India offers $100 million loan for solar installation in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka have recently decided to implement solar PV systems on their government infrastructures. To successfully achieve their ambitious vision, India offered a $100 million loan. According to Sri Lanka’s cabinet, these funds will be dedicated to commission solar PV systems in low-income households in districts of Hambantota, Trincomalee, Moneragala, Hambantota, and Anuradhapura.
Tamil Nadu plan to procure 500MW solar electricity from SECI
The Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) has gone ahead with the procurement of 500 MW solar electricity plan from the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). Both parties have agreed to pay ₹2.78/kWh for the procurement which will also help meet Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited’s (TANGEDCO) solar renewable purchase obligation (RPO).
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) recently came forward to state that Tamil Nadu needs 9 GW of solar electricity to meet its solar purchase obligation in FY 2021-22. Tamil Nadu has already installed 3.6 GW generating solar PV systems as of Q1 2020. However, reports suggest that Tamil Nadu still lag by 5 GW of solar power in the target set by the MNRE to achieve in the next two years.
Installing solar PV systems is only the first step taken towards reducing utility bills. It is important to maintain the panels and systems to optimize the solar electricity generation capacity and achieve the desired efficiency. In this article, we will talk about the benefits of scheduled maintenance and the scope of work involved through our case study.
ABS Renew Power recently commissioned a 100 MW operations and maintenance contract for a solar park in Karnataka. The scope of work involved non-technical activities such as cleaning modules, grass cutting, maintaining cable laying, panel tilting and herbicide spraying to prevent any kind of energy loss due soiling effect, shading or heat ventilation around panels. With the project beginning during the pandemic outbreak in April 2020, our team worked with available resources to ensure our customer received the desired generation.
Lowest residential rooftop solar installations in Delhi cost revealed
The Indraprastha Power Generation Company (IPGCL) has revealed the lowest bidding quoted for the residential rooftop solar installation projects under the capital expenditure (CAPEX) model of B and F. The tender was floated in February 2020 for the complete Engineering, Procurement, Installation, and Commissioning of solar PV systems in the national capital.
These on-grid systems will range between 1 kW – 10 kW and 10 kW – 500 kW. The contract will be valid for 5 years under the CAPEX investment model. A total of 30 MW project has been planned with 12 MW under CAPEX and 12 MW under RESCO and 6 MW under open category.
The CAPEX model is projected to cost Rs. 32,400/kW. The costs include structure and solar PV system costs. Additional costs to be incurred per height meter. With subsidies for grid-connected solar PV systems from 1 – 10 kW priced down to Rs 22,200, solar system integrators in Punjab complained the lowest price in Delhi to be high.
ISA aims to offer solar electricity to 47 million households.
International Solar Alliance (ISA) aims at powering 47 million households with 20 GW solar park. Mr. R. K. Singh, Union Power Minister and the President of ISA announced the launch of eight new innovative initiatives. Some of the important initiatives will help develop technician’s solar PV skills, make solar bankable, developing solar projects in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and Least Developed Countries (LDC). Another key initiative was to initiate a global bid for providing solar electricity to 47 million households by offering solar PV systems. This project is proposed with an action plan of developing 20 GW of solar parks.
MNRE asks Haryana Government to treat every solar installation important
With around 1,050 MW of open access solar installation projects being allocated to the state, the MNRE has asked the government to honor all the allocations made to the solar parks and projects and treat them as sacrosanct. This decision was made after one of the solar providers from the state raised their concern of open access projects being canceled due to constant updates in regulations. These newly imposed conditions lead to considerable losses for developers allowing them to cancel ongoing projects.
The letter of concern states that the hurdles created by the state DISCOMs and lack of support from the government are not only losing the investor’s money but also their confidence to invest in such projects. These lose include costs like land acquisition, infrastructure, and components. The letter further states that with DISCOMS were taking advantage of their position and denying signing for the connection agreement of Long-Term Open Access (LTOAs) to solar power parks and projects allocated by the Haryana VidyutPrasaran Nigam Limited (HVPNL).
With the lockdown extended till 3rd May 2020, the Ministry of Home Affairs has allowed certain operations to be functional to keep the economy running. All renewable energy projects including wind and solar installation have been resumed even with the availability of the workers doubtful. With no public transportation, the Ministry has requested all constructions be resumed with the help of local workers. The Ministry has also stated that all railways and airports will be allowed to ship essential components required to complete the project. Power is an essential service, the government has confirmed that the generation, transmission, and power distribution at the center, and UT/state levels will remain functional.
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) have drafted guidelines for the installation of innovative solar pumps. Currently, the MNRE are open towards feedback and suggestions from stakeholders. The last day of submitting all opinions is April 15th. The draft proposes an expression of interest (EoI) for all solar providers to offer innovative applications that can help the pumps perform better in terms of efficiency, cost, and monitoring.
The Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) has announced that they will drop all grid support charges on rooftop solar installations until Maharashtra achieves its rooftop solar installation target of 2,000 MW. The grid support charges were fees paid to Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MESDCL) as infrastructure costs of the grid.
The leading three solar markets – China, USA, and India have collectively added 51 GW of solar electricity with China contributing 30.1 GW, USA contributing 13.3 GW, and India contributing 7.3 GW. USA claimed that the new additions have helped them achieve 40% of its total generation capacity via solar electricity. They further claim that the numbers are expected to rise to 47% with 20 GW solar installation planned by the end of 2020. Similarly, India’s 7.3 GW solar installationhas brought the country’s solar capacity total to 35.7 GW of which 88% came from large-scale solar projects and only 12% came from rooftop solar installation.
