Procurement

Due to temporary disruptions caused by Covid-19 epidemic and the current lockdown, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has notified six months extension in the effective dates for the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM). The list is now set to apply from the end of September 2020.

Pinaki Bhattacharyya, Amp Energy India MD and CEO, speaks to pv magazine about the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the solar industry and the ways in which the government can build a positive sentiment in the industry.

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.

Disruptions in the industrial and commercial activities due to Covid-19 lockdown have further dented electricity demand in India which already registered a discernible decline in annual electricity demand. India’s electricity demand in the first 11 months of 2019-20 (April 2019-February 2020) grew by 2.2% (to 1191 billion units) compared with 5.4% annual growth in the same months of previous year.

The Asian Development Bank says developing countries in Asia and the Pacific should consider developing their own solar industry supply chains as the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed their over-reliance on China to carry through the energy transition.

Solar season had already started in the month of March. The demand for solar consumption is the highest during April-June quarter as summer picks up. This is the time when factory runs with full efficiency. India was estimated to install nearly 8 GW of solar panels in 2020, in which 90% consumption happens in utility-scale […]

Planning ahead is crucial to ensure the Indian solar industry bounces back quickly and the slowdown is not carried forward to 2021-22, say BloombergNEF analysts even as they estimate 75% fall in PV imports in the first quarter of year 2020 over the previous quarter and revise annual capacity addition forecasts.

The Chinese inverter manufacturer will supply its 1500V 3.125 MW central inverter solution for Indian developer Avaada Energy’s upcoming PV projects in India.

Sliding electricity demand and declining commercial and industrial activity could prompt distribution companies to block or delay payments to solar power producers.