Loading...

Blogs


UDAY update – well begun is half done

09 May 2016 | BRIDGE TO INDIA

Distribution companies (DISCOMs) are the weakest link in India’s power sector with accumulated financial losses of INR 3.8 trillion (USD 57 billion) and debt of INR 4.3 trillion (USD 65 billion) as of 2015 (refer). Government restructuring plan for the DISCOMs, Ujjwal Discom Assurance Yojana...

Read more...


SECI hopes that subsidies will help expand the market by 8x in a year

02 May 2016 | BRIDGE TO INDIA

Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has released a tender to allocate 30% capital subsidy for 500 MW of residential and institutional rooftop solar projects across India (refer). This is by far the largest rooftop solar subsidy tender in the country till date....

Read more...


CEO survey shows huge optimism in the sector but also a reminder of key challenges

25 April 2016 | BRIDGE TO INDIA

BRIDGE TO INDIA has just released results from its first ever survey of the most influential private sector decision makers in the industry as part of the Indian Solar Handbook 2016 report (download your free copy here). Most of the 27 participating CEOs said that they expect their businesses to grow by an average...

Read more...


RPO mechanism takes another beating

18 April 2016 | BRIDGE TO INDIA

As part of the memorandum of understanding signed under the UDAY scheme, the Ministry of Power has allowed a roll forward of the Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) for Uttar Pradesh by seven years (refer). Meanwhile, state power distribution companies in Odisha have got a stay on enforcement of...

Read more...


Bridge To India

Indian solar market running on fumes?

11 April 2016 | BRIDGE TO INDIA

India received 263 GW of private sector renewable investment commitments at Re-Invest last year. New developers continue to enter the market on an on-going basis resulting in over-subscription for most bids and dramatic falls in tariffs. On the face of it, with so much interest in the market, shortage of equity investors should not be an issue. But many developers seem to be bidding for projects...

Read more...


Haryana announces a highly ambitious solar policy

11 April 2016 | Jyoti Gulia

In March 2016, the Government of Haryana revised its state solar power policy which was launched two years back. The new solar policy is a six-year policy spanning 2016 to 2022. Under the new policy the target is to add 3200 MW of solar power by 2022. This target is in line with central government target to add 100 GW of solar power by 2022 for which the state renewable purchase obligation (RPO)...

Read more...


Madhya Pradesh launches a unique 750 MW solar power project

04 April 2016 | BRIDGE TO INDIA

Madhya Pradesh Power Management Company Limited (MPPM), Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and International Finance Corporation (IFC) have announced a tender for a 3 x 250 MW solar project in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh. MPPM, a holding company for all power distribution companies in the state, will buy most of the power from the proposed project but interestingly, DMRC will procure 363 million units...

Read more...


SECI tender for Uttar Pradesh 440 MW solar projects gets a lukewarm response

31 March 2016 | Shaurya Bajaj

Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) recently conducted reverse auctions for 125 MW of the aggregate 440 MW capacity (390 MW capacity under open and 50 MW capacity under Domestic content requirement category) tendered under government solar park projects in Uttar Pradesh as part of its viability gap funding (VGF) scheme. In this scheme, developers sell power at a fixed tariff of INR 4.43/kWh...

Read more...


Bridge To India

CERC reduces solar capital cost benchmark by 12% for FY 2016-17

28 March 2016 | BRIDGE TO INDIA

Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) passed a final order for determination of benchmark capital cost for solar PV projects for FY 2016-17 last week (refer). It has established the capital cost of solar PV projects including equipment, construction, land, transmission and pre-operative costs...

Read more...


Indian solar industry gets busy as the financial year draws to a close

21 March 2016 | BRIDGE TO INDIA

As we come to the end of the financial year, a rush to meet allocation and announcement targets has made the Indian solar market fairly frantic. Just last week, bid results were announced for a cumulative capacity of 1,425 MW including a 1,200 MW state allocation in Jharkhand, a 125 MW allocation in Uttar Pradesh by Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) and a 100 MW allocation in Rajasthan by...

Read more...


Kerala launches a tender for 200 MW of PV capacity; a first for the state

18 March 2016 | BRIDGE TO INDIA

Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) issued a Request for Selection (RFS) for allocating 200 MW of ground-mounted, grid connected solar PV power on 17th February 2016. This is the first large scale RFS issued by KSEB for consumer use. So far, Kerala has only 13 MW of installed solar capacity, most of which (12 MW) is deployed onsite at the Kochi International Airport. Salient features of the...

Read more...


GST poses a big risk for the Indian solar industry

14 March 2016 | BRIDGE TO INDIA

Recent reports suggest that the changing numbers in India’s upper house of Parliament may mean that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill could be passed by July 2016 (refer)....

Read more...


To top