India

All-electric buses will cost the same as diesel options by 2030 – and possibly earlier – according to research into the global EV market which highlighted the potential for India to follow China’s lead in the sector.

Lack of road access meant PV panels had to be brought in by boat to be installed on the roof of every home under the government’s Saubhagya rural electrification scheme.

The floating solar power plant—to be developed by AM International’ Greenam Energy—will be located in Tuticorin plant of Southern Petrochemical Industries Corporation (SPIC). The power generated will be used to meet SPIC’s electricity requirements and the excess will be sold to the state power utilities.

Currently, the Mumbai-based solar EPC firm is executing 134.5 MWp of solar projects to be commissioned by September 2019. It expects to surpass cumulative installation of 350 MWp by the end of this financial year.

The Malaysian oil and gas group has purchased solar developer Amplus Energy Solutions from infrastructure investor I Squared Capital. No financial terms of the deal have been disclosed.

Asia is home to more than 60% of the world’s population, about half of whom live in cities and towns. With climate change being largely driven by urban centers, Vice President Naidu called upon governments across the continent to build climate resilient communities.

Founded in 2016, Prescinto Technologies is an industrial internet of things solution provider to the solar sector. After two years, Prescinto has found a footing in 13 countries across 4 GW of solar plant capacity. Backed by Gensol Group’s engineering experience across 20 GWs of renewable projects, Prescinto is able to transform that knowledge into code and empowers plants ‘onboarded’ on its platform.

Kanti Bijlee Utpadan Nigam Limited (KBUNL), a wholly owned subsidiary of NTPC Limited, has invited bids for setting up of 500 KW of rooftop solar PV capacity on various buildings of its plant for Muzaffarpur Thermal Power Project in Bihar. The project will be awarded based on domestic competitive bidding. The deadline for bid submission is May 8.

As in many fast-growing solar marketplaces, some of the stories about PV quality to emerge from India have been the stuff of nightmares. But the industry is mobilizing in the form of a quality taskforce, writes Pranav R. Mehta, chairman of the National Solar Energy Federation of India.

With Narendra Modi being tipped to triumph again in the current Indian elections, Indian solar capacity is expected to grow robustly, at 15.3% per year, on the back of continued strong government support.