Markets

India’s largest private-sector thermal power producer—which ranked as the sixth-largest solar player globally in 2019—has climbed to the top spot following a Solar Energy Corporation of India (Seci) award to develop 8 GW of Indian solar project capacity.

A new study by CEEW Centre for Energy Finance assesses the competitive advantage that China has over India and presents a suite of short-term and long-term interventions required for a globally competitive solar manufacturing sector in India.

The monocrystalline solar panel and AC module maker, has, on average, achieved a ten times revenue growth year-on-year since its inception. It now aims to generate over Rs 100 crore revenue by the end of FY 2021—a 300% increase within a year. 

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.

The market-based mechanism will allow resource-rich and resource-deficit States to trade renewable energy and balance their renewable purchase obligation (RPO) targets. 

New large-scale solar installations totaled 120 MW compared to 896 MW in the first quarter of year 2020. Rooftop solar addition fell to 85 MW from 194 MW installed in the previous quarter.

Analysts at Wood Mackenzie have looked at plans for the incoming decade and concluded that about 119 manufacturing sites will be up and running by 2030. China currently sits firmly in the driving seat, with Asia Pacific comprising 80% of global manufacturing capacity, but Europe is catching up.

Mercom India Research has said the quarterly value of solar cell and module imports was down 83% in the second quarter of the year, compared to the same period of 2019, to sit 54% lower than the value recorded in the January-to-March window.

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.

The investigating arm of India’s commerce ministry has proposed continuing to apply the duty levied on solar cell imports from the east at a rate of 14.9% from July 30 and falling to 14.5% six months later.