Ground mounted

Rising efficiencies and the plummeting cost of solar modules over the past few years, recent months notwithstanding, are leading innovators toward ideas that may look unusual in the current tracker-dominated world of large-scale solar parks. Advocates of the new approaches argue that they leave traditional models looking decidedly flat by comparison.

India will require large swaths of land for the huge expansion of renewable energy capacity over the coming decades. The energy transition requires planning for proper siting of these plants and solutions like agrivoltaics, distributed energy systems, and offshore wind to reduce land-use conflicts.

Installers have until September 10 to apply for getting enlisted with Central Electronics Limited (CEL) to carry out the work for grid-connected, ground-mount solar plants. The plants are to be set up in sizes of 2 MW to 10 MW.

Developers and EPC contractors have until September 30 to apply for grid-connected, ground-mount solar installation under the Scheme that allows farmers to set up PV power plants on their uncultivable land and sell the generated power to the State Discoms. The plants, in sizes of 500 kW to 2 MW, shall come upon land within a 10 km radius of substations.

A 6 MW solar plant, coupled with a 15 MWh battery energy storage system, will meet the village’s day and night electricity requirements. Moreover, 1kW rooftop solar systems have been installed on houses.  

The solar project, spanning 756 acres of land, was commissioned within the scheduled timeline despite the various challenges posed by Covid-19 pandemic.

Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited (GESCL) has tendered the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) work for an aggregate 224 MW of grid-connected solar projects in the State. The projects, to be set up in 10-55 MW sizes, shall come up in Surendranagar, Morbi, Kutchh, Jamnagar, and Surat districts. Bidding closes on September 8.

Developers have until August 31 to bid for grid-connected solar installation under the Scheme that allows farmers to set up PV power plants on their uncultivable land and benefit from selling the generated power to the State Discoms.

The Coal India Limited arm plans a 40MW ground-mounted, grid-connected solar power plant initially as it eyes an overall 142 MW PV capacity in three years.

Anil Kottantharayil currently leads the Centre for Research in Nanotechnology and Science, as well as the Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facility, at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. He works on high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells, the impact of dust on solar panels, and the long-term reliability of photovoltaic modules.