Policy & Regulation
MNRE has issued operational guidelines for the implementation of the second phase of grid-connected rooftop solar program. The major components of the programme are:
- Component A: Residential rooftop segment
Target to set up 4,000 MW of grid connected rooftop solar projects in residential sector with Central Financial Assistance (CFA).
Central subsidy in the form of CFA is raised from initial 30% to up to 40 % now with a system size limit of up to 3 kW. For systems above 3 kW and up to 10 kW, the CFA of 40% would be applicable only for the first 3 kW capacity and for capacity above 3 kW the CFA would be limited to 20 %. For Group Housing Societies/Residential Welfare Associations (GHS/RWA), CFA will be limited to 20% for installation of rooftop system not exceeding 500 kWp.
- Component B: Institutional, educational, social, government, commercial and industrial sectors
Target is to achieve 18,000 MW of grid connected rooftop solar plants by 2022. Incentives to be provided to DISCOMs for each MWp capacity of solar rooftop, added by them over and above 10% of base capacity installed at the end of previous year.
India’s Draft Policy on National Resource Efficiency Focuses on Recycling of Solar Components
To make solar PV recycling sector ready for a future stream of PV waste, the ministry states that there’s a need to train commercial recycling companies on the constituents of solar PV and procedure to break them down.
Government classifies ocean power as renewable energy
MNRE has clarified to all stakeholders that energy produced using various forms of ocean energy, such as tidal, wave, ocean thermal energy conversion, shall be considered as renewable energy and shall be eligible for meeting non-solar renewable purchase obligations (RPO).
The guidelines are issued to facilitate test labs/manufacturers in formation of series of products for approval of product family including change in design, materials, etc. for the testing of Solar Inverters in the test labs for compulsory registration with BIS for implementation of the Solar Photovoltaics Systems, Devices and Component Goods Order 2017. These guidelines are applicable for SPV based Off Grid, Grid-Tied and Hybrid Inverters of capacities up-to 150KW
Tenders
New tenders announced
| Tender name | Tendering Authority | Technology | Capacity, MW | Location | Status | Bid submission date |
| NTPC, ISTS wind, 1,200 MW, Aug 2019 | NTPC | Wind | 1,200 | ISTS | RFS Issued | Sep 16, 2019 |
| MSEDCL, 500 MW, solar, Aug 2019 | MSEDCL | Solar | 500 | Maharashtra | RFS Issued | Sep 17, 2019 |
EESL Tenders 175,000 Solar Pumps Under KUSUM Program
The Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) has issued a tender for 175,000 off-grid solar water pumping systems. The tender states that the solar pumps will be procured through a central agency, in this case, EESL, on behalf of the state nodal agencies (SNAs). The successful bidders will be allotted 90-120 days for installing these solar pumps. The pre-bid meeting for this tender will take place in Delhi on August 28, 2019, and the last date of submission of bids will be September 11, 2019.
Punjab Issues Tender for Short Term Procurement of Solar & Non-Solar Power
Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has issued a tender for the short-term power purchase of 185 MW or 405 million units (MUs) from renewable energy projects (non-solar) to meet its renewable purchase obligation (RPO). Further, it has also issued a similar tender for short-term procurement of solar power of up to 280 MW of capacity or 115 MUs. The PSPCL has invited bids from power traders, generators, and independent power producers who have valid inter-state/intra-state power trading licenses to procure renewable power between September 1, 2019, to November 30, 2019.
Bid submission
SECI, Pan India, 1,800 MW, VIII wind tender undersubscribed
CLP India has submitted its bid to develop 250.8 MW of wind power projects and Avikaran Energy (Enel Green) has submitted the bid to set up 300 MW of wind power projects. When contacted, a few stakeholders reiterated that tariff caps are now becoming a deterrent in participation. Most of the premium areas for wind power generation have already been bought out or leased by the developers who emerged as winners in previous auctions. The current tariff caps and the resultant low bids will make the projects unviable for most of the project developers.
Projects
Adani Renewable Energy commissions solar project in Rajasthan
Adani Renewable Energy, a step-down subsidiary of Adani Green Energy, has commissioned the balance 100 MWac capacity on August 21 in Rajasthan out of 200 MWac solar power project, having power purchase agreement (PPA) with Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company at ₹2.71/kWh for a period of 25 years.
CleanMax Solar commissions 345.6KW rooftop solar for Hector Beverages
Mumbai-based commercial solar player CleanMax Solar has commissioned a 345.6 kWp rooftop solar plant at Hector Beverages’ manufacturing unit in Mysuru, Karnataka. The company has received approvals for net metering, which will allow it to export surplus solar power to the grid, thereby saving approximately more than Rs11 million on its electricity bills annually.
Bengal gets proposal for 800 MW solar power project: Minister
West Bengal has received a proposal for 800 megawatt (MW) solar power project with an estimated investment of Rs 3,000 crore from a private investor, a state minister said on August 24. Power purchase agreement (PPA), however, will be the key to execute the project, West Bengal’s Power Minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay said.
Financing
With ₹7,650 crore lent, L&T Finance was top lender to renewable projects in 2018
L&T Finance Holdings was the biggest lender to renewable energy projects in 2018. The company lent ₹7,650 crore to renewable energy projects, according to a recent report of New Delhi-based research and analysis body, Centre for Financial Accountability (CFA).
Indian Oil to invest $3.7bn in green energy projects
Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) plans to invest Rs25,000 crore in alternative energy and sustainable development projects and scale up its renewable energy generation capacity from 212 MW to 260 MW by next year.The plan includes expanding the company’s PV portfolio from 28.1 MW of off-grid and 20.5 MW of grid-connected solar generation capacity. IOCL has an installed capacity of 216 MW of renewable energy, including 167.6 MW of wind and 48.6 MW of solar.
Shapoorji Pallonji Group plans asset sales to pare ₹ 4,000 crore debt
Shapoorji Pallonji Group is looking to sell its solar power plants and road assets to reduce debt by as much as ₹4,000 crore ($558 million). The conglomerate is looking to sell its two road assets and its solar power plants, including those that already produce 298 megawatts of power and another 900 megawatts of projects in different stages of development, the person said.
Other important news
Karnataka ranks best in roof top solar development
The state rooftop solar attractiveness index–SARAL released by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy on Wednesday said that Karnataka, Telangana, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh were the top four states with a rating of A++. The states were evaluated on the basis of on their attractiveness for rooftop development.
India’s Solar-Power Manufacturing Push Delayed, Again
India has extended a deadline to submit bids for building solar power equipment factories in the South Asian nation, in another delay to its efforts to boost its nascent domestic manufacturing capacity. The new deadline to submit bids for the tender is Sept. 11 , Solar Energy Corp. of India said on its website Monday. The tender seeks to set up four projects for module, cell, ingot and wafer manufacturing with an annual capacity of 500 megawatts each. In addition, developers have to build solar farms of up to 1.5 GW of generation capacity.
China Adds 11 GW of Solar in First Half of 2019
China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) has announced that the country has reached a cumulative installed solar capacity of around 186 GW. China added 11.4 GW on a year-over-year basis (YoY), which roughly translates to a 20% increase. With the newly-added capacity, grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) projects now total 130.5 GW, with 6.82 GW added in the first half increase of 16%. Distributed solar power generation projects have increased by 4.58 GW to reach an installed capacity of 55 GW, a 31% increase.
How trailblazer India is losing its renewable energy momentum
Solar capacity additions in the June quarter fell 14% from the March quarter, and 9% from a year ago. Over 80% of solar procurement globally this year is expected to be achieved by reverse auction, up from just 10% in 2018.