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ANERT launches e-market place for renewable energy systems

2018-06-05T09:12:00.001-07:00

ANERT had initiated various eGovernance as part of its efforts to streamline the implementation of renewable energy programmes. Subsequent to the implementation of eOffice, the development of electronic marketplace (buymysun.com), programme management system (PMS) portal (both developed by Keltron) and mobile apps was taken up, and they are now ready for implementation.

The Inauguration of eMarketPlace portal buymysun.com and programme management system (PMS) held on June 5 2018 at Kanakakunnu Palace Trivandrum.

BuyMySun

BuyMySun is an electronic market place developed by ANERT. The services are available only through Internet to anyone desiring to procure or install a renewable energy system in Kerala.

The products of empanelled vendors/agents of ANERT who supply and install renewable energy systems are listed here. Anyone in Kerala, interested in procuring the products can order them online and get it delivered/ installed at their desired location (if agreed to by the vendor) in Kerala.

All processes related to the delivery and installation are handled electronically. Payment for the product / system shall be made online.

If the customer had ordered a system for which subsidy is available at the time of ordering, the subsidy will be disbursed to the eligible beneficiary through Aadhaar linked direct benefit transfer (DBT) after completing installation and commissioning.

The delivery, installation, and maintenance of the products is the responsibility of the respective vendor.

ANERT’s responsibility is confined to the empanelment of vendor and approval of their products listed on the website. If a vendor violates any conditions of the website/ portal or does not comply with the delivery, installation and maintenance services committed to a customer, ANERT would take necessary action including suspension/ removal of the vendor from the portal.

First Solar Presents First Functional Series 6 Photovoltaic Module

2017-12-06T20:13:00.000-08:00

First Solar, Inc. unveiled the first functional Series 6 thin film photovoltaic module off the company’s Perrysburg, Ohio, new production line. Presented during a meeting with investment analysts at the Perrysburg facility, the large area Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) glass-on-glass module was part of the first batch of material run completely through the recently activated line. This marks a major milestone in a factory retooling that began just under one year ago, and included approximately $177 million in capital investment.

The new line is expected to be producing commercial product by early in the second quarter of 2018, and will have an annualized output of 600MWdc when operating at full capacity.

Series 6 is expected to enter the commercial market with a power rating of 420-445 watts and conversion efficiency of over 17 percent. Measuring approximately 2 meters by 1.2 meters, Series 6 modules will provide more watts per lift than comparable crystalline silicon solar panels, and can be installed on virtually any ground-based PV mounting system.

“This is an extraordinary accomplishment, by any measure,” said First Solar CEO Mark Widmar. “Last November, we were in full Series 4 production mode. Since our decision at the end of 2016 to rapidly transition to Series 6, we’ve hit every incremental target with precision. We are absolutely delighted to be on track for delivery of commercial product early next year.”

Also during the meeting with analysts, First Solar announced it is expanding its production facility in Vietnam, essentially doubling production capacity of the initial site, which is still under construction. Annualized production capacity in Vietnam, when fully operational, will be 2.4GWdc. This, in combination with Perrysburg and facilities in Kulim, Malaysia, will give First Solar a total Series 6 manufacturing capacity of approximately 5.4GWdc by 2020, and represents approximately $1.4 billionin capital investment.

In late November of 2016, as a response to the highly competitive and dynamic PV market environment and customer demand for higher efficiency modules, First Solar made a strategic decision to accelerate development and production of Series 6. The new product, still based on First Solar’s unique thin film CdTe PV technology, increases physical dimensions and performance characteristics while adding an under-mount frame that allows for simple, high-velocity installation of the product in the field. With superior temperature coefficient, spectral response and shading behavior, Series 6 modules will generate significantly more energy than conventional crystalline silicon modules.

Widmar said First Solar will continue to maintain some Series 4 production at the Kulim plant as long as economic global demand calls for the product.

About First Solar, Inc.

First Solar is a leading global provider of comprehensive photovoltaic (PV) solar systems which use its advanced module and system technology. The company’s integrated power plant solutions deliver an economically attractive alternative to fossil-fuel electricity generation today. From raw material sourcing through end-of-life module recycling, First Solar’s renewable energy systems protect and enhance the environment. For more information about First Solar, please visit www.firstsolar.com.

Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali plans to enter into solar power business

2017-12-05T20:37:00.001-08:00

Patanjali Ayurved, which was set up in 2006, has grown at a stunning pace, increasing its revenue more than fivefold to Rs10,561 crore in the year to 31 March from Rs2,006 crore in 2014-15; it aims to cross Rs20,000-25,000 crore in sales by 31 March 2018.

This will be the company’s first exposure to the infrastructure sector and comes after its runaway success in consumer products.

Patanjali acquired Advance Navigation and Solar Technologies Pvt. Ltd, a manufacturer of navigation aid equipment, earlier this year. Currently, the facility has a manufacturing capacity of 120 megawatts. Patanjali plans to invest around Rs100 crore in solar equipment manufacturing and its factory in Greater Noida is expected to be fully operational within the next couple of months.

“This started with our plan to use solar as a source of power at all our factories. That time we understood (that) most of the solar modules come from China. And there was no quality consistency even in India-made ones,” Balkrishna added.

