Indian-led start-up raises Swiss funding for solar diagnostic tool
Swiss-based SmartHelio claims to have witnessed a near 200% jump in demand for its deep-data driven solar asset management solution, which plugs into solar panels or energy storage systems. Sales of the internet-of-things enabled, cloud product have leapt in the last six months.
Gujarat extends bidding for 110 MW grid-connected solar and floats new 210 MW tender
Developers now have until September 23 to lodge bids for the 110 MW procurement round and can toss their hat into the ring for a new tender in the district of Jamnagar which closes on October 5.
Maharashtra utility seeks installers for 25 MW of solar rooftops
The state electric company has issued a call for expressions of interest in installing the residential arrays.
Macquarie selects Prescinto’s IIOT platform to oversee Indian solar assets
The Australia-based global investor—which has over 408 MW of operational solar fleet in India—will use the cloud-based, hardware-agnostic platform to gain insights in real time and improve its 21 solar projects’ performance.
Manikaran Power, south Korea’s KEPCO join hands to acquire stressed power plants in India
The New Delhi-headquartered power trading company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the South Korean power plant maintenance specialist to acquire and revive stressed assets in the power sector.
NHDC invites bids for 25 MW floating solar EPC in Madhya Pradesh
Bidders have until August 25 to lodge the interest for design, engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) work of a 25 MW floating solar plant in Khandwa district.
Europe will be our next stop – S&W solar interview
Having bagged large orders in the U.S. and Australia, Indian multinational engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services provider Sterling and Wilson Solar is bidding for tenders in regions which have eased up business lines, Europe among them. Kannan Krishnan, S&W’s chief operations officer for solar in India and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation area, speaks to pv magazine about the impact of Covid-19 on the solar EPC business and the company’s expansion plans.
Drones can drive down operational solar costs—Frost & Sullivan Interview
The market for drones in the power and utility industry will grow 23.6% annually, reaching $515 million by 2030—according to a Frost & Sullivan report.
The report, Drones in the Global Power and Utilities Industry, Forecast to 2030, cites ongoing digital transformation, remote monitoring, and the need to optimize operational costs as the factors driving increasing adoption of drones in the power and utility industry.
“Drones minimize the need to send human employees onsite and can be deployed for monitoring, operations, and maintenance services. As the global power and utility industry continues to tackle the impact of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, drones can be potential game-changers in combating the challenges it poses,” as per the report.
pv magazine spoke to Supreeth Srinivasa Rao, Associate Director, Industrial Practice, Frost & Sullivan, to find out the role of drones in the solar sector, especially for India.
Problems observed in solar module mounting structures in India
Findings from solar installation sites in Gujarat and Rajasthan and some suggestions to handle the issues.
Covid-19: MNRE terms utility-scale solar power generation ‘essential service,’ allows related material and personnel movement
The ministry further announced waiver from section 144, Nationwide Lockdown, Curfew, or any other limitation on the number of people required for operation and maintenance of solar power plants. The directive came a day after lobby group National Solar Energy Federation wrote to the ministry asking for waivers.
