The long read: Circular innovations
Slowly but surely, environmental concerns are making their way into mainstream thought throughout the PV industry. A look at recycling offers an example of this, with stakeholders trying to get ahead of the high volumes of end-of-life modules already on the horizon. pv magazine examines the technologies that will be needed, alongside policy and economic support, to keep the bulk of these modules out of landfill and ultimately to establish a circular economy for PV materials.
Union budget: Customs duty rise for solar inverters but modules spared
Imported solar inverters and lanterns will get costlier, as the union budget for the next fiscal year has proposed customs duty increases from 5%, for both items, to 20% and 15%, respectively. The budget, which also incentivizes Indian manufacturing of solar project components whilst giving a helping hand to raw materials, makes no mention of solar cells or panels.
Panasonic to exit solar manufacturing
The Japanese brand will continue to sell third-party-made modules under its brand in its home market, as it already does overseas, but in-house PV wafer, cell and module production will halt by the end of fiscal year 2022.
Electric vehicle transition presents US$266-billion investment opportunity this decade
A new report by government thinktank NITI Aayog and Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) identifies financing as one of the hurdles for India’s electric mobility transition. It proposes solutions to lower the cost and increase finance for electric vehicles in the nation.
Solar system prices to rise – then fall – in 2021, with another record year anticipated
IHS Markit is predicting the world will add 30% more solar capacity this year.
Battery startup Gegadyne Energy raises INR 33.4 crore from V-Guard
The Mumbai-based battery startup develops advanced nano-material composites to enable quick-charging batteries for electric vehicle (EV), industrial storage, and consumer electronics space.
World could add up to 194 GW of solar this year
Falling module prices will help PV post another record year after an estimated 132 GW was installed worldwide in 2020, according to an energy transition investment trends report published by Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
BEL tenders for 2.86 MW of polycrystalline solar modules
Manufacturers have until January 28 to bid for supplying the modules to solar projects in the Akola and Amravati districts of Maharashtra.
Solar manufacturer Websol Energy’s EBITDA rises 374% Q-o-Q
The performance improvement in the current fiscal’s third quarter was singularly derived from solar cells manufacture and sales, said the company, which has secured orders equal to its complete cell production capacity for the next six months.
REIL tenders for supply of three lakh multi-crystalline solar cells
Manufacturers have until January 28 to bid for supplying the four-/five-busbar multi-crystalline silicon solar cells rated for a peak power output of 4.5 watts.
