Blogs
The market this quarter – Installed PV capacity in India reaches 1.41 GW
03 April 2013 | Jasmeet Khurana
We have released our latest quarterly update from the 10th edition of the INDIA SOLAR COMPASS. The total installed capacity in India has now reached 1.41 GW. Most off-grid projects that apply for capital subsidy from the MNRE in the new financial year will be put on hold until the end of the financial...
Save coal for the future – a case for renewables in India?
02 April 2013 | Tobias Engelmeier
What is the cost of burning India’s coal reserves? And should that cost be added to the equation when determining whether to switch to renewables? This is a preliminary thought-piece. The thought goes like this: fossil fuels are burned and gone. Renewables are – as the name suggests – unlimited. Could coal be used more sparingly for purposes other than generating electricity? Perhaps not...
Weekly Update: India’s largest solar REC project of 33 MW commissioned
01 April 2013 | Jasmeet Khurana
India’s largest solar REC project of 33 MW was commissioned last week. The promoter of the plant is Giriraj Enterprises, which has diversified business interests. Sterling and Wilson was responsible for the EPC for the entire 33 MW and will also be responsible for the Operation and Maintenance (O&M) of the plant for the next five years. The project estimates an average of 53,000 RECs...
Weekly Update: Uttar Pradesh announces bids for 200 MW of solar capacity
25 March 2013 | Jasmeet Khurana
Uttar Pradesh has announced a bidding process for a 200 MW capacity (refer to the Request for Proposal (RfP), PPA and Escrow agreement documents). The state has also finalized its draft solar policy. It is now called ‘Uttar Pradesh Solar Policy 2013′ (refer to the
Can solar reduce smog in Delhi?
20 March 2013 | Tobias Engelmeier
Rooftop PV could reduce the capital’s power costs and improve its supply security. These are benefits typically associated with solar. However, the real benefit might lie in reducing Delhi’s chronically high levels of smog. We are only just beginning to understand the economic (let alone social and political) cost of excessive pollution. A look at China helps. Smog in Delhi has reached...
Weekly Update: Punjab announces a bidding process for 300 MW of solar projects
19 March 2013 | Jasmeet Khurana
The Indian state of Punjab has released a request for proposal (RfP) document for allocation of 300 MW of solar PV in the first phase of its state solar policy (refer to the RfP document). Punjab had earlier set a target of 1 GW of new solar capacity by 2022 in its ‘New and Renewable Sources of Energy Policy – 2012′...
Big vs. Small – What is the future for PV in India?
14 March 2013 | Tobias Engelmeier
As the Indian solar market is moving from subsidy-driven PV projects with public PPAs to commercially-driven private PPAs, two trends are emerging to service India’s power customers: large PV plants (e.g. 100 MW), located in high irradiation areas selling power through the grid directly to end-users and local, captive PV plants (e.g. 100 kW). Both might have a role to play in India. Which...
Whatever is happening to CSP in India?
12 March 2013 | Tobias Engelmeier
CSP in India has had a bad run over the last two years. The enthusiastic initial party mood was quickly followed by a collective implementation headache with a number of challenges threatening the viability of projects. Now, further allocations have been postponed. At the same time, the focus shifts from large power plants to hybrid models. India is increasingly able to produce large parts of...
Weekly Update: Karnataka launches bids for 130 MW of solar projects
11 March 2013 | Jasmeet Khurana
Karnataka has announced a second round of allocations under its state solar policy. In the last round that took place one year ago, 80 MW was allocated (refer). Allocations of 130 MW of PV as well as CSP projects are targeted The policy aims to meet the RPOs of distribution companies, and makes no attempt...
Access to the right financing options will be the key differentiator in the Indian market
04 March 2013 | Tobias Engelmeier
BRIDGE TO INDIA has come out with its latest report, ‘Bankability and Debt Financing for Solar Projects in India‘. The report looks at debt financing for solar projects in India from two perspectives: the lender’s point of view and the borrower’s point of view. The lender’s point of view...
Weekly Update: Kerala announces draft solar policy to focus on decentralized solar
04 March 2013 | Jasmeet Khurana
The south Indian state of Kerala has published a draft solar policy (refer). This makes it the ninth Indian state to release a solar specific policy document. The Kerala solar policy has set a target of 500 MW by 2017 and 1,500 MW by 2030 Unlike the NSM, the...
Weekly Update: Expectations of the Indian solar industry from union budget 2013
26 February 2013 | Jasmeet Khurana
The finance minister of India will be presenting the union budget in front of the parliament on 28th February 2013. The budget is will highlight the public fund allocations for the next financial year (April 2013-March 2014). Multiple commerce and industry associations have provided suggestions to boost the solar sector in India. FICCI has released suggestions for methods to reduce the high...
