Blogs
Why utilities need to wake up to the distributed solar boom
23 April 2014 | Akhilesh Magal
Utilities across the world have so far overlooked or ignored the wave of distributed generation, based on cheap solar power. This, however, represents nothing short of a revolution: it transfers power (actual and economic) from suppliers to consumers. Utilities are at a crossroads. They can focus on protecting their existing business or on mastering the new opportunities as they arise. They are...
Weekly Update: Is this the time for Indian manufacturing sector to start attracting investments?
22 April 2014 | Jasmeet Khurana
In a recent meeting of members of National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI), Solar Alliance of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Saudi Arabia Solar Association, it was announced that as many as a dozen manufacturers from Gulf countries have shown interest in setting up manufacturing joint ventures with Indian companies (
Weekly Update: Decoding the solar track record of India’s political parties
15 April 2014 | Jasmeet Khurana
The first solar policy in India was released by the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state of Gujarat in 2009. This was soon followed by a much more comprehensive National Solar Mission at the central government level by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) headed by the Indian National Congress (INC). Both these policies have laid the foundation for the creation of a solar power...
Weekly Update: Impact of a new government on the solar industry in India: our take
07 April 2014 | Jasmeet Khurana
India has begun voting for a new government today. This largest ever democratic exercise will involve up to 815m citizens. Energy and renewables have not featured prominently in the campaigns to date. Most political analysts believe that, come May, India’s primary opposition, the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), might come into power. As a thought experiment, we assess the likely effect...
Solar unlimited in India: 1,000 GW on 0.5% of the land
03 April 2014 | Tobias Engelmeier
We have often argued that solar can be India’s future: not just an incremental power source at the fringes of the economy, but a real game changer. We wanted to visualize what the potential really is. Our India Solar Potential map below, is the result. 1,000 GW of solar could be built on half the area of the district of Barmer in Rajasthan 1,000 GW could generate 1,500 TWh/ year which...
Weekly Update: NSM domestic content batch of 375 MW caught in crossfire between the developers and manufacturers
01 April 2014 | Jasmeet Khurana
National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI), one of the several solar industry associations in India, has written a letter to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) suggesting that domestic manufacturers do not have adequate capacity to supply the 375 MW of capacity allocations under the domestic content requirement (DCR) category of batch one of phase two of the National...
The Indian solar market is ready for the NSM boost
01 April 2014 | Jasmeet Khurana
The April 2014 edition of BRIDGE TO INDIA’s quarterly publication, the India Solar Compass, has been released. Following are some highlights. • India signs 1,232 MW of PPAs in the first quarter of 2014• India to add 1,065 MW of solar PV capacity in the next financial year• India added 89 MW of solar PV capacity in the last quarter, lowest since Q3 2012 Project...
What are India’s strategic energy options? Part 4: A game changing shift to solar
25 March 2014 | Tobias Engelmeier
India has two choices to make. The first choice is: should it actively develop and follow an energy strategy? Or should it continue to sputter along in an ad-hoc manner, with inefficient private investments into back-up infrastructure and with power deficits that inhibit development? The second choice, if India opts for a strategy, is: what should the strategy be? Should it focus on the...
Weekly Update: Restricting open access power purchase- a regressive move?
25 March 2014 | Akhilesh Magal
Gujarat has restricted industries in the state from procuring power from outside the state through open access as per news reports. This restricts the choice of private industries in Gujarat to either purchase electricity from the state discoms or via on-site captive power plants. This comes as an unexpected move since Gujarat has been on the forefront of power sector reforms in...
What are India’s strategic energy options? Part 3: Cost trajectories of fossil and renewable energy
20 March 2014 | Tobias Engelmeier
So far, in its process of industrialization, India has been relying heavily on its own coal reserves and on imported oil (mostly from the Middle East). Attempts to build a strong nuclear industry based on domestic Thorium reserves have so far been unsuccessful. Despite the shale gas revolution in the US, it seems like fossil fuels will become more and more expensive in India. At the same time,...
Weekly Update: India’s subsidy scheme for de-centralized solar to stay subdued in 2014 as well
19 March 2014 | Jasmeet Khurana
Last financial year (April 2013- March 2014), the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) had received a budgetary allocation of INR 15.2 billion (USD 250 million) for various renewable energy programs. However, there was a mid-term course correction due to India’s high current account deficit situation and the actual disbursement ended up to be only INR 4.4 billion (USD 72 million). As...
A unique learning experience at the GSES Solar PV workshop
18 March 2014 | Karan Raj Chaudri
Global Sustainable Energy Solutions (‘GSES’) – a leading Australian firm engaged in providing training and resources for solar PV- held its first workshop in Delhi in the first week of March. The four day workshop was focused on technical and operational aspects of solar PV projects with a guided site visit to a solar plant to give participants an informative tour of a typical PV...
