Residential PV

Renewable energy and battery storage has racked up another banner year in 2021, according to end-of-year analysis from Rystad Energy. While there was growth across segments, residential solar has seen the most impressive gains, surpassing the commercial and industrial (C&I) segment for the year.

The solar sector in India bounced back to make 2021 the best year in new PV capacity addition. The year also witnessed a massive response to PLI tender for solar manufacturing and launch of 50 GWh battery cell tender and green hydrogen mission.

The Chinese inverter maker has expanded its offerings in India beyond commercial and residential solar sector by launching 250 and 253 kW inverters for the utility segment. It also plans to bring its offgrid solutions to the Indian market in 2022.

The core objective of renewable energy deployment in India is to promote economic growth, enhance energy security, increase energy access, and reduce climate change. Sustainable development is possible by the use of clean energy and by ensuring access to affordable and reliable energy for every citizen.

An international research team has examined combining solar power generation with energy-intensive hydroponic horticulture and has found that this may be a viable solution depending on project size and available incentive policies. Their approach considered various factors impacting PV system efficiency, including environmental factors, the type of solar array, and the electricity demand from the hydroponic farm.

Installers now have until December 28 to bid for setting up the residential grid-connected rooftop solar capacity under CAPEX mode. Technical bid shall open on December 29.

Incorporating solar into our built environments represents an opportunity for hundreds of gigawatts to be installed worldwide without taking up any additional land. In many cases though, this will require solutions beyond typical rooftop PV installations and much closer cooperation between the PV and construction industries. A new report published by IEA PVPS looks to bring together the interests of both worlds, and clearly categorize both the building envelope and energy functions of different BIPV components.

Rajasthan (8,644 MW), Karnataka (7,483 MW), and Gujarat (6,052 MW) lead in solar installations.

With 7.4 GW of new solar already installed in the first nine months, the year 2021 is headed to become one of the best years on record for new solar installation in India.

The Paris-based body expects the world will have installed almost 160 GW of solar this year, a record number, but still not enough to keep the prospect of a net zero global economy by mid century in sight.