Blogs
2016 was a great year for the Indian solar industry but the best is yet to come
19 December 2016 | BRIDGE TO INDIA
As 2016 comes to an end, it is worth taking a holistic look at the Indian solar sector to analyse key trends, challenges and outlook. Key highlights include record project volumes – both for capacity addition and issue of new tenders, improving power distribution company (DISCOM) financial position as a result of UDAY scheme, steep fall in equipment prices, improving M&A activity and...
India’s largest rooftop solar tender to see record low tariffs
12 December 2016 | BRIDGE TO INDIA
Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has issued a tender for development of 1,000 MW rooftop solar capacity on pre-identified central government/ department owned buildings (refer). It is the largest such...
India’s solar water pump market struggling to take off
05 December 2016 | BRIDGE TO INDIA
In 2014, India’s Modi government announced a target to install 1 million solar water pumps, equivalent to approximately 3,000 MW, for irrigation and drinking water by 2021 (refer). But...
Government to become a key demand driver for rooftop solar market in India
30 November 2016 | Jyoti Gulia
Rooftop solar market in India has grown at a CAGR of 98% in the last four years. As of September 30, 2016, total installed capacity stands at 1,020 MW (refer INDIA SOLAR ROOFTOP MAP 2016). Growth in this market is being primarily driven by improvement in price competitiveness of rooftop solar power vis-à-vis grid...
Solar developers stay away from Tamil Nadu tender
28 November 2016 | BRIDGE TO INDIA
Last month, Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited (TANGEDCO) floated a tender for 500 MW of utility scale solar projects. This tender has received limited interest and that too predominantly from smaller developers who have submitted 20 bids totalling just 116 MW. This tender follows an allocation of approx. 1,200 MW in early 2015 where a fixed tariff of INR 7.01/kWh (USD...
Net-metering battles in the US hold crucial lessons for India
21 November 2016 | BRIDGE TO INDIA
Rapid growth in the US rooftop solar market and the number of net-metering connections has opened a battle-front between utilities on one hand and solar developers and consumers on the other hand. Utilities are arguing against the rationale of giving customers full retail credit for their excess energy and vigorously challenging the current net-metering framework in many states including
Indian solar capacity crosses 10 GW milestone
18 November 2016 | BRIDGE TO INDIA
India’s total installed solar capacity including rooftop and off-grid segments has crossed 10 GW mark, a major milestone for the sector. India is expected to add new solar capacity of 5.1 GW this year, which is a growth of 137% over last year. BRIDGE TO INDIA expects average annual capacity addition of 8-10 GW per annum from next year onwards. The pace of sector activity has picked up...
Launching a clean-up drive for the Indian renewable sector
14 November 2016 | BRIDGE TO INDIA
The Indian government has launched a momentous demonetisation drive to weed out black money and clean up the economy (refer). We have often heard gossip about some of the black money, estimated to be close to INR 30 trillion (USD 440 billion) or about 20% of Indian GDP, finding its way...
MP announces a progressive decentralised RE policy
12 November 2016 | BRIDGE TO INDIA
Madhya Pradesh government has come out with a new decentralised renewable energy policy focusing primarily on rooftop...
Poor implementation of net-metering policies poses a major challenge for rooftop solar
07 November 2016 | BRIDGE TO INDIA
India’s rooftop solar market is growing rapidly with the country adding more capacity in the past 12 months than all previous years put together (refer). However, grid interconnection regulations and processes remain challenging in most parts of the country despite almost all states announcing net-...
UDAY success to bring huge benefits for solar sector in India
24 October 2016 | BRIDGE TO INDIA
The Ministry of Power’s Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY), a financial and operational reform scheme for distribution companies (DISCOMs), announced in November 2015 (refer) is bearing surprisingly quick and positive results. The scheme aims to address debilitating...
OPEX model takes hold in India but faces a key challenge
17 October 2016 | BRIDGE TO INDIA
India has added 513 MW of rooftop solar capacity over the past 12 months reaching total installed capacity of 1,020 MW. 22% of capacity addition in the last year has been built under OPEX model where a third party project developer finances and installs the system on rooftop owner/consumer’s premises and sells all power output to him under a long-term agreement. This model is extremely popular...
