Markets

The National Institute of Solar Energy has invited bids to fabricate, supply, install and commission 800 solar dryer cum space heating systems in Jammu and Kashmir. The systems will be installed in the Leh and Kargil regions in a phased manner. The deadline for bid submissions is May 24, with technical bids opening on May 27.

Electric vehicles could account for more than half of all passenger cars and buses sold throughout the world within the next two decades, according to a new report by BloombergNEF. Sliding lithium-ion battery costs will make EVs cheaper than vehicles based on internal combustion engines by the mid- to late-2020s, the research firm says.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has said that off-grid solar plants that have been installed under its own programmes can be connected to the grid in locations where net-metering provisions are in place.

The European solar trade body expects 128 GW of new PV capacity in 2019, with China likely to bring around 43 GW online and Europe experiencing enough demand to deploy about 20.4 GW. In 2020, global solar demand is expected to reach 144 GW, while in the following three years new PV additions are forecast to total 158 GW, 169 GW and 180 GW, respectively.

Rajasthan Electronics & Instruments Limited (REIL), Jaipur, has invited bids to supply 4.3 W and 4.5 W multicrystalline silicon solar cells. The deadline for submissions is June 4.

And the analyst expects that annual new additions figure to rise to 10.6 GW in 2025. This year the U.S. will surpass South Korea as the largest storage market due to new capacity for solar-plus-storage projects. In Japan and Australia, growth will be spurred by the termination of FIT programs.

The import of secondary cells and batteries of lead-acid and nickel-based chemistries will be allowed subject to IEC 61427 certification of the product and certificate issued by the MNRE, along with an undertaking from the supplier that the products will be utilised for solar PV power projects only.

The Japanese multinational will transfer its Panasonic Energy Malaysia unit to Chinese heterojunction module provider GS-Solar as part of a broader cooperation agreement. Panasonic’s solar R&D business will form part of a JV in Japan to be 90% owned by GS-Solar.

Waste-to-energy, battery lifecycle solutions and hazardous waste management will make up an increased share of Fortum’s business in future. While solar will continue to be a mainstay for the Finnish clean energy company in India, Fortum wants to deepen its presence in the electric vehicle space with smart solutions, according to Sanjay Aggarwal, the company’s India MD, and Juha Suomi, area director for Asia, who spoke exclusively to pv magazine.

The procurement – for PV capacity at the Dholera Solar Park – attracted bids for just 300 MW as developers shunned a tariff ceiling of Rs2.75/kWh.