The rise of solar co-ops: Collective action for installation advancement
Ishan Chaturvedi, director and co-founder at Vareyn Solar , talks about harnessing solar power with solar cooperatives in India.
Off-grid solar investment down by 43% globally in 2023
The Global Off-Grid Lighting Association (GOGLA) says total investment in the off-grid solar sector stood at $425 million in 2023, down 43% year on year. It says the industry needs to address a lack of early-stage financing to meet development and climate targets.
Designing the best-performing hybrid renewable energy system for off-grid, rural communities in India
A new study evaluates seven different configurations of hybrid renewable energy systems to meet the electricity requirements of an off-grid village community in the Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan, cost-effectively and sustainably. It finds the system combining solar PV panels, wind turbines, biogas generator, lithium-ion battery, converter, electrolyser, and hydrogen tank to be the best performing as it has the lowest fuel consumption rate, net present cost, levelised cost of energy, and cost of hydrogen.
REC gets RBI nod to set up subsidiary in GIFT City, Gujarat
The proposed REC subsidiary at GIFT City will engage in lending, investment, and other financial services, contributing to the growth of India’s energy sector.
New model shows how to power homes exclusively with hydrogen, solar, batteries
Researchers in Spain has found that combining PV power generation with fuel cells and battery storage may help homes considerably reduce their levelized cost of energy. Their simulation reportedly demonstrated homes may also become completely self-sufficient.
DualSun launches foldable plug-and-play solar kits
France’s DualSun has developed foldable plug-and-play solar kits with a power range of 420 W to 1.68 kW.
ISA to accelerate solar initiatives in Uganda
The International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the government of Uganda recently discussed accelerating the solar mini-grid project to address Uganda’s energy access challenge and advancing the solar water pumping project under the India, Brazil, and South Africa (IBSA) Fund. New areas of cooperation, such as establishing a Solar Technology and Application Resource Centre (STAR-C), were also explored.
PNOC, WindStream partner to deploy hybrid wind-solar RE solutions in Philippines
The Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) has partnered with India’s WindStream Energy Technologies to deploy hybrid wind-solar RE solutions in remote, off-grid areas of the Philippines.
ISA to help boost solar initiatives in Bhutan
The International Solar Alliance (ISA) will work with the government of Bhutan to enhance energy access and ensure energy security in Bhutan through solar energy interventions and diversification of the nation’s energy portfolio.
Gautam Solar supplies 60 MW PV panels for PM KUSUM Scheme
Under PM KUSUM Scheme, farmers can set up solar plants on their barren or uncultivable agriculture land and benefit from selling the electricity generated to the local Discom.