India proposes to award 100GW of solar and wind contracts by March 2020. This includes a plan to invite bids for setting up 20GW solar power capacity—the world’s largest solar tender—at one go, to spur domestic manufacturing of solar power equipment. Patanjali will eye on these prospects.

news courtesy :Live mint

India's biggest Floating Solar power plant Inaugurated in Kerala

2017-12-04T20:20:00.002-08:00

The Minister of Power(Kerala) Shri.MM Mani inaugurated the floating solar plant at Banasura Sagar dam in Wayanad district on December 4, 2017.

The floating solar plant has a capacity of 500 kilowatts. This is the country's largest floating solar plant. The solar plant is located in 18 concrete floors constructed in ferosiment technology. The plant consists of 1938 solar panels with 260 watt capacity, 500 KVA transformer and 17 inverter's of 30 Kw.

The unique feature of this plant is the anchoring mechanism to maintain the plant with the alteration of the water level. The total cost of the project generating 7 lakh units per annum is Rs 925 lakh.

*image is representative only

Tata Power awarded for commissioning 100 MW solar plant

2017-11-10T08:34:00.002-08:00

Tata Power, India's largest integrated power company, today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Walwhan Renewable Energy Limited (WREL), has been awarded for establishing and commissioning a large-scale 100 MW solar power plant,pavagada solar park,Tumkur district Karnataka. The award was bestowed to WREL team by the Honourable Chief Minister of Karnataka Shri Siddaramaiah at 'Power Awards' 2017. This was done via competitive bidding under the state solar policy.

Commenting on this development Ashok Sethi, Executive Director and COO, Tata Power, said, “We are happy to receive this award for establishing and early commissioning of our 100 MW solar power plant in Karnataka. This award is a testament to our superior engineering capabilities and in-depth technological know-how. We would like to thank the Honourable Chief Minister of Karnataka as well as the Energy Minister for recognizing our efforts towards ensuring reliable power for all.”

Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd (TPREL) had acquired Walwhan Renewable Energy Limited (formerly known as Welspun Renewables Energy limited) in September 2016, which owns 1141 MW of renewable energy assets comprising 995 MW of solar and 146 MW of wind assets across various States in India. In the state of Karnataka, the company has a total installed capacity of 117 MW of solar power plants comprising of 50 MW at Talak, 34 MW at Kodihali, 17 MW at Nagsamudra and 16 MW at Rajapura.

PPAs signed for first Wind Auction totalling 1050 MW

2017-07-23T04:01:00.000-07:00

Union Minister of State(IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, Shri Piyush Goyal presided over the signing of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for purchase of 1050 MW of wind power under Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)’s first Wind Auction Scheme here today. The PPAs were signed between PTC India Ltd., the trading company, and the successful wind power developers.

As per the PPAs signed, Mytrah Energy, Inox Wind and Ostro Kutch Wind Pvt. Ltd. would supply wind power of capacity 250 MW each. Further, Green Infra would supply 249.9 MW and Adani Green Energy 50 MW from their wind power projects through inter-state transmission system at a tariff of Rs. 3.46 per kWh discovered through the open and transparent competitive bidding process. PTC India has tied-up this wind power for sale to DISCOMS of a number of States. Under this, Uttar Pradesh would get 449.9 MW, Bihar 200 MW, Jharkhand 200 MW, Delhi 100 MW, Assam 50 MW and Odisha 50MW for meeting their Non-Solar Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO).

For these projects Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) conducted e-reverse auction on 23rd February 2017 and issued Letter of Award (LoA) to the successful wind power developers on 5th April 2017. The wind power projects under first wind auction are likely to be commissioned by September 2018.

Congratulating all stakeholders of the sector on their coordinated efforts to drastically bring down renewable energy prices, Shri Piyush Goyal encouraged everyone to keep the interests of the end consumers as their priority. The Minister also floated the idea of doing away with the requirement of separate Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPO) for different renewable energy sources and allow the States to independently decide their energy mix.

Shri Goyal desired that wind energy bids should be brought out every month, though he also advised the senior officials of the Ministry to calibrate the pace of this process keeping in mind the affordability of renewable energy for common man. Industry players which are inefficient would either evolve and face competition in the sector or finally wind up. “I welcome the churning happening in the industry and look forward to healthy competition and affordable power for all through increase in scale”, the Minister added.

Shri Goyal also informed that the Ministry is working to bring robust guidelines for the wind energy bidding and is in discussions with regulators for better forecasting and scheduling of renewable energy in the grid. The Minister also informed that with every unit of renewable power generated in the country, jobs are being created to the tune of 5-7 times as compared to power generated through conventional energy sources.

Speaking on the occasion, Secretary MNRE, Shri Anand Kumar informed that the Ministry has done away with the Inter State Transmission levies on transfer of Renewable Energy from windy States to non-windy ones, which would aid the latter to meet their RPOs and keep the costs of power affordable.

Earlier, MNRE had sanctioned a scheme for setting up of 1000 MW inter-state transmission system (ISTS) connected Wind Power Projects on 14th June 2016 with the objective to encourage competitiveness through scaling up of project sizes and introduction of efficient and transparent e-bidding and e-auctioning processes.

