Choosing the right sites for Indian renewables
With biodiversity concerns and social impacts such as arguments over the loss of agricultural land delaying projects, non-profit The Nature Conservancy India has published a report to help developers choose their locations more carefully and get India’s energy transition back on track.
Solar leaders call for overhaul to navigate Covid-19
Faced with raw material and labor shortages, solar manufacturers have stressed the need to find alternative supply chains and to push automation and internet of things applications on the factory floor to keep production running.
Engineering drives next-generation solar power in Southeast Asia—Black & Veatch interview
Mitesh Patel, Renewables Director-Asia, US-headquartered EPC player Black & Veatch, speaks to pv magazine about the key trends driving the solar market, especially in Southeast Asia, and strategies to improve the bankability of PV projects.
India added just 351 MW of solar capacity in Q2, 42,229 MW in pipeline: Bridge To India
Covid-related disruption hit solar project construction in the second quarter. The activity will likely rebound over the coming quarters, with 4,720 MW expected to be commissioned in the second half.
Manufacturers want 50% basic customs duty on solar imports
India imported solar cells and modules worth $1.3 billion from China in FY2019-20. Domestic manufacturers have demanded a level playing field to compete against cheaper imports.
Modi loosens the purse strings to help struggling state utilities
Covid-19 hits to demand and bill payment collection have worsened the plight of the nation’s already debt-crippled power distribution companies, prompting the government to order an exceptional relaxation of lending limits.
Energy storage investment to approach $10bn in 2025
Analyst IHS Markit has predicted storage will rebound this year following its first year-on-year decline in 2019. The technology is being rolled out at pace despite Covid-19 with state-level policies set to keep the US the global capital for the next five years.
India could add 2.5 GW of big solar in second half
Some 1 GW of utility scale project capacity was added to the end of June.
Under-construction solar projects get a five-month blanket extension for completion
In March, the government said delays in renewable energy plant construction on account of Covid-19-prompted supply chain disruption would be considered a force majeure event.
Value of PV imports tanked 83% in second quarter
Mercom India Research has said the quarterly value of solar cell and module imports was down 83% in the second quarter of the year, compared to the same period of 2019, to sit 54% lower than the value recorded in the January-to-March window.
