Engineering drives next-generation solar power in Southeast Asia—Black & Veatch interview
Mitesh Patel, Renewables Director-Asia, US-headquartered EPC player Black & Veatch, speaks to pv magazine about the key trends driving the solar market, especially in Southeast Asia, and strategies to improve the bankability of PV projects.
Modi loosens the purse strings to help struggling state utilities
Covid-19 hits to demand and bill payment collection have worsened the plight of the nation’s already debt-crippled power distribution companies, prompting the government to order an exceptional relaxation of lending limits.
Financing in rooftop solar
There is a need to innovate and pay attention to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), SMEs, and residential society consumers to activate the next leg of growth in the rooftop solar market.
KPI Global gets Rs 107.50-crore PFC loan for 35 MW solar projects
The Gujarat-based solar developer will use Rs 76 crore to finance a new 20 MW solar project at Bharuch and Rs 31.50 crore to refinance an existing 15 MW plant.
UK investor acquires two Acme Solar projects aggregating 400 MW
Private equity investor Actis has completed the acquisition of Haryana-based Acme Solar’s 400 MW PV assets in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
Early coal plant retirement first hurdle in reducing discom debt
The Indian power distribution sector needs bold policy choices such as the closure of old, inefficient coal-based power plants to improve its financial viability. Early retirement of expensive coal power contracts will result in significant savings for the states as they can contract cleaner, cheaper renewable power.
KFW offers Rs 600-crore loan for 125 MW Bengal solar park
The cash injection—for a 15-year term at 0.15% interest—will cover 80% of the overall solar project cost of Rs 750 crore.
IoT startup Probus raises seed funding for smart grid platform
The startup—which has developed an Internet of Things (IoT) based service for power grid monitoring and automation—will use the amount to strengthen the software platform and expand the scale to different geographies.
Ayana Renewable acquires 40 MW PV projects from First Solar
This marks the first such acquisition for the Bengaluru-based developer as it looks to acquire high-quality operating renewable assets to ensure a balanced risk portfolio.
Europe will be our next stop – S&W solar interview
Having bagged large orders in the U.S. and Australia, Indian multinational engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services provider Sterling and Wilson Solar is bidding for tenders in regions which have eased up business lines, Europe among them. Kannan Krishnan, S&W’s chief operations officer for solar in India and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation area, speaks to pv magazine about the impact of Covid-19 on the solar EPC business and the company’s expansion plans.