Other dignitaries present on the occasion were Shri A.K. Bhalla, Secretary Power, Shri Deepak Amitabh, CMD PTC India, Dr. Ashvini Kumar, MD SECI and other senior officers of the Ministry and Industry partners.

Total Commissioned Capacity of Solar Energy Stands at 5.7 GW

2016-03-15T00:12:00.002-07:00

The Government of India has revised the National Solar Mission target of Grid Connected Solar Power projects from 20,000 MW by 2022 to 1,00,000 MW by 2022. This was stated by Sh. Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal & New and Renewable Energy in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.

Total investment of around Rs. 6,00,000 crore has been estimated to achieve the target of 100 GW. Solar power projects are installed by both, private and public sector companies. Banks and Financial Institutions have given green commitments to finance upto 78,850 MW. The organisations setting up the projects raise equity and loan from domestic as well as international sources. Financial institutions in India are also providing loans to this sector based on their prudential lending norms, the Minister added.The total commissioned capacity as on 07-03-16 stands at 5775.751 MW

SKF India goes Green with 1 MW rooftop solar plant at its Pune facility

2016-01-27T06:33:00.002-08:00

SKF India today announced its solar mission with the inauguration of one of the largest rooftop solar installations among manufacturing companies in Pune, with 1 MW capacity. The launch of the project is a part of SKF India’s on going solar mission across all major facilities in the country. The installation in the Pune facility is expected to generate 1.5 GwH units per annum. This initiative is expected to reduce the Pune facility’s CO2 emissions by approximately 1200 metric tons per annum.

SKF India targets CO2 emission reduction upto 4000 metric tons by 2017.

Earlier, SKF installed a rooftop solar plant at its Bengaluru facility and along with the Pune plant; the combined capacity is 2.1 MW. Additionally, SKF has also installed a hybrid solar thermal plant at its Mysore facility with obtained energy of 120 MwH per year. The Mysore facility is part of SKF Technologies India (Pvt) Ltd, wholly owned subsidiary of SKF Group. SKF plans to scale up this initiative and install similar rooftop solar plants at other major facilities across India. The project is in line with SKF’s Environment Care philosophy and sustainability goals.

Commenting on SKF’s efforts to ensure sustainable development, Rob Jenkinson, Director, Corporate Sustainability, said “Sustainability is a long-term commitment for SKF. Our environmental strategy SKF BeyondZero is to create a positive impact on the environment, by reducing the negative impact from our own operations and offering innovative technologies, products and solutions with improved environmental performance. The solar mission is directly aligned with our sustainable business goals.”

About the company:-

SKF is a leading global supplier of bearings, seals, mechatronics, lubrication systems, and services which include technical support, maintenance and reliability services, engineering consulting and training. SKF is represented in more than 130 countries and has around 15,000 distributor locations worldwide.Annual sales in 2014 were SEK 70 975 million and the number of employees was 48 593.

ISA will be the First International and Inter-Governmental Organisation of 121 Countries to have Headquarters in India

2016-01-25T23:59:00.001-08:00

The Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi, and the President of France Mr François Hollande, today jointly laid the foundation stone of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Headquarters and inaugurated the interim Secretariat of the ISA in National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), Gwalpahari, Gurgaon.

Government of India has dedicated 5 acre land in NISE campus for the ISA Headquarters and also has contributed Rs 175 crore for ISA corpus fund and also for meeting expenditure for initial five years.

ISA is part of Prime Minister’s vision to bring clean and affordable energy within the reach of all and create a sustainable world. It will be a new beginning for accelerating development and deployment of solar energy for achieving universal energy access and energy security of the present and future generations.

Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi stated that ISA will be India’s first international and inter-governmental organization headquartered in India.ISA will be dedicated to promotion of solar energy for making solar energy a valuable source of affordable and reliable green and clean energy in 121 member countries. He thanked the President of France for his continued help and support in shaping ISA.

Appreciating India, President of France, Mr. Francois Hollande said that at Paris Conference, India showed that it was ready to fully commit to energy transition and the fight against climate change. Thanks to India’s commitment, we were able to secure an ambitious, fair and dynamic agreement in Paris, which is binding for all of humanity, Mr Hollande added. He also said that India’s role will be just as essential in implementing the Paris Agreement and the commitments which have been made. Mr. Hollande reaffirmed his commitment by saying that France want to build the post-Paris Agreement world with India and ISA paves the way for this. The Alliance has France’s full support. He announced that the French Development Agency will allocate €300 million to developing solar energy over the next five years in order to finance the initial projects. He stressed on the fact that contributing to the success of the Alliance also means launching French-Indian projects.

Welcoming the dignitaries , Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal & New and Renewable Energy informed that an Interim Administrative Cell (IAC) has been made functional for facilitating transition of ISA from de facto to a de jure entity. He also stated that in addition to contribution for creating ISA corpus fund, Government of India has offered training support for ISA member countries at NISE and also support for demonstration projects for solar home lighting, solar pumps for farmers and for other solar applications. Shri Goyal further informed that the interim ISA Secretariat has started functioning from the Surya Bhawan of NISE. He mentioned that locating ISA in NISE campus is a great value addition and both the institutions will immensely benefit from each other’s presence and establish vibrant linkages.

