Technology

Once a natural phenomenon – a fortuitous byproduct of thermal generation – the weaning off of coal has made the emulation of inertia a priority for grid operators. It will be a few more years in most markets before a solution becomes needed with any great urgency. However, some markets have needed to come up with solutions – are they a portal into the future of grids dominated by renewables and power electronics?

The engagement covers software development, integration, and maintenance of combined powertrain coordination unit including charging control, and extends over several years.

Bids are invited from government-owned entities to set up a ground-mounted, grid-connected solar plant at the university’s campus in Bihar. The plant is to be installed in EPC mode. Bidding closes on November 27. 

The thermal energy storage system with a 775 tonnes-of-refrigeration heat rate is installed at IIT Kanpur’s Centre for Environmental Science and Engineering building. It is part of an urban pilot under a joint Indo-US project called UI-ASSIST on Smart Grid and Storage Technology. 

Scientists in France conducted an analysis on the competitiveness of water desalination, taking a large scale project planned for Morocco as a case study. The research concludes that PV without storage is the cheapest option to power desalinators, and will likely remain so until at least 2030.

Indian researchers have created a hybrid salp swarm algorithm to optimize MPPT tracking in PV systems under partial shading conditions. It is based on the swarming behavior of salps in the ocean.

Bids are invited for supply, installation and commissioning of balance-of-system (BOS) items for NTPC’s 20 MW (AC) grid-connected solar plant in Gujarat. Bidding closes on November 10.

A study by Auroville Consulting assesses the techno-commercial impact of generating solar power close to the point of consumption. The study was undertaken on ten feeders of a substation in the Erode district of Tamil Nadu. The results indicated that 100% solar energy penetration, in energy terms, is not only possible but a winning proposition, especially for the distribution companies.

A joint study by Smart Power India, an arm of US-based impact investor Rockefeller Foundation, and government thinktank NITI Aayog, evaluates the status of electricity access in India across different states and benchmarks distribution utilities’ capacity to provide electricity access. It also offers recommendations to help DISCOMs realize their full potential.

The Indian solar manufacturer has unveiled the DESERV Galactic Ultra series, which features the world’s first mono-facial modules to cross a peak output of 500 W using G1-sized (158.75mm) cells.