Distributed solar

The Togolese government aims for universal access to electricity this decade and for half of its power to come from clean energy sources under the National Development Plan (NDP).

A 500 kW solar project by the side of the Bada Talab in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, uses 1540 PV panels supported through cantilever frame. The installation runs 1.2 km.

India’s solar-powered irrigation mission has had a sluggish run despite the PM-KUSUM scheme providing ample flexibility and budgetary support for the system implementation. An IEEFA report highlights the need to address the challenges of coordination, affordability, business models, technology and awareness creation at State level to increase the uptake.

Small and marginal farmers in the Muzaffarpur district of Bihar are making productive use of solar energy to reduce their losses and increase income, thanks to an innovative pay-per-use cooling service for perishable horticulture produce. 

Telangana-based Visaka Industries will set up electric vehicle (EV) charging stations powered by its ATUM integrated solar roof. According to the company, the ATUM solar roof, with PV panels integrated on cement boards, can generate 40% more clean power in the same given space than any other solar solution.

Developers have until June 21 to bid for grid-connected solar installation under the Scheme that allows farmers to set up PV power plants on their land and benefit from selling the generated power to the State Discoms. The plants, in sizes of 500 kW to 2 MW, shall come upon cultivable or uncultivable land within a 5 km radius of substations.

Solar power generators have until June 15 to bid for the development of projects on a build-own-operate basis. The ceiling tariff payable for the electricity generated has been fixed at INR 3.10/kWh.

India added 7.7 GW of new renewable energy (RE) capacity in FY2020-21, out of which 5.5 GW (71%) came from solar (grid-scale and rooftop) alone. Overall power generation capacity addition for the year stood at 12.1 GW.

Solar power generators have until June 22 to bid for the development of projects, on a build-own-operate basis. The ceiling tariff payable for the electricity generated has been fixed at INR3.08 INR/kWh in the tender.

A new report states decentralized solar installations in climate-vulnerable regions of Assam, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan lacked design to deal with future climate risks. The report authors, based on their study, outline considerations for policymakers, implementing agencies, vendors, and funding agencies to build resilient structures.