On this occasion, Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA and Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) announced contribution of US $ 1 million each to the ISA corpus fund.

ISA has been envisioned as a specialized platform and will contribute towards the common goal of increasing utilization and promotion of solar energy and solar applications in its member countries. The Paris declaration on International Solar Alliance states that the countries share the collective ambition to undertake innovative and concerted efforts for reducing the cost of finance and cost of technology for immediate deployment of competitive solar generation, financial instruments to mobilise more than 1000 Billion US Dollars of investments needed by 2030 for the massive deployment of affordable solar energy and to pave the way for future solar generation, storage and good technologies for countries’ individual needs.

Prof Kaptan Singh Solanki, Governor, Haryana; Shri Manohar Lal, Chief Minister Haryana; Ministers from the Government of France, and Government of UAE also graced the occasion. Representative from over 60 resident Diplomatic Missions in New Delhi; large number of representatives from International Organizations, Indian Industry & Businesses, Media; and Farmers from Haryana were present in the event.

MNRE To Display Tableau at Republic Day parade

2016-01-24T21:55:00.002-08:00

Ministry of New & Renewable Energy will be showcasing its various activities and initiatives for the first time in Republic Day Parade. The Theme of display is “Mega Watt To Giga Watt – Making The Sun Brighter, Even At Night”. The tableau highlights its ambitious project of renewable energy capacity target of 175 GW to be achieved by the year 2022. All systems on the tableau are being run by the energy produced through the solar panels and energy stored in a device called Eco grid.

The new and renewable energy sources have been accepted universally as the foremost choice for being clean, non-polluting and inexhaustible sources of energy. Being environment-friendly, they preserve nature, promote greenery, health, happiness and prosperity for the mankind. India has announced a very ambitious renewable energy capacity target of 175 GW by 2022. We already have an impressing cumulative existing installed capacity of approximately 38 GW of solar, wind, small hydro and bio-energy.

India has already achieved impressing cumulative existing installed capacity of approximately 38 GW of solar, wind, small hydro and bio-energy. The vision 2022 of achieving the installed capacity of 175 GW, aims to transform India through rapid strides in the renewable energy sector, job creation and skill development. To meet these targets, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is spearheading research and technology development in new areas such as ocean, tidal energy, hydrogen, etc. It has also been spearheading research and technology development in new areas such as ocean, tidal energy, hydrogen, etc. which would also contribute greatly in the future.

IFC To Support Madhya Pradesh to Develop World’s Largest Single-Site Solar Power Project

2016-01-17T07:21:00.000-08:00

IFC(International finance corporation), a member of the World Bank Group, is working with the Indian government to assist in meeting its large-scale solar energy generation goals. IFC is supporting the state government of Madhya Pradesh, to set up the 750-MW Rewa ultra-mega solar power project.

This will be the largest single-site solar power project in the world. IFC will extend its global expertise to structure and implement the transaction to help attract private investments of about $750 million. IFC’s work on this project will be supported by its partnership with Department of Foreign Trade, Government of Australia.

“Successful implementation of the Rewa Ultra-Mega Power project will be a key milestone for Madhya Pradesh’s outstanding efforts and leadership in renewable energy and the central government’s remarkable vision on solar power.

The project will provide competitively-priced renewable power to state and central entities,” said Mr. Rajendra Shukla, Minister of Energy, Mines, and Minerals, Government of Madhya Pradesh. “IFC’s global expertise in PPPs, leadership in renewable energy, and convening power with investors, will help us implement this unique project.”

The project is supported by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, under its solar parks development scheme. Madhya Pradesh Urja Vika Nigam Limited (MPUVN) and the Solar Energy Corporation of India have created a joint venture company—Rewa Ultra-Mega Solar Power Limited—to implement the project. IFC will work closely with the New and Renewable Energy Department of the state government and MPUVN on this project.

India's Solar Installed Capacity Crosses 5 GW

2016-01-15T06:37:00.001-08:00

The cumulative installed capacity of solar has reached to 5,130 MW with installed capacity of 1385 MW in current FY. The state-wise break-up of 5,130 MW is given in the diagram below. The state of Rajasthan stands 1^st in the country with 1264 MW, followed by Gujarat (1024MW), Madhya Pradesh (679 MW), Tamil Nadu (419 MW), Maharashtra (379 MW) and Andhra Pradesh (357 MW).

The Government has set the ambitious target of generating 100 GW of solar power by the year 2021-22 under the National Solar Mission. It is envisaged to generate 60 GW ground mounted grid-connected solar power and 40 GW through roof-top grid interactive solar power to fulfill the 100 GW of solar power. The Ministry has also fixed year-wise targets to monitor the solar power generation in the country. The target for the current year is 2,000 MW and next year target is 12,000 MW. The Ministry is putting all efforts through various schemes of Central Government and State Governments to achieve the targets.It has been planned that around 18,000MW tender should be out by 31^st March, 2016. The total cumilative solar capacity stands at 5129.83

Suzlon Steps into Solar Power with 210 Mw project in Telangana

2016-01-14T19:43:00.001-08:00

Suzlon Group, one of India’s leading wind turbine manufacturers, today announced its foray into the solar sector .

