An open letter to power minister on Draft Electricity Rules, 2021
The current proposed draft policy has the potential to act as a game-changer for the renewable energy industry. However, the government needs to relook at certain elements.
Impact of the increasing solar panel prices
Modules account for a huge percent of the project’s total cost, and since independent power providers (IPPs) have lower margins in the Indian solar energy sector, even a small increase in module pricing will put them under more strain.
Mapping the future of cleaner transportation
Eight key developments are accelerating the advancement of electric vehicles. These range from the improvements in cost and performance of electric vehicle (EV) batteries to hydrogen-powered vehicles.
Looking at the world’s largest solar power stations
Solar energy pioneer and founder of Wiki-Solar, Philip Wolfe updates his series of blogs on the world’s largest solar power stations, first published in pv magazine in 2019. At that time, there were no single solar power plants over 1 GWAC. The record now is 2.2 GWAC.
The substantial sustainability benefits of smart meters
Power generated by renewable sources and corresponding action taken by business layers is not predictable. So it’s imperative that the latest controls are leveraged in the service of smart grids.
Solar parks get off to a good start in India, but challenges remain
Large-scale solar parks will be key to India’s transition to clean and green energy. Such parks are already being built or planned in States like Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. However, there is still scope for forward-looking and well-aligned policies across States to make the most of this global phenomenon.
The impact of electricity rules amendment on rooftop solar sector
The amendment to Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020 provides multiple options in addition to net metering, which will balance out the concerns of all the stakeholders.
Local solar will lead the energy transformation over the next five years
The adoption of local, community-based energy solutions like rooftop solar and batteries can help make the energy grid more flexible and reliable. Home solar and batteries will enable the growth of ‘prosumers’ who produce and share energy, as well as consume it.
Revisiting the net metering cap for rooftop solar
The Ministry of Power has issued a draft amendment to Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020, which allows net metering for rooftop solar systems of loads up to 500 kW or up to the sanctioned load, whichever is lower and net billing (gross metering) or net feed-in for above 500 kW.
One Nation, One Grid, One Price
The Indian power sector is set for a revolution with the proposed market-based economic dispatch (MBED) mechanism. MBED aims to establish a uniform pricing framework that prioritizes the least cost and most efficient generators while backing down more expensive ones, thereby creating a national merit order.
