Manufacturing

California-based SimpliPhi Power, which designs and manufactures lithium ferro phosphate (LFP) energy storage systems, has brought off-grid power to everything from the giant moon on Conan O’Brien’s talk show set to U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, to rooftops for Whole Foods and Airbnb. As the company prepares to enter into India, CEO and President Catherine Von Burg tells pv magazine why their LFP technology is best suited for India and their plans for the country.

The NYSE-listed developer will set up a 500 MW cell and module production line as its manufacturing commitment under the SECI tender. The tender aimed to secure 2 GW of new annual manufacturing capacity by offering 7 GW of power project permits. Azure has an agreement with an Indian solar panel manufacturer to jointly establish the new production facilities with the developer holding a majority stake in the enterprise.

Electric vehicle (EV) battery market will grow annually at 30%, growing almost six times to 28 GWh from 4.75 GWh in 2018. The EV infrastructure will grow at double the pace (60% annually), reaching 50,000 units from less than a thousand in 2018.

Bids are invited for supply of 5-busbar cells with an efficiency of minimum 19.4%. A total of one million quantities are to be supplied. Bidding closes on December 26.

Energy Efficiency Services Ltd, under the Ministry of Power, intends to procure an aggregate 100 MWp quantity of solar modules rated 325 Wp or above for the state of Maharashtra. Bidding closes on December 27.

Global bids are invited for manufacturing and supply of multicrystalline PV modules with peak power output of minimum 330 Wp, for the state-owned engineering major’s projects in Gujarat. Bidding closes on December 11.

An Indian Institute of Technology research team analyzed around 300 studies about PV panel waste containing carcinogenic metals. The researchers said solar module recycling is not economically profitable and policy support is necessary to avoid panels being dumped in landfill.

Bids are invited for supply, installation and commissioning of Balance of System (BOS) items for the state-owned engineering major’s 100 MW (AC) solar plant in Gujarat. The last date for bid submission is December 10.

There will be plenty of opportunity for electric three-wheeler penetration in the Indian market through the model of battery swapping as well as local charging points available at delivery hubs.

In its Inverter Scorecard, PV Evolution Labs examines thermal derating, a long-known problem among experts. With the data the lab collects, it provides insights as to how different devices behave when exposed to high temperatures.