The company has recieved Letters of Intent (LOIs) from the State utility, Southern Power Distribution Company of Telangana Limited (TSSPDCL) for 210 Mw. Suzlon won the projects through a competitive bidding process.

The 210MW of projects consist of six different capacity projects to be located across the State. This includes one project of 100MW, one of 50MW and four projects of 15MW each.

These projects shall be commissioned in FY 2016-17.

Suzlon will sign six Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) this month with the state utilities for a 25 year period. Suzlon will leverage its end-to-end clean energy solutions expertise to oversee the solar project from concept to commissioning.

"This 210MW project will reinforce our commitment to execute tangible capacities in solar energy every year while expanding our footprint. Suzlon will develop these projects on a turnkey basis.”said Mr. Rohit Modi, CEO (International Operation and New Business)

"Solar and wind are complementary, hence we will leverage our project execution capabilities and end-to-end solutions to deliver solar projects.We aim to contribute to the nation’s sustainable growth by offering clean energy solutions with innovative technologies and unique business model. We are also working on integrated renewable energy solutions by combining wind and solar projects at a single location."said Mr. Tulsi Tanti, Chairman, Suzlon Group

Renewable Energy Training centres India

2016-01-07T22:54:00.002-08:00

Amity Institute Of Renewable And Alternative Energy, Amity University www.amity.edu

University of Petroleum & Energy Studies New Delhi www.caer.upes.ac.in

Centre for Energy Studies Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, New Delhi www.ces.iitd.ac.in

Center for Study of Science Technology and Policy ,Bengaluru website:-www.cstep.in

Chandradeep Solar Research Institute Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation ,kolkata www.csrinstitute.co.in

National Institute of Solar Energy ,Gurgaon www.nise.res.in

National Institute of Wind Energy ,chennai www.niwe.res.in

Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute Phaltan, Maharashtra www.nariphaltan.org

Institute of Solar Technology , Howrah, www.istindia.org

Renewable Energy Centre Mithradham, Chunangamveli, Aluva, Kochi, Kerala, India www.mithradham.org

Sardar Patel Renewable Energy Research Institute Vidhyanagar, Gujarat www.spreri.org

World Institute of Sustainable Energy ,Pune www.wisein.org

Wind World India Ltd. Mumbai www.windworldindia.com

SECI and Russian Energy Agency sign's MoU to Setup Large-scale Solar PV power plants in India

2016-01-04T22:01:00.001-08:00

India's SECI and Russia's REA have signed up a memorandum of understanding for expanding solar Industry in India.

As per the MoU,both the parties have agreed to setup large scale solar pv plants during the the years 2016-2022. As a first stage pilot project of capacity upto 500MW will be developed.

The parties have proposed to collaborate and cooperate on the basic parameters of project implementation in order to achieve competitive solar tariffs, and have agreed to devise a road-map for development of solar projects and manufacturing facilities

While REA would be bringing in state-of-the-art technologies, low-cost financing for the projects, SECI would assist in obtaining the required Government clearances and approvals.

The MoU was signed by Mr. A. V. Tikhonov, Director General (REA), and Dr. Ashvini Kumar, MD (SECI) in the presence of senior-level officials on 24-12-2015

This MoU , being in-line with the Government of India’s plans for massive scale-up of solar power projects and rationalisation of solar power tariffs, would also give a boost to the ‘Make in India’ campaign.

Hydricity:A New Concept which produces both Power and Hydrogen

2016-01-02T21:36:00.000-08:00

Researchers from USA and Switzerland have developed a new concept called "Hydricity",which produces both electricity and hydrogen from solar energy

Hydricity uses solar concentrators to focus sunlight, producing high temperatures and superheating water to operate a series of electricity-generating steam turbines and reactors for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen would be stored for use overnight to superheat water and run the steam turbines, or it could be used for other applications, producing zero greenhouse-gas emissions.

In superheating, water is heated well beyond its boiling point – in this case from 1,000 to 1,300 degrees Celsius - producing high-temperature steam to run turbines and also to operate solar reactors to split the water into hydrogen and oxygen.

Hydrogen can be combined with carbon from agricultural biomass to produce fuel, fertilizer and other products

The overall sun-to-electricity efficiency of the hydricity process, averaged over a 24-hour cycle, is shown to approach 35 percent, which is nearly the efficiency attained by using the best photovoltaic cells along with batteries.

"The proposed hydricity concept represents a potential breakthrough solution for continuous and efficient power generation," said Rakesh Agrawal, Purdue University's Winthrop E. Stone Distinguished Professor in the School of Chemical Engineering, who worked with chemical engineering doctoral student Emre Gençer and other researchers.

"The concept provides an exciting opportunity to envision and create a sustainable economy to meet all the human needs including food, chemicals, transportation, heating and electricity."

Rs. 5000 crore Approved for the Promotion of Solar roof top systems

2015-12-30T21:51:00.001-08:00

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the scaling up of budget from Rs, 600 crore to Rs. 5,000 crore (753.5million USD )for implementation of Grid Connected Rooftops systems over a period of five years upto 2019-20 under National Solar Mission (NSM). This will support Installation of 4200 MW Solar Rooftop systems in the country in next five years.

