Drones: Gensol to deploy new eyes in the solar sky
With a fleet of nearly 70 drones and a software investment of US$1 million, Ahmedabad-based Gensol Group is rolling out a high-tech digital solution for monitoring solar plants, which aims to swiftly identify problems and reduce downtime.
Floating PV: India’s potential, policies and prospects
Styrofoam and reinforced concrete as a substrate, floating breakwaters and wave attenuators, robust anchoring, robotic cleaning and on-site manufacturing are just some of the buzzwords surrounding floating solar’s future. With 1 GW of installed floating capacity worldwide (as on November 30, 2018) and an optimistic prediction of 5 GW by 2022, this branch of solar energy is gaining immense momentum.
India will auction 80 GW of solar, wind capacity by March 2020
The Indian Government plans to tender 60 GW of solar and 20 GW of wind capacity by March 2020. This would complete the planned auctions for its targets of 100 GW solar and 60 GW wind installations by 2022, leaving two years for project execution, according to an year-end review by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
10th Intersolar India gets underway
With yellow marigolds in large terracotta pots, colorful metal swans pinned to the walls, speakers in natty pin stripes and swarms of eager visitors, the 10th Intersolar India began a tad late, but on a high note at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) in Bengaluru, often dubbed the Silicon Valley of India. Karnataka’s successes were a key talking point, while the importance of EVs and storage was underlined.
Uttar Pradesh calls for $809 million private investment for 4 GW solar project
The Uttar Pradesh Government is looking for private investment worth Rs 55 billion (UD$809 million) for the proposed Bundelkhand Green Energy Corridor, which is expected to generate 4 GW of solar power.
Maharashtra discom issues 1 GW tender with tariff cap
The Indian state is looking to install 1 GW of new solar PV power under a new tender issued. A ceiling tariff of Rs 2.80 (US$0.039) has been set.
Green Climate Fund signs $100 million pact for India’s rooftop solar
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) have signed an agreement to infuse US$100 million into an ambitious $250 million project designed to unlock private sector initiatives for the creation of rooftop solar power capacity across India.
The long read: Refreshing blend or toxic technology cocktail?
Battery storage is racing even faster than the PV market did a few years ago. Costs are plummeting and new production lines are popping up all around the world. Smart people with smart ideas are leveraging venture capital and research funds. M&A activity is also accelerating with a new range of investors taking interest. But the technology battle is far from over, says Ragna Schmidt-Haupt, Partner at Energy Consultancy Everoze.
Rooftop solar grows by 75% to add 1.5 GW of new capacity
Maharashtra (473 MW), Tamil Nadu (312 MW), Karnataka (272 MW), Rajasthan (270 MW) and Uttar Pradesh (223 MW) are the top five states accounting for 54% of the total market—according to Bridge To India’s latest India Solar Rooftop Map report
Substantial solar gains to be had from clean air – study
Eliminating emissions from the air would increase solar radiation by an average of 11%, allowing solar cells to generate one tenth more electricity claim researchers in a new study. Focusing on China, they say an additional 85-158 TWh of electricity could be generated annually in 2040, if the air was clean.
