Finance

India contributed to one-third of the global sales of distributed solar products during January-June 2018. Indian manufacturers can further leverage the International Solar Alliance (ISA) platform to engage with the global market, says Viraj Gada, GOGLA’s India regional representative and spokesperson for The India Distributed Energy Forum and Expo (IDEF), in an interview with pv magazine ahead of the event on January 30 and 31 in New Delhi.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) have signed an agreement to infuse US$100 million into an ambitious $250 million project designed to unlock private sector initiatives for the creation of rooftop solar power capacity across India.

Sustainable development expert Auroville Consulting has launched the Solar Village Search Engine to help fund its Solar Village Initiative, which aims to power 100 villages in Tamil Nadu with solar by the year 2030.

Ever tumbling panel prices have brought a fresh round of low solar power tariffs after an earlier 1 GW super tender was annulled in the state. The latest reverse auction was oversubscribed by almost 50%.

Swiss battery maker that intends to bring production lines to Gujarat has been helped along in a planned reduction of its debt pile by its domestic authorities. The way is now clear for a shareholder vote next Tuesday.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has reevaluated the solar potential of the region, in the light of steepling falls in the cost of generating solar electricity. The big push will start with 7.5 GW of new capacity, with a request for selection expected within a fortnight.

The iSTAR-C program of India’s International Solar Alliance (ISA) was adjudged an outstanding project during the Paris Peace Forum this month. The program is one of many ISA initiatives to develop solar resources in member countries. After the first assembly of the ISA, interim Director-General Upendra Tripathy tells pv magazine about the organization’s achievements and plans.

India has become the world’s largest market for new renewable energy auctions and the second-largest destination for attracting clean energy investments, according to the latest Climatescope 2018 report by BloombergNEF.

After a downbeat second quarter this year, India’s solar industry perked up in Q3 with solar exports jumping 223% and imports increasing 38% over the Q2 CY 2018 numbers.

CDC Group Plc., a U.K. government-owned development finance institution, plans to raise US$100 million by selling its stake in Ayana Renewable Power – a renewable energy platform it recently launched in India.