The capital subsidy of 30% will be provided for general category States/UTs and 70% for special category States i.e., North-Eastern States including Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, There will be no subsidy for commercial and industrial establishments In the private sector since they are eligible for other benefits such as accelerated depreciation, custom duty concessions, excise duty exemptions and tax holiday etc,

This capacity of 4200 MWp will come up through the residential, Government, Social and institutional sector (hospitals, educational institutions etc.). Industrial & commercial sector will be encouraged for installations without subsidy. This will create the market, build the confidence of the consumers and will enable the balance capacity through market mode to achieve the target of 40,000 MWp by 2022.

The Government has revised the target of National Solar Mission (NSM) from 20,000 MWp to 1,00,000 MWp by 2022. Out of the 40,000 MWp is to come through grid connected solar rooftop systems. This approval will boost the installations in a big way and will act as a catalyst to achieve the goal of 40,000 MWp.

Background:

A large potential is available for generating solar power using unutilized space on rooftops in buildings. Solar power generated by each individual household, industrial, Institutional, commercial or any other type of buildings can be used to partly fulfil the requirement of the building occupants and surplus, if any, can be fed into the grid. So Tar, 26 States have notified their regulations to provide Net Metering/Gross metering facilities to support solar rooftops installations.

Today it is possible to generate solar power from the solar rooftop systems at about Rs.6.50/kWh. This is cheaper than the diesel gen-sets based electricity generation. It is also cheaper than the cost at which most DISCOMs would make power available to the industrial, commercial and high-end domestic consumers.

With the new initiative, India will emerge as a major country utilizing the roof space for solar rooftop systems on such a. large scale: This 40 GW will result in abatement of about 60 million tonnes of CO2 per year and will help to fulfil the commitment of India towards its contribution in mitigating the effect of Climate Change.

Infosys Goes Green with the Hyderabad campus

2015-12-29T21:58:00.002-08:00

Infosys a global leader in consulting,outsourcing,technology,next generation services announced the launch of the 6.6 MW solar pv plant at their pocharam campus,Hyderabad with this launch the total capacity increased to 7.2 MW including the existing 0.6 MW,it is one of the first corporate campuses which runs fully on renewable energy.The plant is expected to generate 12 million KWh per annum. This intiative is expected to reduce the company's carbon emissions by 9200 tons.

Currently infosys has around 12 MW in installed capacity in various plants across its campuses and another 3MW is expected to be completed within the next two months

Commenting on Infosys efforts to ensure sustainable development, Dr. Vishal Sikka, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Infosys said, “Our company's commitment to our broader purpose and to our communities, has always brought us great pride. The Infosys founders set this standard from the beginning, and we see this in the contributions of our employees to their communities and in times of crisis, such as the recent Chennai floods; we see this in the work of the Infosys Foundations; and we see this perhaps most clearly in our work in our facilities. Our team, led by Ramadas Kamath, continues to set new standards in our commitments to reduce electricity consumption. Our beautiful Hyderabad campus is another great example of this commitment.”

Infosys has always been at the forefront of the movement to chart an action plan for mitigating the adverse effects of climate change. Some of the achievements made by the company on this front as are follows:

This year Infosys became the first Indian company to join the global RE100 campaign:

By the end of fiscal 2015, the company reduced its per capita consumption of electricity by 46%About 30% of its energy requirements are now being met through renewable sources

The company has 14 LEED Platinum rated buildings and four buildings with the Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) 5 star rating, making it a total of about 5.3 million sq.ft of buildings having the highest level of green certification

Year End Review (MNRE)- Solar Power Target Reset to One Lakh MW

2015-12-15T22:21:00.001-08:00

MNRE published the year end review of the renewable energy in India below are the important points from the report

India is running the largest renewable capacity expansion programme in the world. The government is aiming to increase share of clean energy through massive thrust in renewables.

UPSCALING OF RE TARGETS:

The Government has up-scaled the target of renewable energy capacity to 175 GW by the year 2022 which includes 100 GW from solar, 60 GW from wind

GREEN POWER CAPACITY INCREASED:

A total of 2,311.88 MW of grid-connected power generation capacity from renewable energy sources like solar and wind has been added so far this fiscal in the country

REINVEST 2015:

First Renewable Energy Global Investment Promotion Meet & Expo (RE - INVEST) was organised with the intent of providing a platform to the global investment community to connect with stakeholders in India.The Ministry received total of 2,73,000 MW green commitments including 62,000 MW of renewable manufacturing in the event

INTERNATIONAL SOLAR ALLIANCE:

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched an International Solar Alliance (ISA) at the CoP21 Climate Conference in Paris on 30^thNovember as a special platform for mutual cooperation among 121 solar resource rich countries lying fully or partially between Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn

LOWEST SOLAR TARIFFS:

In an e-reverse auction conducted by NTPC on 03.11.2015 for 500 MW (10 projects of 50 MW each) to be set up at Ghani Solar Park in Andhra Pradesh under National Solar Mission, Phase-II, Batch-II, Tranche-I of Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, Govt. of India, NTPC received the lowest tariff of Rs. 4.63 per unit of electricity. Total 30 bids were received totaling to 5500 MW capacity.

