Union Budget targets domestic production with 40% solar import duty and boost to manufacturing-linked incentive
The budget presented today by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman allocates an extra INR19,500 crore (US$2,602 million) to the production-linked incentive scheme for solar and notifies basic customs duty of 40% on foreign-made solar modules and 25% on cells, from April.
Sungrow signs inverter supply contract for 75 MW of solar projects in Uttar Pradesh
The Chinese manufacturer will supply its 3.125 MW central inverter solution SG3125HV for the 75 MW solar power project being set up by state-owned hydropower producer SJVN Limited.
Gujarat tenders 166 MW of solar EPC work
Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited has invited bids to set up an aggregate 166 MW of grid-connected solar plants in Gujarat. The plants shall come up at locations around GETCO substations in Kutchh, Morbi, and Surendranagar districts. Bidding closes on February 25.
SBI partners with Tata Power for financing solar projects
The State Bank of India has set up a dedicated centralized cell that will process loan applications for commercial and residential solar projects sourced across India by Tata Power Solar Systems Ltd.
Electric mobility sector’s budget wishlist
Players in the electric mobility sector call for a reduction in goods and services tax on electric vehicle (EV) batteries, easy access to low-cost finance for EV buyers, and expansion of FAME Scheme subsidy to ICE-to-EV conversion kits. They also expect the government to enhance the manufacturing capacity and financial layout under the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for advanced-chemistry battery cells.
Talesun to supply 250 MW bifacial modules for Rajasthan solar project
The Chinese solar manufacturer has signed a deal with Indian developer Clean Solar Power to supply 250 MW of BIPRO series bifacial modules for a solar project in Rajasthan.
AC Energy and UPC Renewables start work on their largest solar project in India
Philippines-based AC Energy and Hong Kong-headquartered UPC Renewables’ solar energy arm are jointly building a 300 MWac (420 MWp) solar farm in Madhya Pradesh. The plant, when completed, will be the joint venture’s third and largest solar project in India to date.
Coupling photovoltaics with thermoelectric cooling
An international research team has investigated how solar could be combined with thermoelectric coolers (TECs), which are small solid-state heat pumps used either for heating or for cooling. A system was built with six solar panels, an air duct system, four batteries, a charge controller, TECs, an inverter, heat sinks, a test chamber, and condenser fans.
Solar-plus-storage autonomous power generator from Spain
Developed in Spain, the Arca system integrates solar panels, power electronics, and energy storage. Arca Lite has a rated power of 490 Wp, and Arca Plus of 980 Wp.
The long read: Expansions in n-type solar tech
The past 12 months have been a turbulent time for PV manufacturing. Rapid and impressive developments in technology have been accompanied by price increases up and down the supply chain, and energy shortages weighed on production in the second half of the year. Chinese n-type module manufacturer Jolywood is now pressing ahead with ambitious expansion plans despite the disruption. pv magazine publisher Eckhart K. Gouras and editor Mark Hutchins recently caught up with Cathy Huang, European sales director at Jolywood, to discuss the company’s plans to bring n-type TOPCon technology into mainstream production.
