Residential PV

Over 21.6% or 3 GW of solar and wind installations will get delayed due to supply and labour disruptions caused by the ongoing Covid-19 lockdown, according to the analysts which in a January report forecast the country to add over 15 GW of renewable capacity this year.

This article talks about the areas the government needs to address both immediately and in the long run to help the ailing solar industry in the country.

France’s Sunbooster has developed a technology to cool down solar modules when their ambient temperature exceeds 25 degrees Celsius. The solution features a set of pipes that spread a thin film of water onto the glass surface of the panels in rooftop PV systems and ground-mounted plants. The cooling systems collect the water from rainwater tanks and then recycle, filter and store it again. The company claims the technology can facilitate an annual increase in power generation of between 8% and 12%.

U.S.-owned analyst Wood Mackenzie expects solar demand to decline but predicts the market will recover, with the prospects for the energy transition remaining intact.

The New Delhi based lender—which has funded over 45 MW of distributed solar energy assets—will use the new investment to catalyze the growth of residential and commercial solar systems, solar pumps, floating solar and solar cold chains in India.

The Climate Investment Platform launched by three multilateral bodies in September is now open for business and renewables companies in developing nations across 14 regions including south Asia could qualify for help with clean energy facilities, renewables-related grid improvements and energy efficiency schemes.

Developers are also expected to drag their heels over project completion during the first half of the year as the safeguarding duty applied to imported Chinese and Malaysian solar products is due to expire at the end of July.

The International Water Management Institute is promoting the Solar Irrigation for Agricultural Resilience (SoLAR) initiative to expand the use of solar irrigation systems throughout Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. Proponents of solar irrigation pumps say that they can have a strong positive impact on groundwater.

India, with 750 GW of solar potential, has also one of the highest transmission and distribution losses in the world. So, while there is immense scope in PV deployment, there is a need for greater investment in grid related projects also to help the country best utilise its renewable energy potential, says the latest report by SolarPower Europe and National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI) which also makes recommendations to help accelerate investments in the solar sector.

The OneBox, from Indian manufacturer Vision Mechatronics, consists of a lithium battery, hybrid inverter and solar charge controller to give a hassle-free solution for electricity back-up during power outages. Solar rooftop owners are offered a grid feed feature to maximize net metering income from any excess power generated.