INTRA STATE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM:

In July 2015, the Cabinet has approved the creation of an intra state transmission system in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan at an estimated cost of Rs 8548.68 crore with Government of India contribution from National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) of Rs 3419.47 crore (40 percent of the total estimated cost of project).

SOLAR CITIES:

The Ministry has approved 56 solar cities projects against the target of 60 solar cities under the Development of Solar Cities Programme. The Government has also approved a Scheme for setting up of 25 Solar Parks, each with the capacity of 500 MW and above

SOLAR PROJECTS UNDER NATIONAL SOLAR MISSION:

The Union Cabinet gave its approval for the implementation of the scheme for setting up of 15,000 MW of Grid-connected Solar PV Power projects under the National Solar Mission through NTPC

SOLAR PUMPS:

The government has implemented a scheme to install one lakh solar pumps for irrigation and drinking water through State Nodal Agencies and NABARD. These pumps helped lakhs of farmers to increase output, income and also provide drinking water

Several States Witness Silent Revolution of Rooftop Solar Power Generation; National Wind Energy Policy Brought in; PM Launches International Solar Alliance ;56 Solar Cities in the Offing; One Lakh Solar Pumps for Irrigation; Renewable Energy Law to be Enacted

Wind energy potential of India stands at 302 GW

2015-12-14T21:23:00.000-08:00

The National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) has recently launched Wind Energy Resource Map of India at 100 meter above ground level (AGL) on online Geographic Information System platform. This Wind Atlas is available online in the NIWE website.The wind energy potential in the country at 100 m AGL is over 302 GW. This was stated by Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal & New and Renewable Energy (IC) in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha The State-wise wind energy potential is given below:

S.No	State/UT	Potential (MW@100m)
1	Andaman & Nicobar	8
2	Andhra Pradesh	44229
3	Chhattisgarh	77
4	Goa	1
5	Gujarat	84431
6	Karnataka	55857
7	Kerala	1700
8	Lakshadweep	8
9	Madhya Pradesh	10484
10	Maharashtra	45394
11	Odisha	3093
12	Puducherry	153
13	Rajasthan	18770
14	Tamil Nadu	33800
15	Telangana	4244
16	West Bengal	2
Total		302,251 MW (302 GW)

The Minister further stated that depending upon the location of the project in different wind power potential zones in the country, the plant load factor of wind energy projects ranges from 20 per cent to 32 per cent.The wind power is being installed in the country under three different modes, viz. i) Sale to Discoms under Feed-in-Tariff mode; ii) Captive use; and iii) Third party sale under Independent Power Producer (IPP) mode. The Government is promoting all three modes of installation, the Minister added.

The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission on 7 August 2015 has notified forecasting and scheduling regulations and also Deviation Settlement Mechanism for inter-state transmission of solar and wind energy. Further, the Forum of Regulators has also issued model regulations on forecasting, scheduling & deviation settlement of wind & solar generators for intra-state transmission, the Minister added.

Gokul R prabhu

World Record Thin-Film Solar Cell Efficiency of 22.3% achieved by solar frontier

2015-12-13T23:24:00.000-08:00

A new record for thin film solar cell efficiency of 22.3% has been achieved by solar frontier the world's largest cis solar energy provider .In joint research with the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) of Japan, Solar Frontier achieved 22.3% conversion efficiency on a 0.5cm² cell using its CIS technology. This is an increase of 0.6 percentage points over the industry’s previous thin-film record of 21.7%.

The Fraunhofer Institute, Europe’s largest organization for applied research, has independently verified this result.

“Solar Frontier is proud to be a technology leader in the solar energy industry,” said Atsuhiko Hirano, CEO of Solar Frontier. “Increasing conversion efficiency is a key component in driving down the total lifetime cost of solar energy for homeowners and businesses.”

In addition to conversion efficiency, there are several factors that determine how much energy a solar module will ultimately generate in real-world conditions and, subsequently, its lifetime cost. Solar Frontier’s CIS modules generate more energy (kilowatt-hours per kilowatt-peak) compared to crystalline silicon in real-world conditions.

Building on its latest research achievement, Solar Frontier will continue to advance its CIS technology in pursuit of its vision: a future where solar energy enables a cleaner, more comfortable lifestyle for all.

Gokul R prabhu

Tata Power Solar commissions world’s largest rooftop solar

2015-12-13T04:10:00.004-08:00

Tata Power Solar, India’s largest integrated solar player, has successfully commissioned a 12 MW solar rooftop project for R.S.S.B. EDUCATIONAL & ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIETY (RSSB–EES). Built across 8 sheltered venues in a single premise at the Radha Soami Satsang Beas - Dera Baba Jaimal Singh in Amritsar, the project is the largest solar rooftop plant in the world, set up in a single phase. The plant will produce more than 150 lakh units of power annually and offset over 19000 tonnes of carbon emissions every year.

RSSB is a non-profit philosophical organization with its headquarters in Beas, Punjab. It is based on the spiritual teachings of all religions. RSSB-EES is a charitable organization based at Dera Baba Jaimal Singh, which operates multiple charitable initiatives in the field of environment and education. The rooftop project is set up under the Punjab Government’s grid connected rooftop solar projects scheme, wherein power from the plant will be fed to the grid. In April 2014, same organisation had set up a similar 7.524 MWp solar plant on a single rooftop.

