Ministry of Science and Technology has reissued a plea for overseas solar companies to partner up with Indian concerns to kick-start production lines.
Double blow for SECI as mega tenders are met with apathy
Only three bidders have come forward for huge manufacturing-linked solar and solar-wind hybrid procurement exercises. The separate auctions – originally intended to drive 12.5 GW of new generation and 5 GW of manufacturing capacity – prompted figures of just 3.05 GW and 600 MW, respectively.
Fears 10 GW solar tender will be scrapped
The Solar Energy Corporation of India’s (SECI) much-hyped 10 GW manufacturing-linked tender, which has already been postponed six times, received a very tepid response on Monday, the last submission date.
Indian PV procurement leapt to 3 GW in October figures
Developers gave short shrift to gloomy predictions about depreciation, protectionism and tax headwinds as tendering and auction figures soared, but they shied away from the tough price caps set for SECI’s procurement exercises.
Hits and misses among latest 10 GW solar tender amendments
While the timelines for PV power plant execution and completion of manufacturing facilities are now more realistic, production obligations – especially for capacity utilization – need to be revisited.
India powers ahead as Asia set for 355 GW of PV by 2023
Despite political hurdles in key markets including China and Japan, Asia remains highly active. This year, 59 GW of solar is expected to be installed and due to further system price declines, a phase-out of subsidy schemes can be offset.
‘SECI’s 10 GW solar tender will not attract big developers’
Big players such as Acme, ReNew, Adani, Azure, Hero Future and Aditya Birla Solar are likely to stay away from procurement which requires 3 GW annual manufacturing commitment, says industry insider Gopal Lal Somani.
The long read: “The potential gain from bifacial easily outweighs the risks”
An unexpectedly large gathering of international bifacial PV experts convened in Denver, USA in early September, at the 2018 bifiPV Workshop to trade notes on the performance of bifacial PV modules, lauded by some as the most promising advance in solar for a decade. pv magazine was in attendance.
India added world’s second largest PV capacity in first half of 2018
The nation installed 4.9 GW of solar, surpassing the USA – which installed 4.7 GW – to become the second largest solar market in the first half of the year, second only to China’s 24.3 GW.
