Uma Gupta
Premier Energies starts production at solar factory
The Indian solar manufacturer has started trial production of high-efficiency solar cells at its new Telangana site. The fab can produce 19.2%-efficient multi-crystalline cells using MCCE textured black silicon, as well as making 22.5%-efficient mono PERC products.
The case for microinverters in rooftop solar
Sunil Thamaran, India head for USA-headquartered Enphase Energy, explains why microinverters are a good investment for rooftop solar. He also talks about the trends in microinverter design and their company’s India plans.
Tata Power commissions India’s largest solar carport for Tata Motors
The 6.2MWp solar carport at Tata Motors’ plant in Maharashtra spans over 30,000 square meters. It will generate 86.4 lakh kWh of electricity per year, helping to offset about 7,000 tons of carbon emissions annually.
Acme Solar raises equity funding for its 250 MW project in Rajasthan
Danish fund IFU will hold 39% ownership and United Nations’ S3i 10% in Acme Solar’s 250 MW Rajasthan project. Acme holds the majority stake of 51%.
NCRTC to use blended renewable energy for its high-speed rail corridor
The National Capital Region Transport Corporation has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Solar Energy Corporation of India to arrange blended renewable energy, including solar power, for the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Corridor.
China’s Jinchen holds 10 GW of solar production line orders from India
Jinchen Machinery has landed module production equipment orders from leading Indian solar manufacturers. It has already installed 2 GW of production lines and plans to supply the balance within three months. The company will open an India office in Surat, Gujarat.
JSW Steel, CSIR-NCL, Scotland join India hydrogen alliance
JSW Steel will bring industry majors and the government together for hydrogen commercialization in the steel and cement sectors. CSIR-National Chemical Lab would work closely with the private sector on hydrogen development projects. Scottish Development International (SDI) brings the expertise from the implementation of large-scale hydrogen projects in Scotland.
Flagging off the energy transition decade
With the draft National Electricity Policy (NEP) 2021, India is providing the right policy direction for this decade of the energy transition. Yet, there is room for further improvement.
Module price increases to moderate solar project returns
Solar module prices have increased by about 15-20% over the last 4-5 months to around 22-23 cents/watt as of date. As PV modules comprise about 50-55% of the overall project cost, such an increase in the module price level, if sustained, may moderate the debt service coverage metrics for developers by about 12-14 basis points.
Waaree solar modules to power Austrian PV encapsulant firm’s operations
Austria-headquartered Borealis has deployed Indian manufacturer Waaree Energies’ modules for the rooftop solar installation at its plant in Italy. The modules use Borealis’ encapsulation film.