Speaking on the project, Mr. Ashish Khanna, CEO & ED, Tata Power Solar Systems Ltd, said, “We are really pleased and proud to have commissioned world's largest rooftop solar plant for RSSB-EES. This has been commissioned in a single phase on multiple roofs covering an area of 1.621 million sq.ft with varying roof profiles, roof types and truss frames. With world-class safety being our ethos, the project was commissioned on schedule with highest quality standards by systematic and planned engineering and executed in a safe manner with zero-incidents. This is credible especially when our teams were working on heights with delicate roof material and have achieved this without disrupting the sanctity and utilization of the concerned buildings. The vision shown by RSSB-EES leaders to develop this type of a plant is admirable. This not only highlights their green & environmental focus but also showcases the potential of rooftops in building energy independence.”

Tata Power Solar was ranked #1 in the solar rooftop market in the recently published India Solar Rooftop Map 2016 report by BRIDGE TO INDIA, a leading Cleantech consulting firm. Apart from the 12 MW project with RSSBEES, Tata Power Solar has other operating Roof Tops of over 65 MW of distributed generation.

Gokul R Prabhu

Lightsource to Launch £2billion Investment into India Solar PV Market

2015-11-13T06:13:00.000-08:00

Lightsource Renewable Energy, the leading solar energy company in the UK and Europe, is spearheading a £2billion investment in solar energy in India.The firm has announced plans to design, install and manage more than 3 Gigawatts (GW) of solar photovoltaic (PV) infrastructure in partnership with a number of reputable Indian companies over the next five years.In addition to creating over 300 solar jobs in India, this investment will also create over 300 UK jobs. Many more jobs will also be created in related industries, such as construction and steel fabrication to facilitate the installation of the new sites.

The first partner announced is SREI Infrastructure Finance Limited, which is the leading infrastructure financing entity in India specialising in financing, development and advisory functions.Lightsource’s CEO, Nick Boyle said: “We are delighted to be announcing our investment plans for the solar PV market in India. The Indian Government has ambitious plans for renewable energy and we’re very pleased that Lightsource will be contributing significantly to that goal.

“India will be a key market for Lightsource in the future. We are excited to be working with SREI, our first partner. Together we will be contributing towards the Indian Government’s and our individual companies’ ambitions.”

Trade and investment Minister Lord Maude said: “The UK and India have a strong, successful trade relationship. Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the UK this week demonstrates our commitment and ambition to collaborate further.

“Both countries have a wealth of talent and expertise to share and I am pleased to see so many UK and Indian companies announcing deals this week. By working in partnership we can deliver real benefits and job creation for both of our economies.”

Currently the leading solar PV energy generator in the UK and Europe, and one of the top ten largest solar PV energy generators globally, Lightsource has deployed more than £1.7 billion of solar assets and manages an operational portfolio of more than 1GW – enough to power more than 330,000 households each year.

However, India is of key interest to the company after being part of a trade mission to the country earlier this year alongside Baroness Verma – who at the time was an Under Secretary of State at the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Only less than one percent of India's solar potential tapped: Study

2015-08-24T21:22:00.000-07:00

Not even one percent of India's total solar energy potential has been harvested till date, a recent study by Deloitte and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has revealed.

All this while the National Institute of Solar Energy has estimated India's solar power potential at 749 GW.The study also revealed that installed solar power capacity in India grew from 14 MW in 2010 to 3,744 MW by March 2015.

"There are 300 million people in India without power; 400 million people are supplied erratic power; more than half the population of India does not get proper power," said Ashish Khanna, CEO, Tata Power Solar.

Speaking at the CII Annual Power Conference here on Tuesday, Khanna lauded the government of India's ambitious target of achieving 100 GW solar power capacity by 2022 compared to China's 100 GW by 2020.

The central and state governments have embarked on initiatives like rooftop solar projects, solar parks, standalone mini-grids for rural electrification and off-grid applications such as solar cookers, lanterns and others for producing maximum solar power in India.

About use of solar power in Karnataka, G.V. Balaram, MD, Karnataka Renewable Energy Development, said: "Excluding rooftop solar power generation, plans are afoot to increase solar power generation to 20,000 MW using wastelands by 2020." for more click here

courtesy: Business-standard

Green project by Google : Project Sunroof

2015-08-23T22:19:00.000-07:00

Google on Monday launched project sunroof, a new online service that taps into Google’s growing capacities in satellite imagery and artificial intelligence to give consumers a comprehensive look at how much they would save by swapping their traditional power source for solar energy.

The project, currently available for residents of San Francisco, Boston, and Fresno, Calif., is the latest investment to tie Google to renewable energy sources – and solar in particular – and could be a step towards making solar power more accessible and easy to use.

“As the price of installing solar has gotten less expensive, more homeowners are turning to it as a possible option for decreasing their energy bill,” according to Google. “We want to make installing solar panels easy and understandable for anyone

How it works?

Just type in your address and project sunroof will create a 3D model of that location's roof structure.It then estimates how much sunlight that roof gets in one year and also shows how much you will save in coming years

for more project sunroof