Ministry explores alternatives to bank guarantees for solar projects
Lobby group the National Solar Energy Federation of India has welcomed the move and asked the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to extend any such measures to existing contracts to help developers meet working capital requirements.
REIL tenders solar projects in Maharashtra and Uttarakhand
March 27 is the last date to bid for ground-based, grid-interactive solar power plants ranging from 500 kWp to 2 MWp or more at various locations/sub-stations of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL). Bidding for 100 kWp to 500 kWp grid-interactive rooftop solar plants in Uttarakhand closes on March 21.
The long read: Renewable energy procurement comes to China
An growing number of companies globally have set sustainability targets to address the climate emergency. More than 700 companies are taking action to reduce their carbon footprint, write Caroline Zhu and Jiayin Song of Rocky Mountain Institute, and over 200 companies have publicly made the RE100 commitment to procure 100% of their electricity from renewable energy.
DGTR initiates review of safeguard duty on solar cells and modules
An application seeking continued imposition of the safeguard duty for a further period of four years was filed by Mundra Solar PV, Jupiter Solar Power and Jupiter International, through the Indian Solar Manufacturers Association (ISMA).
Optimistic solar outlook dimmed by COVID-19 – Bridge To India
Developers are also expected to drag their heels over project completion during the first half of the year as the safeguarding duty applied to imported Chinese and Malaysian solar products is due to expire at the end of July.
India’s solar module imports from Thailand double in 9 months
While China continues to be the top solar module exporter to India, Thailand doubled its module exports to India from $55.05 million in 2018-19 to $110.39 million during the first nine months (April-December) of the current fiscal. Vietnam’s module exports to India also rose sharply from $91.97 million to $127.21 million.
Solar will turn vicious water-energy-climate cycle into virtuous loop
The International Water Management Institute is promoting the Solar Irrigation for Agricultural Resilience (SoLAR) initiative to expand the use of solar irrigation systems throughout Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. Proponents of solar irrigation pumps say that they can have a strong positive impact on groundwater.
ARCI develops fuel cell technology to power disaster management systems
Fuel cell systems provide sustainable electricity using hydrogen gas without the need of grid power as required by conventional battery backup systems, making them highly useful for applications like Emergency Operation Centres which need to respond immediately during an emergency situation with state-of-the-art communication systems.
India Ratings maintains stable outlook on solar sector for FY2020-21
Contracted revenue, minimal volume risk and moderate-to-strong counterparties mitigate cash flow concerns in solar assets.
Investment opportunities in India’s solar sector
India, with 750 GW of solar potential, has also one of the highest transmission and distribution losses in the world. So, while there is immense scope in PV deployment, there is a need for greater investment in grid related projects also to help the country best utilise its renewable energy potential, says the latest report by SolarPower Europe and National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI) which also makes recommendations to help accelerate investments in the solar sector.
